cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
STRAWBERRY SUPPLEMENTATION REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE IN DIABETIC DB/DB MICE

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as atherosclerosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Recent clinical studies support the vascular beneficial effects of anthocyanins, one class of flavonoids widely available in berry fruits. Human studies have shown that the consumption of strawberries improves several surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk. However, the effect of strawberries on diabetic vasculature are unknown. We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of strawberries on metabolic parameters and blood pressure in diabetic db/db mice. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that mice fed a freeze-dried strawberry (SB) diet will improve blood pressure in diabetes. Methods: Seven-week old male diabetic db/db mice that consumed standard chow ( db/db ) or chow supplemented with 2.35% freeze-dried strawberries ( db/db+SB ) for 10 weeks were compared to non-diabetic control mice ( db/+ ). The nutritional dose of SB used in this study is equivalent to two human servings of SB (~160g) per day. Body weight and food intake, glucose (GTT), and insulin (ITT) tolerance, and blood pressure (tail cuff method) were assessed after 10 weeks treatment. All data were analyzed using SPSS/10 software and are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significant treatment differences were identified using Tukey's multiple comparison tests. P<0.05 was considered different. Results: Body weight and blood glucose were increased in diabetic db/db mice with an impaired glucose and insulin tolerance. Dietary strawberries didn't improve these parameters in db/db +SB. Blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, and mean) was significantly higher in diabetic db/db mice vs. db/+ mice, but the blood pressure was reduced in db/db+SB mice. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of strawberries improved blood pressure in diabetic mice without altering metabolic parameters. Strawberry might complement conventional therapies to improve vascular complications in diabetes. References: Basu A, et al. , J Nutr 140:1582-7, 2010. Cassidy A , et al., Circulation 15;127:188-96, 2013. Cavalcanti, et al., FASEB J 29(1): Supplement 118.6, 2015 (from Dr. Velayutham's Lab). Riso A, et al ., Eur J Nutr, 52: 949-961, 2013. Rodriguez-Mateos A, et al ., Am J Clin Nutr 98:1179-91, 2013. Rodriguez-Mateos A, et al., Mol Nutr Food Res. 58:1952-61, 2014.
Scenes of Instruction

This essay considers the intertwined histories of writing and performance. Beginning with the earliest invention of writing in Mesopotamia, it focuses on the emergence of master teachers in the centuries before the Common Era, when Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus attracted large followings in the midst of literate cultures without writing a single word. Their embrace of live teaching and performance at the expense of writing was channeled back into literature by their students, who produced dialogues, anecdotes and sermons attributed to these masters after their deaths. This dynamic between writing and performance continues to the present day with such figures as Ludwig Wittgenstein and demonstrates the importance of performance for the understanding of foundational figures in philosophy and religion.
Public Preferences for Targeted and Universal Preschool.

For the past half century, debate over income-targeted and universal approaches to American preschool policy has divided advocates, policymakers, and practitioners. This is the first paper to infor...
The paradox of expanding ghettos and declining racial segregation in large U.S. metropolitan areas, 1970–2010

Abstract This paper describes the dynamics of racial desegregation over forty years in 51 large US metropolitan areas, examining how the initial racial compositions of neighborhoods affect the later racial composition of the neighborhood and overall metropolitan area desegregation. After documenting integration arising from the increasing dispersion of black households across neighborhoods that were entirely, or disproportionately, non-black, we identify a stark exception: non-blacks do not move to neighborhoods that are over-90% black. The surprise is that, while the mean proportions of metropolitan black populations residing in such highly segregated neighborhoods decreased, the numbers of such neighborhoods actually increased in most metropolitan areas. The expansions of black neighborhoods, even as segregation decreases, pose challenges for local development and for continued racial integration.
Cerebrovascular Embryology and Implications for the Pathogenesis of Cerebral Aneurysms

Abstract Although the prevalence of intracranial arterial aneurysms and the incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) vary widely among genetically distinct populations, cerebral aneurysms account for substantial morbidity and mortality across the world. Descriptions of cerebral aneurysms date back to antiquity, with many questions remaining unanswered regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of these lesions. Once thought to be congenital, intracranial arterial aneurysms are now widely accepted as acquired lesions, a result of complex interactions between cerebrovascular anatomy, vascular injury, and adaptive remodeling of the arterial wall. This chapter overviews the embryological development of the cerebral arterial circulation, and discusses the processes of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis that can generate numerous atypical anatomical variants, including the pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms.
Treatment of KIT-mutated metastatic mucosal melanoma.

Mucosal melanoma is a rare, aggressive histologic subtype of malignant melanoma, and prognosis for patients with metastatic mucosal melanoma is very poor. In general, conventional cytotoxic agents alone or in combination with immunologic drugs have limited clinical benefit. Advances in molecular analytic techniques have helped researchers discover genetic aberrations in KIT, a receptor tyrosine kinase, in nearly 40% of patients with mucosal melanoma. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that hot-spot mutations, mostly substitutions in exons 11 and 13, result in constitutive activation of KIT and its downstream signal transduction pathways, such as the MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT pathways. KIT inhibitors, most notably imatinib, have shown promising clinical activity in KIT -mutant advanced melanoma, including mucosal melanoma, with clinical response rates exceeding 35% in patients with hot-spot mutations in exon 11 or 13 and/or a high mutant/wild-type allelic ratio. However, the duration of disease control is rather short in general, and treatment with KIT inhibitors as single agents is not optimal. Well-designed mechanistic studies aimed at assessing molecular differences between various KIT mutations or other aberrations and mechanisms of resistance are urgently needed to improve KIT-targeting therapy for melanoma. In addition, with availability of checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-CTLA4 and/or anti-PD-1 antibodies, immunotherapies using those inhibitors alone or in combinations of such immunotherapies with KIT inhibitors may lead to more effective therapeutic regimens. This review discusses the rationale for KIT inhibitor therapy in patients with metastatic mucosal melanoma and the findings of preclinical and clinical studies of KIT inhibitors in this patient population.
A study of android application security

The fluidity of application markets complicate smartphone security. Although recent efforts have shed light on particular security issues, there remains little insight into broader security characteristics of smartphone applications. This paper seeks to better understand smartphone application security by studying 1,100 popular free Android applications. We introduce the ded decompiler, which recovers Android application source code directly from its installation image. We design and execute a horizontal study of smartphone applications based on static analysis of 21 million lines of recovered code. Our analysis uncovered pervasive use/misuse of personal/ phone identifiers, and deep penetration of advertising and analytics networks. However, we did not find evidence of malware or exploitable vulnerabilities in the studied applications. We conclude by considering the implications of these preliminary findings and offer directions for future analysis.
Time-frequency analysis-G(λ)-stationary processes

Methods such as wavelets, short term Fourier transforms and time deformation [Gray and Zhang, 1988. On a class of nonstationary processes. J. Time Ser. Anal. 9(2), 133-154 and Gray, Vijverberg and Woodward, 2005. Nonstationary data analysis by time deformation. Commun. Statist. A, to appear] have been developed to analyze the time-frequency properties of a process where frequency changes with time. When the frequencies of a process are either monotonically increasing or monotonically decreasing with time, a rather general time deformation approach is to apply an appropriate Box-Cox transformation to the time axis for the given signal in order to obtain a new stationary data set. This data set can then be analyzed by standard methods. Processes which are transformed to a stationary process after Box-Cox transformation of the time scale are called G(@l)-stationary processes, where @l is the corresponding parameter of the Box-Cox transformation. In this paper it is shown that the standard concept of stationarity can be viewed as stationarity under a linear transformation of the index set, while transforming time (time deformation) by a non-linear monotonic transformation introduces the concept of stationarity on a non-linear index set. Thus the notion of stationarity is broadened considerably to allow stationarity on different scales. The method is illustrated with analysis of both simulated and real data. Finally, it is shown that such processes can be transformed to stationarity by sampling properly. The software for performing the analysis discussed in this paper can be downloaded from the website http://faculty.smu.edu/hgray/research.htm.
Más allá de la dicotomía realismo-instrumentalismo

My main purpose is to show that (1) the standard characterization of instrumentalism (Duhem) fails to grasp adequately the complexity of the cognitive status of important scientific theories in the past, e.g. Ptolemy's astronomy; (2) that failure is closely related to certain presuppositions which have been recently criticized from different points of view avoiding the dichotomy instrumentalism-realism, and (3) such opposition between instrumentalism and realism has been usually understood in a too extreme, atemporal and global way. I recommend to substitute it by a myriad of more or less strong realisms taking into account not only the different levels and components in a scientific theory, but also the historical circumstances under which its cognitive status is evaluated.
AFP 2018: How We're Doing.

This editorial updates and adds to previous reports on statistics for American Family Physician (AFP).
Misconceptions on part-part-whole proportional relationships using proportional division problems

This study focuses on proportional division, a specific problem type of proportions and proportional relationships, which embeds a part-part-whole relationship. We investigated how students in grad...
PRIMARY CARCINOMA IN A CIRRHOTIC LIVER 17 YEARS AFTER PORTACAVAL SHUNT: REPORT OF A CASE.

A patient is reported who survived 17 years after portacaval shunt for esophageal hemorrhage from varices. The liver at autopsy contained a diffuse primary carcinoma. If medical and surgical treatments prolong life in persons with cirrhosis, then primary liver carcinoma may be encountered more frequently since it usually is found in livers with cirrhosis of long duration.
Economics and the civic mission of social studies education: Two critiques of neoclassicism:

This article examines the theoretical assumptions underlying K-12 economic curriculum and the consequences of this curriculum for citizenship education and democracy. Specifically, the article disc...
Implications of Tumor Size, Subsite, and Adjuvant Therapy on Outcomes in pT4aN0 Oral Cavity Carcinoma:

ObjectiveTo determine if tumor size, subsite, and adjuvant radiation therapy (AXRT) are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with pT4aN0 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who ...
Can we match ultraviolet face images against their visible counterparts

In law enforcement and security applications, the acquisition of face images is critical in producing key trace evidence for the successful identification of potential threats. However, face recognition (FR) for face images captured using different camera sensors, and under variable illumination conditions, and expressions is very challenging. In this paper, we investigate the advantages and limitations of the heterogeneous problem of matching ultra violet (from 100 nm to 400 nm in wavelength) or UV, face images against their visible (VIS) counterparts, when all face images are captured under controlled conditions. The contributions of our work are three-fold; (i) We used a camera sensor designed with the capability to acquire UV images at short-ranges, and generated a dual-band (VIS and UV) database that is composed of multiple, full frontal, face images of 50 subjects. Two sessions were collected that span over the period of 2 months. (ii) For each dataset, we determined which set of face image pre-processing algorithms are more suitable for face matching, and, finally, (iii) we determined which FR algorithm better matches cross-band face images, resulting in high rank-1 identification rates. Experimental results show that our cross spectral matching (the heterogeneous problem, where gallery and probe sets consist of face images acquired in different spectral bands) algorithms achieve sufficient identification performance. However, we also conclude that the problem under study, is very challenging, and it requires further investigation to address real-world law enforcement or military applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is first time in the open literature the problem of cross-spectral matching of UV against VIS band face images is being investigated.
A "backtracking" correction for the fewest switches surface hopping algorithm

We propose a "backtracking" mechanism within Tully's fewest switches surface hopping (FSSH) algorithm, whereby whenever one detects consecutive (double) hops during a short period of time, one simply rewinds the dynamics backward in time. In doing so, one reduces the number of hopping events and comes closer to a truly fewest switches surface hopping approach with independent trajectories. With this algorithmic change, we demonstrate that surface hopping can be reasonably accurate for nuclear dynamics in a multidimensional configuration space with a complex-valued (i.e., not real-valued) electronic Hamiltonian; without this adjustment, surface hopping often fails. The added computational cost is marginal. Future research will be needed to assess whether or not this backtracking correction can improve the accuracy of a typical FSSH calculation with a real-valued electronic Hamiltonian (that ignores spin).
Drug-induced maculopathy.

Purpose of review The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of drug-induced maculopathies including their clinical presentations, diagnostic findings, and treatment options. With the increasing pace of development and arrival of drugs to the market, this review aims to inform retina specialists of relevant side effects that may be encountered in a clinical practice setting. Recent findings The major themes visited in this article focus on relevant findings of drugs that cause pigmentary and crystalline maculopathy, photoreceptor dysfunction, cystoid macular edema, central serous choroidopathy, uveitis, and vascular damage. Summary The current review reports updated findings and discusses the pathophysiologic mechanisms, presentations, and treatments of drug-induced maculopathies.
Dielectric Resonator Antenna Geometry-Dependent Performance Tradeoffs

A flexible shape generation technique (Surface Contour Shape Generation) is combined with multiobjective evolutionary optimization algorithms in order to synthesize geometrically-diverse dielectric resonator antennas and explore the impact geometry has on relevant performance metrics. It is shown that noncanonical shapes can improve gain and bandwidth when compared to conventional dielectric resonator antenna geometries. Previously described free-form techniques (such as the superformula) have demonstrated improved performance over canonical shapes, but are difficult to integrate with inverse-design. In contrast, the proposed shape generation technique is coupled with multiobjective optimization in order to illustrate the solution space tradeoffs between the various design goals. This technical approach is compatible with various feed designs, antenna performance parameters, and 3D printing techniques.
Holistic and reductionist thinker: a comparison study based on individuals' skillset and personality types

As organisations operate in turbulent and complex environments, it has become a necessity to assess the systems thinking (ST) skills, personality types (PTs), and demographics of practitioners. In this study, we investigated the relationship between practitioners' ST profile, their PTs profiles and demographic characteristics in the domain of complex system problems. The objective of this study is to address the current gap in the literature - lack of studies dedicated to predicting practitioners' ST profile based on their PTs and demographics characteristics. A total of 258 practitioners with different demographics and PTs provided the data. The results show that (1) practitioners can be classified based on their ST skills scores into two clusters: holistic and reductionist (that is, ST profile), (2) each cluster has different PTs profiles and demographic characteristics, and (3) practitioner's ST profile can be predicted, with good accuracy, based on their PTs profile and demographic characteristics.
Inferring octopodoid and gastropod behavior from their Plio-Pleistocene cowrie prey (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae)

Abstract Predation is an evolutionary force shaping sea floor communities, with the record of drilling predation being particularly useful to study predatory behavior on short and long timescales. Most predatory drill holes are caused by gastropods, but octopods within Octopodoidea also produce characteristic drill holes, yet remain severely understudied in deep time. Consequently, studies comparing octopodoid versus gastropod drill holes from the same prey group are exceedingly rare. Cypraeid gastropod (cowries) are commonly drilled by octopodoids today, but nothing is known about drill holes produced by octopodoids and gastropod in fossil cypraeids. We studied 2406 Plio-Pleistocene fossil cowries from southern Florida, USA. Drilling by octopodoids was common (13.4% of specimens), whereas gastropod drill holes were rare (0.2%). There is strong site selectivity: most octopodoid drill holes are found in the ventral-left-posterior and ventral-left-middle shell regions. These parts are not the thinnest regions of the shell, but represent the location where the columellar muscle anchors the soft tissue to the shell interior. We suggest that the octopodoids sought to paralyze and relax this muscle via the drill hole to minimize the time to consumption. Specimens with multiple octopodoid drill holes (24.1% of drilled specimens) have a higher proportion of drill holes located outside the ventral-left-posterior and ventral-left-middle regions. Thus, drilling outside these regions appears less effective. The few gastropod drill holes occur on the dorsal side. A meta-analysis shows that octopodoids produce significantly more drill holes per drilled molluscan shell than do gastropod drillers. We found mixed evidence for size selectivity: whereas the size of drilled specimens does not significantly differ from non-drilled specimens, drill-hole size is significantly larger in larger cowries, which may imply they were drilled by larger octopodoid individuals. We suggest that the molluscan fossil record should be leveraged to further study the evolution of octopodoid predation and behavior.
Seeking Baselines for Negative Authority: Constitutional and Rule-of-Law ArgumentsOver Nonenforcement and Waiver

Recent controversies have called attention to the potential significance of negative executive authority — the authority to limit or undo what Congress has done through nonenforcement or waiver. This symposium essay reflects in several ways on constitutional and rule-of-law debates that have emerged regarding such authority. First, it defends the relevance of constitutional principles to baseline understandings of nonenforcement authority. Second, it identifies a deep tension in the rule of law’s implications for discretionary enforcement. Third, it defends statutorily conferred law-cancellation authority against constitutional challenges and rule-of-law objections. Finally, it proposes presumptive limits on authority to condition statutory waivers.
Quantum Zeno approach for molecular energies with maximum commuting initial Hamiltonians

The authors use the maximum commuting Hamiltonian associated with the qubit-version of a molecular Hamiltonian to construct an interpolated Hamiltonian from the former to the latter.
A Semi-automated Instrument for Cellular Oxidative Potential Evaluation (SCOPE) of Water-soluble Extracts of Ambient Particulate Matter

Abstract. Several automated instruments exist to measure the acellular oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, cellular OP of the ambient PM is still measured manually, which severely limits the comparison between two types of assays. Cellular assays could provide a more comprehensive assessment of the PM-induced oxidative stress, as they incorporate more biological processes involved in the PM-catalyzed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Considering this need, we developed a first of its kind semi-automated instrument for measuring the cellular OP based on a macrophage ROS assay using rat alveolar macrophages. The instrument named SCOPE – Semi-automated instrument for Cellular Oxidative Potential Evaluation, uses dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as a probe to detect the OP of PM samples extracted in water. SCOPE is capable of analyzing a batch of six samples (including one negative and one positive control) in five hours and is equipped to operate continuously for 24-hours with minimal manual intervention after every batch of analysis, i.e., after every five hours. SCOPE has a high analytical precision as assessed from both positive controls and ambient PM samples (CoV
András Koltay: New Media and Freedom of Expression: Rethinking the Constitutional Foundations of the Public Sphere (Book Review)

Nothing shows better how much the public sphere has changed that the Index of a book about it has the most references to “Social media platforms”, “Search engines” or “Gatekeepers”. „One might almost say that Google and Facebook gave birth to (the public sphere of) the twenty-first century” – raises the Author, drawing the attention to that online communication has huge impact on our whole life, including public sphere. One can only recommend the new book of Andras Koltay, because it provides a sure handrail in rapidly changing world of online communication. His explication and commentary about gatekeepers’ relation to content not only gives a line of deeper sight to his readers, but also the hint of optimism: this uncertainty is also a kind of certainty for us, being sure that this is not the first – and even not the last – turning point.
Democracy Promotion and Conflict: Successes and Continuing Challenges

Dresden, Flores, and Nooruddin document the maturation of democracy promotion towards more narrow and technical efforts to patiently develop democracy’s “supporting infrastructure,” through programs that measurably increase civic participation, inter-ethnic cooperation, and government responsiveness. Yet while these interventions may have positive short-term effects, here we encounter what Dresden, Flores, and Nooruddin call the “levels of analysis” problem: we cannot readily demonstrate that micro-level “tactical successes” aggregate upwards into macro-level democratic change. The process by which the combined effects of small-scale interventions might eventually accumulate into full-blown democratization is merely assumed, not verified.
Living Well in the Shadow of Death

Only two generations ago, most people, in what are now economically advantaged countries, still died young and quickly. They lived no more than a few hours or days with knowledge of their impending death. Even with cancer, people died (at any age) in just a short time, with tasks incomplete, and with at best the opportunity to say farewells and make peace with God. Now, except for trauma and AIDS, most of us in developed countries will die in old age of an illness that will progressively disable and afflict us over years.
A new method for SPECT quantification of targeted radiotracers uptake in the myocardium

We developed a new method for absolute quantification of targeted radiotracers uptake in the myocardium using hybrid SPECT/CT and an external reference point source. A segmentation algorithm based on the level set was developed to determine the endocardial edges from CT, which were subsequently applied to the physically co-registered SPECT. A 3-D Gaussian fitting method was applied for quantification of the external point source. The total targeted radiotracer activity in the myocardium was normalized to that in the point source to calculate the absolute uptake of targeted radiotracer in the myocardium. Preliminary validation was performed in rats with ischemia-induced angiogenesis. The quantified in vivo radiotracer uptake was compared to the postmortem tissue radioactive well-counting of the myocardium. Our methods worked well for identification of the endocardial edges. Quantification of the focal uptake was consistent with the well-counting data. Our methods may have the potential of providing precise absolute quantification of targeted radiotracer uptake in the myocardium.
The Integrated Ocean Observing System in support of maritime transportation

Accurate real-time ocean weather information is critical for effective maritime safety, navigation, and event response for managing risk in our nation's coastal waters. In California, the combined ports and coast represents the country's most active area for shipping, fishing, tourism, recreational boating, commuting and near-shore water sports. Our coasts are home to three of the five busiest and most costly ports in the country.1 In 2007, imports and exports through California's ports exceeded half a trillion dollars. Tankers, container ships and other vessels comprise the bulk of port traffic and were the source of 33% of oil spills in California in 2007.2
Brain glucosensing and the K(ATP) channel.

An ATP-sensitive K+ channel in glucose-responsive neurons is shown to be required for the emergency response to severe glucose deprivation, but not necessarily for normal feeding.
Penetrating the Quantum Limit: The Experimentalists’ View

For someone concerned with the sensitivity or precision of a measurement, achieving the standard quantum limit has been considered the ultimate challenge. Around 1975, several theoreticians suggested that the standard quantum limit was not in fact a fundamental consequence of the uncertainty principle, and that quantum states existed which allowed more accurate measurements than had previously been thought possible [1]. They even suggested some plausible methods for generating certain of these states, now generally termed “squeezed states,” and defined detection techniques which would demonstrate the noise reduction.
A Better Metric: The Role of Unconscious Race and Gender Bias in the 2008 Presidential Race

The 2008 presidential campaign and election will be historic. It marks the first time a Black person (Barack Obama) and a woman (Hillary Clinton) have a real chance at winning the Presidency. Their viability as candidates symbolizes significant progress in overcoming racial and gender stereotypes in America. But closer analysis of the campaigns reveals that race and gender have placed enormous constraints on how these two Senators can run their candidacy. This is not surprising in light of the history of race and gender in voting and politics in America. But what is perhaps more surprising is how the campaigns have had to struggle not only with overt sexism and racism, but with unconscious, or implicit, biases in their campaigns. Recent research from social psychologists indicates that unconscious race and gender biases are widespread and influence judgment. Because existing anti-discrimination law is designed to combat overt, or explicit, biases, it does not address unconscious biases well. If even Senators Clinton and Obama, with an array of consultants and advisors behind them, find unconscious racism and sexism to be a stumbling block in what is nothing more than the most elaborate, grandest job interview of them all, then what must it be to the average Black person or woman seeking a job or promotion?
Comparison of three kinds of blood and two incubation atmospheres for cultivation of Bordetella pertussis on charcoal agar

We compared the growth of Bordetella pertussis strains (n = 32) on antibiotic-free and cephalexin (40 micrograms/ml)-containing charcoal agar supplemented with 10% defibrinated horse blood, defibrinated sheep blood, or anticoagulant-containing human blood. Plates were incubated either in air or in an atmosphere with 5 to 10% CO2. As assessed by mean colony numbers and rapidity of growth, normal air was preferable to CO2 enrichment for incubation. Growth on horse blood agar was more abundant and more rapid than on sheep blood agar, but the difference in general was not statistically significant. Human blood was clearly inferior to both horse and sheep blood.
ASTRAL-II: coalescent-based species tree estimation with many hundreds of taxa and thousands of genes.

MOTIVATION The estimation of species phylogenies requires multiple loci, since different loci can have different trees due to incomplete lineage sorting, modeled by the multi-species coalescent model. We recently developed a coalescent-based method, ASTRAL, which is statistically consistent under the multi-species coalescent model and which is more accurate than other coalescent-based methods on the datasets we examined. ASTRAL runs in polynomial time, by constraining the search space using a set of allowed 'bipartitions'. Despite the limitation to allowed bipartitions, ASTRAL is statistically consistent. RESULTS We present a new version of ASTRAL, which we call ASTRAL-II. We show that ASTRAL-II has substantial advantages over ASTRAL: it is faster, can analyze much larger datasets (up to 1000 species and 1000 genes) and has substantially better accuracy under some conditions. ASTRAL's running time is [Formula: see text], and ASTRAL-II's running time is [Formula: see text], where n is the number of species, k is the number of loci and X is the set of allowed bipartitions for the search space. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION ASTRAL-II is available in open source at https://github.com/smirarab/ASTRAL and datasets used are available at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~phylo/datasets/astral2/. CONTACT smirarab@gmail.com SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Robust, reversible, nano-scale, femto-second-switching circuits and their evolution

This paper introduces conceptual problems that arise in the next 10-20 years as electronic circuits reach nanometer scale, i.e. the size of molecules. Such circuits are impossible to make perfectly, due to the inevitable fabrication faults in chips with an Avogrado number of components. Hence, they need to be constructed so that they are robust to faults. They also need to be (as far as possible) reversible circuits, to avoid the heat dissipation problem if bits of information are routinely wiped out during the computational process. They also have to be local if the switching times reach femto-seconds, which is possible now with quantum optics. This paper discusses some of the conceptual issues involved in trying to build circuits that satisfy all these criteria, i.e. that they are robust, reversible and local. We propose an evolutionary engineering based model that meets all these criteria, and provide some experimental results to justify it.
Sympathetic thyroidal vasoconstriction is not blocked by a neuropeptide Y antagonist or antiserum.

Abstract Sympathetic nerve fibers to thyroid blood vessels contain both norepinephrine (NE) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). To assess the involvement of endogenous NPY in the sympathetic neural control of thyroid blood flow, appropriate doses of a selective NPY antagonist, α-trinositol, and an NPY antiserum (NPY-AS) were used during cervical sympathetic trunk stimulation in anesthetized rats. During all experiments, thyroid blood flow was continuously monitored by laser Doppler blood flowmetry. Neither α-trinositol nor NPY-AS blocked the thyroidal vasoconstriction evoked by either the first or second stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunks. Our results suggest that NPY is not involved either directly or indirectly during acute sympathetic vasoconstriction in the rat thyroid gland.
Physician/hospital liability for negligently reporting child abuse.

(2002). Physician/Hospital Liability for Negligently Reporting Child Abuse. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 131-150.
Out-of-plane librations of spinning tethered satellite systems

We analyze the out-of-plane librations of a tethered satellite system that is nominally rotating in the orbit plane. To isolate the librational dynamics, the system is modeled as two point masses connected by a rigid rod with the system mass center constrained to an unperturbed circular orbit. For small out-of-plane librations, the in-plane motion is unaffected by the out-of-plane librations and a solution for the in-plane motion is determined in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. This solution is used in the linearized equation for the out-of-plane librations, resulting in a Hill’s equation. Floquet theory is used to analyze the Hill’s equation, and we show that the out-of-plane librations are unstable for certain ranges of in-plane spin rate. For relatively high in-plane spin rates, the out-of-plane librations are stable, and the Hill’s equation can be approximated by a Mathieu’s equation. Approximate solutions to the Mathieu’s equation are determined, and we analyze the dominant characteristics of the out-of-plane librations for high in-plane spin rates. The results obtained from the analysis of the linearized equations of motion are compared to numerical simulations of the nonlinear equations of motion, as well as numerical simulations of a more realistic system model that accounts for tether flexibility. The instabilities discovered from the linear analysis are present in both the nonlinear system and the more realistic system model. The approximate solutions for the out-of-plane librations compare well to the nonlinear system for relatively high in-plane rotation rates, and also capture the significant qualitative behavior of the flexible system.
DNA analysis of HLA–DR and DQ genes in american blacks with systemic lupus erythematosus

We studied DNA polymorphisms of HLA-DR and DQ alleles in 63 American black patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We found no HLA-DR beta, DQ alpha, or DQ beta restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) or RFLP-determined DR or DQ specificity associated with SLE in either the patients or in 57 control subjects. DRw52b was positively associated with renal involvement and negatively associated with anti-nuclear RNP antibodies. Antibodies to Ro (SS-A) and La (SS-B) were associated with DR3(DRw17), DQw2.3. Early-onset SLE (less than or equal to 20 years of age) was associated with DRw8, and the frequency of neuropsychiatric involvement correlated negatively with a 3.7-kb Taq I DQ alpha RFLP. This suggests a role for DR and DQ genes in the clinical and serologic expression of SLE in American blacks.
Molecular Integration of Wingless, Decapentaplegic, and Autoregulatory Inputs into Distalless during Drosophila Leg Development

Summary The development of the Drosophila leg requires both Decapentaplegic (Dpp) and Wingless (Wg), two signals that establish the proximo-distal (PD) axis by activating target genes such as Distalless ( Dll ). Dll expression in the leg depends on a Dpp- and Wg-dependent phase and a maintenance phase that is independent of these signals. Here, we show that accurate Dll expression in the leg results from the synergistic interaction between two cis- regulatory elements. The Leg Trigger (LT) element directly integrates Wg and Dpp inputs and is only active in cells receiving high levels of both signals. The Maintenance (M) element is able to maintain Wg- and Dpp-independent expression, but only when in cis to LT. M, which includes the native Dll promoter, functions as an autoregulatory element by directly binding Dll. The "trigger-maintenance" model describes a mechanism by which secreted morphogens act combinatorially to induce the stable expression of target genes.
DNA binding of 4,4′-methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA) in explant cultures of human an dog bladder

Abstract The binding to DNA of 4,4′-methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA) in explant cultures of human and dog bladder was compared. The DNA binding of MOCA in both human and dog bladder explants increased with the concentration of MOCA in the medium. In both species, there appeared to be a population with high DNA binding activity and another with low DNA binding activity. Furthermore, the binding of MOCA to human bladder DNA appeared to be higher than to dog bladder DNA. The results indicate the potetial of MOCA to induce genetic damage in human bladder and suggest caution in the occupational exposure of humans to this chemical.
Isospora troglodytes n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae), a new coccidian species from wrens of Costa Rica.

Nineteen (91%) of 21 rufous-and-white wrens (Thryothorus rufalbus) and five (71%) of seven plain wrens (Cantorchilus modestus) sampled from Costa Rica were positive for a new species of Isospora. Oocysts have a thin, smooth, double, colorless wall and measure 20.1 ± 1.4 × 23.4 ± 1.5 μm (18–24 × 20–26 μm) with an average length–width ratio of 1.2 μm. Sporocysts are ovoid, measure 9.5 ± 0.9 × 15.5 ± 1.1 μm (7–12 × 12–18 μm) with an average length–width ratio of 1.6 μm. A nipple-like steida body continuous with the sporocyst wall and a prominent oval-shaped substeida body are present. In addition to the four sporozoites, a single compact sporocyst residuum was present in each sporocyst. This is the first description of an Isospora species from the family Troglodytidae and the first report of Isospora from the rufous-and-white wren and plain wren.
Contact investigation of a case of active tuberculosis.

Abstract Background The Veterans Administration (VA), Marion, Illinois, following Public Health and Veterans Affairs guidance has an excellent tuberculosis (TB) control program with all employees included. Methods This VA is a low-risk facility for TB, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. A patient presented with active TB in January 2002. Follow-up was complicated and enlarged to the community, adjacent state, and notification of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The concentric circle approach in identifying highest-risk contacts had to be modified and expanded because of the immunocompromised condition of some of the contacts. Results After identification of active TB, contacts were identified. Initially 108 employees and 42 patients were reviewed for follow-up at the VA, with 98 employees and 27 patients actually tested. At 3-month follow-up there were 2 conversions. Conclusion Because of excellent participation in the employee tuberculin skin testing program, conversion was readily identified among staff. Contact investigation of a case of TB requires both diligence in the program and prompt, effective communication and action between state and local health departments and hospitals.
Enhancing construction hazard recognition with high-fidelity augmented virtuality

AbstractMost construction safety management processes rely on the hazard recognition capability of workers. Hazards that remain unidentified can potentially result in catastrophic injuries and illnesses. As such, thorough hazard recognition is fundamentally essential to protect the health and well-being of the construction workforce. Despite its importance, recent research indicates that a large proportion of hazards remain unrecognized, exposing workers to unmitigated risks. Surprisingly, safety research has not adequately focused on developing specialized strategies to develop construction worker competency in hazard recognition. This paper reports a two-year research effort with the following objectives: (1) develop a high-fidelity augmented virtual environment [System for Augmented Virtuality Environment Safety (SAVES)] that helps develop workers’ hazard recognition skill through risk-free learning and immediate feedback; (2) embed cognitive retrieval mnemonics to improve long-term retention of cues f...
Pneumolabyrinth and Pneumocochlea: Natural History, Interventions, & Outcomes

Objectives: Pneumolabyrinth and pneumocochlea are characterized by the presence of air within the inner ear and fewer than forty cases are reported in the literature. There is little information on the etiology, epidemiology, and associated physical exam and radiologic findings in these patients. This summary of published cases of pneumolabyrinth with or without pneumocochlea presents this information along with a new case of isolated pneumocochlea.
Role of the anterior region of the third ventricle in the cardiovascular responses produced by systemic injection of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor

This study examined whether a prior electrolytic lesion of the tissue surrounding the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) would affect the increase in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and the fall in heart rate (HR) produced by systemic injection of the nitric oxide synthesis (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 25 micromol/kg, i.v.) in conscious rats. L-NAME produced a smaller increase in MAP in AV3V-lesion than in sham-lesion rats (+19+/-3 vs. +40+/-3 mmHg, respectively; P<0.05). In contrast, L-NAME produced similar falls in HR in the AV3V-lesion and sham-lesion rats (-103+/-15 vs. -97+/-8 bpm, respectively; P<0.05). These findings demonstrate that the L-NAME-induced pressor response is dependent upon the integrity of the AV3V region, whereas the L-NAME-induced bradycardia is not. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B. V.
Exact Theory of Generalized Solitary Waves in a Two-Layer Liquid in the Absence of Surface Tension

Abstract A solitary wave with an oscillatory tail at infinity, the so-called generalized solitary wave, is a new phenomenon only discovered recently due to the presence of small surface tension on the free surface of a liquid layer of constant density under gravity. The purpose of this paper is to show that the effect of density variation alone can also cause generalized solitary waves. The problem under consideration deals with a two-layer liquid under gravity bounded below by a rigid horizontal bottom and above by a free surface in the absence of surface tension. An exact theory is developed for the existence of a generalized solitary wave as an internal wave in the two-layer liquid.
Meaning in Method: The Rhetoric of Quantitative and Qualitative Research

The current debate about quantitative and qualitative methods focuses on whether there is a necessary connection between method-type and research paradigm that makes the different approaches incompatible. This paper argues that part of the connection is rhetorical. Quantitative methods express the assumptions of a positvisit paradigm which holds that behavior can be explained through objective facts. Design and instrumentation persuade by showing how bias and error are eliminated. Qualitative methods express the assumptions of a phenomenological paradigm that there are multiple realities that are socially defined. Rich description persuades by showing that the researcher was immersed in the setting and giving the reader enough detail to “make sense” of the situation. While rhetorically different, the results of the two methodologies can be complementary. Examples are drawn from two studies using different methodologies to study the same problem.
Economic policy and political culture in Indonesia

Abstract This paper analyzes the interface of economic policy and political culture in Indonesia. The paper explains how the institutions of Indonesian economic policy formation were an extension of a political regime that emerged after the 1965 demise of Suharto. That regime was largely politically non-competitive, which allowed the economic policy institutions to be used mercantilistically. The paper draws an analogy between mercantilism in Indonesia after 1965 and in England and France in the 18th century.
The gifts that keep on giving: physiological functions and evolutionary dynamics of male seminal proteins in Drosophila

During mating, males transfer seminal proteins and peptides, along with sperm, to their mates. In Drosophila melanogaster, seminal proteins made in the male's accessory gland stimulate females' egg production and ovulation, reduce their receptivity to mating, mediate sperm storage, cause part of the survival cost of mating to females, and may protect reproductive tracts or gametes from microbial attack. The physiological functions of these proteins indicate that males provide their mates with molecules that initiate important reproductive responses in females. A new comprehensive EST screen, in conjunction with earlier screens, has identified approximately 90% of the predicted secreted accessory gland proteins (Acps). Most Acps are novel proteins and many appear to be secreted peptides or prohormones. Acps also include modification enzymes such as proteases and their inhibitors, and lipases. An apparent prohormonal Acp, ovulin (Acp26Aa) stimulates ovulation in mated Drosophila females. Another male-derived protein, the large glycoprotein Acp36DE, is needed for sperm storage in the mated female and through this action can also affect sperm precedence, indirectly. A third seminal protein, the protease inhibitor Acp62F, is a candidate for contributing to the survival cost of mating, given its toxicity in ectopic expression assays. That male-derived molecules manipulate females in these ways can result in a molecular conflict between the sexes that can drive the rapid evolution of Acps. Supporting this hypothesis, an unusually high fraction of Acps show signs consistent with their being targets of positive Darwinian selection.
Memory for items and associations: Distinct representations and processes in associative recognition

In two experiments, participants studied word pairs and later discriminated old (intact) word pairs from foils, including recombined word pairs and pairs including one or two previously unstudied words. Rather than making old/new memory judgments, they chose one of five responses: (1) Old-Old (original), (2) Old-Old (rearranged), (3) Old-New, (4) New-Old, (5) New-New. To tease apart the effects of item familiarity from those of associative strength, we varied both how many times a specific word-pair was repeated (1 or 5) and how many different word pairs were associated with a given word (1 or 5). Participants could discriminate associative information from item information such that they recognized which word of a foil was new, or whether both were new, as well as discriminating recombined studied words from original pairings. The error and latency data support the view that item and associative information are stored as distinct memory representations and make separate contributions at retrieval.