cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Polymer Network Architecture, Enhancing Soft Materials Using Orthogonal Dynamic Bonds in an Interpenetrating Network

Doubly dynamic polymer networks were synthesized with two distinct exchangeable cross-linkers. The first linker is highly dynamic and rapidly exchanging hydrogen bonded 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) and the second is a thermoresponsive furan-maleimide Diels–Alder adduct (FMI). Two network architectures were considered: an interpenetrating network (IPN) where one network is cross-linked with the UPy linker and the other is cross-linked with the FMI linker, and a single network (SN) where both the UPy and FMI linkers are in the same single network. Remarkably, the IPNs were superior to the SNs with the same composition of the UPy and FMI cross-linkers when comparing peak stress, strain at break, fracture toughness, malleability, and self-healing. Both materials studied were stable and creep resistant under ambient conditions.
MRI evaluation of regional and longitudinal changes in Z-spectra of injured spinal cord of monkeys.

Purpose In principle, MR methods that exploit magnetization transfer (MT) may be used to quantify changes in the molecular composition of tissues after injury. The ability to track such changes in injured spinal cord may allow more precise assessment of the state of neural tissues. Methods Z-Spectra were obtained from the cervical spinal cord before and after a unilateral dorsal column lesion in monkeys at 9.4T. The amplitudes of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) effects from multiple proton pools, along with nonspecific semisolid MT effects from immobile macromolecules, were quantified using a five-peak Lorenzian fitting of each Z-spectrum. Results Abnormal tissues/cysts that formed around lesion sites exhibited relatively low correlations between their Z-spectra and that of normal gray matter (GM). Compared with normal GM, cysts showed strong CEST but weak semisolid MT and NOE effects after injury. The abnormal tissues around lesion sites were heterogeneous and showed different regional Z-spectra. Different regional correlations between proton pools were observed. Longitudinally, injured spinal cord tissue exhibited remarkable recovery in all subjects. Conclusion Characterization of multiple proton pools from Z-spectra permitted noninvasive, regional, quantitative assessments of changes in tissue composition of injured spinal cord over time. Magn Reson Med 79:1070-1082, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
The Crisis in Ukraine 2014

In the early morning hours of February 28, 2014, Russian armed forces moved out of their naval base on the Black Sea and into Crimea, triggering a crisis with Ukraine that continues as this chapter goes to print. The chapter begins with a detailed factual account of the Russian move into Crimea and subsequent intervention on behalf of separatist militias in Eastern Ukraine. Russia has put forward sophisticated arguments under international law to attempt to justify its military interventions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. On close analysis, no claim is adequate to avoid the charge of aggression. The United Nations Charter, Article 2(4), generally prohibits the use of force. Any serious violation of the prohibition is aggression. Russia can point to similar conduct by Western states from aiding the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army during in 1999 to assisting insurgents seeking to overthrow the government of Syria to Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, allegedly under the terms of a treaty. While these and other violations of the Charter have plainly weakened the perception that the prohibition on the use of force is a peremptory norm, requiring strict compliance, peremptory norms are not modified as a matter of law by violations. Russia cannot defend its use of force against Ukraine by pointing to the violations of other states. Maintaining sanctions on Russia is important to support the international rule of law, but actually winning Russian compliance with the Charter and restoring Ukraine’s control of its sovereign territory would be more likely if other states with major militaries demonstrated the same fidelity to the Charter being demanded of Russia.
Recent developments in autoconstructive evolution

This is an extended abstract for an invited keynote presentation at the 7th Workshop on Evolutionary Computation for the Automated Design of Algorithms (ECADA). We first outline the motivation, primary mechanisms, and prior results of the evolutionary computation technique called "autoconstructive evolution." We then briefly describe a collection of recent enhancements to the technique, along with a few preliminary results of ongoing experimental work.
The role of rat brain PTP-1 surface basic residues in substrate reactivity

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Family 1 Biological Roles of PTP's 4 The PTP Catalytic Mechanism 13 Substrate Specificity of PTP's 20 Significance of This Work 22 Dissertation Organization 23 CHAPTER 2. SURFACE BASIC RESIDUES OF RAT BRAIN PTP-1 AFFECT SUBSTRATE REACTIVITY 24 Abstract 24 introduction 25 Experimental Procedures 27 Results 31 Discussion 48 References 51 CHAPTER 3. SUBSTRATE ACIDIC RESIDUE AND SURFACE BASIC RESIDUE AFFECT SUBSTRATE BINDING WITH RAT BRAIN PTP-1 54 Abstract 54 Introduction 55 Experimental Procedures 56 Results 58 Discussion 65 References 67 CHAPTER 4. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS Effect of substrate acidic residues on wild-type binding Effect of PTP basic residue mutations on substrate reactivity 70 70 71 GENERAL REFERENCES V
Solving Practical Engineering Mechanics Problems: Statics

Engineering Mechanics is one of the fundamental branches of science which is important in the education of professional engineers of any major. Most of the basic engineering courses, such as mechanics of materials, fluid and gas mechanics, machine design, mechatronics, acoustics, vibrations, etc. are based on Engineering Mechanics course. In order to absorb the materials of Engineering Mechanics, it is not enough to consume just theoretical laws and theorems—student also must develop an ability to solve practical problems. Therefore, it is necessary to solve many problems independently. This book is a part of a four-book series designed to supplement the Engineering Mechanics courses in the principles required to solve practical engineering problems in the following branches of mechanics: Statics, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Advanced Kinetics. Each book contains 6-8 topics on its specific branch and each topic features 30 problems to be assigned as homework, tests, and/or midterm/final exams with the consent of the instructor. A solution of one similar sample problem from each topic is provided. This second book in the series contains six topics of Kinematics, the branch of mechanics that is concerned with the analysis of motion of both particle and rigid bodies without reference to the cause of the motion. This book targets undergraduate students at the sophomore/junior level majoring in science and engineering.
Electrodiagnosis-based management of patients with radiculopathy: The concept and application involving a patient with a large lumbosacral disc herniation.

Abstract Objectives The evaluation of patients with lower back pain (LBP) is based mainly on clinical examinations and imaging procedures that are subjective or anatomic in nature. The treatments, either physical therapy or osteopathy, lack evidence-based protocol and may be disruptive to the spine. Therefore, a neurophysiologic-based approach to managing such patients is necessary. Methods A 40-year-old female complained of LBP and radiculopathy for more than 12 years, a condition that was accompanied by numbness, tingling and weakness in the left leg. This study examined the effectiveness of using an innovative concept and method on a patient with a 19-mm disc herniation. An electro diagnosis-based evaluation and treatment approach testing tool, Soleus H-reflexes, was applied during unloading (with the patient lying down), loading (with the patient standing or sitting), and various trunk position protocols. A structured treatment was based on the results of H-reflex, including direction-sensitive exercises and manipulation, progressing from unloading to full loading. A custom-based home program was developed for sleeping and sitting positions, with all being directed at non-invasively decompressing the compromised nerve root. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Intervention and results Stepwise application of the developed procedures resulted in complete resolution of the radicular and spinal symptoms, with a reduction in the size of the herniated disc from 19 mm to 4 mm and recovery of the H-amplitude by the end of the treatment. Functional recovery was also complete by the end of the program. A follow-up after 12 months showed maintained results. Conclusions The discussed concept and method exhibited their effectiveness in this case study, and the results obtained are due to the consistency and maintenance of the neural decompression using a direction sensitive therapy protocol. Significance Direction sensitive exercise therapy based on H-reflex testing is effective in treating large herniated lumbar discs.
1.13 – Birdsong Learning

All birds have a repertoire of sound signals, calls, and songs for communication about danger, food, sex, group movements, and the use of space. Unlike most calls, oscine songs develop abnormally in males reared out of hearing of adults. In many birds, adult song patterns remain more or less fixed after adolescence. In other species, song patterns may change. Nonlearners such as doves and New World flycatchers develop normal song in isolation even after deafening. In learners, deaf songs are degraded and variable, even lacking features that an intact male develops in isolation, suggesting that aspects of song production are guided by auditory templates in the brain, with species-specific song specifications. Given a choice, most birds prefer to learn conspecific song. Some individual song repertoires are huge, built up by the reiteration of processes of imitation, segmentation, recombination, improvisation, and invention. Such birds are almost unmanageable as subjects for scientific study, but as animal models of the creative impulse, they are one of the few that comes close to human standards.
600.50 Penetrance of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) and Repair (TMVr) for Severe Mitral Regurgitation at a High-Volume US Center

Mitral valve disease is the most common valve pathology, but patients are not good surgical candidates. Novel transcatheter repair and replacement options are available in clinical trials. However, many patients are not referred for treatment. When referred, many patients fail screening for the
19.7 A Scalable Pipelined Time-Domain DTW Engine for Time-Series Classification Using Multibit Time Flip-Flops With 140Giga-Cell-Updates/s Throughput

Dynamic time warping (DTW), a variant of the dynamic programming algorithm, is widely used for time series classification [1]. Its strong capability for distance measurement for variable-speed temporal sequences makes DTW a popular method for time-series classification in broad applications, such as ECG diagnosis, motion detection, DNA sequencing, etc. [1]. Several efforts have proposed for accelerating the operation of DTW, including a recent demonstration of time-based design in DNA sequencing [2]. However, the demonstration was confined to single-bit operations, a fixed sequence length and low throughput due to nonpipelined operation and a large single-bit delay. To overcome such challenges, this work presents a general-purpose DTW engine for time-series classification using time-domain computing. Pipelined operation is enabled by a time flip-flop (TFF) leading to order-of-magnitude improvements in throughput and a scalable processing capability for time series. Compared with recent time-domain designs, which do not have time-domain memory elements, this work realizes a time-domain pipelined architecture [3].
Risk of Osteoporosis and Fractures in Patients with Thyroid Cancer: A Case-Control Study in U.S. Veterans.

BACKGROUND Data on osteoporosis and fractures in patients with thyroid cancer, especially men, are conflicting. Our objective was to determine osteoporosis and fracture risk in U.S. veterans with thyroid cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a case-control study using the Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data Warehouse (2004-2013). Patients with thyroid cancer (n = 10,370) and controls (n = 10,370) were matched by age, sex, weight, and steroid use. Generalized linear mixed-effects regression model was used to compare the two groups in terms of osteoporosis and fracture risk. Next, subgroup analysis of the patients with thyroid cancer using longitudinal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was performed to determine its effect on risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Other covariates included patient age, sex, median household income, comorbidities, and steroid and androgen use. RESULTS Compared with controls, osteoporosis, but not fractures, was more frequent in patients with thyroid cancer (7.3% vs. 5.3%; odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.49) when controlling for median household income, Charlson/Deyo comorbidity score, and androgen use. Subgroup analysis of patients with thyroid cancer demonstrated that lower TSH (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.97), female sex (OR, 4.24; 95% CI, 3.53-5.10), older age (e.g., ≥85 years: OR, 17.18; 95% CI, 11.12-26.54 compared with <50 years), and androgen use (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.18-2.23) were associated with osteoporosis. Serum TSH was not associated with fractures (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.96-1.07). CONCLUSION Osteoporosis, but not fractures, was more common in U.S. veterans with thyroid cancer than controls. Multiple factors may be contributory, with low TSH playing a small role. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Data on osteoporosis and fragility fractures in patients with thyroid cancer, especially in men, are limited and conflicting. Because of excellent survival rates, the number of thyroid cancer survivors is growing and more individuals may experience long-term effects from the cancer itself and its treatments, such as osteoporosis and fractures. The present study offers unique insight on the risk for osteoporosis and fractures in a largely male thyroid cancer cohort. Physicians who participate in the long-term care of patients with thyroid cancer should take into consideration a variety of factors in addition to TSH level when considering risk for osteoporosis.
Intermittent Phosphate Usage for Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis in the Setting of a Phosphate Shortage

Purpose: Hypophosphatemia during pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is often replaced through a continuous infusion of intravenous (IV) fluids with potassium phosphate. In 2012, during an IV pot...
Formation of Ares Vallis (Mars) by effusions of low-viscosity lava within multiple regions of chaotic terrain

Abstract Ares Vallis is one of the largest outflow channels on Mars, extending northward >1500 km from the highlands of Margaritifer Terra into the Chryse impact basin. This outflow system developed primarily during the Hesperian and Amazonian as a result of voluminous effusions from the subsurface that took place within Iani Chaos, Aram Chaos, Margaritifer Chaos, and Hydaspis Chaos. Though Ares Vallis is widely interpreted as a product of catastrophic outbursts from aquifers, its basic attributes do not appear to support aqueous origins of any kind: aquifer outburst mechanisms lack meaningful solar system analogs, clear examples of fluvial or diluvial sedimentary deposits are apparently absent at Ares Vallis, and there is no mineralogical evidence along component channels and within terminal basins for extensive aqueous alteration or for deposition of thick evaporite units. Instead, as is the case at hundreds of ancient channels of the inner solar system, the nature of Ares Vallis is aligned with dry volcanic origins. Such origins are broadly consistent with the system's relatively pristine mineralogy, the widespread mantling of component channels by lava flows, and the apparent presence of voluminous mare-style flood lavas within terminal basins. With assumed lava viscosities of 1 Pa s and temperatures of 1350 °C, discharge rates of ~97 × 106 m3/s are estimated at Ares Vallis for 100-m-deep flows along channel reaches with widths of 25 km and slopes of only 0.2°. Mechanical and thermal incision are respectively estimated to be ~12.2 m/day and 2.3 m/day for 100-m-deep flows on these slopes. Formation of the main Ares Vallis channel and associated regions of chaos is likely to have required a minimum effused lava volume of ~1.8 × 106 km3, and still greater lava volumes would have been necessary to form associated channel reaches including those located south of Margaritifer Chaos.
Susceptibility of the one-dimensional Ising model: is the singularity at T = 0 an essential one?

The zero-field, isothermal susceptibility of the classical one-dimensional Ising model is shown to have a relatively simple singularity as the temperature approaches zero, proportional only to the inverse temperature. This is in contrast to what is seen throughout the literature: an essential singularity involving an exponential dependence on the inverse temperature. The analysis involves nothing beyond straightforward series expansions, starting either with the partition function for a closed chain in a magnetic field, obtained using the transfer matrix approach; or from the expression for the zero-field susceptibility found via the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. In both cases, the exponential singularity is cancelled by part of a term that is usually considered ignorable in the thermodynamic limit.
Patient Satisfaction with IUD Services in a School-Based Health Center: A Pilot Study.

Abstract Study Objective We aimed to determine the acceptability to and satisfaction of high school students receiving an intrauterine device (IUD) at a school-based health center (SBHC). Design, Setting, Participants, Interventions, and Main Outcome Measures In this prospective pilot study at a Bronx SBHC, adolescent patients who had an IUD inserted in the SBHC between November 2010 and June 2013 completed a self-administered survey on the day of IUD insertion and a follow-up survey within 6 months. The initial survey addressed patient sexual and contraceptive history, reasons for choosing the IUD, and the insertion experience, whereas the follow-up survey addressed IUD continuation and side effects. Results In all, 104 of 139 (75%) eligible patients agreed to participate, and 75 (72%) of those completed the follow-up survey. Respondents chose IUDs because they were long-lasting, effective, private, and easy to remember, and chose the SBHC for services because it was convenient, recommended, free, and a trusted setting. Participants rated their interactions with SBHC staff highly, and almost all described their procedure experience as somewhat or very acceptable. Of the respondents, 92% were still using the IUD at the time of the follow-up survey, with 32% stating that they were somewhat satisfied and 65% stating they were very satisfied with this method of contraception. Conclusion Our research demonstrates that IUD services can be integrated into the SBHC setting with high rates of acceptability and satisfaction. Furthermore, SBHCs provide a unique and acceptable option for providing these services and have the potential to increase adolescents’ contraceptive access and choice.
Outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with eosinophil-predominant colonic inflammation.

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterised by acute intestinal mucosal inflammation with chronic inflammatory features. Various degrees of mucosal eosinophilia are present along with the typical acute (neutrophil-predominant) inflammation. The effect of intestinal eosinophils on IBD outcomes remains unclear. Methods This is a retrospective study. Archived intestinal mucosal biopsy specimens of treatment-naive IBD patients were examined by two pathologists. The number of eosinophils per high-power field was counted, and the mucosal inflammation was classified according to the eosinophilic inflammatory patterns. Clinical outcomes during the follow-up period were recorded. Results 142 treatment-naive IBD patients were included. Mean age was 39 years. 83% of patients had ulcerative colitis, and median follow-up was 3 years. 41% of patients had disease flare(s) and 24% required hospitalisation. Eosinophil count was not associated with risk of disease flare or hospitalisation. Patients with neutrophil-predominant inflammation (>70% neutrophils) had greater risk of disease flare(s): 27(55%) versus 24(36%) and 7(28%) in patients with mixed and eosinophil-predominant inflammation, respectively (p=0.04). Overall, patients with neutrophil-predominant inflammation were more likely to have a disease flare; HR: 2.49, 95% CI (1.0 to 5.6). Hospitalisation rate was higher in patients with neutrophil-predominant inflammation: 17(35%) compared to 17(19%) in patients with eosinophil-rich inflammation (p=0.04). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed higher flare-free survival in patients with eosinophil-predominant inflammation compared to mixed and neutrophil-predominant inflammation. Conclusion IBD patients with eosinophil-predominant inflammation phenotype might have reduced risk of disease flares and hospitalisation. Larger prospective studies to assess IBD outcomes in this subpopulation are warranted.
Evolving public views on the value of one's DNA and expectations for genomic database governance: Results from a national survey.

We report results from a large survey of public attitudes regarding genomic database governance. Prior surveys focused on the context of academic-sponsored biobanks, framing data provision as altruistic donation; our survey is designed to reflect four growing trends: genomic databases are found across many sectors; they are used for more than academic biomedical research; their value is reflected in corporate transactions; and additional related privacy risks are coming to light. To examine how attitudes may evolve in response to these trends, we provided survey respondents with information from mainstream media coverage of them. We then found only 11.7% of respondents willing to altruistically donate their data, versus 50.6% willing to provide data if financially compensated, and 37.8% unwilling to provide data regardless of compensation. Because providing one’s genomic data is sometimes bundled with receipt of a personalized genomic report, we also asked respondents what price they would be willing to pay for a personalized report. Subtracting that response value from one’s expected compensation for providing data (if any) yields a net expected payment. For the altruistic donors, median net expected payment was -$75 (i.e. they expected to pay $75 for the bundle). For respondents wanting compensation for their data, however, median net expected payment was +$95 (i.e. they expected to receive $95). When asked about different genomic database governance policies, most respondents preferred options that allowed them more control over their data. In particular, they favored policies restricting data sharing or reuse unless permission is specifically granted by the individual. Policy preferences were also relatively consistent regardless of the sector in which the genomic database was located. Together these findings offer a forward-looking window on individual preferences that can be useful for institutions of all types as they develop governance approaches in this area of large-scale data sharing.
Epidemiology of COVID-19 Among Incarcerated Individuals and Staff in Massachusetts Jails and Prisons.

This cohort study describes the COVID-19 burden among incarcerated individuals and staff in Massachusetts jails and prisons and assesses the association of COVID-19 case rates with decarceration and testing rates.
Homicidal Event Forecasting and Interpretable Analysis Using Hierarchical Attention Model

Crime and violence have always imposed significant societal threats across the world. Understanding the underlying causes behind them and making early predictions can help mitigate such occurrences to some extent. We propose a hierarchical attention-based mechanism that utilizes the temporal nature of event incidents obtained from news articles to extract information indicative of future events and make predictions accordingly. Our approach serves two important purposes: a) It models sequential information within the news articles and the sentences that comprise them to learn contextual information using Recurrent Neural Networks. b) The use of attention mechanism ensures that informative sentences and articles are selected for predicting future events and provides an analysis of precursors of the events. Through quantitative and qualitative evaluation, we show that our model can successfully make predictions while also being interpretable, which in turn can help make more informed decisions for social analysis.
How families matter for health inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic

We theorize that social conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to increase the importance of families for health and widen existing inequalities. We suggest three primary tenets important for understanding families and health during COVID-19. First, risks of specific COVID-19 outcomes and other health problems are unevenly distributed across families. Second, how families impact health during the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on public policies, organizational decisions, and concurrent events. Third, many health inequalities driven by racism, sexism, classism, and other oppressive societal force are amplified during COVID-19, but the extent to which this is occurring is shaped by families and by the public policies, organizational decisions, and concurrent events that also impact families and health. As health disparities continue to emerge from this pandemic, we call on researchers and policy-makers to pay attention to the multiple ways that families matter.
Precisely timed theta oscillations are selectively required during the encoding phase of memory.

Brain oscillations have been hypothesized to support cognitive function by coordinating spike timing within and across brain regions, yet it is often not known when timing is either critical for neural computations or an epiphenomenon. The entorhinal cortex and hippocampus are necessary for learning and memory and exhibit prominent theta oscillations (6–9 Hz), which are controlled by pacemaker cells in the medial septal area. Here we show that entorhinal and hippocampal neuronal activity patterns were strongly entrained by rhythmic optical stimulation of parvalbumin-positive medial septal area neurons in mice. Despite strong entrainment, memory impairments in a spatial working memory task were not observed with pacing frequencies at or below the endogenous theta frequency and only emerged at frequencies ≥10 Hz, and specifically when pacing was targeted to maze segments where encoding occurs. Neural computations during the encoding phase were therefore selectively disrupted by perturbations of the timing of neuronal firing patterns. By manipulating the rhythmicity of neural activity in entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, Quirk et al. show that memory is impaired by aberrant oscillatory activity during the encoding phase, but not during retention or retrieval phases.
Principles for the organization of gene-sets

A gene-set, an important concept in microarray expression analysis and systems biology, is a collection of genes and/or their products (i.e. proteins) that have some features in common. There are many different ways to construct gene-sets, but a systematic organization of these ways is lacking. Gene-sets are mainly organized ad hoc in current public-domain databases, with group header names often determined by practical reasons (such as the types of technology in obtaining the gene-sets or a balanced number of gene-sets under a header). Here we aim at providing a gene-set organization principle according to the level at which genes are connected: homology, physical map proximity, chemical interaction, biological, and phenotypic-medical levels. We also distinguish two types of connections between genes: actual connection versus sharing of a label. Actual connections denote direct biological interactions, whereas shared label connection denotes shared membership in a group. Some extensions of the framework are also addressed such as overlapping of gene-sets, modules, and the incorporation of other non-protein-coding entities such as microRNAs.
John Adams, Constitution Monger

John Adams never ceased defending his work as “Constitution monger.” As author of the Massachusetts constitution of 1780, he had successfully devised a governmental structure of separated powers and fixed, express limitations that became an enduring model for modern American constitutionalism. Even so, he continued to believe this structure – resting on a bicameral legislature, a strong executive, and an independent judiciary – to be in constant danger. The threat, he feared, began with human nature itself, which he viewed as prone to irrationality and disorder. Men in the abstract might be trusted and their sovereignty acknowledged, but in reality it was necessary to create a “government of laws, and not of men.” This essay examines his experience in the tumultuous world of Massachusetts politics and his efforts to embody the will of the people and simultaneously to protect it from itself
Mutational analysis of G protein alpha subunit G(o) alpha expressed in Escherichia coli.

G protein-mediated signal transduction is dependent on alpha subunit interactions with βy subunits, receptors, effectors, magnesium ions, and guanine nucleotides. The interdependence of these interactions can be probed by mutational analysis. We developed large scale screening procedures in recombinant Escherichia coli to identify and characterize novel mutations in Goα. Random mutations were generated by polymerase chain reaction in the amino-terminal 56 amino acids of Goα. Guanine nucleotide binding properties of the mutants were assayed in situ and in crude extracts of recombinant E. coli. βy interactions were assayed by pertussis toxin mediated ADP-ribosylation. Efficacy of the screening procedures was evaluated by studying properties of wild-type Goα and site-directed mutations that were characterized previously in other G proteins. Several novel mutants with altered GTP binding characteristics and reduced ability to interact with beta gamma had been isolated from the randomly generated mutant library. ADP-ribosylation of mutants R10G, K21N, and K35E was significantly reduced, whereas two of the mutants bearing multiple amino acid substitutions were refractory to modification. Mutant K35E also exhibited reduced affinity to guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate at submicromolar concentrations of magnesium. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using large scale random mutagenesis in the studies of G protein function.
Structuring and Governing Alliances: New Directions for Research

The purpose of this article is to identify a future research agenda relating to the structure and governance of international alliances. Despite emerging research that is being carried out on topics related to the structuring, management, and governance of domestic and international collaborations, much remains unknown and warrants future work. The new directions in alliance research partially stem from the recent greater availability of databases that contain actual contract details. We also relate some of the contributions of the articles in the special issue to the research agenda we are calling for.
Visual Culture in Africa

Paul S. Landau and Deborah D. Kaspin. eds. Images and Empires: Visuality in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. xvi. 380 pp.
Chemical flux, mixed layer entrainment and phytoplankton blooms at upwelling fronts in the California coastal zone

Abstract Atmospheric and in situ physical processes appear to generate a sustained chemical flux at the frontal boundaries of coastal upwelling systems. In this study off Pt. Sur. California, satellite images and three-dimensionally presented in situ data show the evolution of an upwelling system with a strong chemical front and a large phytoplankton bloom in a surface layer juxtaposed to the frontal boundary. Nutrient uptake from this layer by phytoplankton, ranging from 0.15 to 2.39 μM NO3 d1, is indicated by primary production measurements in the bloom. Based on an atmospheric forcing model, wind stress drives the physical entrainment of nutrients from deeper layers into the “mixed layer” adjacent to the front at rates ranging from 0 to 0.76 μM NO3 d1. From a dynamic balance of nutrient exchange processes, a lateral cross-front exchange from the upwelling system to the adjacent mixed layer is also indicated. These two mixing processes, sustained by atmospheric forcing may explain the chemostat-like persistence of phytoplankton pigments which appear along the boundaries of upwelling systems in situ and in remotely sensed ocean color images of the California coastal zone.
Oral bioavailability of apomorphine in the rat with a portacaval venous anastomosis.

Orally administered apomorphine failed to produce stereotyped behavior in sham-operated rats, but did so following portacaval venous anastomosis. Brain and serum levels of apomorphine were highly correlated and corresponded with ratings of stereotypy. Tissue levels were undetectable after oral administration of apomorphine in intact rats but in shunted rats, were similar to those found after s.c. injection. These results suggest that a strong first-pass hepatic metabolism may account for the low oral bioavailability of catechol-aporphines.
Identification and quantitation of ascorbic acid in extracts of human lymphocytes by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Sixty percent methanol is widely used for the extraction of nucleotides from lymphocytes for quantitation by high-performance liquid chromatography. In the course of such studies, we noted that these extracts analyzed on an anion-exchange column showed a major “unknown” uv-absorbing peak which eluted after the nucleosides and before the nucleotides. The material cochromatographed with and had the spectral properties of ascorbic acid. This compound was identified as ascorbic acid by chemical and enzymatic assays. The ascorbate content of human lymphocytes determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, 42.2 ± 3.3 nmol 10 8 cells (mean ± SEM), agreed closely with the levels obtained by standard less sensitive methodology. Evidence is presented that this technique can be used to determine the ascorbate content of lymphocytes where only scanty material or very low levels are found.
Popularity or Influence? The Use of Citation Index to Identify Leaders in Family Therapy

Our frequency analysis of most living family therapy theorists using the Social Science Citation Index yielded a definite increase in frequencies over the last ten years and considerable differences in frequencies among various theorists.
Evolution of Icelandic central volcanoes: evidence from the Austurhorn intrusion, southeastern Iceland

The Austurhorn intrusive complex in southeastern Iceland represents an exhumed Tertiary central volcano. The geometry of the intrusion and geochemistry of the mafic and felsic rocks indicate Austurhorn was a volcanic center analogous to Eyjafjallajokull and Torfajokull in Iceland's eastern neovolcanic zone (EVZ). Early transitional tholeiitic basalt magmatism at Austurhorn formed a shallow crustal chamber ∼5 km in diameter. Apparent rhythmic modal layering of, and intrusive contacts within, the gabbro indicate the mafic chamber was replenished frequently as it cooled and crystallized. Felsic activity postdated near-solidification of the gabbro; numerous granitic magmas intruded along gabbro margins and within the adjacent crust. Field relations indicate that infrequent felsic replenishment prevented convective mixing of the Austurhorn chamber during this time, although commingled mafic and felsic magmas are observed in an extensive net veined complex. Late stage mafic dikes intrude the entire complex, suggesting that magmatic heat was abundantly available throughout the evolution of the Austurhorn system. Plagioclase and clinopyroxene compositions in mafic through felsic rocks, including gabbros, support a model of progressive differentiation. Field relations constrain the felsic magmas to originate at P≥1 kbar, presumably by fractional crystallization. The structure and geochemistry of the Austurhorn intrusive complex suggest formation in an immature rift environment similar to the modern EVZ. The proposed rift segment was parallel to the western and eastern neovolcanic zones, and probably resulted from a reorganization of plate boundaries ∼7 Ma (Saemundsson 1979; Helgason 1985; Jancin et al. 1985) triggered by activity of the Iceland mantle plume.
CLOSURE IN COLE'S REFORMULATED LEONTIEF MODEL: A Response to R. W. Jackson, M. Madden, and H. A. Bowman

My paper The delayed impacts of plant closures in a reformulated Leontief model showed that the time-varying impacts of changes to a regional economy could be approximated usefully by a simple elaboration of the Leontief inverse (Cole, 1988). I have applied the method in a variety of situations, typically to calculate the shifts in community income and its distribution following a major catastrophe. In all cases I use a single or multi-region social accounting matrix. Since Jackson et al (1997) have been unable to reproduce my results I shall begin with a step-by-step demonstration. Then I shall show that their failure lies in their treatment of the external (rest-of- world) sector. This appears to arise from their overly restrictive definition of input-output analysis in relation to other types of model, and their confusion as to the difference between simplification, approximation, and model validation.
Transform Coding of Speech with Pyramid Vector Quantization

The pyramid vector quantizer (PVQ) is a lattice quantizer that was motivated bv the geometric properties of a memoryless Laplacian source. For large rates and the cubic lattice. the PVQ provides improvements of 2.39, 5.64, and 8.40 dB for memoryless Gaussian, Laplacian, and gamma sources, respectivelv, compared to the corresponding optimum (noniuniform) scalar quantizer. The lattice basis of the PVQ allows simple encoding and decoding algorithms with a complexity that grows only linearly with the vector dimension. A correlated source such as speech has a geometric nature that is not well suited to the PVQ unless transform coding is used. It is demonstrated that an encoding system using a cosine transform, interleaving of the transform coefficients, and pyramid vector quantization can achieve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance in excess of 20dB for an average rate of 2 bits/sample.
Vibrational spectra of 1,3-dideuterioallene and normal mode calculations for allene

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra of 1,3-d2-allene were measured and fundamental frequencies were assigned. The frequencies were used with previously published data for the d0, d4, d1 and 1,1,-d2 isotopomers of allene in force field calculations. A new ab initio quantum mechanical force field calculated at the 6-31G** level was scaled to fit the anharmonic fundamental frequencies and used to provide some of the interaction constants for a second, conventionally refined force field.
Alternative techniques for high energy neutrino astronomy

Abstract With increasing interest in high energy astrophysical neutrinos and particularly neutrinos near the upper end of the cosmic ray spectrum, many new projects are underway in the attempt to initiate neutrino astronomy beyond the solar system. We summarize some of the trends and the initiatives.
Effects of puerarin on the reduction of glucose and promotion of overall health in acutely stressed Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Actinopterygii: Salmoniformes: Salmonidae)

Background. Farmed fish reared in aquaculture systems are exposed to physiological stressors from biological, chemical, and physical sources. The consequences of these stressors affect the productivity of farming outcomes by reducing immune response, growth, and development within fish. A 24-h study was performed to determine the effects of supplementing puerarin—the most biologically active ingredient present in the roots of kudzu (Pueraria lobata )—within farmed fish on acute handling stress. Materials and methods. Fingerlings of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha , were maintained at 16‐18oC in 10 US gallon (37.8 L) glass tanks, supplied with recirculated and aerated dechlorinated water. Puerarin was given to fish through supplementation to commercial fish feed pellets. Acute handling stress was induced through transferring the fish from their housing tanks into 8 designated tanks at 0000 h. Subsequently, at 5 h post-transfer all the fish were fed to satiation, following which the stressed groups were chased with nets. Results. The results indicated that administration of puerarin through feed supplementation reduces plasma glu cose, hematocrit, plasma protein, and improves spleen somatic indices after 24 h, and thereby counteracting the negative consequences of acute stress induced through handling . Conclusion. The results suggest that supplementation of puerarin to commercial fish feed improved overall fish health through enhancing systemic circulation while attenuating plasma glucose. Being one of the first studies to study the effects of puerarin on fish, our results are in agreement with prior research with puerarin on other ani mal models .
Endocrine Regulation of Lipid Synthesis in Decapod Crustaceans

The legulation of lipid synthesis in the hepatopancreas of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes and the crayfish Procambarus sp. was investigated. Although deatalking induces an increase in the rate of 14C-1-acetate incorporation into lipid, injections of crustecdysone into intermolt animals fail to elicit a similar response. In addition, the increased rate of lipid synthesis induced by destalking is unaffected by removal of the Y-organ. It would appear then that the increase in lipid synthesis characteristic of early premolt is not controlled by either crustecdysone or the Y-organ. It is suggested that formation of acetyl-CoA by any one of a number of possible mechanisms may bethe manner in which the increase in fatty acid synthesis is effected during premolt.
Targeting the Young, the Poor, the Less Educated: Thinking beyond Traditional Media.

Abstract The research presented in this article focuses on ways to communicate pro-social messages to often overlooked and underserved societal subgroups. Specifically, the research focuses on methods of disseminating information to low-income persons lacking reading skills or a high school education (or its equivalent) to encourage them to enroll in classes provided by a state’s adult education (AE) programs. The results of the research suggest that traditional mass media may not be the most appropriate or efficient information channels for public relations and other communicators wishing to convey such pro-social messages to similar audiences. If mass media are employed, it may be necessary to rethink both the content and the intended receivers of such messages.
Transnational networks, diffusion dynamics, and electoral revolutions in the postcommunist world

Abstract Since 1996, eight elections have taken place in postcommunist Europe and Eurasia that have replaced illiberal with liberal governments. There is ample evidence that these “electoral revolutions” reflected the cross-national diffusion of a distinctive model of regime change that was developed elsewhere and that was designed to promote democratization in authoritarian political contexts featuring semi-competitive elections. This electoral model spread throughout the postcommunist region because of both shared perceptions by opposition groups of similar local conditions and the existence of transnational democracy promotion networks that included local, regional and American participants. As these revolutions spread, however, they were less successful in carrying through democratic change-in part because local conditions were less supportive and in part because authoritarian leaders and their international allies were both forewarned and forearmed.
Intermediate energy nucleon-deuteron elastic scattering

The adequacy of a multiple scattering description of nucleon-deuteron scattering at intermediate energy is examined. Although the multiple-scattering series is expected to converge slowly, model calculations indicate that the higher-order multiple-scattering terms contribute only to the low-order partial waves. The first two terms, nucleon exchange and single scattering, are assumed to describe the high-order partial waves completely. It is assumed that the deuteron is coupled only to the nucleon channel and that the internal structure is adequately defined by a nonrelativistic wave function.
Constructing the Break: 'Syncopated Tricksterism' as Afro-Diaspora Kairos inside Anglo-Capitalist Chronos

This essay will argue that European discourses of the social sciences and humanities have privileged ocular understandings of knowledge, and that Afro-diasporic political and cultural resistance has often mobilised an alternative episteme of the ear to carve out hidden life worlds inside Western hegemonic formations (Berendt, 1992, pp. 21–23; Esteva and Prakash, 1998, pp. 75–76; Gilroy, 1993, pp. 73, 198–202). In general, the essay will probe the tactics of African diaspora communities in taking up time as a resource for resistance and innovation ‘inside’ the modern capitalist project of rationalising labour and routinising the body through the category of race (Gilroy, 1987, pp. 197–209). The argument is that this sophisticated labouring of time into alternative spaces and delirious places is quintessentially ‘political’ and functions as a form of de facto tricksterism that holds up to the community the arbitrary and constructed nature of the very forms by which it is controlled and dominated (Babcock-Abrahams, 1975, pp. 182–85; Siems, 1991, pp. 148–49). Such a sophistication makes resistance a possibility even in the tightest tenement, the most meagre interval. By itself, of course, such a resistance does not translate into an alternative world, a utopian realisation of, say, Martin Luther King’s ‘beloved community’. But it does point up one of the fault lines in a totalitarian project.
The Eastern Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle Alcyon Alcyon (Linnaeus), in Relation to Fish Management

Abstract The kingfisher is the most common and universally distributed bird predator of fish in Michigan. Its principal migration routes are along the Great Lakes shores. Nesting territories are established along streams and lake shores; they are usually larger in the former than in the latter. The kingfisher is diurnal in its feeding with three peaks of activity–morning, afternoon, and early evening. First feeding of fledgelings is on insects; this food is followed by crayfish, then by fish. Fish eaten average about 2.3 inches in length and at fish hatcheries are mostly the species being propagated. On natural waters the food consists mostly of non-food and non-game fishes and crayfish. Predation pressure varies with season and within season according to weather, nest distribution, and environmental suitabliity of waters for feeding activity. Because of their feeding proclivities, it is undesirable to have kingfishers about fish hatcheries and rearing stations. At present, general control on natural wate...