cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Idiotype-pulsed dendritic cell vaccination for B-cell lymphoma: clinical and immune responses in 35 patients

Tumor-specific clonal immunoglobulin expressed by B-cell lymphomas (idiotype [Id]) can serve as a target for active immunotherapy. We have previously described the vaccination of 4 patients with follicular lymphoma using dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with tumor-derived Id protein and now report on 35 patients treated using this approach. Among 10 initial patients with measurable lymphoma, 8 mounted T-cell proliferative anti-Id responses, and 4 had clinical responses—2 complete responses (CRs) (progression-free [PF] for 44 and 57 months after vaccination), 1 partial response (PR) (PF for 12 months), and 1 molecular response (PF for 75+ months). Subsequently, 25 additional patients were vaccinated after first chemotherapy, and 15 of 23 (65%) who completed the vaccination schedule mounted T-cell or humoral anti-Id responses. Induction of high-titer immunoglobulin G anti-Id antibodies required coupling of Id to the immunogenic carrier protein keyhole limpet hemocyanin (Id-KLH). These antibodies could bind to and induce tyrosine phosphorylation in autologous tumor cells. Among 18 patients with residual tumor at the time of vaccination, 4 (22%) had tumor regression, and 16 of 23 patients (70%) remain without tumor progression at a median of 43 months after chemotherapy. Six patients with disease progression after primary DC vaccination received booster injections of Id-KLH protein, and tumor regression was observed in 3 of them (2 CRs and 1 PR). We conclude that Id-pulsed DC vaccination can induce T-cell and humoral anti-Id immune responses and durable tumor regression. Subsequent boosting with Id-KLH can lead to tumor regression despite apparent resistance to the primary DC vaccine.
Materialism, Mode of Production, and a Millennium of Change in Southern Mexico

In this paper, I ask why the insights of classical (i.e., materialist) Marxism are not more commonly used by archaeologists of recent academic generations. With evidence from the Soconusco region of Mexico, I explore the relationship between the economic base and political superstructure of the region’s inhabitants as well as evidence for the transformation from a kin-ordered to a tributary mode of production. Major esthetic and political transformations occurred across the region when naturalistic standards were replaced by abstract Olmec-style representation beginning approximately 1,400 cal. B.C. In contrast, macrobotanical, ground stone, and faunal patterns from the site of Cuauhtemoc (along with patterns from across the Soconusco) indicated that a major transformation of the economy occurred during the Conchas phase (1,000–850 cal. B.C.). Along with the marked intensification of subsistence production, the Conchas phase was also when the first system of conical mounds were built at the top three tiers of political centers in the Soconusco. I argue that the use of modes of production holds unrealized potential for a materialist interpretation of the past and that the development of a tributary mode of production helps explain the changes in the Soconusco after 1,000 cal. B.C.
Oligomerization state-dependent elevations of adiponectin in chronic daily headache

Objective: To evaluate serum adiponectin levels in female episodic migraineurs (EMs) and chronic daily headache (CDH) sufferers. Background: Obesity is a risk factor for headache “chronification.” Adiponectin (ADP) is an adipocytokine secreted primarily by adipose tissue. ADP and its oligomers (high-molecular-weight [HMW], middle-molecular-weight [MMW], and low-molecular-weight [LMW] ADP) have been shown to modulate several inflammatory pathways that have also been shown to be associated with migraine pathophysiology. Methods: Age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched women participants were enrolled. Anthropometric measures (including waist-to-hip ratio [WHR] and BMI) were measured in all participants. Serum total ADP (T-ADP) levels and its oligomers were measured in EMs during headache-free periods and CDH sufferers at baseline level of pain, as compared with healthy control subjects using ELISA. Results: Although total body obesity as estimated by BMI showed no significant association between participants, visceral obesity as estimated by WHR was significantly associated with CDH as compared with EMs and controls. WHR was also inversely related to both T-ADP (p 0.008) and HMW-ADP (p 0.002). After adjusting for WHR, serum T-ADP levels were higher in CDH sufferers (10.1 4.0) than in both EMs (8.6 3.5) and controls (7.5 2.4) (p 0.024). In addition, HMW-ADP was higher in CDH (6.1 2.8) as compared with EMs (4.2 1.7) and controls (3.9 1.5) (p 0.003). MMW-ADP was also higher in CDH (2.0 1.2) as compared with EMs (1.5 0.7) and controls (1.1 0.4) (p 0.009). Conclusion: Serum adiponectin levels are increased in women chronic daily headache (CDH) sufferers. In addition, visceral obesity, as measured by waist-to-hip ratio, is a risk factor for CDH in women. Neurology ® 2008;70:1905–1911
Tidal Evolution of Close-in Extrasolar Planets

The distribution of eccentricitieseofextrasolarplanetswithsemimajor axesa > 0:2 AU isveryuniform,andvalues for e are relatively large, averaging 0.3 and broadly distributed up to near 1. For a < 0:2 AU, eccentricities are much smaller (most e < 0:2), a characteristic widely attributed to damping by tides after the planets formed and the protoplanetarygasdiskdissipated.Mostpreviousestimatesofthetidaldampingconsideredthetidesraisedontheplanets,but ignored the tides raised on the stars. Most also assumed specific values for the planets’ poorly constrained tidal dissipation parameter Qp. Perhaps most important, in many studies the strongly coupled evolution between e and a was ignored. We have now integrated the coupled tidal evolution equations for e and a over the estimated age of each planet, and confirmed that the distribution of initialevalues of close-in planets matches that of the general population for reasonable Q values, with the best fits for stellar and planetary Q being � 10 5.5 and � 10 6.5 , respectively. The accompanying evolutionofavaluesshowsmost close-in planetshadsignificantly largeraatthestart oftidalmigration. The earlier gas disk migration did not bring all planets to their current orbits. The current small values of a were only reachedgraduallyduetotidesoverthelifetimesoftheplanets.Theseresultsmayhaveimportantimplicationsforplanet formation models, atmospheric models of ‘‘hot Jupiters,’’ and the success of transit surveys. Subject headingg celestial mechanics — planetary systems: formation — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks
The Arquebus Volley Technique in China, c. 1560: Evidence from the Writings of Qi Jiguang

Military historians have argued that the emergence in Europe of the musketry volley fire technique and the concurrent development of systematic infantry drill were of epochal importance for world history, a key part of the famous ‘military revolution’ that underlay Europeans’ purported military advantage over the other peoples of the world. This article shows that the arquebus volley technique was described in the writings of the famous Chinese military thinker Qi Jiguang by 1560, well before the most commonly accepted date for the technique’s introduction in Europe. Qi Jiguang’s drill techniques were part of a long and unbroken military tradition stretching back to China’s Tang dynasty, in which drill – and the volley technique itself – played a central role. The implications for our understanding of global military history are profound. As we learn more about Asian military history, we will increasingly question standard narratives of our global military past.
CD200 increases alternatively activated macrophages through cAMP-response element binding protein - C/EBP-beta signaling

The concept of macrophage polarization toward different phenotypes after CNS injury has been increasingly discussed. Here, we propose that CD200 treatment may help shift pro-inflammatory macrophages to an arginase 1 (Arg1)-, transglutaminase 2 (TGM2)-, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β)-positive phenotype. Rat macrophages were stimulated by interferon γ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce pro-inflammatory phenotypes. Treatment with human CD200-Fc up-regulated expression levels of alternatively activated M2-like markers such as Arg1 and TGM2 but suppressed pro-inflammatory M1-like markers such as toll-like receptor 4, interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and GM-CSF. Concomitantly, CD200-Fc enhanced (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein) C/EBP-beta promoter activity, whereas NF-κB activity was suppressed. Treatment with CD200-Fc also up-regulated potentially beneficial TGF-β expression in macrophages. When C/EBP-beta signaling was suppressed with siRNA, the effect of CD200-Fc on Arg1, TGM2 and TGF-β up-regulation was canceled. Taken together, these data provide proof-of-principle that targeting CD200 signaling may be a novel therapeutic approach to shift macrophages toward M2-like polarization via modulating cAMP-response element binding protein-C/EBP-beta transcriptional activity. We showed that CD200 treatment decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and GM-CSF) along with suppressed inflammatory NF-κB activity in pro-inflammatory Mφ. On the other hand, CD200 increased Arg1, TGM2, and TGF-β production through CREB-C/EBPβ signaling. We think that these findings provide proof-of-concept that CD200 signaling may play a key role in regulating macrophage polarization toward anti-inflammatory phenotypes.
Modulation of Atmospheric Nonisothermality and Wind Shears on the Propagation of Seismic Tsunami-Excited Gravity Waves

We study the modulation of atmospheric nonisothermality and wind shears on the propagation of seismic tsunami-excited gravity waves by virtue of the vertical wavenumber, m (with its imaginary and real parts, m i and m r , respectively), within a correlated characteristic range of tsunami wave periods in tens of minutes. A generalized dispersion relation of inertio-acoustic-gravity (IAG) waves is obtained by relaxing constraints on Hines’ idealized locally-isothermal, shear-free and rotation-free model to accommodate a realistic atmosphere featured by altitude-dependent nonisothermality (up to 100 K/km) and wind shears (up to 100 m/s per km). The obtained solutions recover all of the known wave modes below the 200-km altitude where dissipative terms are assumed negligible. Results include: (1) nonisothermality and wind shears divide the atmosphere into a sandwich-like structure of five layers within the 200-km altitude in view of the wave growth in amplitudes: Layer I (0–18) km, Layer II (18–87) km, Layer III (87–125) km, Layer IV (125–175) km and Layer V (175–200) km; (2) in Layers I, III and V, the magnitude of m i is smaller than Hines’ imaginary vertical wavenumber ( m i H ), referring to an attenuated growth in the amplitudes of upward propagating waves; on the contrary, in Layers II and IV, the magnitude of m i is larger than that of m i H , providing a pumped growth from Hines’ model; (3) nonisothermality and wind shears enhance m r substantially at an ∼100-km altitude for a tsunami wave period T t s longer than 30 min. While Hines’ model provides that the maximal value of m r 2 is ∼0.05 (1/km 2 ), this magnitude is doubled by the nonisothermal effect and quadrupled by the joint nonisothermal and wind shear effect. The modulations are weaker at altitudes outside 80–140-km heights; (4) nonisothermality and wind shears expand the definition of the observation-defined “damping factor”, β: relative to Hines’ classical wave growth with β = 0 , waves are “damped” from Hines’ result if β > 0 and “pumped” if β < 0 . The polarization of β is determined by the angle θ between the wind velocity and wave vector.
Abstract T P68: Delayed Progesterone Treatment Improves Long-Term Recovery of Function Following Permanent Stroke in Older Rats

BACKGROUND: Less is known about the long-term sustained effects of PROG on recovery of function following stroke. Two objectives were evaluated, First, whether functional deficits caused by pMCAO persist and if repeated testing in itself reduce the extent of injury over long periods (8 weeks). Second, determine PROG's effects on a panel of behavioral tests performed several weeks post-pMCAO Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 months old) underwent pMCAO by electrocoagulation or sham surgery. For the first study, repeated long term group with pMCAO began a battery of tests at repeated intervals (during the 3rd, 6th, and 8th weeks post-pMCAO), while long term with pMCAO group testing began during the 8th week post-pMCAO. For the second study, beginning 3 h post-occlusion, rats were given IP injections of 8 mg/kg of PROG or vehicle, followed by SC injections at 8 h and then every 24 h for 9 days with tapering of final 2 treatments. All animals received: motor, sensory and cognitive tests; grip strength, ro...
Temporal changes in microbial ecology and geochemistry in produced water from hydraulically fractured Marcellus shale gas wells.

Microorganisms play several important roles in unconventional gas recovery, from biodegradation of hydrocarbons to souring of wells and corrosion of equipment. During and after the hydraulic fracturing process, microorganisms are subjected to harsh physicochemical conditions within the kilometer-deep hydrocarbon-bearing shale, including high pressures, elevated temperatures, exposure to chemical additives and biocides, and brine-level salinities. A portion of the injected fluid returns to the surface and may be reused in other fracturing operations, a process that can enrich for certain taxa. This study tracked microbial community dynamics using pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in water samples from three hydraulically fractured Marcellus shale wells in Pennsylvania, USA over a 328-day period. There was a reduction in microbial richness and diversity after fracturing, with the lowest diversity at 49 days. Thirty-one taxa dominated injected, flowback, and produced water communities, which took on disti...
Thermal Noise Imaging of Cell Membrane Stiffness and Tracking of Membrane Protein Motion

The thermal motion of membrane proteins is analyzed to create high resolution maps of the cell membrane stiffness, the protein diffusion and potential traps. We discuss the technical requirements and present novel results.
Radio voices, digital downloads: bridging old and new media in the Onion Radio News podcast

This article explores the role of podcasts in the broader explosion of comedic content on digital platforms. It does so through interviews and participant observation of the making of The Onion's news satire podcast Onion Radio News, describing the complex alliance of writers, performers, producers and advertisers needed to make a comedy podcast stand out in an increasingly crowded field of competitors. Although now defunct, Onion Radio News highlights how the technological and industrial discourses of the so-called ‘new media’ are rooted in the ‘old’, and how comedy plays a vital role in negotiating this tension.
Voltage control of droplet interface bilayer lipid membrane dimensions.

A novel approach to control the area of anchor-free droplet interface bilayer (DIB) lipid membranes is presented. Unsupported DIB lipid membranes are formed at the interface of phospholipid-coated aqueous droplets dispensed in dodecane oil. Using electrodes inserted into the droplets, an external voltage is applied which modulates the effective DIB area. Electrical (capacitance or current) and optical (imaging of DIB lateral length) recordings were simultaneously performed. Alpha-hemolysin (αHL) single channel insertions into the DIB were recorded. Currents across the DIB were measured as a function of voltage and αHL concentration in the droplets. Nonlinear response is observed for current, DIB lateral length and area, and capacitance with respect to voltage. Voltage induced changes in interfacial tension modulated the DIB−oil contact angle and the membrane contact length, which provided control of membrane dimensions. Comparison of these results is made to the electrowetting effect, which is also govern...
A Blood Spot Assay for Apo A1 and B Lipoproteins and the Apo B/A1 Ratio

A study of conditions for the elution of apo A1 and B lipoproteins from dried blood spots has led to the development of an apo B/A1 ratio assay with results for dried blood spots which are comparable with serum assays. This assay has been developed to be suitable for large scale population screening. The concept of measuring ratios for co-eluting blood constituents improves the accuracy and precision of blood spot assays and opens up the possibility that patients could take their own blood sample and send it to the laboratory by post.
Amino acid loss during volume regulatory decrease in cultured chick heart cells

Mechanisms of volume regulation in hyposomotically treated cultured chick heart cell preparations were studied using optical, biochemical, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods. This approach afforded the resolution of time-dependent responses that might ordinarily be obscured by the complex morphology of intact cardiac muscle preparations. In hyposmotic solutions, cells swelled to a peak volume within 3 min and slowly regulated toward original volume (regulatory volume decrease, RVD). Upon return of the cells to isosmotic solution following hyposmotic treatment, the cells shrank to a steady-state volume that was substantially less than the initial volume in control solution. A vigorous RVD could also be elicited by hyposmotic swelling under Cl(-)-free conditions. Measurement of both inorganic cation loss via atomic absorption spectroscopy and organic solute loss via 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance and high-pressure liquid chromatographic techniques revealed that the RVD observed following exposure to hyposomotic solutions was mediated in part by a substantial loss of taurine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine as well as loss of inorganic ions (Na+,K+). The hyposmotically activated transport of amino acids was also associated with the production of glutamate and aspartate. The volume regulatory release and production of amino acids have significant implications for the metabolic and functional integrity of cardiac cells.
CSAR Benchmark of Flexible MedusaDock in Affinity Prediction and Nativelike Binding Pose Selection

While molecular docking with both ligand and receptor flexibilities can help capture conformational changes upon binding, correct ranking of nativelike binding poses and accurate estimation of binding affinities remains a major challenge. In addition to the commonly used scoring approach with intermolecular interaction energies, we included the contribution of intramolecular energies changes upon binding in our flexible docking method, MedusaDock. In CSAR 2013–2014 binding prediction benchmark exercises, the new scoring function MScomplex was found to better recapitulate experimental binding affinities and correctly identify ligand-binding sequences from decoy receptors. Our further analysis with the DUD data sets indicates significant improvement of virtual screening enrichment using the new scoring function when compared to the previous intermolecular energy based scoring method. Our postanalysis also suggests a new approach to select nativelike poses in the clustering-based pose ranking approach by Med...
Global regularity of generalized magnetic Benard problem

We study the magnetic Benard problem in two-dimensional space with generalized dissipative and diffusive terms, namely, fractional Laplacians and logarithmic supercriticality. Firstly, we show that when the diffusive term for the magnetic field is a full Laplacian, the solution initiated from data sufficiently smooth preserves its regularity as long as the power of the fractional Laplacians for the dissipative term of the velocity field and the diffusive term of the temperature field adds up to 1. Secondly, we show that with zero dissipation for the velocity field and a full Laplacian for the diffusive term of the temperature field, the global regularity result also holds when the diffusive term for the magnetic field consists of the fractional Laplacian with its power strictly bigger than 1. Finally, we show that with no diffusion from the magnetic and the temperature fields, the global regularity result remains valid as long as the dissipation term for the velocity field has its strength at least at the logarithmically supercritical level. These results represent various extensions of previous work on both Boussinesq and magnetohydrodynamics systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulatory T Cells: Differentiation and Function

The immune system of vertebrate animals has evolved to mount an effective defense against a diverse set of pathogens while minimizing transient or lasting impairment in tissue function that could result from the inflammation caused by immune responses to infectious agents. In addition, misguided immune responses to "self" and dietary antigens, as well as to commensal microorganisms, can lead to a variety of inflammatory disorders, including autoimmunity, metabolic syndrome, allergies, and cancer. Regulatory T cells expressing the X chromosome-linked transcription factor Foxp3 suppress inflammatory responses in diverse biological settings and serve as a vital mechanism of negative regulation of immune-mediated inflammation. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(9); 721-5. ©2016 AACR.
In France, are secular IQ losses biologically caused? A comment on Dutton and Lynn (2015)

Abstract Dutton and Lynn report secular declines in Fullscale IQ evaluated using WAIS of four points a decade in France between the years 1999 and 2008–9. It is posited that the trend may have a partially biological cause, stemming from dysgenic fertility and, to a lesser extent, replacement migration. Given that these, and other biological phenomena are associated with the Jensen effect, it is expected that if they are the principal causes of the IQ decline then the secular change should also be associated with the Jensen effect. Furthermore if it can be demonstrated that the vectors of secular IQ decline, g loadings and the vectors of other biological indicators share variance, then the case for biological causation will be strengthened. Using the method of correlated vectors and error disattenuation, the secular IQ declines are shown to be associated with a high-magnitude Jensen effect (ρ = .833). A multi-vector common factor comprised of the vector of g loadings along with the vectors of three biological variables (subtest heritabilities, dysgenic fertilities and simple visual reaction times) was found to load substantially on the secular IQ decline vector (λ = .723). These findings indicate that the French secular IQ loss likely has a primarily biological cause.
A Brief History of Psychiatric Classification: From the Ancients to DSM-IV

We are now at an interesting crossroads in the history of psychiatric nosology. There have been many oscillations over time between etiologic and descriptive models, between lumping and splitting, and between categorical and dimensional systems. It is unfortunate, but inevitable, that most of the etiologic models of the past have been based on unproven and unprovable theories. Like its predecessors, DSM-IV is a descriptive system, and it too gradually will be replaced by an etiologic model--one, it is hoped, that is more scientifically valid than previous attempts at etiologic explanation. This will be an important step for the profession, for scientific understanding, and for the patient.
Fucosidosis with Dystonia

A Canadian male child with fucosidosis and dystonia is reported from the Department of Biochemical Genetics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Nach dem Tod der Eltern

Obwohl es fast allen Menschen bevorsteht, die Eltern durch Tod zu verlieren, hat sich die klinische Bindungsforschung noch wenig mit der Verarbeitung der Erfahrung vom unvermeidlichen Verlust der Eltern beschaftigt. Nach einer einleitenden Skizze theoretischer Konzepte, insbesondere zu Bowlbys Abwehrtheorie, berichten wir uber ein Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) einer Patientin, die als „Musterfall“ inzwischen ausgiebig portratiert wurde. Funfundzwanzig Jahre nach einer erfolgreichen Psychoanalyse ergeben die diskursanalytischen Auswertungen des AAI der Patientin deutliche Hinweise auf eine unverarbeitete Trauer in Bezug auf beide Eltern.
High Resolution Capabilities of MIMO Radar

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar is a multistatic architecture composed of multiple transmitters and receivers, which seeks to exploit the spatial diversity of radar backscatter. In conjunction with centralized processing, MIMO radar has the potential to significantly improve radar functions such as detection and parameter estimation. MIMO radar is distinct from other types of array radars such as phased array or STAP, which process the signals of closely spaced elements and, hence, cannot capitalize on the spatial characteristics of targets. In this work, we explore the ability of MIMO radar and coherent processing to locate a target with high resolution and to resolve targets located in the same range cell. A distributed target model is developed. It is demonstrated that MIMO radar with centralized coherent processing is able to resolve scatterers with a range resolution well beyond that supported by the signal bandwidth. The location estimation capabilities are further illustrated by introducing a new two-dimensional ambiguity function. The analysis is discussed in the context of established results for randomly thinned arrays. The investigation of high resolution MIMO radar also includes comparison with the performance of non-coherent MIMO radar and the effect on performance of the number of sensors and their locations.
Not I, but she: The beneficial effects of self-distancing on challenge/threat cardiovascular responses

Self-distancing has been shown to lead to benefits in the face of upcoming stressors, but the process by which this occurs remains unclear. We applied the cardiovascular measures of the biopsychosocial model of challenge/threat to test two plausible explanations: whether manipulating self-distancing (vs. a control condition) (1) makes a subsequent active-performance stressor seem less personally relevant, thereby leading to lower task engagement during task performance, and/or (2) promotes more favorable evaluations of personal resources relative to situational demands, resulting in greater challenge during performance. Participants who self-distanced by using non-first-person (vs. first-person) pronouns and their own name while preparing for a speech showed cardiovascular responses consistent with greater challenge while delivering the speech. Self-distancing did not, however, influence cardiovascular responses reflecting task engagement during the speech. Moreover, the effect of self-distancing persisted in the form of relative challenge during a second speech on an unrelated topic. These findings suggest self-distancing can lead to a positively valenced experience during active-performance stressors, rather than simply muted responses based on decreasing the stressor's self-relevance.
Avoiding “A Massive Spin-Off Effect in West Africa and Beyond”: The Tobacco Industry Stymies Tobacco Control in Nigeria

Background Nigeria plays important economic and political roles in Africa and is a significant market for the tobacco industry. This study describes the tobacco industry's efforts to block Nigeria's early tobacco control attempts, especially the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Decree 20 of 1990, and efforts to strengthen the Decree in 1995. Method Analysis of documents from the Truth Tobacco Documents Library and other Internet resources related to Nigeria's Decree 20 and earlier tobacco control efforts. Results The World Conferences on Smoking and Health and World Health Organization in the late 1970s spurred the Nigerian government to take steps towards tobacco regulation. In response, the tobacco industry lobbied government ministries, used front groups and its trade group, the Tobacco Advisory Council of Nigeria, to block and weaken government efforts. The industry obtained a draft of Decree 20 two years before it was enacted, considered the Decree anti-business and proposed language that led to the passage of a weaker Decree in 1990. It also attempted to influence a potential review of the Decree in 1995. Conclusion Decree 20 was a strong law for its time, but was weakened due to tobacco industry interference. Nigeria ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005, and enacted a comprehensive National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) in May 2015. Lessons learned from Decree 20's experience should be applied to protect NTCA 2015, and in compliance with WHO FCTC Article 5.3 which require parties to protect tobacco control policies from tobacco industry interference. Implications This is the first detailed account of tobacco industry interference with tobacco legislation in Africa. The emergence of tobacco control in Nigeria threatened the tobacco industry, which believed that success in Nigeria would have a "domino effect" in Africa. The industry used lobbying and front groups to successfully block and weaken Nigeria's tobacco control, especially the Tobacco Smoking (Control) Decree 20 of 1990 and efforts to strengthen it in 1995. Nigeria and other African countries must learn from this history to protect tobacco control policies from the tobacco industry's vested interests and vigorously implement Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC.
A comparison of continuous and discontinuous data collection systems on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of tacting in three young children with autism spectrum disorder during discrete-trial training

(1) Does a continuous or discontinuous data collection system used during teaching and assessment sessions involving discrete-trial training (DTT) influence the correct implementation of instructio...
Socioeconomic Status, Not Race, Is Associated With Reduced Survival in Esophagectomy Patients

Background Black patients with esophageal cancer have worse survival than white patients. This study examines this racial disparity in conjunction with socioeconomic status (SES) and explores whether race-based outcome differences exist using a national database. Methods The associations between race and SES with overall survival of patients treated with esophagectomy for stages I to III esophageal cancer between 2003 and 2011 in the National Cancer Data Base were investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method and proportional hazards analyses. Median income by zip code and proportion of the zip code residents without a high school diploma were grouped into income and education quartiles, respectively and used as surrogates for SES. The association between race and overall survival stratified by SES is explored. Results Of 11,599 esophagectomy patients who met study criteria, 3,503 (30.2%) were in the highest income quartile, 2,847 (24.5%) were in the highest education quartile, and 610 patients (5%) were black. Before adjustment for SES, black patients had worse overall survival than white patients (median survival 23.0 versus 34.7 months, log rank p Conclusions Prior studies have suggested that survival of esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy is associated with race. Our study suggests that race is not significantly related to overall survival when adjusted for other prognostic variables. Socioeconomic status, however, remains significantly related to overall survival in our model.
Polysynchronous Clocking: Exploiting the Skew Tolerance of Stochastic Circuits

In the paradigm of stochastic computing, arithmetic functions are computed on randomized bit streams. The method naturally and effectively tolerates very high clock skew. Exploiting this advantage, this paper introduces polysynchronous clocking, a design strategy in which clock domains are split at a very fine level. Each domain is synchronized by an inexpensive local clock. Alternatively, the skew requirements for a global clock distribution network can be relaxed. This allows for a higher working frequency and so lower latency. The benefits of both approaches are quantified. Polysynchronous clocking results in significant latency, area, and energy savings for wide variety of applications.
Label-free detection of nucleic acid composition within DNA strands using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrate label-free detection of the composition of a single strand of DNA using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in which DNA is linearized to plasmonic surfaces and hundreds of Raman spectra are acquired and statistically analyzed.
Laboratory characterization and discrete element modeling of shrinkage and cracking in clay layer

The performance of a variety of geostructures, such as compacted clay liners, earth dams, and pavement embankments, is compromised by soil cracking. Experiments are set up to monitor the drying pro...
Address-Based and List-Based Sampling

Address-Based Sampling (ABS) has emerged as the dominant form of sample design for social surveys in the United States in the past 15 years; a commercial clone of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Delivery Sequence File (DSF) provides the basis for these samples. Previously, samples for face-to-face surveys were based on an area sample (using maps and census counts of households) and subsequent field listing and mapping of housing units. The availability of a geo-codable list of household addresses covering the great majority of U.S. households has substantially reduced the cost of sample design and implementation. This development has facilitated a contemporaneous shift toward multimode surveys.
The Permeability of Vacuum and the Revised International System of Units

The International System of Units (SI) is expected to be revised such that all seven base units, including the kilogram, will be defined in terms of fixed numerical values of seven defining constants. The revised SI will include a redefinition of the ampere. One consequence is that the permeability of vacuum will not have a fixed numerical value but will become, in principle, a measurable quantity. The constitutive relation among magnetic flux density, magnetic field strength, and magnetization will not change. However, its expression in the centimeter-gram-second system of electromagnetic units (EMU), where the permeability of vacuum is unity, will no longer be ontologically equivalent, and quantities will not be exactly convertible to the SI. Already contrary to international convention, the still common EMU system will become obsolete.
Old Wine in Private Equity Bottles? The Resurgence of Contract-for-Deed Home Sales in US Urban Neighborhoods

This article describes the reemergence, in the wake of the mortgage crisis, of a predatory financial practice in predominantly black neighborhoods in the US: the contract for deed (CFD). The CFD has a notorious urban history; it was a focus of social justice organizing in 1960s Chicago, which helped lay the groundwork for advocacy that culminated in two important laws in the US: the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 and the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. This article places the reemergence of the CFD in the post‐crisis cycle of housing investment and disinvestment, estimates the minimum scale of CFD ownership, and examines the geography of a well‐known CFD seller in the Atlanta area. As policymakers in the US took efforts to restrict predatory lending fueled by private‐label securitization following the subprime crisis, capital markets shifted toward private equity financiers who provided a new supply of lightly regulated capital for urban housing markets. Predominantly black neighborhoods became prey for high‐return schemes meant to extract as much cash flow out of vulnerable residents as possible, offering them the illusion of homeownership. The findings show that the CFD seller focused on black neighborhoods and suggests that its profits from this activity have been quite lucrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Ir(III)-Catalyzed Carbocarbation of Alkynes through Undirected Double C-H Bond Activation of Anisoles.

A novel, electron-deficient cyclopentadienyl iridium(III) catalyst enables sequential cleavage of arene C(sp2)–H and methoxy C(sp3)–H bonds of anisoles, generating reactive metalacycles that insert difluoroalkynes to afford chromenes under mild reaction conditions. This transformation is an arylalkylation of an alkyne–a carbocarbation–via a nonchelate-assisted cleavage of two C–H bonds.
Book Review: The Division of Consciousness: The Secret Afterlife of the Human Psyche, by Peter Novak. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, 1997, 258 pp, $14.95, pb

Review of the book "The Division of Consciousness: The Secret Afterlife of the Human Psyche" written by Peter Novak discussing various religious and psychological perspectives on the afterlife.
Recent Progress in Some Invertebrate Learning Systems

The October 1983 Discover was dedicated to: Memory. Beneath these large letters on the cover page was the tantalizing statement “How it works.” My first thought was that such a statement implied that we could “all go home because the party’s over!” Inside the covers Dr. Eric Kandel was quoted: “we found that everyday molecular machinery is used for mental activity, but in novel ways. It helps de-mystify learning.” Anything that can “de-mystify” learning must surely be approved by us all. But the extent to which any of us have regarded memory, or any other physiological process not yet intensely investigated as a mystery, is a highly in-dividual matter. Some will ask: “was there a mystery?” Others may be skeptical that the adaptive physiological phenomenon Dr. Kandel studies has anything to do with learning per se.
P Elements in Drosophila

The Drosophila genome has many families of transposable elements; some of them have been studied in detail, and others are known only superficially (Berg and Howe 1989). Particular attention has been given to the P family (reviewed by Engels 1989), which has been the subject of intensive research for nearly two decades. There are two reasons for this special interest. First, the population biology and recent evolutionary history of P elements suggest a remarkable scenario of horizontal transfer from another species into D. melanogaster, followed by rapid spread through the global population. Second, a wide array of technical applications have made P elements an indispensable tool for manipulating the Drosophila genome.
Increased Randomness of Functional Network Connectivity in Nicotine and Alcohol Consumers

Alcohol and nicotine are substances that alter the functional connectivity of the brain. These changes have been observed after pinpointing particular brain areas as well as studying the overall brain wiring structure. One property of this wiring structure is the level of randomness. Evidence strongly agrees that brain connectivity is not random, but that chemical substances can affect the connectivity structure. This work aims at studying changes in resting state functional connectivity randomness in relation to the consumption of nicotine and alcohol. Results suggest that randomness in whole brain connectivity is not affected by used substance. However, connectivity among particular brain areas does show changed randomness linked to substance use. Abnormal randomness was found between salience and default mode functional domains. This dysfunction is in line with some postulates of the network model of addiction. The study provides new information on the effects of substance use on the brain.
Ethylene Oligomerization and Polymerization by Palladium(II) Methyl Complexes Supported by Phosphines Bearing a Perchlorinated 10-Vertex closo-Carborane Anion Substituent

The synthesis and ethylene reactivity of the zwitterionic Pd methyl complexes (κ2-P,Cl-PR2CB9Cl9)PdMe(THF) (7, R = iPr; 8, R = Ph) and (κ2-P,O-P(o-OMe-Ph)2CB9Cl9)PdMe(THF) (9), which contain the first phosphines appended with anionic 10-vertex perchlorinated closo-carboranes, are described. Complexes 7 and 8 oligomerize ethylene (23 °C, 2 atm) to a Schulz–Flory distribution of C4–C10 olefins with TOFs of ca. 8000 and 1800 t.o./h, respectively. 8 is ca. 4 times more active than the analogous (κ2-P,F-ortho-PPh2C6H4BF3)PdMe(L) (L = pyridine or collidine) system reported by Jordan and Piers, which produces butenes. Complex 9 reacts with ethylene to yield polyethylene wax (Mn ca. 1000, Đ ca. 1.5) that is similar to commercial Fischer–Tropsch waxes. The activities of 7–9 are independent of ethylene pressure and the presence of B(C6F5)3, suggesting that the catalyst resting state is the corresponding (PR2CB9Cl9)PdR(H2C═CH2) adduct. The molecular weights of the oligomer/polymer products are independent of ethylen...
Structuring Decision-Making in Multidisciplinary Teams.

School personnel participate regularly in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings and associated team activities as a result of Public Law 94–142 mandates. Research suggests that these MDT activities...
Systematic Review of Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposure Rates Among Medical Students.

Abstract Background Blood-borne pathogen exposures (BBPEs) pose a risk to health care workers (HCWs). Needlestick injuries (NSIs) have declined overall, but not for surgical HCWs. There are limited data regarding BBPEs among medical students (MSs) in their clinical years. We aimed to quantify this risk for third- and fourth-year MSs. Methods A literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The PUBMED database was searched to identify studies of third- and fourth-year MSs using the terms BBPE, NSI, and MS. Studies of other HCWs were excluded if MS data were not extractable. Additional studies were identified from references. Descriptive analysis was performed. Results Seven of 171 articles published from 2002 to 2018 met study criteria. All used self-reported data from surveys/questionnaires. One-third of MSs reported BBPEs (n = 194/600, 32.3%) with a mean of 1 in 3.09 and a median of 1 in 3.53 (range: 1 in 1.9-8.3 students). Most events were NSIs (144/194, 74%) with a mean of 1 NSI per 4.05 MSs and median of 1 in 4.625 (range: 1 in 2.47-10.71). The remaining BBPEs reported included blood and bodily fluid splashes (n = 37, 19%), other mucocutaneous exposures (n = 7, 3.6%), and uncategorized injuries (n = 2, 1%). Conclusions One-third of senior MSs reported BBPEs during clinical rotations. Most BBPEs were NSIs. Quantifying this risk allows for anticipatory education and protocol development to protect students and other new HCWs. Educational efforts focused on NSI prevention before and during clinical rotations may help reduce BBPEs.
Signaling Through Advertising When Ad Can Be Blocked

The advance of ad-blocking technology is expected to have profound implications to the advertising industry. This paper makes the first attempt to understand the impacts of ad blocking on consumer’s ad avoidance and optimal reactions by advertiser and ad platform while advertising signals quality. We extend the standard models on ad signaling to the context of ad blocking. Our model incorporates both ad-production cost and ad-distribution cost, and allows ad quality (ad production) to impact consumers’ nuisance costs. We find that, counterintuitively, a lower ad blocking cost may result in fewer consumers blocking ads and higher profit for the advertiser. This is driven by the signaling function of advertising. In particular, the ad platform reacts to lower ad-blocking cost by lowering the unit ad-distribution cost it charges, forcing the advertiser to spend more on ad production because ad-distribution cost alone is insufficient to signal product quality. The high ad-production cost may offset consumers’ disutility of ad viewing and result in fewer consumers blocking ads when ad blocking becomes less costly. We also confirm the robustness of this insight with various model extensions and discuss the implications of our findings.
Regulatory Monitoring Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Evidence from Section 408

This paper examines the economic relevance of the factors set forth under Section 408 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to guide the enhanced regulatory scrutiny of public company financial disclosures, as required under the Act. We interpret two of the factors, volatility and firm size, as predictors of a public company’s relative risk of non-compliance or the prospective loss to investors, conditional upon non-compliance. We use disclosures of material weaknesses in internal controls under Section 404 as indicators of the potential for non-compliance. Our evidence is that the Section 408 factors that we associate with a relatively high risk of non-compliance – high stock-price volatility, and whether a company is emerging with a disparate PE ratio – are good predictors of reported material weaknesses in internal controls. In addition, while Section 408 calls for enhanced review of large firms – those with high market capitalization and a material affect on the economy – we find that relatively few large firms have disclosed material weaknesses in internal controls. The large firms that have disclosed material weaknesses, however, comprise 92% of the market capitalization of all companies disclosing a material weakness. In contrast with the focus of the public debate on the compliance problems of smaller public companies, our evidence points to high volatility as a stronger predictor of compliance problems under the Act than small firm size. Finally, we discuss alternate explanations for our findings and the potential for unintended consequences for shareholders.