cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male Infertility and Subsequent Risk of Cancer Development

Infertility occurs in 15% of the population; and 30–50% of the time, the problem is due to a male factor. There is active research attempting to elucidate how male factor infertility fits into the picture of overall men’s health. Research in the past has established that a thorough male fertility evaluation can uncover various medical pathologies. There is now growing evidence that suggests male infertility is a potential harbinger for subsequent cancer development. In this review of pertinent articles, the current evidence regarding fertility and development of genitourinary and other cancers will be discussed, in particular, testicular and prostate cancer. In addition, various etiologic factors that explain the pathophysiology of infertility and progression to cancer will also be reviewed. It is possible that male factor infertility is a surrogate marker for subsequent cancer development.
General Chemical Concepts

This introductory chapter presents a brief overview of basic chemical concepts that are important in the study of biogeochemistry. Chemical bonding mechanisms are examined, with particular emphasis on complexation reactions that influence the solubility and bioavailability of metals. The chemical behaviors of different elements and compounds are discussed in relation to oxidation-reduction, polarity of molecules, equilibrium reactions, and rate-limited processes. Examples are provided for transforming molar or mass-based concentrations into units of equivalent charges for ionic charge balance analysis. Finally, stable isotopes are introduced as a tool for tracing biogeochemical patterns and processes.
Upregulated Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor 1 Expression in Human and Murine Atherosclerotic Plaques.

Dysregulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) signaling contributes to inflammation-related pathophysiological changes in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis (AS). S1PR1-targeting compounds significantly reduce lesion size in murine models of AS. Therefore, characterization of S1PR1 expression in vitro and in vivo in atherosclerotic plaque could enable mechanistic studies and inform S1PR1 targeted therapies. HE in vitro autoradiography study indicated that SEW2781, a S1PR1 compound was able to reduce the uptake of [11C]TZ3321 by 56 %. S1PR1 levels were also upregulated in AS mouse aortic plaques. MicroPET data showed the aorta-to-blood tracer uptake ratio in AS mice was approximately 20 % higher than that in controls. Autoradiographic study also revealed elevated tracer accumulation in AS mouse aorta. Upregulated S1PR1 expression in human and mouse atherosclerotic plaques was successfully identified by immunostaining and radioligand-based methods. This data demonstrates that [11C]TZ3321 PET provides great promise in imaging S1PR1 expression in atherosclerotic plaques.
Site-Selective Carving and Co-Deposition: Transformation of Ag Nanocubes into Concave Nanocrystals Encased by Au-Ag Alloy Frames

We report a facile synthesis of Ag nanocubes with concave side faces and Au–Ag alloy frames, namely Ag@Au–Ag concave nanocrystals, by titrating HAuCl4 solution into an aqueous mixture of Ag nanocubes, ascorbic acid (H2Asc), NaOH, and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) at an initial pH of 11.6 under ambient conditions. Different from all previous studies involving poly(vinylpyrrolidine), the use of CTAC at a sufficiently high concentration plays an essential role in carving away Ag atoms from the side faces through galvanic replacement. Concurrent co-deposition of Au and Ag atoms via chemical reduction at orthogonal sites on the surface of Ag nanocubes leads to the generation of Ag@Au–Ag concave nanocrystals with well-defined and controllable structures. Specifically, in the presence of CTAC-derived Cl– ions, the titrated HAuCl4 is maintained in the AuCl4– species, enabling its galvanic replacement with the Ag atoms located on the side faces of nanocubes. The released Ag+ ions can be retained in the so...
Characterizing the DNA Methyltransferases of Haloferax volcanii via Bioinformatics, Gene Deletion, and SMRT Sequencing

DNA methyltransferases (MTases), which catalyze the methylation of adenine and cytosine bases in DNA, can occur in bacteria and archaea alongside cognate restriction endonucleases (REases) in restriction-modification (RM) systems or independently as orphan MTases. Although DNA methylation and MTases have been well-characterized in bacteria, research into archaeal MTases has been limited. A previous study examined the genomic DNA methylation patterns (methylome) of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii, a model archaeal system which can be easily manipulated in laboratory settings, via single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and deletion of a putative MTase gene (HVO_A0006). In this follow-up study, we deleted other putative MTase genes in H. volcanii and sequenced the methylomes of the resulting deletion mutants via SMRT sequencing to characterize the genes responsible for DNA methylation. The results indicate that deletion of putative RM genes HVO_0794, HVO_A0006, and HVO_A0237 in a single strain abolished methylation of the sole cytosine motif in the genome (Cm4TAG). Amino acid alignments demonstrated that HVO_0794 shares homology with characterized cytosine CTAG MTases in other organisms, indicating that this MTase is responsible for Cm4TAG methylation in H. volcanii. The CTAG motif has high density at only one of the origins of replication, and there is no relative increase in CTAG motif frequency in the genome of H. volcanii, indicating that CTAG methylation might not have effectively taken over the role of regulating DNA replication and mismatch repair in the organism as previously predicted. Deletion of the putative Type I RM operon rmeRMS (HVO_2269-2271) resulted in abolished methylation of the adenine motif in the genome (GCAm6BN₆VTGC). Alignments of the MTase (HVO_2270) and site specificity subunit (HVO_2271) demonstrate homology with other characterized Type I MTases and site specificity subunits, indicating that the rmeRMS operon is responsible for adenine methylation in H. volcanii. Together with HVO_0794, these genes appear to be responsible for all detected methylation in H. volcanii, even though other putative MTases (HVO_C0040, HVO_A0079) share homology with characterized MTases in other organisms. We also report the construction of a multi-RM deletion mutant (ΔRM), with multiple RM genes deleted and with no methylation detected via SMRT sequencing, which we anticipate will be useful for future studies on DNA methylation in H. volcanii.
Addressing Externalities: An Externality Factor Tax-Subsidy Proposal

Nature is losing the war against capitalism and needs us to come to her defense in a way that may seem counter-intuitive. We, humans, have our ways of doing things and natural processes follow their own courses, often distinctly foreign to our inclinations. Our modern-day business practices are designed for the short term, are self-centered, tending toward precision and inevitably leading to environmental destruction. Natural processes, on the other hand, are intended for the long term, are generous, are highly imprecise and almost always lead to flourishing ecological systems. While humankind produces primarily negative externalities, nature produces almost exclusively positive externalities or no externalities at all. This paper discusses a way that both negative and positive anthropogenic externalities can be used to encourage ‘good consumption’ and to discourage ‘bad consumption’ for the benefit of natural ecological systems, human societies, family units, and our future generations.
The psychological consequences of violence against people with disabilities.

Abstract Background People with disabilities experience mental health disparities and higher rates of violence compared to people without disabilities. Few studies have examined the psychological consequences of violence against people with disabilities, and whether they differ from those experienced by people without disabilities. Objective This study compared psychological consequences of violence among men and women with and without disabilities. Methods We analyzed data from the 2008–2014 waves of the National Crime Victimization Survey. Multiple logistic regressions were estimated to compare the psychological impact of violent crime on respondents without disabilities to those with disabilities, who comprised roughly 20% of the sample (n = 8,070). We stratified by gender to compare the effects of violence experienced by men and women. Results Men with disabilities were more likely than men without disabilities to report severe distress (AOR = 2.07, p Conclusions Women with disabilities are at higher risk of negative psychological consequences resulting from violence compared to other gender-disability groups. Men with disabilities also experience worse outcomes relative to men without disabilities.
Abnormal cortical gyrification in criminal psychopathy

Abstract Background Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by interpersonal and emotional abnormalities (e.g., lack of empathy and guilt) and antisocial behavior. Psychopathy has been associated with a number of structural brain abnormalities, most notably in orbital frontal and anterior/medial temporal regions, that may underlie psychopathic individuals' problematic behaviors. Past research evaluating cortical structure in psychopathy has considered thickness and volume, but to date no study has investigated differences in cortical gyrification, a measure of cortical complexity thought to reflect early neurodevelopmental cortical connectivity. Methods We measured the local gyrification index (LGI) in a sample of 716 adult male inmates and performed a whole brain analysis assessing the relationship between LGI and total and factor scores on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Results PCL-R scores were negatively associated with LGI measures within the right hemisphere in the midcingulate cortex (MCC) and adjacent regions of the superior frontal gyrus as well as lateral superior parietal cortex. Additionally, PCL-R Factor 1 scores (interpersonal/affective traits) predicted less LGI within the right MCC and adjacent dorsomedial frontal cortex and greater LGI in bilateral occipital cortex. Scores on PCL-R Factor 2, indicating impulsivity and antisocial behaviors, did not predict LGI in any regions. Conclusions These findings suggest that psychopathy, particularly the interpersonal and affective traits, are associated with specific structural abnormalities that form during neurodevelopment and these abnormalities may underlie aberrant brain functioning in regions important in emotional processing and cognitive control.
Recursive arma parameter estimation with a discerning update strategy-finite precision effects

The finite-precision performance of the OBE and the EOBE algorithms has been studied through simulations. The performance of these algorithms in small word-length environments is superior to that of the well known RLS and ELS algorithms. The improvement is attributed to differences in the resursion of the matrix P(t) and less number of updates of the OBE algorithm. For large order processes, both the RLS and the OBE algorithm did not work properly when the word-length was small and hence more numerically robust algorithms may be required for such situations.
Why Do People Stay in Hateful Relationships? The Concept of Malignant Vindictiveness

Why do couples remain in hateful relationships? This article defines theoretically rigorous ways of viewing partners who stay together despite severe strife. A case presentation shows how a relationship of two people, each with his or her character structure and idealized image, creates interpersonal conflict because of opposing demands each makes on self and other. Such conflict requires radical defensive measures including alienation, idealization, and externalization that increase tensions. A vicious circle of malignant vindictiveness cements the relationship. Increasing implacability in the relationship is understood through Horneyan categories of interlocking idealized images, hurt pride reactions, and the externalizing process.
Two-Step Procedure for Liquid-Salt-Cooled-Reactor Analysis

This paper presents the development of a lattice physics–to–core simulator two-step procedure for the rapid analysis of the Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR). Lattice physics, reflector, and...
Trends and outcomes of lymphadenectomy for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma: A propensity score-weighted analysis of the National Cancer Database

Abstract Purpose Lymph node (LN) involvement in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a poor prognosis. While lymph node dissection (LND) may provide diagnostic information, its therapeutic benefit remains controversial. Thus, the aim of our study is to analyze survival outcomes after LND for nonmetastatic RCC and to characterize contemporary practice patterns. Materials and methods The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with nonmetastatic RCC who underwent either partial or radical nephrectomy from 2010 to 2014. A total of 11,867 underwent surgery and LND. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in patient demographics. To minimize selection bias, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to select one control for each LND case (n = 19,500). Cox regression analyses were conducted to examine overall survival (OS) in patients who received LND compared to those who did not. Results Of all patients undergoing LND for RCC (n = 11,867), 5%, 23%, 31%, 47% were performed for tumors of clinical T stage 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Proportions of LND have not significantly changed from 2010 to 2014. No significant improvement in median OS for patients undergoing LND compared to no LND was shown (34.7 vs. 34.9 months, respectively; P = 0.98). Similarly, no significant improvement in median OS was found for clinically LN positive patients undergoing LND compared to no LND (P = 0.90). On Cox regression analysis, LND dissection was not associated with an OS benefit (hazard ratio: 1.00; 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.04). Conclusions Among all RCC patients, LNDs are often performed for low stage disease, suggesting a potential overutilization of LND. No OS benefit was seen in any subgroup of patients undergoing LND. Further investigation is needed to determine which patient populations may benefit most from LND.
Foundational Strategies for Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Throughout the literature there are discussions relevant to interventions and strategies that support elementary students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There has not been discussion on types of strategies that are foundational and essential to have in place for the students upon entry into the elementary classroom. There is a lack of evidence research in the area of foundational supports that are essential and imperative for students with ASD to achieve academic success. The nine strategies discussed here are foundational. They are necessary supports that can then be built upon to design individual programming for each student with ASD. The nine evidence-based supports presented in this article represent specific categories based upon the most current research.
Dual Polarization, Dual Resonant Reflectarray Element for Beamsteering Applications at X Band

In this paper, a dual resonant, electronically-reconfigurable, phase-agile reflectarray element is presented. The element operates at $X$ band and supports two linear polarizations. Reconfigurability is enabled through the symmetric placement of varactors across gaps in both resonant elements. The use of a dual resonant structure creates a phase range in excess of 450 degrees with an average loss of 2.7 dB.
Stretchable and compressible piezoresistive sensors from auxetic foam and silver nanowire

Abstract Silver nanowire (AgNW) based flexible, stretchable and compressible piezoresistive sensors were prepared using porous substrates having negative Poisson ratio (auxetic foams). The morphology and piezoresistive properties of the auxetic foam sensors (AFS) were characterized and compared with that of sensor using a conventional foam substrate (CFS). The AFS showed improved piezoresistive sensitivity compared to the CFS under both tension and compression modes, with improvement up to 290% and 165% (in terms of gauge factor), respectively. The AFS had good stability in air and water, showing repeatable and reliable sensing performance under cyclic loading and unloading situations in both. We further show the potential application and the advantages of the auxetic foam sensors through a series of sensing demonstrations. Such porous piezoresistive sensors with improved sensitivity could find potential application as sportswear, safety gears, filtration and flow detection medium, smart healthcare foams, prosthetic liners and so on.
A Review of "Atlanta"'s "FUBU": On Power.

AbstractThis media review focuses on one of Atlanta's episodes entitled "FUBU." The episode is utilized as a proxy to provide a critique of American society and its power relations in everyday life. Atlanta and its writers use television as their vehicle to create critical and constructive discourse in spaces that they would otherwise not be able to physically occupy. Out of this, the hope is that this discourse leads to healthier interaction in the educational spaces facilitated by educators with an understanding of the social forces at play.
1138 Repeat Laparoscopy for Pregnancy of Unknown Location

Video Objective To demonstrate the importance of total salpingectomy when surgical management of ectopic pregnancy is warranted. Setting The patient is a 41 year old G6P4014 at 6 weeks gestation who presented with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She underwent an initial dilation and curettage and bilateral salpingectomy for pregnancy of unknown location (PUL). Pathology returned without evidence of pregnancy tissue. Interventions The patient required additional imaging including a transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging scan. She underwent repeat surgical intervention with removal of the remaining portion of the right fallopian tube and intra-operative frozen pathology to confirm the diagnosis and definitive treatment of the ectopic pregnancy. Conclusion This is a unique case where initial surgical management failed to identify a pregnancy of unknown location. In the setting of a suspected tubal ectopic pregnancy requiring salpingectomy, performing a complete salpingectomy is essential. Additionally, the use of intra-operative frozen pathology can aid in confirming the diagnosis and successful treatment of a PUL.
Technical advance in targeted NGS analysis enables identification of lung cancer risk-associated low frequency TP53, PIK3CA, and BRAF mutations in airway epithelial cells

Standardized Nucleic Acid Quantification for SEQuencing (SNAQ-SEQ) is a novel method that utilizes synthetic DNA internal standards spiked into each sample prior to next generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation. This method was applied to analysis of normal appearing airway epithelial cells (AEC) obtained by bronchoscopy in an effort to define a somatic mutation field effect associated with lung cancer risk. There is a need for biomarkers that reliably detect those at highest lung cancer risk, thereby enabling more effective screening by annual low dose CT. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that lung cancer risk is characterized by increased prevalence of low variant allele frequency (VAF) somatic mutations in lung cancer driver genes in AEC. Synthetic DNA internal standards (IS) were prepared for 11 lung cancer driver genes and mixed with each AEC genomic (g) DNA specimen prior to competitive multiplex PCR amplicon NGS library preparation. A custom Perl script was developed to separate IS reads and respective specimen gDNA reads from each target into separate files for parallel variant frequency analysis. This approach identified nucleotide-specific sequencing error and enabled reliable detection of specimen mutations with VAF as low as 5 × 10− 4 (0.05%). This method was applied in a retrospective case-control study of AEC specimens collected by bronchoscopic brush biopsy from the normal airways of 19 subjects, including eleven lung cancer cases and eight non-cancer controls, and the association of lung cancer risk with AEC driver gene mutations was tested. TP53 mutations with 0.05–1.0% VAF were more prevalent (p < 0.05) and also enriched for tobacco smoke and age-associated mutation signatures in normal AEC from lung cancer cases compared to non-cancer controls matched for smoking and age. Further, PIK3CA and BRAF mutations in this VAF range were identified in AEC from cases but not controls. Application of SNAQ-SEQ to measure mutations in the 0.05–1.0% VAF range enabled identification of an AEC somatic mutation field of injury associated with lung cancer risk. A biomarker comprising TP53, PIK3CA, and BRAF somatic mutations may better stratify individuals for optimal lung cancer screening and prevention outcomes.
Iterated Mixed Strategies and Pascal’s Wager

Mixed strategies have been used to show that Pascal’s Wager fails to offer sufficient pragmatic reasons for believing in God. Their proponents have argued that, in addition to outright belief in God, rational agents can follow alternatives strategies whose expected utility is infinite as well. One objection that has been raised against this way of blocking Pascal’s Wager is that applying a mixed strategy in Pascal’s case is tantamount to applying an iterated mixed strategy which, properly understood, collapses into the pure strategy of becoming a theist (Monton, Analysis 71:642–645, 2011). I argue that since the assumptions used to develop the iterated mixed strategies response are even more questionable than those the initial objection relies on, this type of response to the mixed strategy objection fails.
State Senior Games Participant Motivation

Sport provides many benefits to all who participate, from being socially mobile, to challenging one’s physical abilities. It offers opportunities for individual improvement in quality of life, self-confidence, and socialization. The National Senior Games Association (NSGA) exists to assist seniors (50+) in achieving a greater quality of life through activity and positive lifestyle opportunities. As interest in the area of sport motivation for senior adults continues to expand, there is still little information specific to the National Senior Games participants. This research contributes to the sport management literature by providing the basis of generalized information about NSGA participant demographic backgrounds and how they are motivated to participate in the individual state games held each year. Gaining pertinent information concerning the motivations of senior games participants, this study sought to identify specific motivation levels based on gender and the state of participation that may assist local and state organizations in the development and growth of similar events. Using the Sport Motivation Scale-6, demographic, and psychographic information results indicated that participants in different states are motivated differently and that participation is more personally important to women. Both genders were involved for the opportunity to challenge their abilities, improve or maintain their current health, and have a social connection to others. Keywords: Senior Sports, National Senior Games, Older Adults, Motivation
Proxy selection in transitive proxy voting

Transitive proxy voting (or ‘liquid democracy’) is a novel form of collective decision making, often framed as an attractive hybrid of direct and representative democracy. Although the ideas behind liquid democracy have garnered widespread support, there have been relatively few attempts to model it formally. This paper makes three main contributions. First, it proposes a new social choice-theoretic model of liquid democracy, which is distinguished by taking a richer formal perspective on the process by which a voter chooses a proxy. Second, it examines the model from an axiomatic perspective, proving (a) a proxy vote analogue of May’s Theorem and (b) an impossibility result concerning monotonicity properties in a proxy vote setting. Third, it explores the topic of manipulation in transitive proxy votes. Two forms of manipulation specific to the proxy vote setting are defined, and it is shown that manipulation occurs in strictly more cases in proxy votes than in classical votes.
Predicting and Responding to Clinical Deterioration in Hospitalized Patients by Using Artificial Intelligence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods, Stepped Wedge Study

Background: The early identification of clinical deterioration in patients in hospital units can decrease mortality rates and improve other patient outcomes; yet, this remains a challenge in busy hospital settings. Artificial intelligence (AI), in the form of predictive models, is increasingly being explored for its potential to assist clinicians in predicting clinical deterioration. Objective: Using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) 2.0 model, this study aims to assess whether an AI-enabled work system improves clinical outcomes, describe how the clinical deterioration index (CDI) predictive model and associated work processes are implemented, and define the emergent properties of the AI-enabled work system that mediate the observed clinical outcomes. Methods: This study will use a mixed methods approach that is informed by the SEIPS 2.0 model to assess both processes and outcomes and focus on how physician-nurse clinical teams are affected by the presence of AI. The intervention will be implemented in hospital medicine units based on a modified stepped wedge design featuring three stages over 11 months—stage 0 represents a baseline period 10 months before the implementation of the intervention; stage 1 introduces the CDI predictions to physicians only and triggers a physician-driven workflow; and stage 2 introduces the CDI predictions to the multidisciplinary team, which includes physicians and nurses, and triggers a nurse-driven workflow. Quantitative data will be collected from the electronic health record for the clinical processes and outcomes. Interviews will be conducted with members of the multidisciplinary team to understand how the intervention changes the existing work system and processes. The SEIPS 2.0 model will provide an analytic framework for a mixed methods analysis. Results: A pilot period for the study began in December 2020, and the results are expected in mid-2022. Conclusions: This protocol paper proposes an approach to evaluation that recognizes the importance of assessing both processes and outcomes to understand how a multifaceted AI-enabled intervention affects the complex team-based work of identifying and managing clinical deterioration. Trial Registration:
This Bridge We Call Communication: Anzaldúan Approaches to Theory, Method, and Praxis

The edited collection by Leandra Hinojosa Hernandez and Robert Gutierrez-Perez titled This Bridge We Call Communication: Anzalduan Approaches to Theory, Method, and Praxis provides a timely contrib...
Symmetric infection of rotavirus on polarized human intestinal epithelial (Caco-2) cells.

When rotavirus infects the mature villus tip cells of the small intestine, it encounters a highly polarized epithelium. In order to understand this virus-cell interaction more completely, we utilized a cell culture-adapted rhesus rotavirus (RRV) to infect human intestinal (Caco-2) and Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK-1) polarized epithelial cells grown on a permeable support. Filter-grown Caco-2 cells and MDCK-1 cells, producing a transepithelial resistance of 300 to 500 and greater than 1,000 omega . cm2, respectively, were infected from either the apical or basolateral domain with RRV or Semliki Forest virus. Whereas Semliki Forest virus infection only occurred when input virions had access to the basolateral domain of MDCK-1 or Caco-2 cells, RRV infected MDCK-1 and Caco-2 monolayers in a symmetric manner. The effect of rotavirus infection on monolayer permeability was analyzed by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance. Rotavirus infection on filter-grown Caco-2 cells caused a transmembrane leak at 18 h postinfection, before the development of the cytopathic effect (CPE) and extensive virus release. Electrical resistance was completely abolished between 24 and 36 h postinfection. Although no CPE could be detected on RRV-infected MDCK cells, the infection caused a transmembrane leak that totally abolished the electrical resistance at 18 to 24 h postinfection. Cell viability and the CPE analysis together with immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence data indicated that the abolishment of resistance across the monolayer was due not to an effect on the plasma membrane of the cells but to an effect on the paracellular pathway limited by tight junctions. Attachment and penetration of rotavirus onto Caco-2 cells caused no measurable transmembrane leak during the first hour of infection.
Ground-Water Recharge Strip Basin Experiments

The problem of recharging a strip basin to a horizontal water table overlying an impervious base was formulated using the saturated flow equations. From this formulation the number of dimensionless variables that determine a dimensionless water table rise were identified using the exact or potential theory and an approximate Dupuit-Forcheimer (D-F) theory. Experiments performed in a 5-m-long sand model are described in detail and the results presented and compared with the linear D-F theory for the rising portion of the experiments. As a dimensionless recharge rate was increased, an expected systematic deviation from the D-F theory that is presumably a result of the invalidity of the D-F assumption for such deep flows. Experimental results are presented in the form of dimensionless graphs and the tabulated results are available upon request.
Is Government Regulation of Banks Necessary

Banks have been involved with and regulated by governments for hundreds of years. Following a brief review of this history, I delineate nine reasons that could justify continued regulation, particularly in the United States. These include deposit insurance, preventing banks from obtaining excessive economic power, reducing the cost of individual bank insolvency, avoiding the effects of bank failures on the economy, protecting the payments system, serving the interests of popularly elected officials, enhancing the Federal Reserve's control over the money supply, suppressing competition, and protecting consumers. Analysis of each leads me to conclude that deposit insurance, which allows banks to hold insufficient capital, is the only public-policy-justifiable rationale for regulation. This concern can be managed with capital requirements; otherwise, banks should only be regulated as are other corporations.
Microchemical urinalysis: V. Quantitative analysis of individual urinary 17-ketosteroids by thin-layer chromatography

Abstract A procedure is described for the identification and quantitative determination of individual urinary 17-ketosteroids. The method is based on an enzymatic hydrolysis of 1 ml of urine with subsequent extraction in ether and thin-layer chromatography. Pure crystalline 17-ketosteroids were processed in a similar manner to urine to establish the amount of steroid recovered and serve as an identification marker. The limit of sensitivity is estimated to be 0.1 microgram of 17-ketosteroid.
On-Chip Integrated Antenna Structures in CMOS for 60 GHz WPAN Systems

We present several on-chip antenna structures that may be fabricated with standard CMOS technology for use at millimeter wave frequencies. On-chip antennas for wireless personal area networks (WPANs) promise to reduce interconnection losses and greatly reduce wireless transceiver costs, while providing unprecedented flexibility for device manufacturers. We present the current state of research in on-chip integrated antennas, highlight several pitfalls and challenges for on-chip design, modeling, and measurement, and propose several antenna structures that derive from the microwave and HF communication fields. We also describe an experimental test apparatus for performing measurements on RFIC systems with on-chip antennas at The University of Texas at Austin.
IDENTIFICATION OF STIMULATORY FACTOR INVOLVED IN SYMBIOTIC GROWTH OF STREPTOCOCCUS LACTIS AND STREPTOCOCCUS CREMORIS

Dahiya, R. S. (North Carolina State College, Raleigh) and M. L. Speck. Identification of stimulatory factor involved in symbiotic growth of Streptococcus lactis and Streptococcus cremoris. J. Bacteriol. 85:585–589. 1963.—Single-strain cultures of Streptococcus lactis and S. cremoris isolated from a commercial starter culture showed symbiotic growth in milk. This study dealt with identification of the main component responsible for high acid production resulting from the combined growth of these cultures. Paper chromatography and bioautography were adapted to isolate the main stimulatory factor excreted by the slower-growing culture (S. lactis) in the culture media. It was identified as adenine on the basis of ultraviolet absorption spectra and paper chromatographic RF value. Pure adenine possessed the same properties and was also stimulatory to the faster-growing culture (S. cremoris) when added to milk.
Effects of electronic ballasts on utility voltage stability

Some of the newer electronic ballasts have been designed to maintain constant light output and power demand during voltage fluctuations. Recent work has addressed the adverse effect that constant power electronic ballasts can have on demand curtailments during utility-controlled voltage reductions. The author builds on this previous work and explores a mechanism by which these constant power electronic ballasts tend to degrade utility voltage stability. Experimental findings comparing the electrical characteristics of magnetic and electronic ballasts are presented. Load models representing fluorescent lighting loads are developed on the basis of these findings. Conclusions are drawn concerning the potential for electronic ballasts to erode operational safety margins used to avoid voltage instability. Areas requiring further research are suggested. >
Profitability of Interest-Free versus Interest-Based Banks in Turkey

Islamic banking is consistent with Islamic law and guided by Islamic economics. They are prohibited from charging or paying interest, and can operate only on the basis of the profit-sharing arrangements. Islamic banking has been gaining momentum on a global scale for the last 30 years. It is estimated that the assets of Islamic banks in Turkey will exceed US$25 billion in the next decade and will make up 10% of the total banking system. Therefore, this study compares Islamic banks with interest-based banks to measure their profitability. It also investigates how Islamic financing techniques are used by Islamic Banks.
Vortex attraction and the formation of sunspots

A downdraft vortex ring in a stratified atmosphere exhibits universal attraction for nearby vertical magnetic flux bundles. It is speculated that the magnetic fields emerging through the surface of the sun are individually encircled by one or more subsurface vortex rings, providing an important part of the observed clustering of magnetic fibrils to form pores and sunspots.
Pulse-Time Modulation Telemetering Systems for Rocket Application

The Naval Research Laboratory has designed and operated two long-range multichannel pulse-time modulation telemetering systems for over 55 V-2 and Viking rocket firings at the White Sands Proving Grounds. Design and operational data are given for a 23-channel, 1-kw peak pulse power system and for an improved 30-channel, 4-kw peak pulse power system, together with photographs of the equipment and sample records obtained.
Real-time probing of reactions in clusters

In this Communication we report our first study of real-time reaction dynamics in finite size clusters. The reaction is of the type AH + Sn, where the proton transfer (bimolecular) dynamics is examined as the acid AH is solvated with different number of molecules, n = 1,2,... etc. This is in continuation of out effort to study reaction dynamics in real-time [1], but now extending the scope of the previous collisionless (solvent free) condition to a range where condensed phase effects can play a role. Of particular interest to us is the condition at which solvation induces vibrational relaxation and modifies IVR. Real-time studies of reactions in clusters offer great opportunities for obtaining the rates directly [2] and for examining these solvation processes under controlled conditions in molecular beams. Such stepwise solvation by beam methods has been advanced for a variety of systems spanning small molecules [3], large molecules [4], hydrogen-bonded systems [5], and electrons [6].
A local energy method based on the reduced density matrix equations

In the Frost local energy method a “best” wavefunction is determined by minimizing the variance of the local energy. Certain simplifications in Frost's method may be obtained by working with the hierarchy equations for reduced density matrices which are obtained by successive integrations over the Schrodinger equation. We define a reduced local energy matrix which is a function of only two variables, in contrast to Frost's local energy which is a function of the number of particles in the system. Considering the Hartree-Fock case a procedure for obtaining a “best” reduced density matrix by minimizing the variance of the reduced local energy matrix is presented. This results in a set of iterative matrix equations for the determination of the normalized idempotent density matrix. Our results which are based on one equation in two variables are compared to the related efforts of Scott who worked directly with the N orbital energies of the Hartree-Fock equations.
Numerical solution of eigenvalue problems using spectral techniques

Abstract Two algorithms based on spectral Chebyshev and pseudospectral Chebyshev methods are presented for solving difficult eigenvalue problems that are valid over connected domains coupled through interfacial conditions. To demonstrate the applicability of these methods, we have examined the eigenvalue problems that describe the linear stability of two superposed Newtonian and inelastic power law fluids in plane Poiseuille flow for a selected range of parameters. Both algorithms provide accurate results and the pseudospectral code appears to be more efficient in handling linear stability problems.
Honoring Exemplary Teaching in the Liberal Arts Institution.

Liberal arts institutions have long been known for seeing teaching as a primary mission. Their methods for recognizing exemplary teaching are discussed in this chapter.
Institutional Change in Swiss Cantons: A Contribution to Describing and Explaining Institutional Reforms

Die Institutionen des schweizerischen Foderalismus werden bis anhin in erster Linie mit Ansatzen erforscht, welche den institutionellen Wandel nicht hinreichend erklaren konnen. Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Frage, wie sich foderalistische Institutionen verandern und aus welchen Grunden institutionelle Reformen – wie etwa New Public Management-Reformen – unternommen werden. Die Reformtatigkeit der Schweizer Kantone in den neunziger Jahren wird aufgrund eigens erhobenen empirischen Datenmaterials beschrieben und anhand multivariater Erklarungsmodelle untersucht. Die multivariate Analyse erfolgt in der Form eines “event count model” zur Haufigkeit institutioneller Reformen einerseits sowie eines “binary response model” zur Ubernahme von New Public Management andererseits. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass Ansatze aus der Policy-Forschung wie auch Theorien zu Innovation und Diffusion einen Beitrag zur Erklarung institutioneller Reformen leisten konnen.
Object Oriented Programming In C

This paper describes a course that introduces students to object-oriented design, the C++ language and discreteevent simulation with animated displays. Students come to this course with a Pascal, C and Assembler background and progress through the object-oriented features of C++, completing a simulation project as a major course component. A video-tape series is used to provide C++ instruction.For the simulation project, students complete the controller portion of an elevator system involving multiple elevator cars in a multi-story building simulation. Student controllers are coupled with modules they cannot see within, but can communicate with, using the member functions provided at the object-oriented interface. The simulation and animated display give visual feedback of the performance of student control algorithms.
Effective conductivities of composite materials composed of cubic arrangements of spherical particles embedded in an isotropic matrix

Results are presented for the effective conductivities of simple, face-centered, and body-centered cubic arrays of isotropic spherical particles embedded in an isotropic medium possessing a different conductivity. With the use of a multipole expansion technique, numerical and conceptual errors in the prior work of others are corrected. Agreement with existing experimental data is found to be excellent.
Food sources for the early life history stages of the hydrothermal vent crab Bythograea thermydron: a stable isotope approach

We used stable isotope analysis to examine food sources for early life-history stages of the vent crab Bythograea thermydron. During two cruises to a hydrothermal vent site along the East Pacific Rise, we collected a variety of endemic organisms, including approximately 300 specimens of B. thermydron. The crab collection consisted mainly of megalopae and early juveniles, but also included adults and a single zoea. As expected, the carbon-isotope composition of newly released zoeae (−12.2%) was similar to the female (−11.1%) and clearly different from megalopae (21.7%). Because we were unsuccessful in culturing the zoea larvae, we were not able to conduct experiments to determine the effect of diet on isotopic composition. The tissue of megalopae was depleted in 13C (−21.7%) when compared to indigenous prey species, but was similar to that expected for carnivorous zooplankton dependent on surface primary production. The nitrogen-isotope composition of megalopae was enriched in 15N (10%) relative to potential prey species, again suggesting a photosynthetic source of primary production. The mean carbon-isotope composition of newly metamorphosed juvenile crabs (−19.9%) resembled megalopae, while tissue from subsequent juvenile stages was enriched in 13C (−10.9%) with values similar to those measured in co-occurring prey species. These results imply that megalopae are dependent on a source of primary production exogenous to the vents, but switch to a vent-based food web soon after metamorphosis to the juvenile stage.
The occurrence of arterial thrombosis in dogs fed an “infarct-producing” diet

Abstract Four Boxer pups were fed a diet similar to one that has been previously used to induce arterial thromboses with infarcts of hearts and kidneys in rats. Feeding was continued for slightly over one year. One of the dogs developed advanced generalized “cholesterol-type” atherosclerosis and died with mesenteric arterial thrombosis and infarction of the small bowel. The results indicate that dogs could be successfully used in other studies pertaining to dietary-induced arterial thrombosis.
Rapid firing rates from mechanosensory neurons in copepod antennules

Small detection distances coupled with rapid movements require copepods to respond to stimuli with behavioral latencies on the order of milliseconds. Receiving adequate sensory information in such a short time necessitates extremely rapid firing rates of the efferent receptors. Here we show that copepod mechanoreceptors can fire at frequencies up to 5 kHz in response to fluid mechanical stimuli. Neural activity at these frequencies enables these animals to code for a range of fluid velocities thus providing important information regarding the nature of different fluid disturbances.
Negative feedback control of the lizard adrenal gland by corticosterone and aldosterone.

Abstract Hypothalamic implants of corticosterone and aldosterone were equally effective in suppressing plasma corticosterone level in the desert iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis , 96 hr after implantation.
The Impact of Remote-Site Group Size on Student Satisfaction and Relative Performance in Interactive Telecourses

Abstract Undergraduate college students in seventeen live, interactive telecourses at sixty‐eight remote sites were asked to report their satisfaction with various facets of their telecourses, as well as their overall satisfaction with the courses. In addition, an index of relative performance was calculated for each student in which achievement in the current telecourse was compared to prior overall academic achievement. Results showed that remote‐site group size (i.e., the number of individuals taking a course at a given site) significantly predicted satisfaction with all facets of the courses, overall satisfaction with the courses, and relative performance. Students attending class sessions with fewer students reported being more satisfied with the courses and were more likely to perform at levels exceeding their previous academic performance than students attending the sessions with a greater number of students. Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
Charge transport measurement during turbulent electroconvection

We report measurements of the energy dissipation during electroconvection of a nematic liquid crystal in the fully turbulent regime. The energy dissipation is quantified by measuring the electric current at constant potential difference. In certain cases, we observe the surprising result that the dimensionless energy dissipation ceases to increase with increasing potential difference. In some circumstances, a power-law scaling relationship between the dimensionless excess energy dissipation and the reduced voltage is observed, but the exponent in this relationship varies dramatically with both the time scale of the driving electric field and the separation between the electrodes.
A weak characterisation of the Delaunay triangulation

We consider a new construction, the weak Delaunay triangulation of a finite point set in a metric space, which contains as a subcomplex the traditional (strong) Delaunay triangulation. The two simplicial complexes turn out to be equal for point sets in Euclidean space, as well as in the (hemi)sphere, hyperbolic space, and certain other geometries. There are weighted and approximate versions of the weak and strong complexes in all these geometries, and we prove equality theorems in those cases also. On the other hand, for discrete metric spaces the weak and strong complexes are decidedly different. We give a short empirical demonstration that weak Delaunay complexes can lead to dramatically clean results in the problem of estimating the homology groups of a manifold represented by a finite point sample.
Induction and category coherence

In studies of category formation, subjects rarely construct family resemblance categories. Instead, they divide objects into categories using a single dimension. This is a puzzling result given the widely accepted view that natural categories are organized in terms of a family resemblance principle. The observation that natural categories support inductive inferences is used here to test the hypothesis that family resemblance categories would be constructed if stimuli were first used to generate inductive inferences. In two experiments, subjects answered either induction questions, which made interproperty relationships more salient, or frequency questions, which required information only about individual properties, before they performed a sorting task. Subjects were likely to produce family resemblance sorts if they had first answered induction questions but not if they had answered frequency questions.