cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mossin's Theorem Without the Expected-Utility Framework

Mossin's Theorem ("full insurance with a fair premium and partial insurance with an unfair premium") is re-examined without the expected-utility paradigm where risk-aversion is defined in terms of mean-preserving spreads. Under the same assumption, two key results are known to hold for coinsurance: (1) Mossin's Theorem needs to be modified, and (2) the culprit for invalidating Mossin's Theorem is not the lack of an expected-utility framework, but a lack of sufficient ``smoothness'' of preferences in non-expected utility models. This article establishes that the first result holds for any constrained class of insurance contracts, and that the second result is not valid for deductible insurance and upper-limit insurance.
Mitochondrial transcription factor A in RORγt+ lymphocytes regulate small intestine homeostasis and metabolism.

RORγt+ lymphocytes, including interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing gamma delta T (γδT17) cells, T helper 17 (Th17) cells, and group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), are important immune regulators. Compared to Th17 cells and ILC3s, γδT17 cell metabolism and its role in tissue homeostasis remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the tissue milieu shapes splenic and intestinal γδT17 cell gene signatures. Conditional deletion of mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) in RORγt+ lymphocytes significantly affects systemic γδT17 cell maintenance and reduces ILC3s without affecting Th17 cells in the gut. In vivo deletion of Tfam in RORγt+ lymphocytes, especially in γδT17 cells, results in small intestine tissue remodeling and increases small intestine length by enhancing the type 2 immune responses in mice. Moreover, these mice show dysregulation of the small intestine transcriptome and metabolism with less body weight but enhanced anti-helminth immunity. IL-22, a cytokine produced by RORγt+ lymphocytes inhibits IL-13-induced tuft cell differentiation in vitro, and suppresses the tuft cell-type 2 immune circuit and small intestine lengthening in vivo, highlighting its key role in gut tissue remodeling. RORγt is known to play critical roles in the regulation of a number of immune cell subsets. Here the authors implicate mitochondrial transcription factor A in the regulation of intestinal RORγt + lymphocyte homeostasis and metabolic control in a murine in vivo model.
Associations Between Historically Redlined Districts and Racial Disparities in Current Obstetric Outcomes.

Importance Despite much higher health care expenditure than comparable countries, striking racial and ethnic disparities exist in obstetric outcomes in the United States. A multifaceted exploration of the factors influencing these disparities, including the legacy of structural racism, is important to improve health outcomes for all. Objective To characterize the association of the historic racially discriminatory home loan practice of redlining with disparities in modern obstetric outcomes. Design, setting, and participants In this retrospective cohort study of a 9-county birth certificate database in the Finger Lakes region of New York state from 2005 to 2018, modern obstetric outcomes were matched with regions classified by the federal government for mortgage loan servicing based on racially discriminatory criteria from the 1940 Home Owners' Loan Corporation map (HOLC; also known as the redline map). Patients with a live birth recorded in the data system with a recorded home zip code within the historic HOLC categories were included. Data were analyzed from July to December 2019. Exposure Regions previously categorized by historic, racially discriminatory criteria. Main outcomes and measures Each HOLC area was analyzed for the primary outcome of preterm birth and secondary outcomes of obstetric and medical complications, with logistic regression to address regional and patient-level covariates. Results From 2005 until 2018, there were 64 804 live births within the 15 zip codes overlaying historic HOLC regions. Prevalence of preterm birth increased with decreasing HOLC categories, from the lowest overall preterm birth rate of 217 of 2873 births (7.55%) in the zip code historically defined as "Best" or "Still Desirable" and the highest overall preterm birth rate of 427 of 3449 births (12.38%) in the zip code historically defined as "Hazardous." These associations with preterm birth remained significant in logistic regression controlling for poverty levels and educational attainment (adjusted odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.08-1.97) and parental race (adjusted odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.25-1.53). Conclusions and relevance In this cohort study, the linkage of historic and modern community data sets with an obstetric data set offered the opportunity to characterize modern obstetric disparities associated with a system of historic inequity. The persistence of these findings after correcting for contemporary community socioeconomic characteristics suggest potential influences of a system of profound structural inequity that ripple forward in time, with impacts that extend beyond measurable socioeconomic inequity.
Cybernetic‐scanning management: Utilizing people's and organizations' energies to attain greater efficiency

Purpose – To describe six management thoughts that evolved during the past century in the USA and to link them to the concept of cybernetic‐scanning management (CSM) and to vaguely explore the extent it is practiced in today's organizations.Design/methodology/approach – Employed MBA students were asked to rate the extent their corporations, as they perceive it, practice the CSM framework. The framework was fully discussed in class prior to the ratings. Students were asked to prepare a term paper describing the rationality for their ratings.Findings – Today's organizations pay a lot of attention to the external environment, their organizational structures are still too tall, and the Theory X managerial mindset is still more prevalent than the Theory Y mindset.Research limitations/implications – The study involved only MBA students enrolled in the writer's management and organization course in the school of business at Montclair State University. Therefore, the study's findings cannot be generalized.Practic...
Viable Republicans or fool's gold? The consequences of confusing Latino respondents with Latino voters

Consistent survey evidence supports the notion that Latinos are more ideologically conservative than their party identification would predict, making them ripe for party switching. However, when controlling for citizenship, generational differences, and policy attitudes, the partisan picture looks much different and much less optimistic for Republicans hoping to keep Latino voters “in-play.” Much of this puzzle is caused by a lingering confusion about Latino respondents versus Latino voters. Socially conservative Latino respondents are much more likely to be non-citizens and non-voters, providing them with little plausible electoral role. Previous research has underestimated this problem because scholars have been more interested in the acquisition of Latino partisanship, regardless of whether the respondents are viable voters or not. Using the 2006 Latino National Survey I demonstrate that ignoring citizenship and voting likelihood produces the misleading (but venerable) truism that conservative Latinos ...
Transfer of a mutant dihydrofolate reductase gene into pre- and postimplantation mouse embryos by a replication-competent retrovirus vector.

Abstract In order to explore the potential of retrovirus vectors for efficiently transferring foreign genes into mouse embryos, a replication-competent recombinant Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MLV) vector carrying a mutant dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) cDNA insert in the U3 region of the viral long terminal repeat was used to infect pre- and postimplantation embryos. When preimplantation mouse embryos were infected with the vector, as expected, the provirus integrated into the embryos and the germ line with the same efficiency as that observed with wild-type Mo-MLV, leading to inactivation of the recombinant virus. In contrast, when postimplantation mouse embryos were microinjected with virus-producing cells, between 90 to 100% of the surviving animals proved to be infected with the virus. The recombinant virus spread as efficiently as wild-type Mo-MLV in the infected embryos, resulting in up to three to five proviral copies per genome in heart, thymus, and brain tissues. Substantial expression of mutant DHFR*-coding viral message was found in all somatic tissues analyzed, the amounts correlating with the proviral copy number in the respective organ. These results suggest that replication-competent vectors are useful for efficient transfer and expression of foreign genes into tissues or whole animals when virus spread is needed.
Fine grained multi-threshold CMOS for enhanced leakage reduction

The exponential increase in leakage power due to technology scaling has made multi-threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) an attractive design style for low-power applications. We explore this design style in a datapath and introduce a fine grained power gating approach to better exploit the power-performance tradeoff. We propose a power gating technique where the degree of power gating applied becomes progressively stronger further along the datapath.
Three-dimensional Pictures of Molecular Models—Lysozyme

The first three-dimensional pictures of molecular models using the full color Xograph® technique suggest the value of such illustrations for conveying spatial impressions on the printed page without the use of auxiliary devices. Pictures of a space-filling model of lysozyme and its substrate, accompanied by discussion of the mechanism of action in terms of active sites, are presented as an example.
Object category recognition using probabilistic fusion of speech and image classifiers

Multimodal scene understanding is an integral part of humanrobot interaction (HRI) in situated environments. Especially useful is category-level recognition, where the the system can recognize classes of objects of scenes rather than specific instances (e.g., any chair vs. this particular chair.) Humans use multiple modalities to understand which object category is being referred to, simultaneously interpreting gesture, speech and visual appearance, and using one modality to disambiguate the information contained in the others. In this paper, we address the problem of fusing visual and acoustic information to predict object categories, when an image of the object and speech input from the user is available to the HRI system. Using probabilistic decision fusion, we show improved classification rates on a dataset containing a wide variety of object categories, compared to using either modality alone.
Feet in mouth disease

We can, and should, use the financial resources of our institutions to redress the serious inequities and problems that bright, ambitious women face in the scientific workplace.
Pulse and mean intracranial pressure analysis in pediatric traumatic brain injury

Objective We investigated the relationship between the intracranial pulse pressure (ICPPP) and the mean intracranial pressure (ICPM) in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Review of Research on the Origins of Life

Recently, some new scientific results on the origin of life have been reported. They have led to important discussions on the nature of life. Life, in this paper, means all living existence, which includes terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, present, and fossil organisms. A wide range of scientific fields such as astronomy, planetary science, meteoritic science, geology (paleontology), organic synthetic science, and terrestrial biology should reveal the origins of life. I extracted research results on the origins of life in these fields, and reviewed them.
Peripheral and Central P2X3 Receptor Contributions to Colon Mechanosensitivity and Hypersensitivity in the Mouse

Background & Aims Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by altered sensory qualities, namely discomfort/pain and colorectal hypersensitivity. In mice, we examined the role of P2X 3 receptors in colon mechanosensitivity and intracolonic zymosan-produced hypersensitivity, a model of persistent colon hypersensitivity without colon inflammation. Methods The visceromotor response to colon distension (15–60 mm Hg) was determined before and after intracolonic saline or zymosan (30 mg/mL, 0.1 mL, daily for 3 days) treatment. Colon pathology and intracolonic adenosine triphosphate release was assessed in parallel experiments. To examine P2X 3 receptor contributions to colon mechanosensation and hypersensitivity, electrophysiologic experiments were performed using an in vitro colon-pelvic nerve preparation. Results Visceromotor responses to distension were significantly reduced in P2X 3 +/− and P2X 3 −/− mice relative to wild-type mice. Colon hypersensitivity produced by zymosan was virtually absent in P2X 3 −/− relative to wild-type or P2X 3 +/− mice. Intralumenal release of the endogenous P2X receptor ligand adenosine triphosphate did not differ between wild-type and P2X 3 −/− mice or change after intracolonic zymosan treatment. Responses of muscular and muscular-mucosal pelvic nerve afferents to mechanical stretch did not differ between P2X 3 −/− and wild-type mice. Both muscular and muscular-mucosal afferents in wild-type mice sensitized to application of an inflammatory soup, whereas only muscular-mucosal afferents did so in P2X 3 −/− mice. Conclusions These results suggest differential roles for peripheral and central P2X 3 receptors in colon mechanosensory transduction and hypersensitivity.
Editorial response: it's all in the measurement: consistent condom use is effective in preventing sexually transmitted infections.

In July 2001 the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released a report of an invited workshop summarizing the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of condoms for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The report opined that condom use was effective for the prevention of HIV transmission and for gonorrhea in men but there was little extant data that could conclusively demonstrate effectiveness for other nonviral or viral infections the common STD pathogens commonly seen by the millions annually in our nation’s STD clinics. A number of methodological problems have been identified in the Workshop Summary and by other groups assessing condom effectiveness for STD prevention. These include: how to determine consistency of condom use; how to properly measure correct condom use; determination of sexual partner infection status; how to account for social desirability bias specifically and the validity of selfreported risk behavior generally; accounting for the social contexts in which infrequent condom users might be stimulated to use condoms and accounting for the varying sensitivity and specificity of different STD diagnostic assays that have been used over the past several decades. (excerpt)
DCAFs, the Missing Link of the CUL4-DDB1 Ubiquitin Ligase

The CUL4-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase regulates cell proliferation, survival, DNA repair, and genomic integrity through targeted ubiquitination of key regulators, yet the substrate receptors that dictate the specificity of this ubiquitination machinery have been largely unknown. Recent work identified a family of DDB1 and CUL4-associated factors (DCAFs) as substrate receptors, implicating a broad spectrum of cellular processes regulated by CUL4-DDB1.
On fitting Cox's proportional hazards models to survey data

SUMMARY Binder (1992) proposed a method of fitting Cox's proportional hazards models to survey data with complex sampling designs. He defined the regression parameter of interest as the solution to the partial likelihood score equation based on all the data values of the survey population under study, and developed heuristically a procedure to estimate the regression parameter and the corresponding variance. In this paper, we provide a formal justification of Binder's method. Furthermore, we present an alternative approach which regards the survey population as a random sample from an infinite universe and accounts for this randomness in the statistical inference. Under the alternative approach, the regression parameter retains its original interpretation as the log hazard ratio, and the statistical conclusion applies to other populations. The related problem of survival function estimation is also studied.
Changes in edge and scrape-off layer plasma behavior due to variation in magnetic balance in DIII-D

Abstract Changes in the divertor magnetic balance in DIII-D H-mode plasmas affects core, edge, and divertor plasma behavior. Both the pedestal density ne,PED and plasma stored energy WT were sensitive to changes in magnetic balance near the double-null (DN) configuration, e.g., both decreased 20–30% when the DN shifted to a slightly unbalanced DN, where the B ×∇B drift direction pointed away from the main X-point. Recycling at each of the four divertor targets was sensitive to changes in magnetic balance and the B ×∇B drift direction. The poloidal distribution of the recycling in DN is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of UEDGE modeling with particle drifts included. The particle flux at the inner divertor target is shown to be much more sensitive to magnetic balance than the particle flux at the outer divertor target near the DN shape. These results suggest possible advantages and drawbacks for balanced DN operation.
Angular distribution of leptons from the decay of massive vector bosons

Abstract We examine the transverse momentum Q ⊥ dependence of the helicity structure functions for massive vector bosons of mass Q in hadron reactions. We demonstrate that large logarithmic terms of the form ln ( Q / Q ⊥ ) in the helicity structure functions have the same origin as the logarithmic terms in the angular-integrated cross section and that they can be resummed to all orders in the strong coupling α s , in the same way as the angular-integrated cross section. As a consequence of current conservation, the resummed part of the helicity structure functions preserves the Lam–Tung relation as a function of Q ⊥ to all orders in α s .
Dexamethasone/PLGA microspheres for continuous delivery of an anti-inflammatory drug for implantable medical devices

The purpose of this research was to develop polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microspheres for continuous delivery of dexamethasone for over a 1-month period, in an effort to suppress the acute and chronic inflammatory reactions to implants such as biosensors, which interfere with their functionality. The microspheres were prepared using an oil-in-water emulsion technique. The oil phase was composed of 9:1 dichloromethane to methanol with dissolved PLGA and dexamethasone. Some microspheres were predegraded for 1 or 2 weeks. Ten percent of polyethylene glycol was added to the oil phase in alternative formulations to delay drug release. The in vitro release studies were performed in a constant temperature (37 C) warm room, in phosphate-buffered saline at sink conditions. Drug loading and release rates were determined by HPLC-UV analysis. The standard microsphere systems did not provide the desired release profile since, following an initial burst release, a delay of 2 weeks occurred prior to continuous drug release. Predegraded microspheres started to release dexamethasone immediately but the rate of release decreased after only 2 weeks. A mixed standard and predegraded microsphere system was used to avoid this delay and to provide continuous release of dexamethasone for 1 month.
Fast beamforming algorithm for radar imaging through multilayered walls

A very fast beamforming algorithm is presented for the focused imaging of targets behind multilayered walls. The exploding reflection model is employed to simplify the imaging algorithm and then the layered medium Green's function is expanded in the spectral domain to facilitate the implementation of the algorithm with fast Fourier transform (FFT), which significantly accelerates the imaging speed. Numerical result is presented to show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm for radar imaging through multilayered walls.
Field‐dependent conductivity of chalcogenide glasses

The preswitching exponential increase of dark conductivity with field observed in many chalcogenide glasses can be identified with either a change in the free‐carrier concentration or a change in the carrier mobility. Small‐signal photoconductance measurements on thin films of amorphous Te40As35Si15Ge7P3 in the field‐activated regime indicate that it is the carrier concentration which increases exponentially with applied field. In addition, studies of variations in switching parameters introduced by intense electron irradiation suggest that a critical degree of carrier trapping is not a precursor to threshold switching. Both the photoconductivity and the electron‐irradiation results indicate a very short carrier lifetime in these films.
Analytic Theory of Subnormal Operators

LetS be a pure subnormal operator and μ(·) be its mosaic introduced in [13]. In this paper, the author proves that rank μ(z)<+∞ if [S*,S] is compact and rank μ(z)=−g(z) whereg(·) is the Pincus principal function if [S*,S] is in the trace class. Also a result is given about the form of pure and irreducible subnormal operators with finite rank self-commutators.
An Intervention to Increase Mental Health Treatment Engagement Among OIF Veterans: A Pilot Trial

ABSTRACTObjectives: Previous research has documented a stigma associated with mental health problems that interferes with the decision to seek treatment. This study assesses the feasibility of an intervention designed to increase treatment initiation among veterans reporting mental health problems. Methods: Participants were 27 Operation Iraqi Freedom National Guard soldiers who screened positive for 1 of the following disorders as assessed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview: depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and/or at-risk drinking. An intervention was administered using a cognitive–behavioral model to modify beliefs that may interfere with treatment-seeking behavior. Beliefs and treatment-seeking behavior were assessed post-intervention. Results: Participants were significantly more likely to report that they intended to seek mental health treatment post-intervention (p < 0.012), suggesting that a cognitive–behavioral model focusing...
Syllable Structure in Speech Production: Are Syllables Chunks or Schemas?

Abstract Theories of speech production hold divergent views of the syllable. Some theories do not use syllables at all. Those that do differ on whether syllables are chunks that specify their phonological content or schemas that specify an abstract structure (e.g. consonant-vowel-consonant). In three experiments, speakers were asked to repeat pairs of phonological words as often as possible in a 4-s period. Speech rate was faster when both the structure and content of the first phonological word were repeated in the first syllable of the second one, compared to a condition in which all or most of the sounds were repeated but the structure was not. There was no additional advantage for repeating both content and structure over repeating structure alone. The results support the view that syllable structure is separable from phonemic content and are consistent with a view of syllables as abstract schemas, not chunks.
Does farming systems research have a future

Abstract This paper considers the present scope of farming systems research and discusses reasons for its ‘on-farm’ technical bias. It is contended that if farming systems research is to evolve into an effective research strategy for agricultural development, it must increase the incorporation of macro-level policy recommendations that are informed by extension activities. To this end, farming systems must be conceptualized as more than a technical exercise; they must also be understood as the social interactions and contradictions between the various elements of the development community—farm households, the state, regional research centers and international agencies. This new approach demands recognition of the structural parameters which limit the scope and discretion of local, national, and international development agendas. In order to accomplish this shift in emphasis, farming systems research must move beyond its neoclassical roots and develop a political economy perspective.
Literacy skills in science learning among linguistically diverse students

With the increasing diversity in the nation's schools, literacy plays a critical role for students simultaneously learning English as a new language and developing the knowledge of academic content. This study focuses on two aspects of literacy related to science performance: (a) interpretations of science task cards depicting a series of activities; and (b) written language samples summarizing science tasks. Three groups of elementary students and teachers participated: (a) monolingual English; (b) bilingual Spanish; and (c) bilingual Haitian Creole. The study included student dyads and teachers of the same language, culture, and gender. Three science tasks included: weather phenomena; simple machines; and buoyancy. While literacy played an important role for all three groups, the results highlighted the specific difficulties that students experienced in developing and expressing their understandings of science activities. The findings underscore the need to consider the multiple roles that literacy plays in science learning in order to provide instruction responsive to the needs of students learning English as a new language. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Interrelationships of Hepatic Blood Flow, Cardiac Output, and Blood Levels of Lidocaine in Man

Factors that regulate the arterial level of lidocaine during a constant infusion were investigated in 17 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Lidocaine was administered by a 50 mg bolus, followed by a constant infusion of 40 µg/kg/min until steady state conditions were achieved. Cardiac output and estimated hepatic blood flow were also determined. An inverse relationship between arterial lidocaine levels and cardiac index was observed. With a low cardiac index of 1.9 ± 0.3 liters/min/m2 the arterial level was 2.4 (±0.4 sem) µg/ml, while with a normal cardiac index of 3.3 ± 0.8 liters/min/m2 it was 1.5 (±0.2 sem) µ/ml. A linear relationship was also observed between estimated hepatic blood flow and cardiac index. Therefore, an inverse relationship between arterial lidocaine levels and estimated hepatic blood flow was noted. At steady-state conditions, the liver accounted for 70% (±16% sem) of the metabolism or removal of the lidocaine administered. These studies suggest that the administration of s...
Improving the predictive value of mammography using a specialized evolutionary programming hybrid and fitness functions

Mammography is an effective tool for the early detection of breast cancer; however, most women referred for biopsy based on mammographic findings do not, have cancer. This study is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the number of benign cases referred for biopsy by developing tools to aid physicians in classifying suspicious lesions. Specifically, this study examines the use of an Evolutionary Programming (EP)/Adaptive Boosting (AB) hybrid, specifically modified to focus on improving the performance of computer-assisted diagnostic (CAD) tools at high specificity levels (missing few or no cancers). An EP/AB hybrid developed by the authors and used in previous studies was modified with two new fitness functions: 1) a function which favored networks with the high PPV values at thresholds corresponding to high sensitivities and 2) a function which favored networks with the highest partial ROC Az (normalized area about 90% sensitivity). The modified hybrid with specialized fitness functions was evaluated using k-fold cross-validation against two real-word mammogram data sets. Results indicate that the number of benign cases referred for biopsy might be reduced by over a third, while missing no cancers. If sensitivity is allowed to decrease to 97% (missing 3% of the cancers), the number of spared biopsies could be raised to over half.
Dissolution behavior and surface tension effects of organic compounds in nucleating cloud droplets

Solubilities and surface tensions were measured for difunctional organic acids in various concentrations of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4HSO4 aqueous solutions. Model results using these data indicate that the organic compounds affect cloud droplet growth by two mechanisms: by gradual dissolution in the growing droplet which affects the shape of the Kohler growth curve, and by lowering of surface tension which decreases the critical supersaturation.
Tonic-clonic transitions in computer simulation.

Summary:Network simulations can help identify underlying mechanisms of epileptic activity that are hard to isolate in biologic preparations. To be useful, simulations must be sufficiently realistic to make possible biologic and clinical prediction. This requirement for large networks of sufficiently
Regulation of NF-κB and HIV-1 LTR Activity in Mouse L Cells by Ultraviolet Radiation: LTRtrans-Activation in a Nonirradiated Genome in Heterokaryons

Abstract A mouse model system for studying the effect of ultraviolet (uv) radiation on reporter gene expression directed by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long-terminal repeat (HIV-LTR) has been developed to address the signals required for LTRtrans-activation in cells with the reporter gene stably integrated into the genome. In a stable mouse L cell clone, L-15, NF-κB DNA binding activity induced by uv-C (254 nm) but not by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) correlated with the stimulation of HIV-LTR-directed chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity; uv-C was more effective than uv-B (312 nm), while uv-A (365 nm) had little effect on CAT activity. Inducers of oxidative stress, such as H2O2treatment up to 200 μMor ionizing radiation up to 20 Gy, also had little effect on CAT expression. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) inhibited NF-κB DNA binding and stimulation of CAT activity by uv-C in a dose-dependent manner. Unexpectedly, PDTC induced NF-κB DNA binding that was additive with the response with TNF. In an effort to separate uv irradiation and uv-induced DNA damage fromtrans-activation of the HIV-LTR we devised a heterokaryon system. The fusion of uv-irradiated human fibroblasts with a mouse L cell clone containing the HIV-LTR-directedlacZgene resulted in the activation of lacZ activity that was detected in heterokaryons at the single-cell level. These data suggest that uv-induced DNA damage in the chromosomal DNA containing the reporter gene cannot explain activation of the HIV-LTR. This finding demonstrates LTRtrans-activation in a nonirradiated genome.
Durability of an Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete

Significant recent advancements in cement-based, fiber-reinforced composite materials have stretched the bounds of concrete into the realm of ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC). The durability of a commercially available UHPC was independently evaluated through six standardized durability tests and the results are reported herein. Regardless of the curing treatment applied, this concrete exhibits significantly enhanced durability properties as compared to normal and high performance concretes. The concrete exhibited minimal damage after being subjected to two times the normal number of ASTM C 666 freeze–thaw cycles. It was innocuous to ASTM C 1260 ASR deterioration, to ASTM C 672 scaling deterioration, and to AASHTO T259 chloride penetration. The ASTM C 1202 Electrical Indication of Concrete’s Ability to Resist Chloride Ion Penetration test result was negligible if any steam-based curing treatment was applied, and was very low otherwise. Steam-based curing treatments significantly enhanced the ASTM C 9...
Mechanisms of improved left ventricular function following intravenous MDL 17,043 in patients with severe chronic heart failure

Abstract To evaluate the mechanisms for improved left ventricular function with MDL 17,043 in patients with severe chronic heart failure, 24 patients were evaluated by simultaneous determination of hemodynamics by right heart catheterization and ejection fraction by computerized nuclear probe before and following intravenous administration of MDL 17,043 (mean cumulative dose 3.6 mg/kg). Following MDL 17,043, there was an increase in cardiac index (+62%), stroke volume index (+42%), and stroke work index (+68%), together with a decrease in pulmonary capiliary vedge pressure (−46%), indicating improved left ventricular pump function. There was a marked reduction in systemic vascular resistance (−40%) and a modest reduction in arterial pressure, indicating decreased left ventricular outflow resistance. The ratio of peak systolic blood pressure to calculated left ventricular end-systolic volume tended to increase, but the change was not statistically significant. Despite a marked increment in stroke volume index, left ventricular ejection time corrected for heart rate was shortened, suggesting enhanced contractility. In the group as a whole, the calculated left ventricular end-diastolic volume remained unchanged, but it increased in 14 patients. Since pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell in each patient, this suggests improved overall left ventricular distensibility. Thus, decreased left ventricular outflow resistance, and possibly increased contractile function, and improved left ventricular diastolic compliance may all contribute to improved left ventricular pump function with MDL 17,043 in patients with severe heart failure.
Keratopathy, cataract, and dry eye in a survey of aniridia subjects.

Purpose To determine the prevalence of keratopathy, cataract, and dry eye in a group of individuals with aniridia. Methods We reviewed survey data from the Aniridia Foundation International (AFI) registry, which included 99 subjects who self-reported on corneal disease, cataract, and dry eye disease. Results The average age of respondents was 25.3±18.6 years, with a range of 0 to 67. Of 99 subjects, 46% stated they have corneal disease, 32% stated they did not, and 22% were unsure. The average age of diagnosis of keratopathy was 20.0±12.2 years. Keratolimbal allograft was reported in 20% and penetrating keratoplasty in 9%. Cataract was reported in 65%, with an average age of 9.4±14.0 years at time of diagnosis, and cataract surgery was reported in 32%. The average age of subjects at the time of cataract and corneal surgery was 28.4±13.7 and 33.5±11.4 years, respectively. Symptomatic dry eye was reported in 56% of subjects, with an average age at diagnosis of 23.8±13.3 years. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of corneal disease in aniridia, with diagnosis in late childhood or early adulthood in nearly one-half of subjects, often requiring corneal surgery. Cataract and dry eye are commonly associated with aniridia. Although aniridia subjects may have been aware of the diagnosis of cataract at an early age, they usually were treated for cataract and keratopathy as adults.
SEQUENTIAL FISSION ANGULAR DISTRIBUTIONS FROM MASS-ASYMMETRIC HEAVY ION REACTIONS

Abstract The angular distributions of sequential fission fragments have been measured for the reactions of 40 Ar with 197 Au and 238 U as a function of reaction Q -value and charge transfer. These angular, distributions are used to study the angular momentum and alignment of the deep-inelastic products which undergo fission. All of the fission fragment angular distributions are strongly focused into the plane defined by the beam and the projectile-like fragment velocity vectors. The in-plane angular distributions from reactions with uranium are isotropic for small energy losses and become anisotropic as the energy loss increases. For large negative Q -values, the in-plane anisotropy increases as the deep-inelastic products become more symmetric. The variation of the in-plane anisotropy with mass asymmetry for the two systems in this work was compared to a compilation of previous work and a consistent pattern was found. These alignment data are compared to equilibrium statistical calculations.
A preliminary phytochemical investigation of Digitalis orientalis.

The cardiac glycosides of the fresh first-year leaves of Digitalis orientalis have been partially resolved into acetyl-dioxin, amorphous digitalinum verum, and other amorphous glycosides. A new and useful color reaction for paper chromatography of the digitalis cardiac glycosides has been developed. The periodate-benzidine reagent has been applied for detection and structural studies in this field. Some paper chromatographic studies have been reported.
Coal Anisotropism and its Relationship to Methane Concentration in Coal: ABSTRACT

Variations of methane concentration in coal appear to correlate well with the optical anisotropic properties of the coal. Some medium- and low-volatile bituminous coal beds in the Appalachian coal basin vary in methane concentration by 5 to 10 times; their optical anisotropy also varies by 2 to 3 times. High-volatile bituminous coals of Appalachian basin tend to contain more methane than bituminous coals of similar rank in the Rocky Mountain region. The Pennsylvanian Appalachian coals are also more anisotropic than the Cretaceous Tertiary Rocky Mountain coals. The technique can thus be used as an exploration tool for potential coal gas reservoirs. End_of_Article - Last_Page 535------------
Reticles, write time, and the need for speed

Historical data indicates reticle write times are increasing node-to-node. The cost of mask sets is increasing driven by the tighter requirements and more levels. The regular introduction of new generations of mask patterning tools with improved performance is unable to fully compensate for the increased data and complexity required. Write time is a primary metric that drives mask fabrication speed. Design (Raw data) is only the first step in the process and many interactions between mask and wafer technology such as OPC used, OPC efficiency for writers, fracture engines, and actual field size used drive total write time. Yield, technology, and inspection rules drive the remaining raw cycle time. Yield can be even more critical for speed of delivery as it drives re-writes and wasted time. While intrinsic process yield is important, repair capability is the reason mask delivery is still able to deliver 100% good reticles to the fab. Advanced nodes utilizing several layers of multiple patterning may require mask writer tool dedication to meet image placement specifications. This will increase the effective mask cycle time for a layer mask set and drive the need for additional mask write capability in order to deliver masks at the rate required by the wafer fab production schedules.
Aspergillus fumigatus SidA is a highly specific ornithine hydroxylase with bound flavin cofactor.

Ferrichrome is a hydroxamate-containing siderophore produced by the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus under iron-limiting conditions. This siderophore contains N5-hydroxylated l-ornithines essential for iron binding. A. fumigatus siderophore A (Af SidA) catalyzes the flavin- and NADPH-dependent hydroxylation of l-ornithine in ferrichrome biosynthesis. Af SidA was recombinantly expressed and purified as a soluble tetramer and is the first member of this class of flavin monooxygenases to be isolated with a bound flavin cofactor. The enzyme showed typical saturation kinetics with respect to l-ornithine while substrate inhibition was observed at high concentrations of NADPH and NADH. Increasing amounts of hydrogen peroxide were measured as a function of reduced nicotinamide coenzyme concentration, indicating that inhibition was caused by increased uncoupling. Af SidA is highly specific for its amino acid substrate, only hydroxylating l-ornithine. An 8-fold preference in the catalytic efficiency was dete...
Affective discrimination of stimuli that cannot be recognized

Animal and human subjects readily develop strong preferences for objects that have become familiar through repeated exposures. Experimental evidence is presented that these preferences can develop even when the exposures are so degraded that recognition is precluded.
Functional studies on the single component hemoglobin from an Amazon knife fish,Sternopygus macrurus

Abstract 1. The whole blood of the non-air-breathing gymnotid teleost, Sternopygus macrurus , is half-saturated with oxygen at 5.2 mm Hg (apparent value) at 30°C in the absence of CO 2 . Addition of 5.6% CO 2 causes the apparent P 50 value to increase over 3-fold. 2. The oxygen affinity of the stripped single-component hemoglobin at 20°C increases about 20-fold between pH 5.8 and 8.6 in the absence of ATP. This difference increases to 100-fold in the presence of 1 mM ATP. 3. A substantial Root effect is present: the stripped hemoglobin is only 70% saturated with O 2 at pH less than 6 when equilibrated with air. 4. The value of the Hill coefficient, n , is maximal near pH 7.0–7.5, and approaches 1.0 at high pH. The value is about 1.5 at low pH in the absence of ATP and 1.0 in the presence of 1 mM ATP. 5. The O 2 dissociation kinetics are heterogeneous at all pH values but most heterogeneous at low pH. The rate increases substantially as the pH decreases. 6. The CO combination kinetics as measured by the stopped flow technique are largely homogeneous except at high pH, but the CO combination kinetics after flash photolysis are markedly heterogeneous.
Neutralization kinetics of western equine encephalitis virus by antibody fragments.

Abstract Antibody against western equine encephalitis virus from the isolated and purified IgG fraction of hyperimmune rabbit serum was digested with papain or pepsin and the neutalizing ability of the resulting 5S (F(ab′)2) and 3·5S (Fab I, II) fragments comparerd to that of the 7S molecule. By plaque reduction assay, the neutralizing capacity and neutralization kinetics of the F(ab′)2 fragment was as effective as the 7S molecule even if the protein concentration of the F(ab′)2 was lowered to approximate the mole concentration of the 7S molecule. The neutralizing ability of the Fab fragments was less effective, the kinetics of neutralization slower and the nonneutralizable fraction larger even when the concentration was adjusted to two times that of the whole molecule. An initial shoulder in the neutralization kinetic curve was seen with all the preparations if neutralization was carried out at 4°C but it was less prominent or absent at 37°C. No significant dissociation of the 7S-virus, F(ab′)2 or Fab II-virus complexes occured on dilution or sonication at the protein concentrations studied. At the lowest concentration of Fab I, significant dissociation of the virus-Fab I complex did occur after 5 min sonication, resulting in a 24–37 per cent nonneutralizable fraction as compared to 3 per cent after the initial incubation period. No significant protection of infant mice occureed with any of the fragments after an hour incubation of the virus-fragment mixtures at 37°C.
Simultaneous determination of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, 1-arachidonoylglycerol and arachidonic acid in mouse brain tissue using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Endocannabinoids (ECs), such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), modulate a number of physiological processes, including pain, appetite and emotional state. Levels of ECs are tightly controlled by enzymatic biosynthesis and degradation in vivo. However, there is limited knowledge about the enzymes that terminate signaling of the major brain EC, 2-AG. Identification and quantification of 2-AG, 1-AG and arachidonic acid (AA) is important for studying the enzymatic hydrolysis of 2-AG. We have developed a sensitive and specific quantification method for simultaneous determination of 2-AG, 1-AG and AA from mouse brain and adipose tissues by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) using a simple brain sample preparation method. The separations were carried out based on reversed phase chromatography. Optimization of electrospray ionization conditions established the limits of detection (S/N = 3) at 50, 25 and 65 fmol for 2-AG, 1-AG and AA, respectively. The methods were selective, precise (%R.S.D. < 10%) and sensitive over a range of 0.02–20, 0.01–10 and 0.05–50 ng/mg tissue for 2-AG, 1-AG and AA, respectively. The quantification method was validated with consideration of the matrix effects and the mass spectrometry (MS) responses of the analytes and the deuterium labeled internal standard (IS). The developed methods were applied to study the hydrolysis of 2-AG from mouse brain extracts containing membrane bound monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), and to measure the basal levels of 2-AG, 1-AG and AA in mouse brain and adipose tissues. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Theory of all Substructures of a Structure: Characterisation and Decision Problems

An infinitary characterization of the first-order sentences true in all substructures of a structure M is used to obtain partial reduction of the decision problem for such sentences to that for Th(M). For the relational structure this gives a decision procedure for the 3xVy-part of the theory of all substructures, yet we show that the 3xlx2Vy-part, and the entire theory, is HIl-complete. The theory of all ordered subsemigroups of is also shown HIl-complete. Applications in the philosophy of science are mentioned. ?
Receptor expression is essential for proliferation induced by dimerized Jak kinases.

Abstract Two members of Jak kinases, Jak1 and Jak3, are associated with the cytoplasmic domains of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (IL-2R) β chain (IL-2Rβ) and the common cytokine receptor γ chain (γc), respectively, and accumulating evidence indicates their functional importance in IL-2 signaling. Here, I showed that coumermycin-induced chemical heterodimerization of Jak1 and Jak3 but not homodimerization of Jak1 or Jak3 induces cell proliferation of an IL-2R-reconstituted cell line. In this regard, expression of IL-2Rβ was essential for cell proliferation by chemical heterodimerization of Jak1 and Jak3, indicating that dimerized Jak1 and Jak3 induce heterodimerization of IL-2Rβ and γc, which may activate receptor-bound signaling molecules. Previous reports using chemical dimerization suggest that dimerization of Jak kinases is sufficient to induce cell proliferation. The present study indicates that re-evaluation of this conclusion is necessary and that interpretation of functional analysis of signaling molecules using chemical dimerizers needs more careful assessment.
Drawing robust infrared optical fibers from preforms produced by efficient multimaterial stacked coextrusion

The utilization of infrared chalcogenide glass (ChG) fibers has long been hampered by the unfavorable mechanical characteristics typical of these glasses. Furthermore, the usual pathways to producing such fibers necessitate large-scale synthesis of high-purity glass, which represents a challenge in an academic environment, and thus presents an obstacle to the transfer of research results from academia to industry. Here we present our recent progress on multimaterial coextrusion technology that allows for high-efficiency disc-to-fiber manufacturing. A one-step extrusion from two glass discs (10-mm-diameter and 3-mm-thick) and a thermoplastic disc results in a robust step-index preform that is thermally drawn in an ambient atmosphere into continuous lengths of fiber with core diameters on the order of tens of micrometers. These results offer an alternative methodology that overcomes many of the traditional obstacles while potentially reducing the production cost.