cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large Changes in Electronic Structures of Ru26+ Species Caused by the Variations of the Bite Angle of Guanidinate Ligands: Tuning Magnetic Behavior

Syntheses and characterization of two Ru26+ paddlewheel compounds having very different magnetic behavior are reported. The compounds Ru2(tbn)4Cl2, 1, and Ru2(tbo)4Cl2, 2 (where tbn = the anion of 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-6-ene and tbo = the anion of 1,4,6-triazabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-4-ene), have four equatorial bicyclic guanidinate ligands and two chloride ions in axial positions. They show large disparity in Ru−Ru distances of about 0.11 A (2.389(3) and 2.499(3) A at 30 K for 1 and 2, respectively) that is attributed to the divergence in the bite angle of the ligand. Variable temperature structural data show no significant changes in the Ru−Ru distances between 30 and 213 K suggesting that the electronic structure remains unchanged in this temperature range for both compounds. Magnetic studies of 1 indicate there are two unpaired electrons at room temperature but the compound behaves as essentially diamagnetic at ∼2 K. Compound 2 is non-magnetic across all temperatures in the range of 2 to 300 K. Densi...
1380 REDUCED INCIDENCE OF HYPERBILIEDBINEMIA IN LOW BIRTHWEIGHT BABIES RECEIVING PHENOBAHBITAL

A clinical trial to evaluate phenobarbital (PB) prophylaxis of germinal matrix hemorrhage recruited 280 babies with birth-weight 10 mg% on d 5-7) occurred in 7% of 128 babies who received PB, and in 13.6% of 118 babies who received placebo. Exposure to phototherapy lights and use of exchange transfusion were based on decisions of physicians who were naive to the babies' drug assignment. Duration of phototherapy was similar in babies who received PB (5.7±2.6d) and those who received placebo (6.3±2.4d). The babies who received placebo were more than twice as likely than PB receivers to have an exchange transfusion (3.6% vs. 1.6%). We conclude that in LBW infants requiring ventilatory assistance, receipt of PB is associated with a lower incidence of hyperbilirubinemia. Whether the effect of PB is a direct one on hepatic function, is secondary to an effect on germinal matrix hemorrhage, or to a combination of these effects remains to be determined.
An analytical model for the low- emitter-impurity-concentration transistor

Abstract The epitaxial transistor model developed by Grung and Warner is adapted for predicting the characteristics of the low-emitter-impurity-concentration (LEC) transistor. The model predicts the following results for the low region (the lightly-doped emitter region): through a given cross section, the minority-carrier drift current is typically larger than the minority-carrier diffusion current. In other words, the model predicts that the conventional low-level minority-carrier diffusion equation is invalid for the low region, especially for typical bias levels. As a result, the effect of the electric field on minority carriers cannot be neglected in the low region of the LEC transistor and (by extension) in the corresponding low regions of such devices as the epitaxial diode and the integrated-injection-logic transistor.
You reap what you sow: the ethical discourse of professional accounting☆

Abstract In this essay I argue that some of the responsibility for the recent accounting scandals (e.g., Enron, Andersen) lies with scholars and teachers of accounting. Utilizing the theory of shared professional responsibility developed by Larry May (1992), I argue that the accounting academy’s search for scientific respectability has had the consequence of destroying our ability as a discipline to have the shared values required to prevent Enron’s and Andersen’s from occurring. The ascendance of Positive Economic Science as the monolithic paradigm of accounting scholarship has deprived us of any coherent ethical discourses with which to make judgements about the “propriety” of professional behavior. Constructing such a discourse is now a primary responsibility of the academy.
Saccade detection during smooth tracking

Abstract Saccade detection in an eye-movement trace provides a starting point for analyses ranging from the investigation of low-level oculomotor mechanisms to high-level cognitive processes. When the eye tracks the motion of the object of current interest (smooth pursuit), of the visual background (OKN), or of the resultant visual motion from a head movement (tVOR, rVOR), the smooth tracking movement is generally intermixed with rapid-phase saccadic eye movements, which must be excised to analyze the smooth components of tracking behavior properly. We describe a simple method to detect saccades on a background trace of variable velocity, compare our saccade-detection algorithm with the performance of an expert human observer, and present an ideal-observer analysis to benchmark its detection performance.
Implicit interest on demand deposits

Abstract Traditionally, monetary theory assumes money bears zero interest. More recently, it has been recognized that banks implicitly pay interest through providing free services. In this paper, the implicit interest rate is estimated from two different sources. Implicit interest appears to be about one-half of what a competitive rate would be in the absence of the prohibition against explicit interest.
Effect of HIV infection on the expression and the activity of the proteasome in primary CD4 T cells

Background HIV-specific CD8 T cells responses rely on the recognition of peptide-MHC-I complexes by cognate T cell receptors. HIV-derived MHC-I epitopes result from the degradation of viral proteins by the cellular processing machinery including proteasomes and aminopeptidases. Interferon gamma changes proteasome composition and peptidase activities. We hypothesize that HIV infection might affect the expression or activities of the antigen processing machinery, either through a direct effect of the virus or indirectly through cellular activation or from the release of cytokines by surrounding infected cells.
The Human Body and Human Happiness in Aquinas's Summa Theologiae

There appears to be no serious treatment of the positive role played by the body in Aquinas's account of human happiness. This would seem to be a significant gap in the literature given Aquinas's well known insistence on the human person as a body-soul unity. This paper aims at taking a first step in filling-in the gap by considering Aquinas's discussion of the body's part in human happiness in the Secunda Pars of the Summa theologiae. In particular it considers the place of the body in each of the three different forms of happiness that Aquinas talks about there. It is perhaps the role of the body in the third form of happiness – the perfect happiness of the beatific vision – that is most crucial to understand since this is human happiness simpliciter. Although the body has a part to play here too, Aquinas's understanding of it is not without problems.
Evaluation of Factors Contributing to Surface Stability of Sand-Based Turf

The stability of sand-based athletic fields is critical to maximizing playability and safety. The objective of this study was to assess the contributions of sand and plant factors to the surface stability of sports fields. In September 2000, Hallet mason sand (subround), Hallet concrete sand (subround, wide size range), Sidley Pro/Angle sand (angular), Bunker White sand (round), and a mixture of 85% Hallet mason sand + 15% soil (v/v) were filled into pre-excavated field plots. The plots were compacted using a plate compactor and consolidated naturally. Half of each plot was planted with washed sod and half seeded, both with 'Unique' Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). Angular sand in the root zones provided 10 to 47% higher cone penetration resistance than Hallet mason sand during the turf establishment. The cone resistances of Sidley Pro/Angle sand in established turf were 873.3 kPa for seeded and 976.8 kPa for sodded. Peak deceleration was positively correlated with organic matter content in the thatch/mat layer and soil moisture content. Traction could be used as a complement to the cone penetration method because both root biomass and organic matter content in the mat layer were positively correlated to the shear strength (R 2 = 0.55-0.72). The higher stability due to angular sand was still evident 4 yr after turfgrass establishment. Subround sand with particle-size distribution within the specified ranges of USGA specification should be avoided for construction or topdressing. Hallet concrete sand, with a high coefficient of uniformity, did not result in higher surface stability.
The prenatal development of the human femur

The study reported here is the result of a detailed investigation of the changes in shape of the femur with growth and torsion, the type, rate and character of ossification, and the onset, subsequent course, and general features of remodeling. Forty pairs of femurs, from a series of embryos and fetuses ranging from 26 to 342 mm in crown-rump length, were measured, radiographed, and sectioned for microscopic study. A primary bony collar was present before the end of the embryonic period, and in a 27 mm embryo it extended for about one-fifth of the length of the femur. Erosion of the collar was evident at 34 mm. and invasion and destruction of calcified cartilage were occurring by 37 mm. Cartilage canals first appeared in the proximal epiphysis at 57 mm and in the distal epiphysis at 61 mm. Along with the progression of endochondral ossification proximally and distally and the establishment of growth zones, periosteal bone formation also proceeded in both directions, and, until 275 mm, extended about 1 mm beyond the zones of cartilage destruction. After 275 mm, the extents of periosteal and endochondral ossification were the same and at term occupied almost four-fifths of the length of the femur. Trabeculation of the bony collar was first noted at 37 mm. Fusion of endochondral trabeculae with the inner aspect of the periosteal shell began by 61 mm. A central marrow cavity free of trabeculae was present at 86 mm and thereafter. Evidence of reconstruction appeared in both proximal and distal ends by 92 mm, and was consistently present in both ends in all specimens of 111 mm and larger.
Origami Tunable Frequency Selective Surfaces

A foldable frequency selective surface (FSS) is introduced that may be tuned by changing the folding state. The FSS comprises periodic elements arranged in an origami-like fashion on a dielectric sheet. By folding and unfolding the FSS, the interaction with the incident field and the mutual interactions between the elements may be altered, resulting in a shift in resonance frequency. A sample design of a tunable FSS folded into a chevron pattern and decorated with cross-shaped copper prints allows a 19% shift of resonant frequency with a change in folding angle of 60°.
A simple stochastic gene substitution model

If the fitnesses of n haploid alleles in a finite population are assigned at random and if the alleles can mutate to one another, and if the population is initially fixed for the kth most fit allele, then the mean number of substitutions that will occur before the most fit allele is fixed is shown to be (formula; see text) when selection is strong and mutation is weak. This result is independent of the parameters that went into the model. The result is used to provide a partial explanation for the large variance observed in the rates of molecular evolution.
Assigning resources and targets to an organization's activities

Abstract Each of an organization’s many activities transforms inputs into outputs. Managing these activities involves allocating input resources for some activities and assigning output targets for others. Making these decisions is especially difficult in the presence of uncertainty. In practice, many organizations address these problems by using a fairly simple “proportional allocation” heuristic (e.g., “allocate to each activity the same percentage increase (or decrease) in its resources or targets”). But proportional allocation does not consider the uncertainty inherent in the ability of each activity to make use of its resources (or meet its targets). To address this limitation, this paper uses an approach that maximizes organizational utility which is assumed to be zero if any of the activities cannot meet its target (or resource allocation). This approach, utility-based probability maximization (UPM), is a variant of stochastic optimization without recourse. UPM solutions are compared to those obtained by using the more traditional approach, chance-constrained programming. Using realistic assumptions (UPM), results in allocations and targets that are power function generalizations of proportional allocation. Moreover, these allocations are equivalent to the CCP solutions but with the advantage that they are explicit functions of the organization’s risk-preferences. Concrete numerical examples show how target and resource allocations produced by UPM can be significantly different than (and superior to) those recommended by proportional allocation and chance-constrained programming.
Adolescent Homosexuality and Culturally Competent Nursing

Nursing is striving for cultural competency. Cultural competency includes the ability to deliver care to disenfranchised and marginalized people. The adolescent gay, lesbian, or bisexual person is at risk for violence, disease, harassment, and problems with identity development. Ethnic/minority youth who are also gay, lesbian, and bisexual suffer from prejudice and disenfranchisement within their ethnic community as well as in the dominant white culture. Healthcare workers exhibit homophobia and heterosexism in the delivery of care to patients. Nursing needs to evaluate its own values and prejudices and incorporate sexual orientation into culturally valid tools of assessment to provide competent care.
Momentary assessment of PTSD symptoms and sexual risk behavior in male OEF/OIF/OND Veterans.

Abstract Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans is associated with increased sexual risk behaviors, but the nature of this association is not well understood. Typical PTSD measurement deriving a summary estimate of symptom severity over a period of time precludes inferences about symptom variability, and whether momentary changes in symptom severity predict risk behavior. Methods We assessed the feasibility of measuring daily PTSD symptoms, substance use, and high-risk sexual behavior in Veterans using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Feasibility indicators were survey completion, PTSD symptom variability, and variability in rates of substance use and sexual risk behavior. Nine male Veterans completed web-based questionnaires by cell phone three times per day for 28 days. Results Median within-day survey completion rates maintained near 90%, and PTSD symptoms showed high within-person variability, ranging up to 59 points on the 80-point scale. Six Veterans reported alcohol or substance use, and substance users reported use of more than one drug. Eight Veterans reported 1 to 28 high-risk sexual events. Heightened PTSD-related negative affect and externalizing behaviors preceded high-risk sexual events. Greater PTSD symptom instability was associated with having multiple sexual partners in the 28-day period. Limitations These results are preliminary, given this small sample size, and multiple comparisons, and should be verified with larger Veteran samples. Conclusions Results support the feasibility and utility of using of EMA to better understand the relationship between PTSD symptoms and sexual risk behavior in Veterans. Specific antecedent-risk behavior patterns provide promise for focused clinical interventions.
Conditional control of protein function

Deciphering the myriad ways in which proteins interact with each other to give rise to complex behaviors that define living systems is a significant challenge. Using perturbations of DNA, genetic analyses have provided many insights into the functions of proteins encoded by specific genes. However, it can be difficult to study essential genes using these approaches, and many biological processes occur on a fast timescale that precludes study using genetic methods. For these reasons and others, it is often desirable to target proteins directly rather than the genes that encode them. Over the past 20 years, several methods to regulate protein function have been developed. In this review, we discuss the genesis and use of these methods, with particular emphasis on the elements of specificity, speed, and reversibility.
Overexpression of A3 adenosine receptors decreases heart rate, preserves energetics, and protects ischemic hearts

To determine whether A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) signaling modulates myocardial function, energetics, and cardioprotection, hearts from wild-type and A3AR-overexpressor mice were subjected to 20-m...
Error enhancement in geomagnetic models derived from scalar data

An investigation conducted by Backus (1970) regarding the possible existence of two harmonic functions of certain characteristics in three-dimensional space is considered. The derivation of a model of the main geomagnetic field from scalar data is discussed along with a numerical simulation study. It is found that experimental discrepancies between vector field observations and the predictions of the model may have a mathematical origin, related to the work of Backus.
Evolving robust gender classification features for CAESAR data

In this paper we explore the robustness of histogram features extracted from 3D point clouds of human subjects for gender classification. Experiments are conducted using point clouds drawn from the Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource Project (CAESAR anthropometric database provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Human Effectiveness Directorate and SAE International). This database contains approximately 4400 high resolution LIDAR whole body scans of carefully posed human subjects. Features are extracted from each point cloud by embedding the cloud in series of cylindrical shapes and computing a point count for each cylinder that characterizes a region of the subject. These measurements define rotationally invariant histogram features that are processed by a classifier to label the gender of each subject. Preliminary results using cylinder sizes defined by human experts demonstrate that gender can be predicted with 98% accuracy for the type of high density point cloud found in the CAESAR database. In our previous has shown that when point cloud densities are reduced to levels that might be obtained using stand-off sensors; gender classification accuracy degrades. In this paper we show the results of how the classification accuracy degrades as a function of center of mass displacements.
Missing the Forest for the Trees &#8212; Object Technology&#146;s Second Hiatus

Object technology was first created in 1967, but it had to wait till the mid 80s for widespread acceptance and adoption. We observe that that was not the only hiatus for the technology. Another major hiatus is currently in progress. Years of experience with implementing applications using object technology have revealed the essence of the power of the paradigm — harnessing polymorphism through the use of pure types. This wisdom is solidly incorporated in design patterns and application frameworks, which are widely accepted as the cornerstones for profitable use of the technology. Although all of this has been well-known for well over a decade, mainstream object-oriented analysis and design methods provide absolutely no support for building systems that harness these aspects and are hence flexible and extensible. In this paper we show how Reenkaugs powerful idea of role modeling can be integrated into analysis and design methods to yield well-designed systems.
Simulating agent intelligence as local network dynamics and emergent organizational outcomes

We build upon our previous work (Hazy and Tivnan 2003) to represent organizations as a network of agents, tasks, resources and knowledge (Krackhardt and Carley 1998) to explore the emergent effects of agent interactions on organizational outcomes. To do this, we define agents in the context of their position in the network, describe the agent's symbolic representation of its position in the network, and develop a probabilistic function associated with each agent that acts locally to change the network. We conclude with a brief overview of our research in this area to date and the usefulness of this network representation.
Chair rise strategies in the elderly.

The elderly often have difficulty with rising from a chair. The purpose of this study was to characterize their rising strategies. A group of 22 elderly adults with a range of functional impairments was asked to rise from chairs of varying heights. Videotape motion analysis was used to identify strategies, estimate centre of mass, and measure time to rise. Three movement strategies were identified, "momentum transfer", "stabilization", and "combined" based on the velocity of trunk movement and base of support rearrangement. "Momentum transfer" uses horizontal momentum developed in the trunk to rise; "stabilization" uses centre of mass and base of support repositioning but very little momentum; "combined" uses elements of both momentum transfer and stabilization. Differences in the time to rise and the centre of mass to base of support separation between the momentum transfer and stabilization strategies were significant at each chair height. The momentum transfer, combined, and stabilization may form a continuum of chair rise strategies.
Hunger Discipline and Social Parasites The Political Economy of the Living Wage

This article examines how New Deal commitments to a living wage were overturned by neoliberal market forces after the 1970s capital accumulation crisis. A period of urban financialization followed,...
Adolescent Siblings of Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Testing a Diathesis-Stress Model of Sibling Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to test a diathesis-stress model of well-being for siblings who have a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were collected from 57 adolescents and their mothers. Sisters reported higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than brothers. Having a family history of ASDs was associated with depressive, but not anxiety, symptoms. A high level of maternal depression was also associated with more depressive and anxiety symptoms. A diathesis-stress model was partially supported, primarily through the findings that sibling sub-threshold autism characteristics were associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in siblings, but only in the presence of a high number of stressful life events.
Quality of education, comparability, and assessment choice in developing countries

Over the past decade, international development agencies have begun to emphasize the improvement of the quality (rather than simply quantity) of education in developing countries. This new focus has been paralleled by a significant increase in the use of educational assessments as a way to measure gains and losses in quality. As this interest in assessment has grown, low‐income countries have begun to adopt and adapt international and other assessments for a variety of uses, including the comparability of national quality with other countries, improved ways of measuring reading achievement and further attempts to reach marginalized populations within a country. The present paper reviews a number of international, national and ‘hybrid’ assessments, and considers their merits in terms of how learning is measured, as well as their credibility, sampling and scaling methodologies. The new hybrid assessments, for example, provide innovative opportunities for early intervention for children in their local langua...
Exploring Tourist Perceived Value: An Investigation of Asian Cruise Tourists' Travel Experience

The present study explores Asian cruise travelers' perceived value of the travel experience and the effect of perceived value on satisfaction and behavioral intention. To measure Asian travelers' multi-dimensional perceived value, a cognitive-affective perceived value model was utilized. Survey items were adapted from cruise travel attribute items and SERV-PERVAL scales. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify travelers' cognitive and affective perceived value. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted in order for researchers to examine how tourists' multi-dimensional perceived value construct affected travelers' satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Statistical results showed that Asian cruise travelers have four sub-dimensions of cognitive perceived value: “facility,” “food & beverage (F&B),” “entertainment,” and “staff.” Affective perceived value was measured by emotional response measurement items. The current study indicated travelers' perceived value of the cruise experience ...
Adding implicit invocation to traditional programming languages

Implicit invocation based on event broadcasting is an increasingly important technique for integrating systems. The authors broaden the class of systems that can benefit from this approach by showing how to augment general-purpose programming languages with facilities for implicit invocation. They illustrate the approach in the context of the Ada language. Attempts to add implicit invocation to standard languages raise a number of design decisions that can have a significant impact on the properties of the mechanism and on its usability. These design considerations are highlighted so that any similar attempt to add implicit invocation to a strongly-typed, procedure-oriented programming language can benefit from this work. >
The best of both worlds: a joint modeling approach for the assessment of change across repeated measurements

The usefulness of Bayesian methods in estimating complex statistical models is undeniable. From a Bayesian standpoint, this paper aims to demonstrate the capacity of Bayesian methods and propose a comprehensive model combining both a measurement model (e.g., an item response model, IRM) and a structural model (e.g., a latent variable model, LVM). That is, through the incorporation of the probit link and Bayesian estimation, the item response model can be introduced naturally into a latent variable model. The utility of this IRM-LVM comprehensive framework is investigated with a real data example and promising results are obtained, in which the data drawn from part of the British Social Attitudes Panel Survey 1983-1986 reveal the attitude toward abortion of a representative sample of adults aged 18 or older living in Great Britain. The application of IRMs to responses gathered from repeated assessments allows us to take the characteristics of both item responses and measurement error into consideration in the analysis of individual developmental trajectories, and helps resolve some difficult modeling issues commonly encountered in developmental research, such as small sample sizes, multiple discretely scaled items, many repeated assessments, and attrition over time.
Effect of Nicotinate Ester, Acetylcholine, and Other Vasodilating Agents on Cutaneous and Mesenteric Vascular Smooth Muscle

Vasodilating agents were tested on smooth-muscle strips of small arterial blood vessels of dog and rabbit skin and mesentery, and two patterns of reaction were demonstrated. The type 1 Vasodilating agents, for example nicotinate, caused relaxation of contracted strips or blocked their contraction. The type 2 Vasodilating compounds, histamine, choline esters, and bradykinin, either caused contraction or had no effect on the vascular smooth-muscle preparation. Responses that were species specific and region specific characterize the action of type 2 vasodilators and must be accounted for in any in-vitro testing procedure for vasodilator drugs.
On testing delay faults in macro-based combinational circuits

We consider the problem of testing for delay faults in macro-based circuits. Macro-based circuits are obtained as a result of technology mapping. Gate-level fault models cannot be used for such circuits, since the implementation of a macro may not have an accurate gate-level counterpart, or the macro implementation may not be known. Two delay fault models are proposed for macro-based circuits. The first model is analogous to the gate-level gross delay fault model. The second model is analogous to the gate-level path delay fault model. We provide fault simulation procedures, and present experimental results.
Effect of Fragmentation Method and Formulation on the Quality of Patties Made from Restructured Spent Layer Meat

Poultry patties were prepared from spent layer meat fragmented by flake cutting or grinding (0.64 cm and 2.54 cm openings). The formulation consisted of either 100% breast meat, 50–50 breast and leg meat combination or 100% leg meat. Acceptability scores for both flavor and texture were highest for breast meat patties and lowest for leg meat patties. TBA (2-thiobarbituric acid) values showed increases for all treatments at all storage periods. Water-holding capacity (WHC) was highest for breast meat patties. Shear and resistance-to-tear (RTT) values showed that flaked-cut breast meat patties had the lowest shear values but the highest level of cohesiveness. The coarsely ground patties had higher shear values and lower RTT values.
The Kielin/chordin-like Protein Kcp Can Attenuate High Fat Diet Induced Obesity And Metabolic Syndrome In Mice Model

Obesity and its associated complications, such as insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, are reaching epidemic proportions in the developed world, primarily due to the increased availability of high caloric foods and the decrease in daily physical activity. It is well established that energy balance is critical for maintaining normal body weight and homeostasis. When caloric intake chronically exceeds energy expenditures, white adipose tissue stores excess energy in the form of triglycerides, leading to obesity and related complications such as type-2 diabetes, a condition also referred to as metabolic syndrome. In mice, the TGF- superfamily is implicated in the regulation of white and brown adipose tissues differentiation. The KCP protein is a secreted regulator of the TGF- superfamily pathways that can inhibit both TGF- and Activin signals while enhancing the Bone Morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. However, the effects of KCP on metabolism and obesity have not been studied in animal models. Thus, we examined the effects of KCP loss or gain of function in mice that were maintained on either a regular or a high fat diet. Loss of KCP sensitized mice to obesity and associated complications such as hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance. In contrast, transgenic mice that expressed KCP in the kidney, liver and brown adipose tissues were resistant to developing high fat diet induced obesity and had significantly reduced white adipose tissue. KCP over-expression was able to shift the pattern of Smad signaling in vivo, to increase the levels of P-Smad1 and decrease P-Smad3, resulting in resistance to high fat diet induced hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance. The data demonstrate that shifting the TGF- superfamily signaling with a secreted inhibitor or enhancer can alter the profile of adipose tissue to reduce obesity and can inhibit the initiation and progression of hepatic steatosis to significantly reduce the effects of high fat diet induced metabolic disease. In summary, the results of this suggest that altering TGF-β superfamily signaling pathway by a secreted protein can attenuate renal fibrosis and the negative effects of obesity induced metabolic syndrome. Provide a conceptual basis for the use of secreted protein or derivatives to attenuate profibrotic pathways that depend on continued TGF-β signaling and/or counteraction by BMPs may potentially provide a novel approach to translating the protective role of BMP-7 into clinical benefit.
Structural Analysis of Multi-Helical RNAs by NMR–SAXS/WAXS: Application to the U4/U6 di-snRNA

NMR and SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering)/WAXS (wide-angle X-ray scattering) are highly complementary approaches for the analysis of RNA structure in solution. Here we describe an efficient NMR-SAXS/WAXS approach for structural investigation of multi-helical RNAs. We illustrate this approach by determining the overall fold of a 92-nt 3-helix junction from the U4/U6 di-snRNA. The U4/U6 di-snRNA is conserved in eukaryotes and is part of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP, a large ribonucleoprotein complex that comprises a major subunit of the assembled spliceosome. Helical orientations can be determined by X-ray scattering data alone, but the addition of NMR RDC (residual dipolar coupling) restraints improves the structure models. RDCs were measured in two different external alignment media and also by magnetic susceptibility anisotropy. The resulting alignment tensors are collinear, which is a previously noted problem for nucleic acids. Including WAXS data in the calculations produces models with significantly better fits to the scattering data. In solution, the U4/U6 di-snRNA forms a 3-helix junction with a planar Y-shaped structure and has no detectable tertiary interactions. Single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer data support the observed topology. A comparison with the recently determined cryo-electron microscopy structure of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP illustrates how proteins scaffold the RNA and dramatically alter the geometry of the U4/U6 3-helix junction.
Persistent Invariant Manifolds

In this section, we establish the existence of certain infinite-dimensional (codimension 1 and 2) invariant manifolds for the enlarged, perturbed system (EPNLS) (2.5.9), using a dichotomy of time scales, i.e., using normal hyperbolicity.
Phase II study of bevacizumab (B), camptosar (I), high-dose 24-hour continuous intravenous infusion of floxuridine (F) and leucovorin (L) in patients with previously untreated metastatic colon cancer. (B-IFL)

e15114 Background: In a previous study, IFL was used in patients (pt) with untreated metastatic colon cancer and a median overall survival (MOS) of 31 months (m). In the current study we added B to IFL to determine toxicity profiles (TP) and the response rate (RR) to the B-IFL regimen. The primary end-point is MOS Methods: Each cycle involved 6 weeks (wks) of treatment. The treatment cycle consisted of a 90 minute infusion of I (110 mg/m2), followed by a 24 hour infusion of F (120mg/kg) and L (500 mg/m2) on wks 1, 2, 4, 5. Pt received B (7.5mg/kg) over 90 minutes on wks 1 and 4 prior to IFL. No therapy was given on wks 3 and 6. Eligible pt received 2 cycles of B-IFL followed by CT scan. Quality of life data and thymidylate synthase expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was monitored Results: 22 pt with a median age of 57 (38–82), 11 males and 11 females were enrolled. Median KPS was 90% (50–100). 8 pt (36%) had bilobar liver disease and involvement of 1 other organ, 6 pt (27%) had bilobar liver...
Domestic Violence and Custody: Importing the American Law Institute's Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution into Oregon Law

The article examines the ALI's recommendations for how states should resolve the allocation of custodial and decisionmaking responsibility between parents when the parties have a history of domestic violence. The article compares the ALI's recommendations to existing Oregon law and concludes that the ALI gives broader attention to domestic violence, and better emphasizes the importance of domestic violence, than does Oregon law. The article highlights those areas where the specific concepts embodied in the ALI's recommendations could enhance Oregon's law and lists those provisions that Oregon should adopt. Despite the article's Oregon focus, the article may also prove useful to those outside of Oregon. By demonstrating the usefulness of a state-specific and topic-specific analysis of the ALI's recommendations, the article may encourage others to engage in a similar analysis. Those who are troubled by the ALI's recommendations as a whole, or who seek more incremental change, may elect to cherry-pick from among the ALI's provisions instead of accepting or rejecting the recommendations in their entirety. Overall, the ALI's recommended approach to domestic violence in the custody context presents some welcome "second-generation" reform, although the limitations of this reform are also identified.
A lack of clinically apparent vision loss among patients treated with vigabatrin with infantile spasms: The UCLA experience.

Abstract Background Vigabatrin (VGB) is one of two FDA-approved medications for treatment of infantile spasms. Despite demonstrated efficacy, its use has been curtailed by reports indicating a substantial risk of VGB-associated visual field loss (VAVFL). As these reports have conflicted with our clinical observations in routine practice, we systematically reviewed the experiences of patients treated with VGB at UCLA to estimate the prevalence of clinically apparent VAVFL. Methods Patients with video-EEG-confirmed infantile spasms evaluated at our center between February 2007 and February 2014 were retrospectively identified. Among patients with VGB exposure, we documented relevant clinical factors and determined the duration of therapy, peak dosage, and cumulative dosage. Based on a review of serial neurologic and ophthalmologic reports and aided by electroretinography (ERG) assessments when available, we ascertained whether each patient had evidence of clinically apparent vision impairment (i.e., recognized by a neurologist or ophthalmologist during any follow-up visit) and whether or not the vision loss was attributed to VGB exposure (i.e., evidence of bilateral, symmetric, and peripheral visual field loss), either by the treating physician or on retrospective review by the study team. Results During the study period, 257 patients with video-EEG-confirmed infantile spasms were identified. One hundred and forty-three (56%) patients received VGB. Although visual loss of any cause was common among patients with (31%) and without (32%) VGB exposure, there were no cases in which visual field defects were plausibly linked to VGB. We estimate that the risk of clinically significant VAVFL does not exceed 3.2% (95% CI upper bound). Vision loss was never characterized as exclusively peripheral and was always better explained by other causes (e.g., hemianopsia following hemispherectomy and cortical vision impairment after hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy). Precise quantitative exposure data were available for 104 (73%) patients treated with VGB, among whom the median duration of treatment was 8.6 (IQR: 3.7–16.2) months, the median peak dosage was 141.5 (IQR: 104.8–166.0) mg/kg/day, and the median cumulative dosage was 314 (IQR: 140.8–645.7) grams. Conclusions We found that the risk of clinically apparent vision loss is quite low among young children treated for infantile spasms. Our estimate of risk contrasts with prior studies and likely reflects our ascertainment of vision loss without the aid of perimetry or serial ERG, the short treatment duration, and the relatively young age of our patients. In the treatment of infantile spasms, risk–benefit assessment should consider both the low prevalence of ERG-identified VAVFL among patients with brief (
Bureaucratic Mass Media: A Study in Role Definitions

In this paper I have reconstructed the history of a group-its beginning, breakdown, and reorganization. The analysis has substantiated many empirical findings obtained in more microscopic investigations.8 When accustomed behavior does not facilitate the attainment of perceived goals, new behavior modes are attempted. The accompanied loss of anchorages produces random and fumbling response situations, and members seek to reduce psychic stress by regularizing their relationships with others within the framework of the new group structure. When leadership is incapable of facilitating this process of goal attainment, there result factionalism and internal conflict and, in the case of Calorie Collectors, the eventual re-ordering of the status system with the emergence of new leadership. In analyzing group behavior it is necessary to consider interrelatedly the ego-system of individuals, the situation or situations the members of groups face, and the pressures upon them which are found in the more general societal setting. These pressures or socio-cultural influences result from the interaction of persons in a variety of groups. They become internalized in the individual's ego-system, and the person then acts, defines, and perceives group situations and relationships in terms of them. The immediate group situation is a part of the larger cultural setting, and the former can best be understood in terms of the latter. Members of Calorie Collectors were influenced by the attitudes of their families and those of their physicians, the reactions of professional people and social agencies in the community, the stories in the press, the response of friends and associates, and the self-perceptions of their roles in the larger society. These representations of the outside culture need to be considered in the study of individual and group behavior. 8 The author refers specifically to the type of studies conducted by such investigators as A. P. Hare, Muzafer Sherif, 0. S. Harvey, A. S. Couch, L. F. Carter, E. F. Borgatta, R. F. Bales, R. W. Heyns, H. H. Kelley, M. M. Shapiro, R. M. Bass, and F. L. Strodtbeck.
Cobalt Polyoxometalate Co4V2W18O6810–: A Critical Investigation of Its Synthesis, Purity, and Observed 51V Quadrupolar NMR

The vanadium-containing cobalt polyoxometalate (Co-POM) Co4V2W18O6810– (hereafter Co4V2W18) has been reported to be a stable, homogeneous water-oxidation catalyst, one with a claimed record turnover frequency that is also reportedly 200-fold faster than its phosphorus congener, Co4P2W18O6810–. The claimed superior water-oxidation catalysis activity of the vanadium congener, Co4V2W18, rests squarely on the reported synthesis of Co4V2W18, its purity, and its stability in both the solid-state and in solution. Attempts to repeat the preparation of Co4V2W18 by either of two literature syntheses, along with the other studies reported herein, led to the discovery of multiple, convoluted problems in the prior literature of Co4V2W18. The three most serious of those problems proved to be the prior misunderstanding of the quadrupolar (herein 51V) NMR peak widths in complexes that also contain paramagnetic metals such as Co(II), the incorrect assignment of a –506.8 ppm 51V NMR to Co4V2W18, and then the use of that –5...
Monitoring results about determination of lead,cadmium,mercury in 9 kinds of food in Enshi Autonomous Prefecture

[Objective]TO perform sampling and testing of 9 kinds of common food in Enshi Autonomous Prefecture,to master the pollution situation of lead,cadmium,mercury,and provide theoretical support for developing targeted disease prevention and monitoring measures.[Methods]A total of 201 food samples of 9 categories were randomly selected from Enshi Autonomous Prefecture from 2010-2011.The atomic absorption spectrophotometer and atomic fluorescence spectrophotometer were used for lead,cadmium,and mercury content determination in food,and then calculating the qualified rate.[Results] The average qualified rate of lead determination was 97%,that of cadmium was 95% and that of mercury was 90.5%.Lead,cadmium,mercury in food mainly existed in animal offal,fresh edible fungus and vegetables.Lead qualified rate in animal offal was 85.7%,cadmium qualified rate in fresh edible fungus was 85.7%,and cadmium qualified rate in vegetables was 78.3%.The lead,cadmium,mercury qualified rates in other kinds of food were all high.[Conclusion]The contamination levels in common food are generally low in Enshi Autonomous Prefecture.There is a higher level of lead determination in animal offal,cadmium in fresh edible fungus,mercury in vegetables.Pertinent measures should be taken to reduce food contamination and to improve food safety.
Tissue interactions in the organization and maintenance of the muscle pattern in the chick limb.

Recent investigations on a hereditary muscular dysgenesis ( cn/cn ) in the chicken (Kieny, Mauger, Hedayat & Goetinck, 1983) have suggested that limb muscle pattern development and subsequent maintenance are two independent steps in the formation of the musculature. The respective activities or muscle cells and connective tissue cells in the ontogeny of the musculature have been investigated in avian embryos 1) by in ovo administration of drugs interfering with collagen biosynthesis, and 2) by heterogenetic somite-exchange experiments between normal and mutant embryos. None of the drugs administered to the chick embryo caused any disturbance of muscle pattern formation or maintenance whether treatment occurred before (5 days) or after (7·5 days) the muscle splitting period. Heterogenetic implantations were performed at 2 days of incubation either at the leg or at the wing level. Somitic mesoderm from non-mutant quail embryo was grafted to replace a piece of somitic mesoderm in putative mutant ( cn/cn ) chick embryos. The introduction of normal myogenic cells into a mutant leg or wing led to a normally patterned musculature, which demonstrates that the muscular dysgenesis cn/cn results from a defect of the somitic myogenic cell line.
Myocardial connective tissue alterations.

There is a complex network of collagen throughout the heart. It is composed of a hierarchy of fibrils and fibers ranging from 10 nm to 2–3 microns in diameter. This network can be broken down by is...
Do exchange rate changes have symmetric or asymmetric effects on stock prices

Abstract Several macro variables have been identified as determinants of stock prices and exchange rate is among them. Exchange rate changes can affect different firms differently depending on whether they are export oriented or they use heavily imported inputs. Therefore, the overall effects of exchange rate changes on an aggregate stock price index could be in either direction. Previous research assumed that exchange rate changes have symmetric effects on stock prices. In this paper after introducing nonlinearity into adjustment process and after using Nonlinear ARDL approach to cointegration and error-correction modeling combined with monthly data from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, and the U.K., we show that exchange rate changes have asymmetric effects on stock prices, though the effects are mostly short-run.
Asthma and Pseudo-Asthma

Asthma includes several different phenotypic disorders. The complexity of defining asthma is addressed. There is potential for both under- and overdiagnosis of asthma. Respiratory disorders frequently misdiagnosed as asthma, essentially pseudo-asthmas, need to be recognized and not treated as asthma.
Resource Access and Denial in World War II

World War I can be regarded as a watershed in the evolution of the relationship between resource issues and the planning and conduct of warfare. Indeed, it could be argued that strategy itself changed its meaning over the course of the war. Whereas strategy had previously been concerned largely with the operational conduct of war by naval and land forces, with the evolution of the war into a mass struggle between states, the notion of strategy expanded to embrace the active mobilization of entire economies. This transformation inevitably placed questions of resource access and denial into sharper focus. The role of resource issues in the conduct of the war will be discussed in this chapter, with particular reference to: (1) the resource positions of the belligerents, and the policies adopted in response; (2) strategies of blockade and counter-blockade; and (3) the increasing importance of oil, and the policies pursued to assure or restrict its supply.