cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia in Apparently Normal Hearts: Ablation Should Be the First Step in Management

Patients without structural heart disease tend to have fewer morphologies of ventricular tachycardia, with automaticity and triggered activity a more common mechanism than re-entry associated with extremely low risk of sudden death. Ablation can be curative in patients with a single morphology of ventricular tachycardia that is focal in origin, particularly in patients without overt structural heart disease. There are limited data in secondary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator literature to support the routine implementation of implantable cardioverter defibrillator in normal hearts. Antiarrhythmic drugs have not been shown to reduce all-cause mortality in patients with and without structural heart disease.
The Riemann Integral

In this chapter we define the Riemann integral in terms of upper and lower sums and arbitrary Riemann sums. We show that a wide class of functions and their combinations are Riemann integrable. We prove the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, the substitution rule and integration by parts. We also discuss improper integrals.
Introduction: The Old Rationalism and the New Rationalism

The philosophical debate about the possibility of authentic a priori knowledge, that is, non-stipulative, non-trivial knowledge of the way the world necessarily is, obtained sufficiently independently of any and all sense-experiential episodes and/or contingent natural facts, is no less important today than it was when Plato posited in the Meno that we are able to have such knowledge owing to a pre-natal close encounter that our disembodied souls had with the Forms, and when Descartes posited in the Meditations on First Philosophy that such knowledge is infallible because guaranteed by a non-deceiving God. Of course, neither the platonic story nor the Cartesian story about our purported a priori abilities has many adherents today. Nevertheless, a large majority of philosophers (71.1 percent, according to a recent PhilPapers survey1) do indeed believe that a priori knowledge is really possible.
Antimicrobial activity of actinobacteria isolated from the guts of subterranean termites

Subterranean termites need to minimize potentially pathogenic and competitive fungi in their environment in order to maintain colony health. We examined the ability of Actinobacteria isolated from termite guts in suppressing microorganisms commonly encountered in a subterranean environment. Guts from two subterranean termite species, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, were extracted and plated on selective chitin media. A total of 38 Actinobacteria isolates were selected for in vitro growth inhibition assays. Target microbes included three strains of Serratia marcescens Bizio, two mold fungi (Trichoderma sp. and Metarhizium sp.), a yeast fungus (Candida albicans (C.P. Robin) Berkhout), and four basidiomycete fungi (Gloeophyllum trabeum (Persoon) Murrill, Tyromyces palustris (Berkeley & M.A. Curtis) Murrill, Irpex lacteus (Fries) Fries, and Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd). Results showed both broad and narrow ranges of antimicrobial activity against the mold fungi, yeast fungus, and S. marcescens isolates by the Actinobacteria selected. This suggests that termite gut-associated Actinobacteria produce secondary antimicrobial compounds that may be important for pathogen inhibition in termites. Basidiomycete fungi were strongly inhibited by the selected Actinobacteria isolates, with G. trabeum and T. versicolor being most inhibited, followed by I. lacteus and T. palustris The degree of inhibition was correlated with shifts in pH caused by the Actinobacteria. Nearly all Actinobacteria isolates raised pH of the growth medium to basic levels (i.e. pH ∼8.0-9.5). We summarize antimicrobial activity of these termite gut-associated Actinobacteria and examine the implications of these pH shifts.
Use of All-Transretinoic Acid (ATRA) + Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) To Eliminate or Minimize Use of Chemotherapy (CT) in Untreated Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).

Current therapy cures most patients (pts) with newly diagnosed APL. Therefore, by analogy to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, focus reduction of therapy-associated toxicity appears appropriate. Such reduction implies less reliance on anthracyclines, which can, rarely but not inconsequentially, cause sepsis, myelodysplastic syndromes, and cardiotoxicity. An obstacle to eliminating anthracylines is the belief that ATRA-induced remissions are transient, unless anthracyclines are also given. We examined whether combining ATRA and ATO might allow elimination of CT. ATO (0.15 mg/kg/day) began 10 days after ATRA (45 mg/m2 twice daily). In CR, both drugs were to be continued until 6 months from CR date. CT (typically gemtuzumab ozogamycin, GO, 9 mg/m2 one dose) was only to be given (1) during induction (day 1) if the presenting WBC count was > 10,000/ml, (2) if 2 consecutive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for PML-RARa (sensitivity level 10 −4 , tests repeated at 2–4 week intervals) were positive 3 months from CR date, or (3) for reversion of a negative PCR test to positive on 2 consecutive occasions as above (molecular relapse). 32 patients (median age 45, 13 with WBC > 10,000 = “high risk”, HR) went on study. The CR rate was 28/32 (88%, 11/13, 85% in HR). Median time to CR was 29 days. Three of the 32 pts died before receiving ATO; APL differentiation syndrome occurred in 5 pts. 25/26 evaluated pts were PCR positive at CR. However, 3 months later, 21/21 were PCR negative, with PCR negativity rates of 17/17, 12/13, 9/10, and 5/5 at, respectively, 6, 9,12, and 12–24 months from CR date. Both molecular relapses subsequently had clinical relapses. No other clinical relapses have occurred, with a median time from CR of 7 months (up to 24 months) in the 26 patients alive in 1 st CR. GO was substituted for ATO in 5 patients because of toxicity (arrhythmias in 4, asymptomatic in 3). Among the 29 pts who began ATO, the incidence of arrhythmias was 2/2 in African Americans vs. 2/27 in Caucasians (p = 0.01). Recalling that high-risk pts received CT during induction and excluding pts in whom GO was substituted for ATO because of toxicity, rates of PCR negativity are as follows at 3,6,9,12,and 12–24 months from CR date (rates for high-risk patients in parentheses): 17/17(6/6), 14/14(7/7), 10/11(6/7), 8/9(4/5) and 4/4(3/3). Pending further follow-up, cure of untreated APL without (WBC 10,000) of, CT appears feasible.
Expansion on the life of Hubble

Many scholars in subjects like English and history write biographies and interpret the work of inconsequential players on the world's stage, since the lives of the leading characters have already been mined for most of their worth. Not so in science. Twentieth-century astronomy, in particular, which has fed a revolutionary view of our Universe into modern culture, is just beginning to be recognzed as a source of biographical importance.
Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping as a Possible Tool to Radiographically Diagnose Sentinel Headache Associated with Intracranial Aneurysm: Case Report

Background Sentinel headache (SH) occurs before aneurysm rupture in an estimated 15%–60% of cases of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). By definition, noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain and lumbar puncture are both negative in patients presenting with SH. One of the theories explaining this phenomenon is that microhemorrhage (MH) from the aneurysm wall contribute to iron deposition in the interface between the aneurysm wall and brain parenchyma. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a recently introduced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that has proven capable of localizing the deposition of paramagnetic metals, particularly ferric iron. Thus, the QSM sequence may be able to detect iron deposition secondary to MH. Case Description A 76-year-old male presented with the “worst headache of my life.” Noncontrast head CT scan and lumbar puncture were negative. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the brain revealed an anterior communicating artery (A-com) aneurysm measuring 7 mm with a large bleb. T1-weighted imaging (WI), T2-WI, MRA, T2 star-weighted angiography (SWAN), and QSM sequences were obtained. T2-WI, SWAN, and QSM revealed isointense, hypointense, and hyperintense signals, respectively, at the interface of the aneurysm wall and brain tissue. These findings were consistent with deposition of ferric iron at this interface. The A-com aneurysm was treated with coil embolization, and the patient exhibited no postoperative deficits. Conclusions The MRI QSM sequence can localize iron deposition resulting from MH within an aneurysmal wall. This sequence may be a promising imaging tool for screening patients presenting with SH.
A Photosynthesis-based Two-leaf Canopy Stomatal Conductance Model for Meteorology and Air Quality Modeling with WRF/CMAQ PX LSM

A coupled photosynthesis-stomatal conductance model with single layer sunlit and shaded leaf canopy scaling is developed for the Pleim-Xiu land surface model (LSM) option in the meteorology and air quality modeling system - WRF/CMAQ (Weather Research and Forecast model and Community Multiscale Air Quality model). The photosynthesis-based model for the PX LSM (PX PSN) is implemented and evaluated in a diagnostic box model that has evapotranspiration and ozone deposition components taken directly from WRF/CMAQ. We evaluate PX PSN for latent heat (LH) estimation at four FLUXNET sites with different vegetation types and landscape characteristics and at one FLUXNET site with ozone flux measurements against the simple Jarvis approach used in the current PX LSM. Overall, the PX PSN simulates LH as well as the PX Jarvis approach. The PX PSN, however, shows distinct advantages over the PX Jarvis approach on grassland that likely results from its treatment of C3 and C4 plants for CO2 assimilation estimation. Simulations using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LAI rather than LAI observations assess how the model would perform with the grid averaged data available in the Eulerian grid model (WRF/CMAQ). While MODIS LAI generally follows the seasonality of the observed LAI, it cannot capture the extreme highs and lows of the site measurements. MODIS LAI estimates degrade model performance at all sites but one site having old and tall trees. Ozone deposition velocity and ozone flux along with LH are simulated especially well by PX PSN as compared to significant PX Jarvis overestimation.
A Watershed in the Study of Nonlinear Neural Dynamics

I also received, as Ross Adey did, a missive from Ted Melnechuk asking for the essence of the old, the new, and what the new implies. I am reminded of an anecdote about the American preacher-philosopher, Jonathan Edwards, who was asked how long it took him to prepare one of the speeches for which he was famous. He said, well, if it was a 10-min speech, it took him a couple of days; if it was an hour’s talk, it took him a couple of hours, but if there was no time limit, he could start right now.
Lack of electrical coupling between contiguous myocardial cells in vertebrate hearts.

The author’s work reviewed in this report was supported by grants from the U. S. Public Health Service (HE-11155) and from the American Heart Association.
First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Erysiphe aquilegiae on Columbine in the United States

Columbine (Aquilegia sp., Ranunculaceae) is a late summer to fall flowering ornamental. Powdery mildew was collected from columbine plants growing outdoors in the botanical garden at the Center for Urban Horticulture, University of Washington (47.65°N; 122.29°W) in October 2016. Morphological characteristics of the fungus were consistent with those of Erysiphe aquilegiae. To confirm species identification, the internal transcribed (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with the primers ITS4/ITS6. E. aquilegiae (LC009944) was the most similar species with eight nucleotide differences (98.6% similarity). Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, it was concluded that the powdery mildew fungus was E. aquilegiae. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first unequivocal report of E. aquilegiae occurring within the United States. These results are important for the U.S. floral industry, for which Aquilegia is a major crop.
Discrepancy Driven Adaptive Monte Carlo for Forward Uncertainty Forecasting in Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

Two serious limitations of the widely popular Monte Carlo simulations (M CS) for uncertainty forecasting are that: i) its rate of convergence is slow, especially when applied to complex systems where each simulation is computationally expensive, and ii) it is almost impossible to hold the quality of MC ensemble over time using a fixed number of simulations, given the fact that the propagated state uncertainty is time-varying and normally unknown in advance. In this paper, an adaptive MCS framework is developed that aims to control its performance within the desired upper and lower accuracy bounds on-the-fly, while using a “minimum” number of simulations. When the accuracy of MCS falls below the lower accuracy bound (i.e. error exceeds the prescribed threshold), additional “optimally” selected particles are sequentially introduced at the initial time, and then forward propagated to join the current ensemble until reaching the required level of accuracy. This is done by following a two layer approach targeted at improving its rate of convergence via both non-collapsing (projective distance) and space-filling criteria (discrepancy metric). On the contrary, when MCS outperforms the required accuracy level (i.e. error is lower than needed), particles are removed from the current ensemble in the interest of reducing computational load. Particle removal is based on their relative weightage obtained by numerically solving the associated stochastic Liouville equation via the method of characteristics. Numerical simulations illustrate the benefits of proposed methodology.
Clinical Reasoning: A child with arthrogryposis: Congenital myasthenic syndrome-CHRNA1 mutation.

A 5-year-old girl was evaluated for arthrogryposis. She was born at 34 weeks complicated by polyhydramnios and reduced fetal movements. She had symmetric growth parameters at birth. She had respiratory distress after birth requiring intubation, feeding difficulties and aspirations requiring nasojejunal feeding and subsequently gastrostomy tube, and stridor, for which she underwent supraglottoplasty. She had bilateral talipes equinovarus at birth and underwent surgical correction at 9 months. There were also mild contractures of the wrists, which did not require surgical interventions. She had paucity of facial movements, ptosis, and hypotonia noticed after birth. She had delayed motor milestones and was always slower compared to other children in terms of walking, running, and climbing stairs. She needed to hold on to the railing while climbing stairs and support to get up from the floor. She was mostly gastrostomy tube fed. She tired easily with physical activities and there was history of diurnal fluctuation of her ptosis. Her social and cognitive functions were grossly intact. Parents were first cousins and there was no family history of similar disorder. On examination, she had vertical and horizontal ophthalmoparesis, bilateral ptosis and frontalis overactivity, marked facial weakness (open mouth), high-arched palate, nasal dysarthria, proximal limb weakness, and 1–2+ tendon reflexes.
Which Factors are Risk Factors in Asset Pricing? A Model Scan Framework

A key question for understanding the cross-section of expected returns of equities is the following: which factors, from a given collection of factors, are risk factors, equivalently, which factors...
§5.22 Crime-Fraud Exception

This article addresses the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. It discusses the two-part test recognized by most courts. It also discusses the difficult issues of determining the intent of the client in consulting the lawyer and the line between past and ongoing criminal conduct. It concludes by addressing the proof necessary to claim the crime-fraud exception.
Implications of aspect ratio on the uptake and nanotoxicity of gold nanomaterials

Abstract Colloidally stable gold nanoparticles are commonly used for biomedical and industrial applications due to their unique physicochemical properties. However, the post-application fate of these nanoparticles in the environment requires consideration. In this study, we evaluated how nanoparticle size and shape impact the uptake and toxicity of gold nanoparticles to the filter-feeding bivalve, Corbicula fluminea. Our results indicate that the organismal uptake rate increases with an increase in nanoparticle size and anisotropy. Rate constants for 19 nm and 45 nm BSA-coated gold nanoparticles and aspect ratio (length/width) 4 and aspect ratio 8 BSA coated gold nanorods were 0.020 ± 0.002, 0.045 ± 0.008, 0.025 ± 0.003, and 0.064 ± 0.012 h−1 respectively. Both spherical and elongated gold nanoparticles were readily detected in the digestive glands, gills, (pseudo)feces, and on the shell exterior following exposure. The presence of nanoparticles in non-digestive tissues suggests that the nanoparticles were internalized and consumed by C. fluminea. The toxicity results indicate that for the tested concentration and exposure period that the tested gold nanoparticles were not acutely toxic (i.e., not lethal). However, the nanoparticles significantly inhibited the activity of some antioxidant enzymes within gill and digestive gland tissues, potentially impairing the clams antioxidant system.
Reply to: A critical examination of a newly proposed interhemispheric teleconnection to Southwestern US winter precipitation.

Author(s): Mamalakis, Antonios; Yu, Jin-Yi; Randerson, James T; AghaKouchak, Amir; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi
Photoactivities of Vitamin K Derivatives and Potential Applications as Daylight-Activated Antimicrobial Agents

Photoactivities of four natural or natural-derivatized vitamin K (VK) species were investigated by using a combination of theoretical computational modeling, prediction, and specially designed expe...
Employee Termination Risk and Effort: Evidence from Security Analyst Mergers

Brokerage house mergers increase job termination risk of analysts within the target house. "Covered" analysts, those who cover firms already covered by the acquiring house, are especially likely to be terminated. Using merger announcements as an exogenous increase to termination risk, I find that target house analysts reduce their earnings estimate output by over 10%. Specifically, this effect is driven by covered target house analysts who reduce their estimate output by 15-35% in relation to uncovered target house analysts. Covered analysts also release estimates closer to consensus after the merger announcement. I conclude analysts respond to an increase in termination risk by exerting less effort.
Human dimensions of insect pollinator conservation

Insect pollinators are becoming visible to societies. Many peer-reviewed papers evidence biophysical and ecological aspects of managed and non-managed insect pollinators. Evidence on stressors of declines yield peer-reviewed calls for action. Yet, insect pollinator declines are inherently a human issue, driven by a history of land-use trends, changes in technologies, and socio-cultural perceptions that unwittingly cause and perpetuate declines. Conservation requires integrating social and ecological understandings to reconfigure human behaviors across societies’ sectors. We review recent literature on the social and cultural dimensions of insect pollinators. People now like bees. We discuss the social challenges and opportunities that accompany this newfound public enthusiasm. These include the generalization of honey bees as representative of bee diversity and pollinator conservation issues, the changing perceptions of pollinators, the paucity of policy research, and how any call to ‘save the bees’ must be a call to stabilize agriculture. We call for greater coordination among biological and socio-cultural researchers to advance insect pollinator conservation practices and policies fit for the Anthropocene.
Chapter 4 – Banach Spaces

In this chapter, general concepts connected with normed vector spaces are presented. After introducing the axioms of a normed linear space, a number of specific examples are given, including both familiar cases of Euclidean spaces, and a number of function spaces which are extensively used in the remainder of the book. The important case of a Banach space, when the space is complete with respect to the given norm, receives special attention. The notions of bounded linear operators and functionals are introduced.
Demystifying LoRa WAN Security and Capacity

LoRa and LoRaWAN are developing technologies that are meant as a way to implement a Low Power Wide Area Network which allows devices to communicate. This technology is being used to develop Internet of Things solutions for cutting edge applications such as smart farming, metering, and cities. Since this technology promises to be widespread and greatly used in the future it is very important that the security and capacity of the system is ensured. To this end, a large amount of research has been done looking into potential security threats to LoRa solutions, and how to protect against these vulnerabilities. Additionally, LoRa networks are meant to handle a high capacity of devices to provide coverage for urban areas. In such environments, it is important to know the practical capacity of the network. The goal of our paper is to collect this information and present it in a way that helps developers assess and optimize LoRaWAN deployments.
Analog Solutions of Systems of Linear Equations on a Configurable Platform

Even though analog computation is better suited for differential equation solutions (ODE, PDE), sometimes it needs to solve systems of linear equations. This discussion focuses on analog solutions of linear equation systems, implemented on a configurable platform. Digital systems rely on solving linear equations as the fundamental numerical computation. Systems of linear equations are used to solve static circuits illustrating that at least a reduced class of analog physical linear system computation should be possible. The analog approaches utilize iterative techniques, setting up a set of ODEs to solve the system of linear equations, rather than relying on matrix decompositions (e.g. LU decomposition). The approach allows for multiple potential configurable circuit approaches. A set of amplifier networks has been designed to demonstrate the solutions for different matrices. These techniques provide energy-efficient continuous-time solutions. The resulting algorithm has been studied considering the analog numerical analysis for the solution and convergence time.
THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF DELAYED APPOINTMENTS AND DISCRETIONARY GRANTS OF CAPITAL POSTCONVICTION COUNSEL

This article addresses the right to postconviction counsel in capital cases - a right that is absolutely crucial to protecting innocent capital inmates from wrongful execution. It is no secret that indigent capital inmates who wish to pursue their state postconviction remedies have no constitutional right to counsel, and instead must rely on statutory grants of counsel. While numerous death penalty states have seen fit to provide a mandatory statutory right to postconviction counsel, a handful of death penalty states, including Alabama, provide only a discretionary right to such counsel. But in Alabama, which at the time of this writing has the fifth largest death row population and ranks in the top eleven among death penalty states in terms of number of exonerations of capital inmates, the situation is even worse: All indigent capital inmates in Alabama who wish to pursue state postconviction remedies must prepare and file the postconviction petition on their own and survive summary dismissal before a court will even consider whether to appoint counsel to assist the inmate. In other words, the capital inmate must do the work of counsel - and do it well enough to survive dismissal - before the court will determine whether, in its discretion, counsel is necessary. As should be obvious to even a casual observer, it is extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, for a capital inmate to accomplish this task, as it requires not only detailed knowledge of postconviction law and procedure, but also the capacity to investigate the case and discover all possible claims to include in the petition. This article explains that, by deciding to provide counsel as a matter of statutory grace, Alabama has acquired a constitutional duty, anchored in the Due Process Clause, to provide a meaningful right to capital postconviction counsel. Unfortunately, Alabama has failed to meet that duty. Forcing indigent capital inmates to run the postconviction course alone - even for a brief time - undermines the very purpose of granting postconviction counsel in the first place, which by Alabama's own admission is to protect the rights of the capital inmate. In short, Alabama's system provides nothing more than an empty promise. And for the almost 200 inmates currently on death row in Alabama, that simply is not enough.
The effect of different types of high school transitions on delinquent friendships and delinquency

The role of schools in adolescents’ development and behavior including delinquency is indisputable. Despite the salutary effects of school, the adverse influences of school in the lower academic tracks have also been documented. Acknowledging these opposite views on school and limited studies on two types of high school in South Korea, the current study examined the effect of different types of high school transitions (industrial and liberal arts) on juvenile delinquency and peer delinquency via a propensity score matching. Although the two groups were not significantly different in the first year of high school, they showed differences in delinquency and deviant peer association in the second and third years. These findings implied the crucial role of peers and schools in delinquency and have important implications for educational policy, which can be applied to other countries.
Profiling polar lipids in whey protein phospholipid concentrate by LC-HRMS/MS.

Abstract Bioactive polar lipids in the milk fat globular membrane can be recovered and enriched during whey protein processing into a co-product called whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC). A food-grade solvent successfully extracted polar lipids from powdered dairy products, and lipids can be fractionated under temperature-induced crystallization. This study investigates the specific lipid species present in ethanol extracted lipid residues from commercially available WPPC using a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS lipidomics method. In general, sphingomyelins and phosphatidylcholines were retained in the polar lipid enriched fraction. Sphingomyelin was found to be a rich source of long chain fatty acids. Several glycosphingolipids, glucosyl-, galactosyl-, lactosyl-, and galabiosylceramide, were also detected in WPPC; these species were observed to crystallize away from other polar lipids during fractionation. Correlation analysis supported the claim that majority of polar lipids recovered in a total lipid extract using ethanol were retained in a polar lipid enriched residue after fractional crystallization.
Liver Disease and Liver Transplantation

Patients with chronic liver disease with established cirrhosis often present for surgery. Their perioperative morbidity and mortality is increased due to complications related to liver failure. Liver is the main organ responsible for biotransformation of many drugs and liver disease is expected to affect their metabolism. It is therefore important to understand the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes of drugs due to liver disease for optimal management of these patients. This article reviews drugs that are commonly used during anesthesia for liver transplant and non-transplant surgery. It is emphasized that common tests or even specific tests of liver functions do not accurately predict the degree of pharmacokinetic changes or clinical effects of drugs. Careful titration of drugs to their clinical effects and continued vigilance and monitoring for their side effects are therefore critical for safe management and successful outcome of these patients.
Educating the citizens: Visions of China in late qing history textbooks

In recent years, the late Qing invention of national history has received considerable attention. Taking a “history of ideas” approach, scholars such as Prasenjit Duara, Rebecca Karl, Xiaobing Tang, Edward Wang, and Ying-shih Yu discuss how late Qing historians adopted foreign concepts such as the nation-state, linear progress, and scientific rationality. This chapter examines the late Qing historical discourse from the perspective of the social and political changes at the turn of the 20th century. Focusing on history textbooks, the author's premise is that the late Qing historical discourse emerged in a critical moment when the Qing government was building a national school system to replace the civil service examinations. Described by Ping-ti Ho as “the ladder of success” for the literati, the civil service examination system had been the main vehicle of social mobility for the educated elite for centuries. Keywords: civil service examination; foreign concepts; historical discourse; history textbooks; late Qing; national history; national school system; Qing government
A Monoclonal Antibody to an Internal Molecule Differentiates Three Electrically Coupled Leech Neurons

About half a decade ago, neurobiologists began to search for molecules involved in neuron-to-neuron recognition using monoclonal antibodies. The advent of monoclonal antibodies made it possible to immunize mice with the complex mixture of antigens present in whole brain tissue and to make specific antibody probes to single molecules. Generating antibodies has been relatively easy. The challenge has been to identify those antibodies that bind to candidate molecules playing a role in specifying synaptic connectivity. The trend has been to judge the likelihood of an antigen specifying neuronal connectivity by its distribution in organized brain tissue. This strategy is based on the assumption that neuronal connectivity molecules differ in kind or quantity from cell to cell.
Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-sulfite reductase of enterobacteria. II. Identification of a new class of heme prosthetic group: an iron-tetrahydroporphyrin (isobacteriochlorin type) with eight carboxylic acid groups.

The novel heme prosthetic group of Escherichia coli NADPH-sulfite reductase (EC 1.8.1.2) has been identified as an iron tetrahydroporphyrin of the isobacteriochlorin type (adjacent pyrrole rings reduced) with eight carboxylic acid side chains. The number of carboxyl groups was established by the following experiments. Esterification with 14CH3OH resulted in incorporation of 7.4 moles of 14C per mole of heme. The fragmentation pattern of the demetallized heme (porphin) methyl ester and a comparison of the heaviest mass peaks of the porphin ethyl and methyl esters was consistent with the presence of eight carboxylate ester side chains. The porphin methyl ester migrated similarly to uroporphyrin I octamethyl ester in two thin layer chromatographic systems. The reduction state of the porphin nucleus was determined as follows. The infrared spectrum of the porphin ethyl ester showed a band at 1603 cm-1, characteristic of reduced porphins. The absorption spectra of the porphin ester (λmax (ratios) = 378 (3.3), 510 (0.37), 545 (0.67), 588 (1.00), 638 (0.15) nm) in neutral or basic media and its tin, copper, and zinc derivatives were similar to those of synthetic isobacteriochlorins and their corresponding metal derivatives. The porphin in neutral solvents exhibited an intense orange fluorescence (λmax = 597 and 640 nm for emission) indicating the presence of a cyclically conjugated porphin macrocycle. The tin porphin ester was not photoreduced under conditions which led to conversion of tin uroporphyrin octamethyl ester to the tetrahydro derivative. Precise molecular masses of several derivatives of the sulfite reductase porphin yielded a unique empirical formula for each derivative; these formulas, when restricted to a porphin with eight carboxylate side chains, require the porphin nucleus to be at the tetrahydro or more reduced level. No formulas compatible with octacarboxylate porphyrins or chlorins could be obtained. The empirical formula for the sulfite reductase heme is FeC42H44N4O16 (z ligands not included). It is suggested that the compound is an iron-containing methylated urotetrahydroporphyrin.
Comparative analysis on the signature algorithms to validate AS paths in BGPsec

Because of the lack of security in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and its world-wide coverage, BGP is categorized into one of the most vulnerable network protocols. As the Internet grows all around, BGP, which lays the groundwork for all network protocols by connecting all of them together, is being updated by protocol designers in security. The most noticeable topic to secure BGP is to validate paths in BGP. At this point, the most plausible solution to protect BGP paths is BGPsec. However, validating paths in BGPsec gives much more pressure to BGP in routing performance than validating the origin of a BGP message. In order to maximize the path-validating performance, BGPsec currently uses Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which is well known as one of best asymmetric cryptographic algorithms in performance. However, is ECDSA really better than the signature algorithms (i.e., DSA or RSA) originally used in BGP? In this paper, we found that RSA is better than ECDSA in BGPsec due to its outstanding verification speed. Among the signature algorithms (i.e., DSA, RSA, and ECDSA) that are utilized for RPKI and BGPsec, we argue that RSA is the best one in performance to validate paths in BGP Update messages.
Diphtheria Toxin and Related Proteins III. RECONSTITUTION OF HYBRID "DIPHTHERIA TOXIN" FROM NONTOXIC MUTANT PROTEINS

Conditions are described for reassembly in high yield of hybrid diphtheria toxin molecules using Fragment A derived from cross-reacting material 45 and Fragment B from other proteins related to diphtheria toxin.
The context of economic insecurity and its relation to violence and risk factors for HIV among female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India

OBJECTIVE: We examined the context of economic insecurity and debt among female sex workers (FSWs), how this context varies among FSWs, and its association with experiences of violence and sexual risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS: We recruited FSWs aged > or =18 years (n = 673) through respondent-driven sampling for a survey on HIV risk in this region. Using logistic regression models (adjusted for partner status, education, financial support, and literacy), we assessed the relation between debt and sexual and physical victimization as well as sexual risk. We also conducted qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of the survey participants and examined these for related themes. RESULTS: In adjusted logistic regression models, FSWs who reported debt were more likely to report the following: recent physical violence (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 2.4, 95% confidence interval CI 1.5, 3.9), unprotected sex with occasional clients in the past week (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.2, 4.3), anal sex with clients in the past 30 days (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.1, 3.9), and at least one sexually transmitted infection symptom in the past six months (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.1, 2.4). FSWs with debt were more likely to report current husbands or other male partners, and less likely to report condom use with these partners, further increasing their sexual risk. Qualitative data elaborated on these findings. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate the violence- and HIV-related vulnerability of FSWs who report debt and further highlight how male partners may contribute to the debt and economic insecurity of FSWs. Keywords: Human trafficking Language: en
Strategies For Improving Academic Performance By Non-Native English Speakers In Graduate Programs

Over the past decade, the number of non-native English speaking students in higher education has increased dramatically. Educators at all levels have experienced challenges in meeting the academic needs of these students and continue to seek strategies for addressing these challenges. This paper describes some of this research related to K-12 and suggests ways for applying the results to improve the academic performance of non-native English speaking students in U.S. graduate programs. Educators in higher education can benefit from the research focused on K-12 and should seek ways to replicate the successful strategies in the graduate classroom.
Learning symmetry groups with hidden units: beyond the perceptron

Learning to recognize mirror, rotational and translational symmetries is a difficult problem for massively-parallel network models. These symmetries cannot be learned by first-order perceptrons or Hopfield networks, which have no means for incorporating additional adaptive units that are hidden from the input and output layers. We demonstrate that the Boltzmann learning algorithm is capable of finding sets of weights which turn hidden units into useful higher-order feature detectors capable of solving symmetry problems.
Digital Sampling, Bits, and Psychophysiological Data: A Primer, with Cautions

The assumption that technical terms used in psychophysiology literature are somehow understood via previous explanations in the literature is tenuous at best. While improved software has made the use of encoders (the “black box”) more user friendly, it cannot replace a basic understanding as to how, what, when and why the encoder collects data. Further, with the improved software it is now easier to produce a column of data and make erroneous interpretations if one is not careful or does not have the requisite background knowledge. Once completed, it can be very difficult to go back and identify where the error(s) was made. In this primer, analog and digital processing, sampling, bandwidth, and bits are interpreted through every day events to illustrate the reasons for concern.
Microiontophoresis and Micromanipulation for Intravital Fluorescence Imaging of the Microcirculation

Microiontophoresis entails passage of current through a micropipette tip to deliver a solute at a designated site within an experimental preparation. Microiontophoresis can simulate synaptic transmission by delivering neurotransmitters and neuropeptides onto neurons reproducibly. Negligible volume (fluid) displacement avoids mechanical disturbance to the experimental preparation. Adapting these techniques to the microcirculation has enabled mechanisms of vasodilation and vasoconstriction to be studied at the microscopic level in vivo. A key advantage of such localized delivery is enabling vasomotor responses to be studied at defined sites within a microvascular network without evoking systemic or reflexive changes in blood pressure and tissue blood flow, thereby revealing intrinsic properties of microvessels. A limitation of microiontophoresis is that the precise concentration of agent delivered to the site of interest is difficult to ascertain. Nevertheless, its release from the micropipette tip is proportional to the intensity and duration of the ejection current, such that reproducible stimulus-response relationships can be readily determined under defined experimental conditions (described below). Additional factors affecting microiontophoretic delivery include solute concentration and its ionization in solution. The internal diameter of the micropipette tip should be ˜ 1 μm or less to minimize diffusional 'leak', which can be counteracted with a retaining current. Thus an outward (positive) current is used to eject a cation and a negative current used to retain it within the micropipette. Fabrication of micropipettes is facilitated with sophisticated electronic pullers. Micropipettes are pulled from glass capillary tubes containing a filament that 'wicks' solution into the tip of the micropipette when filled from the back end ("backfilled"). This is done by inserting a microcapillary tube connected to a syringe containing the solution of interest and ejecting the solution into the lumen of the micropipette. Micromanipulators enable desired placement of micropipettes within the experimental preparation. Micromanipulators mounted on a movable base can be positioned around the preparation according to the topography of microvascular networks (developed below). The present protocol demonstrates microiontophoresis of acetylcholine (ACh(+) Cl(-)) onto an arteriole of the mouse cremaster muscle preparation (See associated protocol: JoVE ID#2874) to produce endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Stimulus delivery is synchronized with digitized image acquisition using an electronic trigger. The use of Cx40(BAC)-GCaMP2 transgenic mice enables visualization of intracellular calcium responses underlying vasodilation in arteriolar endothelial cells in the living microcirculation.
Metal complexes of new scorpionate ligands: 2,2′-Bis(pyrazolyl)ethylamine and its derivatives

Abstract The new bis(pyrazolyl)amine ligand NH2CH2CH(pz)2 (1) was prepared from the reaction of N-[2,2-bis(pyrazolyl)ethyl]-1,8-naphthalimide with hydrazine monohydrate. A substituted derivative, C6H5CH2NHCH2CH(pz)2 (2), was prepared by the reaction of 1 with benzaldehyde followed by reduction with NaBH4. Ligand 1 was also converted by two methods to the new bitopic, para-linked bis(pyrazolyl)amine ligand p-C6H4(CH2NHCH2CH(pz)2)2, (3). The reactions of the ligands 1–3 with [Cu(PPh3)2]NO3 yields {(PPh3)Cu[(pz)2CHCH2NH2]}NO3, {(PPh3)Cu[(pz)2CHCH2NHCH2C6H5]}NO3 and {[(PPh3)Cu]2[p-((pz)2CHCH2NHCH2)2C6H4]}(NO3)2·solvate, respectively. Complex {(N3)2Cu[(pz)2CHCH2NHCH2C6H5]} was obtained from a methanol solution of 2, copper(II) acetate monohydrate and sodium azide. The complex {Cd[(pz)2CHCH2NHCH2C6H5]2}(PF6)2·3C3H6O was synthesized by reaction of the protonated form of ligand 2, [(pz)2CHCH2NH2CH2C6H5]PF6, with Cd(acac)2. In all of the structures the ligands are tridentate, bonding to the metal through the lone pair on the amine group as well as through the pyrazolyl rings – they act as true scorpionates. The solid state structures all have extensive non-covalent interactions, with the N–H functional groups of the amines participating in both N–H⋯π and N–H⋯O or N–H⋯N hydrogen bonding interactions.
Organizing the Unorganizable: Three Jewish women and their union

(1976). Organizing the Unorganizable: Three Jewish women and their union. Labor History: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 5-23.
The essential elements of undergraduate medical education in obstetrics and gynecology: a comparison of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Medical Student Educational Objectives and the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination.

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate whether the essential elements of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Medical Student Educational Objectives were adequately represented on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) obstetrics and gynecology subject examination, and that the topics questioned on that examination were covered by the APGO objectives. Study design The Undergraduate Medical Education Committee of APGO and the NBME staff separately reviewed the same 2 NBME obstetrics and gynecology subject examinations. The questions were mapped to the 15 essential elements of the APGO educational objectives and comparisons were made to check how well they matched. Results All the essential elements of the educational objectives were covered by the NBME subject examination. Of the questions on the examination, 99% were deemed appropriate for medical students with 70% of the questions mapping to "Priority 1" objectives. Conclusion The NBME examination provides an appropriate assessment of mastery of what a medical student should learn, as represented by the APGO Medical Student Educational Objectives.
Metabasite amphiboles of the Scottish Dalradian

Blue-green hornblendes are observed in metabasite assemblages throughout the chlorite, biotite and garnet zones of the southwest Scottish Highlands. Actinolites are common in more Mg-rich metabasites in these zones.
Tobacco Use among School Adolescents: National Sociodemographic Risk Profiles

This article examines sociodemographic risk and smoking and smokeless tobacco use among a national sample of school-based adolescents who participated in the 1993 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey. Findings show that six sociodemographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, income, type of urban area, and region) were significantly associated with cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Of all smokeless tobacco users, 71.5 percent were also regular smokers or experimental smokers. This article highlights the need to provide comprehensive tobacco use prevention programs that focus on both cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among school adolescents.
The co-operative model as a ‘living experiment in democracy’

Abstract Theories regarding the purposes and justifications of property guide in part the way in which American business enterprises are run today. This raises the question – if purely capitalist corporations are founded upon an understanding of property most in line with the theories of established property scholars Bentham and Locke, is there room for a different kind of concept of property in the realm of U.S. business? In this paper I explore the way in which the workers’ cooperative model infuses a sense of moral responsibility into a group of individuals’ understanding of “property” in order to create a collectively managed enterprise that measures success both in economic and socio-political terms. I first review a large body of literature on the various forms of cooperative ownership and management, focusing on the history of the co-operative model, the rights entailed under the model, and the advantages as well as criticisms associated with co-operatives. I then use this literature to situate a case study example of a co-operative organization – The Cheese Board Collective, a worker-owned artisan cheese and pizza shop in Berkeley, California – and to analyze my findings.
Mechanisms of free radical-induced damage to DNA

AbstractEndogenous and exogenous sources cause free radical-induced DNA damage in living organisms by a variety of mechanisms. The highly reactive hydroxyl radical reacts with the heterocyclic DNA bases and the sugar moiety near or at diffusion-controlled rates. Hydrated electron and H atom also add to the heterocyclic bases. These reactions lead to adduct radicals, further reactions of which yield numerous products. These include DNA base and sugar products, single- and double-strand breaks, 8,5′-cyclopurine-2′-deoxynucleosides, tandem lesions, clustered sites and DNA-protein cross-links. Reaction conditions and the presence or absence of oxygen profoundly affect the types and yields of the products. There is mounting evidence for an important role of free radical-induced DNA damage in the etiology of numerous diseases including cancer. Further understanding of mechanisms of free radical-induced DNA damage, and cellular repair and biological consequences of DNA damage products will be of outmost importan...