cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Problem of Viability in a Compound Polity

Viability, in its most basic sense, means the ability to exist or more specifically to survive in a particular place. As a theoretical concept it is more commonly used in economics, usually as a synonym for feasibility, than in political science. In the latter discipline it is applied to understand transition states, new political entities (such as the ‘Palestinian state’) or even putative states such as certain regions in Europe ( Jolly, 2007), as well as for analyses of various public policies. In these types of studies, the concept is ordinarily used in a common sense way based on an analytical assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy of the state or policy under review. A far more specialized use of the concept exists in rational choice institutionalism, where it is applied to discover the supposed conditions for a ‘viable constitution’. According to this model, as David McKay (2004: 24) explains, it is assumed that viability ‘depends on the ways in which particular constitutional and institutional arrangements provide elites with incentives to stick to the rules of the game’. Finally, there exists a much grander approach that considers societal or civilization survival itself, interpreting the fate of disappeared civilizations as tragedies stemming, at least to some extent, from weaknesses of perception, action or responsibility (Diamond, 2004).
TDDB chip reliability in copper interconnects

Backend time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) degrades the reliability of circuits with copper interconnects. We use test data to develop a methodology to evaluate chip lifetimes, because of backend TDDB, from layout statistics. We identify features in a layout that are critical to backend reliability, present a model to incorporate those features in determining chip lifetimes, and study the effect of different layout optimizations on chip lifetime.
Ethnic Socialization in Neighborhood Contexts: Implications for Ethnic Attitude and Identity Development Among Mexican-Origin Adolescents

Neighborhood Latino ethnic concentration, above and beyond or in combination with mothers' and fathers' ethnic socialization, may have beneficial implications for minority adolescents' ethnic attitude and identity development. These hypotheses, along with two competing hypotheses, were tested prospectively (from = 12.79–15.83 years) in a sample of 733 Mexican-origin adolescents. Neighborhood ethnic concentration had beneficial implications for ethnic identity processes (i.e., ethnic exploration and perceived peer discrimination) but not for ethnic attitudes. For Mexico-born adolescents, high maternal ethnic socialization compensated for living in neighborhoods low on ethnic concentration. Findings are discussed vis-a-vis the ways in which they address major gaps in the neighborhood effects literature and the ethnic and racial identity development literature.
Breast MRI and Implants

Breast augmentation is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure performed in the United States. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive modality for evaluating implant integrity. MRI also has the potential to detect breast cancer in women with implants. This chapter reviews the use of breast MRI in women with implants for identification of implant rupture and breast cancer detection. Implant imaging pitfalls as well as future MRI techniques and sequences for evaluating breast implants will also be addressed.
Leibniz on Causation – Part 1

Leibniz holds that created substances do not causally interact with each other but that there is causal activity within each such creature. Every created substance constantly changes internally, and each of these changes is caused by the substance itself or by its prior states. Leibniz describes this kind of intra-substance causation both in terms of final causation and in terms of efficient causation. How exactly this works, however, is highly controversial. I will identify what I take to be the major interpretive issues surrounding Leibniz's views on causation and examine several influential interpretations of these views. In ‘Leibniz on Causation – Part 2’ I will then take a closer look at final causation.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Clostridium difficile Infection: Evidence and Indications.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is an effective treatment to prevent recurrent episodes of moderate to severe C. difficile infection. Nevertheless, because of the uncertainty regarding long-term safety and effectiveness, and the high burden of recurrent C. difficile infection, large, blinded RCTs are needed.
Dams and Barrages on River Channels

This chapter provides a brief overview background of dams and barrages on river channels, scope of the chapter, water and development, economic growth and development, competing uses of water, development and large dams, dams in the twentieth century, large dams as instruments of development, irrigation water supplied from large dams, problems associated with large dams, riverine ecosystems impacts, social consequences of large dams, understanding the large dams debate and social impacts and equity.
You Can’t Hear the Shape of a Manifold

Two compact Riemannian manifolds are said to be isospectral if the associated Laplace-Beltrami operators have the same eigenvalue spectrum. The question, often posed as “Can you hear the shape of a drum,” asks whether isospectral manifolds are necessarily isometric. The answer is now well-known to be negative; the first counterexample was a pair of isospectral tori given by Milnor in 1964. Until 1980, however, the only other examples discovered were a few additional pairs of tori or twisted products with tori.
Role of P-glycoprotein on the CNS disposition of amprenavir (141W94), an HIV protease inhibitor.

Purpose. To determine the role of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) on the CNS penetration of the HIV protease inhibitor (PI) amprenavir (141W94) and to test the hypothesis that co-administration of a second HIV PI (ritonavir) could enhance amprenavir's brain penetration in vivo.
Granulomatous Disease of the Testis

Granulomatous disease of the testis may have a specific cause or it may be idiopathic. We found 3 specific agents as the cause of the disease in a retrospective review of 17 cases of granulomatous disease of the testis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the most common cause of subsequent granulomatous orchitis. The clinical presentations of the patients varied but several clues often were present that led to the diagnosis of granulomatous reaction. The patients were treated with orchiectomy. The acid-fast lipid of the tubercle bacillus and spermatozoa is suggested as a possible common denominator in the pathogenesis of the granulomatous reaction.
Effects of prior exercise on the action of insulin-like growth factor I in skeletal muscle

Prior exercise increases insulin sensitivity for glucose and system A neutral amino acid transport activities in skeletal muscle. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) also activates these transport processes in resting muscle. It is not known, however, whether prior exercise increases IGF-I action in muscle. Therefore we determined the effect of a single exhausting bout of swim exercise on IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport activity [assessed by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake] and system A activity [assessed by alpha-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB) uptake] in the isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle. When measured 3.5 h after exercise, the responses to a submaximal concentration (0.2 nM), but not a maximal concentration (13.3 nM), of insulin for activation of 2-DG uptake and MeAIB uptake were enhanced. In contrast, prior exercise increased markedly both the submaximal (5 nM) and maximal (20 nM) responses to IGF-I for activation of 2-DG uptake, whereas only the submaximal response to IGF-I (3 nM) for MeAIB uptake was enhanced after exercise. We conclude that 1) prior exercise significantly enhances the response to a submaximal concentration of IGF-I for activation of the glucose transport and system A neutral amino acid transport systems in skeletal muscle and 2) the enhanced maximal response for IGF-I action after exercise is restricted to the signaling pathway for activation of the glucose transport system.
Trends in Unit Sales of Flavored and Menthol Electronic Cigarettes in the United States, 2012-2016.

Introduction The use of flavored tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), is common in the United States, and flavored products are particularly appealing to young people. The objective of this study was to describe national and state trends in flavored and menthol e-cigarette unit sales. Methods We examined data on 4 types of e-cigarette products (rechargeables, disposables, prefilled cartridges, and e-liquid refills). We used Universal Product Code retail scanner data from 2 sources: 1) convenience stores and 2) all other outlets combined, including supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers (including Walmart), dollar stores, club stores, and US Department of Defense commissaries. We aggregated data in 4-week periods for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia for the 5-year period from 2012 through 2016. Data from vape shops and internet sales were not available. We used Joinpoint regression to assess trends. Results From 2012 through 2016, flavored e-cigarette sales as a percentage of all e-cigarette sales increased nationally (from 2.4% to 19.8%) and in all but 4 states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont). Nationally, flavored disposable and prefilled cartridge sales increased. Menthol e-cigarette sales were stable nationally at 35% to 40%, while the percentage of menthol disposable, prefilled cartridge, and e-liquid refill sales decreased. By state, menthol e-cigarette sales increased in 2 states (Idaho and Nebraska) and decreased in 7 states. During 2015-2016, the percentage of flavored sales decreased in one state (Rhode Island) and increased in 29 states. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that sales of flavored e-cigarette products have increased dramatically since 2012, with variations by product type and state. Continued monitoring of sales trends at all retail outlets can inform federal, state, and local efforts to address flavored tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes, in the United States.
Abstract 109: Adiponectin Inhibits TNF-a-Induced Vascular Inflammatory Response via Caveolin-Mediated Ceramidase Recruitment and Activation

Anti-inflammatory and vascular protective actions of adiponectin (APN) are well-recognized. However, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. The current study attempted to identify the APN receptor subtype responsible for APN’s vascular protective action, and investigate the role of ceramidase activation in APN anti-inflammatory signaling. Wild type (WT) or gene manipulated HUVEC were treated with TNFα in the presence and absence of APN. The effect of APN on TNFα-induced inflammatory and oxidative/nitrative stress was determined. In WT HUVEC, APN significantly reduced TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression and attenuated TNFα-induced superoxide and peroxynitrite formation (P<0.01). These anti-inflammatory actions were virtually abolished by AdipoR1-, but not AdipoR2-, knockdown (KD). Treatment with APN significantly increased neutral ceramidase (nCDase) activity (3.7-fold, P<0.01). AdipoR1-KD markedly (P0.05), reduced APN-induced nCDase activation. More importantly, siRNA mediated nCDase-KD markedly blocked...
Understanding How People use Search to Support their Everyday Creative Tasks

Creativity is an essential part of people's daily life and work across a range of everyday tasks. However, little prior work has explored how people use search engines and information resources as part of their creative processes, and how systems might better support users working on creative tasks. In this paper, we conducted an online survey with 175 participants to explore how people use search engines and online resources (e.g., images, videos, and social media) to support their creative tasks. Our participants reported information seeking to support a broad range of everyday creativity including tasks in arts, writing, crafts, and technical projects. Our findings show that participants' tasks included multiple stages of creative processes (e.g., creating ideas, combining ideas, executing plans) and that participants reported using search engines along with other tools (such as images and videos) to facilitate their creative process. By using Bayesian random effects regression models, we found that different stages of the creative process influence participants' use of tools. For example, for tasks that involved creating ideas, participants were more likely to use images and social sites, and when needing to put ideas into practice they were more likely to use videos. We also found differences in users' satisfaction with using the tools for different creative stages. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for supporting users' information seeking needs during creative tasks.
What's new in obstetric anesthesia in 2017?

Abstract The Gerard W. Ostheimer lecture is delivered every year at the annual meeting of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. The lecture aims to provide the anesthesiologist who provides obstetric anesthesia care with a review of the most relevant articles that were published in the preceding calendar year. This article highlights the literature published in 2017 related to maternal mortality, maternal cardiac arrest, cesarean delivery and labor analgesia.
Anemia in the Long-Term Care Setting

Anemia has a higher prevalence among residents of long-term care setting. Signs and symptoms of anemia in this group are more insidious and can be overlooked and attributed to other disease manifestations or old age. Available data on the consequences of anemia suggest worse outcomes in heart failure; cognitive and functional decline; and increased rates of falls, hospitalizations, and mortality. Diagnosis and treatment of anemia in long-term care residents should be considered based on cost and benefit to the patient and patient's and/or caregiver's preferences.
Antiretroviral Drugs Promote Amyloidogenesis by De-Acidifying Endolysosomes.

Antiretroviral therapeutics (ART) have effectively increased the long-term survival of HIV-1 infected individuals. However, the prevalence of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) has increased and so too have clinical manifestations and pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in people living with HIV-1/AIDS. Although underlying mechanisms are not clear, chronic exposure to ART drugs has been implicated in the development of AD-like symptoms and pathology. ART drugs are categorized according to their mechanism of action in controlling HIV-1 levels. All ART drugs are organic compounds that can be classified as being either weak acids or weak bases, and these physicochemical properties may be of central importance to ART drug-induced AD-like pathology because weak bases accumulate in endolysosomes, weak bases can de-acidify endolysosomes where amyloidogenesis occurs, and endolysosome de-acidification increases amyloid beta (Aβ) protein production and decreases Aβ degradation. Here, we investigated the effects of ART drugs on endolysosome pH and Aβ levels in rat primary cultured neurons. ART drugs that de-acidified endolysosomes increased Aβ levels, whereas those that acidified endolysosomes decreased Aβ levels. Acidification of endolysosomes with the mucolipin transient receptor potential (TRPML) channel agonist ML-SA1 blocked ART drug-induced increases in Aβ levels. Further, ART drug-induced endolysosome de-acidification increased endolysosome sizes; effects that were blocked by ML-SA1-induced endolysosome acidification. These results suggest that ART drug-induced endolysosome de-acidification plays an important role in ART drug-induced amyloidogenesis and that endolysosome acidification might attenuate AD-like pathology in HIV-1 positive people taking ART drugs that de-acidify endolysosomes.
Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for Quantitation of Monobutylphthalate, a Metabolite of Di-n-Butylphthalate, in Rat Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Fetuses and Pups by UPLC-MS/MS.

Phthalates have been used for decades as softening agents in the production of plastics, but in recent years have been extensively investigated for their potential hazards to human health and the environment. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), with widespread exposure occurring through a variety of consumer products such as cosmetics and pesticides, is a suspected carcinogen and an endocrine system disruptor in both humans and laboratory animals. Its predominant metabolite is the monoester, monobutyl phthalate (MBP), which can serve as a marker of exposure. To support toxicological studies of DBP in pregnant and lactating rats and their offspring, a novel ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantitation of MBP in rat plasma, amniotic fluid, fetuses and whole pup samples. Plasma samples were extracted using a simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Extraction and delipidation of pup homogenate was performed using acetonitrile and then submerging the vials in liquid nitrogen. Extracts were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS in the negative ion mode. The method was successfully validated over the concentration ranges 25-5,000 ng/mL in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rat plasma and 50-5,000 ng/g in SD pup homogenate. Matrix calibration curves were linear (r ≥ 0.99), and the percent relative error (%RE) values were ≤ ±15% for standards at all levels. Absolute recoveries were > 92% in both matrices. The limits of detection (LODs) were 6.9 ng/mL in plasma and 9.4 ng/g in pup homogenate. Acceptable intra- and interday accuracy and precision were demonstrated by mean %RE ≤ ±7.5 and relative standard deviation (%RSD) ≤ 10.1%. Extract stability was demonstrated for ~6 days at various temperatures and freeze-thaw stability was demonstrated after 3 cycles over 3 days. Secondary matrix evaluation was performed for MBP in amniotic fluid and pooled fetus homogenate (mean %RE ≤ ±11.5 and %RSD ≤ 13.7). These data demonstrate that this simple method is suitable for determination of MBP in plasma, amniotic fluid, fetus and pup samples from toxicological studies of DBP.
Communitas in fright tourism

Liminality offers an explanation of the threshold one passes through as they enter a tourist destination. Beginning with the anticipation phase of the experience a tourist travels to a destination ...
The Ventral Cochlear Nucleus

Synopsis Acoustic information is brought to the brain from the cochlea through the auditory nerve. The review summarizes what has been learned about how neurons in the ventral cochlear nucleus extract different facets of acoustic information and how it convey them along parallel pathways.
Disequilibrium crystallization and rapid crystal growth: a case study of orbicular granitoids of magmatic origin

Archaean orbicular granitoids from western Australia were investigated to better understand crystal growth processes. The orbicules are dioritic to tonalitic spheroids dispersed in a granitic host ...
\(\mathsf {SAFE}\): Similarity-Aware Multi-modal Fake News Detection

Effective detection of fake news has recently attracted significant attention. Current studies have made significant contributions to predicting fake news with less focus on exploiting the relationship (similarity) between the textual and visual information in news articles. Attaching importance to such similarity helps identify fake news stories that, for example, attempt to use irrelevant images to attract readers’ attention. In this work, we propose a \(\mathsf {S}\)imilarity-\(\mathsf {A}\)ware \(\mathsf {F}\)ak\(\mathsf {E}\) news detection method (\(\mathsf {SAFE}\)) which investigates multi-modal (textual and visual) information of news articles. First, neural networks are adopted to separately extract textual and visual features for news representation. We further investigate the relationship between the extracted features across modalities. Such representations of news textual and visual information along with their relationship are jointly learned and used to predict fake news. The proposed method facilitates recognizing the falsity of news articles based on their text, images, or their “mismatches.” We conduct extensive experiments on large-scale real-world data, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Effects of impression material and implant angulation on the impression accuracy of external connection implants: An in vitro study

A precise impression is mandatory to obtain passive fit in implant-supported prostheses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of impression material and implant angulation on the impression accuracy of external-connection implants. Four customized epoxy resin master models, with twoimplant analogs placed parallel or with different degrees of divergence (10, 20 and 30 degrees), were fabricated with their corresponding passively fitted reference frameworks. Ten impressions were taken, for each model, with vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) and polyether (PE) using custom open tray impression technique. Impressions were poured with type IV dental stone and vertical discrepancies between the reference frameworks and the platforms of the implant replicas were evaluated, with a stereo video microscope, applying the one-screw test. The data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, Sidak, and one-sample t-test at p ≤ 0.05. No significant differences were found between PE and VPS at various angulations (p > 0.05). However, all groups showed a significant difference (p 0.05). Cependant, les groupes ont montre une difference significative en comparaison avec la valeur reelle (p < 0.05). Tout en considerant les limitations de l’etude, le produit d’empreinte et l’angulation de l’implant n’ont pas d’effet sur la precision de l’empreinte en cas d’implants a connexions externes.
Computational Analysis of the Metal Selectivity of Metal Metalloproteinase 8

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is a class of metalloenzyme that cleaves peptide bonds in extracellular matrices. Their functions are important in both health and disease of animals. Here using quantum mechanics simulations of the MMP8 protein, the coordination chemistry of different metal cofactors is examined. Comparisons found that Jhan-Teller effects in Cu(II) destabilize the wild-type MMP8 but a histidine to glutamine mutation at residue number 197 can potentially allow the MMP8 protein to utilize Cu(II) in reactions. Simulations also demonstrates the requirement of a conformational change in the ligand before enzymatic cleavage. The insights provided in here will assist future protein engineering efforts utilizing the MMP8 protein.
itMatters: Optimization of an online intervention to prevent sexually transmitted infections in college students

To describe an iterative approach to developing an online intervention targeting the intersection of alcohol use and sexual behaviors among first year college students. Methods and Participants: Us...
A rapid and convenient screening method for detection of restricted monensin, decoquinate, and lasalocid in animal feed by applying SERS and chemometrics.

Abstract The surface-enhanced activities of size- and shape-controlled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with superior chemical stability were investigated to explore a possible development of a simple and non-destructive spectroscopic method to help the regulatory agency's analytical services for rapid detection and characterization of selected antimicrobials in animal feeds. Feed samples spiked at different concentration ranges of antimicrobials were evaluated using AuNPs as a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) agent. The collected SERS spectra were mathematically preprocessed for further analysis. The classification models obtained 100% predictive accuracy with zero or little misclassification. The first two canonical variables (p = 0.001) could explain >95% of the variability in preprocessed spectral data. Most chemometric models for predicting MON, DEC, and LAS concentrations showed a high predictive accuracy (r2 > 0.90), lower predictive error ( 0.05). The findings and implications from the study indicate that SERS would be a powerful and efficient technique possessing a great potential serving as an excellent monitoring and screening tool for antimicrobial contaminated samples in the on-site analysis.
Synthesis, spectroscopy, and crystallography of mononuclear, five-coordinate aluminum complexes that act as cyclic ester polymerization initiators

Abstract Three ketoimines with pendant quinolyl moieties and a series of five-coordinate ketoiminate aluminum complexes were prepared and characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically. The synthesis of the ketoimines completed a series of ten regioisomers for which the product ratio varied between the product resulting from quinoline addition adjacent to the alkyl/aryl group or adjacent to the trifluoromethyl substituent. Quantitation of the ketoimine regioisomer ratios with 19F NMR demonstrated the role of steric encumbrance in the nucleophilic attack mechanistic step of the Schiff base condensation reaction and was further supported by linear free energy relationships with the Charton steric parameter and DFT calculations. Eight five-coordinate aluminum complexes were prepared in 57–92% yield from ketoimines and tris(2,6-dimethylphenoxide) aluminum dimer and characterized with 1H, 13C, 19F, and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, UV–visible absorbance spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. These mononuclear complexes differ from previously reported aluminum ion-pair complexes due to the symmetric cleavage of tris-dimethylphenoxide aluminum dimer by THF and were shown to have distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometries (τ5 = 0.73–0.89). In a preliminary study, the aluminum complexes were demonstrated to be effective initiators for ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone (eCL) to poly-caprolactone (PCL) and l -lactide (LA) to poly-lactic acid (PLA), reaching 77–99% conversion in 2 h for eCL and 10 h for LA at 100 °C.
Target Recognition with Missing Stepped Frequency Backscatter

This paper examines target recognition using stepped frequency radars when there are missing data. The Gerchberg-Papoulis algorithm is used to interpolate the missing data and target recognition is then performed using features extracted from the reconstructed data. Missing section or sections of the stepped frequency backscatter could be due to system failure, a jammer, or could be intentional to expedite the target interrogation process or reduce the recorded data. The interpolation algorithm is first tested on a synthetic target, then implemented using the returns of real commercial aircraft models. The stepped frequency data on scale model commercial aircraft was recorded in a compact range at high SNR. Scenarios where the target azimuth is completely or partially known are examined.
Real world evidence in effectiveness, safety, and cost savings of generic levothyroxine: a systematic review.

Generic levothyroxine, approved through Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA), is available for generic substitution. But ANDA does not require nonclinical or clinical data to establish safety and efficacy. Post-marketing evidence in generic equivalence for marketed levothyroxine products is limited. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize evidence in effectiveness, safety, and cost savings between patients using generic and branded levothyroxine. We systematically searched published literature from Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, APA PsycInfo, and CINAHL from inception through 04/18/2021. Included studies were limited to post-marketing empirical studies including patients who used levothyroxine products, with direct comparison between generic and brand levothyroxine, and published in English. Risk of bias was assessed using the National Institute of Health Study Quality Assessment Tools. Two reviewers independently extracted data and conducted quality assessment for included studies. Given that the nine studies are so diverse, a meta-analysis was not possible. Therefore we provided a narrative review of the included studies. Of 349 studies identified, nine met the inclusion criteria. Six studies compared thyrotropin levels and adverse events between generic and brand users and provided mixed findings. In addition, generic users may generate prescription cost savings for payers but had suboptimal medication adherence than brand users. Findings from this systematic review highlighted the limited and mixed evidence in real-world clinical and economic outcomes for generic levothyroxine. Continuous post-marketing monitoring and assessment of generic drugs are warranted to ensure treatment effectiveness, patient safety, and achieve financial savings in prescription costs.
Equity with Prejudice: International NGOs and Healthcare Delivery in Refugee Crises

Refugees often face prejudice in host countries. Does local resentment of refugees result in discrimination in access to social services? We explore the quality of care received by Syrian refugees and Lebanese nationals in Lebanese health facilities using data from original surveys in a nationally representative sample of primary health centers. The conventional wisdom in research on intergroup relations suggests Syrians would receive inferior services, while research on prosocial behavior would predict little variation, whether due to intrinsic or extrinsic motivations. Our results indicate no difference in the quality of care for Syrians and Lebanese. Instead, they suggest incentives from international organizations at both the organizational and individual levels, as well as perceived public health imperatives, may explain equitable treatment, despite evidence for prejudice against Syrians. The findings advance research on the politics of refugee crises and humanitarian response, illuminating the experience of everyday life for refugees.
Case-Based Explanation for Artificial Neural Nets

Sometimes the most accurate models are the least intelligible. We show how to generate case-based explanations for non-case-based machine learning methods such as artificial neural nets. The method uses the neural net as a distance metric to determine which cases in the training set are most similar to a test case that needs to be explained.
Functional expression and recognition of nonclassical MHC class I T10b is not peptide-dependent.

Studies of classical and nonclassical MHC class I molecules have shown that unique peptides are associated and functionally recognized by alloreactive T cells. We have recently shown that an alloreactive TCR-gamma delta cell recognizes a nonclassical MHC molecule, T10b. However, T cell recognition of this glycoprotein did not appear to require typical peptide recognition based on studies using transporter-defective mutant cell lines. In the current study, we have analyzed in detail, the role of peptide in T10b expression and recognition. The findings reveal that the recognition of the nonclassical MHC molecule by TCR-gamma delta cells is independent of species, tissue type, both the class I and class II Ag processing and presentation pathways, or the presence of peptides. In fact, biochemical analysis of the T10b chimeric molecule, T10b/Ld, transfected into CHO cells using radiolabeled [3H]leucine, HPLC, and mass spectrometry suggest that peptides are not associated with this nonclassical class I molecule. Therefore, some class I molecules, e.g., T10b, do not associate with polymorphic peptides typical of classical MHC class I molecules and can be expressed in the absence of peptides on the cell surface in a functionally active form.
An Approach to Enhancing Workflows Provenance by Leveraging Web 2.0 to Increase Information Sharing, Collaboration and Reuse

Web 2.0 promises a more enjoyable experience for creating content by users by providing easy-to-use information sharing and collaboration tools, and focusing on user-centered design. Provenance in Scientific Workflow Management is one kind of user-generated data that can benefit from using Web 2.0. We propose a simple set of Web 2.0 technologies that is simple to implement and can be immediately leveraged by scientific users. Using Atom Syndication Protocol to represent workflow state and its provenance users can easily disseminate their scientific results. Collaboration and authoring can be facilitated by using Atom Publishing Protocol and standard Web 2.0 blogging tools to publish and annotate provenance. Users can search stored provenance by using search engines. If search results are in standard Atom Syndication Protocol, for example when search engines support OpenSearch standard, then Atom feeds can be used to monitor provenance changes increasing the likelihood of discoveries. By using those Web 2.0 standards, the value of scientific provenance data increases by making it a natural part of growing a variety of user-generated scientific (and non-scientific) content.
Jullien, François, Vital Nourishment: Departing from Happiness

Jullien is a French sinologist cum philosopher, said to be a worthy successor of Marcel Granet and Henri Maspero. He is no stranger to Chinese philosophers, particularly those who are interested in comparative philosophy between East and West. This oeuvre under scrutiny, Vital Nourishment: Departing from Happiness (Nourir sa Vie: A l’Ecart du Bonheur), is not his first in comparative philosophy. What first came to my attention was one of his early books, The Propensity of Things (1995)—the French original in 1992. What was most intriguing to me was the word “propensity” (propension), which could be lifted as signifying the quintessential element of Sinic thinking whose synonyms are “inclination,” “proclivity,” and “tendency,” that is, without ontological or teleological finality. It refers to the incessant natural flow of things (e.g., waterway) or the continuous process of phenomena. As Jullien puts it in the book under review, “The nature of water is such that when it is not troubled, it is clear, and when it is not moving, it is flat; but when it is held back and does not flow, it can no longer be clear” (114). Unlike the Greek phusis and telos, propensity signifies fluidity or flow on the one hand and a sense of perpetual movement and its “unfinalizability” on the other. Therefore, to translate human propensity as “human nature” in the Western tradition of philosophizing is misleading because one is process, whereas the other implicates the sense of finality. The ancient Chinese yin-yang logic is radically different from Hegel’s and Marx’s dialectic. Both cases come to their finalities in the State and Communism, respectively. What happens after that is anybody’s guess. Propensity may be likened to Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy of “reality” as “process.” His most reputed student, Charles Hartshorne, wrote an essay entitled Reality as Social Process (1953), which may also be characterized as the way of Sinic thinking. I would not hesitate to claim that both celebrate “the performative magic of the social” (Pierre Bourdieu’s expression). Sinic reality, if I may use the term, is “social process” par excellence. This book is a quest for Zhuangzi’s art of “living life” (sheng sheng). It belongs to the new philosophical genre of what I call “body politics” (in the plural) or “carnal hermeneutics” as the interpretive art of the body and its imports on multi-dimensional Dao (2010) 9:359–362 DOI 10.1007/s11712-010-9179-9
Providing consumers with choices in perceived quality and price: an exploratory study of utility grade fruit.

Abstract Providing product choices is vital to successful retailing. Retailers must balance the need to offer choices with the possibility that options shift purchases from some fruits and vegetables to others without greatly expanding total consumer buying. This study examined the choice issue with respect to perceived quality and price of utility grade fruit. A mail survey was conducted of produce managers and store managers to assess their perceptions of the value of utility grade fruit in selected marketing strategies. Findings indicate that retailers who had purchased utility grade fruit were more inclined to use it again as part of their marketing strategies.
Reproduction in Fish

Reproduction in fishes generally involves external fertilization and development of yolk-reliant offspring; however, there are a variety of live-bearing species that utilize internal fertilization and a wide array of developmental mechanisms to support their developing young. Keywords: osteichthyes; chondrichthyes; oviparity; viviparity; reproduction
Comparative studies on the detoxification of aflatoxins by sodium hypochlorite and commercial bleaches.

Cultures of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxins were destroyed by a commercial bleach (Clorox; active ingredient, NaOCl) or analytical reagent grade NaOCl at 7.0 × 10-3 M NaOCl in 5 days. Addition of Clorox or NaOCl at 2.8 × 10-3 M to the fungal growth medium prior to inoculation completely inhibited the fungal growth. Aflatoxin production was inversely proportional to the logarithm of NaOCl concentration and time of treatment. Clorox and NaOCl were equally effective on aflatoxins, but fungal cells were lysed more readily by Clorox than by NaOCl. Mycelia older than 8 days lysed more readily than younger ones. Most conidia survived concentrations below 1.4 × 10-3 M. The lowest effective concentration for a 2-hr treatment was 8.8 × 10-3 M which is well below the Clorox concentration recommended for routine laboratory decontamination of aflatoxins. Mice and rats injected with aflatoxins and aflatoxins incompletely destroyed by Clorox died within 72 hr and had typical liver and kidney damage caused by aflatoxins. However, animals injected with NaOCl or Clorox or Clorox-destroyed aflatoxin extracts survived and showed no obvious liver or kidney damage.
SCATTERLIB : Light scattering codes library

The SCATTERLIB Internet site is a library of light scattering codes. Emphasis is on providing source code. However, other information related to scattering on spherical and non-spherical particles is collected: extensive list of references to light scattering methods, refractive index, etc. The applications include: atmospheric radiative transfer, light scattering by phytoplankton, marine optics, flow cytometry, particle sizing.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Practical aspects of teaching home parenteral nutrition therapy

With the implementation of the prospective pricing system there has been a greater emphasis on discharging patients on home health care therapy. Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) has been a successful method of treating patients with compromised gastrointestinal tracts. The key to the success of these programs remains patient and family training. Adequate knowledge and skills must be demonstrated and documented in the areas of aseptic technique, procedures of catheter care, complications, and equipment, prior to discharge. This paper describes the various aspects of identifying and training patients for HPN, and some of the problems and complications that may occur.
Low Extracellular Dopamine Levels Are Maintained in the Anoxic Turtle (Trachemys scripta) Striatum

The uncontrolled increase of extracellular dopamine (DA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypoxic/ischemic damage in the mammalian brain. But unlike the harmful release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate and aspartate, which occurs on brain depolarization, excessive extracellular DA levels occur even with mild hypoxia in the mammalian brain. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hypoxia/anoxia provokes a similar increase in the anoxic tolerant turtle brain. Extracellular DA was measured in the striatum of the turtle using microdialysis followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Results show that extracellular DA was held to normoxic levels over 4 hours of anoxia. Treatment with the specific DA transport blocker GBR 12909 during anoxia resulted in a significant increase in DA to 236% over basal levels. The ability to maintain low striatal extracellular DA may be an important adaptation for anoxic survival in the turtle brain; a contributing factor is the continued functioning of DA uptake mechanisms during anoxia.
Say Au Revoir to Cell Phones? [AP-S Turnstile]

In France, both the government and the people are lately displaying a lot of skittishness about the radiation from cell phones.
Turbulent Thermal Convection in an Enclosure With Internal Heat Generation

Numerical results are presented for turbulent thermal convection, driven by uniform volumetric energy sources for two-dimensional flows in a rectangular enclosure. Rigid adiabatic sides and a rigid isothermal upper surface are considered. For the rigid bottom surface, zero heat flux boundary conditions are used. Computations are carried out for Prandtl number = 6.5 and Rayleigh number (based on enclosure depth L) range of 10{sup 6} to 10{sup 10}. The aspect ratio (L/X) of the enclosure was maintained at 0.5 for all cases. The turbulence model used in this study is a k-{epsilon} model, which characterizes turbulence through the kinetic energy and its volumetric rate of dissipation. Buoyancy effects on the turbulence structure are accounted for. Results show the transition from well-ordered multicellular flow to fully turbulent flow within the enclosure as the Rayleigh number increases.
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE LOCAL TREATMENT OF LAPLACE TRANSFORM MPPT

Abstract The Laplace transform approach of Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MPPT) by Haser and Almlof has been investigated for its suitability for localized orbitals. The most critical step in this algorithm, the Laplace transformation of the localized orbitals, leads to a destruction of the physical meaningful localization. However, this downfall does not lead to a decrease of negligible LCAO coefficients in the time critical four index transformation of the electron repulsion integrals. Therefore, the use of localized orbitals or more generally the use of orbitals with a small number of significant LCAO coefficients (mathematically localized orbitals) is a useful refinement in the Laplace transform method of MPPT.
Japanese Language Students' Attitudes Toward Kanji and Their Perceptions on Kanji Learning Strategies

This study aims at identifying interpretable factors underlying Japanese language learners' attitudes toward kanji and their self-reported kanji learning strategies. It also examines the relationship between the two sets of belief factors. A questionnaire survey was conducted among Japanese language students at nine universities in the United States; 311 responses were subjected to exploratory factor analyses that identified six attitudinal factors and six strategy belief factors. Descriptive statistics indicated that students considered rote memorization most effective and metacognitive strategies least effective. Correlational analyses revealed that appreciation of the cultural value of kanji and positive emotions toward kanji were associated with stronger belief in varied strategies. Perception of difficulty and belief in special abilities required for kanji learning, in contrast, were associated with reliance on rote memorization.
Domain decomposition methods for mixed finite element approximations of wave problems

Abstract The main goal of this paper is to address the numerical solution of wave problems by a numerical method combining a mixed finite element approximation and domain decomposition, possibly with nonmatching grids. The method to be discussed is well suited to heterogeneous media. Due to the use of mixed finite element approximations, crossing vertices do not introduce additional difficulties so that box domain decompositions are as easy to treat as striped decompositions. Interface conditions are treated by a method combining Lagrange multipliers and a conjugate gradient algorithm. The results of numerical experiments will be presented.
Serial endoscopic observation of the effects of histamine, aspirin, steroids, and alcohol on standardized gastric ulcers in dogs

Acute gastric ulcers were made in the body and antrum of dogs by a transserosal intramural injection of dilute acetic acid and then observed by serial gastroscopy and photography until postmortem examination at 3 or 6 weeks. Standardized ulcer healing of this model was identified in a control group and then compared to 4 medication groups receiving systemic histamine, aspirin, steroids or alcohol. Ulcer healing was delayed in both the antrum and the body of the stomach by histamine, steroids, and alcohol, but only in the body of the stomach by aspirin. Superficial mucosal erosions usually accompanied delay in ulcer healing in all groups.
Solid phase synthesis of peptides containing the CH2NH peptide bond isostere.

Abstract The CH2NH peptide bond can be directly introduced by the reductive alkylation reaction between a tert-butoxycarbonyl-amino acid aldehyde and an amine on the resin bound peptide employing sodium cyanoborohydride in acidified dimethylformamide solution and this facile method was successfully applied to the synthesis of a ψ[CH2NH] pseudopeptide somatostatin octapeptide analogue.
“Quando a lei for omissa...” Sobre a controvertida noção de princípio geral de direito

O autor procura esclarecer o artigo quarto da Lei de Introducao as Normas do Direito Brasileiro (LINDB) e se concentra particularmente na expressao “principios gerais de direito”. O argumento central do trabalho e o seguinte: a expressao “principios gerais de direito” e ambigua; ela esta sujeita a duas leituras plausiveis, uma que pode ser descrita como positivista e outra que, por oposicao, pode ser dita nao positivista. A ambiguidade deve ser eliminada a favor da leitura positivista pelo simples motivo de que a leitura nao positivista torna o artigo quarto da LINDB redundante.
Inhibition of prothrombin activation by factor X and factor IX Gla-peptides

Summary In the present study, human factor X and factor IX were each digested with chymotrypsin, and the Gla-peptide from each protein was purified by QAE-Sephadex chromatography. The effect of each Gla-peptide on the activation of human prothrombin by a complex of factor Xa, phospholipid, and calcium was studied using an amidolytic assay for generated thrombin. Prothrombin activation was half-maximally inhibited by factor X Gla-peptide at a concentration of 0.7 μM. Factor IX Gla-peptide was markedly less inhibitory and inhibited this reaction half-maximally at a concentration of 3.7 μM. Kinetic analyses revealed that the factor X Gla-peptide inhibited this reaction in an apparent competitive manner, whereas the factor IX Gla-peptide yielded an exponential Dixon plot. Heat decarboxylation experiments revealed that 3–4 γ-carboxyglutamic acid residues are critical for the expression of inhibitory activity in each peptide. These studies indicate that, in spite of their structural homology, the ability of each of these Gla-peptides to act as a prothrombinase inhibitor is markedly different.
Job stress in child care workers: A framework for research

Child care workers represent a growing occupational group. As yet, little is known about the people in this occupational group, the types and levels of job stressors they encounter, or the effects of job stress on their own and others' well-being. A discussion of the importance of gaining detailed information concerning the causes and effects of job stress in child care workers is presented in this paper. In addition, the person-environment fit model of job stress is used as a conceptual tool to review current research and to organize priorities for future research.