cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental Evaluation of Air Pollutants in Humans as a Basis for Estimating Risk

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief “guided tour” of human experimental studies of air pollution exposure. This field of investigation is rather new and small compared to the related fields of animal toxicology and epidemiology, which are discussed in some of the accompanying papers. In human studies—sometimes called “human toxicology” or “clinical toxicology” or “clinical environmental stress testing”—the investigator creates or finds a polluted air environment of interest, recruits volunteer subjects, exposes them to the pollution under well-controlled conditions, and looks for responses which could in any sense be considered adverse effects on health. Controlled human exposure studies play an important part in environmental risk assessment as it relates to air pollution, because they can often provide firm, credible scientific information not available otherwise. Needless to say, human experimentation has strict ethical and practical limitations. Nevertheless, a broad range of environmental problems can be investigated, given proper concern for the health and welfare of the subjects. Investigation of any real risks—those to which the subject is, or could reasonably be, exposed in the course of his normal activities— presents few ethical problems. Investigation of potential risks— those which the subject has not previously experienced, but could reasonably encounter in the future—likewise can be justified. Such activities provide benefits to the individual subjects, since they obtain potentially valuable information on their responses to certain environmental stressors.
Perfect regulation of linear multivariable systems — a low-and-high-gain design

This paper is concerned with the design of ‘Low-and-High-Gain’ feedback controllers in order to achieve an objective called perfect regulation (p.r.). Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback controllers that achieve p.r. are derived for general linear multivariable time-invariant systems. More importantly, an explicit eigenstructure assignment procedure by state feedback that achieves p.r. is developed.
Hydrothermal Reactivity of Simulated Nuclear Waste Forms and Water-Catalysed Waste-Rock Interactions

A key consideration in the long term safe disposal of nuclear wastes is their stability in the repository environment. If the assemblage of waste phases is not in thermodynamic equilibrium with the assemblage of minerals that make up the repository formation, there will be at least a tendency toward chemical reaction between the wastes and the rock. Such reactions are sometimes very similar to naturally occurring geochemical processes and they are greatly enhanced by the presence of water or brine. Heat from young wastes can raise the temperature of the aqueous solutions into the 100 to 400°C temperature range, exactly the temperature range of some of the most reactive fluids in the natural environment. These processes can result in an entirely new object as the long term waste form or “source term” for radionuclides. In this paper we will draw upon recent experimental results to illustrate the nature and implications of hydrothermal interactions. We will consider three waste forms— spent fuel, a glass and a crystalline ceramic—and three repository rock types—basalt, shale and salt. The results presented here extend the concepts developed in our earlier paper (1).
Capital Structure Management by Share Repurchase for Companies in Emerging Markets

According to foreign research into developed markets, share repurchasing influences the speed of adjustment of companies’ capital structure to the target level. It is worth noting that the number of such research studies for emerging markets is rather small. On the basis of an empirical study of a selection of 275 companies from BRICS countries involved in share repurchase for the period of 2005 to 2015 we prove here that share repurchase is an efficient method of correcting an existing capital structure, aligning it to approximate a target level in all BRICS countries. It should be noted that in accordance with our results, companies from Brazil and Russia show the highest speed of adjustment (within 63–80%). This indicates that these companies are able to achieve the target structure within a very short period. Companies from the other countries (India, China, and South Africa) also show a rather high rate of the speed of adjustment (in the range of 44 to 49%). It is worth noting that apart from the share repurchase itself, characteristic features of the companies (as well as special characteristics of local economic factors where they are relevant) influence the speed of adjustment to the target capital structure. We also found out that the most significant factors which have positive effects on the speed of adjustment are the company size, its growth prospects, share of repurchased shares, economic growth rate, inflation rate in the country which adversely affect to a great extent the speed of adjustment to the target capital structure. For Russian companies the most significant determinants are the company size, share of repurchased shares and inflation rate. An assessment of the speed of adjustment to the target capital structure of companies repurchasing shares showed that for Russian companies (for a balance sheet leverage) and for South African companies (for a market financial leverage) the speed of adjustment is not significant, however in general the countries selection and each sub-selection shows that BRICS countries’ companies are prone to adjust to the target capital structure quicker when the financial leverage is lower than the target value, while companies with an excess debt load optimize much slower. On the basis of the research results we offer an algorithm pertaining to capital structure management for the companies acting in emerging markets using share repurchase in an open market.
The Fiscal and Human Costs of Life Without Parole

In recent decades, the United States has increasingly relied on life-without-parole (LWOP) sentences. Due to its indeterminacy, such a sentence involves tremendous fiscal and human costs. This stud...
Diagnostic accuracy of neuroimaging in pediatric optic chiasm/sellar/suprasellar tumors

Preoperative diagnosis for tumors arising in the optic chiasm/sellar/suprasellar region in children is helpful to determine surgical necessity and approach, given the high operative risk in this area. We evaluated the ability to differentiate tumor type by preoperative neuroimaging. Thirty-eight of 53 tumors were correctly diagnosed by neuroimaging based on final pathologic diagnosis (prediction accuracy 72%). Prediction accuracies were 87% (20/23) for craniopharyngioma, 79% (11/14) for optic pathway glioma, 64% (7/11) for germ cell tumor, and 0% (0/5) for Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Diagnosis of optic chiasm/sellar/suprasellar tumors in children by imaging alone should be considered when biopsy is considered high risk.
Impact of Nitrogen Application Timing, Nitrogen Source, and a Single Fungicide Application on Large Patch of Zoysiagrass

Large patch is the most severe disease on ‘Meyer’ zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) fairways, tees, and lawns in the US transition zone. A disease management strategy integrating cultural practices would be preferable to multiple fungicide applications. This experiment examined the effects of N application timing, N source, and a single fungicide application on disease severity. Calcium nitrate, urea, and ammonium sulfate were examined for effects on large patch in a greenhouse study. In the field, these N sources were applied on a standard summer schedule, or augmented with fall, spring, or fall + spring applications when 5-d average 5-cm soil temperatures reached 18°C. Plots received one spring application of tebuconazole at 0.824 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ on the same day as spring N application or were left unsprayed. Nitrogen source did not affect pathogen infection or disease severity. Spring N applications were most consistent at reducing disease severity compared with summer-only applications of N. Spring tebuconazole applications did not prevent large patch but reduced overall severity. A management strategy incorporating N applications in the spring could be effective in decreasing large patch outbreaks in the field compared with only applying N in the summer.
The process of infection with bacteriophage ΦX174: X. Mutations in a ΦX lysis gene†

The ability of conditional lethal mutants of phage ΦX174 to induce host cell lysis during infection under restrictive conditions has been studied. We have found amber (am) and temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants which present a variety of alterations in the normal lytic process. In particular, there is a class of am mutants which do not produce cell lysis but otherwise replicate normally in the restrictive host. These mutants constitute a single complementation group. The existence of these mutants implicates a phage-coded protein in the lytic process. This protein is not an essential structural component of the phage, since normal phage particles are produced in the absence of lysis.
Meridional distribution of dissolved manganese in the tropical and equatorial Pacific

Abstract The distribution of dissolved Mn (dMn) was studied in the Tropical and Equatorial Pacific along a meridional transect beginning at station ALOHA (22.45°N, 158°W) extending southwards to 7°S along 158°W. Results show that in the surface ocean ( 6000 km) from the continents, which suggests that dMn in the deep open ocean is strongly affected by remineralization. The dMn:AOU linear relationship (n = 37, R = 0.87) that we found in this work is consistent with culture studies and can be applied to Mn models to reproduce the observed open-ocean Mn concentrations in deep waters.
Promoting majority culture and excluding external ethnic influences: China’s strategy for the UNESCO ‘intangible’ cultural heritage list

China’s enthusiasm for having many World Heritage–listed sites is well-known as a national strategy of cultural soft power, economic development, and incorporating minority groups into the Han-domi...
Use of Low Dose Dopamine in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients with Right Ventricular Dysfunction

Purpose Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is associated with poor outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and serves as an important therapeutic target. Though treatment with low-dose dopamine (DA) has not shown benefit decompensated HF, we sought to evaluate the effect of DA on HFpEF patients with RVD (HFpEF-RVD), which is currently is unknown. Methods We analyzed subjects enrolled in the Randomized Evaluation of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Patients With Acute Heart Failure and Dopamine trial (NCT01901809) for the presence of RVD and compared clinical outcomes based on treatment with DA. RVD was defined by ≥1 trait on echocardiography: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion Results RVD was present in 29% (24 of 82) of our cohort. HFpEF-RVD patients had lower BMI (34 kg/m2 [14.6] v 42 kg/m2 [14.2], p=0.01), higher Cr (1.4 mg/dL [0.6] v 1.2 mg/dL [1], p=0.01), and higher NT-proBNP (2327 pg/mL [3260] v 1425 pg/mL [2370], p=0.002) compared to HFpEF-no RVD. BMI was inversely associated with HFpEF-RVD after adjustment for age, sex, and race (p=0.02). HFpEF-RVD had increased 30-D hospital readmission (35% v 19%, p=0.12) and worse survival at 1 year (70% v 88%, p=0.06), though not statistically significant. DA had no significant effect on renal function in HFpEF-RVD; however, the presence of RVD positively modified the effect of DA on length of stay (LOS) (p=0.01, Figure). Conclusion HFpEF-RVD reflects a sicker subgroup of HFpEF patients. In hospitalized HFpEF, low-dose DA was associated with shorter LOS in HFpEF-RVD. Future studies should be performed to find useful therapies in HFpEF-RVD.
Agricultural Applications of in Vitro Plant Cultivation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses agricultural applications of in vitro plant cultivation. In vitro methods present new strategies for agricultural development and crop improvement through selective breeding, genetic modification, micropropagation, and mutant selection. In vitro methods promise to help in this area and be useful in the development of crops with specific shape, size, morphology, and yield characteristics. Tissue culture will also be a tool for the plant breeder to use to search for new varieties to cope with imposed environmental stresses through pathogen resistance and salt and herbicide tolerance. Classical genetic recombination and segregation have been characterized as conservative mechanisms of evolutionary change. In vitro techniques permit the recovery of genotypes by mechanisms which have no obvious counterpart in field environments. The uses for plant tissue culture are nearly as great as the number of practitioners of the science. Two aspects that are common denominators among practitioners are that tissue cultures provide for large numbers of cells or aggregates of cells in small volumes and in relatively short time. The stimulation of cell division is one of the requirements for successful cell culture. Ease of culture in vitro is genetically conditioned and frequently occurs at random in populations of highly cultivated plants.
Dedication: The Judge John R. Brown Papers

“To eradicate this evil, the attack need not be made piece by piece. It may be made by a frontal assault on the whole structure.” So wrote Judge John R. Brown, dissenting vehemently from the majority opinion of a three-judge panel that refused to enjoin racially discriminatory state practices in United States v. Mississippi, 229 F. Supp. 925 (S.D. Miss. 1964). Three years later, as Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (which then stretched from Texas to Florida), Brown would begin systematically dismantling racial discrimination in public schools throughout the Old South, and much, much more. Slavery is America’s original sin, a legacy of evil that we ourselves, not God, made. On March 13, 1997, members of the University of Houston Law Center Community gathered to celebrate the donation of Judge Brown’s papers to the University of Houston Law Library and to honor his contributions to the Fifth Circuit’s heroic efforts, in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), to make the promises of the Declaration of Independence, and the guarantees of the Constitution, a reality for black Americans, and for all Americans. The event, entitled John R. Brown and the Civil Rights Revolution, included a principal address by Prof. Jack Bass of the University of Mississippi, author of Unlikely Heroes (the story of the four moderate Republican judges who together wrought the revolution which Judge Brown directed), and tributes by John Minor Wisdom and former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, both long-time comrades-in-arms to Brown. The moderator of the event, the author of this abstract, summed up as follows: “On school desegregation, on voter registration, on jury selection, on affirmative action--across the whole range of wrenching issues he confronted as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for 38 years--John R. Brown walked the walk.”
Management and outcomes of men diagnosed with primary breast cancer.

Fewer than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men. As a result, a distinct lack of data exists regarding the management and outcomes in this cohort. Any male patient with pathologically confirmed breast cancer diagnosed between August 2000 and October 2017 at either Massachusetts General Hospital or Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and their affiliate satellite locations were included. Primary chart review was used to assess clinical and pathologic characteristics. Patient and treatment variables were reported via descriptive statistics. Local–regional failure (LRF), overall survival (OS), breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. 100 patients were included in this study. Median follow-up was 112 months (range 1–220 months). Approximately 1/3 of patients experienced at least a 3-month delay to presentation. 83 patients ultimately underwent mastectomy as definitive surgical treatment. 46 patients received adjuvant radiation therapy, and 37 patients received chemotherapy. Of 82 hormone receptor-positive patients with invasive cancer, 94% (n = 77) received endocrine therapy. Of the fifty-eight patients who underwent genetic testing, 15 (26%) tested positive. The 5-year OS, BCSS, DFS, and LRF rates were 91.5%, 96.2%, 86%, and 4.8%, respectively. Delay to presentation was not associated with worse survival. Male breast cancer remains a rare diagnosis. Despite this, the majority of patients in this study received standard of care therapy and experienced excellent oncologic outcomes. Penetration for genetic testing improved over time.
Quantifying the Digestion of Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid Fillers With Hyaluronidase.

Background Adverse events due to hyaluronic acid fillers (HAFs) may be treated with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that cleaves bonds within hyaluronic acid. This study reviews the efficacy of currently available hyaluronidase preparations in breaking down commercial, cross-linked HAFs. Methods Three HAFs were used in this study (Restylane, Juvederm Voluma, and Belotero [BEL] Balance). A laser-based particle size analyzer (Malvern Mastersizer 3000) was used to calculate particle sizes in untreated HAFs (controls) and those treated with 45 units of hyaluronidase (Hylenex) for 5 and 30 minutes. Results Particle size analysis revealed that when Restylane was treated with hyaluronidase for 5 minutes, the average particle size reduced modestly, from 472 to 440 μm. At 30 minutes, the average particle size was 419 μm. For Juvederm, the average size of particles reduced from 703 μm in controls to 676 μm after treatment with hyaluronidase for 5 minutes and 635 μm after treatment for 30 minutes. For Belotero, the average size of control particles was 410 μm, reducing to 376 μm after treatment with hyaluronidase for 5 minutes and 345 μm after treatment for 30 minutes. Conclusion After treatment with hyaluronidase for up to 30 minutes, there was only a modest breakdown of all 3 HAFs used. The results of this study raise questions regarding the efficacy of hyaluronidase in degrading cross-linked HAFs.
Buried treasure – the teaching potential of Kodachrome slides brought into the digital age

Clinical images on Kodachrome slides have been used for decades in dermatologic education. While the technology to view these images is becoming obsolete, many training programs possess high-quality slides that have educational benefit. The University of Virginia Department of Dermatology possesses a collection of such slides that are currently being digitized and integrated into an educational software program. We present this article as a means of providing a uniform protocol for institutions with large Kodachrome collections to do the same. Our work has proven beneficial for both medical students interested in dermatology, allowing them to gain exposure to a variety of conditions that are not well emphasized in the general curriculum, as well as for dermatology residents, who use the program as a means to hone their diagnostic skills. Not only is there educational benefit to be derived from digitizing these slides but time is of the essence, as these slides can easily become damaged or degraded, and the technology needed to scan them is quickly becoming less available.
Health-Related Quality of Life: Longitudinal Analysis From the Time of Breast Biopsy Into the Post-treatment Period.

ABSTRACT Background. Physical, psychological, social, and spiritual quality of life (QOL) may be affected by breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, with mixed findings for psychological quality of life and cognitive ability performance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate QOL in women over a period of one year from biopsy for a breast abnormality. Methods. Self-reported measures of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual QoL were obtained after biopsy results but prior to treatment initiation (baseline), four and 12 months later. CogState computerized neuropsychological screening battery also provided an evaluation of psychological QOL. Three groups of women: those with benign biopsy results, those with malignancy treated with chemotherapy, and those with malignancy not treated with chemotherapy were compared at four and 12 months after adjusting for baseline to isolate the effects of treatment. Additional covariates included age, level of education, and income. Results. Benign biopsy results group included 72 women, whereas malignancy was found for 87 women of whom 33 were treated with chemotherapy and 54 without chemotherapy. At the time of diagnosis, women with cancer had worse psychological and social, but better spiritual QOL than those with benign biopsy results. Only CogState monitoring accuracy was worse for women with cancer compared to controls at the time of biopsy results. After adjusting for QOL at baseline, women treated for cancer had worse physical and social QOL four and 12 months later. Psychological well-being was worse for women with cancer at month four but improved at one year. No differences in cognition were found at four and twelve months when adjusted for baseline cognition and covariates. Discussion. Breast cancer is a traumatic life event for women, negatively affecting psychological and social QOL domains, yet increasing spiritual QOL. Later, cancer treatment worsens physical, psychological, and social QOL compared to those without cancer. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that interventions to improve psychological QOL may be especially important at the time of cancer diagnosis, while interventions to improve physical well-being are most needed during and following cancer treatment. Support to improve social QOL is needed from the time of diagnosis into post-treatment survivorship.
Intermodalism Issues in the Freight Transportation Industry

Abstract Intermodal freight transportation is the sector of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program that embraces movements of goods involving the use of two or more transportation modes. Despite the fact that ITS and intermodalism are viewed as natural partners in freight transportation, a clear definition of roles and opportunities for advancing this partnership is still limited. To bridges this gap, this paper identifies benefits from and impediments to the implementation of intermodal policies, and defines the role of U.S. government toward the facilitation and implementation of such policies.
HCI Prototyping and Modeling of Future Psychotherapy Technologies in Second Life

This paper describes the virtual MSU SL Prototyping Center for Psychotherapy Technologies in development at Missouri State University and explores the value of using Second Life SL as a prototyping tool for HCI research. The power of SL is illustrated in our use of it to envision applications and usage scenarios for an integrative system for psychotherapy technologies called MyPsySpace, a highly flexible and customizable system that can be used by independent therapists trained in a wide range of theoretical orientations.
Adeno-Associated Virus

The ability of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to establish a latent infection prompted an investigation of the nature of the viral genome within latently infected cells and led to the discovery that AAV stably integrates with high efficiency into host cell chromatin, with a preponderance of integration events occurring within a specific locus of human chromosome 19 known as AAV integration site 1 (AAVS1). The major open reading frame of the rep gene gives rise to a family of four overlapping nonstructural proteins, known as Rep78, Rep68, Rep52, and Rep40, via a combination of alternative promoter usage and differential utilization of a splicing event. Parallels between the potential chromosomal integration mechanisms of AAV and T-DNA sequences are discussed in detail. Researchers reported the sequence organization of Rep-mediated viral-cellular junctions produced in an in vitro recombination system. Recombination between AAV and cellular sequences at stretches of DNA with significant homology is rarely observed among junctions generated in vivo, and, based on the relatively large copy number of PCR substrates in the in vitro assay, these junctions may have potentially arisen from PCR priming events at Rep binding site (RBS) sequences common to the substrates. The major rescued products were linear duplex molecules with covalently closed ends. Resolution of the integration intermediates described above would use cellular DNA repair mechanisms. Exploration of the phylogenetic relationships among various mobile genetic elements may aid in identifying common mechanisms used in the mobilization and integration of numerous genetic elements of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Tow vehicle depth verification

NRL demonstrated extraction of accurate single beam and multibeam bathymetry from a towed vehicle designed to locate mines in the water column. However, biases were encountered in measuring the static pressure depth of the moving vehicle. Water depth is calculated by simply adding tow vehicle depth, measured by a pressure sensor, to the multibeam ranges from the seafloor, measured acoustically from the vehicle. Comparisons of the tow vehicle bathymetry with ground truth showed a shallow bias in depth. The pressure sensor was suspected based on previous experience measuring multibeam bathymetry on the unmanned semi submersible ORCA. There were two contributing sources of error. The first was pressure sensor calibration; the sensor needs to be "zeroed" before entering the water. The second and more interesting was that the sensor was measuring variations in pressure caused from vehicle velocity in addition to changes in vehicle depth. The challenge is measuring static depth from a moving vehicle. The acoustic signal from the first water surface bounce was used to measure the bias and correct for pressure sensor error. This paper describes the sensors, data and techniques used to compensate for the depth bias.
The association of the original OSHA chemical hazard communication standard with reductions in acute work injuries/illnesses in private industry and the industrial releases of chemical carcinogens

BACKGROUND: OSHA predicted the original chemical Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) would cumulatively reduce the lost workday acute injury/illness rate for exposure events by 20% over 20 years and reduce exposure to chemical carcinogens. METHODS: JoinPoint trend software identified changes in the rate of change of BLS rates for days away from work for acute injuries/illnesses during 1992-2009 for manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries for both chemical, noxious or allergenic injury exposure events and All other exposure events. The annual percent change in the rates was used to adjust observed numbers of cases to estimate their association with the standard. A case-control study of EPA's Toxic Release Inventory 1988-2009 data compared carcinogen and non-carcinogens' releases. RESULTS: The study estimates that the HCS was associated with a reduction in the number of acute injuries/illnesses due to chemical injury exposure events over the background rate in the range 107,569-459,395 (Hudson method/modified BIC model) depending on whether the HCS is treated as a marginal or sole factor in the decrease. Carcinogen releases have declined at a substantially faster rate than control non-carcinogens. DISCUSSION: The previous HCS standard was associated with significant reductions in chemical event acute injuries/illnesses and chemical carcinogen exposures. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Kafe Antzokia: The Global meets the Local in Basque Cultural Politics

Por medio del analisis de un caso, el del proyecto que se esconde tras el nacimiento y la gestion de un espacio cultural contemporaneo, el Kafe Antzoki de Bilbao, el texto procura profundizar en las conexiones que se establecen entre la cultura local y la percepcion cierta de que esta se desarrolla actualmente en un mundo altamente globalizado. Los cambios que los propios actores sociales implicados perciben en la idea de lo local y en otras que, el caso del Pais Vasco, iban indisociablemente asociados a ella (la lengua vasca, el territorio propio, la nacion, las comunidades que a habitan...) son analizados a la luz de la percepcion que algunos de esos actores tienen de la cultura, de su ambito de referencia y sus tensones (local/ global, centro/periferia, cosmopolitismo, hibridacion cultural...) y de sus condiciones actuales de posibilidad. By means of a case analysis, the project supporting the genesis and management of a contemporary cultural espace –Kafe Antzokia, in Bilbao–, the article tries to emphasize the connection between the local culture and the very perception that in these times this culture is practiced in a highly globalized world. Changes that the social agents involved perceive in the idea of ‘the local’ and in other issues which in the Basque Country were engaged to this idea (the Basque language, the own territory, the nation, the communities that live in it...), are analysed according to their perception of culture, of its domain of reference and its tensions (local/global, centre/periphery, cosmopolitism, cultural hybridization...) and of its contemporary conditions of possibility.
The subcellular distribution of carnitine acyltransferases in mammalian liver and kidney. A new peroxisomal enzyme.

Abstract Liver and kidney organelles from rat and pig were separated by isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation and located by marker enzymes. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase was shown to be exclusively a mitochondrial enzyme. In liver, approximately 52% of carnitine acetyltransferase activity was mitochondrial, 14% peroxisomal, and 34% located in a lipid-rich membranous fraction. Microsomes were a component of this last fraction and, when isolated by differential centrifugation, contained carnitine acetyltransferase activity. This enzyme has not previously been reported to be in peroxisomes. The specific activity of carnitine acetyltransferase in liver peroxisomes was two to three times greater than in the mitochondria or microsomes. Partial fractionation of broken rat liver peroxisomes into core, membranes, and the soluble matrix indicated that carnitine acetyltransferase had a similar distribution to the matrix enzyme, catalase. In gradients of rat and pig kidney, carnitine acetyltransferase was found primarily in the mitochondrial fractions. This enzyme was also not detected in microbodies, mitochondria, or microsomes from plants. Carnitine acetyltransferase activity in liver fractions was confirmed by three separate assays—an 1(-)-carnitine-dependent release of coenzyme A (CoA) from acetyl-CoA, identification of the 14C-labeled reaction product acetylcarnitine, and the 1(-)-acetylcarnitine-dependent formation of acetyl-CoA from CoA. Carnitine acyltransferase activity for octanoyl-CoA in hepatic peroxisomes and microsomes was about equal to activity for acetyl-CoA. In the mitochondria, activity for octanoyl-CoA was six times greater than for acetyl-CoA.
Recombinant von Willebrand factor Arg578-->Gln. A type IIB von Willebrand disease mutation affects binding to glycoprotein Ib but not to collagen or heparin.

Abstract von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric plasma glycoprotein that mediates platelet adhesion to the subendothelium via binding to platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and to components of the vessel wall. Recently, missense mutations that cause type IIB von Willebrand disease (vWD) were described, clustered within a disulfide loop in the A1 domain of vWF that has binding sites for GPIb, collagen, and heparin. In type IIB vWD, plasma vWF exhibits increased affinity for platelet GPIb, but decreased binding to collagen and heparin. The effect was studied of a type IIB vWD mutation, Arg578-->Gln, on the interaction of vWF with GPIb, collagen, and heparin. Recombinant wild type rvWF and mutant rvWF(R578Q) were expressed in COS-7 cells. Ristocetin-induced binding of rvWF(R578Q) to GPIb was markedly increased compared with rvWF, confirming that the Arg578-->Gln mutation causes the characteristic gain-of-function abnormality of type IIB vWD; botrocetin-induced binding was only slightly increased. Binding to collagen type III and heparin-agarose was compared for rvWF(R578Q) and plasma vWF from patients with four different type IIB mutations: Arg543-->Trp, Arg545-->Cys, Val553-->Met, Arg578-->Gln. For all of the plasma samples, binding to collagen and to heparin was reduced compared with normal plasma. In contrast, binding of rvWF(R578Q) to collagen and heparin was normal compared with wild type rvWF. Therefore, the Arg578-->Gln mutation increases the affinity of vWF for GPIb but does not directly impair vWF interaction with collagen or heparin. Arg578 may therefore be necessary to prevent normal vWF from interacting with GPIb. In type IIB vWD, the defective binding of plasma vWF to collagen and heparin may be secondary to post-synthetic modifications that occur in vivo, such as the loss of high molecular weight vWF multimers.
Differentiation of cariogenic streptococci by fluorescent antibody.

Jablon, J. M. (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.), and D. D. Zinner. Differentiation of cariogenic streptococci by fluorescent antibody. J. Bacteriol. 92: 1590–1596. 1966.—Eight strains of streptococci were isolated from human carious lesions by the fluorescent-antibody (FA) technique. Seven of these strains produced experimental caries in hamsters or rats maintained on a high sucrose diet. The eighth strain was noncariogenic in animals but possessed some antigenic components in common with the cariogenic strains. On the basis of antigen-antibody reactions by microprecipitin and agar-gel diffusion patterns, the strains were divided into four groups; these groups differed with regard to their cariogenic activity in hamsters. Fluorescein-conjugated antisera, prepared against the human strains, showed some cross-reactions which interfered with the efficacy of the FA technique in differentiating between the related streptococcal groups. To eliminate these cross-reactions, a small amount of related-strain antisera was added to the fluorescein-conjugated antisera to the cariogenic strains. This technique is effective in blocking cross-reactions and should be tried wherever cross-reactions are encountered in the FA technique. Images
A Direct Precision Measurement of the Intergalactic Lyα Opacity at 2 ≤ z ≤ 4.2* **

We measure the evolution of the intergalactic Lyα effective optical depth, -->τeff, over the redshift range -->2 ≤ z≤ 4.2 from a sample of 86 high-resolution, high-S/N quasar spectra obtained with the ESI and HIRES spectrographs on Keck and with the MIKE spectrograph on Magellan. This represents an improvement over previous analyses of the Lyα forest from high-resolution spectra in this redshift interval of a factor of 2 in the size of the data set alone. We pay particular attention to robust error estimation and extensively test for systematic effects. We find that our estimates of the quasar continuum levels in the Lyα forest obtained by spline fitting are systematically biased low, with the magnitude of the bias increasing with redshift, but that this bias can be accounted for using mock spectra. The mean fractional error --> Δ C/Ctrue is z = 2, 4% at -->z = 3, and 12% at -->z = 4. Previous measurements of -->τeff at -->z 3 based on directly fitting the quasar continua in the Lyα forest, which have generally neglected this effect, are therefore likely biased low. We provide estimates of the level of absorption arising from metals in the Lyα forest based on both direct and statistical metal removal results in the literature, finding that this contribution is 6%-9% at -->z = 3 and decreases monotonically with redshift. The high precision of our measurement, attaining 3% in redshift bins of width -->Δ z = 0.2 around -->z = 3, indicates significant departures from the best-fit power-law redshift evolution [ -->τeff = 0.0018(1 + z)3.92, when metals are left in], particularly near -->z = 3.2. The observed downward departure is statistically consistent with a similar feature detected in a precision statistical measurement using SDSS spectra by Bernardi and coworkers using an independent approach.
Diamond film deposition using microwave plasmas under low pressures

Microwave plasma depositions of diamond films have been investigated under low pressures of 10 mTorr to 10 Torr, at low substrate temperatures of 400 to 750 C, using high methane concentrations of 5 to 15 percent and oxygen concentrations of 5 to 10 percent in hydrogen plasmas. The deposition system consists of a microwave plasma chamber, a downstream deposition chamber, and a RF induction-heated sample stage. The deposition system can be operated in either high-pressure microwave or electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) modes by varying the sample stage position. Cathodoluminescence (CL) studies on diamond films deposited at 10 Torr pressure show that CL emissions at 430, 480, 510, 530, 560, 570 and 740 nm can be employed to characterize the quality of diamond films. High-quality, well-faceted diamond films have been deposited at 10 Torr and 600 C using 5 percent CH4 and 5 percent O2 in H2 plasmas; CL measurements on these films show very low N impurities and no detectable Si impurities. Diamond nucleation on SiC has been demonstrated by depositing well-faceted diamond crystallites on SiC-coated Si substrates.
Learning hidden causes from empirical data

Models of complex phenomena often consist of hypothetical entities called "hidden causes", which cannot be observed directly and yet play a major role in understanding, communicating, and predicting the dynamics of those phenomena. This paper examines the cognitive and computational roles of these constructs, and addresses the question of whether they can be discovered from empirical observations. Causal models are treated as trees of binary random variables where the leaves are accessible to direct observation, and the internal nodes-representing hidden causes-account for inter-leaf dependencies. In probabilistic terms, every two leaves are conditionally independent given the value of some internal node between them. We show that if the mechanism which drives the visible variables is indeed tree-structured, then it is possible to uncover the topology of the tree uniquely by observing pair-wise dependencies among the leaves. The entire tree structure, including the strengths of all internal relationships, can be reconstructed in time proportional to nlogn, where n is the number of leaves.
Viejo y nuevo pragmatismo

C.S. Peirce, the founder of pragmatism, proposed a reformed, scientific philosophy guided by the pragmatic maxim, identifying the meaning of a concept with its experiential consequences. Over time, however, pragmatism evolved: from Peirce’s logical, ideal-realist articulation, through James’s more psychological and nominalist pragmatism, until, in our times, Richard Rorty, who proposes in the name of pragmatism that the metaphysical and epistemological territory at the traditional center of philosophy be abandoned, and that philosophy remake itself as a genre of literature, while at the other extreme such scientific philosophers as Paul Churchland and Stephen Stich also describe themselves as pragmatists. Looking at the history of pragmatism from Peirce and James through Dewey, Mead, and Schiller to the present, this article traces the transmutation of the old pragmatism into the new.
Reply to the correspondence letter by S. Özsoylu ‘Vit B12 treatment’

I would like to respond to the letter of the editor of Professor Sinasi Ozsoylu. Both mother and child were treated since the two of them were deficient. The mother received an oral supplement of 1,000 mcg/day over 5 days. Few days after supplementation of vitamin B12, food diversification of the boy was successfully started so he did not receive exclusive breastfeeding any longer. To make sure that his supplies were sufficient he received oral supplementation. The boy was not overtreated as shown by close biological and clinical monitoring. I do not understand why you think the boy received treatment for 350 days, since this is not specified in our article. Supplementation started at the age of 9 months. After 6 weeks of treatment, blood counts and immunoglobin G levels were normal. Bone marrow examination still showed mild dyserythropoiesis, but no more sideroblasts. Treatment resulted in a rapid improvement in weight gain. Neurological examination normalised within 3 weeks after the start of treatment. At this point oral substitution was switched to 1 mg per week. Presently, the boy is doing well with a monthly oral vitamin B12 dosage of 1 mg and iron supplements. Finally, I would like to specify the following terms used in Table 1. ‘Inherited error of vitamin B12 metabolism’ includes transcobalamin II deficiency and Imerslund–Grasbeck disease. ‘Deficiency of cobalamin metabolism’ includes CbIb deficiency, CbIG deficiency and cobalamin C deficiency.
Hobbes and Rational Choice Theory

HT HE depiction of the natural condition of mankind by Thomas Hobbes (Hobbes 1968) has long been a source of fascination to students of political theory. In the past two decades, the concepts and categories of rational choice theory have been increasingly employed as one means of interpreting, illuminating, and understanding Hobbes' teaching (Hampton 1986; Brams 1985: 139-46; Kavka 1983; Laver 1981: 17-18, 43-47; McLean 1981: 339-51; Taylor 1976; Gauthier 1969). The issue I propose to explore herein is that of determining the extent to which this approach does indeed succeed in bringing clearly into focus the essence of that teaching. I shall suggest that though not without value, the appropriation of Hobbes' teaching to the terms of rational choice theory reaps a good deal less than Hobbes attempted to sow. There are a number of mundane senses in which this conclusion is at once obvious and trivial, all rooted in the fact that Hobbes, seminal thinker that he was, planted widely. To take the extreme, no one employing the conceptual framework of rational choice or game theory attempts to use this framework to say anything about Parts III ("Of a Christian Commonwealth") or IV ("Of the Kingdome of Darknesse") of Leviathan. If the conclusion that rational choice theory fails to illuminate fully Hobbes' lessons amounted to no more than this, we would be wasting our time. But the conclusion would be significant if it turned out that aspects of Hobbes' theory which rational choice theorists themselves choose to discuss purport to illuminate resisted assimilation. I shall argue that this is just the case, especially in regard to attempts to treat Hobbes' state of nature as an exemplar of a prisoners' dilemma situation. More importantly, the conclusion would take on even greater significance if it turned out that insofar as one specified and reflected upon the differences (underlying the, admitted, similarities) between Hobbes' understanding of the sociopolitical world and that offered by rational choice theory, one were led to question the coherence, cogency, and ultimately the adequacy, of rational choice theory itself as an attempt to make sense of that world.
Deliberation or Conversation: Michael Oakeshott on the Ethos and Conduct of Democracy

In recent years, scholars have begun to explore the democratic valences of Michael Oakeshott's political thought. Commentators generally present him either as a skeptical and reluctant democrat or as an advocate of deliberative democracy. This article contends that Oakeshott criticizes some epistemological and substantive commitments that are characteristic of deliberative theories, yet his vision of democracy is more robust than skeptical readers admit. Using the themes of consensus and epistemic politics as points for comparison with the ideas of Oakeshott and deliberative democrats, I consider how his theory of civil association, critique of rationalism, and characterization of conversation as “the gist and meaning of democracy” speak to contemporary democratic theory. I conclude that he offers a pluralistic ethos, rather than a self-contained model, for democratic politics that has affinities with agonistic theories of democracy.
Die Vorbereitung auf die Pensionierung

Die Vorbereitung auf die Pensionierung erfolgt bei der Firma Gebruder Sulzer AG, Winterthur, durch gezielte Aufklarung uber folgende Punkte: Das Altersproblem im allgemeinen. Das Rucktrittsalter laut Reglement der Pensionskasse. Die Vorbereitung auf die Pensionierung. Was mache ich im Ruhestand? Steuerfragen im Zusammenhang mit der Pensionierung.
811 COURSE AND SEOUELAE OF H. INFLUENZAE B (HIB) EMPYEMA

The natural course and sequelae of HIB Empyema have not been well characterized. Among 12 cases seen between 1966-1977, 8 were aged 6 months to 6 years and 4 were aged 6 - 11 years. Although 8 received antibiotics prior to diagnosis, 6 had positive blood cultures and 5 had positive cultures of pleural fluid. Among 4 receiving no prior treatment, none had positive blood cultures, 3 had positive pleural fluid cultures and 1 had sterile fluid with HIB antigen detected by CIE. All survived. Chest tube drainage was required in 3. Additional complications included pericarditis (2), Meningitis (1), and cellulitis (1). Mean duration of hospital stay was 21 days (range 9 - 35). Chest radiographs 6 months after diagnosis were available in 8 patients. 6 had pleural thickening, 4 had scoliosis and 2 had prominent hilum. Lung function studies were also performed on 5, 18-36 months following discharge. Four patients demonstrated a restrictive and 1 patient an obstructive ventilatory defect by plethysmography or helium dilution. 3 of the 5 patients with abnormal lung function studies showed simultaneous residual pleural thickening. Persisting defects of lung function may be a sequel of HIB empyema.
Isolated hyperechoic fetal bowel: significance and implications for management.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the significance of isolated hyperechoic fetal bowel STUDY DESIGN: Forty-five cases with prospective, ultrasonographic diagnosis of isolated hyperechoic fetal bowel were reviewed. Fetal variables, including aneuploidy, deoxyribonucleic acid studies for cystic fibrosis, congenital infection, growth retardation, and intrauterine death were reported. RESULTS: Thirty-four of the 45 cases (76%) resulted in live-born infants without detected abnormalities. However, hyperechoic bowel was associated with cystic fibrosis in two cses (4%), congenital infection in two cases (4%), and fetal alcohol syndrome in one case. Termination of pregnancy was elected in three casees and intrauterine fetal death occurred in three cases (7%). Growth retardation was observed in five of 39 (13%) live-born infants. CONCLUSION: Isolated hyperechoic fetal bowel is associated with significant pathologic disorders. Women whose fetuses are diagnosed as having isolated hyperechoic bowel should be offered additional prenatal diagnostic options, including maternal serologic studies for congenital infection, fetal karyotype, and deoxyribonucleic acid testing for cystic fibrosis. In addition, continuing ultrasonographic evaluation to fetal growth and antenatal biophysical assessment should be considered.