cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cutting Edge: 2B4-Mediated Coinhibition of CD4+ T Cells Underlies Mortality in Experimental Sepsis.

Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the United States, but the mechanisms underlying sepsis-induced immune dysregulation remain poorly understood. 2B4 (CD244, SLAM4) is a cosignaling molecule expressed predominantly on NK cells and memory CD8 + T cells that has been shown to regulate T cell function in models of viral infection and autoimmunity. In this article, we show that 2B4 signaling mediates sepsis lymphocyte dysfunction and mortality. 2B4 expression is increased on CD4 + T cells in septic animals and human patients at early time points. Importantly, genetic loss or pharmacologic inhibition of 2B4 significantly increased survival in a murine cecal ligation and puncture model. Further, CD4-specific conditional knockouts showed that 2B4 functions on CD4 + T cell populations in a cell-intrinsic manner and modulates adaptive and innate immune responses during sepsis. Our results illuminate a novel role for 2B4 coinhibitory signaling on CD4 + T cells in mediating immune dysregulation.
Age at drinking onset, age at first intoxication, and delay to first intoxication: assessing the concurrent validity of measures of drinking initiation with alcohol use and related problems.

Abstract Introduction Drinking at an early age (AO) and quickly progressing to drinking to intoxication (Delay = Age of Intoxication[AI]-AO) confer risk for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. However, inconsistencies exist in the literature, which may reflect the use of different definitions of AO and AI. We evaluated whether 1) defining AO as age at first sip of alcohol (AO sip) versus age at which at least one standard drink was consumed (AO drink); and 2) defining AI as age at first “drunk” (AI drunk) versus age at first binge episode (≥ 5 standard drinks consumed; AI binge) resulted in different self-reported ages or differentially predicted drinking outcomes. Methods 248 high school students (53.6% male; 16.50[1.19] years; 71.4% White) completed anonymous surveys assessing alcohol use. Results Participants reported a younger AO (sip) than AO (drink) and a younger AI (drunk) than AI (binge), resulting in significantly different Delay values for the four AO-AI pairings. Univariate general linear models indicated that AO-Delay pairings accounted for more variance in maximum drinks and alcohol-related problems than did the individual AO and AI variables. Pairings comprising AO (drink) and Delay (drink-binge) and AO (sip) and Delay (sip-binge), respectively, uniquely accounted for variance in both maximum drinks and problems. Conclusions Clearly defining AO and AI using objective definitions that reflect specific amounts of alcohol (e.g., first sip; first standard drink; first binge) appears to outperform subjective definitions of alcohol use (e.g., first drunk).
Impact of orthopaedic candidate interview timing on successful matching.

Abstract Introduction The impact of the interview date on matching in orthopaedic surgery residency is unknown. Materials and methods A retrospective review of interviewed applicants for a first-year orthopaedic surgery residency was conducted to determine the likelihood of matching based on being interviewed early versus late at our program. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores were compared between early and late interviewees. Results Between 2012 and 2016, 316 candidates interviewed for residency positions. Twenty matched at our program and 230 at other institutions. No difference existed in USMLE scores. Late interviewees had significantly higher chances of matching at our center, but not nationwide in orthopaedic surgery (p = 0.025 and p = 0.58, respectively). Conclusion Later applicant interview was associated with greater chance of matching at our institution, but did not impact the candidate's ability to match in orthopaedic surgery at other programs.
Auctions, equilibria, and budgets

We design algorithms for markets consisting of multiple items, and agents with budget constraints on the maximum amount of money they can afford to spend. This problem can be considered under two broad frameworks. (a) From the standpoint of Auction Theory, the agents valuation functions over the items are private knowledge. Here, a "truthful auction" computes the subset of items received by every agent and her payment, and ensures that no agent can manipulate the scheme to her advantage by misreporting her valuation function. The question is to design a truthful auction whose outcome can be computed in polynomial time. (b) A different, but equally important, question is to investigate if and when the market is in "equilibrium", meaning that every item is assigned a price, every agent gets her utility-maximizing subset of items under the current prices, and every unallocated item is priced at zero. First, we consider the setting of multiple heterogeneous items and present approximation algorithms for revenue-optimal truthful auctions. When the items are homogeneous, we give an efficient algorithm whose outcome defines a truthful and Pareto-optimal auction. Finally, we focus on the notion of "competitive equilibrium", which is a well known solution concept for market clearing. We present efficient algorithms for finding competitive equilibria in markets with budget constrained agents, and show that these equilibria outcomes have strong revenue guarantees.
Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Disease

Keywords atherosclerosis , insulin resistance , type 2 diabetes mellitus , cardiovascular disease , metabolic syndrome X , visceral adiposity , compensatory hyperinsulinemia , inflammation , oxidative stress , endothelium , vascular smooth muscle , intracellular signaling proteins , early growth response 1 protein , primary prevention , lifestyle risk reduction
Deep Fakes: A Looming Challenge for Privacy, Democracy, and National Security

Harmful lies are nothing new. But the ability to distort reality has taken an exponential leap forward with “deep fake” technology. This capability makes it possible to create audio and video of real people saying and doing things they never said or did. Machine learning techniques are escalating the technology’s sophistication, making deep fakes ever more realistic and increasingly resistant to detection. Deep-fake technology has characteristics that enable rapid and widespread diffusion, putting it into the hands of both sophisticated and unsophisticated actors. While deep-fake technology will bring with it certain benefits, it also will introduce many harms. The marketplace of ideas already suffers from truth decay as our networked information environment interacts in toxic ways with our cognitive biases. Deep fakes will exacerbate this problem significantly. Individuals and businesses will face novel forms of exploitation, intimidation, and personal sabotage. The risks to our democracy and to national security are profound as well. Our aim is to provide the first in-depth assessment of the causes and consequences of this disruptive technological change, and to explore the existing and potential tools for responding to it. We survey a broad array of responses, including: the role of technological solutions; criminal penalties, civil liability, and regulatory action; military and covert-action responses; economic sanctions; and market developments. We cover the waterfront from immunities to immutable authentication trails, offering recommendations to improve law and policy and anticipating the pitfalls embedded in various solutions.
Caffeine Modulates Spontaneous Adenosine and Oxygen Changes during Ischemia and Reperfusion

Adenosine is an endogenous neuroprotectant that modulates vasodilation in the central nervous system. Oxygen changes occur when there is an increase in local cerebral blood flow and thus are a measure of vasodilation. Transient oxygen events following rapid adenosine events have been recently discovered, but the relationship between adenosine and blood flow change during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) has not been characterized. Caffeine is a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist that can modulate the effects of adenosine in the brain, but how it affects adenosine and oxygen levels during I/R is also unknown. In this study, extracellular changes in adenosine and oxygen were simultaneously monitored using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry during bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) and the effects of a specific A2A antagonist, SCH 442416, or general antagonist, caffeine, were studied. Measurements were made in the caudate-putamen for 1 h of normoxia, followed by 30 min of BCCAO and 30 min of reperfusion. The frequency and number of both adenosine and oxygen transient events significantly increased during I/R. The specific A2A antagonist, SCH 442416 (3 mg/kg, i.p.), eliminated the increase in adenosine and oxygen events caused by I/R. The general adenosine receptor antagonist, caffeine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), decreased the frequency of adenosine and oxygen transient events during I/R. These results demonstrate that, during BCCAO, there are more rapid release events of the neuromodulator adenosine and correlated local oxygen changes, and these rapid, local effects are dampened by caffeine and other A2A antagonists.
Framing Morality Policy Issues: State Legislative Debates on Abortion Restrictions

Scholars of “morality policies” have often assumed a signature characteristic of such policies is that advocates will frame them as clashes between fundamental moral and religious principles. Recent studies of issues typically considered under the “morality policy” rubric have found that advocates often frame these issues along multiple dimensions and that they do not necessarily favor frames that emphasize moral principles over other considerations. This paper examines this issue for abortion policy. We analyze verbatim records of debates over 26 recent proposals to restrict abortion rights in the 16 states for which data are available. We found that both sides in debates over abortion restrictions framed the issue along several dimensions with no single frame dominating most of the debates. While there is some empirical support for the morality policy perspective, the frequency that advocates employed morality frames was less than we expected given the disproportionately high levels of evangelical Protestant membership in the states we examined. Rather than simply casting the debate as one over irreconcilable moral principles, the two sides’ strategies often converged by framing the issue in terms of various consequences of abortion and abortion restrictions for women. Advocates propensity to frame the issue in terms of “right to life” versus “woman’s choice” principles rose when one side or the other escalated rhetoric about “life” or “choice” principles (inducing the other to respond in kind). Our data thus conform to the logic of a game of tit-for-tat in which individuals follow a strategy of “retaliation” if their opponents frame issues in highly moralized, judgmental terms, or they “cooperate” by emphasizing how their preferred policy will promote some widely shared value (like women’s welfare or the authoritativeness of medical research). “Morality talk” was also more prevalent when the debates were about bans on abortion rather than other types of restrictions. The broad implication of our findings is that the propensity of advocates to frame issues in terms of fundamental moral principles has less to do with the general subject matter or issue area (e.g., abortion) and more to do with the context of debate and strategic considerations.
Type systems

The study of type systems has emerged as one of the most active areas of research in programming languages, with applications in software engineering, language design, high-performance compiler implementation, and security. This chapter discusses the motivations and history of type systems and their role in programming language design.
The Number of Boolean Functions with Multiplicative Complexity 2 | NIST

Multiplicative complexity is a complexity measure defined as the minimum number of AND gates required to implement a given primitive by a circuit over the basis (AND, XOR, NOT). Implementations of ciphers with a small number of AND gates are preferred in protocols for fully homomorphic encryption, multi-party computation and zero-knowledge proofs. In 2002, Fischer and Peralta [12] showed that the number of n-variable Boolean functions with multiplicative complexity one equals 2 ( 2 3 ) . In this paper, we study Boolean functions with multiplicative complexity 2. By characterizing the structure of these functions in terms of affine equivalence relations, we provide a closed form formula for the number of Boolean functions with multiplicative complexity 2.
PRISMS-Plasticity: An open-source crystal plasticity finite element software

Abstract An open-source parallel 3-D crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) software package PRISMS-Plasticity is presented here as a part of PRISMS integrated framework. A highly efficient rate-independent crystal plasticity algorithm is implemented along with developing its algorithmic tangent modulus. Additionally, a twin activation mechanism is incorporated into the framework based on an integration point sensitive scheme. The integration of the software as a part of the PRISMS framework is demonstrated. To do so, the integration of the PRISMS-Plasticity software with experimental characterization techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and synchrotron X-ray diffraction using available open source software packages of DREAM.3D and Neper is elaborated. The integration of the PRISMS-Plasticity software with the information repository of Materials Commons is also presented. The parallel performance of the software is characterized which demonstrates that it scales well for large problems running on hundreds of processors. Various examples of polycrystalline metals with face-centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC), and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) crystals structures are presented to show the capability of the software to efficiently solve crystal plasticity boundary value problems, in addition to integration with preprocessing and postprocessing tools. PRISMS-Plasticity is an important activity within the broader PRISMS Center and future enhancements to PRISMS-Plasticity are planned and will be described.
Closing the Brief Case: Laryngeal Blastomycosis Involving a Vocal Cord Implant.

1. Blastomyces dermatitidis/gilchristii has a geographic area of endemicity that largely overlaps which other thermally dimorphic fungus? Answer: b. Blastomyces dermatitidis’s geographic area of endemicity spans the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the Great Lakes, and the St.
Bacterial genetics and molecular pathogenesis in the age of high throughput DNA sequencing.

When Stanley Falkow introduced Molecular Koch’s Postulates (Falkow, 1988) as a conceptual framework to identify microbial factors that contributed to disease, he reaffirmed the prominent role that the basic principles of genetic analysis should play in defining genotype-phenotype associations in microbial pathogens. In classical bacterial genetics the nature of mutations is inferred through cis-trans complementation and by indirectly mapping their relative position and physical distance through recombination frequencies — all of which were made possible by the genetic tools of the day: natural transformations, conjugation and transduction. Unfortunately, many of these genetic tools are not always available to study pathogenic bacteria. The recombinant DNA revolution in the 1980s launched the field of molecular pathogenesis as genes could be treated as physical units that could be cut, spliced and transplanted from one microbe to another and thus not only ‘prove’ that an individual gene complemented a virulence defect in a mutant strain but also could impart pathogenic properties to otherwise benign microbes. The recombinant DNA revolution also enabled the generation of newer versions of genetic tools to generate mutations and engineer microbial genomes. The last decade has ushered in next generation sequencing technologies as a new powerful tool for bacterial genetics. The routine and inexpensive sequencing of microbial genomes has increased the number and phylogenetic scope of microbes that are amenable to functional characterization and experimentation. In this review, we highlight some salient advances in this rapidly evolving area.
Chapter 5 – EIGENVALUES AND EIGENVECTORS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on eigenvalues and eigenvectors. In general, it is very difficult to find the eigenvalues of a matrix. First, the characteristic equation must be obtained. For the matrices of high order, this in itself is a lengthy task. Once the characteristic equation is determined, it must be solved for its roots. If the equation is of the high order, this can be an impossibility in practice. To each distinct eigenvalue of a matrix A, there will correspond at least one eigenvector that can be found by solving an appropriate set of homogeneous equations. Even if a mistake is made in finding the eigenvalues of a matrix, the error will become apparent when the eigenvector corresponding to the incorrect eigenvalue is found. By definition, an eigenvector can not be the zero vector. The trace of a matrix A, designated by tr(A), is the sum of the elements on the main diagonal.
Accuracy in Surrogate End-of-Life Medical Decision-Making: A Critical Review.

Background Increasing age is accompanied by a greater need for medical decisions, due in part to age-related increases in chronic disease and disability. In later life, medical decisions about end-of-life care in particular are likely. However, a significant percentage of these decisions are made by surrogate decision-makers. "Surrogates" are most often instructed to use the substituted judgment standard and make decisions that patients would choose if they were able. Whether surrogates make decisions that adequately match patients' preferences is a concern. Surrogates are generally poor predictors of patient preferences (Shalowitz et al., 2006). However, no critical review of this literature has yet been published. Method A critical review was conducted to summarise and provide a methodological critique of 25 studies. Results These studies generally concur that patient-surrogate agreement on medical decisions is poor. However, this conclusion is qualified by inconsistencies in methodological quality and the potentially limited generalisability of these findings. Conclusions Clinical research incorporating standardised hypothetical decision-making protocols, as well as triangulated data collection methods, would bolster confidence in future findings. Investigations prioritising the surrogate decision-making process, rather than solely the decisional outcome, could better identify ways to improve the decision-making process for incapacitated patients.
Interface Electronics Design for Wireless Generation of Surface Acoustic Wave Utilized in Wearable Drug Delivery Application

In this research, we aim to build a wearable SAW-driven drug delivery system that utilizes surface acoustic waves (SAWs) to control and deliver micro-sized microfluidic medicine to cure certain diseases. In order to make this application portable and wearable, the interface electronics that can wirelessly transfer the power and trigger the generation of SAW is designed and tested in this work. The modeling schematics, simulation results, experimental circuits, and measurement results are included in this report, showing the expected functions have been well-designed and achieved.
The Impact of an Escape Room Simulation to Improve Nursing Teamwork, Leadership and Communication Skills: A Pilot Project

Background.Commercial escape room simulation-based educational experiences were piloted on a cohort of ten RN-BSN students to determine the effect on mastery of communication, leadership, and teamw...
The Treatment of African-American Female Students in an Urban School District in the Midwestern United States

This research project examined the unfair treatment and disciplinary actions for African-American female students in an urban school district. The authors studied students in grades nine through 12 in both an early college high school and a traditional high school. Results indicated that AfricanAmerican female students are often treated as older than they were and sexually more mature than female Caucasian students. In addition, the suspension and disciplinary rates were abnormally high in our African American population.
A most vulnerable population: Black men

Black men disproportionately experience the worst health outcomes among U.S. populations. Systemic social, political, and healthcare problems are important intersecting issues of Black men's poor health outcomes. As nursing is one of the most trusted professions, it is nurses' responsibilities to include care for vulnerable populations. In this creative controversy an alternative perspective of Black men as a vulnerable population is proposed. Potential tensions and an introspective call to action for all nurses is included.
What is in the black box? The discovery of the sigma factor and the subunit structure of E. coli RNA polymerase.

This Reflections article is focused on the 5 years while I was a graduate student (1964–1969). During this period, I made some of the most significant discoveries of my career. I have written this article primarily for a protein biochemistry audience, my colleagues who shared this exciting time in science, and the many scientists over the last 50 years who have contributed to our knowledge of transcriptional machinery and their regulation. It is also written for today's graduate students, postdocs, and scientists who may not know much about the discoveries and technical advances that are now taken for granted, to show that even with methods primitive by today's standards, we were still able to make foundational advances. I also hope to provide a glimpse into how fortunate I was to be a graduate student over 50 years ago in the golden age of molecular biology.
Feasibility of Using Real-world Data to Emulate Postapproval Confirmatory Clinical Trials of Therapeutic Agents Granted US Food and Drug Administration Accelerated Approval.

This cross-sectional study examines the feasibility of using real-world data, such as billing, claims, and electronic health records, to emulate US Food and Drug Administration–required confirmatory clinical trials for the 50 new therapeutic agents that received accelerated approval between 2009 and 2018.
Golden States of Mind: A Geography of California Consciousness

We sketch out some of the main strands of religious innovation that weave together into what we call “California consciousness:” the often heterodox blend of spiritualities with movements elsewhere but uniquely and influentially concentrated in California. The main strands are: nature religion, esotericism (including Theosophy and the occult), counterculture (including psychedelic use), East-west Hybridity, and the human potential movement. We discuss the historical development of each strand, including important texts, figures and events and suggest how they form a unique regional sensibility. These strands vary from traditional organized religious orientations by being based less on institutional structures or revealed texts than on subjective experience (individual and collective). The borders often straddle the sacred and the profane, the numinous and the psychological or psycho-physiological. California consciousness thus stands as a fundamental influence on the “spiritual but not religions” orientation that is increasing in popularity. Its geography is an important influence on this diffuse movement. The state’s extraordinary landscapes have inspired various forms of nature mysticism; its location on the Pacific locates an important site where Euro-American civilization encounters Asian religious traditions (both historical and imagined); and the state’s cultural construction as a clement site of healing and transformation has encouraged forms of migration and identification that fuel California consciousness. Along with many sects and informal movements, California’s spiritual legacy gives rise to numerous and widely varied structures and spaces of religion or spirituality, from bohemian enclaves to Zen monasteries and Theosophical retreat centers. We explore how these various strands came together and how California changed and intermingled in the process of forming its own landscape of modern religious innovation.
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (EAATs) Modulate Synaptic Properties of nTS Cardiorespiratory Neurons

Glutamate (Glu) is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the nTS, the central termination and integration site for visceral afferent reflexes. Extracellular Glu is tightly regulated via astroc...
Effect of pH on the survival of Listeria innocua in calcium ascorbate solutions and on quality of fresh-cut apples.

Fresh-cut apple slices were dipped in calcium ascorbate (CaA) solution at pH values ranging from 2.5 to 7.0 to inhibit browning. After treatment, the cut apples were stored at 4 and 10°C for up to 21 days. Color and texture of the apples were determined on days 1, 14, and 21. In a separate experiment, the pH of CaA solution was adjusted with acetic acid to six different pH levels, and the solution was inoculated with Listeria innocua. The survival of the bacterium and the stability of CaA were determined at 0, 20, and 96 h. The cut apples maintained fresh quality when the pH of the CaA solution was above 4.5, but slight discoloration of apple slices dipped in pH 4.5 solution was observed after 14 days at 10°C. At pH 5.0, the CaA dip maintained the quality of the apples at both temperatures for at least 21 days. The L. innocua population was reduced by 4 to 5 log CFU/ml at pH 4.5 after 96 h. At pH 5, the bacterial population in the CaA solution was reduced by approximately 2 log CFU/ml during the same peri...
Evidence that RpoS (σS) in Borrelia burgdorferi Is Controlled Directly by RpoN (σ54/σN)

The alternative sigma factor (RpoN-RpoS) pathway controls the expression of key virulence factors in Borrelia burgdorferi. However, evidence to support whether RpoN controls rpoS directly or, perhaps, indirectly via a transactivator has been lacking. Herein we provide biochemical and genetic evidence that RpoN directly controls rpoS in B. burgdorferi.
The basics of cell therapy to treat cardiovascular disease: one cell does not fit all.

Cardiovascular disease represents a continuum of disease entities whose medical treatments differ. Cell therapy is a 21st century approach to treating cardiovascular disease and is being applied worldwide. However, no concerted approach exists for defining the best cell population(s) to use, or the best treatment conditions. It is naive to believe that a single treatment -even a stem cell- can be found to treat the entire spectrum of cardiovascular disease. We describe the continuum of ischemic heart disease, the potential uses of cells for treating this continuum, and the basic issues that must be considered when contemplating cardiovascular cell therapy. The clinical goal is cardiac and vascular regeneration. Whether cells can deliver this remains to be determined. The correct cell, the ideal therapeutic window, and the > patient likewise are open to debate. This article is designed to provide insights into the early, middle, and later stages of cardiovascular disease and how cells might be used differently for treatment at each stage.
Modification of Integrity Constraints Through Knowledge Discovery

In a conventional database management system, integrity constraints are defined a priori and are static in nature. However, in many cases, real-world data is often unpredictable and evolves over time. In order to reflect these changes, there may be a need to modify the constraints. Moreover, it is quite natural that some data may violate the originally defined integrity constraints, but yet there is a need to store such exceptional data in the database. This is because, the schema may be ill-designed, or the world has changed since the design. Therefore, in order to capture the real-world situations, constraint modification is required in many systems. In such systems the constraints evolve based on the knowledge derived from the data and from the exceptions. In this paper, we show how such constraint refinement can be carried out through knowledge discovery mechanisms. We use an attribute-oriented generalization technique to derive knowledge.
Some Studies of Crack Dynamics

Recent developments in fracture dynamics include the discovery of elastic waves which propagate along moving crack fronts in three-dimensional solids, and the identification of possible sources of the roughening and low terminal speeds of tensile cracks in brittle amorphous solids. Those topics are discussed briefly here.
Response to Comment on “Cutting Edge: Regulatory T Cells Do Not Mediate Suppression via Programmed Cell Death Pathways”

We thank Drs. Pandiyan and Lenardo for their interest in our study ([1][1]). Defining the mechanisms used by T regulatory cells (Tregs) to mediate suppression is an important but contentious topic ([2][2]). Our study specifically asked if T cells resistant to apoptosis mediated by the proapoptotic
Rethinking the Vertical Archipelago

Pendant les deux dernieres decades, un des concepts les plus influents dans les etudes andines a ete le modele des archipels verticaux de J. Murra. Le modele pose que les societes andines ont etabli des colonies dans des zones ecologiques distantes afin d'avoir un acces direct aux biens produits la, evitant ainsi le commerce avec d'autres groupes ethniques. L'analyse du cas de Lupaqa et la reevaluation des preuves documentaires utilisees par Murra donnent des resultats qui defient les affirmations cles du modele. Plutot que de representer l'adaptation ecologique ou l'adhesion a la tradition culturelle, les archipels verticaux peuvent etre mieux expliques en termes de strategies de groupes dans des conditions historiques particulieres
IR Scholars and International Systems: Learning and Socialization

The evolution and dynamics of the IR debate in Iran, among academia and policymakers, in addition to its “internal dimensions” is a function of the international material and social environment within which Iran's place and identity has been defined since the 1979 revolution. The Iranian revolution was almost from the beginning projected, perceived and treated as a series of meaningful and meaning-giving adjectives—that is radical, fundamentalist, Islamic, anti-imperialist, rogue—each with its own impact and implications. The revolution toppled the world's most powerful authoritarian regime and one of the most ardent and protected supporters of the United States, just as the international system, both materially and socially, was edging toward a new Cold War. From the perspective of the Soviet camp, the “South,” the “East,” and a host of nonstate actors and social movements, especially in the Muslim world, this was a major blow to systemic imperialism. Iran became a new source of material and social support, emulation and resistance. Thus the socialization with “resistance,” “radicalism,” “struggle,” and “purpose” has been one of the hallmarks of Iran's IR environment, both in terms of the practice of state foreign policy, and the intellectual and conceptual package associated with such socialization. The search for an explanation of Iran's foreign policy choices, and the international environment which nurtured or undermined those choices, gave a real boost to those ideas of IR in Iran that have in their repertoire a variety of tools or concepts that fit Iran's new identity, foreign policy, and the international response to it. Variations of Marxian theories, from the old Leninist tradition to world system and dependency theories, and the more recent Gramscian/Frankfurt critical school and postmodernism have played a role in Iranian IR. This “ left IR ” has of course gone through fluctuations as its external environment has …
State practitioner insights into local public health challenges and opportunities in obesity prevention: a qualitative study.

Author(s): Stamatakis, Katherine A; Lewis, Moira; Khoong, Elaine C; Lasee, Claire | Abstract: IntroductionThe extent of obesity prevention activities conducted by local health departments (LHDs) varies widely. The purpose of this qualitative study was to characterize how state obesity prevention program directors perceived the role of LHDs in obesity prevention and factors that impact LHDs' success in obesity prevention.MethodsFrom June 2011 through August 2011, we conducted 28 semistructured interviews with directors of federally funded obesity prevention programs at 22 state and regional health departments. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed to identify recurring themes and key quotations.ResultsMain themes focused on the roles of LHDs in local policy and environmental change and on the barriers and facilitators to LHD success. The role LHDs play in obesity prevention varied across states but generally reflected governance structure (decentralized vs centralized). Barriers to local prevention efforts included competing priorities, lack of local capacity, siloed public health structures, and a lack of local engagement in policy and environmental change. Structures and processes that facilitated prevention were having state support (eg, resources, technical assistance), dedicated staff, strong communication networks, and a robust community health assessment and planning process.ConclusionsThese findings provide insight into successful strategies state and local practitioners are using to implement innovative (and evidence-informed) community-based interventions. The change in the nature of obesity prevention requires a rethinking of the state-local relationship, especially in centralized states.
Direct Detection of α-Synuclein Dimerization Dynamics: Single-Molecule Fluorescence Analysis.

The aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is linked to Parkinson’s disease. The mechanism of early aggregation steps and the effect of pathogenic single-point mutations remain elusive. We report here a single-molecule fluorescence study of α-Syn dimerization and the effect of mutations. Specific interactions between tethered fluorophore-free α-Syn monomers on a substrate and fluorophore-labeled monomers diffusing freely in solution were observed using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that wild-type (WT) α-Syn dimers adopt two types of dimers. The lifetimes of type 1 and type 2 dimers were determined to be 197 ± 3 ms and 3334 ± 145 ms, respectively. All three of the mutations used, A30P, E46K, and A53T, increased the lifetime of type 1 dimer and enhanced the relative population of type 2 dimer, with type 1 dimer constituting the major fraction. The kinetic stability of type 1 dimers (expressed in terms of lifetime) followed the order A30P (693 ± 14 ms) > E46K (292 ± 5 ms) > A53T (226 ± 6 ms) > WT (197 ± 3 ms). Type 2 dimers, which are more stable, had lifetimes in the range of several seconds. The strongest effect, observed for the A30P mutant, resulted in a lifetime 3.5 times higher than observed for the WT type 1 dimer. This mutation also doubled the relative fraction of type 2 dimer. These data show that single-point mutations promote dimerization, and they suggest that the structural heterogeneity of α-Syn dimers could lead to different aggregation pathways.
EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURE OF SYPHILIS IN THE RABBIT WITH ARSPHENAMINE

1. The intravenous administration of six doses of arsphenamine to syphilitic rabbits in amounts of 10 mg. per kilo, 127 days after inoculation is sufficient to render the popliteal nodes of such animals incapable of transmitting the infection to normal animals. 2. Syphilitic rabbits that have been treated in this manner and whose popliteal nodes 32 to 38 days after treatment have been shown to be incapable of transmitting the infection to normal animals are, as far as can be judged by the absence of a local lesion, refractory to a second inoculation of active virus of the same strain, if the inoculation be made intradermally at the base of the ear and carried out 209 days after the first inoculation. 3. Untreated syphilitic rabbits are also refractory toward a second inoculation made in a similar manner and at a similar interval following the first inoculation. 4. Evidence is offered in favor of the view that the most satisfactory method of evaluation of antisyphilitic agents in experimental syphilis of the rabbit is that of lymph node transfer. 5. Evidence is offered in support of the view that the state of refractoriness toward a second inoculation exhibited by syphilitic rabbits may be explainable upon the basis of either an acquired immunity or persistence of a focus of living treponemata in the body.
On our memory of gay Sullivan: a hidden trajectory.

ABSTRACT This article examines psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan's approach to the issue of homosexuality. Sullivan (1892–1949), well-known for his interpersonal theory of mental illness, is believed to have accomplished a high recovery rate in his treatment of schizophrenia during the 1920s. Most of his patients, as well as Sullivan himself, were concerned about their “homosexual” orientations. He encouraged physical affection between male patients and male attendants, believing that it would free patients from their guilt for their “unconventional” sexuality. But he kept his compelling practice hidden, not bringing it into open discussion to confront the definition of homosexuality as “sickness.” This article traces the process in which the omission of the important aspect of Sullivan's practice began during his lifetime and continued in the scholarship since. In so doing, the article suggests a nuanced understanding of this important figure in the U.S. intellectual and cultural history of homosexuality.
From the ‘crevices in dominant memories’: virtual commemoration and the 1984 anti-Sikh violence

Dominant collective memories around the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 are mostly dichotomous. The official state memories of 1984 are replete with omissions about the attack on Sikhs and several human rights violations. On the other hand, the counter-mobilisations that developed in the aftermath of 1984 are largely focused on the demand for a separate state of Khalistan. I problematise these dichotomous framings by examining what I call present-day ‘virtual commemorative crevices’. I suggest that these crevices are transnational, sacred or set-apart and liminal fissures in hegemonic memories and institutionalised forms of commemoration. I examine eight websites focusing on 1984 and the role of the Sikh diaspora in disrupting older temporal fixities and spatially rooted narratives. Virtual fissures mark a subtle, but significant shift from polarised hegemonic narratives to a more differentiated, future-oriented activism.
To Achieve the Best Performance Through Optimization of Gas Delivery and Current Collection in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Aimed at improving the maximum available power density in a planar-type solid oxide fuel cell, an analytical model is proposed in this work to find the optimum size of a current collector that collects the current from a specific active area of the electrode-electrolyte layer. Distributed three-dimensional current collectors in gas delivery field are designated to allow a larger area of the electrode-electrolyte layer to be active for electrochemical reaction compared to conventional designs that gas channels are separated by current collectors. It has been found that the optimal operating temperature of a planar-type solid oxide fuel cell might be around 850°C, if the sizes of the distributed current collectors and their control areas are optimized. Decreasing the size of both the current collector and its control area is advantageous in achieving a higher power density. Studies also show that the optimal sizes of the current collector and the current collection area investigated at 850°C and zero concentration polarization are applicable to situations of different operating temperatures, and different concentration polarizations. The optimization results of the sizes of current collectors and their control areas are relatively sensitive to the contact resistance between the current collectors and the electrodes of the fuel cell. Results of great significance are provided in the analysis, which will help designers to account for the variation of contact resistance in optimization designing of a bipolar plate of fuel cells.
Behavioral thresholds for electrical stimulation applied to auditory brainstem nuclei in cat are altered by injurious and noninjurious sound

Abstract Each of three young-adult female cats with normal hearing received a total of eight permanent electrodes which were implanted bilaterally in cochlear nucleus (CN) and inferior colliculus (IC). Three experiments were performed using behaviorally measured thresholds for electrical stimulation of CN and IC. In Expt. 1, electrical stimulation thresholds (in dB re 1.0 μA) were obtained in the presence of a continuous tone of moderate intensity and in quiet. In comparison with quiet, electrical stimulation thresholds measured during tone were lower by as much as 15 dB (stimulation hypersensitivity). In Expt. 2, a brief exposure to an intense sound produced a temporary threshold shift (TTS) for acoustic stimuli but only produced small changes in electrical stimulation threshold. The acoustic stimuli used in Expts. 1 and 2 were termed noninjurious since no permanent hearing loss was produced. Expt. 3 employed an exposure to a white noise that resulted in a mean permanent threshold shift (PTS) of 34.1 dB for acoustic stimulation. The PTS was accompanied by a mean stimulation hypersensitivity of 9.6 dB. Comparing Expts. 1 and 3, it was shown that the transient hypersensitivity produced by the noninjurious continuous tone correlated strongly with the permanent hypersensitivity that was produced by the PTS. In regard to the origin of stimulation hypersensitivity, the suggestion is made that it is an indication of a physiological change localizable perhaps in the auditory nuclei of the upper brainstem.
Hormonal effects on insects and other endoparasites in vitro

Metamorphic and reproductive events in vertebrates and invertebrates are under endocrine control and are often correlated with developmental, behavioral, or reproductive changes in the parasites living in or on these hosts. This paper reviews selected examples ofa) host hormone mediated influences on endoparasites in vivo,b) host hormone effects in vitro on protozoan, helminth, and insect endoparasites, andc) identifies possible relationships in hormone effects across parasite taxa. The significance of studies on endoparasites in vitro in relation to the impact of host hormones, antihelminthic, and prophylactic drugs on parasite growth and proliferation will also be addressed. A review of the literature indicates only limited studies have been done in vitro in an attempt to elucidate the bases of reported host hormone influences on endoparasites in vivo. Steroid hormones of hosts seem to stimulate growth, molting or encystment or both of helminth, insect, and protozoan parasites. Vertebrate steroids such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone had primarily reproduction- or growth-promoting effects or both on protozoan and nematode parasites. Insect ecdysteroids such as ecdysone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and makisterone were the most widely studied steroids in vitro and induced growth or molting or both of cestode, nematode, and insect parasite larvae. Although juvenile hormone (JH III) stimulated growth in the protozoan and nematode parasites tested, the analogue methoprene and JH precursors, farnesal, farnesol, and farnesol methyl ether had various effects. Biogenic amines also varied in their effects on the nematode parasites tested, while the peptide hormone, insulin, stimulated growth in the protozoans tested. The evidence for in vitro effects of host hormones on their natural endoparasites is patchy at best. Additional studies are needed to identify the biochemical bases for the numerous host hormone mediated effects on parasites.
Ab Initio Study of Long-Distance Electron Tunneling in a Model Peptide System

The method of tunneling currents developed earlier by one of the authors is applied to study electron tunneling dynamics in a model organometallic donor−bridge−acceptor system, in which the donor is a blue copper center in the reduced form, the bridge is a polypeptide (5 glycine residues), and the acceptor is the −HisRu(III)bpy2Im complex. This system mimics pretty closely the major amino acid tunneling path in Ru-modified azurin studied by Gray and co-workers recently. It is demonstrated that the tunneling matrix element as small as 10-4 cm-1 can be reliably evaluated using ab initio tunneling currents method. The method consists of an ab initio electronic structure calculation of the spatial distribution of quantum mechanical flux in the tunneling transition occurring in the system, when an electron/hole tunnels from the donor site in the molecule to the acceptor site. The analysis is based on the calculation of two diabatic nonorthogonal electronic states corresponding to localization of a tunneling el...
Heating condition effects on thermal resistance of fifth-instar Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract Successful development of a thermal treatment protocol depends on reliable information on fundamental thermal death kinetics of targeted insects under different heating conditions. The effects of heating rates (1, 10, and 15 °C min −1 ), pre-treatment conditioning (30 °C+6 h), and the difference between long-term laboratory cultures and recently isolated cultures on thermal mortality of fifth-instar navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), were studied using a heating block system. There was no significant difference in insect mortality resulting from heating rates of 10 and 15 °C min −1 . Temperature control at 1 °C min −1 was more uniform than for the other heating rates, resulting in reduced variability for insect mortality. The mean mortality at the heating rate of 1 °C min −1 was significantly lower than for the two faster heating rates only at 48 °C+30 min. The pre-treatment conditioning of fifth-instar Amyelois transitella enhanced their thermotolerance only at certain temperature–time combinations. Fifth-instars from long-term laboratory and recently isolated cultures were equally susceptible to elevated temperatures. Therefore, thermal death kinetic information obtained from the long-term laboratory cultures can be used to develop thermal protocols against field pests.
Cross cultural consensus: development of the universal leadership model

Purpose – Retailers have demonstrated mixed results during international expansions. However, home market saturation and the economic climate are forcing more and more retailers to look beyond their borders for revenue. A critical participant in the internationalizing effort is the expatriate manager. Unfortunately the literature is unclear and at times conflicted over how to select and prepare expatriate management for their leadership role. Therefore, this study was designed with the purpose of uncovering various factors which may lead to expatriate retail management success. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the lack of unanimity in the literature this study adopted a qualitative research methodology in order to develop some consensus regarding successful expatriate leadership attributes. Grounded theory was employed utilizing extensive in-depth interviews as the primary data gathering and analysis tools. Findings – A multi-dimensional construct emerged from the data requiring all dimensions to be...
Treponema pallidum Fibronectin-Binding Proteins

Putative adhesins were predicted by computer analysis of the Treponema pallidum genome. Two treponemal proteins, Tp0155 and Tp0483, demonstrated specific attachment to fibronectin, blocked bacterial adherence to fibronectin-coated slides, and supported attachment of fibronectin-producing mammalian cells. These results suggest Tp0155 and Tp0483 are fibronectin-binding proteins mediating T. pallidum-host interactions.