cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishment of a HPLC method for the determination of dipyridamole and aspirin in plasma

OBJECTIVE A HPLC method was established for the determination of dipyridamole and aspirin in plasma. METHODS Analytical column was Spherisorb C18 .The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-methol-water-H3PO4-triethyamine(50:250:200:0.3:0.1) .The flow rate was 0.9 mL·min-1 . The detection was performed at 288 nm. RESULTS The calibration curves of aspirin and dipyridamole were linear in the concentration ranged from 0.1 to 16μg·mL-1 ( r = 0.994 2 and r = 0.994 7, respectively). The recoveries were 101.21% and 100.35% ,respectively.RSD was less than 1.78% .The pharmacokinetic parameters of aspirin and dipyridamole in dogs were as follows: tmax, 1.75 and 3.33 h; cmax,7.71 and 3.68μg·mL-1; t1/2,2.71 and 3.13 h;CONCLUSION The method is accurate and can be used for studying the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of aspirin and dipyridamole.
Resistance Based Modeling of Collaborative Design

The paper presents a new model for collaborative design. The model is analogous to electrical circuits with current (rate of design artifact synthesis and analysis), voltage (knowledge that drives the design process), and resistance (barriers to the exchange of design information). The resistances are identified from a collaborative design taxonomy. This model is illustrated through a simple example. Extensions and an assessment of the model are provided.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Predator–Prey Models with Self Interaction

This chapter discusses the Predator–Prey model when the sharks and the food species are allowed to interact. The tools are the same and involve a graphical analysis. MatLab tools are also discussed.
Biological sex identification in the endangered dusky gopher frog (Lithobates sevosa): a comparison of body size measurements, secondary sex characteristics, ultrasound imaging, and urinary hormone analysis methods

Accurate sex identification techniques are important for wildlife demographic studies and for genetic management of captive breeding colonies. Various non-invasive methods for identification of biological sex in the weakly dimorphic endangered dusky gopher frog (DGF; Lithobates sevosa) were explored to support planned recovery efforts for this species including breeding and augmentation of wild populations. Body size (snout-vent length and body weight) measurements, observation of nuptial pads, ultrasound imaging, and urinary hormone analysis for testosterone and estrone were performed on 27 male and 19 female DGFs. For each method, the mean and range of measurement values were determined for male and female DGFs housed in a captive breeding population. The ability of these methods to accurately predict the true biological sex of the individuals was assessed retrospectively. Body size measurements were of limited use for sex identification purposes, as males and females demonstrated overlapping body lengths and weights. Observation of the presence/absence of nuptial pads in males and females, respectively, proved to be accurate and easy to perform in most cases. Ultrasound imaging was useful for predicting the sex of female frogs, particularly when females were gravid. Commercial enzyme immunoassay kits were validated to measure urinary hormones in the DGF. Mean urinary testosterone (males: 2.22 ± 0.38 ng/ml; females: 0.92 ± 0.11 ng/ml) and estrone (males: 0.08 ± 0.01 ng/ml; females: 1.50 ± 0.39 ng/ml) concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) different between the sexes. However, there was some overlap in hormone concentrations between the sexes. When a ratio of testosterone (T) to estrone (E) concentrations was calculated for each individual, males demonstrated significantly greater T/E ratios compared to females (p < 0.05). Use of this ratio showed greater accuracy in predicting the sex of the animal compared to using testosterone or estrone concentrations alone. Monitoring for presence/absence of nuptial pads and using urinary testosterone to estrone hormone ratios were the most accurate methods for identifying the biological sex of adult DGFs. Urinary hormone measurements for sex identification may be useful in other weakly dimorphic and monomorphic amphibian species in both ex situ and in situ settings.
The Professoriate in Love: David Lodge’s Academic Trilogy and the Ethics of Romance

In addition to affording readers with the critical machinery for exploring the function of concepts such as truth and goodness in narratives, ethical criticism provides us with a useful rhetoric for examining the depiction of love in literary works. “Contemporary philosophers frequently connect consciousness with virtue,” Iris Murdoch observes in The Sovereignty of Good, “and although they constantly talk of freedom they rarely talk of love” (2). Because of its abiding interest in establishing vital interconnections between the reader and the text, ethical criticism devotes particular attention to highlighting the emotional transactions through which literary characters indulge their desires to give and receive affection. The investigation of their intimate motives and experiences likewise illuminates our own conceptions of the impulse for love and its role in the interpersonal fabric of the human community.
A Novel Mechanism of Action of Bortezomib: Proteasome Inhibition Down-Regulates HLA-Class I on Myeloma and Enhances NK Cell-Mediated Lysis.

Introduction: Natural killer (NK) cell activity is regulated by a dynamic balance between inhibitory and activating receptors that recognize ligands on target cells. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-class I, particularly HLA-C and -Bw4 molecules, are key ligands transmitting inhibitory signals to NK cells. NK cells avidly lyse tumor cells that do not display such inhibitory KIR-ligands. The proteasome is responsible for the generation of peptides that bind to and stabilize class I molecules at the cell surface. We hypothesized that bortezomib, a partial proteasome inhibitor that is clinically approved for the treatment of refractory/relapsed myeloma (MM), could reduce HLA expression on MM cells and thus enhance NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Methods: HLA-class I or HLA-C expression was assessed using flow cytometry, after gating on AnnexinV/PI double negative cells, and/or confocal microscopy. Expression of other proteins was measured by flow cytometry using specific mAb. NK cell-mediated lysis of myeloma cells was measured by 51 Cr-release. Results: Bortezomib at clinically attainable concentrations down-regulated HLA-class I expression on MM cells in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Reduction of class I post-10 nM bortezomib treatment was observed in all myeloma cell lines tested (n=10), by a median of 49% (range: 19–66%). A similar decrease of HLA-class I was obtained in 10–50 nM bortezomib treated primary MM cells (n=6). Bortezomib significantly enhanced the sensitivity of MM cells to allogeneic and autologous NK cell-mediated lysis. Further, the level of reduction in HLA-class I expression correlated well with increased susceptibility to lysis by NK cells. The level of down-regulation of HLA-class I induced by bortezomib was reproduced by incubating MM cells with HLA-blocking antibody and resulted in equipotent enhancement of NK cell-mediated lysis (Figure 1). The extent of HLA-class I down-regulation by bortezomib was therefore biologically relevant. Down-regulation of HLA-class I was also observed in vivo on purified MM cells 48 hours after a single dose of bortezomib, by a median of 47% (range: 16–63%, n=6, P = .002). HLA-C expression (the principal NK cell inhibitory ligand) was rescued by exogenous provision of HLA-C binding peptides providing a mechanistic explanation for the effect of bortezomib on HLA-class I expression. Finally, we did not observe bortezomib-mediated enhancement of NK cell-mediated lysis of myeloma through receptors other than the KIR receptor family, including tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand, NKG2D and natural cytotoxicity receptors. HLA-class I down-regulation was not observed in renal cell and breast carcinoma cell lines, which is in keeping with the remarkable activity of bortezomib in myeloma. Our findings have clear therapeutic implications for MM and other NK cell-sensitive malignancies in the context of both allogeneic and autologous adoptively transferred NK cells.
Endometrial Stromal and Epithelial Cells Exhibit Unique Aberrant Molecular Defects in Patients With Endometriosis.

Context:Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain and infertility in women of reproductive age.Objective:To investigate the pathologic pathways in endometrial stromal and epi...
Too Early to Tell: The Complexity of Decision Making for Aortic Stenosis Patients at Low Surgical Risk.

The report from De Sciscio et al1 in this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , suggestively titled “Quantifying the shift toward transcatheter aortic valve replacement in low-risk patients...,” illustrates the great interest of many stakeholders to predict the ultimate role of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS). TAVR was commercially approved for patients with high to prohibitive surgical risk in 2011 and expanded to intermediate-risk patients in August of 2016. Now, ≈30% of TAVR centers in the United States are participating in 1 of 2 randomized trials comparing TAVR to surgery in low-risk patients.2,3 Our knowledge of the implications of TAVR in low-risk patients is limited, but apt to change in coming years with the results of ongoing trials. See Article by De Sciscio et al Not surprisingly, there is an inevitable desire by policy makers, industry, the medical community, and others to take our past experience with TAVR in high-risk patients and apply it to lower risk populations to understand how this disruptive technology will affect surgical practice. In this context, De Sciscio et al1 sought to summarize available studies examining the prevalence of AS, and rates of progression to valve replacement, to define who may be eligible for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), TAVR, or both in the coming years. Although this is a worthwhile endeavor, it is in the concept of eligibility where the predictions may be severely limited in defining how many patients there will be to shift from a surgical to a transcatheter approach. …
Wing Bug: A portable, low-cost flight test instrumentation system

The WingBug was an innovative concept by Straight & Level Technologies to measure airspeed, altitude, temperature, Euler angles, angular rates, and acceleration information. The unit was portable, self-powered, streamed data via WiFi to any tablet or smart phone in the cockpit, and cost less than $1000. It measured 8″×3″×3″, weighed 6 ounces, and used a GoPro mount to attach externally to any aircraft. This paper covers results from the initial flight test program flown at Florida Institute of Technology in 2016. The WingBug was flown on a Piper Warrior. Data from the WingBug were compared to “truth” data from the Piper Warrior. Test points were limited to static points (e.g. constant bank-angle turns). An evaluation of the tablet display was also performed. Overall, the prototype WingBug shows promising potential as a flight test system or primary flight reference system for home-built aircraft. The recommendations provided can be used by Straight & Level Technologies to further improve their system.
Visualizing, Querying and Summarizing Individual Spatio-Temporal Behaviour

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various efforts to visualize, query, and summarize personal spatiotemporal data. A highly interactive approach that allows the simultaneous manipulation of space and time can offer insight at the exploratory stage of work and altering the spatial and temporal scales of analysis can reveal different processes that may drive or constrain individual behavior. The spatial history explorer (SHE) has been developed specifically to analyze datasets in a highly interactive environment that places equal importance upon both the spatial and temporal location of data. Approaches for interactive spatio-temporal querying, visualizing mobility attributes, and representing the cyclical nature of time are suggested. This approach of linking spatial and temporal representations is then contrasted with a single 3D spatiotemporal representation based upon a time geography approach. Several surface representations that summarize large volumes of point data are also described, in particular for identifying interesting locations associated with destinations, transport links and constraints. The insight gained from these techniques has led to several approaches to improve the way in which mobile individuals access digital information; this work is ongoing and described briefly in the conclusion.
Anesthesia in the Electrophysiology Laboratory

The electrophysiology suite is a foreign location to many anesthesiologists. The initial experience was with shorter procedures under conscious sedation, and the value of greater tailoring of the sedation/anesthesia by anesthesiologists was not perceived until practice patterns had already been established. Although better control of ventilation with general anesthesia may be expected, suppression of arrhythmias, blunting of the hemodynamic adaptation to induced arrhythmias, and interference by muscle relaxants with identification of the phrenic nerve may be seen. We review a range of electrophysiology procedures and discuss anesthetic approaches that balance patient safety and favorable outcomes.
Evangelical Christian Education in the Early 20th Century: Marginalization and New Beginnings

The first of three brief articles addressing the development of evangelical Christian education in the 20th century. The early part of the century was a time of loss of influence and marginalizatio...
STRATEGY IN THE EVALUATION OF NOVEL PROTEIN FOODS

Malnutrition reflects a failure of man to adjust to his environment, and corrective measures usually require consideration of the total ecology in addition to a clear understanding of the science of nutrition and the essentiality of family planning. The most critical need is for acceptable, good quality protein foods, especially for children during the weaning and post-weaning period. Otherwise a resourceful population cannot develop. Programs appear to offer greatest promise by increased production of cereal and legume crops with optimum protein content and quality, including corn (maize), rice, wheat, sorghum, beans and peas, supplemented by the most efficient animal protein foods, including fresh and processed seafoods. Oil seed products are promising. The use of synthetic amino acids is likely to increase steadily. The direct use of unicellular products probably will be slow.
Life history of the bronze darter, Percina palmaris, in the Tallapoosa River, Alabama

Specimens of Percina palmaris from tributaries of the Tallapoosa River were examined for food, reproductive biology, age, and growth. Individuals were largely restricted to riffle areas with fast current and rubblegravel substrate where fish density was higher than that reported for other species of Percina. Few other species were commonly taken with P. palmaris in its preferred habitat. Both sexes matured at one year of age and males appeared ready to spawn in mid February although females did not contain mature ova until March. Spawning occurred from early May to mid June and peaked at water temperatures of 18-20° C in late May. Although mature males were significantly larger than females, the oldest specimen examined was a female in its fourth year of life (3+). Generally P. palmaris is an opportunistic sight feeder although some selectivity in food items was suggested. Twenty-six food categories were identified from stomach contents over the course of the study. Diet consisted almost exclusively of immature insects and monthly diversity ranged from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 20 insect families. Percina palmaris possesses some specialized as well as generalized life history attributes placing it near the middle of a generalized-specialized life history continuum for Percina. This is in agreement with its systematic status in this genus.
Synthesis, Characterization and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Metals

An extended study has been carried out of the synthesis, characterization and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Cu, Pd, and Al-Zr alloys.
Position Paper for the Boundary Layer Receptivity Panel

The prediction of boundary layer transition was initially approached by asking where the laminar boundary layer first becomes unstable to what were then thought of as temporally growing instability waves (commonly referred to as Tollmien-Schlichting waves for inviscidly stable flows). However, it eventually became clear that the transition point (or better, the transition Reynolds number) is strongly affected by the specific details of the free-stream disturbance environment, and some of the research got redirected toward understanding just how it was that instability waves got generated by that environment, which was subsequently termed the receptivity phenomenon by Morkovin (1969). It was natural for experimentalist to study this phenomenon by imposing controlled, small amplitude, harmonic disturbances (i.e., disturbances of a single frequency, say ω) on thier flows, which then generated a spatially growing shear wave of the type referred to simply as an amplifying wave by plasma physicists who, incidentally, recognized very early on that these spatially growing waves are intimately connected to temporally growing instabilities.
Evoked Potentials Investigations of Deficit Versus Nondeficit Schizophrenia: EEG-MEG Preliminary Data:

Heterogeneity of schizophrenia is a major obstacle toward understanding the disorder. One likely subtype is the deficit syndrome (DS) where patients suffer from predominantly negative symptoms. Thi...
The Science of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (Part 2)

Overall Abstract On the advice of the Jerusalem organizers, the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) is submitting two symposia which are meant to occur on the same afternoon. The PGC, now in its ninth year, is one of the most innovative experiments in the history of psychiatry. We have unified much of the field to enable rapid progress in elucidating the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders. We have 900+ investigators from 40+ countries and >400K subjects. The PGC has published 17 main papers plus 31 secondary analysis/methods development papers. Due to our open-source approach, there are 75+ papers that use PGC results, and numerous groups are using our findings to direct basic and applied research (including therapeutic development). Large amounts of new data will be available to the PGC in the next five years. We have developed a rigorous set of approaches that are yielding discoveries for all of the initial five disorders (which led to adding four new disorders). We thus have the unique opportunity to rapidly and efficiently increase our knowledge of common and rare variation in order to understand the causes and comorbidities of major psychiatric disorders. Our overarching goal is to identify “actionable” variation via the empirical evaluation of the etiological, clinical, nosological, therapeutic, and biological significance of our genomic findings. In Part 2, we provide more informationn about the current status and future plans for additional key PGC groups: OCD and TS (Knowles), PTSD (Liberzon), schizophrenia (O'Donovan), substance use disorders (Gelertner), pathway analysis (Breen), and cross-disorder findings (Smoller).
Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emission in the Dutch Greenhouse Industry

The energy efficiency and CO2 emission of the Dutch greenhouse industry have to be reduced considerably. This contribution discusses the developments and possibilities in this respect.
Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Managed Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Deprescribing Program in an Integrated Health Care System.

BACKGROUND: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat symptoms of chronic inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; however, they are als...
Filgotinib suppresses HIV-1–driven gene transcription by inhibiting HIV-1 splicing and T cell activation

Despite effective antiretroviral therapy, HIV-1-infected cells continue to produce viral antigens and induce chronic immune exhaustion. We propose to identify HIV-1-suppressing agents that can inhibit HIV-1 reactivation and reduce HIV-1-induced immune activation. Using a newly developed dual-reporter system and a high-throughput drug screen, we identified FDA-approved drugs that can suppress HIV-1 reactivation in both cell line models and CD4+ T cells from virally suppressed HIV-1-infected individuals. We identified 11 cellular pathways required for HIV-1 reactivation as druggable targets. Using differential expression analysis, gene set enrichment analysis, and exon-intron landscape analysis, we examined the impact of drug treatment on the cellular environment at a genome-wide level. We identified what we believe to be a new function of a JAK inhibitor, filgotinib, that suppresses HIV-1 splicing. First, filgotinib preferentially suppresses spliced HIV-1 RNA transcription. Second, filgotinib suppresses HIV-1-driven aberrant cancer-related gene expression at the integration site. Third, we found that filgotinib suppresses HIV-1 transcription by inhibiting T cell activation and by modulating RNA splicing. Finally, we found that filgotinib treatment reduces the proliferation of HIV-1-infected cells. Overall, the combination of a drug screen and transcriptome analysis provides systematic understanding of cellular targets required for HIV-1 reactivation and drug candidates that may reduce HIV-1-related immune activation.
Ab Initio Determination of Peptide Structures by MicroED

Structural elucidation of small macromolecules such as peptides has recently been facilitated by a growing number of technological advances to existing crystallographic methods. The emergence of electron micro-diffraction (MicroED) of protein nanocrystals under cryogenic conditions has enabled the interrogation of crystalline peptide assemblies only hundreds of nanometers thick. Collection of atomic or near-atomic resolution data by these methods has permitted the ab initio determination of structures of various amyloid-forming peptides, including segments derived from prions and ice-nucleating proteins. This chapter focuses on the process of ab initio structural determination from nano-scale peptide assemblies and other similar molecules.
What’s Next for Aquatic Sports?

Aquatic sports are not immune from challenges that plague other sports. This summary highlights a few of the key hurdles the sport must navigate in order to thrive in the decades to come. Gender and racial discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse as well as unfair treatment by organizing bodies must be confronted.
Feral horses synchronize their collective behavior at multiple levels of organization

A recommendation of: Tamao Maeda, Cedric Sueur, Satoshi Hirata, Shinya Yamamoto Behavioural synchronization in a multilevel society of feral horses 10.1101/2021.02.21.432190
From tragedy to triumph: tsunami mitigation and Bōsai (disaster prevention) tourism in Tarō, Japan

Tarō is one of many small fishing communities on the northeastern coast of Iwate Prefecture which was decimated by Japan’s catastrophic tsunami on 11 March 2011. Historically, in most parts of the ...
A New Murine Model of Primary Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA)

Loss of humoral tolerance to red blood cells (RBCs) can lead to autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), a severe, and sometimes fatal disease. Patients with AIHA present with pallor, fatigue, decreased hematocrit, and splenomegaly. While secondary AIHA is associated with lymphoproliferative disorders, infections, and more recently, as an adverse event secondary to cancer immunotherapy, the etiology of primary AIHA is unknown. Several therapeutic strategies are available; however, there are currently no licensed treatments for AIHA and few therapeutics offer treatment-free durable remission. Moreover, supportive care with RBC transfusions can be challenging as most autoantibodies are directed against ubiquitous RBC antigens; thus, virtually all RBC donor units are incompatible. Given the severity of AIHA and the lack of treatment options, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that facilitate the breakdown in tolerance would provide insight into new therapeutics. Herein, we report a new murine model of primary AIHA that reflects the biology observed in patients with primary AIHA. Production of anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies correlated with sex and age, and led to RBC antigen modulation, complement fixation, and anemia, as determined by decreased hematocrit and hemoglobin values and increased reticulocytes in peripheral blood. Moreover, autoantibody-producing animals developed splenomegaly, with altered splenic architecture characterized by expanded white pulp areas and nearly diminished red pulp areas. Additional analysis suggested that compensatory extramedullary erythropoiesis occurred as there were increased frequencies of RBC progenitors detectable in the spleen. No significant correlations between AIHA onset and inflammatory status or microbiome were observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a murine model that replicates observations made in humans with idiopathic AIHA. Thus, this model can serve as a tractable model to identify key cellular and molecular pathways that are compromised, thereby leading to autoantibody formation, as well as testing new therapeutics and management strategies.
Clinical implications of loss of bone marrow minimal residual disease negativity in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) patients frequently attain a bone marrow (BM) minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity status in response to treatment. We identified 568 patients who achieved BM MRD negativity following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and maintenance combination therapy with an immunomodulatory agent and a proteasome inhibitor. BM MRD was evaluated by next generation flow cytometry (sensitivity of 10-5 cells) at 3 to 6 months intervals. With a median follow up of 9.9 years from diagnosis (range, 0.4 - 30.9), 61% of patients maintained MRD negativity, while 39% experienced MRD conversion at a median of 6.3 years (range, 1.4 - 25). The highest risk of MRD conversion occurred within the first 5 years after treatment and was observed more often in patients with abnormal metaphase cytogenetic abnormalities (95%vs. 84%; P = 0.001). MRD conversion was associated with a high risk of relapse and preceded it by a median of 1.0 year (range, 0 - 4.9). However, 27% of MRD conversion positive patients had not yet experienced a clinical relapse with a median follow-up of 9.3 years (range, 2.2 - 21.2). Landmark analyses using time from ASCT revealed patients with MRD conversion during the first 3 years had an inferior overall and progression-free survival compared to patients with sustained MRD negativity. MRD conversion correctly predicted relapse in 70%, demonstrating the utility of serial BM MRD assessment to complement standard laboratory and imaging to make informed salvage therapy decisions.
New hybrid lead iodides: From one-dimensional chain to two-dimensional layered perovskite structure

Abstract Two new hybrid lead halides (H2BDA)[PbI4] (1) (H2BDA=1,4-butanediammonium dication) and (HNPEIM)[PbI3] (2) (HNPEIM=N-​phenyl-ethanimidamidine cation) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that compound 1 features a two-dimensional corner-sharing perovskite layer whereas compound 2 contains one-dimensional edge-sharing double chains. The N-​phenyl-ethanimidamidine cation within compound 2 was generated in-situ under solvothermal conditions. The optical absorption spectra collected at room temperature suggest that both compounds are semiconductors having direct band gaps, with estimated values of 2.64 and 2.73 eV for 1 and 2, respectively. Results from the density functional theory (DFT) calculations are consistent with the experimental data. Density of states (DOS) analysis reveals that in both compounds 1 and 2, the energy states in the valence band maximum region are iodine 5p atomic orbitals with a small contribution from lead 6s, while in the region of conduction band minimum, the major contributions are from the inorganic (Pb 6p atomic orbitals) and organic components (C and N 2p atomic orbitals) in compound 1 and 2, respectively.
Greco-Roman Culture and the Galilee of Jesus: The use of Greek in Jesus' Galilee

A key component of the view that Galilee was thoroughly Hellenized is the belief that Greek was widely spoken. Proponents of this position cite several arguments for support: centuries of exposure to Hellenism; the growing urbanization of the area from Antipas onwards; the rabbis' use of Greek; the occurrence of Greek names; and, most importantly, epigraphic evidence. At times, the logic of these discussions appears circular: we know Galilee was Hellenized because Greek was spoken there; we know Greek was often spoken because Galilee was extensively Hellenized. The idea that many Galileans knew Greek is hardly new. Adolf van Harnack and Shirley Jackson Case held it decades ago, and a long series of essays in The Expository Times , many titled “Did Jesus Speak Greek?”, sparred over the issue in the 1950s. What is new, however, is the extent to which the case is believed to have been settled. We can now be confident, it is sometimes claimed, that Greek was used frequently, not only among the elites but also among many of the common people, not only in the cities but also in the countryside. Jesus himself, in this view, may have been fairly conversant in Greek, introducing the possibility that the occasional gospel passage preserves his actual words, rather than a translation from the Aramaic. This confidence is all the more surprising given that we have no extant first-century texts of proven Galilean provenance.
The Effect of Culture on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment: A Study of Information System Managers in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Job satisfaction has received a great deal of attention in organizational research due to its significant impact on work attitudes such as organizational commitment, performance, absenteeism, and turnover intentions. Many organizations in Africa are plagued by poor performance, high turnover rates, and low productivity, largely due to the negative work attitudes of the workforce. Information technology (IT) is seen as one of the means to liberate the sagging African economies, and boost employees' morale, performance, and productivity. This paper investigates the effect of cultural values on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Nigeria. Data were collected from 316 information systems managers in selected business organizations in Nigeria. Results of this study suggest (in support of many western studies) that cultural factors are positively and significantly related to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Implications for management practice are discussed. doi:10.1300/J15...
The Enumeration of Sequences with Restrictions on their Partial Sums

We examine sequences containing $p$ "$-t$"s and $pt+r$ "$+1$"s, where $p$, $t$, and $r$ are integers satisfying $p\ge0$, $t\ge 1$ and $pt+r\ge0$. We develop a rotation method to enumerate the number of sequences meeting additional requirements related to their partial sums. We also define downcrossings about $\ell$ and their downcrossing numbers, and obtain formulas for the number of sequences for which the sum of the downcrossing numbers equals $k$, for $\ell \le r+1$. We finish with an investigation of the first downcrossing number about $\ell$, for any $\ell$.
Frequency domain description of repeated-root (cyclic) codes

Repeated-root cyclic codes have been investigated. A "frequency" domain description for such codes is introduced which leads to a generalization of repeated-root codes which are quasi-cyclic instead of cyclic, but have better code parameters. The "frequency" domain description cannot be done in terms of generalized Fourier transforms, but it is possible to use a partial fraction expansion over Galois fields. >
Abstract 12636: Pro-Atrial Natriuretic Peptide: A Novel Guanylyl Cyclase-A Receptor Activator Which Goes Beyond Carperitide and Nesiritide

Introduction: ProANP is a 108 amino acid (AA) prohormone which is produced in the atria and processed to the mature 28 AA ANP which activates the guanylyl cyclase receptor-A (GC-A) and its second messenger cGMP. ProANP is found in the human circulation but its bioavailability is undefined. Hypothesis: ProANP represents a novel cardiac peptide with more sustained natriuretic actions than either carperitide (ANP) or nesiritide (BNP). ProANP itself can activate GC-A in vitro and the proANP can be processed in human serum from normals and in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: We examined the in vivo cardiorenal actions of proANP compared to ANP, BNP, or placebo in normal canines (667 pmol/kg, n=5/group). We determined cGMP activation of proANP, ANP and BNP in GC-A expressing HEK293 cells. ProANP processing and degradation was also defined in serum from normal subjects (n=13) and patients with HF (n=14) ex vivo. Results: ProANP had significantly greater diuretic and natriuretic properties with increase...
IT Savvy Pays Off: How Top Performers Match IT Portfolios andOrganizational Practices

Information technology is major investment for most enterprises and constitutes a portfolio of investments. Just like any other investment portfolio, the IT portfolio must be balanced to achieve alignment with business strategy and the desired combination of short and long term pay off. This portfolio balancing is the role of senior management and should be integrated into firms' IT governance processes. Top financial performers have matched particular organizational practices and competencies with IT portfolio allocations to achieve specific business goals. In short, they have more IT savvy and it pays off.
Does the type of legal representation affect sentencing outcomes

This paper examines the potential differences in sentencing outcomes for public defenders compared with private attorneys. I explore the economic literature for explanations, implications, and results. There is a need for extensive research within the field of economics to provide empirical results to offset the mostly gametheoretically dominated discussion of the criminal justice system. The results are inconclusive due to a lack of statistical significance and potential selection bias in the data. Future research relating to this study is also discussed. This article is available in Undergraduate Economic Review: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol1/iss1/5 Undergraduate Economic Review A publication of Illinois Wesleyan University
Integration of medical and social responsibilities in teaching obstetrics-gynecology.

Abstract Maternity care for a large segment of this nation's population is totally inadequate. More efficient utilization of medical manpower coupled with a greater awareness of the needs of poverty people is a necessary part of the solution. The Obstetrics-Gynecology Department at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine is training and using health care teams composed of physicians, nurse-midwives, obstetrical technicians, health aides, and family planning counselors to provide maternal and child health care to an indigent population that has previously received little or no medical care. Research data are being collected concerning the cost, effect and potential of this approach. These outreach programs are integrated with medical student and nursing student teaching and with the obstetrics-gynecology residency training program. Some of the educational benefits of implementing a Division of Community Obstetrics and a Nurse-Midwifery Service are discussed. Our experience indicates that the utilization of physician-lead health care teams can bridge the social and cultural gaps and meet the needs of mothers and infants by delivering a single standard of high-quality, comprehensive care to all patients in the community.
Tumors of the Digestive Tract

The digestive tract is continuous with the mucous membranes of ectodermal origin in the mouth and at the anus. The pharynx, although of entodermal origin is lined by epidermal tissue, and tumors of this portion of the tract are more conveniently considered with other epidermal tumors of the oral and intra-oral membranes. Neoplasms of the remainder of the digestive tract will be considered together. The most frequent tumors in this region, except for those in the esophagus, which loses its digestive epithelium during embryonic life, are adenoma mid adenocarcinoma. These growths arise from the glandular portion of the mucosa throughout the digestive tract. The incidence of benign adenomas is approximately one-sixteenth that of cancer. Adenocarcinoma and its mucoid, fibrous, and anaplastic variants are more common in the stomach, large bowel, and rectum, and relatively rare in the esophagus and small intestine. Primary mucoid mrcinoma is uncommon, but is similar in distribution to adenocarcainoma. Squamous-cell caiicer is the predominating form in the esophagus and may invade the cardiac end of the stomach. It is also found in the rectum and anal margin, but is exceedingly unusual elsewhere in the gastro-intestinal tract. Sarcoma is not common in the alimentary canal. Lympliosarcoma, myosarcoma, and sarcoma of the nerve sheath are the leading forms. These growths comprise approximately 4 per cerit of the malignimt tumors in the present series.
Interactions between carnosine and selected antioxidants in ground Turkey

The antioxidant activity of 0.5% carnosine alone and in combination with selected antioxidants was investigated in uncooked ground turkey stored at 4C. A combination of tocopherol (0.05%) and carnosine exhibited additive antioxidant activity in salted and unsalted ground turkey. An ascorbyl palmitate (0.05%)/carnosine combination decreased TBARS 1.5 fold in salted ground turkey but was less effective in unsalted muscle (0.15% ascorbyl palmitate). Combining carnosine with STP (0.5%) or citrate (0.01 or 0.05%) did not increase the antioxidant activity of carnosine in ground turkey. These data suggest that tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate could enhance the antioxidant activity of carnosine.
Stages in the Excitation of the Spectrum of Indium

The indium metal was vaporized at a temperature of 650\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in an iron cylindrical anode within a quartz tube. Electrons from an oxide-coated Pt filament passed through a helical grid into a force-free space where they collided with the atoms of indium vapor. The spectrum was viewed end-on through a transparent quartz window. At 3.3 volts the lines $2{p}_{1}\ensuremath{-}2s$ and $2{p}_{2}\ensuremath{-}2s$ appeared. At 4.2 volts the additional lines $2{p}_{1}\ensuremath{-}3d$ and $2{p}_{2}\ensuremath{-}3d$ appeared. At seven volts higher members of the series and several unclassified lines were present on the plates. At 13.2 volts the spectrum became very strong and the line 2306A appeared in addition to the recognized series lines. It is possible that the second arc spectrum was excited at this potential. The resonance lines were found to be less intense than the corresponding lines due to the metastable atoms.
Applications of flocking algorithms to input modeling for agent movement

Simulation flocking has been introduced as a method for generating simulation input from multivariate dependent time series for sensitivity and risk analysis. It can be applied to data for which a parametric model is not readily available or imposes too many restrictions on the possible inputs. This method uses techniques from agent-based modeling to generate a flock of boids that follow the data. In this paper, we apply simulation flocking to a border crossing scenario to determine if waypoints simulated from flocking can be used to provide improved information on the number of hostiles successfully crossing the border. Analysis of the output reveals scenario limitations and potential areas of improvement in the patrol strategy.
Large angle scattering from N2 with 40 keV electrons

Abstract Large angle scattering data over the range 15 ⩽ s ⩽ 60A−1s = (4π/λsin 1 2 θ) for the total differential cross section for 40 keV electrons scattered by N2 have been obtained. Comparison of this data with the simple Born and Bethe theories show that binding effects vanish by s = 25A −1 and that these simple theories adequately represent the data to within 0.5% on an s4I(s) scale between 25⩽ s ⩽ 40A−1. In the region 40 ⩽ s ⩽ 60 the data deviates from these theories but can be brought into excellent agreement by the use of a reasonable energy response function for the detector.
Comparisons of de novo transcriptome assemblers in diploid and polyploid species using peanut (Arachis spp.) RNA-Seq data.

The narrow genetic base and limited genetic information on Arachis species have hindered the process of marker-assisted selection of peanut cultivars. However, recent developments in sequencing technologies have expanded opportunities to exploit genetic resources, and at lower cost. To use the genetic information for Arachis species available at the transcriptome level, it is important to have a good quality reference transcriptome. The available Tifrunner 454 FLEX transcriptome sequences have an assembly with 37,000 contigs and low N50 values of 500-751bp. Therefore, we generated de novo transcriptome assemblies, with about 38 million reads in the tetraploid cultivar OLin, and 16 million reads in each of the diploids, A. duranensis K38901 and A. ipaensis KGBSPSc30076 using three different de novo assemblers, Trinity, SOAPdenovo-Trans and TransAByss. All these assemblers can use single kmer analysis, and the latter two also permit multiple kmer analysis. Assemblies generated for all three samples had N50 values ranging from 1278–1641 bp in Arachis hypogaea (AABB), 1401–1492 bp in Arachis duranensis (AA), and 1107–1342 bp in Arachis ipaensis (BB). Comparison with legume ESTs and protein databases suggests that assemblies generated had more than 40% full length transcripts with good continuity. Also, on mapping the raw reads to each of the assemblies generated, Trinity had a high success rate in assembling sequences compared to both TransAByss and SOAPdenovo-Trans. De novo assembly of OLin had a greater number of contigs (67,098) and longer contig length (N50 = 1,641) compared to the Tifrunner TSA. Despite having shorter read length (2×50) than the Tifrunner 454FLEX TSA, de novo assembly of OLin proved superior in comparison. Assemblies generated to represent different genome combinations may serve as a valuable resource for the peanut research community.
Tau domain migration velocity analysis using angle CRP gathers and geologic constraints

SUMMARY We present an alternative approach for ray based migration velocity analysis. Instead of using Kirchoff migration and offset domain Common Reflection Point (CRP) gathers we use wave equation ray parameter CRP gathers. By performing tomography in vertical travel-time (tau) space, we avoid estimating mapping velocity, instead concentrating on focusing velocity. By introducing anisotropic preconditioning oriented along bedding planes, we quickly guide the inversion towards a geologically reasonable model. We illustrate the benefits of our tomography method by comparing it to more traditional methods on a synthetic anticline model.
Neutron-Gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination at High Count Rates

Although pulse shape discrimination has been used for years to separate gamma and neutron interactions in scintillators, many of the best techniques still suffer from count rate limitations. We have developed pulse-pair-detection techniques which, when used in conjunction with common pulse-shape-discrimination circuits, can markedly improve their performance at high event rates. Performance at rates above 106 events per second has been improved by more than 100%.
Association of PGC-1alpha polymorphisms with age of onset and risk of Parkinson's disease

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-g co-activator (PGC)-1a is a transcriptional co-activator of antioxidant genes and a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and recent work suggests a role for PGC-1a. We hypothesized that the rs8192678 PGC-1a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may influence risk or age of onset of PD. The A10398G mitochondrial SNP has been inversely associated with risk of PD in some studies. In the current study we analyzed whether rs8192678 or other PGC-1a SNPs affect PD risk or age of onset, singularly or in association with the A10398G SNP. Methods: Genomic DNA samples from 378 PD patients and 173 age-matched controls were analyzed by multiplexed probe sequencing, followed by statistical analyses of the association of each SNP, alone or in combination, with risk or age of onset of PD. Adjustments were made for age of onset being less than the age of sampling, and for the observed dependence between these two ages. The PD samples were obtained as two separate cohorts, therefore statistical methods accounted for different sampling methods between the two cohorts, and data were analyzed using Cox regression adjusted for sampling in the risk set definition and in the model. Results: The rs8192678 PGC-1a SNP was not associated with the risk of PD. However, an association of the PGC-1a rs8192678 GG variant with longevity was seen in control subjects (p = 0.019). Exploratory studies indicated that the CC variant of rs6821591 was associated with risk of early onset PD (p = 0.029), with PD age of onset (p = 0.047), and with longevity (p = 0.022). The rs2970848 GG allele was associated with risk of late onset PD (p = 0.027). Conclusions: These data reveal possible associations of the PGC-1a SNPs rs6821591 and rs2970848 with risk or age of onset of PD, and of the PGC-1a rs8192678 GG and the rs6821591 CC variants with longevity. If replicated in other datasets, these findings may have important implications regarding the role of PGC-1a in PD and longevity.