cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing Deterrence Theory with Offenders: The Empirical Validity of Stafford and Warr's Model

Stafford and Warr (1993) reconceptualized general and specific deterrence into a single theory in which individuals' propensities to engage in crime are based on a combination of personal and vicarious experiences with being punished and avoiding punishment. The current study extends prior tests of this conceptualization of deterrence by expanding the definition of vicarious experience, analyzing extralegal as well as legal consequences, examining multiple types of offending behavior, and drawing its data from a sample of work release facility inmates. The results fail to support legal deterrence as an explanation of offending for this sample but suggest the importance of extralegal consequences.
3-D Reconstruction Of High Contrast Objects From Limited Conic X-Ray Projections

We address the problem of reconstructing a 3-D object using a few of its conic projections measured with a 2-D X-ray detector. This problem is ill-posed and prior information must therefore be used to regularize the solution. We propose a non-parametric method based on a detection-estimation scheme that is particulary well-suited to the reconstruction of sparse objects such as 3-D vascular structures. We present results of 3-D reconstruction obtained from both computer simulated and experimentally measured projections.
A numerical study of the evolving convective boundary layer and orographic circulation around the Santa Catalina Mountains in Arizona. Part I: Circulation without deep convection

Abstract The daytime evolution of the thermally forced boundary layer (BL) circulation over an isolated mountain, about 30 km in diameter and 2 km high, is examined by means of numerical simulations validated with data collected in the Cumulus Photogrammetric, In Situ, and Doppler Observations (CuPIDO) field campaign. Two cases are presented, one remains cloud free in the simulations, and the second produces orographic convection just deep enough to yield a trace of precipitation. The Weather Research and Forecasting version 3 simulations, at a resolution of 1 km, compare well with CuPIDO observations. The simulations reveal a solenoidal circulation mostly contained within the convective BL, but this circulation and especially its upper-level return flow branch are not immediately apparent since they are overwhelmed by BL thermals. A warm anomaly forms over the high terrain during the day, but it is rather shallow and does not extend over the depth of the convective BL, which bulges over the mountain. Low...
CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS--SIGNIFICANCE AND UTILITY.

Trustees of four appropriate professional associations determined the relative value of significant career-development concepts from a preselected list. Comparisons among the trustee groups are made, composite data are reported, suggestions for using the rank-ordered concepts in research as an external criterion are provided, and ideas for incorporating the concepts as topics for group guidance classes are given.
Acquisition of dietary self-selection in rats with normal and impaired oral sensation

Abstract To study the mechanisms of dietary self-selection, the dietary choice behavior of rats was observed for up to 5 weeks, beginning on the first day of exposure to two nutritionally different diets, a high-protein diet (44% protein) and a protein-free carbohydrate diet. In Experiment 1 normal rats selected equal amounts of the two selection diets at first and over a 7-day period gradually modified the choice ratio until a stable protein intake of 14.6% (SE,0.4) of total intake was reached. In Experiment 2 rats were subjected to partial trigeminal deafferentation, which impairs oral somatosensory input (touch, temperature, pain), before the two selection diets were introduced. The deafferented animals did not develop a stable selection pattern; their protein ratio varied over the entire possible range (0–44%) throughout the experiment. It is hypothesized that quantitative protein/carbohydrate selection involves an associative learning process in which somatosensory inputs from the feeding activity and/or from the properties of the food link dietary choice behavior to later metabolic consequences.
Transmitter candidates in the retina

Abstract Many substances believed to act as neurotransmitters in the brain are found in the retina. By virtue of its well defined neuroanatomy and synaptic organization, the retina offers unique opportunities for investigating not only the neurochemistry of these agents, but also their role in the functioning of the nervous system.
N-terminal Domains of Human Copper-transporting Adenosine Triphosphatases (the Wilson’s and Menkes Disease Proteins) Bind Copper Selectively in Vivo and in Vitro with Stoichiometry of One Copper Per Metal-binding Repeat

N-terminal domains of the Wilson's and Menkes disease proteins (N-WND and N-MNK) were overexpressed in a soluble form in Escherichia coli as fusions with maltose-binding protein, purified, and their metal-binding properties were characterized. Both N-MNK and N-WND bind copper specifically as indicated by the results of metal-chelate chromatography, direct copper-binding measurements, and chemical modification of Cys residues in the presence of different heavy metals. When E. coli cells are grown in the presence of copper, N-MNK and N-WND bind copper in vivo with stoichiometry of 5–6 nmol of copper/nmol of protein. Copper released from the copper-N-MNK and copper-N-WND complexes reacts with the Cu(I)-selective chelator bicinchoninic acid in the absence of reducing agents. This suggests that in proteins, it is bound in reduced Cu(I) form, in agreement with the spectroscopic properties of the copper-bound domains. Copper bound to the domains in vivo or in vitrospecifically protects the N-MNK and N-WND against labeling with the cysteine-directed probe; this indicates that Cys residues in the repetitive motifs GMTCXXCXXXIE are involved in coordination of copper. Direct involvement of the N-terminal domains in the binding of copper suggests their important role in copper-dependent functions of human copper-transporting adenosine triphosphatases (Wilson's and Menkes disease proteins).
Relativistic configuration interaction calculations on the low-lying electronic states of Hl

Abstract Relativistic configuration interaction calculations are described for six low-lying electronic states of Hl. The spectroscopic properties of these states are calculated and compared with available experimental results.
The influence of culture conditions on the induction of tyrosine aminotransferase by cyclic nucleotides in rat hepatoma cells.

The increase in tyrosine aminotransferase activity which occurs in rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells in response to cyclic AMP analogs has been shown to be an enzyme induction, similar to the larger response observed in certain other hepatoma cells and in liver. A specific antibody to tyrosine aminotransferase has been used to show that the number of enzyme molecules and the rate of enzyme synthesis are increased by N6,O2′-dibutyryl cyclic AMP in HTC cells. The effect on tyrosine aminotransferase is also produced by various 8-substituted derivatives of cyclic AMP and occurs whether or not the enzyme has been preinduced with a glucocorticoid. The response of the enzyme is greater when HTC cells are maintained in monolayer than in suspension cultures. Neither cell growth nor serum is required for the response.
SMAD3 Negatively Regulates Serum Irisin and Skeletal Muscle FNDC5 and Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ Coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) during Exercise

Beige adipose cells are a distinct and inducible type of thermogenic fat cell that express the mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 and thus represent a powerful target for treating obesity. Mice lacking the TGF-β effector protein SMAD3 are protected against diet-induced obesity because of browning of their white adipose tissue (WAT), leading to increased whole body energy expenditure. However, the role SMAD3 plays in WAT browning is not clearly understood. Irisin is an exercise-induced skeletal muscle hormone that induces WAT browning similar to that observed in SMAD3-deficient mice. Together, these observations suggested that SMAD3 may negatively regulate irisin production and/or secretion from skeletal muscle. To address this question, we used wild-type and SMAD3 knock-out (Smad3−/−) mice subjected to an exercise regime and C2C12 myotubes treated with TGF-β, a TGF-β receptor 1 pharmacological inhibitor, adenovirus expressing constitutively active SMAD3, or siRNA against SMAD3. We find that in Smad3−/− mice, exercise increases serum irisin and skeletal muscle FNDC5 (irisin precursor) and its upstream activator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) to a greater extent than in wild-type mice. In C2C12 myotubes, TGF-β suppresses FNDC5 and PGC-1α mRNA and protein levels via SMAD3 and promotes SMAD3 binding to the FNDC5 and PGC-1α promoters. These data establish that SMAD3 suppresses FNDC5 and PGC-1α in skeletal muscle cells. These findings shed light on the poorly understood regulation of irisin/FNDC5 by demonstrating a novel association between irisin and SMAD3 signaling in skeletal muscle.
Interval estimation for the Gini index of shifted exponential distribution under Type-II double censoring

Given a shifted exponential distribution, the exact sampling distribution of the Gini index has been derived by Moothathu (Ann Inst Stat Math 37: 473–479, 1985). However, direct derivation of confidence interval of the Gini index via inverting the sampling distribution requires highly intensive computational power. In this note, we propose an exact interval estimation procedure through the concept of generalized confidence interval introduced by Weerahandi (J Am Stat Assoc 88: 899–905, 1993). The proposed method is much more computationally efficient and can be readily extended for Type-II doubly censored data. The idea is further developed for the interval estimation of the difference of Gini indexes from two shifted exponential distributions. Numerical studies show that the generalized interval estimator is better than commonly used asymptotic approximation and bootstrap in term of coverage probability, particularly for small to median sample size. The proposed approaches are illustrated via an application to a previously published data set.
Separating cellular metabolism from exoenzyme activity in soil organic matter decomposition

Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) decomposes both inside and outside of cells. Cellular metabolism and extracellular depolymerization normally operate simultaneously in soil but are difficult to separate in practice. To learn more about the extracellular component of SOM decomposition, we sterilized a semiarid annual grassland soil to inhibit cellular metabolism, and then assayed cell viability, exoenzyme activities, and pathways of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. Chloroform (CHCl3) fumigation was intended to disrupt cellular activities while leaving biochemical processes intact. Gamma (γ) irradiation and autoclaving were intended to disrupt both cellular and extracellular biochemical processes while leaving abiotic processes intact. We measured the potential activities of eight enzymes (six hydrolytic, two oxidative) and CO2 emission induced by seven substrates (glucose, three amino acids, three tricarboxylic acid [TCA] cycle intermediates). We found that all three sterilization techniques clearly disrupted cellular metabolism. Chloroform and irradiation decreased cultivable cell counts by 2–3 orders of magnitude, inhibited CO2 emission pathways associated with glucose and amino acids, and decreased the hydrolytic activities of α-glucosidase and xylosidase by 72–82%. The other hydrolytic enzymes (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, NAGase, phosphatase) were less sensitive to both CHCl3 and irradiation. All hydrolytic activities that we assayed were inhibited by autoclaving, indicating that biochemical reactions and other extracellular processes drive hydrolytic SOM decomposition. Oxidative activities, on the other hand, did not stop after autoclaving or even combusting at 500 °C. This supports other studies which have found that mineral catalysts partly drive oxidative SOM decomposition. Unexpectedly, CO2 emission from TCA intermediates decreased by only 26–47% after sterilization suggesting that the required dehydrogenase enzymes for decarboxylation are still active when cells are dead but relatively intact. Because CHCl3 had slightly smaller effects on exoenzyme activities compared to irradiation, and because it may be continuously applied, limiting the potential for recolonization and regrowth (unlike irradiation), we suggest it is an adequate and more accessible method for separating the activity of exoenzymes from cellular metabolism under realistic soil conditions.
The Relatedness of Borderline and Schizophrenic Disorders

This article is an editor's introduction to the theme of a special issue of the Schizophrenia Bulletin devoted to borderline conditions. The editor reviews various approaches to defining borderline patients and concludes that these descriptive efforts are now showing considerable consensus. Questions remain, however, about whether borderline patients constitute a diagnostic category that is unrelated to schizophrenia or some other established diagnostic group. The historical origins of these questions are briefly reviewed, and then the multiple interpretations given to the current research efforts to answer them are described.
Designated drivers: the differing roles of divalent metal ions in surfactant adsorption at the oil-water interface

Divalent metal ions play numerous roles in biological, technological, and environmental systems. This study examines the role of a variety of ions, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+, in the adsorption of sodium decanoate at the carbon tetrachloride–water interface. For all ions studied, the ions drive the adsorption of the surfactant to the interface. Using vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy and the carboxylic acid vibrational modes as a signature for metal ion binding, each metal salt is found to play a distinctly different role in the molecular characteristics of surfactant adsorption at the interface. Additional spectroscopic studies of the methyl and methylene vibrations are monitored to track the ordering of the alkyl chains when metal salts are added to solution. How the metal–surfactant binding impacts the surfactant structure, orientation, and solvation is explored. How these spectroscopic measurements compare with the degree of adsorption as measured by interfacial tension data is presented.
Achromatic linear polarization switch for visible and near infrared radiation based on dual-frequency twisted nematic cell

We developed a broad band achromatic linear polarization switch for visible and near infrared radiatio n. The achromatic switch is based on a twisted nematic cell filled wi th a dual-frequency nematic material. The switch i s capable of fast switching linearly polarized light between two orth ogonal directions with a switching time in the mill isecond range.
Shallow subduction zone earthquakes and their tsunamigenic potential

SUMMARY We have examined the source spectra of all shallow subduction zone earthquakes from 1992 to 1996 with moment magnitude 7.0 or greater, as well as some other interesting events, in the period range 1‐20 s, by computing moment rate functions of teleseismic P waves. After comparing the source spectral characteristics of ‘tsunami earthquakes’ (earthquakes that are followed by tsunamis greater than would be expected from their moment magnitude) with regular events, we identified a subclass of this group: ‘slow tsunami earthquakes’. This subclass consists of the 1992 Nicaragua, the 1994 Java and the February 1996 Peru earthquakes. We found that these events have an anomalously low energy release in the 1‐20 s frequency band with respect to their moment magnitude, although their spectral drop-oV is comparable to those of the other earthquakes. From an investigation of the centroid and body wave locations, it appears that most earthquakes in this study conformed to a simple model in which the earthquake nucleates in a zone of compacted and dehydrated sediments and ruptures up-dip until the stable sliding friction regime of unconsolidated sediments stops the propagation. Sedimentstarved trenches, e.g. near Jalisco, can produce very shallow slip, because the fault material supports unstable sliding. The slow tsunami earthquakes also ruptured up-dip; however, their centroid is located unusually close to the trench axis. The subduction zones in which these events occurred all have a small accretionary prism and a thin layer of subducting sediment. Ocean surveys show that in these regions the ocean floor close to the trench is highly faulted. We suggest that the horst-and-graben structure of a rough subducting oceanic plate will cause contact zones with the overriding plate, making shallow earthquake nucleation and up-dip propagation to the ocean floor possible. The rupture partly propagates in sediments, making the earthquake source process slow. Two factors have to be considered in the high tsunami-generating potential of these events. First, the slip propagates to shallow depths in low-rigidity material, causing great deformation and displacement of a large volume of water. Second, the measured seismic moment may not represent the true earthquake displacement, because the elastic constants of the source region are not taken into account in the standard CMT determination.
Family history of alcoholism is related to increased D2 /D3 receptor binding potential: a marker of resilience or risk?

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between family history of alcohol use disorder and striatal dopamine using positron emission tomography imaging. Participants were 84 healthy, 18- to 30-year-old, social drinkers recruited via fliers and newspaper advertisements. At assessment, participants completed measures of lifetime personal and family substance use and psychiatric symptoms. Participants underwent two consecutive positron emission tomography scans using the D2 /D3 dopamine receptor radioligand [11 C]raclopride. Scans were preceded by intravenous saline and amphetamine 0.3 mg/kg, providing measures of baseline [11 C]raclopride binding potential (BPND ) and change in [11 C]raclopride (ΔBPND ). Subjective ratings of stimulant drug effects were collected during scans. Subjects were classified as family history positive (FHP) if they reported any first-degree relative with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and family history negative (FHN) if no first-degree relatives had history of AUD. Participants were predominantly White (69.0 percent) and male (62.1 percent). Baseline [11 C]raclopride BPND was generally higher in FHP compared with FHN subjects across striatal subdivisions. There were no differences in ΔBPND across regions. Negative subjective drug effects were more pronounced in FHP than in FHN subjects. While FHN subjects evidenced the expected positive relationship between ΔBPND and positive subjective drug effects, this relationship was disrupted in FHP subjects. There are key differences in dopamine status and subjective stimulant drug experiences as a function of family AUD history. These findings have important implications for understanding risk for AUD development in FHP offspring.
ATP-dependent localization of the herpes simplex virus capsid protein VP26 to sites of procapsid maturation

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) capsid shell is composed of four major polypeptides, VP5, VP19c, VP23, and VP26. VP26, a 12-kDa polypeptide, is associated with the tips of the capsid hexons formed by VP5. Mature capsids form upon angularization of the shell of short-lived, fragile spherical precursors termed procapsids. The cold sensitivity and short-lived nature of the procapsid have made its isolation and biochemical analysis difficult, and it remains unclear whether procapsids contain bound VP26 or whether VP26 is recruited following shell angularization. By indirect immunocytochemical analysis of virally expressed VP26 and by direct visualization of a transiently expressed VP26-green fluorescent protein fusion, we show that VP26 fails to specifically localize to intranuclear procapsids accumulated following incubation of the temperature-sensitive HSV mutant tsProt.A under nonpermissive conditions. However, following a downshift to the permissive temperature, which allows procapsid maturation to proceed, VP26 was seen to concentrate at intranuclear sites which also contained epitopes specific to mature, angularized capsids. Like the formation of these epitopes, the association of VP26 with maturing capsids was blocked in a reversible fashion by the depletion of intracellular ATP. We conclude that unlike the other major capsid shell proteins, VP26 is recruited in an ATP-dependent fashion after procapsid maturation begins.
Use of Computer-based Records, Completeness of Documentation, and Appropriateness of Documented Clinical Decisions

Objective: To investigate whether using a computer-based patient record (CPR) affects the completeness of documentation and appropriateness of documented clinical decisions. Design: A blinded expert panel of four experienced internists evaluated 50 progress notes of patients who had chronic diseases and whose physicians used either a CPR or a traditional paper record. Measurements: Completeness of problem and medication lists in progress notes, allergies noted in the entire record, consideration of relevant patient factors in the progress note's diagnostic and treatment plans, and appropriateness of documented clinical decisions. Results: The expert reviewers rated the problem lists and medication lists in the CPR progress notes as more complete (1.79/2.00 vs. 0.93/2.00, P < 0.001, and 1.75/2.00 vs. 0.91/2.00, P < 0.001, respectively) than those in the paper record. The allergy lists in both records were similar. Providers using a CPR documented consideration of more relevant patient factors when making their decisions (1.53/2.00 vs. 1.07/2.00, P < 0.001), and documented more appropriate clinical decisions (3.63/5.00 vs. 2.50/5.00, P < 0.001), compared with providers who used traditional paper records. Conclusions: Physicians in our study who used a CPR produced more complete documentation and documented more appropriate clinical decisions, as judged by an expert review panel. Because the physicians who used the CPR in our study volunteered to do so, further study is warranted to test whether the same conclusions would apply to all CPR users and whether the improvement in documentation leads to better clinical outcomes.
Adjustment policies in socialist and private market economies

The paper shows that although the outward oriented newly industrializing countries (NIC's) suffered cosiderably external shocks than the inward oriented NIC's and two socialist countries, Hungary and Yugoslavia, this was offset several fold by differences in economic growth rates. High growth rates were the result of output increasing policies of export promotion and import substitution in the output oriented NICs whereas the inward oriented NICs, Hungary and Yugoslavia relied largely on external financing of the adverse balance of payments effects of external shocks that necessitated the application of deflationary measures once borrowing possibilities were exhausted.
Statistical resource allocation and pricing in broadband communication networks

This paper presents resource management for broadband communication networks from an economic point of view. To be specific, we consider bandwidth allocation and buffer dimensioning. A pricing scheme is also proposed to be dependent on the amount of allocated bandwidth and buffer. First, we exploit the utility function to represent satisfaction level of a user who requests a certain type of connection service from the network. Then we address the problem of how to allocate bandwidth and buffer capacity of one network component into virtual paths (VPs). On the one hand, the problem is formulated as a non-cooperative K-person game. Two cases, namely unconstrained and constrained, are considered. On the other hand, the problem may be formulated as a cooperative game. The objective is to find an optimal resource allocation such that the total utility of one network component will be maximized. Alternatively the objective is to maximize the minimum utility among Ws. It is shown that these two game problems may have the same solution for unconstrained case.
Histochemical studies on the Pacinian corpuscle.

Detailed studies on the localization of various oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes were made of the Pacinian corpuscle nerve fiber, inner core and lamellae. The nerve fiber of the corpuscle was found to be rich in specific and nonspecific cholinesterases, simple esterase, lactic dehydrogenase, succinic dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase, alkaline phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, thiamine pyrophosphatase, and 5-nucleotidase enzymes. It showed moderately positive activity for acid phosphatase, and negligible activity for monoamine oxidase. The lamellar cells and the inner core cells showed mild to moderate positive activity for all these enzymes excepting monoamine oxidase, specific and nonspecific cholinesterases, for which they were negative. The relationship between these cells and the perineural epithelium of peripheral nerves and the pia-arachnoid mater of the central nervous system was discussed.
A method for correcting cosine-law errors in SEU test data

Single-event upset tests often change the angle of the ion beam relative to the device to mimic a change in ion linear energy transfer, and the data are then converted via an assumed cosine law. The converted data are intended to represent device susceptibility at normal incidence, but the cosine law sometimes contains considerable error. The standard method for correcting this error is based on the rectangular parallelepiped (RPP) model. However, exact analytical expressions derived from this model are not particularly simple, so specialized computer codes are needed unless approximations are used. This paper starts with an alternate physical model, utilizing a charge-collection efficiency function, and derives an exact analytical result (called the alpha law here) that replaces the cosine law but is almost as simple as the cosine law, even when device susceptibility has a strong azimuthal dependence. The same model can be used to calculate (via numerical integrations) rates in a known heavy-ion environment. An alternative is to use model parameters to construct the parameters for an integrated RPP calculation of rates.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cell suspension cultures: Establishment, characterization, and application

a b s t r a c t Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial grass that has received considerable atten- tion as a potential dedicated biofuel and bioproduct feedstock. Genetic improvement of switchgrass is needed for better cellulosic ethanol production, especially to improve cellulose-to-lignin ratios. Cell sus- pension cultures offer an in vitro system for mutant selection, mass propagation, gene transfer, and cell biology. Toward this end, switchgrass cell suspension cultures were initiated from embryogenic callus obtained from genotype Alamo 2. They have been established and characterized with different cell type morphologies: sandy, fine milky, and ultrafine cultures. Characterization includes histological analysis using scanning electron microscopy, and utility using protoplast isolation. A high protoplast isolation rate of up to 10 6 protoplasts/1.0 g of cells was achieved for the fine milky culture, whereas only a few protoplasts were isolated for the sandy and ultrafine cultures. These results indicate that switchgrass cell suspension type sizably impacts the efficiency of protoplast isolation, suggesting its significance in other applications. The establishment of different switchgrass suspension culture cell types provides the opportunity to gain insights into the versatility of the system that would further augment switchgrass biology research. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Application of Projective Invariants in Hand Geometry Biometrics

Our research focuses on finding mathematical representations of biometric features that are not only distinctive, but also invariant to projective transformations. We have chosen hand geometry technology to work with, because it has wide public awareness and acceptance and most important, large space for improvement. Unlike the traditional hand geometry technologies, the hand descriptor in our hand geometry system is constructed using projective-invariant features. Hand identification can be accomplished by a single view of a hand regardless of the viewing angles. The noise immunity and the discriminability possessed by a hand feature vector using different types of projective invariants are studied. We have found an appropriate symmetric polynomial representation of the hand features with which both noise immunity and discrimminability of a hand feature vector are considerably improved. Experimental results show that the system achieves an equal error rate (EER) of 2.1% by a 5-D feature vector on a database of 52 hand images. The EER reduces to 0.00% when the feature vector dimension increases to 18. In this paper, we extend the concept of hand geometry from a geometrical size-based technique that requires physical hand constraints to a projective invariant-based technique that allows free hand motion.
Self-management in African American Women With Diabetes

PurposeThis study describes demographic and medical characteristics, self-efficacy, locus of control, self-managementd defined by functional status, hemoglobin HbA1c outcomes, and the relationships...
Who can help me with this change request

An approach to recommend a ranked list of developers to assist in performing software changes given a textual change request is presented. The approach employs a two-fold strategy. First, a technique based on information retrieval is put at work to locate the relevant units of source code, e.g., files, classes, and methods, to a given change request. These units of source code are then fed to a technique that recommends developers based on their source code change expertise, experience, and contributions, as derived from the analysis of the previous commits. The commits are obtained from a software system's version control repositories (e.g., Subversion). The approach is demonstrated on a bug report from KOffice, an open source application suite.
Group B Streptococcus Evades Host Immunity by Degrading Hyaluronan

In response to tissue injury, hyaluronan (HA) polymers are cleaved by host hyaluronidases, generating small fragments that ligate Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to elicit inflammatory responses. Pathogenic bacteria such as group B Streptococcus (GBS) express and secrete hyaluronidases as a mechanism for tissue invasion, but it is not known how this activity relates to immune detection of HA. We found that bacterial hyaluronidases secreted by GBS and other Gram-positive pathogens degrade pro-inflammatory HA fragments to their component disaccharides. In addition, HA disaccharides block TLR2/4 signaling elicited by both host-derived HA fragments and other TLR2/4 ligands, including lipopolysaccharide. Application of GBS hyaluronidase or HA disaccharides reduced pulmonary pathology and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in an acute lung injury model. We conclude that breakdown of host-generated pro-inflammatory HA fragments to disaccharides allows bacterial pathogens to evade immune detection and could be exploited as a strategy to treat inflammatory diseases.
Sexual Behavior and Practices: Data and Measurement

Sexuality is a broad and complex topic which has been studied from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, including its own discipline of “sexology.” Even when interest is confined to sexual behavior, research approaches can range from the biological sciences to the social sciences and the humanities and from the laboratory to the cultural and historical. Sexuality is also a particularly sensitive and emotionally charged topic that evokes a wide range of strong reactions including political, moral, ethical, and religious responses. Even in the area of empirical scientific research, it is difficult to escape the “specialness” of sexuality. This is what Rubin 1984 referred to as the “fallacy of misplaced scale,” referencing Sontag who pointed out that “everything pertaining to sex has been a ‘special case’ in our culture” (Sontag 1969: 46). It is often difficult to maintain a level of objectivity and scale when thinking of sex. This has made it particularly difficult to conduct research directly about sexuality.
Presidential Political Risk and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns

The effects of political risk emanating from unexpected changes in the economic policies of the US presidency are measured on a cross-section of stock portfolios. Unlike previous efforts to measure the effects of the "presidential puzzle", this paper makes use of advances in the measurement of ideology and political activity that allows measurement of political risk that is both reproducible without the use of dummy variables, and allows for finer distinctions. Surprises to the market associated with presidential policy are significant in both explaining the cross-section of returns and in minimizing pricing errors, even when controlling for other factors.
Enhancement of superconductivity at the onset of charge-density-wave order in a metal

We analyze superconductivity in the cuprates near the onset of an incommensurate charge-density-wave (CDW) order with momentum $\mathbf{Q}=(Q,0)/(0,Q)$, as observed in experiments. We first consider a semiphenomenological charge-fermion model in which hot fermions, separated by $\mathbf{Q}$, attract each other by exchanging soft CDW fluctuations. We find that in a quantum-critical region near the CDW transition, ${T}_{c}=A{\overline{g}}_{c}$, where ${\overline{g}}_{c}$ is charge-fermion coupling and $A$ is the prefactor, which we explicitly compute. We then consider the particular microscopic scenario in which the CDW order parameter emerges as a composite field made of primary spin-density-wave fields. We show that charge-fermion coupling ${\overline{g}}_{c}$ is of the order of spin-fermion coupling ${\overline{g}}_{s}$. As a consequence, superconducting ${T}_{c}$ is substantially enhanced near the onset of CDW order. Finally, we analyze the effect of an external magnetic field $H$. We show that, as $H$ increases, the optimal ${T}_{c}$ decreases and the superconducting dome becomes progressively more confined to the CDW quantum-critical point. These results are consistent with experiments.
Effects of elevated temperature on protein breakdown in muscles from septic rats

Elevated temperature has been proposed to contribute to accelerated muscle protein degradation during fever and sepsis. The present study examined the effect of increased temperature in vitro on protein turnover in skeletal muscles from septic and control rats. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); control rats were sham operated. After 16 h, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were incubated at 37 or 40 degrees C. Protein synthesis was determined by measuring incorporation of [14C]phenylalanine into protein. Total and myofibrillar protein breakdown was assessed from release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine (3-MH), respectively. Total protein breakdown was increased at 40 degrees C by 15% in EDL and by 29% in SOL from control rats, whereas 3-MH release was not affected. In muscles from septic rats, total and myofibrillar protein breakdown was increased by 22 and 30%, respectively, at 40 degrees C in EDL but was not altered in SOL. Protein synthesis was unaffected by high temperature both in septic and nonseptic muscles. The present results suggest that high temperature is not the primary mechanism of increased muscle protein breakdown in sepsis because the typical response to sepsis, i.e., a predominant increase in myofibrillar protein breakdown, was not induced by elevated temperature in normal muscle. It is possible, however, that increased temperature may potentiate protein breakdown that is already stimulated by sepsis because elevated temperature increased both total and myofibrillar protein breakdown in EDL from septic rats.
The Absorption Of Hemolytic Amboceptor

The serum used in this work was that of goats immunized against sheep corpuscles. The hemolytic experiments were performed in accordance with the technique adopted in this laboratory and described elsewhere in this issue.2 To determine the amount of amboceptor absorbed by corpuscles, varying amounts of heated hemolytic serum (amboceptor) were placed in large centrifuge tubes, the volumes made up to a constant (10 c.c.) with f NaCl-solution and a uniform amount of washed sheep corpuscles (seven c.c. of a seven per cent suspension of corpuscles No. 1) added to each. The tubes were shaken, incubated at 37.50C. for three hours and placed in the ice-chest over night, exactly as in the routine hemolytic experiment. The next morning the fluid in each tube was again mixed to insure its uniformity throughout, the corpuscles thrown down by centrifugation, and accurately measured quantities of the supernatant liquid removed for analysis. The analysis was performed by means of the amboceptor curve.3 This is the curve showing the changes in hemolytic power as the amboceptor increases in amount, and is obtained by exposing corpuscles to increasing quantities of amboceptor, in
Lander rocket exhaust effects on Europa regolith nitrogen assays

Abstract Soft-landings on large worlds such as Europa or our Moon require near-surface retropropulsion, which leads to impingement of the rocket plume on the surface. Surface modification by such plumes was documented on Apollo and Surveyor, and on Mars by Viking, Curiosity and especially Phoenix. The low temperatures of the Europan regolith may lead to efficient trapping of ammonia, a principal component of the exhaust from monopropellant hydrazine thrusters. Deposited ammonia may react with any trace organics, and may overwhelm the chemical and isotopic signatures of any endogenous nitrogen compounds, which are likely rare on Europa. An empirical correlation of the photometrically-altered regions (‘blast zones’) around prior lunar and Mars landings is made, indicating A =0.02T 1.5 , where A is the area in m 2 and W is the lander weight (thus, ~thrust) at landing in N: this suggests surface alteration will occur out to a distance of ~9 m from a 200 kg lander on Europa.
The role of oncology clinical practice guidelines in the managed care era.

The development of clinical practice guidelines in oncology presents unique problems and challenges due to the heterogeneity of disease presentations and the complexity of therapeutic decisions. Guidelines should incorporate
Emission and afterglow properties of an expanding RF plasma with nonuniform neutral gas density

We describe some notable aspects of the light emission and afterglow properties in pulsed, high-density ( 1018–1020 m−3) argon inductively coupled discharges initiated following fast gas injection. The plasma was created in a long, narrow discharge tube and then expanded downstream of the radiofrequency (RF) antenna into a large chamber. Fast camera images of the expanding plasma revealed a multi-phase time-dependent emission pattern that did not follow the ion density distribution. Dramatic differences in visible brightness were observed between discharges with and without an externally applied magnetic field. These phenomena were studied by tracking excited state populations using passive emission spectroscopy and are discussed in terms of the distinction between ionizing and recombining phase plasmas. Additionally, a method is presented for inferring the unknown neutral gas pressure in the discharge tube from the time-dependent visible and infrared emission measured by a simple photodiode placed near t...
Progression of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to early invasive adenocarcinoma.

Objective : High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is the most likely precursor of adenocarcinoma. This report describes the diagnostic criteria for prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, its clinical significance, and the evidence suggesting that it progresses to prostatic adenocarcinoma. Methods : We reviewed the published evidence linking prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer. Results : Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia has a high predictive value as a marker for adenocarcinoma, and its identification in biopsy specimens of the prostate warrants further search for concurrent invasive carcinoma. Most studies suggest that, if untreated, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia will progress to early carcinoma, although only indirect evidence exists to support this hypothesis. Androgen deprivation therapy decreases the prevalence and extent of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, suggesting that this form of treatment may play a role in chemoprevention. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia does not appear to elevate serum PSA concentration. It is associated with progressive abnormalities of phenotype and genotype which are intermediate between normal prostatic epithelium and cancer, indicating impairment of cell differentiation and regulatory control with advancing stages of prostatic carcinogenesis. Conclusion : Virtually all data indicate that high-grade prostatic intraepithelial is premalignant, accounting for most if not all cases of prostate cancer.
Dual-frequency and dual-polarization antenna array for satellite deployment

The development of an aperture coupled microstrip dual-band and dual-polarization 6×6 antenna array system on RO4003C is presented. The antenna array has a multilayer structure that consists of square microstrip elements, placed on each substrate layer to provide dual frequency operation at 14 and 35 GHz. Dual polarization is achieved by using two right-angled microstrip lines and two perpendicular slots to feed the antennas. The microstrip feed line is placed orthogonally from the center of the slot on the ground plane between the substrates. The energy from the microstrip feed line is aperture coupled to each square antenna element through the slot. Two right-angled non-overlapping slots are used on each antenna to enable the two different polarization states. The antenna array has 14 GHz patches on the top substrate layer and 35 GHz patches on the lower substrate layer in order to maintain a similar percentage bandwidth. The microstrip feed lines are located at the bottom of the feed substrate. A symmetric feed structure is followed for the antenna array. The aperture coupling feeding network has the advantage of reduced spurious radiation compared to edge or probe feeds as it utilized highly linearly polarized feed lines and slots, and a large ground plane to prevent backside radiation. The designed antenna array has linear polarization at 45-degrees and 135-degrees at the Ku- and Ka-frequency bands. The array is designed using a hybrid simulation scheme in Keysight Advance Design System (ADS). The ADS Schematic is used for the feed network while the ADS Momentum is used for the antenna elements and the entire array structure simulations. In this way, all aspects of the design (microstrip antenna elements and feed lines) can be optimized independently. This array is suitable for airborne (small remotely piloted), and small-satellite NASA flight programs.
Assessing probabilistic predictions of ENSO phase and intensity from the North American Multimodel Ensemble.

Here we examine the skill of three, five, and seven-category monthly ENSO probability forecasts (1982–2015) from single and multi-model ensemble integrations of the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) project. Three-category forecasts are typical and provide probabilities for the ENSO phase (El Nino, La Nina or neutral). Additional forecast categories indicate the likelihood of ENSO conditions being weak, moderate or strong. The level of skill observed for differing numbers of forecast categories can help to determine the appropriate degree of forecast precision. However, the dependence of the skill score itself on the number of forecast categories must be taken into account. For reliable forecasts with same quality, the ranked probability skill score (RPSS) is fairly insensitive to the number of categories, while the logarithmic skill score (LSS) is an information measure and increases as categories are added. The ignorance skill score decreases to zero as forecast categories are added, regardless of skill level. For all models, forecast formats and skill scores, the northern spring predictability barrier explains much of the dependence of skill on target month and forecast lead. RPSS values for monthly ENSO forecasts show little dependence on the number of categories. However, the LSS of multimodel ensemble forecasts with five and seven categories show statistically significant advantages over the three-category forecasts for the targets and leads that are least affected by the spring predictability barrier. These findings indicate that current prediction systems are capable of providing more detailed probabilistic forecasts of ENSO phase and amplitude than are typically provided.
The impact of statin use on the efficacy of abiraterone acetate in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background Statins compete with DHEAS for influx through the SLCO2B1 transporter, which may prolong time to progression (TTP) on androgen deprivation therapy. Abiraterone acetate (AA) may also undergo SLCO-mediated transport. Based on preclinical findings showing antagonism, we hypothesized that statins may compete with AA for influx via SLCO2B1 and could negatively impact drug efficacy. Methods We queried two institutional clinical databases (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute [DFCI], Johns Hopkins University [JHU]) for CRPC patients treated with AA. Treatment duration was a surrogate for TTP. Associations between statin use and AA duration were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox regression modeling adjusted for known prognostic factors. Results Of the 224 DFCI and 270 JHU patients included, the majority (96%) had metastatic disease. Nearly half (41% and 45%) were statin users. In the DFCI cohort, there was a trend toward longer AA duration in statin users: 14.2 versus 9.2 months (HR 0.79, 95%CI: 0.57-1.09, P = 0.14). There was no association between statin use and AA duration in the JHU cohort: 8.3 versus 8.0 months (HR 0.89, 95%CI: 0.69-1.16, P = 0.38) in the statin users versus non-users, except for a trend in patients that had not previously received docetaxel or enzalutamide (HR 0.79; 95%CI: 0.57-1.10). Conclusions Contrary to our initial hypothesis, there was a trend toward longer (rather than shorter) AA duration in statin users in the entire DFCI cohort and in the enzalutamide- and docetaxel-naive JHU patients. Together, these results do not support the hypothesis that statins interfere with AA efficacy.
VLSI architecture for exciter, governor, and stabilizer in fast power system EMT simulation

In the modern power system, fast and accurate simulation tools are needed for transient analysis such as electromagnetic transients program (EMT). In our previous paper, we proposed a computational framework to model, convert, and accelerate the grid-level EMT simulations based on full custom VLSI (very large scale integration) techniques that runs orders of magnitudes faster than software or FPGA approaches. However, due to the complexity of exciters, power system stabilizers and governors, these components were omitted and the corresponding values are assumed to be constant. In this paper, we propose an efficient VLSI architecture for exciters, power system stabilizers and governors, and implement the architecture using the 45nm process. Circuit simulation results show that the proposed VLSI circuits can solve the system significantly faster than real time without sacrificing accuracy.