cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corruption and Compliance in the EU's Post‐Communist Members and Candidates

Some 20 years after the end of communism in central and eastern Europe, the European Union (EU) is still working through the opportunities and challenges of enlarging eastwards. For the EU and its new members alike, enlargement has been a success: ten formerly communist states have joined and experienced the economic and geopolitical benefits of membership after the relative rigours of the EU’s pre-accession process. The EU’s requirements for membership forced candidates to reform the state and the economy, reducing the role of the state in the economy and improving the transparency and efficiency of state institutions. In many areas, however, strict enforcement was limited to the adoption – and not the implementation – of the acquis and the reform of the public administration leaves much room for improvement. For the older Member States, enlargement has also brought economic and geopolitical benefits, tempered with challenges ranging from popular concerns about welcoming workers from the new members to concerns about including so many new members in the EU’s institutions. In 2008 the issue of corruption in the EU’s newest members – Bulgaria and Romania – took centre stage as it touched on several sensitive issues within the EU. As Europe followed the United States into economic crisis, what hit headlines in 2008 was blatant corruption in the disbursement of EU
Entropy and enthalpy contributions to the kinetics of proton coupled electron transfer to the Mn4O4(O2PPh2)6 cubane

The dependence of rate, entropy of activation, and (1H/2H) kinetic isotope effect for H-atom transfer from a series of p-substituted phenols to cubane Mn4O4L6 (L = O2PPh2) (1) reveals the activation energy to form the transition state is proportional to the phenolic O–H bond dissociation energy. New implications for water oxidation and charge recombination in photosystem II are described.
Reducing Appointment No-Shows: Going from Theory to Practice

Addiction appointment no-shows adversely impact clinical outcomes and healthcare productivity. During 2007–2010, 67 treatment organizations in the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention program were asked to reduce their no-show rates by using practices taken from no-show research and theory. These treatment organizations reduced outpatient no-show rates from 37.4% to 19.9% (p = .000), demonstrated which practices they preferred to implement, and which practices were most effective in reducing no-show rates. This study provides an applied synthesis of addiction treatment no-show research and suggests future directions for no-show research and practice.
Emotions and Attributions of Legal Responsibility and Blame: A Research Review

Research on the effects of emotions and moods on judgments of legal responsibility and blame is reviewed. Emotions and moods may influence decision makers in 3 ways: by affecting their information processing strategies, by inclining their judgments in the direction of the valence of the emotion or mood, and/or by providing informational cues to the proper decision. A model is proposed that incorporates these effects and further distinguishes among various affective influences in terms of whether the affect is provoked by a source integral or incidental to the judgment task, and whether it affects judgment directly (e.g., by providing an informational cue to judgment) or indirectly (e.g., by affecting construal of judgment target features, which in turn affects the judgment). Legal decision makers' abilities to correct for any affective influences they perceive to be undesirable and normative implications for legal theory and practice are briefly discussed.
Ground-state properties and pair potentials for paramagnetic iron and nickel

Abstract Within a framework of the local density functional formalism the static properties and radial pair potentials for paramagnetic iron and nickel are computed. The construction of pair potential is based on the assumption that the cohesive energy can be expressed as a sum of pair interaction energies. The pair potentials for both metals are expressed by Morse functions.
Comparative effectiveness research in hand surgery.

Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is a concept initiated by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and financially supported by the federal government. The primary objective of the CER is to improve decision making in medicine. This research is intended to evaluate the effectiveness, benefits, and harmful effects of alternative interventions. With encouragement from the IOM, CER studies are commonly large, simple, observational, and conducted using electronic databases. To date, there is little comparative effectiveness evidence within hand surgery to guide therapeutic decisions. A general discussion of CER will illuminate how it could make a beneficial impact. In order to draw conclusions on effectiveness through electronic health records, databases must contain clinical information and outcomes relevant to hand surgery interventions, such as patient-related outcomes (PRO). Unlike objective measures such as morbidity, mortality and physiological markers, PROs provide patients’ perspective on treatment benefit and can be the outcome of greatest importance.
Detecting rainfall interception in an Amazonian rain forest with eddy flux measurements

Summary We introduce a new method to estimate rainfall interception and demonstrate its use for data obtained in an old-growth rain forest in the eastern Amazon basin. The approach is to use eddy covariance evaporation observations to estimate the ‘excess’ evaporation that occurs following individual events. Ensemble averaged water vapor fluxes were calculated from original high frequency data both for rain event and for base state dry days. Interception was inferred from the difference between observed evaporation for selected times during and following rainfall events from baseline evaporation estimates. This method allows the interception evaporation to be directly measured rather than determined from the residual of incident precipitation and throughfall. In conventional studies, large differences in throughfall can occur on a site due to varying forest canopy density, structure and the appearance of canopy gaps. This problem is mitigated when using the current approach, which provides an average interception value over the flux footprint area. Identification of light rainfall events not detected by an on-site tipping bucket rain gauge was aided by the use of a ceilometer. The mean interception for all events in the study (daytime and nocturnal) was 11.6%, comparable to some recent conventional studies in this region. We found an approximately 15% increase of evaporative fraction on the rain days as compared to dry baseline days, with the energy being supplied by a corresponding decrease in the canopy heat storage. Since net radiation is used to scale the evaporation in this method, this method may be applicable to data from other tower sites in varying surface and climatic types. We did not find that bulk stomatal resistance vanishes just after rainfall. The effective bulk stomatal resistance can be used as the observational equivalent of the wet fraction of canopy parameter used in interception models.
Wolbachia Induces Male-Specific Mortality in the Mosquito Culex pipiens (LIN Strain)

Background Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of invertebrates, including insects, arachnids, crustaceans and filarial nematodes. Wolbachia are responsible for causing diverse reproductive alterations in their invertebrate hosts that maximize their transmission to the next generation. Evolutionary theory suggests that due to maternal inheritance, Wolbachia should evolve toward mutualism in infected females, but strict maternal inheritance means there is no corresponding force to select for Wolbachia strains that are mutualistic in males. Methodology/Principal findings Using cohort life-table analysis, we demonstrate that in the mosquito Culex pipiens (LIN strain), Wolbachia-infected females show no fitness costs due to infection. However, Wolbachia induces up to a 30% reduction in male lifespan. Conclusions/significance These results indicate that the Wolbachia infection of the Culex pipiens LIN strain is virulent in a sex-specific manner. Under laboratory situations where mosquitoes generally mate at young ages, Wolbachia strains that reduce male survival could evolve by drift because increased mortality in older males is not a significant selective force.
TGFβ1 deficiency does not affect the generation and maintenance of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ putative Treg cells, but causes their numerical inadequacy and loss of regulatory function

TGFbeta1 is considered to be required for peripheral maintenance of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) T(reg) cells. However, we demonstrate no reduction in the percentage of such T cells in the spleens and thymi of Tgfb1(-/-) mice. Although putative T(reg) cells, characterized as CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+)CD62L(+) T cells, are increased in Tgfb1(-/-) mice, they may be inadequate to control activated T cells since the ratio of activated T cells:putative T(reg) cells is several-fold higher in Tgfb1(-/-) mice than in control mice. We further show that whereas Tgfb1(-/-) mice that express a chicken OVA-specific TCR transgene (DO11.10) have an increase in putative T(reg) cells, there are no detectable CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells in the spleens of DO11.10 Rag1(-/-) mice suggesting that T(reg)-cell generation is self-antigen dependent regardless of whether they express Tgfb1. Finally, we demonstrate that Tgfb1(-/-) T cells remain responsive to the suppressive effect of TGFbeta1 in vitro. These data suggest that TGFbeta1 is required for the regulatory function of T(reg) cells to prevent activation of T cells and autoimmunity.
The Transformed Political World of Older Boomers

In their later years, baby boomers will encounter a political world far different from that experienced by either their parents or grandparents. On the one hand, they will face greatly altered economic, ideological, and budgetary circumstances; on the other, their generation’s size and influence will cast them in a more glaring light than was true for those elders who came before them. These factors—both internal and external to the boomers—will have profound effects on the policy experiences of this 76 million member cohort. A promising way of appreciating and anticipating these changes is to explore how older adults, understood as a target population of political and policy activity, have changed over time. Using a typology of such populations, we can see that political perceptions of older people have shifted at least twice over the course of the past several decades. Anne Schneider and Helen Ingram (1993) proposed a simple twodimension, four-fold model to characterize how different target populations of policy-related activity can be understood politically. As seen in Table 1, the first dimension speaks to legitimacy (high or low) and the second addresses political power (high or low). The four derivative target categories are: advantaged (high legitimacy; high power); dependent (high legitimacy; low power); deviant (low legitimacy; low power); and contender (low legitimacy; high power). Writing in the 1990s, Schneider and Ingram found the elderly to be Exhibit #1 in the advantaged grouping, a categorization that few would have disputed. What the authors did not address is how these characterizations can change over time. In the case of older adults, that possibility is a two-time
Automatic Control Laboratory: New Approach to Classical Problems

The list of basic problems which have to be addressed in teaching fundamentals of automatic control has remained largely unchanged for the last several decades. Students beginning their education in automatic control are still taught how to determine system stability, or how to achieve satisfactory steady-state and transient performance at the same time. The strategy applied in developing a new Automatic Control Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Pennsylvania State University was to present the same classical problems using modern, attractive digital hardware and software. Each experimental set-up in the laboratory is equipped with an individual AT&T 6300 personal computer and printer. The computer system is used for data acquisition, monitoring, and control of the experiments and is thus replacing many devices such as oscilloscopes, function generators, strip chart and x-y recorders, traditionally used in student laboratories. As a result, the use of personal computers with A/D and D/A interface not only brings the elements of attractive technique to the laboratory but it is also cost efficient. The processes studied in a one-credit undergraduate course, Automatic Controls Laboratory, include position and velocity control with d.c. motors, pneumatic servomechanism, and electric air heater. A mixture of commercial and in-house software is available for data acquisition, system analysis and design. Due to the considerable flexibility of the digital equipment, the laboratory is also used in a variety of individual independent study projects as well as in a graduate course on digital process control.
Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Glucose Sensor from Site-Specific Dual Labeling of Glucose/Galactose Binding Protein Using Ligand Protection

Background: Site-selective modification of proteins at two separate locations using two different reagents is highly desirable for biosensor applications employing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), but few strategies are available for such modification. To address this challenge, sequential selective modification of two cysteines in glucose/galactose binding protein (GGBP) was demonstrated using a technique we call “ligand protection.” Method: In this technique, two cysteines were introduced in GGBP and one cysteine is rendered inaccessible by the presence of glucose, thus allowing sequential attachment of two different thiol-reactive reagents. The mutant E149C/A213C/L238S was first labeled at E149C in the presence of the ligand glucose. Following dialysis and removal of glucose, the protein was labeled with a second dye, either Texas Red (TR) C5 bromoacetamide or TR C2 maleimide, at the second site, A213C. Results: Changes in glucose-dependent fluorescence were observed that were consistent with FRET between the nitrobenzoxadiazole and TR fluorophores. Comparison of models and spectroscopic properties of the C2 and C5 TR FRET constructs suggests the greater rigidity of the C2 linker provides more efficient FRET. Conclusions: The ligand protection strategy provides a simple method for labeling GGBP with two different fluorophores to construct FRET-based glucose sensors with glucose affinity within the human physiological glucose range (1–30 mM). This general strategy may also have broad utility for other protein-labeling applications.
Hormonal control of ventral diaphragm myogenesis during metamorphosis of the moth, Manduca sexta.

Both the proliferation and differentiation of ventral diaphragm myoblasts are controlled by ecdysteroid during metamorphosis of the moth, Manduca sexta, but the responses have different hormonal requirements. Tonic exposure to moderate levels of ecdysteroid are required to stimulate myoblast proliferation. This is due to the presence of an ecdysteroid-dependent control point in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. As a result, proliferation can be repeatedly turned on or off simply by adjusting the concentration of ecdysteroid to be above or below a critical threshold concentration. In contrast, high levels of ecdysteroid trigger irreversible proliferative arrest and differentiation of myofibers. Myoblast proliferation and differentiation also differ in their response to the juvenile hormone mimic, methoprene. Ecdysteroid-dependent proliferative arrest and differentiation are blocked by coculture with methoprene but methoprene has no effect on ecdysteroid-dependent proliferation. In the animal, premature exposure to high levels of ecdysteroid in the absence of juvenile hormone triggers precocious differentiation of the myoblasts, resulting in the formation of several thin bands of muscle rather than a complete diaphragm. Thus, ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone collaborate to determine the size and shape of the adult musculature.
Reduction–Oxidation Potential of Blood as a Function of Partial Pressure of Oxygen

ATTEMPTS to establish the reduction–oxidation potential of blood as a useful index in clinical medicine1 have met with little success. Possibly the redox measurement of blood, despite its reasonable reliability3, is too crude an index for the changes which are likely to occur in the many and complex interacting electron transport systems of the blood. On the other hand, the reasons for failure may be largely technical. Redox measurements of the blood have usually been carried out under unknown or uncontrolled conditions of pH. and temperature, and in the presence of unknown partial pressures of oxygen in the blood. These variables could account for relatively marked changes in the redox measurement2.
Development of arc ion sources for heavy ion fusion

An overview of the development of arc ion sources for heavy ion fusion is presented. Two approaches to heavy ion fusion (HIF)-the RF linac-storage ring approach and the induction linac approach-are described. RF linac schemes require low emittance and moderate current levels, because the beam is accumulated in storage rings before being focused on target. The induction linac approach requires low emittance and high current, because this is a single-pass approach to HIF and one wishes to limit the number of beams in the machine. The RF scheme generally uses long pulse sources together with a buncher of RFQ. The induction linac approach requires sources in the microsecond pulse length range, with good optics being maintained during the pulse. Emphasis is on the induction linac approach pursued at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. >
Finding abstract commonalties of category members

To form a coherent conceptual category and use it for inductive inference, the cognitive system needs to discover commonalties among different objects. How does the system accomplish this task? This study compares two of the most commonly used functions of categories–classification and feature inference–and examines their effectiveness in finding abstract commonalties of category members. The results from two experiments show that a classification task is not very useful for abstraction. In contrast, a feature inference task is advantageous in extracting abstract commonalties. However, this advantage is limited. Finding abstract commonalities becomes burdensome when category labels are absent in the feature inference task. These results underscore the importance of category membership information for abstraction. It is suggested that this advantage comes from the fact that category labels help form structured representation and facilitate structural alignment.
Parameterization of the Moisture and Heat Transfer Process over the Ocean under Whitecap Sea States

Abstract The mechanics of evaporation from the ocean under whitecap sea states was analysed by taking into account the water droplets produced by sea sprays and popping of entrained air bubbles. The theory proves that the droplets are a major source of moisture for the humidity field, and at the same time the latent heat of evaporation from the droplets is a dominant heat sink for the temperature field. Many known atmospheric conditions over the ocean can be correctly simulated by the present theory. From these results, an analytical expression for the rate of vertical flux of water vapor was obtained.
An improved neural classification network for the two-group problem

Abstract In this paper we present the neural network model known as the mixture-of-experts (MOE) and determine its accuracy and its robustness. We do this by comparing the classification accuracy of MOE, backpropagation neural network (BPN), Fisher’s discriminant analysis, logistics regression, k nearest neighbor, and the kernel density on five real-world two-group data sets. Our results lead to three major conclusions: (1) the MOE network architecture is more accurate than BPN; (2) MOE tends to be more accurate than the parametric and non-parametric methods investigated; (3) MOE is a far more robust classifier than the other methods for the two-group problem. Scope and purpose The two-group classification problem is the assignment of objects to one of two predetermined groups. These classification decisions are routinely made in business, health care, and government. Classification errors result when an object is assigned to the wrong group. A healthy patient might be diagnosed with cancer, or a patient suffering from cancer might be diagnosed as healthy. A firm assigned the wrong bond rating will incur additional cost of capital of millions of dollars. Unfortunately, there is no classification method that is the “best” for all data sets. Some classification methods will do well for a given data set only to perform poorly on another. What is needed, therefore, is a robust methodology that classifies accurately across a wide range of two-group data sets. Researchers and practitioners have turned to neural classification models in a quest for a robust method. The purpose of this research is to investigate the accuracy and robust nature of the mixture-of-experts neural network (MOE). Our research demonstrates that MOE performs very well against back-propagation neural networks and four traditional statistical classification procedures based upon results from five diverse real world data sets. We conclude that the mixture-of-experts neural network may be the robust classification scheme being sought for use with the two-group problem.
Wave reflection from a gently sloping beach

The linear reflection of an obliquely incident gravity wave of frequency ω from a gently sloping beach of shoreline slope σ and characteristic length l is determined for σ [Lt ] 1 [Lt ] ω 2 l/g . An asymptotic (σ↓0), inviscid approximation that is uniformly valid in the shallow-water domain is matched to Keller's (1958) geometrical-optics approximation for non-shallow water. An exact solution is obtained for the profile h = σ l [1−exp (− x/l )] in the shallow-water domain and used to test the asymptotic approximation. The absence of viscosity implies perfect reflection. A model that incorporates both small viscosity and small capillarity predicts a fixed contact line and the reflection coefficient | R | = exp [−πσ −2 g −1 (2νω 3 ) ½ ], where ν is the kinematic viscosity. These predictions are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results of Mahony & Pritchard (1980).
Genetically determined immunodeficiency diseases (GDID) and malignancy: report from the immunodeficiency--cancer registry.

Abstract There are 267 individuals with both genetically determined immunodeficiency diseases (GDID) and malignancy in this report from the Immunodeficiency-Cancer Registry (ICR). Thirteen GDIDs from the World Health Organization's Primary Immunodeficiencies list have been identified to date as being linked to malignancy. The predominant tumor histology is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lymphoid leukemias (158 of 267 cases or 59%). Among the 11 cases in which surface marker studies of malignant blast cells were done and reported to the ICR, 7 had phenotypes which were B-like in origin, 2 were T-like, and 2 were non-B, non-T (i.e., “null-like”). Epithelial malignancies, especially stomach carcinomas, continue to be reported in GDID patients. Possible biases in our case registry are discussed, including the possibility that certain immunodeficiencies are underrepresented, that certain tumors are overreported, and that diagnostic criteria of lymphomas have changed in the years that ICR cases were diagnosed. More research will be necessary to determine if immunodeficiency results in malignancy or whether the events occur in parallel from a common cause in individuals with genetically determined immunodeficiency diseases.
The Sepsis‐Coagulant Axis: A Review

Activation of coagulation is a normal component of the acute inflammatory response. Inflammatory cytokines initiate coagulation events locally at sites of inflammation by converting endothelium from an antithrombotic surface to a prothrombotic surface; by stimulating tissue factor production, which activates both the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation systems; and by stimulating production of platelet-activating factors. The fibrinolytic system is initially activated but is subsequently inhibited. This results in a marked imbalance in coagulation and fibrinolysis resulting in a net procoagulant state. When thrombin generation and platelet activation exceed the body's capacity to inactivate or remove these factors, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) results. DIC directly contributes to multiple organ failure and death associated with sepsis. Presently available treatments (i.e., heparin and aspirin) are relatively ineffective in treating DIC; however, newer, more potent drugs may soon be available for clinical use.
Unaccountable Justice? The Decision Making of Magistrate Judges in the Federal District Courts

Modern federal district courts delegate vast decision-making powers throughout criminal and civil cases to magistrate judges—judicial actors that, unlike other federal judges, serve without an Article III political appointment. Through the lens of principal-agency theory, this study seeks to rectify the relative paucity of systematic work on these actors by using original filing and motion-level district court data to examine magistrates' decision making empirically. Our results support our expectations that magistrates are often constrained by the preferences of the district judges in and the institutional characteristics of their district while issuing reports and recommendations and serving as assigned judges by the consent of the parties.
Microcentrifuge-Based Method for Measuring Water-Holding of Protein Gels

A method developed to measure water-holding properties of protein gels provides high precision and expanded analysis. A cylindrical gel sample was placed in an inner cell (which at its base contained a filter membrane) of a commercial microfiltration unit. The unit was then spun in a horizontal rotor microcentrifuge. Rates of water loss and degree of compression were determined. The rate of water loss could be modeled as the summation of two exponential decay functions. Degree of compression correlated with held-water. Gel rehydration ability and microstructure were used to study effects of centrifugal compression on gel structure.
Meeting the Needs of Single-Parent Children: School and Parent Views Differ

Students from single-parent families have special needs, as identified by a survey of parents in one midwestern state.
Effects of levees on soil microbial activity in a large river floodplain

In recent years, large river floodplains have received attention because of their importance in water quality amelioration and biodiversity support. However, few studies have addressed the effects of the extensive anthropogenic modification of floodplains caused by levee construction. To assess the effects of levees on soil properties, we measured microbial activities (electron transport system and extracellular enzyme activities), soil properties (organic matter, pH, ions, soil texture, etc.), coarse woody debris and litter accumulations in a section of the Wisconsin River floodplain in 1999 and 2000, where levees were constructed more than 100 years ago. No significant differences in the amount of organic matter or coarse woody debris were observed outside the levee compared to areas inside the levee. However, significantly higher microbial activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphatase) per gram organic matter were found for soils inside the levee. These changes were attributed to (1) modified hydrology, which caused differences in water availability and soil chemistry, and (2) tree species composition (e.g. higher number of oaks outside the levee), which caused differences in substrate quality. These results suggest that modification of the hydrologic regime by levees may alter not only the structure of plant communities but also the organic matter dynamics of floodplain. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vegetation change and forest regeneration on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska following a spruce beetle outbreak, 1987-2000

Abstract Forests of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska experienced widespread spruce (Picea spp.) mortality during a massive spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) infestation over a 15-year period. In 1987, and again in 2000, the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program conducted initial and remeasurement inventories of forest vegetation to assess the broad-scale impacts of this infestation. Analysis of vegetation composition was conducted with indirect gradient analysis using nonmetric multidimensional scaling to determine the overall pattern of vegetation change resulting from the infestation and to evaluate the effect of vegetation change on forest regeneration. For the latter we specifically assessed the impact of the grass bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) on white spruce (Picea glauca) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) regeneration. Changes in vegetation composition varied both in magnitude and direction among geographic regions of the Kenai Peninsula. Forests of the southern Kenai Lowland showed the most marked change in composition indicated by relatively large distances between 1987 and 2000 measurements in ordination space. Specific changes included high white spruce mortality (87% reduction in basal area of white spruce >12.7 cm diameter-at-breast height (dbh)) and increased cover of early successional species such as bluejoint and fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium). Forests of the Kenai Mountains showed a different directional change in composition characterized by moderate white spruce mortality (46% reduction) and increased cover of late-successional mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). Forests of the Gulf Coast and northern Kenai Lowland had lower levels of spruce mortality (22% reduction of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and 28% reduction of white spruce, respectively) and did not show consistent directional changes in vegetation composition. Bluejoint increased by ≥10% in cover on 12 of 33 vegetation plots on the southern Kenai Lowland but did not increase by these amounts on the 82 plots sampled elsewhere on the Kenai Peninsula. Across the Kenai Lowland, however, regeneration of white spruce and paper birch did not change in response to the outbreak or related increases in bluejoint cover from 1987 to 2000. Although some infested areas will be slow to reforest owing to few trees and no seedlings, we found no evidence of widespread reductions in regeneration following the massive spruce beetle infestation.
Diguanylate Cyclases Control Magnesium-Dependent Motility of Vibrio fischeri

Flagellar biogenesis and hence motility of Vibrio fischeri depends upon the presence of magnesium. In the absence of magnesium, cells contain few or no flagella and are poorly motile or nonmotile. To dissect the mechanism by which this regulation occurs, we screened transposon insertion mutants for those that could migrate through soft agar medium lacking added magnesium. We identified mutants with insertions in two distinct genes, VF0989 and VFA0959, which we termed mifA and mifB, respectively, for magnesium-dependent induction of flagellation. Each gene encodes a predicted membrane-associated protein with diguanylate cyclase activity. Consistent with that activity, introduction into V. fischeri of medium-copy plasmids carrying these genes inhibited motility. Furthermore, multicopy expression of mifA induced other phenotypes known to be correlated with diguanylate cyclase activity, including cellulose biosynthesis and biofilm formation. To directly test their function, we introduced the wild-type genes on high-copy plasmids into Escherichia coli. We assayed for the production of cyclic di-GMP using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography and found that strains carrying these plasmids produced a small but reproducible spot that migrated with an Rf value consistent with cyclic di-GMP that was not produced by strains carrying the vector control. Disruptions of mifA or mifB increased flagellin levels, while multicopy expression decreased them. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR experiments revealed no significant difference in the amount of flagellin transcripts produced in either the presence or absence of Mg2+ by either vector control or mifA-overexpressing cells, indicating that the impact of magnesium and cyclic-di-GMP primarily acts following transcription. Finally, we present a model for the roles of magnesium and cyclic di-GMP in the control of motility of V. fischeri.
Cell surface glycosyl transferases and acceptors in normal and rna- - and dna-virus transformed fibroblasts.

Abstract Cell surface glycosyl transferases and acceptors were found to be present in normal and oncogenic virus transformed fibroblasts. In cells from confluent cultures, the reaction was elevated 2- to 4-fold in MSV-3T3, RSV-3T3 and PY-3T3 cells compared to normal 3T3 cells, but in cells from sparse cultures, the reaction was essentially equivalent in the normal and transformed cells. Using exogenous acceptors, elevated surface levels of some glycoprotein:glycosyl transferases were demonstrated in the RNA- and DNA-virus transformed cells. The results may be important in phenomena such as cell:-cell adhesion and contact inhibition.
Dinoflagellates: a remarkable evolutionary experiment

In this paper, we focus on dinoflagellate ecology, toxin production, fossil record, and a molecular phylogenetic analysis of hosts and plastids. Of ecological interest are the swimming and feeding behavior, bioluminescence, and symbioses of dinoflagellates with corals. The many varieties of dinoflagellate toxins, their biological effects, and current knowledge of their origin are discussed. Knowledge of dinoflagellate evolution is aided by a rich fossil record that can be used to document their emergence and diversification. However, recent biogeochemical studies indicate that dinoflagellates may be much older than previously believed. A remarkable feature of dinoflagellates is their unique genome structure and gene regulation. The nuclear genomes of these algae are of enormous size, lack nucleosomes, and have permanently condensed chromosomes. This chapter reviews the current knowledge of gene regulation and transcription in dinoflagellates with regard to the unique aspects of the nuclear genome. Previous work shows the plastid genome of typical dinoflagellates to have been reduced to single-gene minicircles that encode only a small number of proteins. Recent studies have demonstrated that the majority of the plastid genome has been transferred to the nucleus, which makes the dinoflagellates the only eukaryotes to encode the majority of typical plastid genes in the nucleus. The evolution of the dinoflagellate plastid and the implications of these results for understanding organellar genome evolution are discussed.
"Optic neuritis" that is neither

A 28-year-old African American woman developed periocular pain worsening with eye movement and decreased vision in her left eye. A diagnosis of left optic neuropathy was made based on the findings of decreased vision in the left eye, a left relative afferent pupillary defect, and mild optic disc hyperemia in the left eye (figure 1), with normal retinae and maculae bilaterally. Automated perimetry showed a small central scotoma in the left eye. The pain with eye movements suggested an inflammatory mechanism (i.e., optic neuritis). Her neurologic examination was normal. MRI of the brain showed 2 small T2 hyperintense lesions in the right inferior frontal lobe and left periatrial white matter. The lesions did not enhance. Angiotensin converting enzyme level was slightly elevated. A chest CT was negative for pulmonary sarcoidosis. She did not receive steroids, and her visual function improved spontaneously over a few weeks. She had no neurologic symptoms and the diagnosis of clinically isolated syndrome was made. The patient declined treatment with an immunomodulatory agent.
ACHILLES' TENDON RUPTURES: OPERATIVE VERSUS NONOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT

Abstract Athletes, both professional and recreational, remain vulnerable to a sudden, complete tear of the Achilles' tendon. The debate concerning treatment of this debilitating injury has been ongoing for years. The optimum treatment strives to return the athlete to their preinjury level of competition with a minimal rate of major complications. Closed treatment offers simplicity, low cost, and avoidance of neurological or wound complications. Unfortunately, closed treatment may also have a higher rerupture rate, making it less desirable in the athletic population. Also, nonoperative treatment as compared to repaired tendons may result in decreased strength and endurance. In the athletic population, the high-performance demands and need to avoid reinjury may favor surgical treatment.
The CIA and the media

(1986). The CIA and the media. Intelligence and National Security: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 143-169.
In vitro effects of tamoxifen on adipose-derived stem cells

In breast reconstructive procedures, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) that are present in clinical fat grafting isolates are considered to play the main role in improving wound healing. In patients following chemotherapy for breast cancer, poor soft tissue wound healing is a major problem. However, it is unclear if tamoxifen (TAM) as the most widely used hormonal therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment, affects the ASCs and ultimately wound healing. This study evaluated whether TAM exposure to in vitro human ASCs modulate cellular functions. Human ASCs were isolated and treated with TAM at various concentrations. The effects of TAM on cell cycle, cell viability and proliferation rates of ASCs were examined by growth curves, MTT assay and BrdU incorporation, respectively. Annexin V and JC-1 Mitochondrial Membrane Potential assays were used to analyze ASC apoptosis rates. ASCs were cultured in derivative-specific differentiation media with or without TAM (5 uM) for 3 weeks. Adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR and histological staining. TAM has cytotoxic effects on human ASCs through apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners. TAM treatment significantly down-regulates the capacity of ASCs for adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation (p<0.05 vs. control), and inhibit the ability of the ASCs to subsequently formed cords in Matrigel. This study is the first findings to our knowledge that demonstrated that TAM inhibited ASC proliferation and multi-lineage ASC differentiation rates. These results may provide insight into the role of TAM with associated poor soft tissue wound healing and decreased fat graft survival in cancer patients receiving TAM.
Racial Heterogeneity and Crime: Measuring Static and Dynamic Effects

Using a measure to distinguish between five racial groups, this study examines the relationship between racial heterogeneity and crime within neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington at two points in time - 1980 and 1990 - and, more importantly, determines whether changes in levels of racial heterogeneity are associated with changes in the crime rate over the 10-year period. There are three significant findings: 1) racial heterogeneity is a strong predictor of neighborhood violent crime independent of other socio-economic and demographic factors; 2) the inclusion of racial heterogeneity in the model reduces the predictive strength of percent black in explaining violent crime; and 3) changes in levels of racial heterogeneity are positively associated with changes in the violent crime rate.
Bioavailability of (Geno)toxic Contaminants in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon–Contaminated Soil Before and After Biological Treatment

Abstract Contaminated soil from a former manufactured-gas plant site was treated in a laboratory-scale bioreactor. Desorbability and biodegradability of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 4 oxygenated PAHs (oxy-PAHs) were investigated throughout a treatment cycle. Desorbability was determined using a mixed-function sorbent (Oasis® HLB) or a hydrophobic sorbent (Tenax®) in dialysis tubing suspended in the soil slurry. Toxicity and genotoxicity of the whole soil and the desorbable fractions were determined by DNA damage response analysis with the chicken DT40 B-lymphocyte isogenic cell line and its DNA repair-deficient mutant Rad54−/−. Biological treatment significantly removed both PAHs and oxy-PAHs, and their desorbability decreased throughout the bioreactor treatment cycle. Collectively, oxy-PAHs were more desorbable and biodegradable than the corresponding PAHs; for example, the oxy-PAH present at the highest concentration, 9,10-anthraquinone, was more desorbable and biodegradable than anthr...
Assessment of Breast Cancer Induced Bone Quality Changes Using Raman Spectroscopy

Cancer bone metastases result in bone degradation and pathologic fracture. This study investigated compositional alterations in metastatic bones from a mouse model of breast cancer and showed significant cancer induced difference in bone quality.
Immunogenicity and protection conferred by a recombinant Mycobacterium marinum vaccine against Buruli ulcer

Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU) infection causes the disfiguring necrotic skin disease, Buruli ulcer (BU). While vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis BCG provides nominal antigenic cross-reactivity for induction of immunity against experimental MU infection, a mycobacterial species with greater genetic homology to Mycobacterium ulcerans may serve as a richer source of cross-protective immunogens and lack the pathological features of MU-based vaccines. Mycobacterium marinum, a highly homologous genetic relative of MU, could be used to satisfy these criteria and, as such, we have generated a recombinant M. marinum strain expressing the immunodominant, protective MU-Ag85A. The immunogenicity and protection achieved by murine vaccination with this strain are superior to standard BCG vaccination and may serve as a foundation for developing more effective BU vaccines.
Assessing the impact of prescribing directives on opioid prescribing practices among Veterans Health Administration providers

Purpose The study aimed to test whether directives on opioid prescribing released by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had an impact on prescribing among VHA providers. Methods We used the VHA's linked pharmacy and patient medical records database to identify new prescriptions written for propoxyphene, fentanyl, and controlled release (CR) oxycodone between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2009. We plotted the monthly proportion of these prescriptions that complied with components of four specific safety alerts or directives for these substances issued by the VHA or FDA between 1/1/2001 and 12/31/2008. We modeled compliance using interrupted time series analysis and a generalized additive model with the addition of an indicator variable to flag prescriptions that followed the directive's release date. Results A total of 32.2 million new prescriptions for fentanyl, oxycodone CR, and propoxyphene were written for VHA patients meeting inclusion criteria. Compliance with guidelines in the directives increased steadily throughout the entire study period, with no clinically meaningful inflection point near the date of each directive's release. Generalized additive modeling and interrupted time series analysis found that the indicator flag slightly improved the fit of the data, but visual inspection of the plots revealed no change at a level of practical significance. Conclusions While prescribing compliance increased throughout the period, release of FDA and VHA alerts and guidelines did not appear to contribute to this change. Given the fivefold increase in the rate of drug-related overdose deaths since 1990, identifying effective methods to communicate safety messages and change prescriber behavior remains a priority for future work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of Temporal Dynamics for Adaptive Human-Robot Interaction in Assembly Manufacturing

Human-robot collaboration presents an opportunity to improve the efficiency of manufacturing and assembly processes, particularly for aerospace manufacturing where tight integration and variability in the build process make physical isolation of robotic-only work challenging. In this paper, we develop a robotic scheduling and control capability that adapts to the changing preferences of a human co-worker or supervisor while providing strong guarantees for synchronization and timing of activities. This innovation is realized through dynamic execution of a flexible optimal scheduling policy that accommodates temporal disturbance. We describe the Adaptive Preferences Algorithm that computes the flexible scheduling policy and show empirically that execution is fast, robust, and adaptable to changing preferences for workflow. We achieve satisfactory computation times, on the order of seconds for moderatelysized problems, and demonstrate the capability for human-robot teaming using a small industrial robot.
Cancer statistics, 2017

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths that will occur in the United States in the current year and compiles the most recent data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival. Incidence data were collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; the National Program of Cancer Registries; and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Mortality data were collected by the National Center for Health Statistics. In 2017, 1,688,780 new cancer cases and 600,920 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. For all sites combined, the cancer incidence rate is 20% higher in men than in women, while the cancer death rate is 40% higher. However, sex disparities vary by cancer type. For example, thyroid cancer incidence rates are 3-fold higher in women than in men (21 vs 7 per 100,000 population), despite equivalent death rates (0.5 per 100,000 population), largely reflecting sex differences in the "epidemic of diagnosis." Over the past decade of available data, the overall cancer incidence rate (2004-2013) was stable in women and declined by approximately 2% annually in men, while the cancer death rate (2005-2014) declined by about 1.5% annually in both men and women. From 1991 to 2014, the overall cancer death rate dropped 25%, translating to approximately 2,143,200 fewer cancer deaths than would have been expected if death rates had remained at their peak. Although the cancer death rate was 15% higher in blacks than in whites in 2014, increasing access to care as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may expedite the narrowing racial gap; from 2010 to 2015, the proportion of blacks who were uninsured halved, from 21% to 11%, as it did for Hispanics (31% to 16%). Gains in coverage for traditionally underserved Americans will facilitate the broader application of existing cancer control knowledge across every segment of the population. CA Cancer J Clin 2017;67:7-30. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Replacing the Affordable Care Act: Lessons From Behavioral Economics.

Republican efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are not over, despite the failure of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) legislation. The major challenge facing the AHCA was the loss of insurance coverage for an estimated 24 million people.1 Any subsequent reform, especially those less costly than the ACA, will have the same challenge of keeping currently insured individuals and households from discontinuing their insurance. In this Viewpoint, we draw on behavioral economics to propose 4 general principles for health insurance reform to help ensure that the currently insured will not lose their coverage.