cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fecundability and Contraceptive Opportunities

The paper by Menken and Bongaarts in this volume demonstrates how nutrition can affect fertility in non-contracepting populations through its impact on the length of the reproductive period and on the several components of birth intervals, including the length of the period of temporary postpartum amenorrhea, the waiting time to conception once menstruation resumes, and the proportion of conceptions that go to term. The nutritional status and the pattern of food intake of both mothers and infants are hypothesized to be important. Ages at menarche and menopause are clearly related to the growth, and therefore the nutritional history, of the woman (Frisch in this volume), whereas the large variability observed in postpartum amenorrhea can perhaps be better explained by the frequency, duration and intensity of nursing, independent of the nutritional status of the mother. The potential impact of secular trends or of temporal fluctuations in nutrition on the probability of conception once ovulation resumes is more difficult to evaluate, and is the subject of discussion in this paper.
Conservation in a Crisis: Marine Resource Management Authority and Legitimacy During Political Instability in Madagascar

This study explores how the 2009 political crisis in Madagascar influenced local access to, and claims over, marine resources within marine protected areas. It focuses specifically on how different conservation actors constructed and maintained authority over each protected area. Surveys conducted in 2010 show how community-managed protected areas had a lower incidence of resource use rule infractions during the crisis than state-managed areas. Drawing from in-depth qualitative research conducted from 2009 to 2015, I argue that this occurred due to the discursive framing of 'community authority' over protected areas as well as the social relationships with, and material benefits communities received from, international conservation organisations working in the community-managed areas. In contrast, I argue that state-managed marine protected area rules were transgressed more due to the symbolic and physical ousting of state authority underpinning a fear-based relationship between the state managers and community members. Ultimately, this work points to the importance of understanding how different conservation actors construct and maintain authority over marine resources.
Efficacy of Cerebrolysin in the reduction of spasticity during stroke rehabilitation.

AIM This study assessed the efficacy of Cerebrolysin on post-stroke spasticity, motor recovery, and global functions in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. METHODS In this retrospective comparison study, Cerebrolysin was administered at a daily dosage of 10 ml for over 30 days as an intramuscular injection. Control patients did not receive Cerebrolysin. All the patients participated in a standardized physical and occupational rehabilitation therapy for one month at least two times per week. Efficacy was assessed at day 30 by using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) for spasticity and the Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) for motor recovery. Global function was assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at day 30. RESULTS A total of 50 patients were eligible for participation according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 23 patients were treated with Cerebrolysin and 27 patients represented the control group. No significant group differences were observed at baseline. Patients treated with Cerebrolysin experienced a significant reduction of spasticity in muscles of the upper and lower limbs, whereas only minor changes were observed in the control group. In the Cerebrolysin group, differences were statistically significant at day 30. Significant improvements of muscle strength and global functions were observed in both groups at day 30. Cerebrolysin was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSION Cerebrolysin had a beneficial effect on post-stroke spasticity in an outpatient rehabilitation setting; intramuscular treatment for over 30 days was safe and well tolerated.
Targeting the cytoskeleton to direct pancreatic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells

Generation of pancreatic β cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) holds promise as a cell replacement therapy for diabetes. In this study, we establish a link between the state of the actin cytoskeleton and the expression of pancreatic transcription factors that drive pancreatic lineage specification. Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that different degrees of actin polymerization biased cells toward various endodermal lineages and that conditions favoring a polymerized cytoskeleton strongly inhibited neurogenin 3-induced endocrine differentiation. Using latrunculin A to depolymerize the cytoskeleton during endocrine induction, we developed a two-dimensional differentiation protocol for generating human pluripotent stem-cell-derived β (SC-β) cells with improved in vitro and in vivo function. SC-β cells differentiated from four hPSC lines exhibited first- and second-phase dynamic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Transplantation of islet-sized aggregates of these cells rapidly reversed severe preexisting diabetes in mice at a rate close to that of human islets and maintained normoglycemia for at least 9 months. Generation of pancreatic β cells from stem cells is enhanced by manipulating the cytoskeleton.
Holding and Mobility of Pediatric Patients With Transthoracic Intracardiac Catheters

BACKGROUND Nursing care of pediatric patients after cardiac surgery consists of close hemodynamic monitoring, often through transthoracic intracardiac catheters, requiring patients to remain on bed rest and limiting holding and mobility. OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to determine the feasibility of safely mobilizing pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters out of bed. Once feasibility was established, the secondary aim was to increase the number of days such patients were out of bed. METHODS AND INTERVENTIONS New standards and procedures were implemented in July 2015 for pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters. After initiation of the new policies, complications were tracked prospectively. Nursing documentation of activity and positioning for all patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters was extracted from electronic health records for 2 fiscal years before and 3 fiscal years after the new policies were implemented. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend was used to determine whether patterns of out-of-bed documentation changed over time. RESULTS A total of 1358 patients (approximately 250 to 300 patients each fiscal year) had activity and positioning documented while transthoracic intracardiac catheters were in place. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend revealed that out-of-bed documentation significantly increased after the new policies and procedures were initiated (P < .001). No major complications were noted resulting from patient mobility with transthoracic intracardiac catheters. CONCLUSION Pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters can be safely held and mobilized out of bed.
Quality-of-Life Weights for the U.S. Population: Self-Reported Health Status and Priority Health Conditions, by Demographic Characteristics

Background: Many of the large ongoing national surveys of the U.S. population contain a question that asks for the respondent's self-reported health status: "excellent," "very good," "good," "fair" or "poor." These surveys could be used to conduct cost-utility analyses of health care policies, treatments or other interventions if quality-of-life (QOL) weights for the self-reported health statuses were also available. Objective: The objective of this study was to produce nationally representative QOL weights for self-reported health status and for 10 "priority" health conditions, by a series of demographic variables. Research design: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey contains the questions from the EQ-5D health status measure. A recent study has calculated time-trade-off-derived QOL weights corresponding to the EQ-5D health states for a large sample of Americans. We use these data to construct QOL weights for the five self-reported health status categories and 10 priority health conditions, by a series of demographic variables. Results: Mean and median QOL weights were produced for self-reported health status, the 10 priority health conditions, and the demographic variables. We also report mean QOL weights for the self-reported health state and priority health conditions, by the demographic variables. Finally, ordinary least squares and CLAD regression equations were used to estimate adjusted QOL weights for these variables. Conclusions: By providing nationally representative QOL weights for self-reported health status and 10 priority health conditions, by demographic variable, we have facilitated the use of large national surveys for conducting cost-utility analysis and increased their value to researchers and policy makers.
2020 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Research Report

This is the sixth annual State of Latino Entrepreneurship report where we have collected robust survey data from Latino-owned businesses across the country to provide a timely account on the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. business population. This year, we administered our national survey amid a global pandemic and vast social unrest, and the unique disruptions businesses faced over the past year are clearly visible in the survey responses. This report highlights the impact of Latino-owned employer businesses in the U.S. economy and compares their experiences to those of White-owned employer firms in the United States. This year, we not only surveyed U.S. Latino business owners but also a comparison group of White business owners to identify similarities and differences in their experiences. We collected a sample of 3,500 White-owned businesses and 3,500+ Latino-owned businesses. Additionally, we captured time-series data from a smaller cohort of Latino-owned firms over the months of March, June, and September 2020, to capture the progressive impact of the pandemic on Latino-owned businesses. Our current research focuses on employer firms, those with at least one paid employee other than the owner, as these businesses are poised to have the greatest impact on the economy and job creation. This focus on employer firms aligns with the approach taken by the U.S. Census Bureau in their Annual Business Survey, which we rely on for statistical purposes to make our sample as nationally representative as possible. The 2020 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report provides organizations focused on supporting businesses (e.g., chambers of commerce, trade associations, economic development associations, etc.), think tanks, policymakers, and corporations with insights into the business outcomes of Latino-owned businesses to inform data-driven policy and programs. Additionally, we hope Latino business owners leverage these data to inform their business decision-making and operations. We acknowledge that business owners are operating in largely uncertain and unprecedented times, and we would like to thank those who contributed their data to ensure that the stakeholders listed above can work together to reshape and rebuild the U.S. economy.
Rheumatology resources need reform to represent all patients.

Underrepresentation of patients with non-white skin in rheumatology educational resources impairs practitioners’ competence in caring for patients with skin of colour and reduces patients’ confidence in the medical system. Medical publishers and educators should reconsider how to promote equal representation and care of patients with all skin types.
A Tribe of Goats

One of the most unresolvable debates in the NBA revolves around the question of who the greatest player of all time is. Some argue Jordan, others Lebron, and others argue for Kareem or Bill Russell. This chapter analyzes the criteria to be the G.O.A.T. and makes arguments for who the real G.O.A.T. is. Team level statistics from 1956 to 2020 were collected to conduct a multiple regression analysis on what contributed to winning in (1) the overall period of 1956–2020, (2) throughout three different eras of the NBA, and (3) just in the playoffs rather than the regular season. The significant predictors of winning from the regression analysis were used to calculate G.O.A.T. score for players in the aforementioned three categories.
Design of High Performance Low Power Microprocessors

The field of Microprocessor design came into existence in the early 1970s with the first microprocessor from Intel (the 4004). Since then, the technology and complexity of Microprocessors has increased exponentially following Moore’s Law, which implies that the complexity of integrated circuits doubles every 2 years. The Intel 4004 had a little more than 2,000 transistors. Some of today’s microprocessors have more than two billion. Early on, microprocessor design philosophy focused on increasing performance without worrying about how it would affect power consumption. Today, power consumption has become a major design constraint. As a result, power-efficient design became a priority and ‘power management’ came into existence. Today, it is no longer enough to only reduce maximum power - it is equally important to reduce idle power and also have the ability to manage power and be able to operate at various performance-power points depending upon the customer’s needs/choosing. Modern Semiconductor technologies have become very complex. Transistor Performance and Power is increasingly dependent upon its layout and also the layout that surrounds it. Variation of key Transistor parameters has increased and hence statistical analysis has become very important.
Antibacterial activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles against Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Aims: To investigate antibacterial activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP) and their mode of action against an important foodborne pathogen, Escherichia coli O157:H7. Methods and Results: ZnO NP with sizes of 70 nm and concentrations of 0, 3, 6 and 12 mmol l−1 and NP-free solutions were used in antimicrobial tests against E. coli O157:H7. ZnO NP showed increasing inhibitory effects on the growth of E. coli O157:H7 as the concentrations of ZnO NP increased. A complete inhibition of microbial growth was achieved at the concentration level of 12 mmol l−1 or higher. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the changes of morphology and cellular compositions of bacterial cells treated with ZnO NP and study the mode of action of ZnO NP against E. coli O157:H7. The intensity of lipid and protein bands in the Raman spectra of bacterial cells increased after exposure to ZnO NP, while no significant changes in nucleic acid bands were observed. Conclusions: ZnO NP were found to have antibacterial activity against E. coli O157:H7. The inhibitory effects increase as the concentration of ZnO NP increased. Results indicate that ZnO NP may distort and damage bacterial cell membrane, resulting in a leakage of intracellular contents and eventually the death of bacterial cells. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results suggest that ZnO NP could potentially be used as an effective antibacterial agent to protect agricultural and food safety.
The mechanism of evagination of imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster. V. Evagination of disc fragments.

Experiments designed to test the hypothesis that imaginal disc evagination may be accomplished by a continuous circumferential constriction of the basally located microfilaments in disc cells [Fristrom, D., and Fristrom, J. W. (1975). Develop. Biol. 43, 1–23] are presented. Discs were cut in various planes so as to interrupt the hypothesized lines of constriction and the resulting fragments tested for the ability to evaginate in vitro. Fragments from each type of cut were able to undergo evagination without resealing of the would surfaces. Furthermore, sections of evaginated cut fragments showed no evidence for a general contraction of the basal cell surface. We conclude that the ability to evaginate is an intrinsic property of each fragment independent of its attachment to the rest of the disc.
Design of variable input delay gates for low dynamic power circuits

The time taken for a CMOS logic gate output to change after one or more inputs have changed is called the output delay of the gate. A conventional multi-input CMOS gate is designed to have the same input to output delay irrespective of which input caused the output to change. A gate which can offer different delays for different input-output paths through it, is known as a variable input delay(VID) gate and the maximum difference in delay between any two paths through the same gate is known as “ub”. These gates can be used for minimizing the active power of a digital CMOS circuit using a previosuly described technique called variable input delay(VID) logic. This previous publication proposed three different designs for implementating the VID gate. In this paper, we describe a technique for transistor sizing of these three flavors of the VID gate for a given delay requirement. We also describe techniques for calculating the ub of each flavor. We outline an algorithm for quick determination of the transistor sizes for a gate for a given load capacitance.
Trade Creation, Diversion Effects and Exchange Rate Volatility in the Global Meat Trade

A modified gravity model is specified and applied to meat trade markets to identify factors affecting bovine and swine meat trade flows. The model is used to evaluate the effects of bilateral and regional free trade agreements. This study reveals that gravity models can be effectively parameterized and used in single commodity trade studies. Using data from 1986 to 2009, the results show that income, population, production capacity, distance, and exchange rate volatility are major factors affecting meat trade.
Virtuous Professionalism in Accountants to Avoid Fraud and to Restore Financial Reporting

Over the past decade, a number of accounting and financial reporting frauds have led to lost stock wealth, destroyed public trust, and a worldwide recession that called for necessary reform. Regulatory responses and systemic reforms quickly followed, and we show that, while necessary, these reforms are insufficient. The purpose of this paper is to forward virtuous professionalism as a necessary path toward restoring financial reporting systems. We take the position of external observer and analyze the accounting profession over time to assess what has transpired within our financial reporting systems. Our analysis reveals that the combined influence of commercialism and regulatory response has led to a systemic decline in accounting’s professional ideals and, as a result, an erosion of public trust. We then propose virtuous professionalism as a necessary process for restoring financial reporting systems based on sociological, professional, and philosophical theories. We argue that virtuous professionalism is necessary for restoring the public servant identity of the accounting professional. We conclude that efforts to restore financial reporting systems should begin with reforms that restore professional identity shaped by virtues.
Purification, composition, and serological characterization of histoplasmin-H and M antigens.

Abstract To obtain purified H and M antigens suitable as primary standards in the serological diagnosis of histoplasmosis by agar gel double-diffusion tests, H and M reactive components of histoplasmin were fractionated by column chromatography by using Sephadex G-100, Sephadex G-200, and diethylaminoethyl cellulose. Six fractions from diethylaminoethyl cellulose were reactive in agar gel double-diffusion, complement fixation, and capillary precipitin tests. When examined by electrophoresis on acrylamide gel, one M antigen (fraction 2, molecular weight greater than 200,000) and two H antigens (fractions 5 and 6, molecular weight greater than 200,000) each gave essentially a single protein band. In agar gel double-diffusion and complement fixation tests with sera from patients with proven cases of histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, or coccidioidomycosis, these two fractions of H antigen and the one of M antigen reacted only with sera from proven or suspect cases of histoplasmosis and showed reactivity with those sera known to contain only the anti-H or anti-M antibody, respectively. Fraction 2 (M antigen) and fractions 5 and 6 (H antigens) had carbohydrate-to-protein ratios of 1.60, 0.77 and 0.78, respectively. Both antigens contained galactose, glucose, mannose, and hexosamine, with mannose being the predominant sugar. Fraction 2 was characterized by a high proline and glucose content, whereas fractions 5 and 6 contained higher concentrations of galactose, mannose, glycine, and alanine. Each of these products appeared to separate into two active fractions, one of a molecular weight greater than 200,000 and one of a molecular weight less than 35,000. The M antigen component of fraction 2 was still characterized by a high proline content, whereas the H antigen components of fractions 5 and 6 had a high content of glutamic acid, serine, glycine, and proline.
A Strike Like No Other Strike: Richard A. Brisbin, Jr., The John Hopkins University Press, 2002, 350 pages

I am not sure if I am the best person to review this book. First of all, I am an economist and hence more concerned with efficiency than equality. It is not that I do not care about equality, it’s ...
Characterization and Performance of a New Direct Compression Excipient for Chewable Tablets: Xylitab®

AbstractXylitab® is a commercially available direct compression form of xylitol. Two grades of this material, Xylitab 200 and Xylitab 100, were evaluated for compaction, flow, lubrication requirements, and dilution potential. As expected, the products required lubrication for tableting, and a level of 0.5% magnesium stearate and 0.5% stearic acid was found to give the best performance. Compaction profiles were generated using both an instrumented single-punch press and a rotary tablet press. Tablets up to hardness values of 20 Kp were obtained on the single-punch press; the maximum hardness values on the rotary press was 11 Kp. Flow behavior on the tablet presses was excellent as shown by tablet weight uniformity data with less than 1% RSD values. Further evaluation by Heckel analysis showed that both products exhibit brittle and viscoelastic behavior, and undergo elastic recovery primarily in the die. To test dilution potential, powdered acetaminophen was selected as a severe test material. Under these c...
Doughty’s The Dawn in Britain and the Modernist Eclipse of the Victorian

Although the Modernist repudiation of things Victorian was a perfectly understandable response to postwar trauma, it is one that we still understand imperfectly at best. As the oldest and highest literary vindication to which a culture in postwar crisis could aspire, epic enjoyed an undiminished prestige that attracted some of Modernism’s best energies; but seeing Ulysses or the Cantos for what they are means affiliating them with their recent generic antecedents. A case in point, The Dawn in Britain (1906) anticipated, in its own key as a distinctly Victorian poet’s strange Edwardian epic, several problems and solutions that would engross its successors. For Doughty too meant to purify the dialect of the tribe – no matter what peculiarities of vocabulary and syntax the purge might entail – in the interest of a fearlessly direct episodic rendition of conquest and migration, always embedded within a patriotic plot of Eurasian scope and endowed with deep classical and biblical resonance. Embracing the site-perspectivism of his generation, and evincing a surprising cultural relativism to match, Doughty won among the Modernist generation who were his epic’s most impressionable first readers a following substantial enough to fund ample skepticism, in our time, about those defensive anti-Victorian slogans of theirs.
Clinical outcome after coronary artery revascularization and lung transplantation

Abstract Background Presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in otherwise eligible lung transplant candidates is considered a contraindication to lung transplantation. We reviewed the clinical outcome of our experience in lung transplant recipients with operable coronary artery disease and normal left ventricular function. Methods Medical records of all transplant recipients with coronary artery disease were reviewed. Data analyzed include demographics, coronary angiograms, coronary artery revascularization procedure, and clinical outcome after lung transplantation. Results Between April 1992 and August 2001, 354 lung transplant procedures were performed. Eighteen patients (5%) had significant CAD (greater than 50% stenoses). Six male patients (mean age 59 years) underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/stent and after lung transplantation all were discharged after a median hospital stay of 8.5 days. All recipients are alive at a median follow-up time of 14.5 months after their transplant. Twelve male patients (mean age 58 years) had combined coronary artery bypass grafting and lung transplantation. All recipients were discharged after a median hospital stay of 16 days. Nine recipients are alive at a median follow-up time of 7.5 months after transplant. One-year survival by the Kaplan-Meier method is 88% for the 18 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent revascularization and lung transplantation. Conclusions Despite the traditional criteria of excluding all eligible transplant candidates due to coronary artery disease, coronary revascularization in select candidates with favorable anatomy and normal left ventricular function can allow patients to undergo lung transplantation with acceptable outcomes.
Redox potential changes in the 2‐keto‐L‐gulonic acid fermentation—I. Correlation between redox potential and dissolved‐oxygen concentration

The redox potential changes in the oxidative fermentation of L-sorbose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid were investigated, using a mutant strain of Pseudomonas. The growth medium contained sorbose as the sole carbohydrate source. It was found that the redox potential curve of the fermenting system indicated qualitatively the existing oxygen demand of the culture. Increasing aeration rates led to higher oxygen demand and lower redox potentials. A comparison of the redox potential curves revealed that although the amount of dissolved oxygen directly affected the respiration of the culture, it did not necessarily mean respiratory insufficiency. The redox potential difference between the aerated and the deoxygenated (nitrogen flushed) fermentation broth was found to be linearly proportional to the logarithm of the dissolved-oxygen concentration. This observation served as the basis of a new quantitative method of dissolved-oxygen measurement, for which the name differential redoxymetry was proposed.
Barium Ions Selectively Activate BK Channels through the Ca2+-Bowl Site

The BK-type K+ channel is regulated by two distinct high affinity divalent cation sensitive sites on each Slo1 α subunit. One site, termed the Ca2+ bowl, is associated with the RCK2 domain of each α subunit, while acidic residues in the RCK1 domain have been linked to a separate Ca2+-ligation site. Although both sites are activated by Ca2+ and Sr2+, Cd2+ has been shown to favor activation via the regulatory site in RCK1. Here we examine the ability of Ba2+ to activate BK channels. Although Ba2+ is well-known as a potent blocker of K+ channels, we show that, before the onset of channel block by Ba2+, step increases in Ba2+ to low μM concentrations result in modest activation of BK channels. nPo measurements at negative potentials, where blockade by Ba2+ is alleviated, confirms that the activating effect of 10 μM Ba2+ on wild type BK channels is comparable to that of ∼4 μM Ca2+. By examining the ability of Ba2+ to activate BK channels either through the mutationally defined RCK1 site or the Ca2+ bowl site, we further show that this Ba2+-dependent activation is mediated almost entirely by the Ca2+ bowl site but not the RCK1 site. These results have two implications. First, although functional activation by Ba2+ will rarely be discerned, Ba2+ may induce conformational effects on the BK channel independent of block. Second, the results provide new information regarding divalent cation selectivity of the two BK high affinity binding sites. Whereas both sites are activated by Ca2+ and Sr2+, RCK1 is selective for Cd2+, while the Ca2+ bowl is selective for Ba2+. These results add further support to the view that two functionally distinct high affinity divalent cation sites with different selectivity on ionic radius regulate BK function.
Structural and functional differences among purified recombinant mammalian aromatases: Glycosylation, N-terminal sequence and kinetic analysis of human, bovine and the porcine placental and gonadal isozymes

Recombinant porcine gonadal and placental, and the human and bovine, isozymes of aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) were over-expressed in insect cells, purified and quantified by difference spectroscopy. Human and bovine P450arom exhibited greater apparent molecular size than either porcine isozyme prompting an examination of N-linked glycosylation and amino-terminal peptide sequence. Comparisons of substrate affinities and turnover were also made. In contrast to human and bovine P450arom which are N-linked glycoproteins, neither isozyme of porcine P450arom is glycosylated, explaining in part their lower molecular size. Differences found in N-terminal peptide sequences were unlikely to influence apparent molecular size or enzyme function. Human and bovine P450arom had similar affinities and turnovers for androstenedione (approximately 200 nM, 3/min) and testosterone (approximately 350 nM, 2/min). The porcine isozymes had 10-fold higher affinities but correspondingly lower turnovers, particularly the gonadal P450arom. Overall, the catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) was similar for all but porcine gonadal P450arom which was much lower. These data emphasize the structural and functional variability of even the most conserved of proteins among diverse species wherein such differences have previously remained unexpected.
Faster-Than-Light Intertial Frames and Tachyons

By means of a mathematical transformation, we introduce a set of reference frames, called superluminal inertial frames, relative to which tachyons in one spatial dimension behave as ordinary particles. One-dimensional processes involving tachyons and photons can be analyzed in the new frames, and the results transformed to the subluminal frames. The mathematical symmetry or duality between subluminal and superluminal frames and particles suggests an extension of the principle of relativity, according to which the totality of physical laws has the same form relative to both subluminal and superluminal frames. One possible consequence of this extended principle of relativity is that charged tachyons might have properties similar to those of magnetic monopoles. Another consequence is that the cross section for the backward scattering of photons by photons should be twice as great as is predicted without taking into account tachyons. The relevance of these results to our three-dimensional world is questionable because it does not appear to be possible to extend the one-dimensional theory to three dimensions. Photon-photon scattering experiments in vacuum can reveal unambiguously whether or not the predictions have physical relevance.
Microbial Fungicides: Recent Approaches to Elucidating Mechanisms

(1990). Microbial Fungicides: Recent Approaches to Elucidating Mechanisms. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 69-91.
An Overview of Carbon Offsets from Agriculture

Although climate change has largely been removed from the federal policy agenda of the United States in the near term, the continued reliance on fossil fuels as a dominant energy source leaves many analysts to conclude that climate policy will eventually reappear on that agenda. We present a review of recent research related to the design and implementation of one instrument for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction: offsets. As these are implemented, policy makers must understand the way these programs work. In this review, we describe the basic features of carbon offset markets, along with the potential supply of offsets from agricultural sources and associated cost considerations. In this discussion we highlight the role of institutional design of contracts and transactions costs. We then turn to the benefits of including offsets in policies to reduce GHGs and complete the review with a discussion of the challenges in implementing the programs.
Immunologically Based Methods for the Elimination of Tumor Cells from Autologous Stem Cell Grafts

There is currently renewed interest in the potential of tumor cells within autologous hematopoietic grafts to contribute to relapse of cancer post-transplant. This has prompted the development of a wide variety of techniques for the ex vivo removal or purging of malignant cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell grafts. Both negative selection, in which tumor cells are eliminated, and positive selection, in which hematopoietic stem cells are enriched, are under examination as purging modalities. This review describes the use of immunologically based methods for autologous graft engineering.
944-69 Anisotropic Repolarization in Ventricular Tissue

In the in vivo preparation. the effective refractory period (ERP) of epicardial ventricular cells is significantly influenced by the sequence of activation. Previous in vitro studies. however, showed the effects of myocardial fiber orientation (MFO) on ERP were only apparent within 2–3 mm from the site of baseline stimulation (S1). To determine the importance of the MFO on the repolarization process, we studied 12 blocks of pig RV tissue in vitro. The size of each block was 30 mm × 30 mm × 2 mm. Transmembrane action potentials (APs) were recorded and ERP were measured from the epicardial surface which has nearly uniform MFO. The tissue was paced at a 500 ms cycle length. and sequential recordings were made at 1 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16 mm from S1 along and across the fibers. Results The propagation of depolarization was slower (p l 0.01) in the transverse (0.18 m/s) than in the longitudinal direction (0.34 m/s). In the transverse direction, AP duration 1 mm away from the S, site was 188 ± 14 ms, and progressively shortened as the recording site was moved further away from the S1 site (p l 0.001). In contrast, the AP duration in the longitUdinal direction did not change as the distance between recording site and the S, site increased. The ERP 16 mm from the site of stimulation was longer in the transverse direction (280 ± 19 ms) than in the longitudinal direction (252 ± 12 ms, p l 0.01), but the difference was less than that between activation times, reflecting opposite effects of MFO on activation and repolarization. Conclusion The effects of MFO on repolarization was apparent only when propagation was across the fiber. The effects of MFO are present at sites ≥ 16 mm from the S 1 , and could explain the results of in vivo studies.
Design of cellular manufacturing systems in tandem configuration

This paper develops a cell formation approach for a class of cellular manufacturing systems in which intercell moves are restricted to flow in one direction from one cell to the cell immediately downstream, without backtracking. An optimal zero-one integer programming model is used to determine which machines and parts should be assigned to cells and to specify the relative position of the cells on the factory material flow pattern. The model subdivides, the underlying manufacturing system into cells based on an intercell traffic minimization criterion and subject to machine capacity and operations sequence constraints. The model also considers part setup and run times for the evaluation of capacity requirements.
The fine structure of the nucleoli of normal and actinomycin D-treated Amoeba proteus

The fine structure of the nucleoli of normal and actinomycin D-treated Amoeba proteus was studied utilizing fixation in Karnovsky's glutaraldehyde—formaldehyde mixture. The multiple nucleoli of normal cells had a predominately granular substructure. Although some regions appeared to possess a fibrillar component as well, discrete areas of differentiated substructure were not identified. Nucleoli of actinomycin-treated cells first became more dense and regularly spherical and then exhibited segregation of nucleolar components. The center of the nucleoli was composed of ∼ 50 fibrils and was surrounded by a rim of 100–150 dense granules. Peripheral regions contained low density material mainly of an amorphous character. In cells treated with actinomycin for 3–4 days, nucleolar vacuoles became common. The similarity in the response of the presumed nucleoli of amoebae to that reported for many higher cells is discussed in terms of possible structural and functional analogies between the nucleoli of amoebae and other cells. It is suggested that normal amoeba nucleoli possess fine fibrils and granules characteristic of other nucleoli, and that the unusually uniform fine structure commonly observed is due to the close packing and intermixing of these components.
Cultural History and Psychoanalysis

There is a congruence of hermeneutic method between cultural history and psychoanalysis which includes a recognition of the subjectivity and self-reflexivity of interpretation and of the centrality of emotions in the structuring of historical motivation and action. Psychoanalysis is a humanistic discipline that offers tentative multi-causal conclusions, combining in its method both self-reflection and empiricism, but basing itself on a unique process of inquiry different from either the natural or the cultural sciences. Distinguished shapers of the historian's craft, including Dilthey, Collingwood, and Bloch, used the self as an instrument of research and insight. Freud was a cultural pessimist, as was Burckhardt whom he admired. Leading contemporary American historians, such as Williamson, foreground self-reflection as an acknowledged tool of historical discovery and cognition. The Bauhaus, 1919–1933, is presented as a case study of creative group process utilizing Winnicott's concepts of transitional space.
Receiving gifts from commercial companies part 1: The need for general institutional guidelines

With the development of new national guidelines concerning commercially supported CME, institutions that produce CME activities may end up with a double standard concerning commercial gifts: clear guidelines for CME activities and little guidance for non-CME activities. This article explains the need for developing general institutional guidelines for all gifts from commercial companies. CME administrators have a responsibility to inform their institutions of new national norms regarding commercial gifts and to assist their institutions in developing consistent policies and procedures to deal with commercial gifts for all of the institution's activities.
Allophycocyanin: trimers, monomers, subunits, and homodimers.

Allophycocyanin is a photosynthetic light-harvesting pigment–protein complex located in the phycobilisomes of cyanobacteria and red algae. Using dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism, solutions of purified allophycocyanin were shown to consist of homogeneous trimers (α3β3) with a nonspherical shape over a very wide range of protein concentrations at pH 6.0 and 20°C. Deconvolutions of the visible circular dichroism spectrum of the trimer were carried out for the first determination of the individual spectra of all six-component chromophores. The chromophores were shown to be in different microenvironments that helped determine the spectrum of the trimer. Monomers (αβ) that were formed in either the presence of 0.50M NaSCN or at 45°C were shown to be completely reversible to trimers. However, subunits (α and β) that were formed in either the presence of 8M urea or at 60°C, using spectroscopy and gel-filtration column chromatography, were observed to only partially reconstitute trimers. Homodimers (α2 and/or β2) formed during the regeneration of trimers. The homodimer, which was detected for the first time when both subunits were present, was shown to be in equilibrium with its subunits. Unlike the trimer situation, subunits were found to fully reconstitute monomers in the presence of 0.50M NaSCN. These results suggest a route to trimer assembly from subunits with monomers serving as intermediaries and the homodimers forming in a nonproductive step that did not interfere with the overall assembly scheme. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Biospectroscopy), 72: 352–365, 2003
Making the Most of Your Video Collection: Trends in Patron Access and Resource Sharing

Video collections have undergone many changes over the recent decades, but have library circulation policies and practices kept up? The historical model for audiovisual collections at colleges and universities has been that of a reserve collection where films were pur chased at faculty request as classroom support, held in closed stacks for availability to faculty while student access was limited, and rarely was resource sharing through interlibrary loan allowed. Research showed that while this model still exists, it is no longer the only model. The purpose of this article is to discuss trends seen in policies and practices of how academic libraries are providing increased collection access. Libraries are encouraged to review their policies and procedures regarding their video collections. Examples of the potential benefits of increasing user access to media materials in spite of the potential problems are described.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies: from clinical description to molecular genetics

Ninety-five families with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) neuropathies were studied clinically, electrophysiologically (MNCVs and EMGs), and by molecular genetics. Fifty-four families (56.8%) were type 1A mapped at 17p11.2-p12 and DNA duplication was present in 50 (92.6% of CMT1A families). One family with type 1B (1.1%) mapped at 1q22-q23 showed a point mutation of the myelin P0 gene. Eighteen families (18.9%) were type CMT2 based on electrophysiological studies. Molecular genetics was not yet conclusive. Twenty CMT families were with X-linked dominant inheritance (CMTX1) (21.1%) mapped at Xq13.1 and connexin 32 (CX32) point mutations were present in 15 families (75%) (five nonsense mutations, eight missense mutations, two deletions). Two CMT families (2.1%) with X-linked recessive inheritance showed no point mutations of CX32 and their mapping was different from CMTX1, respectively at Xp22.2 for CMTX2 and at Xq26 for CMTX3.
Fuel consumption for road transport in the USA - a comment

Abstract A recent article in this journal econometrically estimated the relationship between US car and truck fuel economy and the price of fuel, without considering the effect of legally mandated fuel economy standards for new vehicles. There is considerable evidence that the standards have played an important role in recent fuel economy improvements. An alternative approach to estimating the fuel price responsiveness of new vehicle fuel economy based on vehicle sales data and capital operating cost trade-off analysis of fuel efficient vehicle design and technology suggests short-and long-run elasticities in the vicinity of 0.25 and 0.5, respectively.
Who Benefits From Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Gastric Cancer? A Meta-Analysis

Purpose Large randomized trials have demonstrated significant survival benefits with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation therapy for gastric cancer. The importance of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) remains unclear. We performed an up-to-date meta-analysis of randomized trials testing the use of RT for resectable gastric cancer. Methods and Materials We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized trials testing adjuvant (including neoadjuvant) RT for resectable gastric cancer. Hazard ratios describing the impact of adjuvant RT on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were extracted directly from the original studies or calculated from survival curves. Pooled estimates were obtained using the inverse variance method. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether the efficacy of RT varies with chemotherapy use, RT timing, geographic region, type of nodal dissection performed, or lymph node status. Results Thirteen studies met all inclusion criteria and were used for this analysis. Adjuvant RT was associated with a significant improvement in both OS (HR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.70-0.86, P P P =.087) and DFS (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.91-0.65, P =.002). Available data did not reveal any subgroup of patients that does not benefit from adjuvant RT. Conclusion In randomized trials for resectable gastric cancer, adjuvant RT provides an approximately 20% improvement in both DFS and OS. Available data do not reveal a subgroup of patients that does not benefit from adjuvant RT. Further study is required to optimize the implementation of adjuvant RT for gastric cancer with regard to patient selection and integration with systemic therapy.
Rev-induced modulation of Nef protein underlies temporal regulation of human immunodeficiency virus replication.

Abstract The replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires the concerted action of two virus-encoded transactivator proteins, Tat and Rev, and is in turn moderated by the viral transcriptional repressor Nef. We show here that the phenotype of a Rev- HIV-1 provirus was nonreplicating and was distinguished by accumulation of Nef protein and reduced Tat function. Provirus defective in both the rev and nef genes (Rev-Nef-) was also nonreplicating but had normal Tat function. Trans-complementation of the Rev- mutant with Rev caused a decrease of both the steady-state level and the rate of synthesis of Nef. This was accompanied by enhanced synthesis of viral structural proteins. Rev induced even greater levels of virus production from the Rev-Nef- double mutant. In contrast, exogenous Rev did not augment virus production from wild-type provirus. Virus production from Rev- and Rev-Nef- mutants induced by Rev was repressed by exogenous Nef. The repression induced by Nef could not be reversed by exogenous Rev. The ability of Rev to modulate Nef expression solely from the provirus, and thereby relieve the Nef-mediated inhibition of transcription from the viral long terminal repeat, reveals a delicate balance of the functions of these two proteins that might underlie the switch between latency and reactivation.
Cholinergic modulation of epileptiform activity in the developing rat neocortex

The effects of carbachol on picrotoxin-induced epileptiform activity and membrane properties of neurons in the developing rat neocortex were examined in an in vitro slice preparation. Intracellular recordings were obtained in layer II–III neurons of slices prepared from rats 9–21 days of age. Epileptiform activity in 9- to 14-day-olds consisted of a sharply rising, sustained (10–30 s) membrane depolarization with superimposed action potentials. Bath application of carbachol (5–50 μM) raised the threshold for evoking epileptiform activity but, when such responses were evoked, their underlying depolarizations were increased in amplitude. Orthodromic stimulation in slices from 15- to 21-day-old animals evoked a prolonged epileptiform burst response that triggered an episode of spreading depression (SD). Carbachol reduced epileptiform responses and suppressed the occurrence of SD. It did not significantly affect the resting membrane potential or the height of the action potential but decreased the rheobase current needed to evoke an action potential and increased the input resistance. All effects of carbachol were antagonized by atropine (1 μM). These results indicate that carbachol has both pre- and postsynaptic effects in the developing neocortex and can significantly modulate neuronal excitability in the immature nervous system.