cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A one-shot dynamic coordination algorithm for distributed sensor networks

This paper presents a simple, fast coordination algorithm for the dynamic reorganization of agents in a distributed sensor network. Dynamic reorganization is a technique for adapting to the current local problemsolving situation that can both increase expected system performance and decrease the variance in performance. We compare our dynamic organization algorithm to a static algorithm with lower overhead. 'Oneshot' refers to the fact that the algorithm only uses one meta-level communication action. The other theme of this paper is our methodology for analyzing complex control and coordination issues without resorting to a handful of single-instance examples. Using a general model that we have developed of distributed sensor network environments [Decker and Lesser, 1993a], we present probabilistic performance bounds for our algorithm given any number of agents in any environment that fits our assumptions. This model also allows us to predict exactly in what situations and environments the performance benefits of dynamic reorganization outweigh the overhead.
Integrating Economics and Pest Management

The pesticide problem is a social problem. The social objectives of nourishment, health, and environmental quality can be attained more efficiently by the implementation of integrated pest management techniques than through current crop protection practices. Solutions to the problem will come through changing the behavior of men. Farmers will selectively reduce pesticide use, select pesticides with a more narrow action spectrum, and utilize new biological and other control methods. The basic behavior of insects and weeds (ignoring adaptation such as resistance) and of chemicals will remain unchanged. The objective of this paper is to introduce plant protection scientists to economic principles and problems related to the design and implementation of optimal pest management strategies that will also reduce the pesticide problem.
Chaotic Clocks: A Paradigm for the Evolution of Noise in Machines

This paper addresses two problems in the dynamics of machines; the nature of noise in machines and the evolution of noisy dynamics over several generations of machine design. To present a concrete example we examine the dynamics of clock escapements from experimental, historical and analytical points of view. This model is shown to exhibit a strange attractor in the structural vibration of the clock. Finally we introduce a theory and mathematical model for the evolution of noise in machine dynamics over several generations of design.
Electrical Stimulation of Muscle: Field Stimulation

Electrical field stimulation, in which the stimulating current is applied uniformly to the tissue, is useful in several experimental situations. All muscle cells are simultaneously, directly, and nearly equally stimulated. Since each cell is excited without the necessity of propagation, field stimulation ensures that all cells become activated in visceral smooth muscle, despite possible lability of cell-to-cell transmission or decremental propagation, and in normally nonpropagating multiunit smooth muscles. When recording contraction of isolated smooth muscles, field stimulation enables the maximal (for a given set of conditions) isometric developed tension to be recorded because all cells are simultaneously in their active state, and the lack of longitudinal propagation minimizes the passive series elastic element contribution from uncontracted cells in series with contracted cells. Field stimulation is also useful for electromechanical coupling experiments on depolarized smooth muscle; the cells are mechanically activated in a graded fashion without normal action potential generation, as described below. In other types of studies it is also desirable to simultaneously excite or control the membrane potential of all cells. For example, it is necessary for electromechanical coupling experiments on smooth muscle using sucrose-gap voltage-clamp techniques, and for metabolic and O2consumption studies. Electric field techniques also can be used to infer the electrical properties of the junctional membranes (Sperelakis and Hoshiko, 1961; Sperelakis, 1963a; Sperelakis, 1969). In summary, electric field stimulation is advantageous whenever it is necessary to affect all smooth muscle cells simultaneously and equally.
pp54 microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase : a novel serine/threonine protein kinase regulated by phosphorylation and stimulated by poly-L-lysine

An hepatic protein kinase that phosphorylates microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) on Ser/Thr residues is markedly activated after intraperitoneal injection of cycloheximide in the rat. The enzyme has been purified greater than 10,000-fold to near homogeneity and corresponds to a 54-kDa polypeptide, based on auto-phosphorylation, renaturation of activity from sodium dodecyl sulfate gels, and gel filtration. The protein kinase activity is unaffected by prior autophosphorylation, Ca2+, diacylglycerol and phospholipids, cyclic nucleotides, staurosporine, and protein kinase inhibitor, but can be totally and specifically deactivated by the Ser/Thr protein phosphatase 2A. The enzyme is inhibited completely but reversible by transition metals and p-chloromercuribenzoate, and is strongly stimulated by poly-L-lysine toward most, but not all protein substrates. The activity of the cycloheximide-stimulated MAP-2 kinase (pp54 MAP-2 kinase) toward potential polypeptide substrates was compared to that of an insulin-stimulated MAP-2 kinase (pp42 MAP-2 kinase). Although both MAP-2 kinases exhibited little or no ability to phosphorylate histones and casein, the two kinases had a distinguishable substrate specificity. At comparable MAP-2 phosphorylating activities, pp42 MAP-2 kinase, but not pp54 MAP-2 kinase, phosphorylated and activated the Xenopus S6 protein kinase II. Moreover, pp42 MAP-2 kinase phosphorylated myelin basic protein at 10-12-fold higher rates than did pp54 MAP-2 kinase. Cycloheximide-activated pp54 MAP-2 protein kinase appears to be a previously uncharacterized protein kinase that is itself regulated through Ser/Thr phosphorylation and, perhaps, polypeptide regulators with basic domains. The identity of the upstream regulatory elements and the native substrates remain to be established.
The Role of Skin Optics in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Uses of Lasers

Light must penetrate the skin before it can exert therapeutic effect or offer diagnostic information. Laser radiation will penetrate some tissues better than others due to variation in tissue optical properties. Skin is a particularly difficult tissue to penetrate because of the strong scattering properties of the dermis. Fortunately, skin is a relatively thin tissue, and the shallow penetration of light is sufficient for strong interaction with the epidermis and upper dermis. The availability of the skin surface for topical irradiation makes the use of lasers in dermatology an attractive modality.
The Acceleration of Particles to High Energy

The common occurrence, and often spectacular consequence, of fast particles in active astrophysical bodies has attracted the attention of physicists for more than four decades. The acceleration mechanisms, whatever they may be, are remarkably efficient, converting a major fraction of the total energy into fast particles. A variety of ideas have arisen, suggesting how and why fast particles are generated in various circumstances. The principal limitation on particle acceleration theories has been the realization that the universe is not filled with a hard vacuum, but rather is pervaded everywhere by tenuous ionized gases quite able to short circuit any large-scale electric fields that occur under ordinary circumstances. A number of the early ideas on the acceleration of cosmic rays have been discarded for this reason. Gone are the ambitious betatron acceleration schemes of Swaan and of Riddiford and Butler (1952).
Search for New Physics in Events with Missing Energy and Top Quarks

The supersymmetric partner of the top quark, the stop, might be significantly lighter than the other squarks, as was motivated in Chap. 4. Hence, the search for stop production at the LHC presents a well-motivated approach to look for SUSY at the LHC. The stop can decay in different ways, depending on the SUSY particle mass spectrum, in particular on the masses of the stops \(\tilde{t}_1\) and \(\tilde{t}_2\), the charginos \(\displaystyle \tilde{\chi }^\pm \) and the lightest neutralino \(\displaystyle \tilde{\chi }^0_1\), and other model parameters. The analysis presented in the following considers two possible stop decay scenarios, illustrated in Fig. 9.1. Both scenarios assume R-parity conservation, hence the stops are produced in pairs. In the first scenario, the stop decays into a top quark and the lightest neutralino: \({\tilde{t}^{}_{1}}\rightarrow t+\displaystyle \tilde{\chi }^0_1 \) (tN), the second scenario assumes the decay into a b-quark and the lightest chargino, where the latter decays further into a W boson and the lightest neutralino: \({\tilde{t}^{}_{1}}\rightarrow b+\displaystyle \tilde{\chi }^\pm _1 \) (bC). Furthermore, a mixed decay scenario where both decay channels are allowed with various branching ratio (\(\mathcal {BR}\)) assumptions is considered in the interpretation.
School meal quality and academic performance

Abstract Improving the nutritional content of public school meals is a topic of intense policy interest. A main motivation is the health of school children, and, in particular, the rising childhood obesity rate. Medical and nutrition literature has long argued that a healthy diet can have a second important impact: improved cognitive function. In this paper, we test whether offering healthier meals affects student achievement as measured by test scores. Our sample includes all California (CA) public schools over a five-year period. We estimate difference-in-differences style regressions using variation that takes advantage of frequent meal-vendor contract turnover. Students at schools that contract with a healthy school-meal vendor score higher on CA state achievement tests. We do not find any evidence that healthier school meals lead to a decrease in obesity rates. The test score gains, while modest in magnitude, come at very low cost.
Initiation-specific alleles of the Cdc45 helicase-activating protein

The committed step in DNA replication initiation is the activation of the Mcm2-7 replicative DNA helicase. Two activators, Cdc45 and GINS, associate with Mcm2-7 at origins of replication to form the CMG complex, which is the active eukaryotic replicative helicase. These activators function during both replication initiation and elongation, however, it remains unclear whether Cdc45 performs the same function(s) during both events. Here, we describe the genetic and biochemical characterization of seven Cdc45 mutations. Three of these mutations are temperature-sensitive lethal mutations in CDC45. Intriguingly, these mutants are defective for DNA replication initiation but not elongation. Consistent with an initiation defect, all three temperature-sensitive mutants are defective for CMG formation. Two of the lethal mutants are located within the RecJ-like domain of Cdc45 confirming the importance of this region for Cdc45 function. The remaining two lethal mutations localize to an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of Cdc45 that is found in all eukaryotes. Despite the lethality of these IDR substitution mutants, Cdc45 lacking the IDR retains full function. Together, our data provide insights into the functional importance of Cdc45 domains and suggest that the requirements for Cdc45 function during DNA replication initiation are distinct from those involved in replication elongation.
The implementation of an IoT-based exercise improvement system

The benefits of exercise have been well known for years. Most people know that they should do more exercise, but they seldom make exercise a top priority. Regular exercise is generally the most important lifestyle change people can make to improve their health, but it is hard for people to sustain a regular exercise program. On the other hand, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which combine different sensors and information technologies, have developed rapidly over recent years. IoT-based applications for exercise have been examined in recent literature. However, most IoT-based applications focus on the needs of exercisers and ignore the needs of trainers and the relationship between the system usage and the incidence of regular exercise compliance is rarely studied. This study implements an IoT-based exercise improvement system that both exercisers and trainers can use to increase exercisers’ physical fitness. To test the system, 221 students were recruited from a university and their exercise data were collected and analyzed. The results showed that use of an IoT-based exercise improvement system helped regular exercisers maintain their exercise pattern and non-regular exercisers improve their exercise performance.
Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Pouch Surgery

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has undergone a progression of techniques over the last several decades. It was first described in 1978 by Sir Alan Parks in the British Medical Journal [1]. Although other types of pouches have been employed, such as the S-pouch and W-pouch, the J-pouch remains the most common pouch technique employed currently [2]. The creation of the pouch is commonly performed in 2 or 3 stages, although single stage creation has been described [3]. These stages typically include total abdominal colectomy (or subtotal colectomy), followed by restorative proctocolectomy with pouch creation with or without a diverting loop ileostomy, and then closure of the diverting loop ileostomy.
A Grand Game Introduction, or the Rise and Demise of 'Sherlock Holmes'

On April 12, 1904, “Sherlock Holmes” became a registered trademark of Parker Brothers, one of the biggest makers of card games, board games, and the like in the United States. Of course, that did not mean that Parker Brothers controlled the great man’s name outright. Rather, it meant the U.S. Patent Office had granted the company the right to use the name in the category of “games played with cards.” According to the official report of the registration, Parkers Brothers had been using the words “Sherlock Holmes” in connection with “games played with cards” since February 15, 1904. To the best of my knowledge, that settles the incept date of the first Sherlockian game. (A few days later, Parker Brothers also completed its copyright registration of “Rules for the playing the game of Sherlock Holmes.”) “Sherlock Holmes” suffered a quick fade, at least when compared to some of its contemporaries in Parker Brothers product line. (“Rook” for example, was introduced in 1906 and is still popular today, while “Ping-Pong,” introduced in 1902, has become a generic term for table tennis.) Why was “Sherlock Holmes” so short-lived and then so thoroughly forgotten? Here are two possibilities to consider. First, Parker Brothers may have run into intellectual property problems, despite its trademark and copyright registrations. Second, maybe “Sherlock Holmes” turned out to be a not-very-grand game. Indeed, its defects may well have been obvious to its creators from day one, or close to it. Parker Brothers completed its copyright registration of “Rules for the playing the game of Sherlock Holmes” on April 18, 1904, and a mere five months later the company was back, copyrighting “improved” rules for the game on September 23. This despite the fact that George Parker, the chief game developer for the company, “still played every Parker game over and over again himself, with employees, family and friends to make certain that every wrinkle was ironed out, that confusion was eliminated and that “actual playing qualities” were excellent. Even though he was the very busy head of a good-sized business, he personally wrote the rules for every game the company produced, working over them evening after evening to clarify and simplify them.”
Sphingosine-1-phosphate analog FTY720 reverses obesity but not age-induced anabolic resistance to muscle contraction

Sarcopenia, the age-associated loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is coupled with declines in physical functioning leading to subsequent higher rates of disability, frailty, morbidity, and ...
Palladium-catalyzed α-arylation for the addition of small rings to aromatic compounds

Small, strained rings have rigid, defined conformations and unique electronic properties. For these reasons, many groups seek to use these subunits to form biologically active molecules. We report a generally applicable approach to attach small rings to a wide range of aromatic compounds by palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl and azetidinyl esters. The direct α-arylation of cyclopropyl esters and cyclobutyl esters is achieved in high yield by ensuring that the rate of coupling exceeds the rate of Claisen condensation. The α-arylation of azetidines is achieved without ring opening of the strained saturated heterocycle by conducting the reactions with an azetidine derivative bearing a benzyl protecting group on nitrogen. Mechanistic studies show that the α-arylation of small rings is challenging because of the weak acidity of α C-H bond (cyclopropanes), strong sensitivity of the strained esters to Claisen condensation (cyclobutatanes), or facile decomposition of the enolates (azetidinyl esters).
Effects of printing conditions on cell distribution within microspheres during inkjet-based bioprinting

Inkjet-based bioprinting have been widely employed in a variety of applications in tissue engineering and drug screening and delivery. The typical bioink used in inkjet bioprinting consists of biological materials and living cells. During inkjet bioprinting, the cell-laden bioink is ejected out from the inkjet dispenser to form microspheres with cells encapsulated. The cell distribution within microspheres is defined as the distribution of cell number within the microspheres. The paper focuses on the effects of polymer concentration, excitation voltage, and cell concentration on the cell distribution within microspheres during inkjet printing of cell-laden bioink. The normal distribution has been utilized to fit the experimental results to obtain the mean and standard deviation of the distribution. It is found that the cell distribution within the microspheres increases with the increase of the cell concentration, sodium alginate concentration, and the excitation voltage.
Accuracy of biometric formulae for intraocular lens power calculation in a teaching hospital.

AIM To evaluate the accuracy of three commonly used biometric formulae across different axial lengths (ALs) at one United States Veterans Affairs teaching hospital. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted from November 2013 to May 2018. One eye of each patient who underwent cataract surgery with a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) was included. The range of postoperative follow-up period was from 3wk to 4mo. The Holladay 2, Barrett Universal II, and Hill-Radial Basis Function (Hill-RBF) formulae were used to predict the postoperative refraction for all cataract surgeries. For each formula, we calculated the prediction errors [including mean absolute prediction error (MAE)] and the percentage of eyes within ±0.25 diopter (D) and ±0.5 D of predicted refraction. We performed subgroup analyses for short (AL 25.0 mm). RESULTS A total of 1131 patients were screened, and 909 met the inclusion criteria. Resident ophthalmologists were the primary surgeons in 710 (78.1%) cases. We found no statistically significant difference in predictive accuracy among the three formulae over the entire AL range or in the short, medium, and long eye subgroups. Across the entire AL range, the Hill-RBF formula resulted in the lowest MAE (0.384 D) and the highest percentage of eyes with postoperative refraction within ±0.25 D (42.7%) and ±0.5 D (75.5%) of predicted. All three formulae had the highest MAEs (>0.5 D) and lowest percentage within ±0.5 D of predicted refraction (<55%) in short eyes. CONCLUSION In cataract surgery patients at our teaching hospital, three commonly used biometric formulae demonstrate similar refractive accuracy across all ALs. Short eyes pose the greatest challenge to predicting postoperative refractive error.
Chapter 23 – Vitamins

Publisher Summary This chapter helps in understating the role of vitamins for proper functioning of the body. Vitamins are defined as organic substances present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs that are essential to normal metabolism, and the lack of which causes deficiency diseases. All natural vitamins are organic food substances found only in living things. With few exceptions, the body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins. Vitamins can be classified according to chemical and physical properties, such as whether they are soluble in aqueous solution or lipid solvents. Those vitamins that are soluble in lipid solvents (vitamins A, D, E, and K) are absorbed and transported by conventional lipid transport processes. For water-soluble vitamins, respective solubility coefficients are major factors that dictate the availability and ease of absorption. Within physiological ranges of intake, active processes are usually involved in the absorption of water-soluble vitamins. Vitamins in foods are often present as cofactors or in highly modified forms. Pancreatic and intestinal cell-derived enzymes are required to initiate normal uptake in absorption. Nucleosidases, phosphatases, and peptidases act as key factors in processing cofactors to vitamins.
Adhesion and the Cytoskeleton in the Drosophila Pupal Eye

During pupal development, the Drosophila eye becomes patterned with exquisite precision. The adhesive junctions and cytoskeletal structures that contribute to this morphogenesis are the focus of this chapter: these structures must be correctly regulated and organized in order to permit or drive local cell movements and cell shape changes during eye patterning. However, our understanding of how the cytoskeleton and adhesion are modified in the pupal eye is currently quite poor. This chapter discusses what we currently do know and presents many hypotheses on the topic, in the context of the morphogenesis of the cone and pigment cells.
Esco2 and Cohesin Regulate CRL4 Ubiquitin Ligase ddb1 Expression and Thalidomide Teratogenicity

ABSTRACT Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and Roberts syndrome (RBS) are severe developmental maladies that arise from mutation of cohesin (including SMC3, CdLS) and ESCO2 (RBS). Though ESCO2 activate cohesin, CdLS and RBS etiologies are currently considered non-synonymous and for which pharmacological treatments are unavailable. Here, we identify a unifying mechanism that integrates these genetic maladies to pharmacologically-induced teratogenicity via thalidomide. Our results reveal that Esco2 and cohesin co-regulate a component of CRL4 ubiquitin ligase through which thalidomide exerts teratogenic effects. These findings are the first to link RBS and CdLS to thalidomide teratogenicity and offers new insights into treatments.
United States Congressional COVID-19 Legislation: Recent Laws and Future Topics

Author(s): Dowling, Marisa K.; Terry, Aisha T.; Kirilichin, Natalie L.; Lee, Jennifer S.; Blanchard, Janice C.
Chapter 13 Income distribution and development

Abstract This paper is a review of the post-war literature on income distribution and development. It argues that the literature has cycled from one consensus to another, responding to emerging policy issues and new analysis. On the basis of the review, the paper identifies five areas that will command the attention of analysts in the coming two decades: (i) country case studies rather than cross-country regression analysis; (ii) the phenomenon of increasing inequality; (iii) different levels of disaggregation, particularly distribution between broadly defined groups; (iv) intra-household allocation; and (v) alternative modes of redistribution in face of inequality increasing tendencies.
What Should We Celebrate on Constitution Day

Congress recently created a new national observance, Constitution Day, to be marked each year on September 17th. This observance presents a valuable opportunity for the vastly diverse American populace to celebrate its shared values. But what, exactly, should Americans celebrate about the Constitution? The Constitution’s text is hardly perfect, and judicial interpretations of the Constitution are themselves problematic. To identify what Americans should celebrate on Constitution Day, this article sets out to identify the Constitution’s core meaning for Americans. To do so, it first draws lessons from two contemporary Establishment Clause disputes (one over the teaching of intelligent design and the other over the public display of Ten Commandments monuments). These disputes help illustrate why a secular Constitution and not a non-sectarian faith in God is the best source of shared values for Americans. The article concludes that the Constitution is important not so much for what it says but for what it symbolizes for Americans. It is a symbol of our secular society’s commitment to the dignity and humanity of every individual. This commitment and the values it entails refute the claim that our society will be valueless unless grounded upon religious belief.
A single institutional experience with central lung stereotactic body radiation therapy demonstrating encouraging results with increased inter-fraction time

Background Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment modality for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, there are concerns regarding potential toxicity for centrally located tumors. Methods This retrospective study considered patients with SBRT for central lung NSCLC (defined as a tumor within 2 cm of any mediastinal critical structure). The institutional protocol was that patients with central tumors received SBRT less frequently than daily-generally once or twice weekly. Results A total of 115 patients with 148 lesions were treated with SBRT to a median 45 [5-60] Gy in 4 [1-5] fractions over a median 5.3 [0-18] days. Many patients treated with this method presented with advanced disease: 58 treatments involved nodal targets, and 42 had stage 3 disease. 52% of patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and only 49% had a biopsy, often due to concerns regarding other medical comorbidities. Rates of prior chemotherapy, thoracic surgery, and thoracic radiotherapy were 32%, 21%, and 49%, respectively. Via the Kaplan-Meier method, 2-year overall survival was 65%, and 2-year local control was 77%. Two-year local-progression free survival was 53%, and 2-year progression-survival was 48%. Treatments for stage 3 disease had an impressive 82% 2-year local control that was comparable to early stage treatments. Patients with stage 3 disease had a 2-year overall survival of 59%, which trended towards decreased overall survival compared to early stage patients. There were 13 grade 1 (9%) and 14 grade 2 (9%) toxicities. There were no reported grade ≥3 acute or late toxicities and only 3 cases of pneumonitis. Conclusions Our series demonstrates encouraging local control with low rates of toxicity for central lung SBRT, including many stage 3 patients. This may be the result of the relatively large inter-fraction interval. This interval may allow for greater tumor effects (such as reoxygenation) and improved tolerance from normal tissues.
The use of apixaban as a perioperative bridge for warfarin in a patient unable to use parenteral anticoagulation: A case report

Abstract Patients receiving chronic warfarin therapy for secondary venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention often require therapeutic interruptions surrounding planned surgical procedures to mitigate the risk of hemorrhagic complications. For patients at moderate to high risk of recurrent VTE short-acting subcutaneous anticoagulants, such as low molecular weight heparins, can be utilized as a warfarin bridge to reduce the risk of periprocedural VTE. Although the efficacy of the direct oral acting anticoagulants (DOACs) for the treatment and prevention of VTE has been well established these agents have not been studied as a periprocedural bridge in patients requiring planned interruptions in warfarin therapy. We report the case of a patient required to interrupt her warfarin therapy for a procedure who highly desired VTE risk mitigation but was unwilling to utilize a subcutaneous anticoagulant. Apixaban was successfully used in place of the subcutaneous anticoagulant as a bridge during the patient's planned warfarin interruption. In the 90 days following the bridge the patient did not experience any hemorrhagic or VTE related complications.
Measurement of Eating Pathology Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3).

Eating disorders are prevalent among college student populations. Although previous iterations of the instrument did not include specific measurement of eating pathology, the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-3 (MMPI-3) now includes a specific scale (i.e., Eating Concerns [EAT]) to assess problematic eating behaviors. The current study examined the MMPI-3 assessment of eating pathology among 249 undergraduate women. A pattern emerged where symptoms of internalizing psychopathology on the MMPI-3 were generally associated with symptoms of eating disorder. However, the newly included EAT scale demonstrated the strongest associations with most areas of eating dysfunction. Further, hierarchical regression analyses suggested that the EAT scale added substantial incremental predictive utility (up to 23%) over other MMPI-3 scales combined in assessing eating pathology. Classification accuracy statistics yielded high sensitivity and specificity coefficients when predicting eating disorder risk at an EAT scale score cutoff of 75 T or higher. These findings support the use of the MMPI-3 in assessing eating pathology in college women, although its performance with men and with women not of college age remains to be studied.
Current status of pig lung xenotransplantation.

Human organ transplantation has improved duration and quality of life for many people, but its full potential is critically limited by short supply of available organs. One solution is xenotransplantation, although this comes with its own set of challenges. Lungs in particular are highly sensitive to injury, during the transplantation process generally, and to multiple immune rejection mechanisms. Using pig lung donors, our lab has been working on lung transplants into baboons as a surrogate for a human recipient. Several ex vivo human blood perfusion models have also proven useful. The combination of these experiments allows us to test large animal models as well as whole organ or isolated endothelial reactions to perfusion with human blood. We have found that a multi-modality therapeutic approach to prevent various pathogenic cascades - such as antibody-driven complement activation, other immune pathway activation, thrombosis, and tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury - has met with progressively greater success to protect the xeno lung from injury. Pig gene knockout and human gene transfer has been perhaps the greatest contributor. This review will discuss mechanisms of xeno lung injury, relevant experimental models, as well as recent results and future targets for research.
Characterization of Colicin Ia and Colicin Ib: Antigenic Homology

Immunological techniques have been employed to determine antigenic homology between colicin Ia and colicin Ib. Results of these experiments demonstrate that the two colicins are antigenically similar. Images
Estrogen formation in vitro by fetoplacental tissues of midpregnancy

Abstract Midterm placenta and the placenta plus fetal tissues, including adrenal, liver, ovary, lung, kidney, and skin, were incubated separately with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA)-7α- 3 H. Estrone, estradiol-17β, and estriol were identified in each incubate. The midterm placenta was active in converting DHA to estrone (40.9 per cent) and estradiol (16.3 per cent). The conversion of DHA to estriol was much lower (0.40 per cent). In the incubate of placenta plus fetal liver, the estriol yield was definitely higher (18.3 per cent) than that of other incubates. The conversion of DHA- 3 H to estrogens in other incubates of fetal tissues in combination with placenta or placenta alone was not remarkably different. These findings suggest that the fetal liver in association with the placenta plays an important role in estriol formation during midterm pregnancy.
Finding Specifications of While Statements Using Patterns

A formal correctness proof of code containing loops such as while statements typically uses the technique of proof-by-induction, and often the most difficult part of carrying out an inductive proof is formulating a correct induction hypothesis, a specification for a loop statement. An incorrect induction hypothesis will surely lead to a proof failure. In this paper we propose a systematic way for identifying specifications of while statements. The key idea of our approach is to categorize and document common patterns of while statements along with their specifications. This is based on our observation that similarly-structured while statements frequently have similarly-structured specifications. Thus, a catalog of code and specification patterns can be used as a good reference for finding and formulating a specification of a while statement. We explain our approach using functional program verification in which a program is viewed as a mathematical function from one program state to another, and a correctness proof is done by comparing two functions, the implemented and the specified. However, we believe our approach is applicable to other verification techniques such as Hoare logic using pre- and post-conditions.
Children's Beliefs and Family Law

In a recent series of opinions authored by Justice Stevens, the Court has recognized that children may have independent religious rights, and that these may be in conflict with their parents'. The questions for this piece are whether considering children's rights independently is a good thing whether it is warranted by children's actual religious preferences and whether children's religious activities actually do anything measurable for the children. I do not advocate that the Supreme Court become more involved with family law than it has been since the substantive due process days of Meyer and Pierce. I am also not one to "abandon children to their rights" or otherwise suggest that children should fend for themselves without their parents' help. For me, a childhood without the nurturing environment of loving parents (or at least one parent) is dismal. However, I am encouraged that the Court seems to recognize that in families with children, the children's interests do need to be considered, and will not always mirror their parents'. Children's religious attendance does seem to make measurable differences to their well-being.
Self-Employment Among People with Work Limitations and Disabilities in the US, 1988-2009

This paper examines self-employment rates among workers with work limitations and disabilities in the US. Using data from the Current Population Survey, we show that, during the 1989-2009 period, those with work limitations were more likely to be self-employed in unincorporated businesses than their counterparts without work limitations. The result is consistent with recent empirical evidence from European countries (Boylan and Burchardt, 2002; Jones and Latreillet, 2011; Pagan-Rodriguez, 2009, 2011). Additionally, the results show that the relationship between the probability of being self-employed and having a work limitation is not uniform: the self-employment gap increase with education and age. Overall, the evidence appears to favor the view that, for those with work limitations, self-employment is a voluntary choice driven by non-monetary motives. Compared to standard jobs, self-employment may provide a better accommodation of health problems by offering the flexibility of choosing location, environment, and hours of work.
Isavuconazole: Pharmacology, Pharmacodynamics, and Current Clinical Experience with a New Triazole Antifungal Agent

Coinciding with the continually increasing population of immunocompromised patients worldwide, the incidence of invasive fungal infections has grown over the past 4 decades. Unfortunately, infections caused by both yeasts such as Candida and molds such as Aspergillus or Mucorales remain associated with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality. In addition, the available antifungals with proven efficacy in the treatment of these infections remain severely limited. Although previously available second-generation triazole antifungals have significantly expanded the spectrum of the triazole antifungal class, these agents are laden with shortcomings in their safety profiles as well as formulation and pharmacokinetic challenges. Isavuconazole, administered as the prodrug isavuconazonium, is the latest second-generation triazole antifungal to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Approved for the treatment of both invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis, and currently under investigation for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis, isavuconazole may have therapeutic advantages over its predecessors. With clinically relevant antifungal potency against a broad range of yeasts, dimorphic fungi, and molds, isavuconazole has a spectrum of activity reminiscent of the polyene amphotericin B. Moreover, clinical experience thus far has revealed isavuconazole to be associated with fewer toxicities than voriconazole, even when administered without therapeutic drug monitoring. These characteristics, in an agent available in both a highly bioavailable oral and a β-cyclodextrin-free intravenous formulation, will likely make isavuconazole a welcome addition to the triazole class of antifungals.
The Flipside of Violence, or Beyond the Thought of Good Enough

This essay attempts to answer three types of question concerning the images of violence found in deconstructive discourse. First, there is the question of confusion between real violence and transcendental violence. Second, there is the question of a lack of vigilance in regard to real violence. And finally, third, there is the question of the need for a moral principle of non-violence. The response to the first type of question lies in the recognition that the violence Derrida attributes to the transcendental level of experience (in “Violence and Metaphysics” for example) lies in the openness of experience. This openness amounts only to the potential for real or factual violence. The response to the second type of question lies in the recognition that more vigilance is needed since the transcendental level cannot be characterized in mundane terms, and that resistance to the mundane means no images of factual violence. Finally, the response to the third and most difficult question lies in an examination of Derrida’s statement that “tout autre est tout autre.” Through this statement we approach something like a principle, even a moral principle. The statement presents us with an imperative to respect every single other as if he, she, or it were absolutely other. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
A Parallel Mechanism for Detecting Curves in Pictures

In Hough [1], Duda and Hart [2], and Griffith [3] procedures were proposed for detecting lines in pictures and in [2] Duda and Hart extended their method for more general algebraic curve, fitting. This correspondence shows how this method can be used to detect any given curve in a specific orientation. The procedure presented here con be easily implemented and can be efficiently implemented in a parallel machine.
Investigating Pilot Performance Using Mixedmodality Simulated Data Link

Research exploring new technology integration into general aviation (GA) cockpits is lacking, especially that which focuses on the capabilities and limitations of the single pilot. Sixteen visual flight rules (VFR) rated pilots were evaluated for data link communication performance using a flight simulator equipped with a mixed-modality simulated data link within one of two flight conditions. Modalities included textual, synthesized speech, digitized speech, and synthesized speech/textual combination. Flight conditions included VFR (unlimited ceiling, visibility) or marginal VFR (MVFR) flight conditions (clouds 2800 feet, threemile visibility). Evaluation focused on the time required accessing, understanding, and executing data link commands. Measures to evaluate workload, situation awareness, and subjective preference were also obtained. Results indicated performance, mental workload, and situation awareness differences across data link modalities and between flight conditions. Implications for operation...
Lack of an effect of short-term dehydroepiandrosterone treatment on the pentose pathway

Abstract Isolated adipocytes and hepatocytes from two strains of rats were studied to determine if alterations in glucose metabolism and the pentose pathway account for the antiobesity action of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Isolated cells were prepared and the incorporation of 14 C-labeled glucose into CO 2 and lipids was determined. Fat pad weights were lower and metabolism of labeled glucose was altered in adipocytes from both Sprague-Dawley and lean Zucker rats treated with DHEA for one week. However, there was no change in the contribution of the pentose pathway to glucose metabolism when recycling of glucose was taken into account. Similar results were found in hepatocytes from lean Zucker rats. In obese Zucker rats, data from adipocytes and hepatocytes showed few clearcut differences in response to short-term DHEA treatment. In conclusion, lowered contribution of the pentose pathway to glucose metabolism does not explain the antiobesity effect of DHEA.
Floral patterning defects induced by Arabidopsis APETALA2 and microRNA172 expression in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Floral patterning and morphogenesis are controlled by many transcription factors including floral homeotic proteins, by which floral organ identity is determined. Recent studies have uncovered widespread regulation of transcription factors by microRNAs (miRNAs), ~21-nucleotide non-coding RNAs that regulate protein-coding RNAs through transcript cleavage and/or translational inhibition. The regulation of the floral homeotic gene APETALA2 (AP2) by miR172 is crucial for normal Arabidopsis flower development and is likely to be conserved across plant species. Here we probe the activity of the AP2/miR172 regulatory circuit in a heterologous Solanaceae species, Nicotiana benthamiana. We generated transgenic N. benthamiana lines expressing Arabidopsis wild type AP2 (35S::AP2), miR172-resistant AP2 mutant (35S::AP2m3) and MIR172a-1 (35S::MIR172) under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. 35S::AP2m3 plants accumulated high levels of AP2 mRNA and protein and exhibited floral patterning defects that included proliferation of numerous petals, stamens and carpels indicating loss of floral determinacy. On the other hand, nearly all 35S::AP2 plants accumulated barely detectable levels of AP2 mRNA or protein and were essentially non-phenotypic. Overall, the data indicated that expression of the wild type ArabidopsisAP2 transgene was repressed at the mRNA level by an endogenous N. benthamiana miR172 homologue that could be detected using Arabidopsis miR172 probe. Interestingly, 35S::MIR172 plants had sepal-to-petal transformations and/or more sepals and petals, suggesting interference with N. benthamiana normal floral homeotic gene function in perianth organs. Our studies uncover the potential utility of the ArabidopsisAP2/miR172 system as a tool for manipulation of floral architecture and flowering time in non-model plants.
A Simple Model of Soil‐Gas Concentrations Sparged into an Unlined Unsaturated Zone

We derive an analytical model of soil-gas contamination sparged into an imlined unsaturated zone. A nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source lies in the capillary fringe, with an exponential sparge constant within the radius of influence and a constant ambient evaporation rate beyond. Advection, diffusion, and dispersion govern the conservative soil-gas response, expressed as a quasi-steady series solution with radial Bessel and hyperbolic vertical dependence. Simulations suggest that sparged contamination initially spreads beyond the radius of influence down a negative gradient. This gradient eventually reverses, leading to a subsequent influx of ambient contamination. Soil-gas concentrations accordingly reflect slowly varying source conditions as well as slowly varying diffusive transport through the radius of influence. The two time scales are independent: One depends on NAPL, airflow, and capillary fringe characteristics, the other on soil moisture, gaseous diffusivity, and unsaturated zone thickness. The influx of ambient contamination generates an asymptotic soil-gas concentration much less than the initial source concentration. The simple model is applied to a pilot-scale sparging study at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in upstate New York, with physically plausible results.
Flow of a generalized second grade fluid between heated plates

We examine the fully developed flow of a generalized fluid of second grade between heated parallel plates, due to a pressure gradient along the plate. The constant coefficient of shear viscosity of a fluid of second grade is replaced by a shear dependent viscosity with an exponentm. If the normal stress coefficients are set equal to zero, this model reduces to the standard power-law model. We obtain the solution for the case when the temperature changes only in the direction normal to the plates for the two most commonly used viscosity models, i.e. (i) when the viscosity does not depend on temperature, and (ii) when the viscosity is an exponentially decaying function of temperature.
The Global Justice Movement’s Use of “Jail Solidarity” as a Response to Police Repression and Arrest An Ethnographic Study

This article ethnographically analyzes the use of direct action, or “jail solidarity”, behind bars, during mass protest episodes. The global justice movement has been the most recent inheritors of ...
Factors Predicting Severity of Physical Child Abuse Injury A Review of the Literature

This article reviews the research literature about predictors of severe and fatal physical child abuse, an important question for the design of risk assessment instruments for use at child welfare intake. Of various factors relating to the victim, the perpetrator, and the report of child abuse, the only one found in this review of the literature to relate consistently to severity of injury is the age of the child. All other questions concerning prediction of injury severity have yet to be answered satisfactorily. In conclusion, design suggestions for future studies of injury severity are presented.