cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biometals as conformational modulators of α-synuclein photochemical crosslinking

Metal dyshomeostasis has long been linked to Parkinson's disease (PD), and the amyloidogenic protein α-synuclein (αS) is universally recognized as a key player in PD pathology. Structural consequences upon coordination of copper and iron to αS have gained attention due to significant dyshomeostasis of both metals in the PD brain. Protein-metal association can navigate protein folding in distinctive pathways based on the identity of the bio-metal in question. In this work, we employed photo-chemical crosslinking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) to evaluate these potential metal ion-induced structural alterations in the folding dynamics of N-terminally acetylated αS (NAcαS) following metal coordination. Through fluorescence analysis and immunoblotting analyses following photoirradiation, we discovered that coordination of iron obstructs copper-promoted crosslinking. The absence of intra-molecular crosslinking upon iron association further supports its C-terminal coordination site and suggests a potential role for iron in mitigating nearby post-translational modification of tyrosine residues. Decreased fluorescence emission upon synergistic coordination of both copper and iron highlighted that although copper acts as a conformational promotor of NAcαS crosslinking, iron inhibits analogous conformational changes within the protein. The metal coordination preferences of NAcαS suggest that both competitive binding sites as well as dual metal coordination contribute to the changes in folding dynamics, unveiling unique structural orientations for NAcαS that have a direct and measureable influence on photoinitiated dityrosine crosslinks. Moreover, our findings have physiological implications in that iron overload, as is associated with PD-insulted brain tissue, may serve as a conformational block of copper-promoted protein oxidation.
Overview of the HIV-Associated Tuberculosis Epidemic

Globally, tuberculosis is the leading infectious cause of death and the most common opportunistic infection in people living with HIV (PLWH) (World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Report 2018). TB incidence has actually declined in the past 5 years both overall and for PLWH (World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Report 2018). However, efforts to achieve the target goals of the “End TB Strategy” both for people with and without HIV infection, will require more aggressive interventions aimed at each of the three pillars of TB control, including increased screening and diagnosis of TB infection and disease, rapid initiation of effective TB treatment, and more effective prevention of TB disease. The last decade has seen an explosion of new diagnostic technologies, development of new or novel antimycobacterial drugs, and the evolution of shorter course treatment for latent TB infection and drug resistant TB disease. While the next 5 years is likely to see a sea-change in our approaches to more effective treatment of TB, there are numerous barriers to the scale-up of new diagnostic tests and treatment regimens for PLWH that must be overcome to reach the rates of reduction in TB incidence that will be required to achieve the 2035 TB elimination goals.
Malignant metamorphosis: developmental genes as culprits for oncogenesis in Xiphophorus.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the current state of information available on the tumorigenesis in Xiphophorus and review the strategies to which the identification of genetic loci in malignancy is owed. Neoplastic growth is a widespread developmental aberration among multicellular organisms ranging from primitive avertebrates, such as coelenterates and annelids, to man. A major goal of the studies concerning neoplasia has been to obtain insight into its cellular and molecular basis, and it has been suggested that cellular genes are paramount in the etiology of neoplasia. The high degree of evolutionary conservation of the proto-oncogenes points to the basic functions that these genes normally might have for the cell and at the same time indicates that crucial steps associated with tumorigenesis might take similar pathways in different classes of vertebrates. There are now four main lines of molecular evidence that relate cellular genes to neoplasia: (1) insertional mutagenesis or chromosomal rearrangement, (2) gene amplification, (3) structural alteration of a cellular gene itself that results in the synthesis of an altered protein, and (4) generation of fusion genes as a result of gene translocation with possibly altered biological activities. Genetic mechanisms that are operative in the development of tumors of genetic origin in Xiphophorus remains to be addressed in future experiments.
Not So Black and White: Uncovering Racial Bias from Systematically Misreported Trooper Reports

Highway police officers, or troopers, may misreport the race of people that they engage with in order to evade detection of racial bias. I propose a new test of racial bias in the presence of misreporting that is well-suited to explore the rich heterogeneity in bias behavior. Using a unique event in Texas where troopers were caught deliberately misreporting minority motorists as white, I find bias against all minority motorists, but especially against Hispanic motorists. I estimate bias for each trooper and find that over 30% of troopers were engaging in this behavior. Using my trooper level measure of bias, I identify causal relationships between bias and labor outcomes using a panel data set of trooper employment outcomes. I show misreporting was used effectively to evade detection of bias, with bias having no effect on labor market outcomes when the misreporting was possible. I find that after a rule change to trooper stop recording policy in response to the misreporting led to negative labor outcomes for biased troopers, specifically, lower rates of promotion and had lower salary growth. I further test how individual trooper bias changes in response to changes in peer, demographic compositions. In particular, black or Hispanic troopers are sensitive to changes in peer composition, while white troopers are unaffected.
College aspirations, gender sexuality alliances, and teacher support among diverse LGBTQ youth

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth report hostile school climates and sexuality-based harassment, but scholarship has not clearly documented how these climates...
Experiencing the Cold War at Shanghai’s secret military industrial complex

Studies of Cold War China have mainly concentrated on the affairs of diplomatic elites. This article contributes to the emerging body of scholarship which descends from the realm of high politics a...
Surgical approach for kidney transplantation under spinal anesthesia

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It has been shown to improve quality of life as well as extending life of patients with ESRD as compared to renal replacement therapy (5-year survival rate of 68% after transplant vs 36% dialysis) (Hart A, Smith JM, Skeans MA. OPTN/SRTR 2015 annual data report: kidney. Am J Transplant 2017;17:21-116). Traditionally, patients undergo general endotracheal tube anesthesia for this surgery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, general anesthesia drugs and airway equipment were in short supply. Additionally, airway manipulation was avoided when possible due to concern for virus spread from aerosolizing procedures (i.e. intubation/extubation). In this case report, we review a 65-year-old female with an ESRD due to hypertension and diabetes that underwent deceased donor kidney transplant under spinal anesthesia. We will further discuss the benefits of spinal anesthesia in renal transplant operations.
Electric Vehicle Load Forecast Based on Monte Carlo Algorithm

This paper proposes an electric vehicle charging load forecasting method that considers the impact of different types of vehicles. First, the Bass model is used to predict the number of electric vehicles, and the model is verified by predicting and analyzing the number of electric vehicles. It also uses Monte Carlo simulation method to calculate the charging load of electric vehicles. For different types of electric vehicles, the charging characteristics are analyzed by considering the charging period, start time, daily mileage, charging mode, and charging power. Perform superposition to obtain the total charging load curve, and complete the charging load forecast of electric vehicles.
Selective deployment of dynamic telecytology for rapid evaluation of cytology smears: assessment of workflow processes and role of cytopathology fellows as on-site operators

Introduction The deployment of telecytology (TC) requires a substantial investment of financial and human resources. To offset the high demand for rapid on-site evaluation, we performed a limited deployment of dynamic TC and have detailed the workflow processes and the role of trainees. Materials and methods TC systems were installed in radiology suites with a high volume of cases. Validation was performed using retrospective and prospective cases. Cytotechnologists and cytopathology fellows were the operators of the instrument. TC malignant and benign diagnoses were correlated with the final sign-out diagnoses. Results Of the 120 cases, 50 (41.6%) were fine needle aspirations and 70 (58.3%) were touch imprint smears of core biopsy specimens. The cytotechnologists were the operators for 34 cases (28.3%) and cytology fellows for 86 cases (71.6%). Adequacy concordance with the final diagnosis was 100% and 98.5% in the retrospective and prospective cases, respectively. In the prospective cases, concordance of TC with the final diagnosis of malignancy was 42 of 45 (93.3%), with 2 of 45 (4.4%) discordant and a downgrade rate of 2.7%. For the benign diagnoses, the concordance was 90%. For the malignant diagnoses, the sensitivity of TC was 97.67% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.71 to 99.94%; specificity, 81.82%; 95% CI, 48.22% to 97.72%). The positive predictive value was 95.45% (95% CI, 85.69% to 98.66%), the negative predictive value was 90.00% (95% CI, 55.98% to 98.45%), and the accuracy was 94.44% (95% CI, 84.61% to 98.84%). Conclusions TC can be deployed in a limited fashion as an option for cytopathologists to offset the high demand for rapid on-site evaluations. Trainee participation in TC service is important for building confidence and honing their cytology skills.
Stimulation of in vitro colicin E3 action by messenger ribonucleic acid and message analogs.

Abstract Ribosomes that are synthesizing polypeptides in vitro on certain natural and synthetic messages are more susceptible to inactivation by colicin E3 than ribosomes treated with E3 in the absence of added message. The initiation step of protein synthesis appears to be sufficient to cause the conversion of ribosomes to a state more sensitive to colicin E3. Message and protein synthesis are not, however, absolute requirements for the in vitro inactivation of ribosomes by colicin E3. The in vitro inactivation of ribosomes by E3 has a sharp magnesium optimum which correlates well with the magnesium optimum for in vitro protein synthesis. We conclude from these experiments that ribosomes in a state most competent for protein synthesis are most susceptible to inactivation by colicin E3.
Teaching in Our Pajamas: Negotiating with Adult Learners in Online Distance Writing Courses.

Because students in online distance courses use e-mail (a hot medium) to communicate, their messages often are filled with emotion, causing problems for teachers. This article describes the kinds of messages that men and women write and suggests strategies for course design to help defuse some of the emotion.
Characterization of dopamine N-acetyltransferase from Aedes aegypti: Probable role in cuticular sclerotization, but not ovarian development

Abstract 1. 1. Dopamine N- acetyltransferase (DNAT) was partially purified from pupae of Aedes aegypti. 2. 2. The enzyme required acetyl CoA as a cofactor, had a pH optimum of 7.0, and was eluted as a single peak from Sephacyl S-200. 3. 3. Unlike the enzyme of D. melanogaster, DNAT from Ae. aegypti could not be detected in the adult. 4. 4. The highest activity occurred during the pupal stage prior to adult emergence, suggesting that this enzyme may be required for the production of intermediates necessary for the formation of the adult cuticle, but not for tanning and sclerotization of the egg chorion.
Stakeholder Pressure and the Structure of Executive Compensation

We examine whether the recent public outcry over executive compensation has had an impact on the level of executive compensation and/or the sensitivity of cash compensation to firm performance. Cross-sectional analyses for a sample of 186 firms show that post-1993 compensation levels have risen despite increasing stakeholder pressure. Tests based on firm- specific, time series analyses indicate a post-1993 increase in the sensitivity of cash compensation to firm performance that cannot be completely explained by a rising stock market. In addition to examining overall changes in the structure of executive compensation, we also examine the impact of four specific sources of stakeholder pressure. We find no evidence that the receipt of a shareholder proposal on executive compensation or the redesign of short- term and long-term incentive plans in response to the $1 million pay cap is followed by significant changes in compensation levels or cash compensation performance sensitivities. However, our evidence does indicate that following negative financial press coverage of a firm?s executive compensation policies, there is both a smaller subsequent increase in total compensation and a larger subsequent increase in the sensitivity of cash compensation to firm performance than is experienced by firms that were not singled out by the media. Finally, we find that the targeting of a firm by institutional investors with concerns about the firm?s performance is associated with subsequent declines in both total compensation and cash compensation performance sensitivities.
Medical Spending and the Health of the Elderly

A significant body of recent research reports wide variations in Medicare spending per beneficiary across geographic areas, but with little apparent variation in the quality of care or health outcomes (Skinner, Fisher, and Wennberg 2005; Wennberg et al. 2008; Fisher et al. 2009). Based on this research, policy makers have considered proposals that would limit Medicare payments in high-cost areas or pay bonuses in low-cost areas (Congressional Budget Office [CBO] 2008; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance 2009; Abelson and Harris 2010). Although prior research has studied people who age into Medicare and found that greater medical care use following Medicare coverage improved health (Lichtenberg 2002; McWilliams et al. 2007a, b, 2003; Card, Dobkin, and Maestas 2009), none of these studies is directly relevant to the question of whether variations in medical spending for people already covered by Medicare affect their health. Earlier studies that found a positive relationship between medical spending and health at the geographic level may be out of date (Hadley 1982; Hadley 1988). More recently, studies by Doyle (2008) and Martin, Rice, and Smith (2008) used instrumental variable (IV) analysis and found that people treated in higher spending areas had better health outcomes, but neither focused only on the Medicare population. Kaestner and Silber (2010) estimated a positive relationship between Medicare spending and health outcomes, but only for hospitalized patients with particular medical conditions. Like these recent studies, we use IV analysis to investigate the relationship between medical spending and health using data on individual Medicare beneficiaries. If a person-level analysis also finds no relationship between medical spending and health of the elderly, it will reinforce the finding of Medicare inefficiencies drawn from geographic analyses (Fisher et al. 2009).
Redes de alta corrupción en el Perú: poder y venalidad desde el Virrey Amat a Montesinos

Based on recent progress in the empirical and theoretical study of networks of corruption, this study explores historical evidence on the activities of groups and networks, which throughout different economic and political contexts appropriated public resources for private benefit. This analysis includes the intimate links of these networks with political leaders searching for support to control power by offering venal rewards that distort rules and incentives favorable to institutional and economic development. Diverse adaptations by these networks are found to take place in response to different phases of economic and financial modernization. Significant legacies are also detected from one generation of corrupt agents and networks to the next.
Purchase and Utilization of New Fuel Efficient Vehicles in the US: Evidence from the 2009 National Household Transportation Survey Data

This paper applies a simultaneous equation model to examine the relationship between choices of new fuel efficient vehicles and their utilization using the 2009 NHTS data. The regression results indicate that travelers purchasing new fuel efficient vehicles with a fuel economy of at least 30 mpg drive more on a monthly basis than others owning a new vehicle with lower fuel economy. In addition, those who travel more are more likely to purchase a new fuel efficient vehicle with a fuel economy of at least 30 mpg in the study period. The gasoline price has a significant negative impact on new vehicle utilization while a significant positive impact on choices of new vehicles with a fuel economy of at least 30 mpg. Keywords: new fuel efficient vehicle; new vehicle utilization; simultaneous equation model; impact of gasoline prices; vehicle type choice JEL Classifications: R22; R41
Abkommensrechtliche Behandlung der Sondervergütungen bei transparenter Besteuerung der Gesellschaft im Sitzstaat USA und intransparenter Besteuerung in Deutschland

Dadurch, das die USA in der Gesellschaft nach ihrem nationalen Steuerrecht wie eine Kapitalgesellschaft (corporation) und damit wie ein Steuerrechtssubjekt behandeln, sehen sie auch in den Vergutungen, die ein deutscher Gesellschafter von der Gesellschaft fur von diesem uberlassende Wirtschaftsguter, gewahrte Darlehen oder geleistete Dienste als Leistungen an einen ausenstehenden Dritten an. Auf diese Weise werden solche „Sondervergutungen“ als abzugsfahige Betriebsausgaben der Gesellschaft anerkannt1. Bei der Abkommensanwendung ordnen die USA diese Zahlungen entsprechend ihrem Charakter als Zinsen, Art. 10 DBA-USA, Einkunfte aus unbeweglichem Vermogen, Art. 6 DBA-USA, oder selbstandiger oder unselbstandiger Arbeit, Art. 14, 15 DBA-USA, ein. Die Voraussetzung fur die Qualifikation dieser „Sondervergutungen“ nach diesen Einkunftsartikeln, namlich das Bestehen eines auf der Ebene des Abkommens anzuerkennenden Schuldverhaltnisses, liegen vor2. Denn die US-Gesellschaft ist abkommensrechtlich als eine von ihren Gesellschaftern zu trennende (Steuer-) Rechtsperson anzuerkennen. Deshalb sind abkommensrechtlich schuldrechtliche Rechtsbeziehungen zwischen der Gesellschaft einerseits und einem ihrer Gesellschafter andererseits moglich. Dies entspricht der ganz herrschenden Meinung3.
Emergent, After Hours Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spine

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Requests for after-hours emergent spine MR imaging seem to be increasing. We sought to review the trend in after hours spine MRI utilization at our institution and to determine how these results impacted therapeutic intervention. METHODS Following Institutional Review Board approval, reports from 179 after hours spinal MRI's performed over the past 13 years were obtained and the relevant electronic medical records were reviewed. RESULTS Emergent after hours spine MRI utilization increased from 7 per year to 23 over 13 years. Fifty-eight percent (104/179) had significant findings. Twenty-nine percent (52/179) of all patients imaged underwent surgery to treat pathologies identified on MR. Surgery was performed in only 2% (4/179) of these patients within 3 hours and 6% (10/179) within 6 hours of MRI completion. Five percent (8/179) had findings that were treated with radiation therapy and in 78% of these it was performed within 6–12 hours. Of those in whom steroids or antibiotics were initiated, 41% and 50% were treated within 3 hours of MR scanning, respectively. DISCUSSION Clinical use of emergent after hours spine MRI is steadily increasing at our institution. While MR imaging often discerned significant pathologies, performing these emergent studies rarely resulted in immediate surgical or radiotherapeutic intervention.
Cambios paradigmáticos y dialéctica de los movimientos sociales

La antropologia esta en medio de un cambio de paradigmas: desde aquellos que surgieron con la consolidacion del dominio occidental hacia otro que responde a los procesos de globalizacion que estan integrando y dividiendo al mundo en el que vivimos y estudiamos. Ya no podemos fingir, observar y analizar una realidad objetivada mas alla de nosotros, puesto que somos participes de las relaciones de investigacion que se estan forjando en el crisol de los movimientos sociales. En este aspecto, las ciencias sociales difieren de las ciencias fisicas. Thomas Kuhn afirmo, en su magistral libro The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), que las revoluciones en las ciencias fisicas ocurren cuando sucesivas generaciones toman en cuenta la evidencia de la acumulacion de fallas en paradigmas pasados. En las ciencias sociales, el cambio de paradigma puede demorarse por la exclusion, en los discursos, de diversas perspectivas basadas en el genero, la etnicidad o la marginacion geografica. Reconocer esta realidad requiere una participacion reflexiva en los procesos sociales, un compromiso con las voces de las poblaciones discriminadas y los movimientos sociales que estudiamos, que persigan alternativas diferentes de las que ofrece el estrecho sistema de control basado en la exclusion, manejado por elites. Porque el cambio paradigmatico ocurre en aquellos momentos en que nuevas categorias, que incorporan los actores, ingresan en las corrientes centrales de la sociedad, dando forma y sustancia a los procesos conflictivos en los que participamos.
PRETRIAL RELEASE AND BAIL DECISIONS

This study examines the relative effects of a number of legal and extralegal factors on (1) the decision to release on recognizance and (2) the decision on amount of money bail. Social science research on these issues has been sparse compared to that on other phases of the criminal justice process. Findings from a regression analysis show that the first step of the bond disposition process, the recognizance decision, is influenced by several factors. The demeanor of defendants in open court is the most important. Net of other influences, good demeanor increases the probability of release on recognizance by 34.8%. In cases where recognizance is denied, only two variables are related significantly to the amount of money bond. Net of other influences, a felony offense (as opposed to a misdemeanor) increases predicted bail by $2300, and poor demeanor increases the predicted bail required by $1600.
High-stakes testing and the decline of teaching and learning: the real crisis in education

High-stakes testing and the decline of teaching and learning: the real crisis in education, by David Hursh, Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008, 186 pp., US$26.95 (paperback), ISBN 9-780742561...
Adolescents of New York City immigrant families

Abstract Using a contemporary, cross-sectional sample of New York City adolescents from 1999 to 2004, this paper examined the risk for academic failure and social relationship problems of children aged 12–17 in immigrant families. Results indicate that family background, parental involvement, and school and neighborhood environments were all important in explaining the higher rates of risk for academic failure and social relationship problems for adolescents in immigrant families compared to those in native-born, non-Hispanic White families. After controlling for a host of contextual factors, the data revealed that the two groups generally did not differ on either outcome and that the former group had dinner with their parents more frequently, which likely contributed to their lower risk for social relationship problems and academic failure than would otherwise have been the case. Policy and research implications are discussed.
Warm Rain Development in a Three-Dimensional Cloud Model

Abstract A warm rainshower was simulated in a shallow, anelastic, three-dimensional cloud model with detailed microphysics. After many features of the drop growth process were successfully simulated in a symmetric cloud, wind shear effects on both microphysical and dynamic properties were investigated. A number of special characteristics appeared under wind shear conditions: 1) the development of stronger downdrafts and a shortened cloud lift; 2) weak rainfall occurs early in the process; 3) a sharp raindrop size distribution; 4) initial rainfall localized in a narrow area at the ground with a large rainfall intensity gradient near the upshear side; 5) greater movement of the cloud system during rainfall; and 6) formation of cyclonic-anticyclonic circulations near the cloud top. Many of these characteristics may be explained by the transport of horizontal momentum by updrafts/downdrafts, as shown by close correspondence with the detailed microphysical processes.
Optical sensing for undersea robotic vehicles

Abstract To carry out many tasks with some degree of autonomy, for example station-keeping and collision-free navigation, an undersea vehicle needs an accurate knowledge of its position, orientation, and motion relative to nearby objects at all times. Some of this information can be obtained from inertia navigation systems, pressure sensors, and various ranging devices based on sonar and acoustic techniques. Reliable horizontal positioning and motion detection, however, is rather difficult to achieve. For example, Doppler acoustic methods for position location by dead reckoning are sensitive to drift. Other active methods require beacons to be positioned accurately at the work site, and recovered upon completion of the task. This is costly, tedious, and impractical where active sensing is to be avoided. Passive optical sensing can overcome some of the shortcomings of the existing techniques in order to allow accurate short-range positioning in uncontrolled ocean environments (no beacons). We will describe methods for orientation and motion estimation, and give examples of experiments with real images.
Studies on the avoidable losses caused by whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera Horvath on rice protected at different growth stages after different insecticide treatments

Abstract An investigation was carried out on Jaya var. rice transplanted in the last week of June 1981–62 and 1982–83 to assess the most suitable growth stage for insecticidal treatment and to determine the avoidable losses caused by whitebacked plant hopper (WBPH) Sogatella furcifera Horv., at Rice Research Station, Kaul, Kurukshetra. Carbofuran 3 G at 1–25 kg a.i./ha during 1981–82 and phorate 10 G at 1.5 kg a.i./ha were applied at three growth stages at 5, 30 and 60 days after transplanting (d.a.t.) either once or with repeated doses at 5 + 30, 5 + 60, 30 + 60 and 5 + 30 + 60 d.a.t. Quinalphos 25 e.c. and monocrotophos 40 e.c. (Nuvacron) at 0.5 kg a.i./ha were applied as foliar spray at 50 and 80 d.a.t. in second and third stage protection respectively. Carbofuran alone or with repeated foliar sprays protected 7.5–23.3% grain losses whereas phorate alone or with combination repeated doses gave 13.9–30.6% increase in grain yield over unprotected check. The crop protected at the third stage (60 d.a.t. un...
An Evolutionary Explanation for Competitive Decline: The British Shipbuilding Industry, 1890–1970

British shipbuilding enjoyed undisputed international supremacy between 1890 and 1914. Following a gradual loss of world market share during the interwar years, Britain sustained an absolute decline in output between 1948 and 1970. European shipbuilding expanded at an unprecedented rate after World War II. This article attributes Britain's dramatic competitive decline in part to management's uncertaintly about the need to reform work administration methods during the decade or so following world War II, and in part to lack of trust between labor and management, which resulted in a failure of cooperation over proposed institutional reform between 1958 and 1965.
Mechanistic Links Between Oxidative Stress and Disuse Muscle Atrophy

Long periods of skeletal muscle inactivity promote a loss of muscle protein resulting in fiber atrophy. This disuse-induced muscle atrophy results from decreased protein synthesis and increased protein degradation. Recent studies have increased our insight into this complicated process, and evidence indicates that disturbed redox signaling is an important regulator of cell signaling pathways that control both protein synthesis and proteolysis in skeletal muscle. The objective of this review is to outline the role that reactive oxygen species play in the regulation of inactivity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy. Specifically, this report will provide an overview of experimental models used to investigate disuse muscle atrophy and will also highlight the intracellular sources of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in inactive skeletal muscle. We then will provide a detailed discussion of the evidence that links oxidants to the cell signaling pathways that control both protein synthesis and degradation. Finally, by presenting unresolved issues related to oxidative stress and muscle atrophy, we hope that this review will serve as a stimulus for new research in this exciting field.
PG-Sensing: Progressive Out-of-Band Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radio

One of the major challenges in cognitive radio networks is to maintain the quality of service (QoS) for secondary transmissions while ensuring the protection of primary users PUs); the latter requirement is normally enabled through inband spectrum sensing. To maintain QoS of secondary traffic, a secondary user (SU) has to quickly switch to another empty spectrum band when a PU returns to its currently occupied spectrum by SU. The issue of how to quickly and accurately identify a free spectrum band when the operating spectrum band becomes unavailable is of practical interest; out-of-band spectrum sensing is a mechanism that can be leveraged for this purpose. In this paper, we propose a novel progressive out-of-band spectrum sensing (PG-Sensing) scheme that consists of two components, 1) progressive scanning which adaptively selects a subset of the available candidate spectrum bands which have a higher chance of being empty, and 2) multiband sequential shifted chi-squared test (SSCT) based searching that searches only the set of selected spectrum bands in the first step. The proposed PGsensing scheme significantly reduces the time to resume secondary transmissions thus allowing SUs to reliably and quickly switch to a free spectrum band when necessary while maintaining good QoS for PUs as well as SUs.
Catastrophe modeling of equity in organizations

Catastrophe theory is a general systems theory for predicting discontinuous change by one of seven elementary topological models. Catastrophe models have been applied to changes involving living and nonliving systems, addressing problems in physics, biology, economics, psychology, and other disciplines. The majority of quantitative successes has occurred with problems involving “hard” data; social modeling, and its inherent data problems, has not been so successful. In this paper principles of signal detection theory are applied to three elementary models in order to develop a butterfly model of equity and productivity in industry. In the model four sources of information (control dimensions) are processed by the subject, with a dependent spectrum of behavior resulting. The model has implications at the individual and organizational levels. The signal detection approach involves a conversion from absolute to normative scaling. At the lowest dimension levels catastrophe and regression-produced surfaces are the same. At higher dimensional levels, discrepancies between the two types of surfaces become evident. The paper explores the assumptions underlying the two systems and the need for translations! methodology. Criticisms addressed to social applications of catastrophe theory by Sussman and Zahler (1978) are also considered, along with criticisms of social science theory in general.
Optimization of collinear double-pulse femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of silicon

Abstract This paper investigates the optimization of double-pulse collinear femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (FLIBS) for silicon. Double-pulse FLIBS signal enhancements were observed over an extended range of sample focal plane position compared to single pulse FLIBS. The FLIBS signal intensity was studied as a function of pulse energy, inter-pulse delay (0 ps‑80 ps) and sample position. Correlation between crater volume and signal intensity was measured over a limited range of the sample focal plane position. It was found that double-pulse FLIBS is superior to single pulse for certain focal plane positions.
A branching law for Spin(7,C) → G2 and its applications to unipotent representations

Abstract We derive a branching law which says how irreducible finite-dimensional Spin(7, C )-modules decompose over G2, using the Bott-Borel-Weil theorem. We then use this to calculate the K-types on each level of a certain filtered algebra which is also a U (Lie G2)-bimodule explicitly.
Changing Regimes of Workplace Governance, Shifting Axes of Social Mobilization, and the Challenge to Industrial Relations Theory

This article challenges prevailing views about the collapse of the New Deal industrial relations system and the role of the market. It argues that the old system has been replaced not by the market but by an employment rights regime, in which the rules of the workplace are imposed by law, judicial opinions, and administrative rulings, supplemented by mechanisms at the enterprise level that are responsive to the law but also are susceptible to employee pressures, both individual and collective. The emergence of this regime is the product of a shift in the axes of social and political mobilization from mobilization around economic identities rooted in class, industry, occupation, and enterprise to identities rooted in the society outside the workplace: sex, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and sexual orientation. The shift in the axes of mobilization in turn reflects the collapse of the underlying model of social and economic organization upon which the collective bargaining regime was built and more fundamentally a shift in our understanding of the nature of industrial society and its direction of evolution in history. This interpretation poses a challenge to the conceptual tools used in industrial relations to understand the issues of work and to frame the public policy debate. We conclude with some suggestions as to the direction in which we might move to provide an alternative conceptual framework.
Research in child and adolescent group psychotherapy.

Although individual therapy is the most frequent one with children and adolescents, for those in inpatient and residential treatment, group therapy is the most frequent therapy and is applied for most of the therapy hours. This behooves us to attend to more group therapy research. The research available in this field is limited, mostly not recent and has methodological difficulties. Although clinical work may be arranged so that research findings may be forthcoming, little of this is done. The available findings indicate that group therapy is helpful, but better structured methodology is needed for future research.
Serum nifedipine concentrations and response of patients with pulmonary hypertension

In patients with primary pulmonary hypertension who respond to nifedipine during acute drug testing, there is a significant linear correlation of serum nifedipine concentration with pulmonary artery pressure and resistance. Although most demonstrate an initial response at readily attainable nifedipine concentrations with conventional dosages, a subset of patients seem to display delayed or incomplete oral absorption; these results may facilitate the clinical use of nifedipine in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension.
Use of collection development policies in electronic resource management

Purpose – Library resources evolve daily with ongoing expansion of electronic offerings by publishers and vendors. Collection development policies have long been employed to guide decision making and inform stakeholders, but how are these policies serving libraries and their users as our collections continue to move online? This paper aims to discuss the role of collection development polices, past and present, and the challenge of collections moving to an electronic format.Design/methodology/approach – The authors performed a content analysis to discover how academic libraries are addressing this change in collection development.Findings – The paper finds that virtually all libraries do an excellent job of addressing the traditional elements of collection development. About half of the libraries mentioned electronic licensing issues in the policy, but most of those were general statements.Originality/value – Although the library profession is well aware of the changes that electronic resources bring to l...
Contextual constraints on the concordance of mother-child and teacher-child relationships

Ecological-cultural analysis of child care and family settings yields insight into factors affecting concordance of child-adult relationships.
Public Interest Vs. Party System

T he political loyalties of Americans have been shifting. The movement of voters away from the two major parties toward independent status has been widely documented. Emerging loyalties, however, often go beyond identification as a partisan independent. For many Americans, their most meaningful political affiliation has come to be their membership in public interest groups such as Common Cause, the Sierra Club, or the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. The rise and continued success of public interest groups is a fundamental part of major changes in the structure of American politics. Most significantly, as the party system has declined, large numbers of citizens have begun to view public interest groups as the single most effective means available for influencing public policy. Public interest groups--generally considered to be organizations without economic self-interest--are not new to American politics; but since the late 1960s they have become increasingly important actors in the political process. There are few policy areas untouched by the lobbying of public interest advocacy groups. Whether it be a matter of an endangered species, a harmful food additive, or a campaign finance bill, public interest groups can be counted on to lobby vigorously for their chosen position. They are as self-righteous as they are skillful. Pity the poor bureaucrat who must incur the wrath of these groups by standing in opposition to their wishes. Public interest groups have accomplished a great deal through their lobbying of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. They effectively represent many segments of American society that were chronically disorganized in the past. Despite all the good that has been done, the development of the public interest movement has not been without its costs. In their own way, these groups contribute to the malaise of American politics. They have made Americans even more dependent on an interest group system of politics. Their successes have helped weaken an already crippled party system. And, ironically, a byproduct of their efforts to make governmental institutions more responsive to the "people" has been to undermine the credibility of those same institutions. Why have so many of these groups formed in the past fifteen years? How have they managed to preserve their hold on the public's imagination? Most crucially, what are likely to be the long-term consequences of such extensive public interest advocacy? The answers to these questions may indicate some dangerous warning signals about the future of American politics.
A novel electrical stimulation paradigm for the suppression of epileptiform activity in an in vivo model of mesial temporal lobe status epilepticus

In this study, we present a novel low-frequency electrical stimulation paradigm for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). The paradigm utilizes the hippocampal commissure as a unique stimulation target to simultaneously influence large portions of the bilateral hippocampal network. When applied to an acute rat model of MTLE, animals that received stimulation exhibited an 88% reduction in the signal power of the bilateral epileptiform activity relative to the control group. In addition, the stimulation entrained the hippocampal network's spontaneous epileptiform activity and disrupted its bilateral synchrony.
Inherent specificities in natural antibodies: a key to immune defense against pathogen invasion

Natural antibodies are produced at tightly regulated levels in the complete absence of external antigenic stimulation. They provide immediate, early and broad protection against pathogens, making them a crucial non-redundant component of the humoral immune system. These antibodies are produced mainly, if not exclusively, by a subset of long-lived, self-replenishing B cells termed B-1 cells. We argue here that the unique developmental pattern of these B-1 cells, which rests on positive selection by self antigens, ensures production of natural antibodies expressing evolutionarily important specificities that are required for the initial defense against invading pathogens. Positive selection for reactivity with self antigens could also result in the production of detrimental anti-self antibodies. However, B-1 cells have evolved a unique response pattern that minimizes the risk of autoimmunity. Although these cells respond rapidly and strongly to host-derived innate signals, such as cytokines, and to pathogen-encoded signals, such as lipopolysaccharide and phosphorylcholine, they respond very poorly to receptor-mediated activation. In addition, they rarely enter germinal centers and undergo affinity maturation. Thus, their potential for producing high-affinity antibodies with harmful anti-self specificity is highly restricted. The positive selection of B-1 cells occurs during the neonatal period, during which the long-lived self-renewing B-1 population is constituted. Many of these cells (B-1a) express CD5, although a smaller subset (B-1b) does not express this surface marker. Importantly, B-1a cells should not be confused with short-lived anergic B-2 cells, which originate in the bone marrow in adults and initiate CD5 expression and programmed cell death following self-antigen recognition. In summary, we argue here that the mechanisms that enable natural antibody production by B-1 cells reflect the humoral immune system, which has evolved in layers whose distinct developmental mechanisms generate complementary repertoires that collectively operate to maximize flexibility in responses to invading pathogens. B-2 cells, present in what may be the most highly evolved layer(s), express a repertoire that is explicitly selected against self recognition and directed towards the generation of high-affinity antibody response to external antigenic stimuli. B-1 cells, whose repertoire is selected by recognition of self antigen, belong to what may be earlier layer(s) and inherently maintain production of evolutionarily important antibody specificities that respond to pathogen-related, rather then antigen-specific signals.
The system NaCl-H2O: Relations of vapor-liquid near the critical temperature of water and of vapor-liquid-halite from 300° to 500°C

Vapor-liquid relations (P-T-x) for the system NaCl-H/sub 2/O were determined experimentally at temperatures spanning the critical temperature of water (T/sub c/), the lowest temperature in the system at which critical behavior occurs. In addition, vapor-liquid-halite P-T-x (vapor) relations were determined from 300/sup 0/ to 500/sup 0/C. Results show that at 373.0/sup 0/C, immediately below T/sub c/, the vapor side of the isothermal vapor-liquid P-x boundary has a shape quite different from that previously conceived. The NaCl content of the vapor increases with pressure in a smooth manner from the pressure of the three-phase assemblage (135 bars, 0.0029% NaCl), to a pressure just below that of the vapor pressure of pure water (0.012% NaCl at 184 bars). Above this pressure the boundary abruptly reverses and projects asymptotically to 0% NaCl in a beak-like shape at 218 bars, the vapor pressure of pure water. At 375.5/sup 0/, slightly above T/sub c/, the asymptote disappears, and is replaced by a rounded nose. At progressively higher temperatures, the nose disappears and by 380/sup 0/C the familiar symmetrical bell-shaped curve predominates with the critical point defined by the top of the bell. The P-T curve of the three-phase assemblage determined in the present study ismore » in agreement with previous workers. The NaCl content of the three-phase vapor, however, is much higher than some literature values at temperatures above 410/sup 0/C.« less
Parallel-plate waveguides for studies of fifth sound and third sound without vapor exchange.

Third sound in superfluid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ films has been investigated with the use of two parallel-plate waveguides. These investigations led to the observation of fifth sound, a new mode of sound propagation. Both waveguides consisted of two parallel plates of vitreous quartz. The sound speed was obtained by measuring the time of flight of pulsed third sound over a known distance. Investigations from 1.0 to 1.7 K were possible with the use of superconducting bolometers, which measure the temperature component of the third-sound wave.
Estimation of transgene copy number in transformed citrus plants by quantitative multiplex real-time PCR

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was adapted to estimate transgene copy number of the rice Xa21 gene in transgenic citrus plants. This system used TaqMan qRT-PCR and the endogenous citrus gene encoding for lipid transfer protein (LTP). Transgenic "Hamlin" sweet orange plants were generated using two different protoplast-GFP transformation systems: cotransformation and single plasmid transformation. A dilution series of genomic DNA from one of the transgenic lines was used to generate a standard curve for the endogenous LTP and the transgene Xa21. This standard curve was used for relative quantification of the endogenous gene and the transgene. Copy numbers of the transgene Xa21 detected from qRT-PCR analysis correlated with that from Southern blot analysis (r = 0.834). Thus, qRT-PCR is an efficient means of estimating copy number in transgenic citrus plants. This analysis can be performed at much earlier stages of transgenic plant development than southern blot analysis, which expedites investigation of transgenes in slow-growing woody plants.