cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Migrant Mental Health, Law, and Detention: Impacts and Alternatives

Asylum is granted to about 30,000 of over 75,000 refugees that arrive in the U.S. each year, and most have experienced severe trauma and possibly torture. It is the role of the state to not only protect asylum seekers with mental disabilities but to foster mental health within this vulnerable population. Numerous legal barriers to addressing refugee mental health exist because of a lack of procedural safeguards in immigration proceedings and detention centers. Various options piloted in the immigration system or modeled on the criminal justice system could help ensure due process, increase resolution of cases and good case outcomes, and create a fairer system for immigrants with mental illness, particularly programs using social workers and psychologists who work with attorneys to promote access to services. More research is needed to create a system of health services and legal protections that cultivate refugee mental health and resilience.
Military socialization, disciplinary culture, and sexual violence in UN peacekeeping operations:

The sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of civilians by international peacekeepers is a form of post-conflict violence that is pernicious and understudied, but far from inevitable. However, there are very few cross-mission analyses of the phenomenon. This article considers whether the socialization experiences of troops in two environments, the contributing state military and the peacekeeping mission itself, help to explain the observed variation in SEA. Drawing on a dataset of SEA allegations between 2007 and 2014, as well as the first publicly available data from the United Nations that identify the nationalities of alleged perpetrators, this article analyzes the layered nature of socialization through the lens of SEA. Specifically, this article presents evidence that SEA is positively associated with disciplinary breakdowns at the peacekeeping mission’s lower levels of command, and argues that a peacekeeping mission may carry its own norms and socializing processes that either constrain or facilitate t...
Yield of the RYR2 Genetic Test in Suspected Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia and Implications for Test Interpretation.

Background: Pathogenic RYR2 variants account for ≈60% of clinically definite cases of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. However, the rate of rare benign RYR2 variants identified in the general population remains a challenge for genetic test interpretation. Therefore, we examined the results of the RYR2 genetic test among patients referred for commercial genetic testing and examined factors impacting variant interpretability. Methods: Frequency and location comparisons were made for RYR2 variants identified among 1355 total patients of varying clinical certainty and 60 706 Exome Aggregation Consortium controls. The impact of the clinical phenotype on the yield of RYR2 variants was examined. Six in silico tools were assessed using patient- and control-derived variants. Results: A total of 18.2% (218/1200) of patients referred for commercial testing hosted rare RYR2 variants, statistically less than the 59% (46/78) yield among clinically definite cases, resulting in a much higher potential genetic false discovery rate among referrals considering the 3.2% background rate of rare, benign RYR2 variants. Exclusion of clearly putative pathogenic variants further complicates the interpretation of the next novel RYR2 variant. Exonic/topologic analyses revealed overrepresentation of patient variants in exons covering only one third of the protein. In silico tools largely failed to show evidence toward enhancement of variant interpretation. Conclusions: Current expert recommendations have resulted in increased use of RYR2 genetic testing in patients with questionable clinical phenotypes. Using the largest to date catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia patient versus control comparison, this study highlights important variables in the interpretation of variants to overcome the 3.2% background rate that confounds RYR2 variant interpretation.
Productivity, Technology and Efficiency in the U.S Commercial Airline Industry

Empirical industry studies too often fall into one of two categories. They may be rich in institutional information and lack generalizability, or heavy in measurement technique, and weak in relevance because little institutional information informs the generalizations. The organization of the professional literature contributes somewhat to the problem in two ways: the general preference for theoretical papers, and the tendencies for journals to specialize in quantitative or qualitative exposition. A mixed paper may well be redirected to an outlet of the “other” type by these journals. The journals that stress quantitative analysis tend to prefer short papers, and have little tolerance for discussion of institutional effects, while the more institutional journals discourage the elaborate quantitative models that may be required to adjust for institutional realities. The quantitative-institutional war should be resolvable by the observation that the technological environment of an enterprise or industry is part of its institutional setting, and that complex industries and technologies cannot be understood in abstraction from the quantitative effects of its institutions on performance. However, academic institutions and practice seem often to be divided along similar lines, so that the relevance of industry studies for technology management is less than it could be.
CHRONIC TOXICITY OF HALOGENATED BIPHENYLS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS IN ANIMALS AND HEALTH EFFECTS IN HUMANS

ABSTRACT Commercial chlorinated and brominated biphenyls are mixtures of many isomers. They may be contaminated by halogenated naphthalenes and dibenzofurans. Diseases caused by these compounds include chloracne and liver disease in humans, hyperkeratosis or x-disease in cattle, and chickedema in chickens. In rodents, the halogenated biphenyls primarily affect the liver. In female rats, hepatic porphyria is easily produced, and in males, lipids accumulate in the liver. Liver tumors, including carcinomas, have been produced with chlorinated biphenyls in rats and mice. It is possible to produce hepatocellular carcinomas in rats with a single, high, oral dose of polybrominated biphenyls (1,000 mg/kg b.w.) given early in life. It is not yet clear whether specific isomers cause most of the toxic effects in animals and men. It is, therefore, difficult to predict what the long-term health effects would be from exposure to mixtures that have not been well characterized.
On the progress of developing groupware to support notetaking

Teachers traditionally write on blackboards and similar devices while delivering their lectures. Often the majority of each student's energy is then devoted to copying what the instructor has written into his/her notebook. Only occasionally does a student find time to listen to the lecture, think about the associated ideas, and appropriately annotate the copied notes. The difficulties stemming from the need to copy a large amount of information arise in classes taught in many academic disciplines. However, the problem is perhaps most pronounced in science and mathematics classes where a large amount of information, usually expressed using potentially confusing symbols and notation, is frequently presented very rapidly. A mathematics teacher who is very familiar with the notation of the discipline may very quickly write a formula like: [EQUATION] on the blackboard, but students may require several minutes to copy it. Unfortunately, while the students are busy copying the formula they are often distracted from thinking about the instructor's discussion of its significance. A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education summarizes the problem with the following comment made by a student at Cornell University: "In some classes, you're so busy trying to write down what the professors say that you miss half of the information" [Collison 1992]. Statements like this are quite common and served as a primary motivation for our system design.
Heading and unintentional head impacts have opposing associations with Patient Reported Outcomes in amateur soccer players.

ABSTRACTThe effects of soccer-related head impacts, beyond overt concussions, on Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) have not been explored to date. Generalized estimating equations were employed to determine the association between soccer-related head impacts (headers in the prior 2 weeks, unintentional head impacts in the prior 2 weeks, headers in the prior 12 months and lifetime concussions) on PROs including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and sleep impairment. Compared to players with no unintentional head impacts in the prior 2 weeks, players with one unintentional exposure reported more symptoms of anxiety (p = 0.002) and players with 2+ exposures reported more symptoms of depression (p = 0.006) and anxiety (p < 0.001). In contrast, players in the 3rd Quartile of 12 mo. headers reported less anxiety (p = 0.001), sleep disturbance (p = 0.002) and sleep impairment (p < 0.001) compared to those in the 1st quartile. Unintentional head impacts are associated with worse PROs while more headers are pa...
Emerging Framework and Model

Terming his alternative model as ‘institutional social change’, Patnaik gets down to the brass tacks and lucidly describes the ‘how’ of change in Indian rural ecosystem. He identifies eight bases of power asymmetries—economic, political, social, cultural, informational, technology and skills, opportunities, and capabilities—that the institutional champion or change agent/catalyser works on to usher in the desired change. Patnaik’s institutional champion destroys the prevailing ‘power symmetry octagon’, through a 15-stage process of institutional convening that begins with the identification and problematization of the change and culminates with its ‘maintenance and succession’ over a period of time. The author further emphasizes that for the champion to be successful, he/she needs to have attributes such as embeddedness, involvement, selflessness, empathy and organizational ability.
Are there any differential responses to concussive injury in civilian versus athletic populations: a neuroimaging study.

Accurate identification and classification of patients suffering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant challenge faced by clinicians and researchers. To examine if there are different pathophysiological responses to concussive injury in different populations, evaluated here comparing collegiate athletes versus age-matched non-athletes. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired in the acute phase of concussion from 30 collegiate athletes and from 30 injury and age matched non-athletes. Resting-state functional connectivity measures revealed group differences with reduced connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (p < .05) and posterior cingulate cortex (p < 0.05) hubs of the Default Mode Network in the athletes. Given the known positive effects of exercise on brain functional reserves and neural efficiency concept, we expected less pronounced effect of concussion in athletic population. In contrast, there were significant decreases in functional connectivity in athletes that could be a result of previous repetitive subconcussive impacts and history of concussion.
Inside the Reducción: Crafting Colonial Foodways at Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo, Zaña Valley, Peru (1570–1700)

This study explores the politics of indigenous foodways in early colonial Peru, examining the processes by which indigenous households adapted to demographic stress, resettlement, and evangelization in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries CE. We examine faunal and botanical data from two planned towns (reducciones) located in Peru’s Zana Valley—Carrizales and Mocupe Viejo. Inter- and intra-site comparison of food procurement and diet reveal different strategies and timing in the ways that Eurasian products were incorporated into native foodways, suggesting that while Old World animal domesticates were rapidly integrated into the indigenous diet, plant domesticates tied to the Iberian palate were not as readily adopted.
Disruption of microtubule function in cultured human cells by a cytotoxic ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl complex.

Treatment of malignant and non-malignant cultured human cell lines with a cytotoxic IC50 dose of ∼2 μM tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) chloride (RPC2) retards or arrests microtubule motion as tracked by visualizing fluorescently-tagged microtubule plus end-tracking proteins. Immunofluorescent microscopic images of the microtubules in fixed cells show substantial changes to cellular microtubule network and to overall cell morphology upon treatment with RPC2. Flow cytometry with MCF7 and H358 cells reveals only minor elevations of the number of cells in G2/M phase, suggesting that the observed cytotoxicity is not tied to mitotic arrest. In vitro studies with purified tubulin reveal that RPC2 acts to promote tubulin polymerization and when imaged by electron microscopy, these microtubules look normal in appearance. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements show an associative binding constant of 4.8 × 106 M−1 for RPC2 to preformed microtubules and support a 1 : 1 RPC2 to tubulin dimer stoichiometry. Competition experiments show RPC2 does not compete for the taxane binding site. Consistent with this tight binding, over 80% of the ruthenium in treated cells is co-localized with the cytoskeletal proteins. These data support RPC2 acting as an in vivo microtubule stabilizing agent and sharing many similarities with cells treated with paclitaxel.
An Exercise Mimetic That Targets Nitroso-Redox Balance as a Therapeutic for Heart Disease

Numerous investigations performed over the last few decades clearly indicate that exercise leads to adaptations of the heart resulting in improved function and protection against various cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and is a powerful rehabilitation tool for cardiovascular patients. However, attaining the required intensity of exercise for these cardiac adaptations may not be possible due to numerous constraints such as physical inability, mental unwillingness, stress, etc. Thus, an exercise mimetic drug (i.e., a drug that can mimic the effects of exercise at the cellular level) can be a novel therapeutic approach for cardiovascular patients. An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), known as oxidative stress, in the cardiomyocyte and vasculature initiates adverse signaling mechanisms causing numerous detrimental effects. This oxidative stress is a key contributor to the development of CVD. Unfortunately, antioxidant therapy has shown little clinical benefit. In addition to the increased ROS, there is also a concurrent reduction in nitric oxide (NO) levels in CVD. Studies have shown that NO signaling has a protective effect in the cardiomyocyte and vasculature. Contrary to CVD, exercise decreases ROS levels (i.e., antioxidant effect) and increases NO production. Recent studies have shown that ROS and NO do not function independently but work in tandem, known as the nitroso-redox balance, and help clarify the failure of antioxidant therapies. The nitroso-redox balance is critical to maintain a healthy cardiac state. In CVD, there is a detrimental shift in the nitroso-redox balance, while exercise results in a positive shift of this balance. A possible exercise mimetic may be a drug that restores this nitroso-redox balance. We have developed such a drug (EMEPO) that can simultaneously decrease ROS levels and increase NO levels. Studies at the cellular level and pre-clinical models of CVD have demonstrated that EMEPO, by restoring the nitroso-redox balance, improved cardiomyocyte and heart function. Thus, mimicking exercise effects on the heart via EMEPO may be a paradigm-shifting therapeutic strategy.
Outcomes of classic lobular neoplasia diagnosed on breast core needle biopsy: a retrospective multi-center study

Management of classic lobular neoplasia (cLN) diagnosed on core needle biopsy (CNB) is controversial. Our aim in this study was to review cases of cLN diagnosed on CNB to determine the rate and risk factors of an upgrade to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or invasive carcinoma on excision. All breast CNBs with a diagnosis of atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) or classic lobular carcinoma in situ (cLCIS) from three different institutions within a single health care system between 2013 and 2018 were retrieved. Cases with any additional high-risk lesions in the same CNB or discordant radiological-pathological correlation were excluded. Information about age, personal history of prior or concurrent breast cancer (P/CBC), and radiological and histological findings were recorded. A total of 287 cLN cases underwent surgical excision. Analysis of these 287 cLN cases showed 11 (3.8%) upgrade lesions on excision. Among the 172 ALH cases, there were 3 (1.7%) upgrades, which were all invasive lobular carcinomas (ILCs). On the other hand, 8 of 115 (7%) cLCIS cases revealed upgrade on excision (2 ILC, 5 DCIS. and 1 ILC + DCIS). Statistical analysis revealed that cLN cases with P/CBC, radiological asymmetry, or architectural distortion had a statistically significant higher upgrade rate on excision. Our findings revealed a low upgrade rate (3.8%) on the excision of classic lobular neoplasia diagnosed on breast core needle biopsy. Clinicoradiological surveillance can be appropriate when lobular neoplasia is identified on core biopsy with pathological radiological concordance in patients without a history of breast cancer, with the caveat that radiological asymmetry and architectural distortion are associated with a significant increase in an upgrade on excision.
Pancreatic Carcinosarcoma Clinical Outcome Analysis of the National Cancer Institute Database.

Abstract Background Pancreatic carcinosarcomas (PCS) are rare aggressive biphasic malignancies with a poor prognosis. We aimed to improve the understanding of PCS by analyzing variables that influence the mortality of PCS patients. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for cases of PCS from 1973 to 2016. Cases were analyzed for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and surgical intervention. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were applied to investigate the overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors. Results Thirty-nine cases of PCS were identified along with the disease demographics and characteristics. The majority of patients had a regionally invasive or metastatic disease. There was a significant decrease in OS with the increase of the tumor extension. Conversely, surgery showed to improve OS in the crude analysis, including patients that underwent lymphadenectomy. In addition, the unadjusted Cox regression results showed decreased hazard ratios with a local disease versus distant metastasis and with cancer-directed surgery versus no surgery. Nevertheless, the adjusted Cox regression results revealed that metastatic disease was the only significant predictor of survival. Conclusions This population-based study provides some insight to a very rare disease by analyzing 39 cases of PCS. Our finding suggests considering PCS as a nonsurgical disease and reserving surgery solely for patients with a localized disease in combination or after neoadjuvant therapy. Consequently, there is a need to further investigate novel therapies for this aggressive malignancy.
Public Choice on Data Capital

This chapter prospects the public choice of three “data as capital” scenarios and makes a proper discussion based on five principles. The three scenarios involve the issues of political leadership, alternative currency, and cyber encounters in a changing data-rich global marketplace. The five principles are well-defined guidelines, collective choice arrangements, monitoring, graduated sanctions and credible rewards, and conflict-resolution mechanisms.
Vacancy defect control of colossal thermopower in FeSb2

Iron diantimonide is a material with the highest known thermoelectric power. By combining scanning transmission electron microscopic study with electronic transport neutron, X-ray scattering, and first principle calculation, we identify atomic defects that control colossal thermopower magnitude and nanoprecipitate clusters with Sb vacancy ordering, which induce additional phonon scattering and substantially reduce thermal conductivity. Defects are found to cause rather weak but important monoclinic distortion of the unit cell Pnnm → Pm. The absence of Sb along [010] for high defect concentration forms conducting path due to Fe d orbital overlap. The connection between atomic defect anisotropy and colossal thermopower in FeSb2 paves the way for the understanding and tailoring of giant thermopower in related materials.
Increases in oxygen saturation following discharge from Fontan palliation - an indicator of resolution of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations?

BACKGROUND Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations in single ventricle congenital heart disease are poorly understood. Previous studies investigating pulmonary arteriovenous malformations predominantly focus on patients with heterotaxy syndrome and interrupted inferior caval vein. It is unknown if development and resolution of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are similar for patients with and without heterotaxy syndrome. METHODS In this retrospective single-institution study, we identified patients with a history of single ventricle congenital heart disease and Fontan palliation. We then matched patients with heterotaxy syndrome (intact and interrupted inferior caval vein) and non-heterotaxy hypoplastic left heart syndrome. To compare development of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, we identified the frequency of positive diagnoses pre-Fontan. To compare resolution of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, we recorded oxygen saturation changes for 12 months following Fontan. RESULTS A total of 124 patients were included. Patients with heterotaxy and interrupted inferior caval vein were more likely to have a pre-Fontan contrast echocardiogram performed (p < 0.01) and more likely to be diagnosed with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations pre-Fontan (p < 0.01). There was no difference in oxygen saturation prior to Fontan, yet all patient groups had increased their oxygen saturations in the first year after Fontan discharge. CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are variably diagnosed prior to Fontan palliation; however, all study groups had increased oxygen saturations after Fontan discharge, potentially indicating resolution of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations in all groups. The prevalence of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations pre-Fontan is likely underestimated. A quantitative, systematic approach to diagnosis and follow-up of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations is needed to better understand susceptibility and pathophysiology.
Exploring Transfers between Earth-Moon Halo Orbits via Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning

Multi-Reward Proximal Policy Optimization, a multiobjective deep reinforcement learning algorithm, is used to examine the design space of low-thrust trajectories for a SmallSat transferring between two libration point orbits in the Earth-Moon system. Using Multi-Reward Proximal Policy Optimization, multiple policies are simultaneously and efficiently trained on three distinct trajectory design scenarios. Each policy is trained to create a unique control scheme based on the trajectory design scenario and assigned reward function. Each reward function is defined using a set of objectives that are scaled via a unique combination of weights to balance guiding the spacecraft to the target mission orbit, incentivizing faster flight times, and penalizing propellant mass usage. Then, the policies are evaluated on the same set of perturbed initial conditions in each scenario to generate the propellant mass usage, flight time, and state discontinuities from a reference trajectory for each control scheme. The resulting low-thrust trajectories are used to examine a subset of the multi-objective trade space for the SmallSat trajectory design scenario. By autonomously constructing the solution space, insights into the required propellant mass, flight time, and transfer geometry are rapidly achieved.
Accelerated hematopoietic mitotic aging measured by DNA methylation, blood cell lineage, and Parkinson's disease.

Author(s): Paul, Kimberly C; Binder, Alexandra M; Horvath, Steve; Kusters, Cynthia; Yan, Qi; Rosario, Irish Del; Yu, Yu; Bronstein, Jeff; Ritz, Beate | Abstract: BackgroundAging and inflammation are important components of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis and both are associated with changes in hematopoiesis and blood cell composition. DNA methylation (DNAm) presents a mechanism to investigate inflammation, aging, and hematopoiesis in PD, using epigenetic mitotic aging and aging clocks. Here, we aimed to define the influence of blood cell lineage on epigenetic mitotic age and then investigate mitotic age acceleration with PD, while considering epigenetic age acceleration biomarkers.ResultsWe estimated epigenetic mitotic age using the "epiTOC" epigenetic mitotic clock in 10 different blood cell populations and in a population-based study of PD with whole-blood. Within subject analysis of the flow-sorted purified blood cell types DNAm showed a clear separation of epigenetic mitotic age by cell lineage, with the mitotic age significantly lower in myeloid versus lymphoid cells (p = 2.1e-11). PD status was strongly associated with accelerated epigenetic mitotic aging (AccelEpiTOC) after controlling for cell composition (OR = 2.11, 95 % CI = 1.56, 2.86, p = 1.6e-6). AccelEpiTOC was also positively correlated with extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration, a DNAm aging biomarker related to immune system aging (with cell composition adjustment: R = 0.27, p = 6.5e-14), and both were independently associated with PD. Among PD patients, AccelEpiTOC measured at baseline was also associated with longitudinal motor and cognitive symptom decline.ConclusionsThe current study presents a first look at epigenetic mitotic aging in PD and our findings suggest accelerated hematopoietic cell mitosis, possibly reflecting immune pathway imbalances, in early PD that may also be related to motor and cognitive progression.
Temporally Overlapping Dual-Tracer PET Studies

There has been increased interest in studying multiple neurotransmitter–neuroreceptor systems within the same subject. Currently, examination of two distinct neuropharmacologic measures with positron emission tomography (PET) involves performing two independent scans. This chapter proposes a dual-tracer protocol with a single overlapping PET scan and analysis using a combined compartmental model. Advantages include (1) reduction in scan time by 1.5–2 hr, (2) neuropharmacology measures would be obtained over nearly the same interval, and (3) interventional protocols involving a pair of dual-tracer scans could be performed in a single session. Simulations were performed for various combinations of three tracers: [11C]flumazenil (FMZ), [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ), and N-[11C]methylpiperidinylpropionate (PMP). Noisy time-activity curves were generated simulating injection separations of 10–30 min. Model parameters were estimated for both tracers simultaneously using the combined model. For FMZ/DTBZ, two parallel two-compartment configurations were used, estimating K1 and distribution volume (DV) for each ligand. For tracer pairs involving PMP, a parallel two- and three-compartment combination was used, estimating K1 and DV for FMZ or DTBZ and K1 and k3 for PMP. Parameter estimation accuracy is strongly dependent on the choice of tracers, the brain region, the parameter of interest, the injection order, and, obviously, the injection spacing. Examination of the covariance among parameters is important for interpreting model performance. Making specific conclusions that can be generalized to any tracer pair is difficult; however, the use of tracers with rapid kinetics will yield greater success. The authors conclude that dual-tracer single-scan PET is feasible and can be implemented with a number of different radiotracers.
Positive pressure effect on manganese binding by bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal plumes.

A positive pressure effect (1.4 to 3.3×) on the binding of Mn2+ by a natural population of bacteria in a deep-sea hydrothermal plume was discovered over the intermediate pressure range of 1 to 200 atm (1 to 200 bars; ca. 1.01 × 102 to 2.03 × 104 kPa). The data suggest Mn2+ binding is functionally barophilic rather than simply barotolerant.
Single-Molecule Fluorescence Studies of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) (also referred to as natively unfolded proteins) play critical roles in a variety of cellular processes such as transcription and translation and also are linked to several human diseases. Biophysical studies of IDPs present unusual experimental challenges due in part to their broad conformational heterogeneity and potentially complex binding-induced folding behavior. By minimizing the averaging over an ensemble (which is typical of most conventional experiments), single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) techniques have recently begun to add advanced capabilities for structural studies to the experimental arsenal of IDP investigators. Here, we briefly discuss a few common SMF methods that are particularly useful for IDP studies, including SMF resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, along with site-specific protein-labeling methods that are essential for application of these methods to IDPs. We then present an overview of a few studies in this area, highlighting how SMF methods are being used to gain valuable information about two amyloidogenic IDPs, the Parkinson's disease-linked α-synuclein and the NM domain of the yeast prion protein Sup 35. SMF experiments provided new information about the proteins' rapidly fluctuating IDP forms, and the complex α-synuclein folding behavior upon its binding to lipid and membrane mimics. We anticipate that SMF and single-molecule methods, in general, will find broad application for structural and mechanistic studies of a wide variety of IDPs, both of their disordered conformations, and their ordered ensembles relevant for function and disease.
The human LT system: VII. Release of soluble forms and delivery to target L-929 cells by lectin-preactivated human lymphocytes in the absence of protein synthesis and secretory processes☆

Abstract We have investigated the effects of inhibitors of cellular protein synthesis (emetine, cycloheximide) and secretion (colchicine, cytochalasin B) on the capacity of primary or secondary lectin-activated human lymphocytes to release LT molecules or to cause lectin-induced destruction (LICC) of murine L-929 cells in vitro . Our findings reveal: (a) agents which inhibit protein synthesis or secretion block the release of LT activity into the supernatant and LICC when primary lectin-stimulated human adenoid lymphocytes are employed as effector cells; (b) these same agents are ineffective at blocking LT release or LICC when 3- or 5-day lectin-prestimulated lymphocytes are employed; and (c) anti-human α-LT serum blocks LICC of L-929 cells mediated by primary or secondary lectin-activated human lymphocytes. The difference in participation of effector cellular processes in LICC between primary and secondary lectin-stimulated cells correlates with the findings that preactivated lymphoid cells possess high levels of preformed intracellular, as well as membrane associated, LT molecules, and that release of these materials into the supernatant or delivery to the target cell can occur independently of active protein biosynthesis or classical secretory systems.
Supersymmetry Formulated in Superspace

Properties of the superspace formulation of supergravity and gauge supersymmetry are examined. The interrelations between the two theories are described. The existence of the supergravity torsion in the Riemannian superspace of gauge supersymmetry is explained. The ultraviolet finiteness of gauge supersymmetry to arbitrary loop order is discussed. The finiteness is shown using the Green’s functions in the linearized harmonic gauge. The general status of gauge supersymmetry and supergravity is commented on.
Plate Tectonics and Crustal Evolution

Preface Plate tectonics The Earth's crust Tectonic settings Crustal evolution The core and mantel Supercontinents Atmosphere, oceans and climate Life and mass extinctions The origin of the solar system Earth systems Appendix - methodologies Index.
Hispanics in the United States: Endogamous and Exogamous Marriage Patterns among Latino Household Heads

One measure of acculturation into the host society among immigrant populations is the changing frequency they choose to marry outside of their particular national, racial, or ethnic groups. The databases we have used throughout this book provide a number of ways to examine changing marriage patterns among Latinos. We have chosen to use data on household heads and their spouses as indicators of shifting marriage choices between 1980 and 2005. These household data are not ideal in that they do not represent marriage patterns among the entire Hispanic population, as there may have been more than one family living within a household. There could have been cross-generational related families or multiple families living in the same household. However, the Census Bureau designated only one person as the head of the household. Despite their imperfections, these data on household heads and their spouses are suggestive of general endogamous and exogamous marriage patterns among the Latino population. As expected, there were significant differences in marriage patterns when domestic-born Latinos are compared with their foreign-born counterparts. By 2005 roughly 90% of Latino foreign-born household heads, both male and female, married other Latinos, while a significantly lower portion – about two-thirds – of domestic-born Latino household heads of both sexes married other Latinos. (See Table 12.1.) Between 1980 and 2005, the percentage of domestic-born male Latino household heads who married other Latinos fell from 75% to 69%, while there was almost no change in the percentage of female domestic-born Latino household heads who married other Latinos – 65% in 1980 and 66% in 2005. Over the same period there was marginal change in the percentage of male and female foreign-born Latinos who married other Latinos. (See Graph 12.1.) When marrying non-Latinos, most household heads married non-Hispanic whites, and only a very small percentage chose to marry non-Hispanic blacks or Asians. (See Graph 12.2.)
Genetically modified baculoviruses: a historical overview and future outlook.

Abstract The concept of using genetic engineering to improve the natural insecticidal activity of baculoviruses emerged during the 1980s. Both academic and industrial laboratories have since invested a great deal of effort to generate genetically modified (GM) or recombinant baculoviruses with dramatically improved speeds of kill. Optimal production methodologies and formulations have also been developed, and the safety and ecology of the recombinant baculoviruses have been thoroughly investigated. Unfortunately, the initial excitement that was generated by these technologies was tempered when industry made a critical decision to not complete the registration process of GM baculoviruses for pest insect control. In this chapter, we summarize the developments in the field from a historical perspective and provide our opinions as to the current status and future potential of the technology. We will argue that GM baculoviruses are valuable and viable tools for pest insect control both alone and in combination with wild‐type viruses. We believe that these highly effective biopesticides still have a bright future in modern agriculture as public awareness and acceptance of GM organisms, including GM baculoviruses, increases.
Do Culture and Institutions Matter? Explaining the Sources of Cross‐National Regime Support

What determines the level of popular support for regimes? There are two approaches to answering this question: one that emphasizes the role of culture in conditioning individuals' evaluations of political objects and another that emphasizes the importance of institutional arrangements in constraining and channeling individual behavior. I hypothesize that cross-national variation in regime support is, in part, a consequence of an interaction between cultural values and institutional arrangements. The results indicate that the impact of culture on regime support is mediated by the institutional context. It is this insight that can help us to better understand where regime support originates. Related Articles Hiroi, Taeko, and Sawa Omori. 2013. “Causes and Triggers of Coups d'etat: An Event History Analysis.” Politics & Policy 41 (1): 39-64. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12001/abstract Legler, Thomas. 2012. “The Shifting Sands of Regional Governance: The Case of Inter-American Democracy Promotion.” Politics & Policy 40 (1): 848-870. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00382.x/abstract Boehmer, Charles. 2007. “The Effects of Economic Crisis, Domestic Discord, and State Efficacy on the Decision to Initiate Interstate Conflict.” Politics & Policy 35 (4): 774-809. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00084.x/abstract Related Media Data and Statistics: World Values Survey (WVS). 2013. http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/index_html Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP). 2013. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/ Applebaum, Binyamin, and Robert Gebeloff. 2012. “Even Critics of Safety Net Increasingly Depend on It.” New York Times. February 11. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/us/even-critics-of-safety-net-increasingly-depend-on-it.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 ?Que determina el nivel de apoyo popular de los regimenes? Existen dos enfoques para contestar esta pregunta, uno que subraya el papel que juega la cultura en el condicionamiento de las evaluaciones de objetos politicos que hacen los individuos y otro que destaca la importancia de arreglos institucionales para restringir y canalizar el comportamiento de los individuos. Este articulo plantea la hipotesis de que una variacion a nivel nacional del apoyo de un regimen es en parte una consecuencia de una interaccion entre valores culturales y arreglos institucionales. Los resultados de la investigacion indican que el impacto de la cultura sobre el apoyo del regimen es mediado por el contexto institucional. Este hallazgo nos ayuda a entender mejor que origina dicho apoyo.
A Relationship‐Based Model for Psychiatric Nursing Practice

PURPOSE: This article synthesizes research and theory in information processing, infant development, attachment theory, and trauma, and proposes a treatment framework for psychiatric nursing practice. CONCLUSIONS: The primacy of the nurse–patient relationship is central to healing, and elements of the psychotherapeutic relationship are delineated. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This model has the potential to serve as a practice framework for psychiatric nursing, for all levels of psychiatric nursing practice.
Inner-shell photoionization-pumped x-ray lasers. Boron

A method of producing inversion by multistage x-ray pumping of low-Z elements is described. A detailed numerical model of the physical processes involved has been created and applied to boron. It is shown that significant inversion of the 255-eV K..cap alpha.. transition of hydrogen-like boron may be produced with an optical pump laser, producing on the order of 5 x 10/sup 16/ W/cm/sup 2/. Demonstration of x-ray lasing will require a pump laser power of at least 20 TW and the solution of several technological problems which are briefly discussed.
Normal Control of Growth Hormone Secretion

Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland in a pulsatile fashion under the regulation of two hypothalamic peptides: GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates GH synthesis and secretion while somatostatin inhibits GH release. Studies in rats, sheep and humans indicate that whereas GHRH is required for the initiation of GH pulses, the amplitude of GH pulses is modulated by somatostatin. In humans, these interactions result in a pattern of volleys of GH-secretory pulses with intervening periods of relative secretory quiescence. The amplitude and frequency of GH-secretory pulses are regulated by a complex array of external and internal stimuli including age, gender, menstrual cycle phase, pubertal status, nutrition, sleep, body composition and exercise. Changes in plasma concentrations of gonadal hormones, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I likely mediate the effects of several of these factors. A greater understanding of the physiology of GH secretion will enable the development of future strategies to enhance GH secretion in GH-deficient states including the use of GH secretagogues and modification of nutrition and exercise habits.
Neurocomputing strategies in structural design — on analysing weights of feedforward neural networks

The sequel of two papers explores the applicability of selected neurocomputing strategies in the optimization of structural systems. The present paper describes the use of interconnection weights of a multilayer, feedforward neural network to extract information pertinent to a design space modelled by such a network. It is shown that aweights analysis provides a technique to assess the effect of all input quantities on a given output. Such dependencies are expressed in the form of atransition matrix, and their evaluation is reduced to the inspection of elements of a matrix row. Explicit formulae are derived for networks with one and two hidden layers and can easily be generalized to networks with an arbitrary number of hidden layers. In addition to its use as a tool to partition design spaces, the weights analysis may be employed to assist in determining the size of hidden layers and an adequate number of training patterns (input-output pairs). Several numerical examples from the field of structural analysis are provided, and the paper underscores the utility of the present technique in decomposition driven optimal design; such optimization is treated in full in the companion paper.
Threshold exposure duration as a function of luminance for visual recognition

Threshold exposure duration was measured at set luminances for recognition at successively higher criteria of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 correct letters in nonsense words. Two sizes of letters were used and triads of Landolt “Cs” were compared with letters. Tachistoscopic procedures were the typical ascending seriesin the method of limits and pre- and postexposure light adaptation. Obtained log t vs log I functions were two-part straight line curves both describable by the equation, log t + log Ik = log C, but with k and C abruptly changing at a certain I. Reciprocity (k = 1) held only for low Is and the low criterion; as criterion was raised at low Is k became less negative (about −.60 at five correct) for both sizesand for “Cs.” At higher Is, k shifted from −.25 to −.40 with increasing criterion for large letters, but variedaround −.45 at all criteria for small. The lower the criterion, the lower the / and t at which k and C abruptly changed for large letters, but only t was lower for small. Changes in t with acuity requirement change, and from one criterion level to the next, were not uniform over all Is. Results may reflect obscuring procedural factors or basic properties of visual recognition processes. Some interpretations in terms of procedural variables are offered. It appears more likely that visual recognition involves central processes for which time is needed in excess of that for summation of luminances for mere detection by sensory processes, as expressed in Bloch s’ reciprocity law.
Increasing the attendance of nursing home residents at group recreation activities

This study examines the effects of several prompting procedures—signs, loudspeaker announcements, personal invitations from the recreation director, and direct prompts from the nursing staff—on the attendance at recreation activities of 20 nursing home residents. Results indicated that signs and loudspeaker announcements were generally ineffective in improving attendance at the sessions (averaging less than 10% of the residents per session), while the personal invitations resulted in marked increases in attendance (averaging just under 50% of the residents per session). Additional increases in attendance were initially obtained when the Center's nursing staff was encouraged to prompt the residents to attend, but staff prompts and, consequently, resident attendance quickly decreased to very low levels. Prominently displaying the number of residents attending each day's session, however, successfully maintained staff prompting and generated the highest levels of attendance during the study (averaging 60% of the residents per session).
The common potato pollen collector modified for bulk pollen collection

When considerable amounts of pollen must be collected, the conventional buzzer and capsule become cumbersome and inefficient. Described is a modified device that can make bulk polien collection easier and more efficient.
Seed handling in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius): implications for understanding hominoid and cercopithecine fruit-processing strategies and seed dispersal.

Primates are confronted with an array of constraints in feeding on fruit, including the removal of adhesive, energy-rich pulp from seeds. In this paper, I discuss how primates meet this challenge and present data on the fruit-processing and seed-handling behavior of chimpanzees and redtail monkeys in Kibale National Park, Uganda. These data are then related to these species' services as seed dispersers. Particular attention was paid to the methods by which primates removed pulp from seeds, the density of seed clumps that they deposited (by spitting, dropping, or defecating) to the forest floor, and the distance seeds were moved from parent trees. Distance and density differences in chimpanzee and redtail seed dispersal resulted from distinct fruit-processing and seed-handling methods. It was observed, in general, that redtail monkeys engaged in fine oral processing and were seed spitters: most seeds were dispersed in close proximity to parent trees (84% of spat seeds ,10 m of parent tree), and deposited singly (100% seeds spat singly). In contrast, chimpanzees were coarse fruit processors and seed swallowers: seeds were defecated in denser clumps (e.g., a mean of 149 large seeds/dung sample and hundreds of small seeds/dung sample), far from parent trees. I evaluate the factors that shape patterns of fruit processing in hominoids and cercopithecines, and argue that the observed seed handling differences can be attributed to differences in digestive retention times, oral anatomy, and alternative mechanisms by which to avoid the cost of seed ballast. Am J Phys Anthropol 109:365-386, 1999. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Some experiences using a positron annihilation beam

Abstract The NBS positron annihilation-in-flight facility is described, along with the procedure for the calibration of the positron beam energy. Details are also given of a large NaI(Tl) spectrometer used with the annihilation photon beam. Response functions of this spectrometer for photons of 15 and 31 MeV have been measured using a photon tagging scheme based on the detection of the annihilation photons in coincidence. The variation in response function caused by the presence of absorbers in front of the spectrometer has been investigated. The response function measured at 15 MeV is compared with that obtained by resonance fluorescence of the 15.1 MeV level in 12C and the branching ratios for the decay of the 15.1 MeV level to the ground state and the excited states at 4.44 and 7.66 MeV have been extracted.