cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population-specific Detection of Couples' Interpersonal Conflict using Multi-task Learning

The inherent diversity of human behavior limits the capabilities of general large-scale machine learning systems, that usually require ample amounts of data to provide robust descriptors of the outcomes of interest. Motivated by this challenge, personalized and population-specific models comprise a promising line of work for representing human behavior, since they can make decisions for clusters of people with common characteristics, reducing the amount of data needed for training. We propose a multi-task learning (MTL) framework for developing population-specific models of interpersonal conflict between couples using ambulatory sensor and mobile data from real-life interactions. The criteria for population clustering include global indices related to couples' relationship quality and attachment style, person-specific factors of partners' positivity, negativity, and stress levels, as well as fluctuating factors of daily emotional arousal obtained from acoustic and physiological indices. Population-specific information is incorporated through a MTL feed-forward neural network (FF-NN), whose first layers capture the common information across all data samples, while its last layers are specific to the unique characteristics of each population. Our results indicate that the proposed MTL FF-NN trained solely on the sensor-based acoustic, linguistic, and physiological modalities provides unweighted and weighted F1-scores of 0.51 and 0.75, respectively, outperforming the corresponding baselines of a single general FF-NN trained on the entire dataset and separate FF-NNs trained on each population cluster individually. These demonstrate the feasibility of such ambulatory systems for detecting real-life behaviors and possibly intervening upon them, and highlights the importance of taking into account the inherent diversity of different populations from the general pool of data.
Female entrepreneurs and equity crowdfunding in the US: Receiving less when asking for more

Abstract In this paper, we explore the relationship between gender and funding raised through equity crowdfunding. Using data collected from the population of US equity crowdfunding campaigns, we find that campaigns receive significantly less funding when the primary signatory is female. Furthermore, we explore interactions between gender and a campaign's funding target. The results suggest that campaigns raise significantly less funding, as the target amount increases, when the primary signatory is female. These results are the first to suggest a relationship between gender and funding among the population of US equity crowdfunding campaigns. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Transient Compound Treatment Induces a Multigenerational Reduction of Oxysterol-Binding Protein (OSBP) Levels and Prophylactic Antiviral Activity.

Oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) is a lipid transport and regulatory protein required for the replication of Enterovirus genus viruses, which includes many significant human pathogens. Short-term exposure (i.e., 1–6 h) to a low dose (i.e., 1 nM) of the natural product compound OSW-1 induces a reduction of cellular OSBP levels by ∼90% in multiple different cell lines with no measurable cytotoxicity, defect in cellular proliferation, or global proteome reduction. Interestingly, the reduction of OSBP levels persists multiple days after the low-dose, transient OSW-1 compound treatment is ended and the intracellular OSW-1 compound levels drop to undetectable levels. The reduction in OSBP levels is inherited in multiple generations of cells that are propagated after the OSW-1 compound treatment is stopped. The enduring multiday, multigenerational reduction of OSBP levels triggered by the OSW-1 compound is not due to proteasome degradation of OSBP or due to a reduction in OSBP mRNA levels. OSW-1 compound treatme...
Road to a Three-Boson Surprise

This is the text of the talk given at the XXII International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Caen, France, July 9-13, 2018. The author is a co-recipient of the 2018 Inaugural Faddeev Medal.
An Empirical Assessment of Service Quality, Service Consumption Experience and Relational Exchange in Electronic Mediated Environment (EME)

This study examines how service quality and service consumption experience affect long-term relational exchange in the EME to provide insights into consumers’ perception of service consumption experience and its potential influence on the development of long-term exchange relationship between consumers and service providers in the EME. An analytical framework is developed and tested to validate a comprehensive research model of service consumption experience, its formative dimensions and its antecedents and consequents. The proposed research model is empirically assessed and validated using a sample of 772 respondents. This study contributes to the development of the service consumption experience construct in the EME and informs firms in developing an integrated experiential strategy to meet customer requirements and expectations to further improve customer loyalty and word-of mouth communication in the EME.
A micromorphically regularized Cam-clay model for capturing size-dependent anisotropy of geomaterials

Abstract We introduce a regularized anisotropic modified Cam-clay (MCC) model which captures the size-dependent anisotropic elastoplastic responses for clay, mudstone, shales, and sedimentary rock. By homogenizing the multiscale anisotropic effects induced by clay particle aggregate, clusters, peds, micro-fabric, and mineral contact across length scales, we introduce two distinctive anisotropic mechanisms for the MCC model at the material point and mesoscale levels. We first employ a mapping that links the anisotropic stress state to a fictitious isotropic principal stress-space to introduce anisotropy at the material point scale. Then, the mesoscale anisotropy is introduced via an anisotropic regularization mechanism. This anisotropic regularization mechanism is triggered by introducing gradient-dependence of the internal variables through a penalty method such that the resultant gradient-enhanced plastic flow may exhibit anisotropic responses non-coaxial to the stress gradient of the yield function. The influence of the size-dependent anisotropy on the formation of the shear band and the macroscopic responses of the effective media are analyzed in 2D and 3D numerical examples.
A Blockchain Future for Secure Clinical Data Sharing: A Position Paper

In the digital healthcare era, it is utmost important to harness medical information scattered across healthcare institutions to support in-depth data analysis. However, the boundaries of cyberinfrastructure of healthcare providers place obstacles on data sharing. In this position paper, we firstly identify the challenges of medical data sharing and management. Then we introduce the background and give a brief survey on the state-of-the-art. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing a few possible research directions to cope with the challenges in current medical information sharing.
Treatment of Common Mental Disorders in the United States: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.

Objective This study analyzed past 12-month disorder-specific mental health treatment patterns of common DSM-5 disorders in the United States. Methods Nationally representative face-to-face household survey data from structured diagnostic interviews of the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) (n = 36,309) were used to estimate percentages of respondents with 12-month DSM-5 mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders who received disorder-specific treatment during the 12 months before the interview. Results The percentage receiving treatment was highest for mood disorders (37.8%; 95% CI, 36.1%-39.6%), followed by anxiety disorders (24.1%; 95% CI, 22.6%-25.6%), and lowest for substance use disorders (18.8%; 95% CI, 17.8%-19.8%). Among anxiety disorders, panic disorder (47.9%; 95% CI, 43.9%-52.0%) had the highest treatment rate, and among substance use disorders, tobacco use disorder (20.3%; 95% CI, 19.0%-21.7%) had the highest treatment rate. Adults with mood and anxiety disorders (53.1%; 95% CI, 49.7%-56.4%) were more likely than those with only mood (32.0%; 95% CI, 29.5%-34.6%) or only anxiety (13.2%; 95% CI, 11.6%-15.0%) disorders to receive any mental health treatment. Lack of insurance coverage was associated with significantly lower odds of treatment for all disorders except specific phobia (0.55; 95% CI, 0.30-1.03), drug use disorders other than tobacco (0.80; 95% CI, 0.47-1.36), and alcohol use disorder (1.52; 95% CI, 1.12-2.07). Conclusions Most adults with common mental disorders in the United States were not treated for their disorders, and treatment rates varied considerably across disorders and sociodemographic groups, with particularly low rates of treatment for substance use disorders. Policy and clinical interventions are needed to promote greater access to treatment of adults with common substance use, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Reply: Does Staged Breast Reduction before Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Decrease Complications? A Matched Cohort Study between Staged and Nonstaged Techniques.

Background Nipple-sparing mastectomy in patients with large, ptotic breasts is a reconstructive challenge. Staged breast reduction before prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy has been shown to decrease complications; however, a direct comparison of outcomes between staged and nonstaged techniques is lacking. Methods A retrospective review of all patients that underwent staged breast reduction before nipple-sparing mastectomy was conducted. Staged cases were matched to nonstaged nipple-sparing mastectomy cases according to known risk factors for complications. Individual staged cases with appropriate matches in all these categories were then each paired to two nonstaged cases according to the nearest higher and lower mastectomy weight. Staged and nonstaged cohorts were compared with regard to demographics, operative characteristics, and reconstructive outcomes. Results Eighteen staged breast reductions were identified, performed at an average of 5.0 months before nipple-sparing mastectomy. Staged reductions were matched to 36 prophylactic nonstaged reductions. Average combined mastectomy weight (breast reduction and mastectomy weight) in the staged group was significantly higher than in the nonstaged group (992.6 g versus 640 g; p = 0.0004), although isolated mastectomy weights were comparable (607.1 g versus 640.0 g, respectively; p = 0.6311). Major mastectomy flap necrosis rates were significantly lower in the staged cohort than in the nonstaged cohort (0 percent versus 22.2 percent, respectively; p = 0.0415). Rates of minor mastectomy flap necrosis, partial nipple necrosis, and explantation trended lower in the staged cohort. Conclusion In patients with large breast size, staged breast reduction before nipple-sparing mastectomy had significantly lower rates of major flap necrosis compared with nonstaged cases after controlling for other known risk factors for complications. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
A malignant human glioblastoma orthotopic mouse model with opportunities for non-invasive real time ultrasound imaging

2905 Progress in understanding glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) pathobiology and developing novel therapies could be greatly accelerated with animal model systems that caricaturize human GBM and that enable tumor monitoring through noninvasive imaging in real time. We demonstrate that the invasive phenotype of GBM can be selected from established human GBM cell lines. Starting with the cell line DBTRG-05MG, we used an in vivo experimental metastasis selection method to obtain highly invasive DBM2 cells from lung metastases. Upon intracranial injection, DBM2 cells grow and invade both intra- and extra-cranially, with individual infiltrative tumor cells overexpressing the MET oncogene as visualized by immunohistochemistry. Intracranial tumor growth of DBM2 cells promotes osteolysis around the innoculum, providing a transcranial window for observing tumor growth and vascularization with high resolution micro-ultrasound (Vevo 770, VisualSonics, Inc). We also show that increased Area of the Opening (AO) of the skull is proportional to tumor growth. AO measurement by ultrasound provides an easy method to evaluate antitumor drug efficacy. We show that the geldanamycin derivative 17-AAG inhibits tumor growth and prolongs survival time in both orthotopic xenografts and lung metastases of DBM2 . We conclude that the DBM2 mouse model has invasive characteristics relevant to clinical GBM. This new model provides a valuable tool for investigating factors that modulate glioblastoma growth, assessing invasion and vascularity, and for testing novel therapeutic agents.
Comment on “Photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide coupled with water oxidation using various soft-oxometalate (SOM) based catalytic systems” (J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 8875–8887)

In the work mentioned in the title of this Comment, Roy et al. claimed highly efficient catalysts for coupled carbon dioxide photochemical reduction and water oxidation [J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 8875–8887] and attributed the mechanism to the self-assembly of the catalytic clusters. I propose several points of serious scientific issues in this article related to the characterization of the catalyst clusters, the self-assembled structures, their catalytic performance and characterization and propose opposite conclusions based on the data reported and the literature.
Turning Theology: A Proposal:

Drawing out Stephen Bevans’s thesis that Christian theologizing has never been an exclusively European project, this article proposes that theologians working within the context of the United State...
Biomecánica de los árboles: crecimiento, anatomía y morfología

Trees are the largest and heaviest living beings that have ever lived on Earth. In order to achieve this, trees have wood, an exceptional structural material, and they offer several design strategies. This work is a review of the state of the art related to the strategies of growth, anatomy and morphology that use trees, highlighting general concepts related to structural aspects related to plant biomechanics. Moreover, this paper emphasizes the features of natural plant materials, which have a hierarchical organization, and in most cases are fiber-reinforced composite materials, materials with cellular structure, or both, such as wood.
The interactive effects of role overload and resilience on family-work enrichment and associated outcomes

Using an interactionist perspective and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study examined the interactive effects of resilience and role overload on family-work enrichment and the outcome...
Best Practice Strategies for Process Studies Designed to Improve Climate Modeling

Capsule SummaryWe provide guidance to help foster effective strategies for coordinating more collaborative and successful process-oriented field campaigns that are ultimately aimed towards applicat...
Return to Sport Following High Tibial Osteotomy With Concomitant Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation

Background:Young patients with symptomatic chondral defects in the medial compartment with varus malalignment may undergo opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) with concomitant osteochondral al...
The impact of intimate partner violence on breast and cervical cancer survivors in an integrated, safety-net setting

Characterize prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among breast and cervical survivors receiving care in an urban safety-net healthcare system; Examine the relationship between IPV and clinical characteristics, receipt of cancer treatment, and guideline-recommended survivorship care. From 2010 to 2017, breast and cervical cancer survivors were identified and recruited from a large, integrated, safety-net hospital system. Electronic health records (EHR; to measure survivorship care), cancer registry (to measure clinical characteristics), and patient telephone surveys (to measure IPV) were triangulated among 312 survivors. Bivariate and multivariable models assessed the relationship between victimization and clinical characteristics, cancer treatment, and guideline-recommended survivorship care. Among the 312 participants, 54% identified as IPV+. Among breast cancer, IPV+ cancer participants were twice more likely to develop estrogen receptor negative ER- and/or progesterone receptor negative PR- tumor receptors compared with IPV- cancer participants (AOR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.20, 4.44). IPV+ breast cancer participants were less likely to have surgery and less likely to have hormone therapy as a first course of treatment compared with IPV- participants. There was no relationship between IPV and adherence to guideline-recommended cancer survivorship care. This study expands our current knowledge on how victimization, and specifically IPV, impact health among specialty care. Future research should determine the feasibility of implementing Trauma-Informed Care in oncology practices to better optimize care. At integrated hospital systems, IPV+ cancer participants should utilize social workers, within their oncology clinics, to connect to victim services.
Surgical Management of the Infertile Cow

Various solutions to common reproductive problems resulting in infertility, such as Urovagina, Unilateral Ovarian or Oviduct Pathology, Chronic Vaginal Prolapse, and Perineal Lacerations are discussed.
Accurate Power Loss Model of a Three-level ANPC Inverter Utilizing Hybrid Si/SiC Switching Devices

The use of hybrid Si/SiC switches is becoming an attractive solution to improve conversion efficiency and reduce cost of power converters. A very good efficiency-cost tradeoff can be achieved by using a high current rated Si IGBT in parallel with a low current rated SiC MOSFET for high frequency switches in combination with an appropriate gate control mechanism. However, the analytical power loss models developed for ANPC inverter topology using Si IGBT or SiC MOSFET devices will have low accuracy for hybrid Si/SiC switches. This is because the current and voltage profile of hybrid Si/SiC switches depends on the current ratio and gate control strategy between the two devices. A precise power loss model is essential for power converters to aid engineers choose the appropriate semiconductor device configuration and control strategy in terms of the tradeoff between cost and efficiency. This paper presents an accurate power loss model of an ANPC inverter employing hybrid Si/SiC switches that accounts the current and voltage profile and gate control strategy of the hybrid Si/SiC switches. The validity of the proposed power loss model is verified using measured experimental loss data.
Microstructures and mechanical properties of compositionally complex Co-free FeNiMnCr18 FCC solid solution alloy

Abstract Recently, a structurally-simple but compositionally-complex FeNiCoMnCr high entropy alloy was found to have excellent mechanical properties (e.g., high strength and ductility). To understand the potential of using high entropy alloys as structural materials for advanced nuclear reactor and power plants, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of their structural stability and mechanical properties degradation under neutron irradiation. This requires us to develop a similar model alloy without Co because material with Co will make post-neutron-irradiation testing difficult due to the production of the 60Co radioisotope. To achieve this goal, a FCC-structured single-phase alloy with a composition of FeNiMnCr18 was successfully developed. This near-equiatomic FeNiMnCr18 alloy has good malleability and its microstructure can be controlled by thermomechanical processing. By rolling and annealing, the as-cast elongated-grained-microstructure is replaced by homogeneous equiaxed grains. The mechanical properties (e.g., strength and ductility) of the FeNiMnCr18 alloy are comparable to those of the equiatomic FeNiCoMnCr high entropy alloy. Both strength and ductility increase with decreasing deformation temperature, with the largest difference occurring between 293 and 77 K. Extensive twin-bands which are bundles of numerous individual twins are observed when it is tensile-fractured at 77 K. No twin bands are detected by EBSD for materials deformed at 293 K and higher. The unusual temperature-dependencies of UTS and uniform elongation could be caused by the development of the dense twin substructure, twin-dislocation interactions and the interactions between primary and secondary twinning systems which result in a microstructure refinement and hence cause enhanced strain hardening and postponed necking.
REGIONAL TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Transportation plans and economic development plans for regional development are postulated with the presumption that the resulting pattern of land uses and activities resulting therefrom are mutually supportive. A study of rural regions in Iowa relating urban development goals to transportation policy and programs had resulted in a method of quantifying the regional distribution of transportation accessibility and the regional distribution of economic activity. Comparing the distribution of manufacturing activity with the distribution of retail activity provides a socioeconomic structuring of rural regions. This structuring of regions can then be compared to the distribution of transportation accessibility within regions and among regions to assess the consistency of the respective development planning. The analysis methodology has implied application beyond the study locations.
Mutagenesis of cytochromes P450cam and b5

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mutagenesis of cytochromes P450 cam and b5. The cytochrome P450cam monooxygenase system consists of putidaredoxin reductase, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-specific flavoprotein dehydrogenase, putidaredoxin, an intermediary Fe2S2 iron–sulfur electron-transfer protein, and cytochrome P450cam. It catalyzes the regio- and stereospecific hydroxylation of camphor and initiates the complete degradation of this monoterpene to isobutyrate and acetate, thus allowing the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida to utilize camphor as a sole carbon source. The solubility and availability of cytochrome P450cam have facilitated its biochemical, bioorganic, and biophysical characterization, making it the prototypal model of the cytochrome P450 family. The sequential cytochrome P450cam reaction cycle is rate limited by electron-transfer steps, and the chemical intermediates have been characterized to the point where the input of the second reducing equivalent initiates dioxygen bond scission.
Shock Induced Star Formation

Star formation seems to occur after all or part of an interstellar cloud becomes gravitâtionally unstable. This instability may arise in a variety of circumstances which can be classified broadly into two categories. Some gravitational instabilities seem to proceed “spontaneously” in a dense cloud, as a natural part of the cloud’s evolution: For example, a cloud may form in a state of high internal energy, either thermal, magnetic or turbulent in origin and may become gradually unstable as this energy dissipates and the cloud cools radiatively. Similarly, some clouds may undergo molecular or grain-molecular reactions, thereby changing the balance between heating and cooling and eventually leading to gravita-tionally unstable regions.
Review of the Quantum-Mechanical Measurement Problem

To review the quantum-mechanical measurement problem, a very old subject, in less than an hour is not an easy task, particularly since I want to add in the last part of my discussion some new ideas. In this first section I shall briefly describe some background from quantum mechanics, although the paper will not be self-contained. But first let me say in a few words why there is a problem, why physicists are all puzzled by some rather obvious facts.
New semantics for epistemic specifications

This note presents a new version of the language of epistemic specifications. The semantics of the new language is arguably closer to the intuitive meaning of epistemic operators. It eliminates some unintended interpretations which exist under the old definition. The author hopes that the new language will be better suited for the design of intelligent agents capable of introspective reasoning with incomplete information.
Self-Scaling Evolution of analog computation circuits with digital accuracy refinement

We introduce SCALER, a two-pronged strategy utilizing digital resources for refining intrinsic evolution of analog computational circuits. A Self-Scaling Genetic Algorithm is proposed to adapt solutions to computationally-tractable ranges in hardware-constrained analog reconfigurable fabrics. Differential Digital Correction is developed utilizing an error metric computed from the evolved analog circuit to reconfigure the digital fabric intrinsically thereby enhancing precision. We demonstrate our methods by evolving square, square-root, cube, and cube-root analog computational circuits on the Cypress PSoC-5LP System-on-Chip. Results indicate that the Self-Scaling Genetic Algorithm improves an error metric on average 7.18-fold, up to 12.92-fold for computational circuits that produce outputs beyond device range. Overall, Differential Digital Correction can reduce computational error by 23.1% compared to the performance of the evolved analog circuit.
Band offset measurements of the Si3N4/GaN (0001) interface

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy were used to measure electronic states as Si3N4 was deposited on clean GaN (0001) surfaces. The n-type (2×1018) and p-type (1×1017) GaN surfaces were atomically cleaned in NH3 at 860 °C, and the n-and p-type surfaces showed upward band bending of ∼0.2±0.1 eV and downward band bending of 1.1±0.1 eV, respectively, both with an electron affinity of 3.1±0.1 eV. Layers of Si (∼0.2 nm) were deposited on the clean GaN and nitrided using an electron cyclotron resonance N2 plasma at 300 °C and subsequently annealed at 650 °C for densification into a Si3N4 film. Surface analysis was performed after each step in the process, and yielded a valence band offset of 0.5±0.1 eV. Both interfaces exhibited type II band alignment where the valence band maximum of GaN lies below that of the Si3N4 valence band. The conduction band offset was deduced to be 2.4±0.1 eV, and a change of the interface dipole of 1.1±0.1 eV was observed for Si3N4/GaN interfac...
Myeloid leukemia cutis in the setting of myelodysplastic syndrome: a crucial dermatological diagnosis

Cutaneous involvement by myeloid leukemic cells is an unusual phenomenon. Clinical manifestations vary from erythematous papules to plum-colored plaques and nodules that may become purpuric and ulcerate. The definitive diagnosis of myeloid leukemia cutis requires the analysis of biopsy specimens using immunohistochemical staining to determine the expression of selective cell surface markers. We will review myeloid leukemia when first evident in the skin, particularly in the setting of myelodysplastic syndrome. The diagnosis of leukemia cutis in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome is indicative of concomitant or impending acute leukemic transformation. The early recognition and accurate identification of leukemic skin infiltrates in myelodysplastic patients is crucial, as this finding can have significant therapeutic and prognostic implications.
Microwave dual-band bandstop filter with improved spurious resonance behavior

A design technique to improve the spurious resonance behavior of dual-band bandstop filters is presented. A compact dual-band bandstop filter with two stop bands that can be controlled independently with improved passband frequency response is designed. The operational bandwidth of the proposed compact dual-band bandstop filter is increased by pushing the first spurious resonance from being about twice the resonance frequency to more than three times the resonance frequency. Stepped impedance open loop resonators with substantially increased outer-edge width are used to improve the spurious resonance response. Both simulation and measured results are presented and good agreement is obtained between the results. The fabricated filter exhibits dual operating frequencies at 1460 MHz and 2640 MHz with 5.5% and 5% stopband fractional bandwidths, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 23: 627–633, 2013.
Effects of divalent metal ions on the activity and conformation of native and 3-fluorotyrosine-PvuII endonucleases.

The activities of restriction enzymes are important examples of Mg(II)-dependent hydrolysis of DNA. While a number of crystallographic studies of enzyme–DNA complexes have also involved metal ions, there have been no solution studies exploring the relationship between enzyme conformation and metal-ion binding in restriction enzymes. Using PvuII restriction endonuclease as a model system, we have successfully developed biosynthetic fluorination and NMR spectroscopy as a solution probe of restriction-enzyme conformation. The utility of this method is demonstrated with a study of metal-ion binding by PvuII endonuclease. Replacement of 74% (± 10%) of the Tyr residues in PvuII endonuclease by 3-fluorotyrosine produces an enzyme with Mg(II)-supported specific activity and sequence specificity that is indistinguishable from that of the native enzyme. Mn(II) supports residual activity of both the native and fluorinated enzymes; Ca(II) does not support activity in either enzyme, a result consistent with previous studies. 1H- and 19F-NMR spectroscopic studies reveal that while Mg(II) does not alter the enzyme conformation, the paramagnetic Mn(II) produces both short-range spectral broadening and longer range changes in chemical shift. Most interestingly, Ca(II) binding perturbs a larger number of different resonances than Mn(II). Coupled with earlier mutagenesis studies that place Ca(II) in the active site [Nastri, H.G., Evans, P.D., Walker, I.H. & Riggs, P.D. (1997) J. Biol. Chem.272, 25761–25767], these data suggest that the enzyme makes conformational adjustments to accommodate the distinct geometric preferences of Ca(II) and may play a role in the inability of this metal ion to support activity in restriction enzymes.
LABOUR MARKET DUALISM IN THE LEWIS MODEL: REPLY

Excerpt] Richard Brown (2006) has written that the interpretation of the 1954 Lewis model that I presented in Fields (2004) is ‘flawed for a number of reasons’ and ‘Fields’s appreciation of the contribution of the Lewis model to understanding the process of wage determination in developing economies is therefore misplaced’. In this reply, I explain why I think the flaws are not mine but Brown’s. Before proceeding, I wish to point out that the conference at which my paper was presented and the issue of The Manchester School in which my paper was published were entitled ‘The Lewis Model after Fifty Years’. Accordingly, my paper and this reply focus on Lewis’s original 1954 paper.
The inducible lac operator-repressor system is functional for control of expression of injected DNA in Xenopus oocytes.

We have investigated the use of the Escherichia coli lac operator-repressor system to regulate the expression of genes introduced by microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes. We observe that expression of an MSV-cat fusion gene, in which the lac operator was inserted between the TATA box and the transcription start point (tsp), or between the tsp and the start codon (ATG), is completely repressed when the lac repressor protein is added to the plasmid suspension prior to injection. The lac repressor had no detectable effect on the expression of a comjected HSV-1 tk gene that had no operator insertion (or on an MSV-cat gene without an operator), indicating that the nonspecific DNA-binding properties of the repressor do not inhibit transcription. CAT activity expressed from the operator-containing MSV-cat genes transcribed in the oocyte nucleus was also inhibited by repressor injected into the oocyte cytoplasm, showing that biologically active repressor proteins can enter the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Injection of the inducer IPTG into the oocyte cytoplasm markedly derepressed the repressed cat genes but not the HSV-1 tk gene coinjected as an internal control. Overall, our results show that the lac operator-repressor system can be useful as a genetic switch m the regulation of gene expression of injected DNA in frog oocytes. Finally, our observations on the vectors used in this work show that the MSV enhancer significantly activates transcription from the SV40 early promoter in frog oocytes, although previous studies have indicated that the MSV enhancer is not necessary for the activity of the MSV promoter in oocytes [Graves et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 5 (1985) 1945–1958].
Boundary maintenance and capital punishment: A sociological perspective

Capital punishment represents a sociolegal dilemma in the United States. While there is seemingly popular support in the country for the death penalty, a clear discriminatory bias exists challenging the foundation of American justice-that of fair treatment before the law. A review of sentencing practices and executions indicates major regional (south/non-south) differences regarding the proportion of executions in terms of both numbers and race. This social process is explained in terms of societal reaction/boundary maintenance model. One means of avoiding these regional biases and to ensure a more objective adjudication process would be to make capital crimes a federal offense. Language: en
Analysis of the spatial layer discrete cosine transform coefficient distribution and its application to rate model for H.264/SVC encoder

Knowledge of the discrete cosine transform coefficient distribution (DCT-DIST) is important for the encoder design. For example, rate control relies on this knowledge to estimate a possible bit rate and then decide proper coding parameters before the actual encoding task is performed. Therefore the rate control performance is fairly dependent on how accurately the DCT-DIST is modelled. The spatial enhancement layer (SL) DCT-DIST for H.264 scalable video coding (SVC) is studied in this Letter. SL DCT-DIST knowledge is furthermore used to derive a novel rate model. Our results can help design a proper rate control module for the H.264/SVC encoder.
Looking ahead from the past: The heritage of cement chemistry

Abstract A review of the proceedings of the successive International Congresses on cement chemistry.
Electron Transfer Parameters of Triisopropylsilylethynyl-Substituted Oligoacenes

Understanding the electronic properties and electron transfer characteristics of functionalized oligoacenes is of great importance for the fabrication of organic electronic devices. Charge transfer parameters of bis-triisopropylsilylethynyl-substituted anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene have been investigated based on the analysis of their ionization energies and radical cation reorganization energies. High-resolution gas-phase photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and first-principles quantum-mechanical calculations at the density functional theory level have been performed. The results indicate that the ionization energies in the gas phase and the inner-sphere reorganization energies are sensitive to the number of fused rings and the substitution by the triisopropylsilylethynyl (TIPS) group. This TIPS functional group shifts the first ionization band of these molecules to lower energy in the gas phase due to mixing between the frontier occupied orbitals of the TIPS group with the highest occupied ac...
Altering the number of targets during multiple-object tracking

Response • Pylyshn and Annan (2006) found that participants had difficulty inhibiting automatically selected targets from a pre-cued set of tracked objects • Wolfe, Place and Horowitz (2007) used a paradigm described as Multiple Object Juggling (MOJ) where objects in the tracked set were added or removed throughout the duration of a trial, rather than manipulating precues • Over the course of the entire trial they found little to no performance cost associated with the MOJ
The Time of the Butterflies

This manuscript argues that Julia Alvarez, the author of the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, by immersing herself in both cultures, United States and Dominican, overcomes all the adjustments a foreigner generally faces in becoming multicultural; through this accomplishment, she is able to make self-conscious literary choices to communicate effectively her message to both cultures.
Theory of paramagnetic contrast agents in liposome systems.

We develop a theoretical description of nuclear spin relaxation mediated by MRI contrast agents and transport processes in liposome systems. Such systems compartmentalize the physical space such that paramagnetic contrast agents, which enhance relaxation, are trapped in some subvolume. Due to diffusive transport across compartmental barriers, i.e., across liposome membranes, nuclear spins in the whole volume exhibit fast relaxation. The description developed is based on the diffusion–Bloch equations for the nuclear magnetization with appropriate boundary and continuity conditions. From this set of equations a new inhomogeneous differential equation for the local relaxation times is derived. For simple geometries of compartmentalized spaces the equation can be solved analytically. A simple formula for average relaxation times in liposome systems is presented. The resulting relaxation times agree well with observations. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
Emergency Management Research and Practice in Public Administration: Emergence, Evolution, Expansion, and Future Directions

In 1984, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) collaborated to foster a community of scholars focused on research and professional practice in emergency management. The intent was to build a community of researchers and professional practitioners who would support improved performance for an increasingly challenging set of problems confronting emergency managers at all levels of jurisdiction. The financial investment was small, but the NASPAA/FEMA initiative led to the evolution of a community of scholars engaged in emergency management research and professional practice. The authors review changes in FEMA since the 1984 workshop and the impact of the NASPAA/FEMA fellows on research and practice in emergency management, placing this initiative in the wider context of public administration.
Development of a lavage procedure to collect lung secretions from chickens for evaluating respiratory humoral immunity.

Mucosal immunology research has been hampered by the difficulty and labour-intensiveness of collecting samples. This is especially true for sites such as the lung, and the present paper describes a simple method for obtaining samples from this organ in chickens. Following sacrifice, the bird was placed on its back and the trachea was cut and exteriorized. Narrow-diameter tubing, to which a 30 ml syringe was attached, was threaded down the trachea to the bronchi and air was evacuated from the lung. Warm buffer was administered and the lung sample then aspirated, processed and frozen. In the current experiment this sampling system was tested on hens that were challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis. Elevated anti-Salmonella Enteritidis antibody levels in lung from infected hens were observed in significantly more infected hens than non-infected control hens in two trials. The simplicity and utility of this sampling system will make it a useful tool for those laboratories wishing to expand their humoral mucos...
Chemical Constitution of Vitamin B 1 as deduced from Ultra-Violet Absorption Spectra

IN earlier papers1, we pointed out the correlation of absorption at 2600 A. with the activity of various B1 concentrates and the probability that the active material is a purine or pyrimidine derivative as indicated by its apparent absorption maximum at this point2,3. The materials discussed in these papers1 were impure concentrates. Peters and Philpot4 concluded from studies of crystalline preparations made at Oxford that the maximum characteristic of B1 is more probably at 2450 A.
Magnetic resonance imaging during acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Experimental canine studies have demonstrated the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting and characterizing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in humans. Accordingly, electrocardiographic-gated spin-echo MR images of the left ventricular short axis were obtained in 34 patients a mean of 11 ± 6 days (range 3 to 30) after AMI. This imaging technique allowed division of the left ventricle into segments corresponding to the left ventricular segments on angiography. Patients were separated into 2 groups; the first 16 patients (group I) were examined using a variety of imaging techniques. Information derived from this experience resulted in a standard imaging protocol and development of criteria for the presence of AMI. The imaging protocol and interpretation criteria were used in the assessment of a subsequent group of 18 patients (group II). Of the 14 patients in group II with satisfactory image quality, all showed an increase in myocardial signal intensity consistent with an AMI. In addition, the anterior or inferior location of the abnormal MR segments corresponded to the electrocardiographic infarct location. MR segments showing increased signal intensity corresponded with severely hypokinetic or akinetic segments on the left ventriculogram in 8 patients having both procedures. In a group of volunteers who underwent imaging and whose images were interpreted in the same manner as those of the patients with AMI, 1 of 9 subjects had regional variation in myocardial signal intensity compatible with an AMI. In summary, AMI is readily detected, located and characterized by electrocardiographic-gated MRI. These findings suggest that MRI techniques may have a role in the evaluation of AMI in humans.
Change in expression of FcγRIII (CD16) on neutrophils from human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals

Abstract FcγRIII on neutrophils is a phosphatidyl inositol glycan (PIG)-anchored protein that can be released from the cells by activation with chemotactic peptides. We have examined the expression of FcγRIII (CD16), CD11b, and FcγRII (CD32) on neutrophils from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-I-infected individuals by two-color FACS. In patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex and in HIV-I positive intravenous drug abusers we observed a substantial population (25%) of neutrophils that were autofluorescent, and did not stain with the anti-FcγRIII mAb 3G8. This population was largely absent (3%) in HIV-I negative control individuals. No changes in the expression of FcγRII, CD11b, or another PIG-anchored protein, decay accelerating factor (CD55) on neutrophils, were found. The presence of the FcγRIII negative neutrophil population may be related to altered functions leading to common bacterial infections in advanced AIDS.
The mechanism and dynamics of transient thermal grating diffraction in nematic liquid crystal films

We have studied the mechanism and the dynamics of degenerate four-wave mixing in a nematic liquid crystal film. Nanosecond laser pulses are used to generate an index grating associated with the changes in the density and in the order parameter. We have measured and analyzed the contributions from these two mechanisms, their interference effects rise and decay time constants, and have also performed a detailed analysis of the diffraction efficiency. This study quantitatively characterizes the potential usefulness of nematie films for four-wave mixing based applications.
An automated system for long term and continuous computer compatible recording of feeding, drinking, and general activity behaviors of rodents.

Abstract The system described consisted of individual isolation chambers and electronics which allowed long term animal maintenance and the monitoring of feeding, drinking, and general activity in a manner which did not disturb the rat. We recorded contacts with the feeder and drinker, and digital information about general movement. The exact time when such behavior occurred and its duration were also recorded. Further, we defined an episode of behavior as a series of occurrences with no interruption greater than 10 sec. The raw data describing each such episode were continuously monitored and each appropriately coded episode, when completed, was recorded on computer compatible magnetic tape. Each animal generated approximately 10,000 data entries per week. Thus, the system allows us to examine moment to moment changes in, and interrelationships between, the basic behaviors under surveillance. Further, we can analyze circadian, and other patterns of these behaviors through the use of relatively standard, as well as more specialized, computer programming applied to the recorded data.
Biochemical Properties of Pork and Their Relationship to Quality II. Intramuscular Fata,b

SUMMARY Pork loin and ham muscles from a total of 439 carcasses were analyzed for total intramuscular fat, and the results were compared to certain qualitative and quantitative carcass traits. Greater quantities of fat were associated with higher flavor, tenderness, and, especially, higher juiciness ratings of the cooked fresh product. This increase in fat content was also accompanied by lower curing and cooking shrinkages and greater carcass fatness. The curing process elevated palatability scores and lowered cooking shrinkages to a level that minimized the effect of intramuscular fat. It is therefore suggested that recognition of the importance of intramuscular fat he essentially confined to fresh pork products subjected to dry or semi-dry methods of cookery.
Incidence of concomitant hyperparathyroidism in patients with thyroid disease requiring surgery

Abstract Background Thyroid disease and hyperparathyroidism (HPT) are among the most common endocrine disorders, however, their association has not been well established. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of concomitant HPT in patients with thyroid disease requiring surgery, because a single definitive surgery should ideally be performed. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively maintained database of patients who underwent thyroidectomy at a single institution. Data collected included the patients' initial indication for surgery, preoperative workup, and operative findings. Results Of the 1,049 patients who underwent thyroidectomy, 56 (5%) had concomitant HPT and underwent simultaneous parathyroidectomy. Of these 56 patients, 36 initially presented with thyroid disease and 20 with HPT. The mean age was 59 ± 2 years, and 79% were women. The mean preoperative calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were elevated at 10.4 ± 0.1 mg/dL and 87 ± 7 pg/mL, respectively. Most of these patients had primary HPT (n = 54, 96%). Of the 36 patients presenting initially with thyroid disease, 26 had an elevated calcium or parathyroid hormone value and were preoperatively diagnosed with HPT. The remaining 10 patients had normal laboratory findings; however, a pathologically enlarged parathyroid gland was found at thyroidectomy. The overall cure rate for HPT within our series was 96%. Conclusion The incidence of concomitant HPT in patients with thyroid disease requiring surgery is significant at 5%. Recognition of concurrent disease is important, because it allows for a single definitive surgery to treat both pathologies.