cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foreign aid and policy concessions

We model foreign-aid-for-policy deals, assuming that leaders want to maximize their time in office. Their actions are shaped by two political institutions, their selectorate and winning coalition. Leaders who depend on a large coalition, a relatively small selectorate, and who extract valuable policy concessions from prospective recipients are likely to give aid. Prospective recipients are likely to get aid if they have few resources, depend on a small coalition and a large selectorate, and the policy concession sought by the donor is not too politically costly. The amount of aid received, if any, increases as the recipient leader’s coalition increases, the selectorate decreases, the issue’s salience increases, and the domestic resources increase. The theory explains why many Third World people hate the United States and want to live there. Empirical tests using the U.S. Agency for International Development data for the post‐World War II years support the model’s predictions.
Importance of Unsaturated Zone Flow for Simulating Recharge in a Humid Climate

Transient recharge to the water table is often not well understood or quantified. Two approaches for simulating transient recharge in a ground water flow model were investigated using the Trout Lake watershed in north-central Wisconsin: (1) a traditional approach of adding recharge directly to the water table and (2) routing the same volume of water through an unsaturated zone column to the water table. Areas with thin (less than 1 m) unsaturated zones showed little difference in timing of recharge between the two approaches; when water was routed through the unsaturated zone, however, less recharge was delivered to the water table and more discharge occurred to the surface because recharge direction and magnitude changed when the water table rose to the land surface. Areas with a thick (15 to 26 m) unsaturated zone were characterized by multimonth lags between infiltration and recharge, and, in some cases, wetting fronts from precipitation events during the fall overtook and mixed with infiltration from the previous spring snowmelt. Thus, in thicker unsaturated zones, the volume of water infiltrated was properly simulated using the traditional approach, but the timing was different from simulations that included unsaturated zone flow. Routing of rejected recharge and ground water discharge at land surface to surface water features also provided a better simulation of the observed flow regime in a stream at the basin outlet. These results demonstrate that consideration of flow through the unsaturated zone may be important when simulating transient ground water flow in humid climates with shallow water tables.
Implementation and Process Evaluation of a Workplace Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Eastern Washington

Colorectal cancer screening is a life-saving intervention, but screening rates are low. The authors implemented and evaluated the Spokane Colorectal Cancer Screening Program—a novel worksite intervention to promote colorectal cancer screening that used a combination of evidence-based strategies recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services, as well as additional strategies. Over a period of approximately 3 months, participating worksites held one or more physician-led seminars about colorectal cancer screening for employees. They also distributed free fecal immunochemical tests at the worksite to employees 50 years and older, and they provided test results to employees and their primary care physician. The authors measured attendance at seminars, test kits taken and returned, employee awareness of the program, and colorectal cancer screening rates in participating and comparison worksites. It is estimated that 9% of eligible employees received kits at the worksite, and 4% were screened with th...
Area-Power Efficient Lifting-Based DWT Hardware for Implantable Neuroprosthetics

Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has been shown to provide exceptionally efficient data compression for neural records. This paper describes an area-power minimized hardware implementation of the lifting scheme for multi-level, multi-channel DWT. Performance tradeoffs and key design decisions for implantable neuroprosthetics are analyzed. A 32-channel, 4-level version of the circuit has been custom designed in 0.18mum CMOS and occupies only 0.16mm2.
Clarifications on mass media campaigns promoting organ donation: a response to Rady, McGregor, & Verheijde (2012).

The current paper provides readers some clarifications on the nature and goals of mass media campaigns designed to promote organ donation. These clarifications were necessitated by an earlier essay by Rady et al. (Med Health Care Philos 15:229–241, 2012) who present erroneous claims that media promotion campaigns in this health context represent propaganda that seek to misrepresent the transplantation process. Information is also provided on the nature and relative power of media campaigns in organ donation promotion.
Analysis of character correlations among wood decay mechanisms, mating systems, and substrate ranges in homobasidiomycetes.

Homobasidiomycetes include the majority of wood-decaying fungi. Two basic forms of wood decay are known in homobasidiomycetes: white rot, in which lignin and cellulose are de- graded, and brown rot, in which lignin isnotappreciably degraded. An apparentcorrelation hasbeen noted between production of a brown rot, decay of conifer substrates, and possession of a bipolar mating system (which has a single mating-type locus, in contrast to tetrapolar systems, which have two mating-type loci). The goals of this study were to infer the historical pattern of transformations in decay mode, mating type, and substrate range characters, and to determine if a causal relationship exists among them. Using nuclear and mitochondrialrDNA sequences, we performed aphylogenetic analysis of 130 species of homobasidiomycetes and performed ancestral state reconstructions by us- ing parsimony on a range of trees, with various loss:gain cost ratios. We evaluated pairwise character correlations by using the concentrated changes test (CCT) of Maddison and the maximum likelihood (ML) method of Pagel. White rot, tetrapolar mating systems, and the ability to decay conifers and hardwoods appear to be plesiomorphic in homobasidiomycetes, whereas brown rot, bipolar mating systems, and exclusive decay of conifers appear to have evolved repeatedly. The only signiecant cor- relation among characters was that between brown rot (as the independent character) and exclusive decay of conifer substrates (P < 0:03). This correlation was supported by the CCT on a range of plau- sibletrees,although notwithevery reconstructionof ancestralstates, andbytheML test. Our endings suggest that the evolution of brown rot has promoted repeated shifts to specialization for conifer sub- strates. (Ancestral state reconstruction; basidiomycetes; comparative methods; concentrated changes test; Discrete; fungal ecology; Polyporaceae; rDNA; sensitivity analyses; wood decay.)
Differential sensitivity to life stress in FMR1 premutation carrier mothers of children with fragile X syndrome.

Objective—The premutation of the FMR1 gene (defined as between 55 and 200 CGG repeats) is estimated to affect 1 in 149 females and 1 in 643 males, and some people who carry the FMR1 premutation display signs of impairment. Method—This study focuses on 82 premutation carrier mothers (M age = 51.4 years; SD = 7.7) of adolescent and adult children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). A Gene × Environment interaction approach examined the ways in which the experience of negative life events interacts with genetic vulnerability to predict depressive symptoms, anxiety, and daily cortisol levels. Results—The associations of life events with all 3 dependent measures were associated with CGG repeat length but in a curvilinear manner. Mothers with midsize CGG repeats who experienced above-average numbers of negative life events in the previous year had more depressive symptoms and anxiety and had a blunted cortisol awakening response, as compared with those with higher or lower repeat lengths. However, mothers with midsize CGG repeats who experienced below-average numbers of negative life events in the previous year had the lowest levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety, and they exhibited the typical cortisol response to awakening, meeting the criteria for differential susceptibility. Conclusions—This research extends our understanding of the phenotypic effects of the expansion of the FMR1 gene, and it adds to the growing literature on the curvilinear relationship between CGG repeat length and mental and physical health.
Mutual solubilities and vapor pressures for binary and ternary aqueous systems containing benzene, toluene, m-xylene, thiophene and pyridine in the region 100–200°C

Abstract An apparatus has been constructed to measure mutual solubilities and vapor pressures for aqueous—organic liqui—liquid systems in the region of 200°C. Both liquid phases are sampled and analyzed using gas chromatography. Special care must be taken to ensure reliable sampling because mutual solubilities are very small; it is especially important to avoid entrainment, phase change (due to temperature gradients or pressure drop) and adsorption when removing samples for chemical analysis. Experimental results are reported for the temperature range 100–200°C for binary aqueous mixtures containing benzene, toluene, m-xylene and thiophene, and for ternary aqueous mixtures containing benzene and pyridine. The binary results are in good agreement with diverse data reported in the literature.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

The literature on the psychological, social and biological factors in the etiology of hyperemesis gravidarum is reviewed. Four cases seen in the last year in psychiatric consultation in a general hospital are then presented to illustrate and highlight the biopsychosocial factors in the literature that seemed most relevant to diagnosis and treatment. Emphasis is placed on the concept of hyperemesis gravidarum as a special type of somatization (an illness behavior in which dysphoric affect is expressed with physical symptoms), whereby physical symptoms are expressed to elicit care by physicians and family and to gain a "time out" from stressful home environments.
Notary: Hardware techniques to enhance signatures

Hardware signatures have been recently proposed as an efficient mechanism to detect conflicts amongst concurrently running transactions in transactional memory systems (e.g., bulk, LogTM-SE, and SigTM). Signatures use fixed hardware to represent an unbounded number of addresses, but may lead to false conflicts (detecting a conflict when none exists). Previous work recommends that signatures be implemented with parallel Bloom filters with two or four hash functions (e.g., H3). Two problems exist with current signature designs. First, H3 implementations use many XOR gates. This increases hardware area and power overheads. Second, signature false positives can result from conflicts with signature bits set by private memory addresses that do not require isolation. This paper develops Notary, a coupling of two signature enhancements to ameliorate these problems. First, we use address entropy analysis to develop page-block-XOR (PBX) hashing and show it performs similar to H3 at lower hardware cost. Second, we introduce a privatization interface that explicitly allows the programmer to declare shared and private heap memory allocation. Privatization reduces false conflicts arising from private memory accesses and can lead to a reduction in the signature size used. Results from custom transistor-level layouts of H3 and PBX, along with full-system simulation of a 16-core chip-multiprocessor implementing LogTM-SE, show (a) PBX hashing performs similar to H3 hashing while requiring up to 24% less area and 4.7% less power overhead and (b) privatization can improve execution time by up to 86% (by reducing false conflicts by up to 96%).
Seasonal modification of the association between temperature and adult emergency department visits for asthma: a case-crossover study.

The objective of this study is to characterize the effect of temperature on emergency department visits for asthma and modification of this association by season. This association is of interest in its own right, and also important to understand because temperature may be an important confounder in analyses of associations between other environmental exposures and asthma. For example, the case-crossover study design is commonly used to investigate associations between air pollution and respiratory outcomes, such as asthma. This approach controls for confounding by month and season by design, and permits adjustment for potential confounding by temperature through regression modeling. However, such models may fail to adequately control for confounding if temperature effects are seasonal, since case-crossover analyses rarely account for interactions between matching factors (such as calendar month) and temperature. We conducted a case-crossover study to determine whether the association between temperature and emergency department visits for asthma varies by season or month. Asthma emergency department visits among North Carolina adults during 2007–2008 were identified using a statewide surveillance system. Marginal as well as season- and month-specific associations between asthma visits and temperature were estimated with conditional logistic regression. The association between temperature and adult emergency department visits for asthma is near null when the overall association is examined [odds ratio (OR) per 5 degrees Celsius = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.02]. However, significant variation in temperature-asthma associations was observed by season (chi-square = 18.94, 3 degrees of freedom, p <0.001) and by month of the year (chi-square = 45.46, 11 degrees of freedom, p <0.001). ORs per 5 degrees Celsius were increased in February (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.10), July (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.29), and December (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07) and decreased in September (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87, 0.97). Our empirical example suggests that there is significant seasonal variation in temperature-asthma associations. Epidemiological studies rarely account for interactions between ambient temperature and temporal matching factors (such as month of year) in the case-crossover design. These findings suggest that greater attention should be given to seasonal modification of associations between temperature and respiratory outcomes in case-crossover analyses of other environmental asthma triggers.
Conservative multi-implicit spectral deferred correction methods for reacting gas dynamics

In most models of reacting gas dynamics, the characteristic time scales of chemical reactions are much shorter than the hydrodynamic and diffusive time scales, rendering the reaction part of the model equations stiff. Moreover, non-linear forcings may introduce into the solutions sharp gradients or shocks, the robust behavior and correct propagation of which require the use of specialized spatial discretization procedures. This study presents high-order conservative methods for the temporal integration of model equations of reacting flows. By means of a method of lines discretization on the flux difference form of the equations, these methods compute approximations to the cell-averaged or finite-volume solution. The temporal discretization is based on a multi-implicit generalization of spectral deferred correction methods. The advection term is integrated explicitly, and the diffusion and reaction terms are treated implicitly but independently, with the splitting errors reduced via the spectral deferred correction procedure. To reduce computational cost, different time steps may be used to integrate processes with widely-differing time scales. Numerical results show that the conservative nature of the methods allows a robust representation of discontinuities and sharp gradients; the results also demonstrate the expected convergence rates for the methods of orders three, four, and five for smooth problems.
Blunt colon trauma

Blunt colon injury is rare and difficult to diagnose. Delayed diagnosis remains the most threatening presentation of this injury and results in the highest complication rates. Management has evolved over several decades from mandatory colostomy to repair, resection with anastomosis, or selective colostomy in highly destructive injuries.
On achievable rates for multicast in the presence of side information

We investigate the network source coding rate region for networks with multiple sources and multicast demands in the presence of side information, generalizing earlier results on multicast rate regions without side information. When side information is present only at the terminal nodes, we show that the rate region is precisely characterized by the cut-set bounds and that random linear coding suffices to achieve the optimal performance. When side information is present at a non-terminal node, we present an achievable region. Finally, we apply these results to obtain an inner bound on the rate region for networks with general source-demand structures.
SIV replication is directly downregulated by four antiviral miRNAs

Host cell microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to regulate the expression of both cellular and viral RNAs, in particular impacting both Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). To investigate the role of miRNAs in regulating replication of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in macrophage lineage cells, we used primary macrophages to study targeting of SIV RNA by miRNAs. We examined whether specific host miRNAs directly target SIV RNA early in infection and might be induced via type I interferon pathways. miRNA target prediction programs identified miRNA binding sites within SIV RNA. Predicted binding sites for miRs-29a, -29b, -9 and -146a were identified in the SIV Nef/U3 and R regions, and all four miRNAs decreased virus production and viral RNA expression in primary macrophages. To determine whether levels of these miRNAs were affected by SIV infection, IFNβ or TNFα treatments, miRNA RT-qPCR assays measured miRNA levels after infection or treatment of macrophages. SIV RNA levels as well as virus production was downregulated by direct targeting of the SIV Nef/U3 and R regions by four miRNAs. miRs-29a, -29b, -9 and -146a were induced in primary macrophages after SIV infection. Each of these miRNAs was regulated by innate immune signaling through TNFα and/or the type I IFN, IFNβ. The effects on miRNAs caused by HIV/SIV infection are illustrated by changes in their cellular expression throughout the course of disease, and in different patient populations. Our data demonstrate that levels of primary transcripts and mature miRs-29a, -29b, -9 and -146a are modulated by SIV infection. We show that the SIV 3′ UTR contains functional miRNA response elements (MREs) for all four miRNAs. Notably, these miRNAs regulate virus production and viral RNA levels in macrophages, the primary cells infected in the CNS that drive inflammation leading to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. This report may aid in identification miRNAs that target viral RNAs and HIV/SIV specifically, as well as in identification of miRNAs that may be targets of new therapies to treat HIV.
CONODONTS AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF UPPER ORDOVICIAN STRATA ALONG A SHELF TO BASIN TRANSECT IN CENTRAL NEVADA

Abstract Conodonts representing 38 species of 26 genera have been identified in samples from Upper Ordovician rocks at three central Nevada localities. Ranges of these species and associated graptolites are used graphically to determine correlation of the strata considered with an evolving composite standard that includes information from Ordovician strata at more than 100 localities in North America. Results indicate that the Hanson Creek Formation at Lone Mountain is latest Edenian through mid-Richmondian in age; that the Ordovician part of the Hanson Creek in the Monitor Range section spans an interval from Maysvillian through Richmondian; and that the upper 29 m of the Vinini Formation at the Vinini Creek locality is of mid-Maysvillian to late Richmondian age. Physical discontinuities in the Ordovician-Silurian boundary interval complicate correlations, but it is now clear that conodonts that range upward into, and have long been considered distinctive of the Lower Silurian, make their debut in centra...
Breast cancer imaging: a new role of Tc-99m sestamibi prone scintimammography for diagnosisof breast cancer

Mammography remians the procedure of choice in screening asymptomatic women for breast cancer. However, in patients with symptoms, other types of imaging play an important role in the detection of malignancies. The high cost and lack of availability of PET and MRI largely precludes the use in this patient population. TI-201 is nbt the imaging agent of choice because of its wash-out and redistribution mechanism in tumor cells; low photon energy also makes the agent less optimal for imaging. Tc-99m sestamibi scintimammography, on the other hand, has high sensitivity and improves the specfficity of conventional mammography forthe detection of breast cancer. In addition, the technique of prone breast imaging is superior to supine imaging bacause of excellent separation of deep breast structures from the myocardium in the left breast, excellent separation of the right breast from the liver and relaxation of the. pectoralis muscle, ultimately improving the resoltion of small deep-seated lesions. For these reasons, Tc-99m sestamibi scintimammography deserves further study as a diagnostic technique to potentially reduce the number of mammographically 'indicated' breast biopsies which yield negative results for cancer.
Investigating the thermophysical properties of the ice–snow interface under a controlled temperature gradient Part II: Analysis

Abstract In order to develop a more intuitive understanding of the physical mechanisms and processes responsible for enhanced kinetic snow metamorphism at the ice–snow interface, we have performed a detailed and quantitative analysis of the in situ micro-thermocouple data originally presented in Part I of this study. In our detailed analysis, we have focused primarily on the observed temperature gradients from within one millimeter above and below the ice–snow interface, as measured in our laboratory prepared specimen. Our findings show via a simple one-dimensional model for energy balance that thermal contact resistance followed by decreases in the effective thermal conductivity are the primary contributors to the dramatic increases in the local temperature gradient near the ice–snow interface. Additional mechanisms for heat and mass transfer are also reviewed in our analysis, including the water vapor flux and latent heat flux.
Trends in Local Therapy Utilization and Cost for Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Older Women: Implications for Payment and Policy Reform

Purpose Older women with early-stage disease constitute the most rapidly growing breast cancer demographic, yet it is not known which local therapy strategies are most favored by this population in the current era. Understanding utilization trends and cost of local therapy is important for informing the design of bundled payment models as payers migrate away from fee-for-service models. We therefore used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare database to determine patterns of care and costs for local therapy among older women with breast cancer. Methods and Materials Treatment strategy and covariables were determined in 55,327 women age ≥66 with Tis-T2N0-1M0 breast cancer who underwent local therapy between 2000 and 2008. Trends in local therapy were characterized using Joinpoint. Polychotomous logistic regression determined predictors of local therapy. The median aggregate cost over the first 24 months after diagnosis was determined from Medicare claims through 2010 and reported in 2014 dollars. Results The median age was 75. Local therapy distribution was as follows: 27,896 (50.3%) lumpectomy with external beam radiation, 18,356 (33.1%) mastectomy alone, 6159 (11.1%) lumpectomy alone, 1488 (2.7%) mastectomy with reconstruction, and 1455 (2.6%) lumpectomy with brachytherapy. Mastectomy alone declined from 39.0% in 2000 to 28.2% in 2008, and the use of breast conserving local therapies rose from 58.7% to 68.2%. Mastectomy with reconstruction was more common among the youngest, healthiest patients, whereas mastectomy alone was more common among patients living in rural low-income regions. By 2008, the costs were $36,749 for lumpectomy with brachytherapy, $35,030 for mastectomy with reconstruction, $31,388 for lumpectomy with external beam radiation, $21,993 for mastectomy alone, and $19,287 for lumpectomy alone. Conclusions The use of mastectomy alone in older women declined in favor of breast conserving strategies between 2000 and 2008. Using these cost estimates, price points for local therapy bundles can be constructed to incentivize the treatment strategies that confer the highest value.
Seed Dormancy Mechanisms in Basalt Milkvetch and Western Prairie Clover

Abstract A greater diversity of native legumes and forbs is desirable for rangeland restoration practice in the Intermountain Region of the western United States. But for such diversity to materialize in the seed marketplace and to be effective in restoration practice, seeds that germinate reliably in seed fields and on restoration sites are needed. We measured germination response of two native legumes, basalt milkvetch ( Astragalus filipes Torr. ex A. Gray) and western prairie clover ( Dalea ornata [Douglas] Eaton & Wright), after eight germination treatments. Treatments were a factorial combination of 1) seed scarification with sandpaper (or unscarified), 2) a substrate of moist sand (or blotter paper), and 3) a 3-wk prechill at 5° (or nonprechilled). Cumulative germination increased linearly throughout the 10-wk course of the experiment for all treatment combinations in both species. Scarification increased germination of western prairie clover, but prechilling and substrate had no effect. In contrast, prechilling, scarification, and a sand substrate all increased germination of basalt milkvetch. Hence, for this species the prechilled/scarified/sand treatment combination displayed the numerically highest germination for all 10 wk (30−43%), and the nonprechilled/unscarified/blotter paper treatment combination always germinated lowest (1−3%). Results were consistent with physical dormancy (hard-seededness) limiting germination of western prairie clover and combinational dormancy (i.e., co-occurrence of physical and physiological dormancy) limiting germination of basalt milkvetch. Of the two species, we have found basalt milkvetch to be the more difficult to establish from seed. By prechilling acid-scarified seed in moist sand, basalt milkvetch was successfully established in two field trials seeded in mid-April. Nonprechilled mechanically (sandpaper) scarified seed germinated as high as prechilled acid-scarified seed. By scarifying and prechilling basalt milkvetch seed to address physical and physiological dormancy mechanisms, respectively, this seed-treatment protocol may be “scaled up” to produce large quantities of germinable seed.
The Physician, Patient and Pill: The Influence of Drugs on Doctor-Patient Relationship☆

Summary The shift from nonspecific to specific medication in psychiatry suggests that aside from the often explored placebo effect, additional factors, inherent in the specific action of a drug, should be taken into consideration. Particular attention is given to the sweeping and rapid action of these drugs, to the psychological implications of their often unpleasurable physical and psychological side effects and it is submitted that these variables may lead to an earlier emergence of a negative transference. Treatment with psychoactive drugs cannot proceed purely along the lines of a medical model. It is, therefore, desirable that psychiatrists as well as non-psychiatrists keep the psychotherapeutic model for treatment even more firmly in mind.
Towards Ontology Composition from Cognitive Libraries.

Sometimes knowledge engineers have to come up with new ontologies for some specific domain or application even though there are already ontological works in that area. Although there are techniques for ontology de/composition, a common problem is that the existing systems often characterise some notion in a way that is not quite what the knowledge engineer needs. The change of a few notions in a given ontology can be challenging: it is not easy to understand the impact of these changes. In this paper we investigate another route. Assuming that the knowledge engineer has to deal with notions at the mesoscopic level that are cognitively clear, we propose to independently characterised them (in a sense to be discussed), and look at how they can be used to build an ontology such that it comprises only the needed notions and with the right meaning. Here we just explore some important steps of this approach, and list other problems that need to be faced.
Role of the lateral habenula and dopamine neurons in reward processing

Dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area have been implicated in reward-related functions. These neurons are excited by reward and sensory stimuli that predict reward and inhibited by reward omission. These excitatory and inhibitory responses are thought to guide reward-seeking behaviors. Indeed, reward-seeking behaviors can be impaired by injecting dopamine antagonists into the brain areas targeted by dopamine neurons (e.g., caudate nucleus). However, it was unknown which parts of the brain provide dopamine neurons with reward-related signals necessary to induce their responses. Recent studies showed evidence that the lateral habenula, a part of the structure called the epithalamus, is a good candidate for a source of reward-related signals in dopamine neurons. The lateral habenula projects to midbrain structures such as the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area which contain dopamine neurons. Electrical stimulation of the lateral habenula inhibits the activity of dopamine neurons. Neurons in the lateral habenula also encode reward-related signals but in a manner opposite to that obeerved for dopamine neurons (i.e., lateral habenula neurons are inhibited by reward and sensory stimuli predicting reward and excited by reward omission). These anatomical and physiological findings suggest that the lateral habenula transmits reward-related signals to dopamine neurons by inhibiting them. Thereby, the lateral habenula could contribute to reward-seeking behaviors through its projections to the dopaminergic systems.
ACTION OF THREE MUTAGENS ON HeLa DNA REPLICATION

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a method in which three different mutagens, 4-nitroquinoline-l-oxide (4NQ0), adriamycin (Adr), and ethylenimine (EI), were examined for their effects of DNA replication in HeLa cells using velocity sedimentation techniques with alkaline sucrose gradients. Adriamycin (Adr) intercalates into DNA and although it is a known mutagen (3), it does not induce detectable repair replication even at doses that almost abolish semi-conservative DNA replication. These properties suggest that it does not form a covalently bound adduct or induce strand breaks and that its mode of inhibition of DNA synthesis would not include an effect on initiation. Three DNA damaging drugs—4NQ0, Adr, and EI—of widely varying action all inhibit replicon initiation, although to different relative extents.
Human Autoantibodies in Urticaria, Angioedema, and Other Atopic Diseases

Abstract The official announcement of the discovery of a new immunoglobulin (Ig) called IgE was made in 1968 by the World Health Organization (WHO). This followed almost a decade of work trying to identify the “reagin,” as IgE was initially called, responsible for the Prausnitz-Kustner (PK) test, the transfer of a positive skin test from one individual to another first described by Prausnitz and Kustner in 1921. IgE is the basis for the type I hypersensitivity reaction, responsible for the millions of patients who suffer from allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, food allergy, urticaria, and anaphylaxis, and which may play a role in many other immunologic diseases. Autoantibodies to IgE have been shown to be present in a subset of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, suggesting an autoimmune pathophysiology in some cases of urticaria. Other autoantibodies have also been reported in various allergic diseases, including anti-thyroid antibodies. An anti-IgE monoclonal antibody (omalizumab) has been shown to be effective in some patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria.
Characterization of Gadolinium Contrast Enhancement of Radiofrequency Ablation Lesions in Predicting Edema and Chronic Lesion Size.

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to acutely visualize radiofrequency ablation lesions, but its accuracy in predicting chronic lesion size is unknown. The main goal of this study was to characterize different areas of enhancement in late gadolinium enhancement MRI done immediately after ablation to predict acute edema and chronic lesion size. Methods and Results In a canine model (n=10), ventricular radiofrequency lesions were created using ThermoCool SmartTouch (Biosense Webster) catheter. All animals underwent MRI (late gadolinium enhancement and T2-weighted edema imaging) immediately after ablation and after 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Edema, microvascular obstruction, and enhanced volumes were identified in MRI and normalized to chronic histological volume. Immediately after contrast administration, the microvascular obstruction region was 3.2±1.1 times larger than the chronic lesion volume in acute MRI. Even 60 minutes after contrast administration, edema was 8.7±3.31 times and the enhanced area 6.14±2.74 times the chronic lesion volume. Exponential fit to the microvascular obstruction volume was found to be the best predictor of chronic lesion volume at 26.14 minutes (95% prediction interval, 24.35–28.11 minutes) after contrast injection. The edema volume in late gadolinium enhancement correlated well with edema volume in T2-weighted MRI with an R 2 of 0.99. Conclusion Microvascular obstruction region on acute late gadolinium enhancement images acquired 26.1 minutes after contrast administration can accurately predict the chronic lesion volume. We also show that T1-weighted MRI images acquired immediately after contrast injection accurately shows edema resulting from radiofrequency ablation.
Stochastic Differential Games: A Sampling Approach via FBSDEs

The aim of this work is to present a sampling-based algorithm designed to solve various classes of stochastic differential games. The foundation of the proposed approach lies in the formulation of the game solution in terms of a decoupled pair of forward and backward stochastic differential equations (FBSDEs). In light of the nonlinear version of the Feynman–Kac lemma, probabilistic representations of solutions to the nonlinear Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equations that arise for each class are obtained. These representations are in form of decoupled systems of FBSDEs, which may be solved numerically.
Thioredoxin in the Cardiovascular System—Towards a Thioredoxin-Based Antioxidative Therapy

Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the endogenous antioxidant systems, which detoxify the reactive intermediates. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, cardiac hypertrophy, and congestive heart disease are characterized by enhanced production of ROS. In these conditions ROS promote cardiovascular pathology in part by activating inflammatory signaling pathways. One of the principal antioxidant defense mechanisms is the small 12 kDa oxidoreductase, thioredoxin (TRX), that catalyzes the conversion of disulfide oxidized proteins to their thiol-reduced forms. TRX via this catalytic activity confers a protective effect by the ability to regulate pathological signal transduction, inhibit apoptosis, and reduce inflammation. Recent studies using transgenic mice have shown that overexpression of TRX within vascular tissue exerts a protective effect, while injection of recombinant TRX has similarly been demonstrated to possess therapeutic value for the treatment of various vascular diseases.
Twice-a-day versus four-times-a-day ofloxacin treatment of external ocular infection

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacies of 0.3% ofloxacin eyedrops, when given twice-a-day (BID) versus four-times-a-day (QID), for the treatment of external ocular disease. Method Fifty patients with blepharitis, conjuctivitis, or blepharoconjunctivitis were randomly assigned to treatment with 0.3% ofloxacin eyedrops, BID or QID, for 10 days. Signs, symptoms, and cultures were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the study. Results The clinical outcome was virtually identical in the two groups. There was a significant decrease in clinical scores in the BID and QID groups by days 3 to 5 (2.6-3.0 points) and a further decrease by day 11 (4.3-5.0 points). There was no significant difference between the two groups at any time interval. Microbiologic studies showed a reduction in colony-forming units in 87% of the BID group and in 80% of the QID group. Conclusion The treatment of external ocular disease with 0.3% ofloxacin eyedrops was equally effective when given BID or QID.
Luminal esophageal temperature monitoring to reduce esophageal thermal injury during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: A review

Over the past decade, catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation has emerged as an important rhythm control strategy. One of the most dreaded complications of this procedure is atrio-esophageal (AE) fistula formation, which is relatively rare but usually fatal. Esophageal tissue injury during ablation appears to be a precursor to the formation of AE fistulae. Luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring is one of the most commonly utilized strategies to mitigate this risk, despite little evidence that it reduces esophageal injury. The incidence of AE fistulae appears to be on the rise, despite the widespread use of LET monitoring. This may be due to the advent of improved large lesion technology including force-sensing catheters and the use of high power, although AE fistulae have also been observed with the use of low power along the left atrial posterior wall. Currently available discrete sensors probes, whether single or multiple, do not appear to significantly reduce injury rates. The purpose of this manuscript is to systematically review the incidence of esophageal thermal injury with and without LET monitoring and review the factors that may be associated with increased risk of injury.
An Experimental Study of Local Self-Similarity in the Mixing Transition of a Turbulent Free Jet

Turbulent free jets play an important role to understand turbulence and momentum transport in free shear layers. The characteristic nature of this type of flow has attracted the focus of many scien...
Modeled construction and operating costs of different ventilation systems for lactating dairy cows

The objectives were to compare capital costs of building and installation of 7 ventilation systems for adult lactating dairy cow housing and evaluate the energy use and operating cost between systems. A cost model comprising stochastic and parametric modules was created to estimate the number of fans operating each day based on temperature set points; annual profiles of daily maximum, minimum, and average temperatures; ramping functions to transition between seasons; and weather data from 7 locations in the United States. Costs were described as US$ per stall per year and operating costs as US$ (kW·h) per stall per year. Building costs amoritized over 10 yr ranged from $246 to $318, where a 16-row cross-ventilated design had the minimum cost and a hybrid design incorporating elements of tunnel and natural ventilation had the maximum cost. Lowering the summer temperature set point from 22.2 to 18.0°C to potentially improve heat abatement for high-producing cows increased cost by $10.10 (101.0 kW·h). On average, an exponential ramping function for transitioning between seasons cost $55.40 (554 kW·h) compared with $61.40 (614 kW·h) for a linear function. A tunnel barn ranged from $79.40 (794 kW·h) to $212.30 (2123 kW·h), and a natural design ranged from $32.60 (326 kW·h) to $81.80 (818 kW·h) in operating costs due to fan selection alone. Cross-ventilated barns benefitted from economies of scale and had similar operating costs as naturally ventilated barns in larger facilities. On average, mechanical systems cost twice as much to operate as natural systems, and operating costs in hotter US climates were approximately double those in milder climates. Selecting a fan with low energy efficiency can increase the operating cost of any ventilation system approximately 2-fold, making fan choice a critical design element.
Disciplines and Politics: From Malinowski to “People’s Anthropology”

This chapter reconstructs the rise of twentieth-century Chinese anthropology and the spread of Western scholarship to China in a bifurcated narrative, focusing on the process of Chinese anthropology’s transformation toward a “people’s anthropology” on the mainland. Early Republican China saw the rise of social investigation, which was furthered by the May Fourth Movement that emphasized social engagement of cultural elites. Under the influence of Western anthropologists, the budding sociology and anthropology fields in China adopted the methodology of fieldwork and participant observation and the structural-functionalist approach to study non-Han borderland peoples. These Western-trained Chinese anthropologists, however, also differed from their mentors due to their common background of having grown up in a weak and disorderly China. Chinese anthropologists’ nationalist sentiments converged with the Chinese socialist state’s adaptation of non-Chinese models and theories in building and studying minority nationalities while retaining some basic assumptions of their earlier academic training of functionalism.
“The Battle is on”: Lakatos, Feyerabend, and the student protests

This paper shows how late 1960’s student protests influenced the thought of Imre Lakatos and Paul Feyerabend. I argue that student movements shaped their work from this period, specifically Lakatos’s “Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes” and Feyerabend’s Against Method. Archival evidence shows that their political environments at London and Berkeley inflected their writing on scientific method, entrenching Lakatos’s search for a rationalist account of scientific development, and encouraging Feyerabend’s ‘anarchistic’ theory of knowledge. I document this influence and draw two broader lessons: one lesson about the role of biography in philosophy and the other about the historiography of student protests.
Phenotypically Similar Rare Disease Identification from an Integrative Knowledge Graph for Data Harmonization: Preliminary Study

Background: Although many efforts have been made to develop comprehensive disease resources that capture rare disease information for the purpose of clinical decision making and education, there is no standardized protocol for defining and harmonizing rare diseases across multiple resources. This introduces data redundancy and inconsistency that may ultimately increase confusion and difficulty for the wide use of these resources. To overcome such encumbrances, we report our preliminary study to identify phenotypical similarity among genetic and rare diseases (GARD) that are presenting similar clinical manifestations, and support further data harmonization. Objective: To support rare disease data harmonization, we aim to systematically identify phenotypically similar GARD diseases from a disease-oriented integrative knowledge graph and determine their similarity types. Methods: We identified phenotypically similar GARD diseases programmatically with 2 methods: (1) We measured disease similarity by comparing disease mappings between GARD and other rare disease resources, incorporating manual assessment; 2) we derived clinical manifestations presenting among sibling diseases from disease classifications and prioritized the identified similar diseases based on their phenotypes and genotypes. Results: For disease similarity comparison, approximately 87% (341/392) identified, phenotypically similar disease pairs were validated; 80% (271/392) of these disease pairs were accurately identified as phenotypically similar based on similarity score. The evaluation result shows a high precision (94%) and a satisfactory quality (86% F measure). By deriving phenotypical similarity from Monarch Disease Ontology (MONDO) and Orphanet disease classification trees, we identified a total of 360 disease pairs with at least 1 shared clinical phenotype and gene, which were applied for prioritizing clinical relevance. A total of 662 phenotypically similar disease pairs were identified and will be applied for GARD data harmonization. Conclusions: We successfully identified phenotypically similar rare diseases among the GARD diseases via 2 approaches, disease mapping comparison and phenotypical similarity derivation from disease classification systems. The results will not only direct GARD data harmonization in expanding translational science research but will also accelerate data transparency and consistency across different disease resources and terminologies, helping to build a robust and up-to-date knowledge resource on rare diseases.