cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circuit Reliability Analysis Using Symbolic Techniques

Due to the shrinking of feature size and the significant reduction in noise margins, nanoscale circuits have become more susceptible to manufacturing defects, noise-related transient faults, and interference from radiation. Traditionally, soft errors have been a much greater concern in memories than in logic circuits. However, as technology continues to scale, logic circuits are becoming more susceptible to soft errors than memories. To estimate the susceptibility to errors in combinational logic, the use of binary decision diagrams (BDDs) and algebraic decision diagrams (ADDs) for the unified symbolic analysis of circuit reliability is proposed. A framework that uses BDDs and ADDs and enables the analysis of combinational circuit reliability from different aspects, e.g., output susceptibility to error, influence of individual gates on individual outputs and overall circuit reliability, and the dependence of circuit reliability on glitch duration, amplitude, and input patterns, is presented. This is demonstrated by the set of experimental results, which show that the mean output error susceptibility can vary from less then 0.1% for large circuits and short glitches (20% cycle time) to about 30% for very small circuits and long enough glitches (50% cycle time)
Molecular basis of Cryptosporidium-host cell interactions: recent advances and future prospects.

Host–parasite interactions mediating attachment of Cryptosporidium spp. to host cells and invasion of the cell membrane are complex processes that involve multiple parasite and host molecules. Knowledge of the molecular basis of these processes is crucial for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying infection and for designing strategies to combat cryptosporidiosis. Recent progress in this field has been greatly facilitated by the completion of the genome sequences of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis and by success in heterologous expression of Cryptosporidium genes in the related apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. However, although a number of Cryptosporidium proteins implicated in mediating host–parasite interactions have been identified, progress in establishing their functional role has been hindered by the inability to genetically manipulate the parasite and to continuously propagate it in vitro. This article reviews the recent advances in knowledge regarding the Cryptosporid...
Filming Loss (Post-)Memory, Subjectivity, and the Performance of Failure in Recent Argentine Documentary Films

Two Argentine filmmakers of the postdictatorship generation have used the documen tary as a space in which to question constructions of history, memory, and identity in the aftermath of traumatic and tumultuous experiences. Both projects foreground the idea of loss and the difficulties of writing a "truthful" version of the past when confronted by politically motivated "official histories," temporal shift, ideological change, lost referents, and missed experience. Andr?s Di Telia's La television y yo (2003) questions the inter sections among history, identity, and the media. In it the filmmaker's identity, fragile and tenuous, is shown to be based upon memories of the television programs of his youth that he missed because of his family's self-imposed exile during the Ongania regime. The film is a clear critique of globalization's effects on subjectivity. Albertina Cam's Los rubios (2003) highlights the tenuousness of her identity by exploring the gaps and silences of memory. It raises key questions about "postmemory" and generational shifts and, more particularly, about how those at a generational remove from the traumas of dictatorship can comprehend these traumatic historical events and their own relationships to them.
Use of an operative competency model with immediate feedback to evaluate resident technical progression

METHODS: Operation specific competency forms were developed; identifying surgical-milestones based on core-competencies of the ACGME, ABS and ACS. Survey distributed to residents and faculty assessing: case-performance, training percepitions, competency’s influence on case-percentage perfomed by resident. Feedback was analyzed, forms were re-designed and second-iteration of competencyforms were distributed. After six-months, questionnaire distributed comparing efficacy of revisedversus original-forms.
Plate size and children's appetite: effects of larger dishware on self-served portions and intake

OBJECTIVES: Dishware size is thought to influence eating behaviors, but effects on children’s self-served portion sizes and intakes have not been studied. We aimed to evaluate whether larger dishware increased children’s self-served portion sizes and intake during meals. METHODS: A within-subjects experimental design was used to test the effects of dishware size (ie, plates and bowls) on children9s self-served portion sizes and intakes in a naturalistic setting. Subjects were predominantly African American elementary school–aged children ( n = 42) observed on repeated occasions during school lunch. Children served themselves an entree and side dishes using either child- or adult-size dishware, which represented a 100% increase in the surface area of plates and volume of bowls across conditions. Condition order was randomly assigned and counterbalanced across 2 first-grade classrooms. Entrees of amorphous and unit form were evaluated on separate days. Fruit and vegetable side dishes were evaluated at each meal. Fixed portions of milk and bread were provided at each meal. RESULTS: Children served more energy (mean = 90.1 kcal, SE = 29.4 kcal) when using adult-size dishware. Adult-size dishware promoted energy intake indirectly, where every additional calorie served resulted in a 0.43-kcal increase in total energy intakes at lunch ( t = 7.72, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Children served themselves more with larger plates and bowls and consumed nearly 50% of the calories that they served. This provides new evidence that children’s self-served portion sizes are influenced by size-related facets of their eating environments, which, in turn, may influence children’s energy intake.
Genotype and Subtype Profiling of PSI-7977 as a Nucleotide Inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus

PSI-7977, a prodrug of 2′-F-2′-C-methyluridine monophosphate, is the purified diastereoisomer of PSI-7851 and is currently being investigated in phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis C. In this study, we profiled the activity of PSI-7977 and its ability to select for resistance using a number of different replicon cells. Results showed that PSI-7977 was active against genotype (GT) 1a, 1b, and 2a (strain JFH-1) replicons and chimeric replicons containing GT 2a (strain J6), 2b, and 3a NS5B polymerase. Cross-resistance studies using GT 1b replicons confirmed that the S282T change conferred resistance to PSI-7977. Subsequently, we evaluated the ability of PSI-7977 to select for resistance using GT 1a, 1b, and 2a (JFH-1) replicon cells. S282T was the common mutation selected among all three genotypes, but while it conferred resistance to PSI-7977 in GT 1a and 1b, JFH-1 GT 2a S282T showed only a very modest shift in 50% effective concentration (EC50) for PSI-7977. Sequence analysis of the JFH-1 NS5B region indicated that additional amino acid changes were selected both prior to and after the emergence of S282T. These include T179A, M289L, I293L, M434T, and H479P. Residues 179, 289, and 293 are located within the finger and palm domains, while 434 and 479 are located on the surface of the thumb domain. Data from the JFH-1 replicon variants showed that amino acid changes within the finger and palm domains together with S282T were required to confer resistance to PSI-7977, while the mutations on the thumb domain serve to enhance the replication capacity of the S282T replicons.
Exercise, fibromyalgia, and fibrofog: a pilot study.

Background: This pilot study was designed to test the efficacy of a physical activity program for improving psychological variables and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) symptoms and to provide preliminary evidence regarding the effects on perceived cognitive symptoms and objectively measured cognitive performance by FMS patients. Methods: Sixteen women diagnosed with FMS were randomly assigned to an 18-week physical activity program or to a control condition. Psychological measures, FMS symptoms, perceived cognitive function, objective measures of cognition, and walking capacity were assessed at baseline and post-test. Results: At posttest, there were significant differences in fatigue (effect size, ES = 1.86), depression (ES = 1.27), FMS symptoms (ES = 1.56), self-reported cognitive symptoms (ES = 1.19), and delayed recall performance (ES = 1.16) between the physically active group and the control group, indicating that the FMS patients benefited from physical activity. Beneficial effects were also observed f...
Ethanol‐Induced Inhibition of [3H]Thienylcyclohexylpiperidine (TCP) Binding to NMDA Receptors in Brain Synaptic Membranes and to a Purified Protein Complex

N-Methyl-D-asparate receptors (NMDARs) are a major target of ethanol effects in the nervous system. Haloperidol-insensitive, but dizocilpine (MK-801)-sensitive, binding of N-[1-(2-[ 3 H ]thienyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine ([ 3 H ]TCP) to synaptic membranes has the characteristics of ligand interaction with the ion channel of NMDARs. In the present studies, ethanol produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the maximal activation of [ 3 H ]TCP binding to synaptic membranes by NMDA and Gly, but a moderate change in the activation by L-Glu when L-Glu was present at concentrations < 100 μM. However, ethanol (100 mM) inhibited completely the activation of [ 3 H]TCP binding produced by high concentrations of L-Glu (200-400 μM). It also inhibited strongly the activation of [ 3 H]TCP binding by spermidine or spermidine plus Gly. In a purified complex of proteins that has L-Glu-, Gly-, and [ 3 H]TCP-binding sites, ethanol (100 mM) decreased significantly the maximal activation of [ 3 H]TCP binding produced by either L-Glu or Gly. Activation constants (K act ) for L-Glu and Gly acting on the purified complex were 12 and 28 μM, respectively. Ethanol had no significant effect on the K act of L-Glu but caused an increase in the K act of Gly. These studies have identified at least one protein complex in neuronal membranes whose response to both L-Glu and Gly is inhibited by ethanol. These findings may explain some of the effects of acute and chronic ethanol treatment on the function and expression of the subunits of this complex in brain neurons.
Genetic background affects induced pluripotent stem cell generation.

The influence of genetic background on the ability to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has the potential to impact future applications, but has yet to be examined in detail. The purpose of this study was to determine if genetic background affects the efficiency of generating iPSCs during early reprograming as well as the pluripotent stability of the iPSCs during later stages of reprograming. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were isolated from six strains of mice (NON/LtJ; C57BL/6J; DBA/2J; BALB/cJ; 129S1/SvlmJ; CAST/EiJ) that were selected based on genetic diversity and differences in ability to produce embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines. MEFs were reprogramed via doxycycline-inducible lentiviral transduction of murine Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and c-Myc. Differences in efficiency to generate iPSCs were assessed by comparing the total number of colonies, the percentage of colonies positive for alkaline phosphatase staining and the percentage of cells positive for SSEA1. iPSC colonies were expanded to establish doxycycline-independent cell lines whose pluripotency was then evaluated via ability to form teratomas in NOD.CB17-Prkdc scid /J mice. Proliferation of non-transduced parent MEFs from each strain was also examined over ten days under conditions that simulated reprograming. NON/LtJ and CAST/EiJ strains were more efficient than other strains in generating iPSCs for all parameters measured and parent MEFs from these strains were more proliferative than those from other strains. Doxycycline-independent iPSC lines were established using standard conditions for all strains except BALB/cJ, which required a higher concentration (5x) of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). iPSCs from all strains were capable of producing teratomas in NOD.CB17-Prkdc scid /J mice. The results of this study suggest that genetic background does affect iPSC generation and pluripotent stability. In addition, our results demonstrate that strain differences in efficiency to generate iPSCs during the early stages of reprograming are correlated with those observed in proliferation of parent MEFs. These findings have important implications both for future iPSC applications as well as for future investigation into determining the genes responsible for reprograming efficiency and stability.
Managing Existence in Naples: Morality, Action and Structure/Gender, Family and Work in Naples

Managing Existence in Naples: Morality, Action and Structure. Italo Pardo. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. xvi. 232 pp., maps, notes, references, index. Gender, Family and Work in Naples. Victoria A. Goddard. Oxford: Berg, 1996. + 264 pp., appendixes, bibliography, index.
Predicting the past: Reagan Administration assistance to police forces in Central America

Providing training and resources to the police forces of Central America was a major objective of the Reagan Administration's policy in the region. Such aid was provided in order to enhance effective and democratic policing in those countries, but assistance has failed to achieve its stated goals. We argue that the overall thrust of U.S. foreign policy in the region, the politics of the recipient countries, and the organizational means to deliver aid combined to distort the implementation and impact of police assistance. The experience of past assistance programs carried out by the Office of Public Safety (OPS) provides an instructive comparison showing why U.S. police assistance continues to fail. OPS programs and assistance offered by the Reagan Administration are examined in some detail.
Interface Structure, Grain Morphology, and Kinetics of Growth of the Superconducting Intermetallic Compound Nb3Sn Doped with ZrO2 and Copper

One method for the fabrication of the superconducting compound Nb3Sn involves interdiffusion of a surface coating of Sn alloyed with Cu on Nb containing Zr and O. In this study, the kinetics and microstructure associated with this reaction have been studied in detail. The results show that small Nb3Sn grains nucleate at the Nb3Sn/Nb interface, and that the Nb3Sn grains experience grain growth immediately after they are formed. ZrO2 precipitates are observed in the Nb3Sn at the Nb3Sn/Nb interface and throughout the Nb3Sn. The ZrO2 precipitates occur in the form of small partially-coherent spheres in the Nb3Sn. No ZrO2 precipitates are observed by TEM in the unreacted Nb. The grain boundaries in the Nb3Sn region are coated with a Sn-Nb-Cu alloy which would have been liquid at the diffusion/reaction temperature. The thickness of the Nb3Sn reaction layer formed during the isothermal diffusion anneal is proportional to time to the first power, indicating “reaction”-controlled rather than “diffusion”-controlled kinetics. The absence of diffusion-controlled kinetics can be explained by the presence of the liquid coating on the Nb3Sn grains. Diffusion of Sn in this liquid layer is apparently fast enough to not be the limiting kinetic step.
Novel Courtship Behaviors in Three Small Eastern Plethodon Species

Plethodontid salamanders provide an opportunity to investigate mating behaviors and pheromonal communication within the context of well-established phylogenetic relationships. Courtship in many members of the genus Plethodon has been well studied, but critical gaps exist in observations of pheromone delivery methods (vaccination or olfactory) in species phylogenetically intermediate between those having the two pheromone delivery methods. I observed courtship interactions in three small eastern plethodontids, Plethodon cinereus, Plethodon angusticlavius, and Plethodon richmondi. I documented several novel female behaviors, as well as interspecific variation in courtship patterns that otherwise have been highly conserved for over 70 million years. I confirmed that olfactory pheromone delivery occurs in P. angusticlavius, a species that is phylogenetically in the transition from vaccination to olfactory pheromone delivery within the genus Plethodon. The deviation from typical courtship patterns observed for the three study species revealed that females play a more active role in courtship than has previously been documented for Plethodon species.
Reproductive biomass allocation in the dioecious perennial Acanthosicyos horrida

In a Namib population of the dioecious perennial Acanthosicyos horrida Welw. ex Hook. f. in which fruit production is declining, we investigated the effects of plant gender, plant size, and subpopulation elevation (a proxy of water availability) on a plant's biomass allocation to sexual reproduction. While males invested more heavily in buds and flowers than females, females allocated 10 times more total biomass to reproduction per m3 of vegetation than males during our survey period. Also, smaller plants, particularly females, allocated more biomass to reproduction per m3 of vegetation than larger plants. This result suggests that plant fecundity per m3 of vegetation decreases with plant size. Aging of the population could thus be a cause of the reduced fruit production; however, we found that the population was skewed towards the smallest size classes. On the other hand, the fact that plants in the subpopulation at higher elevation above the river were only six percent as productive as plants in the subpopulation at low elevation suggests that the depth of the water table may be critical to fruit production and that a reduced groundwater level caused by nearby urbanisation could have long term effects on harvests.
Efficient Transesterification/Acylation Reactions Mediated by N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts

Imidazol-2-ylidenes, a family of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC), are efficient catalysts in the transesterification involving numerous esters and alcohols. Low catalyst loadings of aryl- or alkyl-substituted NHC catalysts mediate the acylation of alcohols with enol acetates in short reaction times at room temperature. Commercially available and more difficult to cleave methyl esters react with primary alcohols in the presence of alkyl-substituted NHC to efficiently form the corresponding esters. While primary alcohols are selectively acylated over secondary alcohols with use of enol esters as acylating agents, methyl and ethyl esters can be employed as protective agents for secondary alcohols in the presence of the more active alkyl-substituted NHC catalysts. The NHC-catalyzed transesterification protocol was simplified by generating the imidazol-2-ylidene catalysts in situ.
A comparison of three induction agents in paediatric anaesthesia--cardiovascular effects and recovery.

We studied 30 children undergoing circumcision randomly allocated to receive either thiopentone 4 mg.kg, propofol 2.5 mg.kg or midazolam 0.5 mg.kg (n = 10) IV over 30 seconds at induction of anaesthesia. Blood pressure and pulse rate during the first 15 minutes of induction were recorded by a Finapres 2300e and a Cardiocap CM-104, and changes from preinduction baseline compared between the three induction agents and the two recording instruments. Postoperatively, blood levels of the induction agents were measured and recovery from anaesthesia was assessed by clinical criteria, mood and sedation scores and psychomotor performance. The Cardiocap data revealed no statistically significant haemodynamic differences between the three induction agents. Finapres data demonstrated that propofol caused a greater decrease in mean arterial pressure when compared to thiopentone at one minute (P = 0.01) and the MAP remained significantly lower than midazolam at five minutes (P = 0.02), illustrating an advantage of continuous over intermittent non-invasive blood pressure monitoring. The midazolam group took longer to identify themselves compared to both the propofol (P = 0.005) and the thiopentone groups (P = 0.02), but there was no difference in the groups in time to eye-opening. Psychomotor performance on awakening was significantly worse in the midazolam group compared to the propofol (P < 0.03) and thiopentone groups (P < 0.02). Most children had recovered to 80% of their best, practised, unmedicated, preoperative performance four hours after awakening, irrespective of the induction agent administered. Drug blood levels correlated weakly with both methods of psychomotor assessment (r ≥ 0.6). Of the three induction agents, thiopentone caused the least haemodynamic perturbation on induction, and anaesthesia induced with midazolam caused the greatest psychomotor impairment on awakening. Within one hour patients in all drug groups were equally awake, co-operative and co-ordinated.
Girl Zine Networks, Underground Itineraries, and Riot Grrrl History: Making Sense of the Struggle for New Social Forms in the 1990s and Beyond

Drawing on recently established zine archives and oral-history interviews with former girl zine producers, as well as with zine librarians, archivists, and commentators, this essay explores the significance of the fact that dissident girls and young women developed an interest in what are now called “girl zines” through a number of different routes, with a range of different interests, and at different moments over the course of the last twenty-five years. Some were directly inspired by riot grrrl bands in the early 1990s. Others happened upon zines at alternative bookstores and info-shops and as part of their participation in the larger punk underground. Still others learned of them through popular magazines, college courses, and public and private libraries, or through quite varied friendship networks. The fact of this social, material, and temporal variability raises important questions about whether “girl zines” should be thought of as a unitary genre and, correlatively, about whether the girl zine explosion itself should be construed as a secondary effect of the riot grrrl phenomenon of the early 1990s. Building on recent critiques made by punks and zinesters of color of the now-dominant narrative about the history of riot grrrl and the role of zines within it, the essay traces how that narrative developed in the context of a backlash against feminism and how it led, ultimately, to the creation of the genre now known as “girl zines” and the founding of archives designed to ensure their preservation. Though both are seen as significant political achievements for feminism, by considering Mimi Thi Nguyen's recent claim that the dominant narrative and the genealogies it constructs tend to ignore the important but often differently motivated contributions of punks and zinesters of color, the essay explores the question of what it might mean to focus on the varied itineraries that girls pursued into the punk underground and on how those itineraries affected the zines they created for often quite distinct purposes. Ultimately, the essay asks how riot grrrl and girl zine-ing ought to be understood. That is, should they be construed as a singular event, as a coherent social movement, as a fractious discourse, as a complex set of social practices, as a political intervention, or as something else? In the end, the author argues that attending to the disagreements and contestations among girl punks and zinesters who constantly called each other out over their differences suggests that as a youthful cohort profoundly affected by the vast social and cultural change associated with what is now call neoliberalism, these young people were arguing among themselves and with the surrounding culture over how to craft new, more flexible forms of subjectivity and sociality adequate to the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Racial comparisons in perceptions of maternal and peer attitudes, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders among African American and White women.

Although once thought primarily to affect White women, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating exist among all racial groups. In the current study, the authors determined whether the relationship between participants' perceived maternal/peer attitudes toward appearance and the outcomes of body dissatisfaction and eating pathology varied by race. Self-reported data, including measures of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and perceptions of maternal/peer attitudes, were collected from December 2012 to May 2013 at a large Mid-Atlantic university. BMI (β = 0.20, p = .01), perceptions of peers' attitudes toward appearance (β = 0.23, p = .02), and White race (β = 0.33, p < .001) were independently associated with body dissatisfaction. Additionally, race interacted with perceptions of peers' attitudes toward appearance such that at high perceptions, African American women reported high levels of body dissatisfaction (β = -0.20, p = .04), but this was not true for White women. Higher perceived peer concern about weight and shape (β = 0.32, p < .001), increased BMI (β = 0.30, p < .001), and White race (β = 0.21, p = .002), also were associated with disordered eating. The results of this study have implications for prevention programs that address disordered eating for racially diverse groups of women.
DiscoverySpace: Crowdsourced Suggestions Onboard Novices in Complex Software

Complex software, while powerful for experts, can overwhelm new users. Novices often do not know how to execute tasks, what they want to achieve, or even what is possible. We aim to address these problems by leveraging the large expert user base such programs tend to have. We present DiscoverySpace, a prototype extension panel for Adobe Photoshop that suggests macros for effects to apply to the user's photo, based on features of the photo. These macros are Photoshop actions that have been created and shared online by the user community, and can be applied in one click. Our work demonstrates how high-level macro suggestions can help users get started in a complex application. Preliminary feedback from a pilot study indicates that these suggestions may be most useful for users with exploratory goals, such as “make this photo more fun,” rather than users with very specific goals.
Optical control of collisional population flow between molecular electronic states of different spin multiplicity

In this work we demonstrate optical control of the singlet-triplet probability distribution in the outcome of a collisional process involving lithium dimers and argon atoms. The control is achieved using the Autler-Townes effect to manipulate the spin character of a spin-orbit coupled pair of levels serving as a ``gateway'' between the singlet and triplet electronic state manifolds.
Sound generated by gas-jet impingement on the interface of a supercavity

Predictions are made of the sound produced by the impingement of ventilating air jets on the gas-water interface of a ventilated supercavity. The interface is rippled by the jets, and the unsteady surface forces exerted on the water constitute acoustic sources of dipole type. Typical gas speeds on impact do not normally exceed about 60 m/s. In these circumstances the very large difference in the densities of the gas and water imply that the dynamics of the jet-wall interaction are, in a first approximation, similar to those occurring when a jet impinges on a rigid wall. An independent, canonical experiment is performed to determine the frequency spectrum of the surface force distribution produced by a single turbulent jet impinging on a wall, for several different injection flow rates and jet lengths, and thence to estimate the sound produced in the water when the same jet impinges on the cavity interface. The result is used to predict the contribution produced by this mechanism to the overall water borne noise generated by a specially constructed supercavitating body used at the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University, for which the ventilating gas enters the cavity axisymmetrically through a series of radially orientated nozzles equally spaced around a gas injector ring. A comparison is made with predictions based on force measurements of Strong, et al. [1].© 2008 ASME
Secrecy, patents and non-proliferation

U.S. law prohibits the filing of classified patents overseas but experience has shown that fundamental scientific principles cannot be kept secret.
Analysis of characteristics of VP1 gene of EV71 virus circulated in Handan city from 2010 to 2012

Objective This study was to investigate the pathogenic spectrum of Hand-foot-mouth Disease(HFMD) and the characteristics of the genetic variation in VP1 gene of EV71 circulated in Handan city from 2010 to 2012. Methods EV71 virus from samples was cultivated in RD cells. The segment containing VP1 was amplified by RT-PCR. The PCR products were sequenced and aligned by DNAStar software. A pedigree tree was subsequently established. Results The homology of VP1 nucleotide sequences in Handan City was around 96.4-100.0%, and the nucleotide sequence homology of Handan VP1 to that of genotype A and genotype B were 82.0%-84.5%, respectively; to that of gene subtype C1, C2, C3 and C4 were 89.8%-90.3%, 89.3%-90.0%, 87.9%-88.7%, and 92.4%-96.9%, respectively; to that of viruses isolated in Taiwan was 92.4%-93.2%; to that of the viruses isolated in Fuyang 2008, Henan 2009, Hebei 2010 and Shanghai 2011 were in the range of 96.6%-99.1%. That with the viruses isolated in Fuyang 2008, Henan 2009, Hebei 2010 and Shanxi 2011 were in the range of 96.6%~99.1%. The phylogenetic tree generated on the VP1 gene sequences revealed that the 14 viruses isolated in Handan from 2010 to 2012 matched with C4a gene subtype. Conclusion The circulated EV71 viruses were identified as of C4a gene subtype, the same with the isolates circulating in mainland China recently.
Efficient Iterative Auctions for Multi-Featured Items: A Network Flow Approach

We develop a methodology for the design of efficient iterative auctions for heterogeneous items whose values are expressed in terms of a finite set of features they possess. Bidders have decreasing marginal values for each feature, and their value for a bundle is the sum of individual feature valuations associated with this bundle. This feature-driven representation of valuations allows us to formulate a novel (multicommodity) network flow representation of the efficient allocation problem. Using the integrality of the optimal solutions to the min-cost flow problem, we establish the existence of a Walrasian equilibrium for F-feature valuations (first with F = 2, and subsequently with F > 2 under additional structural assumptions). We also show that F-feature valuations might not exhibit substitutability even for F = 2, thereby revealing a new class of valuations for which a Walrasian equilibrium exists. By analyzing the structural properties of the optimal solutions to the network flow problem for 2-feature valuations, we develop an iterative algorithm that finds the efficient allocation in this setting. Furthermore, a single run of the procedure collects sufficient information to compute VCG payments. Thus, complementing the algorithm with this payment rule, we obtain a new iterative auction in which it is an (ex-post) equilibrium to bid truthfully, and the equilibrium is efficient. Our approach suggests that analyzing (i) alternative valuation representations, and (ii) network flow formulation of the efficient allocation problem, could potentially reveal other valuation classes for which a Walrasian equilibrium exists, and simple iterative auctions which implement an efficient outcome.
Societal Trust and the Economic Behavior of Non-Profit Organizations

We study how societal trust impacts the behavior of non-profit organizations. Economic theory suggests that higher trust could be associated with either stronger or weaker managerial opportunism. In particular, higher trust could be associated with a lower perceived probability of being cheated which could, in turn, lead to lower levels of managerial opportunism. Alternatively, managers could take advantage of societal trust, which could manifest in more managerial opportunism in higher trust areas. While most of the for-profit literature finds evidence that higher trust is associated with lower levels of managerial opportunism, we find that in the not-for-profit setting the reverse is true. In particular, higher societal trust is associated with greater levels of administrative expenses, greater levels of executive compensation, and lower donor contributions among not-for-profit firms. However, we also find evidence that this positive association of societal trust and managerial opportunism is mitigated in the presence of more effective audit oversight. This underscores the importance of considering the role of both formal and informal institutions in the analysis of the behavior of various economic agents.
Bone Health in Prostate Cancer

The maintenance of bone health is important throughout the entire prostate cancer disease spectrum. The majority of prostate cancer patients are already at increased risk for fragility fractures secondary to age-related bone loss. This is further compounded by the threat of treatment-associated osteoporosis and fractures. In more advanced stages, additional risk arises from disease-associated skeleton-related events (SREs) secondary to bone metastasis. Further complicating the prevention of skeletal morbidity is the fact that a substantial portion of prostate cancer patients have abnormal baseline levels of bone mineral density (BMD) prior to the initiation of therapies.
An acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line with stem cell phenotype derived by long term co-culture with bone marrow stromal cells

1022 Accumulating evidence suggests that a sub-population of tumor cells that contribute to relapse of leukemia may be comprised of leukemic stem cells (LSC) characterized by their ability to self-renewal and differentiate to multiple lineages. Their significant proliferative potential emphasizes the need to understand the signals that regulate LSC survival during treatment, include cues provided by bone marrow stromal cells. This information is critical for the development of novel treatment strategies that target LSCs to reduce the potential contribution to relapse of disease. In the current study we sought to determine whether acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells with a LSC phenotype are protected by bone marrow stromal cells during chemotherapy. Further, we investigated the mechanisms underlying stromal cell protection of ALL LSCs. A LSC population with expression of markers consistent with that of a hemangioblast, VE-cadherin+Flk-1+CD31+CD34+CD38+CD19+, was isolated following long term co-culture of the ALL cell line Sup-B15 with murine bone marrow stromal cells. Sup-B15 cells that were maintained in culture with adherent stroma for greater than 2 months formed colonies morphologically comparable to human embryonic stem cell colonies grown on mouse embryonic feeder layers. Consistent with their morphological similarity to human embryonic stem cell derived colonies grown in our laboratory, the tumor cells expressed the stem cell markers SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Oct-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81. Microarray analysis indicated that Sup-B15 cells with the LSC phenotype had a gene expression profile that was clearly distinguishable from the parent population of Sup-B15 cells grown in media alone. Long term co-culture with stromal cells, as well as exposure to the stromal cell derived growth factor TGF-β up-regulated a variety of molecules involved in the Wnt signaling pathway including Wnt 10a and Wnt16. TGF-β1 treatment of Sup-B15 LSCs also resulted in elevated VE-cadherin expression and stabilization of nuclear beta-catenin, while TGF-β2 or TGF-β3 had no effect on cellular distribution of beta-catenin. These data demonstrate a subpopulation of ALL tumor cells, derived by sustained co-culture with bone marrow stromal cells, may be influenced by factors released from the bone marrow microenvironment. The availability of Sup-B15 sustained in media alone, which does not express stem cell markers, will allow unique comparisons between the “bulk” tumor population and a matched “tumor stem cell” with identical genetic make-up as we strive to understand regulation of the survival of each by the bone marrow microenvironment.
Is There a Relationship Between Perceived Neighborhood Contentedness and Physical Activity in Young Men and Women

The relationship between perceived neighborhood contentedness and physical activity was evaluated in the Add Health study population. Wave I includes 20,745 respondents (collected between 1994 and 1995) and wave II includes 14,738 (71 %) of these same students (collected in 1996). Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate this relationship in both wave I and wave II of the sample. Higher levels of Perceived Neighborhood Contentedness were associated with higher reports of physical activity in both males and females and in both waves. For every one-point increment in PNS, males were 1.3 times as likely to report being highly physically active than low (95 % CI 1.23–1.37) in wave 1 and 1.25 times as likely in wave 2 (95 % CI 1.17–1.33). Females were 1.17 (95 % CI 1.12–1.22) times as likely to report being highly active than low and 1.22 times as likely in wave 2 (95 % CI 1.17–1.27) with every one-point increment. PNC appears to be significantly associated with physical activity in adolescents. Involving the community in the development of intervention programs could help to raise the contentedness of adolescents in these communities.
Differences between completely physically inactive and low active older men and their response to an exercise intervention: the Veterans LIFE study.

Background: Physical activity interventions typically do not report behavioral changes in activity sub-groups. The aim of this study was to compare baseline differences and changes in physical activity between truly physically inactive men and low active men enrolled in a twelve-month, home-based physical activity intervention. Methods: Veterans with a mean age of 77.6 years were randomized to either a physical activity intervention or usual care. Measures included self-reported physical activity, physical function, and physical performance. Results: At baseline, the physically inactive group reported more symptoms and poorer functioning than the low active group. At 12 months, physically inactive men randomized to the intervention group increased their physical activity to an average of 73.3 minutes per week. Physically inactive individuals randomized to the control group were eight times more likely to remain inactive compared to the low active group. Conclusions: Completely physically inactive older men can markedly increase physical activity levels with a long-term intervention. Without such intervention, the likelihood of this group remaining inactive is eightfold.
How inventory consignment programs can improve supply chain performance: a process oriented perspective

Abstract Inventory Consignment (IC) has largely been viewed as a method of shifting the ownership and cost burden of inventory from buyer to supplier to benefit the buyer. This primarily accounting based viewpoint has largely ignored process changes that can occur for both the buyer and supplier. This study addresses this gap in the extant literature by examining IC from a process perspective by specifically addressing: (1) the implementation issues in an IC program for both buyers and suppliers and (2) the financial and operational benefits from IC for both buyers and suppliers. Using the case study methodology, we examined three firms that had varying degrees of involvement and roles in IC programs. Based on our detailed work with these three firms and their supply chain linkages, we offer a series of propositions to demonstrate that IC is not just an accounting issue, but also a management practice that requires a series of process changes in order to be successful. These process changes in turn provide operational benefits for both buyers and suppliers via the mechanism of increased demand visibility to suppliers. Through this approach, this study makes a contribution beyond what has been examined in the prior literature which has mostly dealt with IC as an accounting based inventory management issue.
Intramolecular Capture of HDDA-Derived Benzynes: (i) 6- to 12-Membered Ring Formation, (ii) Internally (vis-à-vis Remotely) Tethered Traps, and (iii) Role of the Rate of Trapping by the Benzynophile

Reported here are studies that have established novel features of the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction of substrates containing tethered trapping moieties. Products having new structural motifs can be created. (i) Medium-sized fused rings can be produced by varying the length of the tether. (ii) The tether can emanate from an atom within the linker unit that joins the 1,3-diyne and diynophile. (iii) The importance of the rate of trapping by the benzynophile is established.
Considering Affective Consideration: Toward a Conscious Enforcement of (Some) Gratuitous Promises

This Article offers a new challenge to the un-enforceability of gratuitous promises, from the perspective of law and the emotions. It starts by illuminating the role of the emotions in the debate and exposes the way un-enforceability results from the historic and contemporary hostility of law toward (an erroneous view of) the emotions. It then proceeds to an interdisciplinary investigation of the specific emotions that play leading roles in gift promising: empathy and gratitude. This original investigation deeply problematizes the conventional denial of enforcement by demonstrating striking structural similarities between bargained-for promises and gratuitous promises. The Article concludes by integrating these interdisciplinary insights into law. It is argued that the similarities and differences discussed in the Article do not support the existing reflexive denial of enforcement of gratuitous promises, but rather justify some form of legal recognition. The Article then ends with a concrete suggestion to move from total refusal to enforce gratuitous promises to a cautious willingness to enforce them “consciously”: only in cases of existing intention to create legally binding promises. Beyond the theoretical and practical immense importance of the contractual question at hand, the Article suggests that by being more attentive to people’s intention the law can play a valuable and novel role of expressing and fostering the positive emotions that motivate humans to be other-oriented and generous.
What are multilevel questions and how might we explore them with quantitative methods

Sistemas educacionais possuem uma estrutura hierarquica, na qual estudantes estao agrupados em turmas, que se agrupam em escolas. Essas estruturas hierarquicas tem diferentes niveis - o nivel do aluno, o nivel da turma, o nivel da escola. Questoes de pesquisa multiniveis buscam investigar relacoes entre fatores que atuam em distintos niveis. Este artigo discute as principais limitacoes das tentativas de abordar questoes de pesquisa multiniveis com tecnicas analiticas de um unico nivel e introduz algumas caracteristicas relevantes da modelagem multinivel, uma abordagem capaz de lidar adequadamente com questoes multiniveis.
Abstract 1985: Upregulation of miR-328 contributes to ovarian cancer stem cell maintenance by downregulating DDB2

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered to play a central role in the cancer progression, metastasis and the development of drug resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating CSC properties and are considered to be potential therapeutic targets. Diverse aberrantly expressed miRNAs have been reported in ovarian cancer cells. However, there have been few reports about miRNAs that were associated with stemness and progression of ovarian cancer. In this study, miRNA Nanostring profiling analysis was performed to screen crucial miRNAs associated with characteristics and maintenance of CSCs in ovarian cancer. We found that miR-328-3p was remarkably upregulated in ovarian CSCs isolated from both ovarian cancer cell lines and primary ovarian tumors compared to their corresponding bulk cancer cells. We further demonstrated that enforced expression of miR-328-3p in ovarian cancer cell lines expanded the population of ALDH+ cells, enhanced their sphere formation ability, as well as increased their tumorigenicity. While inhibition of miR-328-3p limited the ALDH+ cell population, reduced their sphere formation capacity, and decreased their tumorigenicity. The orthotopic ovarian xenograft assay also demonstrated that inhibition of miR-328-3p impedes tumor growth and metastasis. The mechanistic investigation revealed that repressed ERK1/2 phosphorylation in ovarian CSCs, mainly due to reduced level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), contributes to the enhanced expression of miR-328-3p, and the maintenance of CSCs. Finally, we identified DDB2 as a direct target of miR-328-3p. Given our previous finding that DDB2 is capable of limiting the CSC population in ovarian cancers, we conclude that highly expressed miR-328-3p in ovarian CSCs, probably due to repressed ERK1/2 activity, inhibits DDB2 expression, resulting in the expansion of these CSCs. Thus, targeting miR-328 could be exploited to a novel strategy to eradicate CSCs in ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Amit K. Srivastava, Tiantian Cui, Chunhua Han, Ananya Banerjee, Shuri Cai, Lu Liu, Xiaoli Zhang, Zaibo Li, Selvendiran Karuppalyah, Altaf A. Wani, Qi-En Wang. Upregulation of miR-328 contributes to ovarian cancer stem cell maintenance by downregulating DDB2 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1985.
Effects of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate and paclobutrazol on the endogenous hormones of two contrasting rice varieties under submergence stress

Phytohormone play important roles in regulating developmental processes and signaling networks involved in plant responses to submergence stress. We studied the growth, leaf endogenous hormonal levels and related genes of two contrasting rice genotypes (IR64 and IR64-Sub1) pretreated with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) and paclobutrazol (PB) under submergence conditions. Submergence promoted underwater shoot elongation, chlorophyll degradation and expression of OsCIPK15, altered the leaf endogenous hormone levels, accelerated the yellowing and senescence of leaves, and decreased shoot dry weight and the plant survival rate. IR64 was more sensitive to submergence stress, showing larger increases of leaf GAs, ABA, IAA contents and the expression of OsCPS1, OsGA20ox1 and OsIAA11, which in IR64-Sub1 were significantly decreased with prolonged stress. Furthermore, IR64 showed decreased ZR content, cZOGT1 expression, GA/ABA and ZR/IAA, while IR64-Sub1 showed opposite trends. Shoot elongation, leaf yellowing and senescence, GAs and IAA contents and the expression of OsCPS1, OsGA20ox1 and OsIAA11 in submerged rice leaves were enhanced by ACC application, whereas PB treatment showed opposite effects, and the effects on underwater elongation of PB and Sub1 were clearly superimposable. Compared with GA/ABA, ZR/IAA was not only suitable for non-Sub1 genotypes, but also more accurate in reflecting the submergence characteristics in IR64-Sub1. These findings improve our understanding of the intricate web of connections between plant hormones that regulate physiological responses to stress.