cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Approaching the One-Sided Exemplar Adjacency Number Problem

Given one generic linear genome \(\mathcal{G}\) with gene duplications (over n gene families), an exemplar genome G is a permutation obtained from \(\mathcal{G}\) by deleting duplicated genes such that G contains exactly one gene from each gene family (i.e., G is a permutation of length n). If we relax the constraint such that \(G^{+}\) is obtained in the same way but has length at least k, then we call \(G^{+}\) a pseudo-exemplar genome. Given \(\mathcal{G}\) and one exemplar genome H over the same set of n gene families, the One-sided Exemplar Adjacency Number problem (One-sided EAN) is defined as follows: delete duplicated genes from the genome \(\mathcal{G}\) to obtain an exemplar genome G of length n, such that the number of adjacencies between G and H is maximized. It is known that the problem is NP-hard; in fact, almost as hard to approximate as Independent Set, even when each gene (from the same gene family) appears at most twice in the generic genome \(\mathcal{G}\). To overcome the constraint on the length of G, we define a slightly more general problem (One-sided EAN+) where we only need to obtain a pseudo-exemplar genome \(G^{+}\) from \(\mathcal{G}\) (by deleting duplicated genes) such that the number of adjacencies in H and \(G^{+}\) is maximized. While One-sided EAN+ contains One-sided EAN as a special case, it does give us some flexibility in designing an algorithm. Firstly, we reformulate and relax the One-sided EAN+ problem as the maximum independent set (MIS) on a colored interval graph and hence reduce the appearance of each gene to at most two times. We show that this new relaxation is still NP-complete, though a simple factor-2 approximation algorithm can be designed; moreover, we also prove that the problem cannot be approximated within \(2-\varepsilon \) by a local search technique. Secondly, we use integer linear programming (ILP) to solve this relaxed problem exactly. Finally, we compare our results with the up-to-date software GREDU, with various simulation data. It turns out that our algorithm is more stable and can process genomes of length up to 12,000 (while GREDU sometimes can falter on such a large dataset).
The impact of solar subsidies on California's non-residential sector

Abstract Understanding how policies can be used to induce technological change, specifically in the area of renewable energy, is crucial for reaching environmental goals. This paper examines the impact of subsidies from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) on non-residential adoption of solar panels. We find evidence that firms do respond to higher solar subsides by increasing their intensity of solar energy. A 10% increase in the subsidy amount leads to an increase in solar capacity by between 1.36% and 2.55%. In addition, although peer effects seem to play an important role in solar adoption decisions, we do not find evidence of peer effects in the intensity of adoption. Both of these findings add a unique perspective to the growing literature on solar energy. This study is also of interest to policy makers who must understand the benefits and costs associated with higher subsidies for inducing technology adoption.
Predicting credit card delinquencies: An application of deep neural networks

The objective of this paper is twofold. First, it develops a prediction system to help the credit card issuer model the credit card delinquency risk. Second, it seeks to explore the potential of deep learning (also called a deep neural network), an emerging artificial intelligence technology, in the credit risk domain. With real‐life credit card data linked to 711,397 credit card holders from a large bank in Brazil, this study develops a deep neural network to evaluate the risk of credit card delinquency based on the client's personal characteristics and the spending behaviours. Compared with machine‐learning algorithms of logistic regression, naive Bayes, traditional artificial neural networks, and decision trees, deep neural networks have a better overall predictive performance with the highest F scores and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The successful application of deep learning implies that artificial intelligence has great potential to support and automate credit risk assessment for financial institutions and credit bureaus.
Modeling an information-based community health intervention on the south side of Chicago

We describe the development and application of a model that simulates the impact of CommunityRx, an information-based health intervention, on the utilization of community-based resources. The model includes a synthetic population of agents matching the sociodemographic characteristics of the South Side of Chicago, along with their activities and behaviors. We simulate the information-based intervention and model agent decision-making about using community resources to maintain health, based on a dynamic dosing of information about community resources, gained through interactions and experience. Through in silico experiments, our model aims to demonstrate the flow and spread of information from primary agents to others in the community, and through these dynamic interactions, the impact of an individual-level information intervention on resource utilization.
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Candidate Structural Materials in Simulated First-Wall/Aqueous Coolant Environments

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Types 316NG, 316, and 304 stainless steels (SS) was investigated in slow-strain-rate tests (SSRTs) in oxygenated water that simulates important parameters anticipated in first-wall/blanket systems. The water chemistry was based on a computer code which yielded the nominal concentrations of radiolytic species produced in an aqueous environment under ITER-type conditions. Actual SSRTs were performed in a less benign, more oxidizing reference environment at temperatures from 52 to 150{degree}C. Predominantly ductile fracture was observed in Type 316NG and nonsensitized Types 316 SS and 304 SS SSRT specimens strained to failure in a reference ITER water chemistry. The failure behavior of Type 304 SS specimens heat-treated to yield sensitization values of 2, 3, or 20 Coulomb (C)/cm{sup 2} by the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) technique, demonstrated that the degree of sensitization had a dramatic effect on intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) susceptibility. Ranking for resistance to SCC in simulated ITER water by electron microscopy and SSRT parameters, i.e., failure time, ultimate strength, total elongation and stress ratio is 304 SS (EPR = 20 <2 C/cm{sup 2}) < 316NG SS. 11 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.
Effect of a Multi-Component, School-Based Intervention on Health Behaviors of Elementary School Students (FS16-04-19)

We examined the effect of a three year, multi-component, school-based intervention on health behaviors of elementary school students. The multi-component, obesity intervention was provided by community partners to 13 schools over three years. Schools were assigned into three varying Levels of Intervention: “Core” Schools (n = 4) received weekly interventions, “Level 1” Schools (n = 5) received monthly interventions, and Control Schools (n = 5) received no intervention. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing several health behaviors, including fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity levels. Questionnaires were administered in the Fall and Spring of each year of the intervention. For this study, responses were analyzed from Year 3 and were compared to national recommendations. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of independence examined Level of Intervention and questionnaire responses. No significant chi-square tests of independence were identified for the Level of Intervention and quantity of fruit or vegetable consumption. A significant (P = 0.003) chi-square test of independence assessing physical activity was identified in the Fall of Year 3. Descriptive analyses indicated that higher proportions of students in the Core and Level 1 Schools met national fruit, vegetable, and physical activity recommendations compared to students in Control Schools. The higher frequency of intervention provided to students in the Core Schools did not influence the dietary behaviors of participants. However, receiving any intervention appeared to affect health behaviors of children receiving the intervention compared to the Control Schools. The Independence Blue Cross Foundation.
A Digital SQUID Controller for Unshielded Biomagnetic Measurements

A biomagnetometer capable of achieving low noise Performance without magnetic shielding would be attractive in a wide range of clinical and research applications. Magnetically shielded enclosures add significant initial cost to biomagnetometer systems and preclude their portability. The primary obstacle to unshielded operation is the immense dynamic range between the ambient magnetic noise and the SQUID noise floor. Ambient magnetic field noise found in a typical urban environment can be over eight Orders of magnitude greater than the sensitivity of a modern thin film low-Tc superconducting (LTS) dc-SQUID magnetometer [1]. Gradiometric magnetic sensors and linear combinations of magnetic sensors, including references may be used to separate the low-amplitude biomagnetic signals from the much larger environmental magnetic noise [2], [3]. The accurate reproduction of fields by these sensors is a prerequisite to the effectiveness of linear noise reduction methods.
Single-Mode VCSEL Transmission Over Graded-index Single-Mode Fiber Around 850 nm

We discuss fiber designs of graded-index profile single-mode fiber for both 1310 nm single-mode transmission and 850 nm few-mode transmission and present fiber characterization and system transmission performance results using a single-mode VCSEL.
Generalized Degrees of Freedom of Noncoherent Diamond Networks

We study the generalized degrees of freedom (gDoF) of the noncoherent diamond (parallel relay) wireless network with asymmetric distributions of link strengths. We use the noncoherent block-fading model introduced by Marzetta and Hochwald, where no channel state information is available at the transmitters or at the receivers and the channels remain constant for a coherence time of $T$ symbol durations. We first derive an upper bound for the capacity of this channel and then derive the optimal structure for the solution of the upper bound optimization problem. Using the optimal structure, we solve the upper bound optimization problem in terms of its gDoF. Using insights from our upper bound signaling solution, we devise an achievability strategy based on a novel scheme that we call train-scale quantize-map-forward (TS-QMF). This scheme uses training in the links from the source to the relays, scaling and quantizing at the relays combined with nontraining-based schemes. We show the optimality of this scheme by comparing it to the upper bound in terms of the gDoF. In noncoherent point-to-point multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels, where the fading realization is unknown to the transmitter and the receiver, an important tradeoff between communication and channel learning was revealed by Zheng and Tse, by demonstrating that not all the available antennas might be used, as it is suboptimal to learn all their channel parameters. Our results in this paper for the diamond network demonstrate that in certain regimes of relative channel strengths, the gDoF-optimal scheme uses a subnetwork, demonstrating a similar tradeoff between channel learning and communication. In some regimes, it is gDoF-optimal to do relay selection, i.e., use a part of the network. In the other regimes, even when it is essential to use the entire network, it is suboptimal to learn the channel states for all the links in the network, i.e., traditional training-based schemes are suboptimal in these regimes.
Using virtual reality as a replacement for hospital tours during residency interviews.

Residency programs invest a significant amount of time and resources on the recruitment process, and maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness are very important. Virtual Reality (VR) has becom...
Effect of pressure gradients on the different stages of roughness induced boundary layer transition

Abstract The physical mechanisms of roughness-induced transition (RIT) in pressure gradient boundary layers are studied using direct numerical simulations. Recent investigations have examined RIT processes in zero-pressure-gradient boundary layers (Suryanarayanan et al., 2019). The present study uses a vorticity dynamics point of view to examine how these processes are altered by a locally accelerating or decelerating flow that strains the vorticity field and creates a net vorticity flux at the wall. Flow acceleration is imposed on specific streamwise extents of the flow. This provides an understanding about how the fundamental mechanisms in different stages of RIT are affected by pressure gradients. The present results suggest that both lift-up and subsequent amplification of the unsteady perturbations are mitigated by flow acceleration. The effect on lift-up is explained by the compression (i.e. large negative value of the stretching term) of the wall-normal vorticity by negative dv/dy. Consistent with earlier experimental observations on spots and wedges, favorable pressure gradients reduce turbulent wedge spreading and nearly arrest the spreading when sufficiently strong. This result is also explained in terms of vorticity dynamics.
The Initial Gut Microbiota and Response to Antibiotic Perturbation Influence Clostridioides difficile Clearance in Mice

ABSTRACT The gut microbiota has a key role in determining susceptibility to Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs). However, much of the mechanistic work examining CDIs in mouse models uses animals obtained from a single source. We treated mice from 6 sources (2 University of Michigan colonies and 4 commercial vendors) with clindamycin, followed by a C. difficile challenge, and then measured C. difficile colonization levels throughout the infection. The microbiota were profiled via 16S rRNA gene sequencing to examine the variation across sources and alterations due to clindamycin treatment and C. difficile challenge. While all mice were colonized 1 day postinfection, variation emerged from days 3 to 7 postinfection with animals from some sources colonized with C. difficile for longer and at higher levels. We identified bacteria that varied in relative abundance across sources and throughout the experiment. Some bacteria were consistently impacted by clindamycin treatment in all sources of mice, including Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. To identify bacteria that were most important to colonization regardless of the source, we created logistic regression models that successfully classified mice based on whether they cleared C. difficile by 7 days postinfection using community composition data at baseline, post-clindamycin treatment, and 1 day postinfection. With these models, we identified 4 bacterial taxa that were predictive of whether C. difficile cleared. They varied across sources (Bacteroides) or were altered by clindamycin (Porphyromonadaceae) or both (Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus). Allowing for microbiota variation across sources better emulates human interindividual variation and can help identify bacterial drivers of phenotypic variation in the context of CDIs. IMPORTANCEClostridioides difficile is a leading nosocomial infection. Although perturbation to the gut microbiota is an established risk, there is variation in who becomes asymptomatically colonized, develops an infection, or has adverse infection outcomes. Mouse models of C. difficile infection (CDI) are widely used to answer a variety of C. difficile pathogenesis questions. However, the interindividual variation between mice from the same breeding facility is less than what is observed in humans. Therefore, we challenged mice from 6 different breeding colonies with C. difficile. We found that the starting microbial community structures and C. difficile persistence varied by the source of mice. Interestingly, a subset of the bacteria that varied across sources were associated with how long C. difficile was able to colonize. By increasing the interindividual diversity of the starting communities, we were able to better model human diversity. This provided a more nuanced perspective of C. difficile pathogenesis.
Home Biofeedback Versus Physical Therapy for Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomized Trial.

Objective The aim of the study was to assess whether home biofeedback is noninferior to supervised pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. Methods The study used a randomized controlled noninferiority trial to compare a home biofeedback device with PFPT. Women older than 18 years with SUI and no history of a prior incontinence surgery or PFPT were eligible. Forty-two participants were required to determine noninferiority for the primary outcome, improvement in quality of life as measured by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form. The noninferiority margin was 4 points. Secondary outcomes included sexual function, overactive bladder symptoms, and patient impression of improvement. Results From June 2018 to October 2019, 54 women with SUI were recruited (27 biofeedback, 27 PFPT) and 43 (21 biofeedback, 22 PFPT) completed follow-up. The groups had comparable baseline characteristics. For the primary outcome of change in mean International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form scores (where lower scores indicate less incontinence), home biofeedback was found to be noninferior to PFPT with a mean decrease from baseline of -3.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.21 to -5.70) in the home biofeedback group versus -4.73 (95% CI = -3.21 to -6.25) and -3.95 (95% CI = -2.21 to -5.70) in the PFPT group (P = 0.009). The PFPT group showed more improvement in overactive bladder symptoms, but not in incontinence severity without difference in sexual function. Conclusions Home biofeedback was noninferior to PFPT for the primary treatment of SUI in women at 3 months. These results support the use of personal biofeedback devices for the treatment of SUI.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03443687.
Quantifying Breast Cancer-Driven Fiber Alignment and Collagen Deposition in Primary Human Breast Tissue.

Solid tumor progression is significantly influenced by interactions between cancer cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Specifically, the cancer cell-driven changes to ECM fiber alignment and collagen deposition impact tumor growth and metastasis. Current methods of quantifying these processes are incomplete, require simple or artificial matrixes, rely on uncommon imaging techniques, preclude the use of biological and technical replicates, require destruction of the tissue, or are prone to segmentation errors. Here we present a set of methodological solutions to these shortcomings that were developed to quantify these processes in cultured, ex vivo human breast tissue under the influence of breast cancer cells and allow for the study of ECM in primary breast tumors. Herein, we describe a method of quantifying fiber alignment that can analyze complex native ECM from scanning electron micrographs that does not preclude the use of replicates and a high-throughput mechanism of quantifying collagen content that is non-destructive. The use of these methods accurately recapitulated cancer cell-driven changes in fiber alignment and collagen deposition observed by visual inspection. Additionally, these methods successfully identified increased fiber alignment in primary human breast tumors when compared to human breast tissue and increased collagen deposition in lobular breast cancer when compared to ductal breast cancer. The successful quantification of fiber alignment and collagen deposition using these methods encourages their use for future studies of ECM dysregulation in human solid tumors.
Financially Constrained Firms and Voluntary Non-Financial Disclosure: A Study of Initiation of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

We examine effects of initiation of corporate social responsibility reporting (CSRR) concurrent with experiencing a negative event. In primary analyses, we examine whether these firms experience an increase in investor interest and a reduction in cost of capital, postdisclosure. In general, we find little evidence that these firms experience capital market benefits from CSRR initiation. However, these primary tests ignore the relative CSR performance scores of our sample firms. In additional analyses, we find a positive association between CSR performance scores and firm profitability. We also find a positive association between changes in CSR performance scores and institutional investor interest. Finally, we examine the effects of earnings announcements in relation to the timing of initial CSR disclosures on shareholder value and find that shareholders earn greater abnormal returns when CSR disclosures are released after or concurrent with earnings announcements.
Emphasizing Distributional Impacts in Teaching Solutions to Market Failures

This paper argues for incorporating distributional impacts into research and classroom discussions that focus on potential solutions to market failures. Many economists were taught to focus on the efficiency associated with such solutions and to assume that other means would be used to achieve the appropriate distribution of wealth within an economy. The paper briefly enumerates both theoretical and practical reasons why emphasizing distributional impacts is important. The paper offers a number of methods that can be used to identify distributional impacts in applied research such as Kaldorâ€“Hick Tableaus, Lorenz Curves, Gini Coefficients, and weighted benefitâ€“cost analysis and provides sample assignments that can be used in a wide range of classes.
Biomaterials for Delivery and Targeting of Proteins and Nucleic Acids

Structures, Properties, and Characterization of Biomaterials, A. Nan and H. Ghandehari Step-Reaction and Ring-Opening Polymerization, R.P. Pawar and A.J. Domb Copolymer, Block Copolymers Stimuli-Sensitive Polymers, K.M. Huh, S.C. Lee, Y.J. and K. Park Polymer Solution Properties, Polymer Networks, Micelles, Dendrimers, Hydrogels, T. Ooya and K. Park Protein Conjugation, Cross-linking and PEGylation, K.D. Hinds Complement Activation by Injectable Polymeric Carriers, C. Passirani and J-P. Benoit Biological Membranes and Barriers, Y. Omidi and M. Gumbleton Pharmacokinetics of Proteins and Nucleic Acid Drugs, B. Meibohm In Vivo Fate of Polymeric GENE Carriers, D. Fischer Subcellular Fate of sProteins and Nucleic Acids, D. Oupicky Stability of Proteins and Nucleic Acids, Z-R. Lu Formulation, Stability and Characterization of Protein and Peptide Drugs, S. Frokjaer Micro- and Nanoparticulate Polymeric Delivery Systems for Nucleic Acid-based Medicines, S.P. Barman and M.L. Hedley Liposomal Delivery Systems of Proteins and Peptide Drugs, V. Torchillin Mechanisms of Cellular Drug Resistance and Strategies to Overcome It, T. Minko Transporters as Molecular Targets for Drug Delivery and Disposition, I. Tamai Protein Transduction Domains as a Novel Tool for Delivery of Protein, Peptides and Nucleic Acids, R.L. Pastori, M.M. Ribeiro, D. Klein, and C. Ricordi Introduction to Therapeutic Nucleic Acids, A. G. Schatzlein Antisense and Antigene Oligonucleotide Delivery, R.I. Mahato, Z. Ye, and R.V. Guntaka Artificial Nucleic Acid Chaperones, A. Maruyama Basic Components of Plasmid-Based Gene Expression Systems, M. Lee and S.W. Kim Design Elements of Polymeric Gene Carriers, J.S. Choi and J.-S. Park
Using a fractional model to measure the impact of antioxidant information, price, and liking on purchase intent for specialty potatoes

Abstract A procedure for analyzing categorical purchase intent data from consumer tests is demonstrated using data from a test of fresh market specialty potato varieties. Due to the probabilistic nature of purchase intent a fractional model is based, just as a binary choice analysis using probit or logit would be, on a non-linear cumulative distribution function. The results from a fractional model are compared to an ordinal model. Participants in the consumer test evaluated six unreleased varieties and one commonly available variety of potato, the Yukon Gold. Four of the new varieties had colored red or purple flesh rated highly for antioxidant content. The effect of antioxidant information and other variables on the probability of purchase for red and purple potatoes was compared to the effect on the yellow potatoes using a fractional model and an ordinal model. Other variables include liking, price, gender, age, education, income, potato usage frequency, health interest, and food interest. As expected hedonic ratings and price had significant positive and negative effects respectively on purchase intent for both categories of potatoes. Antioxidant information, whether simple or detailed, increased purchase intent for the colorful potato varieties. Interactive variables between health interest and antioxidant information level demonstrate the impact of personal health interest in conjunction with the information.
Pseudoenzymes as Activators of Enzyme Function: The Prozyme Paradigm in Trypanosomatid Polyamine Metabolism

The parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Polyamine metabolism is a proven drug target for the treatment of HAT as eflornithine, an inhibitor of the key biosynthetic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, is a frontline therapy for late stage disease. Our studies have uncovered an exciting and novel mechanism for regulation of polyamine biosynthesis in the trypanosomatids. We have demonstrated that two enzymes in the pathway, S-adenosylmethinione decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) and deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), are activated by oligomerization with catalytically dead paralogs we term prozymes. The trypanosomatids are the only organisms where this mechanism is used to generate the functional forms of both of these enzymes, and while all metazoan genomes contain evidence of “pseudo enzymes”, some with regulatory roles, the sheer magnitude of the enzymatic activation (1000-3000-fold) observed for these trypanosomatid enzymes is unprecedented. Additionally in t...
Transing: Resistance to Eugenic Ideology in Nella Larsen's Passing

Nella Larsen’s Passing can be seen as a critique of early-twentieth-century eugenic ideology. Race, class, gender, and sexual binaries were mutually constituted in eugenic ideology and practices of the period and, therefore, cannot be separated or hierarchically ranked in any analysis of the character Clare Kendry. Clare challenges these identity binaries by attempting to not simply cross over them, but to live on both sides of them. The both/and nature of her actions and desires makes Clare a trans - figure, one who passes over, across, within and between categories, thereby defying and critiquing the eugenic ideological notion that identity categories are discrete, natural, and fixed.
Christians, Blasphemers, and Witches: Afro-Mexican Ritual Practice in the Seventeenth Century

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Joan Cameron Bristol Year: 2007 Pages: 296 Publisher: University of New Mexico Press ISBN: 978-0-8263-3799-3 (soft cover). Prices: $24.95 USD(soft cover).
SAFETY AND ANTIGENICITY OF TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE (TS) MUTANT RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

In attempts to stimulate local respiratory tract immunity to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a temperature-sensitive mutant of RSV strain A2 (ts-1 mutant) was administered to 32 infants and children. Evidence of infection was demonstrated in all and no illness accompanied infection in children who had prior experience with RSV. Mild rhinitis occurred in seven infants without prior RSV experience and otitis occurred in one of these individuals. Also, genetically altered virus was recovered from some children but this type of virus represented less than 0.1% of virus recovered from the respiratory tract. An ideal RSV mutant would infect without undergoing such reversion or other genetic change and without producing clinical findings such as otitis which would not be acceptable for a vaccine designed for widespread use.
DIFFRACTION AT THE TEVATRON IN PERSPECTIVE

We review the results of measurements on soft and hard diffractive processes performed by the CDF Collaboration at the Fermilab Tevatron \( \bar p \) p collider in run I and place them in perspective by internal comparisons, as well as by comparisons with results obtained at the HERA ep collider and with theoretical expectations.
Federalism and Accountability: State Attorneys General, Regulatory Litigation, and the New Federalism

This article examines how one particular state institution, state attorneys general (SAGs), has operated within a unique set of institutional and political constraints to create state-based regulation with nationwide impact in policy areas including consumer protection, antitrust, environmental regulation, and securities regulation. This state-based regulation casts doubt on one of the principle rationales advanced in the Supreme Court's anticommandeering line of cases for limiting federal power; namely, that judicially-enforced limits on federal power enhance electoral accountability, a concept central to our democracy. If in the absence of federal regulation narrowly accountable state-based actors from a small number of states can create nationwide regulation in a non-legislative fashion, accountability cannot continue to be a coherent justification for a revival of judicially-enforced federalism. While this critique of accountability is not an argument for untrammeled federal regulatory authority, it does call into question the empirical accuracy of the Court's assumptions about how state and federal institutions interact with each other to promote democratic and constitutional values. This article will proceed in five parts. Part I will briefly review the Supreme Court's federalism jurisprudence in the last fifteen years, focusing on the accountability rationale for limiting the power of the federal government. The next three parts will examine the political and institutional environment that permits SAGs to cooperate in regulatory litigation. Part II examines the state-based institutional constraints under which SAGs typically operate. While SAGs have much in common with each other, the variations in these structures between states will in part account for the actual way in which any given SAG regulatory scheme evolves. Part III draws on empirical work by political scientists to explore the ideas developed in Part II in the context of the tobacco litigation of the 1990's. Part III also begins the discussion of the incentives for SAGs to cooperate with each other. Part IV expands on the federal dimension of SAG cooperation. Finally, Part V argues that the use of regulation through litigation by SAGs undermines democratic accountability in at least two ways. First, regulation by a group of states that has nationwide effects denies the citizens of other states the opportunity to influence the regulatory process. This denial of political access undercuts the accountability rationale. Second, regulation accomplished through litigation is more difficult to overturn than regulation accomplished through legislative or administrative channels, making it less responsive to political changes. Thus, SAG regulation can be less politically accountable over time, as well as across states.
Postoperative complications associated with bilateral stapedectomy.

The need for surgical restoration of hearing is frequently expressed by otologic surgeons. All too frequently the surgeon's concern centers around the mechanical reconstruction of the auditory apparatus as demonstrated by the closure of the air bone gap. The functional value of restored hearing to the patient is not considered. A successful operation should be measured by its functional restoration. A successful closure of an air bone gap may not be accompanied by an equally successful functional result. Six functional complications following stapedectomy are discussed. An awareness of their existence should influence the decision to perform a stapedectomy on the opposite ear.
Residential property tax capitalization: consistent estimates using micro-level data.

Previous research on residential property tax capitalization has been dominated by models estimated with aggregate data. The property tax burden measure used in many of these aggregate studies is the effective tax rate, which accounts for differences in assessment ratios and nominal tax rates among taxing jurisdictions (Oates 1969; McMillan and Carlson 1977; Pollakowski 1973; Hyman and Pasour 1973). Other studies have touched on the advantages of individual property or micro-level data and have estimated residential property tax capitalization models based on such data (King 1973, p. 88; Edelstein 1974). These studies have not generally used the effective tax rate as the tax burden measure.1 A micro-level study that did use the effective tax rate measure of tax burden reported "biased" estimates of population parameters (Wales and Wiens 1974). In this article, we present a linear capitalization model for micro-level residential property data using the effective tax rate as the measure of tax burden, but estimated using an approach that yields estimates with desirable sample properties. A general specification of the model is:
pH dependent hemolytic systems. II. Serum factors involved in red cell lysis.

An analysis of the serum factors involved in the lysis and agglutination of artificially altered red cells in compatible human serum has been presented. Human sera have been found to vary widely in their capacity to hemolyze a panel of artificially altered red cells. These differences have been shown to be the result of a multiplicity of more or less specific serum factors for each altered red cell type. These factors have many of the properties commonly associated with classical antibody. These serum factors are different from complement and properdin. The range of specificity and the degree of cross reaction for these various serum factors have been analyzed. These serum factors are important in the consideration of the use of enzyme treated red cells for the detection of incomplete antibodies, and of certain acquired hemolytic states in man.
Going with (or Against) the Flow

Scientists have made great progress in controlling flow in many systems, but general strategies with feedback remain the ultimate goal.
Martian subsurface volatile concentrations as a function of time: Clues from layered ejecta craters

[1] Martian layered ejecta morphologies are characterized using a new preservation classification system and through measurement of ejecta mobility (EM) ratios. EM, the ratio of ejecta extent to crater radius, is believed to provide information about ejecta material fluidity during emplacement. This study compares EM and preservation classification to determine if subsurface volatile concentrations have changed measurably over time. Results from both regional and local analyses suggest that concentrations of subsurface volatiles have remained approximately constant at the depths and over the time periods recorded by these craters.
Dysfunctional urinary voiding in women with functional defecatory disorders.

Background While pelvic floor dysfunction may manifest with bladder or bowel symptoms, the relationship between functional defecatory disorders and dysfunctional voiding is unclear. Our hypothesis was that patients with defecatory disorders have generalized pelvic floor dysfunction, manifesting as dysfunctional urinary voiding. Methods Voiding was assessed by a symptom questionnaire, a voiding diary, uroflowmetry, and by measuring the postvoid residual urine volume in this case-control study of 28 patients with a functional defecatory disorder (36 ± 2 years, mean ± SEM) and 30 healthy women (36 ± 2 years). Key Results Women with a defecatory disorder frequently reported urinary symptoms: urgency (61%), frequency (36%), straining to begin (21%), or finish (50%) voiding, and the sense of incomplete emptying (54%). Fluid intake and output, the minimum voided volume, and the shortest duration between voids measured by voiding diaries were higher (P < 0.05) in patients than in controls. Uroflowmetry revealed abnormalities in seven controls and 22 patients. The risk of abnormal voiding by uroflowmetry was higher in patients (OR 8.0; 95% CI, 2.3–26.9) than in controls. Patients took longer than controls (P < 0.01) to attain the maximum urinary flow rate (12 ± 2 VS 4 ± 0 s) and to empty the bladder (29 ± 4 VS 20 ± 2 s), but the maximum urinary flow rate and postvoid residual volumes were not significantly different. Conclusions & Inferences Symptoms of dysfunctional voiding and uroflowmetric abnormalities occurred more frequently, suggesting of disordered urination, in women with a defecatory disorder than in healthy controls.
Secure optical communications

The security issues we address are particularly relevant to all-optical networks, but many are also applicable to the optical portions of electro-optic networks. Optical communication, by virtue of the high rates and low BERs they offer, suffer particularly strenuously from denial of service attacks. A short attack, which might only affect a small number of bits in a slower electronic network, may affect a very large number of bits in optical communications. The very light coding and simple signaling, such as OOK, commonly used on optical transmissions renders them vulnerable to service degradations.
An experimental model investigation of pulmonary airway reopening

Pulmonary airways are fluid lined compliant tubes that are supported by the surrounding parenchymal tissue. In certain diseased states such as emphysema, cystic fibrosis, adult and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, airways become blocked either by the formation of a liquid meniscus bridge or by the collapse of the airway walls and surrounding parenchyma. The authors designed a benchtop model to mimic the second type of closure by using a collapsed untethered polyethylene tube lined with a Newtonian fluid acting as a viscous adhesive. Downstream of the air-liquid interface (meniscus), the tube was collapsed in a ribbon-like manner, while upstream of the meniscus the tube was constrained to a rectangular cross-section by two sheets of Plexi-glas separated by a distance D. The authors examined how the fluid properties (viscosity, mu , surface tension, gamma , and density, rho ) and the structural characteristics of their model (effective diameter, D, longitudinal tension, T, and fluid film thickness, H) affected the opening of the tube. D, T, and H corresponded to relevant physical conditions in the lung. >
Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Disease: What’s a Doctor to Do?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Moreover, rates of CVD mortality are two to four times higher in diabetes than in those without diabetes. It was conventional thinking that achieving near-normoglycemia would help reduce CVD risk and overall mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Several recent large trials attempted to answer this question using a randomized control trial design with a conventional therapy and an intensive control arm. Surprisingly, these trials did not demonstrate neither mortality nor a CVD advantage with intensive glycemic control. Moreover, some studies (e.g., the ACCORD [Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes] study) showed increased mortality in the intensive control arm. In this review, our goal is to summarize the findings of the major trials in this field and to explore the potential reasons for why these trials had largely negative results. We conclude with some lessons that may be applied to the clinical management of patients with diabetes.
Convulsions in weanling rabbits after a single topical application of 1% lindane

Abstract There have been sporadic reports of adverse effects of lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) in children treated for scabies. These effects usually consisted of tremors, convulsions, anorexia, and possible stunting of growth. Weanling rabbits (6 weeks old; 1.0 kg) given a single topical application of 1% lindane at a dose reportedly used in infants (60 mg/kg) exhibited severe anorexia and convulsions; death occurred in some cases. The effects were more pronounced in weanlings in which the skin was inflamed or not completely intact. In contrast, young adult rabbits (2–3 kg) given the same dose showed only some anorexia and possibly mild excitement. Concentrations of lindane in whole blood of weanlings at the time of convulsion (approximately 24 hr after dosing) ranged from 0.7 to 2.5 μg/ml. These findings suggest a rather pronounced sensitivity of weanlings to lindane in comparison to adults.
Tidal coupling between the mesosphere and thermosphere

Abstract Advances in mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) tidal studies have stimulated advances in both observational and theoretical aspects of the tides above 100 km. In particular, the derivation of MLT tidal climatologies has enabled the development of a technique to represent upward propagating tides in global thermospheric models. The mesospheric tidal climatologies resulted from coordinated multi-station, multi-instrument observational campaigns which have now been extended to thermospheric heights. The importance of global simultaneous data in investigations of atmospheric wave systems can not be overstated. Recent theoretical investigations of the thermospheric response to geomagnetic disturbances indicate that the response depends strongly on the relative phasing of the auroral sources of energy and momentum and the tidal waves propagating into the thermosphere from below. The incorporation of sources dependent on geomagnetic activity in the numerical models significantly alters the latitudinal structure of the simulated diurnal and semidiurnal exospheric temperatures.
Thrombolytic therapy: 2001.

T hrombolytic therapy represents part of a conjoint approach to achieving vascular reperfusion, based primarily on the use of fibrinolytic agents delivered systemically or directly into the offending thrombus and complemented by anticoagulation, antiplatelet, and even mechanical strategies. This review describes the properties and effects of thrombolytic agents and clinical results using these agents in major venous and arterial thrombotic disorders.
Comparison of coupled-cluster methods which include the effects of connected triple excitations

The 'coupled cluster single, double, and triple' (CCSDT) excitation model has been used to ascertain electron correlation energies for 14 different molecules representing a variety of chemical bonds, in conjunction with several methods of this type 'CCSDT-x', which include only an approximate treatment of connected triple excitations; these methods encompass CCSDT-1a, -1b, -2, -3, and -4, as well as the novel CCSD(T). While all methods treat the effects of connected triple excitations iteratively, CCSD(T) approaches then perturbationally. For the 14 molecules considered, the CCSD(T) method's average error relative to CCSDT is substantially lower than any of the CCSDT-x methods.
It Takes a Community to Raise the Prevalence of a Zoonotic Pathogen

By definition, zoonotic pathogens are not strict host-species specialists in that they infect humans and at least one nonhuman reservoir species. The majority of zoonotic pathogens infect and are amplified by multiple vertebrate species in nature, each of which has a quantitatively different impact on the distribution and abundance of the pathogen and thus on disease risk. Unfortunately, when new zoonotic pathogens emerge, the dominant response by public health scientists is to search for a few, or even the single, most important reservoirs and to ignore other species that might strongly influence transmission. This focus on the single “primary” reservoir host species can delay biological understanding, and potentially public health interventions as species important in either amplifying or regulating the pathogen are overlooked. Investigating the evolutionary and ecological strategy of newly discovered or emerging pathogens within the community of potential and actual host species will be fruitful to both biological understanding and public health.
Human health and ecotoxicological considerations in materials selection for sustainable product development

The cost and performance of materials have traditionally been the primary factors considered by designers of consumer products. Recent attempts to quantify the environmental sustainability of such products have stimulated the development of methods for assessing the reserves of raw materials compared to the demand for their use in manufacturing and impacts on energy resources. To a much more limited extent, these strategies also evaluate how chemical toxicity, arising from material production, use, and disposal, affects human and environmental health. The mechanisms and adverse impacts of toxic effects vary widely at different points within material life cycles, making it difficult to establish internally consistent methods and weighting criteria for quantitative evaluation of the environmental liability of consumer products. This article reviews advances in the methodology and application of health and ecological impact assessments of materials used in consumer products and argues for a stronger integration of toxicity metrics into materials informatics databases.
The 2.3 angstrom X-ray structure of nitrite reductase from Achromobacter cycloclastes

The three-dimensional crystal structure of the copper-containing nitrite reductase (NIR) from Achromobacter cycloclastes has been determined to 2.3 angstrom (A) resolution by isomorphous replacement. The monomer has two Greek key beta-barrel domains similar to that of plastocyanin and contains two copper sites. The enzyme is a trimer both in the crystal and in solution. The two copper atoms in the monomer comprise one type I copper site (Cu-I; two His, one Cys, and one Met ligands) and one putative type II copper site (Cu-II; three His and one solvent ligands). Although ligated by adjacent amino acids Cu-I and Cu-II are approximately 12.5 A apart. Cu-II is bound with nearly perfect tetrahedral geometry by residues not within a single monomer, but from each of two monomers of the trimer. The Cu-II site is at the bottom of a 12 A deep solvent channel and is the site to which the substrate (NO2-) binds, as evidenced by difference density maps of substrate-soaked and native crystals.