cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is War Disappearing

There is a large and growing belief, based on a handful of recent scholarly works, that the propensity of states to use force against one another is on the decline. I take issue with two lines of argument that support this conclusion. The first is the claim that, whereas the two World Wars were statistical anomalies, the “Long Peace” that followed is a meaningful trend: I show that both are very plausibly the result of the same stochastic process. The second is the claim that there is less war now than there was in the recent past: I examine what is meant by war, control for two confounding influences that resulted from the proliferation of states in the 20th century, and show that, taking those considerations into account, no such trend is evident.
Prognostic implications of TIMI flow grade in the infarct related artery compared with continuous 12-lead ST-segment resolution analysis. Reexamining the "gold standard" for myocardial reperfusion assessment.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To compare the prognostic significance of reperfusion assessment by Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade in the infarct related artery and ST-segment resolution analysis, by correlating with clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND Angiographic assessment, based on epicardial coronary anatomy, has been considered the “gold standard” for reperfusion. The electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring provides a noninvasive, real-time physiologic marker of cellular reperfusion and may better predict clinical outcomes. METHODS Two hundred fifty-eight AMI patients from the Thrombolytics and Myocardia Infarction phase 7 and Global Utilization of Streptokinase tPA for Occluded coronary arteries phase 1 trials were stratified based on blinded, simultaneous reperfusion assessment on the acute angiogram (divided into TIMI grades 0 & 1, TIMI grade 2 and TIMI grade 3) and ST-segment resolution analysis (divided into: RESULTS By logistic regression analysis, ST-segment resolution patterns were an independent predictor of the combined outcome of mortality or CHF (p = 0.024), whereas TIMI flow grade was not (p = 0.693). Among the patients determined to have failed reperfusion by TIMI flow grade assessment (TIMI flow grade 0 & 1), the ST-segment resolution of ≥50% identified a subgroup with relatively benign outcomes with the incidence of the combined end point of mortality or CHF 17.2% versus 37.2% in those without ST-segment resolution (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION Continuous 12-lead ECG monitoring can be an inexpensive and reliable modality for monitoring nutritive reperfusion status and to obtain prognostic information in patients with AMI.
Stability of Radiative Shock Waves

Radially accreting degenerate dwarfs are thought to produce hard X-rays in radiative shocks formed when the accreting plasma strikes their surfaces. Recent nonlinear time-dependent numerical calculations of funneled accretion onto magnetic degenerate dwarfs found that such shocks are unstable under certain circumstances (Langer, Chanmugam, and Shaviv 1982a, hereafter LCS). LCS found that radiative shocks with power law cooling functions proportional to p2 Tά oscillate in shock thickness xs and luminosity LS with a period of 3tcool whenever ά < i.6. Here p is the mass density, T is the temperature, and tcool is the postshock plasma cooling time scale. Because bremsstrahlung emission (ά=0.5) may be the dominant loss process for many accreting degenerate dwarfs, LCS suggested that pulsed X-ray emission might be a common property of these source. In this talk, we review our study of this instability. We first present results of our own linear and nonlinear analyses. We then compare our result to those of LCS and discuss the observational implications of our work. Lastly, we summarize our major conclusion.
Competition In and From the Harmonization of Private International Law

Law not only regulates competition, it is both the result of competition and creates opportunities for competition. States compete to have their legal system models become the norm on a regional and global basis. Thus there is value in considering the manner in which this competition is carried out. This has occurred both within the European Union, where member states also competed with Community institutions for competence over the area of private international law. The EU and the United States are now major competitors on the global front in the process of multilateralization of rules of private international law. This was evident in the negotiation of the 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements. Such multilateralization of rules also creates new opportunities for competition of courts in becoming magnets for commercial dispute resolution. This chapter in the book edited by Karl M. Meessen, Economic Law as an Economic Good: Its Rule Function and its Tool Function in the Competition of Systems (Sellier European Law Publishers 2009), discusses all of these levels of competition.
Calcium-activated chloride channels do not contribute to the odorant transduction current in the marine teleost Isacia conceptionis.

This study compared the contribution of the Ca2+-activated Cl− conductance to the electroolfactogram (EOG) evoked by different odorant classes between the marine Cabinza grunt Isacia conceptionis and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. The Ca2+-activated Cl− channel blocker niflumic acid significantly diminished odorant responses in O. mykiss, but had no effect on the EOG in I. conceptionis, supporting the notion that Ca2+-activated Cl− channels may not operate as odorant transduction current amplifiers in this marine teleost.
PROPATRIATION: Possibilities for Art after NAGPRA

The repatriation of dozens of items of Tlingit clan property in 2001 restored at.oow that had been stolen from the Saanya Kwaan village of Cape Fox in 1899; it also launched a new relationship between Tlingit peoples and the museums that had returned their cultural patrimony. Following the repatriations, Cape Fox Corporation, the village corporation for the Saanya Kwaan, donated cedar logs to four museums that had returned totem poles or house posts to Alaska. In return, these four museums—the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, National Museum of the American Indian, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Field Museum—commissioned Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson, and later his son Stephen Jackson, to carve the cedar logs into new totem poles that would replace the repatriated poles. This paper proposes “propatriation” as a name for this growing practice of museum commissions to replace repatriated objects in the NAGPRA era. It also analyzes the impact of Nathan and Stephen Jackson's totem poles on the galleries of these U.S. museums, arguing that propatriation helps to “indigenize” the museum and to present Tlingit art according to Tlingit values.
A Media and Clinic Intervention to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Ohio Appalachia

Objective. To test the effectiveness of a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening intervention among adults living in Ohio Appalachia. Methods. We conducted a group-randomized trial of a county-level intervention among adults living in 12 Ohio Appalachian counties who received a media campaign and clinic intervention focused on either CRC screening or fruits and vegetables. Participants' percentage within CRC screening guidelines was assessed with cross-sectional surveys conducted annually for four years, and validated with medical record review of screening. Results. On average, screening data were obtained on 564 intervention and 559 comparison participants per year. There was no difference in the Wave 4 CRC screening rates of intervention and comparison counties (35.2% versus 31.4%). Multivariate analyses found that high perceived risk of CRC, willingness to have a CRC test if recommended by a doctor, doctor recommendation of a CRC screening test, and patient-physician communication about changes in bowel habits, family history of CRC, and eating fruits and vegetables were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of being within CRC screening guidelines. Conclusions. The intervention was not effective in increasing CRC rates among Ohio Appalachian adults. Future research should determine how media and clinic-based interventions can be modified to improve CRC screening rates among this underserved population.
Extreme sensitive dependence on parameters and initial conditions in spatio-temporal chaotic dynamical systems

We investigate the sensitive dependence of asymptotic attractors on both initial conditions and parameters in spatio-temporal chaotic dynamical systems. Our models of spatio-temporal systems are globally coupled two-dimensional maps and locally coupled ordinary differential equations. It is found that extreme sensitive dependence occurs commonly in both phase space and parameter space of these systems. That is, for an initial condition and/or a parameter value that leads to chaotic attractors, there are initial conditions and/or parameter values arbitrarily nearby that lead to nonchaotic attractors. This indicates the occurrence of an extreme type of fractal structure in both phase space and parameter space. A scaling exponent used to characterize extreme sensitive dependence on initial conditions and parameters is determined to be near zero in both phase space and parameter space. Accordingly, there is a significant probability of error in numerical computations intended to determine asymptotic attractors, regardless of the precision with which initial conditions or parameters are specified. Consequently, fundamental statistical properties of asymptotic attractors cannot be computed reliably for particular parameter values and initial conditions.
Older Adults' Willingness to Use Social Services in Places of Worship

ABSTRACT This study explores the willingness of older adults to use social services in places of worship. The literature indicates that more older adults are affiliated with a religious organization than with any other type of organization. The current political climate leans toward providing fewer programs and services for older persons in spite of the growing numbers of older people expected in the next century. This article argues that churches or other places of worship can help to fill the gap in social services that will be needed due to the increase in the numbers of older adults. This study asked the question: Are older persons more willing to use social services in places of worship than in social service agencies? The results suggest that over 70 percent of older adults were more willing to attend social service programs in their places of worship than in social service agencies. Selected demographic data were examined to determine if some characteristics of older persons are predictors of progr...
DIF Testing for Ordinal Items With Poly-SIBTEST, the Mantel and GMH Tests, and IRT-LR-DIF When the Latent Distribution Is Nonnormal for Both Groups

Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when an item on a test, questionnaire, or interview has different measurement properties for one group of people versus another. One way to test items with ordinal response scales for DIF is likelihood ratio (LR) testing using item response theory (IRT), or IRT-LR-DIF. Despite the various advantages of IRT-LR-DIF, one disadvantage is that the latent variable is usually assumed to be normally distributed. If this normality assumption is violated, nonparametric alternatives such as the Mantel test, generalized Mantel—Haenszel (GMH) test, and poly-SIBTEST may be preferable. Simulations were carried out to compare IRT-LR-DIF to poly-SIBTEST and the GMH and Mantel tests when the latent density is nonnormal for both groups but presumed normal for IRT-LR-DIF. Results indicated that latent nonnormality detrimentally affected all three procedures, but IRT-LR-DIF was surprisingly more robust to latent nonnormality than all of the nonparametric approaches.
LGBT Religious Activism: Predicting State Variations in the Number of Metropolitan Community Churches, 1974–2000

Armstrong and Bernstein (2008) critique the emphasis movement scholars place upon activism within the formal political sphere, proposing, instead, a multi-institutional approach which argues that protest can occur within any social institution and that the desired outcomes of activism can include cultural outcomes. The goal of this article is to expand the range of social movement targets studied through an examination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activism within the institution of religion. In the United States, religion, particularly Christianity, is used as the primary justification for defining same-sex sexuality as undesirable and denying LGBT individuals full citizenship. The LGBT community challenges these traditional Christian definitions of same-sex sexuality in numerous ways, including through the creation of LGBT-affirming congregations. I examine the development and spread of congregations affiliated with the United Federation of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), an LGBT-affirmative denomination, across all 50 states from 1974 to 2000. Drawing upon organizational ecology, resource mobilization, political opportunity, and theories of religious switching, I find that the distribution of UFMCC congregations challenges the usefulness of traditional explanations for activism.
Quenching of tyrosine fluorescence in proteins by phosphate.

Abstract The tyrosine fluorescence of ribonuclease, insulin, and human serum albumin is quenched to different degrees by phosphate ions. Quenching and “association” constants have been determined for the interaction of phosphate ion (HPO4−−) with tyrosine in these proteins and free in solution. These constants, evidence from fluorescence polarization measurements, and the increase in quenching at higher temperatures show that the quenching is mainly collisional (dynamic), with a smaller static component due probably to proton transfer from tyrosine to phosphate. Various considerations are presented to support the concept that the degree of quenching of tyrosine fluorescence in proteins by added anions is related to accessibility of certain tyrosyl residues.
Friendships Between Older Women: Interactions and Reactions

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to examine specific interactions between older women and multiple members of their close friend network. Ninety-four women, 65 years of age and older, described their interactions with 182 close friends. The women reported substantial social and emotional involvement with their close friends. Almost all of the women reported getting together with their close friends “just to talk.” For women with multiple close friends, the topics of these conversations differed depending on which friends the women described. Perceptions of equity and inequity in their relationships influenced the way in which the women described their friends and the feelings they expressed about their friendships.
Effects of pO2 on the activation of skeletal muscle ryanodine receptors by NO: a cautionary note.

Abstract Eu et al., reported that O 2 dynamically controls the redox state of 6–8 out of 50 thiols per skeletal ryanodine receptor (RyR1) subunit and thereby tunes the response of Ca 2+ -release channels to authentic nitric oxide (NO) [J.P. Eu, J. Sun, L. Xu, J.S. Stamler, G. Meissner, The skeletal muscle calcium release channel: coupled O 2 sensor and NO signaling functions, Cell 102 (2000) 499–509]. A role for O 2 was based on the observation that RyR1 can be activated by submicromolar NO at physiological (∼10 mmHg) but not ambient (∼150 mmHg) p O 2 . At ambient p O 2 , these critical thiols were oxidized but incubation at low p O 2 reset the redox state of these thiols, closed RyR1 channels and made these thiols available for nitrosation by low NO concentrations. Eu et al., postulated the existence of a redox/O 2 sensor that couples channel activity to NO and p O 2 and explained that “the nature of the ‘redox/O 2 sensor’ that couples channel activity to intracellular redox chemistry is a mystery”. Here, we re-examined the effect of p O 2 on RyR1 and find that incubation of RyR1 at low p O 2 did not alter channel activity and NO (0.5–50 μM) failed to activate RyR1 despite a wide range of p O 2 pre-incubation conditions. We show that low levels of NO do not activate RyR1, do not reverse the inhibition of RyR1 by calmodulin (CaM) even at physiological p O 2 . Similarly, the pre-incubation of SR vesicles in low p O 2 (for 10–80 min) did not inhibit channel activity or sensitization of RyR1 to NO. We discuss the significance of these findings and propose that caution should be taken when considering a role for p O 2 and nitrosation by NO as mechanisms that tune RyRs in striated muscles.
The theory of artificial satellites in terms of the orbital true longitude

The author's previous theory of the artificial satellite is derived in terms of the. disturbed eccentric anomaly. The present development, in terms of the orbital true longitude, is a substantial improvement over the earlier work in that it leads to the faster convergence for large eccentricities and to a smaller number of terms in the series representing the perturbations. Moreover, each approximation of the radius vector and of the parameters determining the position of the orbit plane is obtained not in the form of a truncated infinite series but in the form of trigonometric polynomials in two arguments. These arguments are the mean true anomaly and the mean argument of the latitude. The present theory, like the previous one, permits the computation of perturbations of any desired order. Thus, any future information about earth's gravitational field can easily be included.
Administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor enhances endothelialization and microvessel formation in small-caliber synthetic vascular grafts.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether systemic administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) would promote endothelialization for small-caliber Dacron vascular grafts. Methods: We implanted 4-mm preclotted Dacron grafts in both carotids of 12 dogs. For a fair comparison, all dogs had a comparable platelet aggregation profile with platelet aggregation scores less than 30. Five dogs served as controls, and the others were given 7-day subcutaneous injections of G-CSF (10 μg/kg per day), starting on the seventh postoperative day. The effect of G-CSF was evaluated by white blood cell count, which showed a 3.7-fold (± 2.7-fold) increase at the end of treatment. Grafts were harvested at 4 weeks. All G-CSF grafts were patent, and one control occluded. Endothelial-like cell coverage averaged 80.8% on G-CSF grafts, but only 35.6% for control grafts ( P P
Compensatory advantages of toe walking

Abstract Kerrigan DC, Riley PO, Rogan S, Burke DT. Compensatory advantages of toe walking. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:38-44. Objectives: The study's hypothesis is that toe walking requires less peak muscle strength distally about the ankle and knee compared with normal heel-toe walking and thus may have compensatory advantages for patients with upper motor neuron injury and distal muscle weakness. Design: Motion analysis and force platform data were collected in able-bodied subjects during toe walking and normal walking. Sagittal plane joint torques reflecting muscle force requirements and joint powers reflecting nonisometric muscle contraction were compared between the two conditions using paired t tests, applying a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Setting: A gait laboratory. Subjects: Seventeen able-bodied adults, 9 of whom were ballet dancers. Main Outcome Measures: Peak hip, knee, and ankle joint torque and power variables during walking. Results: Peak ankle plantarflexor torque and ankle power generation during terminal stance and preswing were reduced ( p p Conclusion: Toe walking may require less ankle plantarflexor, ankle dorsiflexor, and knee extensor strength than normal heel-toe walking and thus may have compensatory advantages for patients with upper motor neuron injury and distal lower extremity weakness. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Two-Libron Spectrum of Solid H 2 and D 2

It is shown that the "two-libron" lines in the Raman spectrum of solid hydrogen result from the large cubic anharmonicity of the quadrupole-quadrupole Hamiltonian. A localized picture is used to describe the interaction of two librational excitations on neighboring molecules, and dynamic interactions with other molecules are treated perturbatively. In this approximation the average single-libron energy agrees with the anharmonic calculation in the accompanying paper. Using a value of the quadrupole-coupling constant obtained from the single-libron spectrum, the resulting two-libron energies and Raman transition probabilities are in excellent agreement with the observed spectrum. Disciplines Physics | Quantum Physics This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/physics_papers/416 PHYSICAL REVIEW B VOLUME 4, NU MBKR 8 Two-Libron Spectrum of Solid H2 and D2~ 15 OCTOBER 1971 A. John Berlinsky and A. Brooks Harris Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philade/podia, Pennsylvania 19104 (Received 19 January 1971) It is shown that the "bvo-libron" lines in the Baman spectrum of solid hydrogen result from the large cubic anharmonicity of the quadrupole-quadrupole Hamiltonian. A localized picture is used to describe the interaction of two librational excitations on neighboring molecules, and dynamic interactions with other molecules are treated perturbatively. In this approximation the average single-libron energy agrees with the anharmonic calculation in the accompanying paper. Using a value of the quadrupole-coupling constant obtained from the single-libron spectrum, the resulting two-libron energies and Baman transition probabilities are in excellent agreement with the observed spectrum.
Finding new candidate genes for learning and memory

The genetic mechanisms underlying learning and memory remain mysterious, but many of the genes are likely to be expressed in the hippocampus, a region pivotal to this process. We used a 9,000 gene microarray to examine differences in hippocampal gene expression between two F1 hybrid mouse strains that perform well on the Morris water maze and two inbred strains that perform poorly. This resulted in identification of 27 differentially expressed genes, which could be used to place the F1 hybrid and inbred strains into separate clusters based on singular value decomposition. Most of the genes have unknown function, but those with known functions may provide clues to the molecular mechanisms of learning. Using multiple strains to narrow down the number of candidate genes should be a useful general approach to genome-wide studies of behavioral and other complex traits.
Expansion of Potassium-Depleted Muscovite*

Muscovite samples were K-depleted with NaCl-NaTPB solutions. By varying the extraction period, samples that varied in total K from 219 to 15 meq per 100 g. were prepared. This treatment did not change the layer charge in the mineral, but it did increase the basal spacing of the mineral from 10 to 12.3 A. The changes in basal spacing that occurred when increasing amounts of interlayer K were replaced by Na and the effects of subsequent treatments for the removal of KTPB were determined with two size fractions. In each case, the interlayer K at the periphery of the muscovite particles was replaced by Na, and a fringe of K-depleted mineral with a basal spacing of 12.3 A developed. In a <50µ sample the particles retained an inner core of 10 A mineral as the weathered fringe increased. There was no evidence of interstratification. With this sample there was considerable Na trapping when the KTPB was removed with NH4Cl-acetone-water solutions. On the other hand, with a <2µ sample, mixed-layer structures developed as K was removed, and less Na trapping occurred. Na trapping was reduced by removing the KTPB with boiling NH4Cl. Undried Na-degraded muscovite with only 15 meq K per 100 g did not expand beyond 12.3 A. The NH4-degraded muscovite samples had a basal spacing of 10.4 A.
Erratum to: Billiards in L-Shaped Tables with Barriers

In this erratum, we point out a gap in the proof of Theorem 1.1 of [B]. In Theorem 12.2, we stated a classification of nondivergent, ergodic, ht-invariant measures on the eigenform locus ED. By nondivergent, we implicitly meant nondivergent under the positive-time geodesic flow at. This is a mistake; the classification stated is actually of measures which are nondivergent under the negative-time geodesic flow. In the first paragraph of Lemma 12.3, we then assume that we are working with the positive-time geodesic flow in the statement “any subsequential limit of m t is ht-invariant.”
Tuning a terahertz wire laser

Lasers that can be continuously tuned over a broad wavelength range are essential components for sensing and spectroscopy. The frequency of a conventional tunable laser is changed similarly to a musical instrument such as the violin, whose pitch is varied by changing the length (the longitudinal component of wave vector) and the tension (the refractive index) of a string. However, such a method is difficult to implement at terahertz (THz) frequencies, where many important bio-chemical species have distinctive spectral fingerprints, because of the relatively long wavelength λ compared to the cross section w of semiconductor lasers. Continuous frequency tuning using an external-cavity grating has yet to be achieved, and changing the refractive index by temperature produces only small fractional tuning (<1%). Here we demonstrate a novel tuning mechanism that qualitatively differs from all the other methods. This mechanism is based on the unique feature of an unusual device termed “wire laser”, which is defined as a laser whose dimension in the transverse direction w is much smaller than λ. As such, a large fraction of the mode propagates outside the solid core. Placing a movable object close to the wire laser allows direct manipulation of the evanescent laser field, and consequently the lasing frequency. Based on this mechanism, continuous frequency tuning has been unambiguously demonstrated with single-mode operation free from mode hopping. Both red-shift and blue-shift tuning can be achieved from the same device by using either a dielectric or metallic movable object. In combination, a total tuning of ~137 GHz (3.6%) has been demonstrated from a single laser device at ~3.8 THz. Furthermore, these results demonstrate a mechanism for tuning wire lasers at all wavelengths.
Topography-Based Sampling Compared with Grid Sampling in the Northern Great Plains

A practical variable-rate fertilizer application should be based on information gathered at low cost that represents field fertility levels. The number of soil samples gathered and analyzed may limit the effectiveness of some variable-rate fertilizer applications. Topography-based soil sampling is attractive because it suggests a lower number of samples needed to characterize fertility levels and patterns in a field than some current grid sampling recommendations. A 40-acre North Dakota field consisting of Barnes loam (fine loamy, mixed, Udic Haplo-borolls), Swenoda loam (mixed, Pachic Udic Haploborolls), and Wyard clay loam (fine loamy, mixed, frigid Typic Haplaquolls) soil types was sampled in a 110 ft grid each fall from 1994 to 1996. Nitrate N, P, sulfate S, and chloride level patterns were similar in all 3 yr. Correlation of both area- (sample cores obtained from a wide area within a topography zone) and point-based (a topography zone represented by a composite taken from a point location) topography sampling with the 110 ft grid values was compared with correlation from a 220 ft, 330 ft, and 5 acre grid. Area-based topography sampling for nitrate N was superior in correlation to the 220 ft grid values in 2 of 3 yr. Area-based topography sampling with P was superior to the 220 ft grid in only 1 of 3 yr, but was superior to the 5 acre grid in all years. The 220 ft grid was superior to topography sampling for sulfate S in all years, but area-based topography sampling was better than the 330 ft grid in 2 of 3 yr and superior to the 5 acre grid in all years. Area-based topography sampling for chloride was superior to the 220 ft grid in 1 of 3 yr, but was more highly correlated with the 110 ft grid than the 330 ft and 5 acre grid in all years. Area-based topography sampling was more highly correlated than point-based topography sampling in seven of 12 comparisons. Topography-based sampling for nitrate N better represented fertility patterns than did grid sampling.
MOAB : a spatially explicit, individual-based expert system for creating animal foraging models

Abstract We describe the development, structure, and corroboration process of a simulation model of animal behavior (MOAB). MOAB can create spatially explicit, individual-based animal foraging models. Users can create or replicate heterogeneous landscape patterns, and place resources and individual animals of a given species on that landscape to simultaneously simulate the foraging behavior of multiple species. The heuristic rules for animal behavior are maintained in a user-modifiable expert system. MOAB can be used to explore hypotheses concerning the influence of landscape pattern on animal movement and foraging behavior. A red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) foraging and nest predation model was created to test MOAB’s capabilities. Foxes were simulated for 30-day periods using both expert system and random movement rules. Home range size, territory formation and other measures of movement were compared to data from field studies, the random movement simulations, and other available simulation studies. A striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis L.) model also was developed. The expert system model proved superior to stochastic in respect to territory formation, general movement patterns and home range size.
The limited depletion of cholesterol from erythrocyte membranes on treatment with incubated plasma

Abstract About 35% of the cholesterol of human erythrocyte membranes can be removed by the “preincubated plasma” technique (Murphy, J.R. (1962) J. Lab. Clin. Med. 60, 86–109), in which erythrocytes are extracted with plasma that has been preincubated to esterify a portion of its lipoprotein cholesterol. The limitation on the cholesterol depletion is shown not to be a result of insufficient plasma capacity to take up additional cholesterol or of changes in the plasma during the extraction. The maximum cholesterol depletion from “ghosts” was the same as that from whole cells. “Inside-out” membrane vesicles (Steck, T.L. (1974) in Methods in Membrane Biology (Korn, E., ed.), Vol. 2, pp. 245–281) were utilized to determine if the limitation to cholesterol depletion is a result of the remaining cholesterol being 1located at the membrane inner surface and therefore not accessible to the plasma. No further cholesterol depletion occurred when “inside-out” vesicles, prepared from erythrocytes which were depleted of cholesterol by the usual method, were extracted. Also, “inside-out” vesicles prepared from untreated erythrocytes gave the same cholesterol depletion as is usually attained. The maximal cholesterol depletion was unaffected by a number of modifications of the extracting preincubated plasma: addition of lysolecithin or albumin, dialysis against isotonic buffer, and variation in pH of the preincubated plasma from 6.0 to 9.0. It is concluded that the limitation on the cholesterol depletion is a result of a firm binding of the remaining cholesterol.
Strontium isotope record of seasonal scale variations in sediment sources and accumulation in low-energy, subtidal areas of the lower Hudson River estuary

Abstract Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) profiles in sediment cores collected from two subtidal harbor slips in the lower Hudson River estuary in October 2001 exhibit regular patterns of variability with depth. Using additional evidence from sediment Ca/Sr ratios, 137Cs activity and Al, carbonate (CaCO3), and organic carbon (OCsed) concentration profiles, it can be shown that the observed variability reflects differences in the relative input and trapping of fine-grained sediment from seaward sources vs. landward sources linked to seasonal-scale changes in freshwater flow. During high flow conditions, the geochemical data indicate that most of the fine-grained sediments trapped in the estuary are newly eroded basin materials. During lower (base) flow conditions, a higher fraction of mature materials from seaward sources with higher carbonate content is trapped in the lower estuary. Results show that high-resolution, multi-geochemical tracer approaches utilizing strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) can distinguish sediment sources and constrain seasonal scale variations in sediment trapping and accumulation in dynamic estuarine environments. Low-energy, subtidal areas such as those in this study are important sinks for metastable, short-to-medium time scale sediment accumulation. These results also show that these same areas can serve as natural recorders of physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect particle and particle-associated material dynamics over seasonal-to-yearly time scales.
Limitations of science and adaptive management

Author(s): Narasimhan, T.N. | Abstract: Adaptive management consists in patterning human sustenance within the constraints of Earth and biological systems whose behavior is inherently uncertain and difficult to control. For successful adaptive management, a mind-set recognizing the limitations of science is needed.
Characterization of Adenosine A2 Receptors in Bovine Retinal Membranes

Abstract Two classes of extracellular receptors for adenosine. A1 and A2, have been demonstrated in the mammalian retina. Our laboratory has previously reported the pharmacological characteristics of the mammalian retinal A1 receptors. We now report our characterization of retinal A2 receptors based on data obtained from both adenylate cyclase assays and radioligand binding studies. [3H]-5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) in the presence of 10 nM cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, which selectively binds to A1 receptors) or [3H]-CGS 21680 were used to label the A2 binding sites. Using [3H]-NECA (plus CPA), two populations of binding sites, having Kds of 106 nM and 9·4 μM, were determined. [3H]-CGS 21680, a derivative of NECA which has been demonstrated to be highly selective for A2 receptors in brain synaptic membrane preparations was more potent than NECA at the higher affinity population of A2 sites, and saturation analysis revealed the presence of both a high affinity site, Kd of 18 nM, and a lower affinity site having a Kd of 4·3 μM. The high affinity site labeled by [3H]-CGS 21680 corresponds to the A2a receptor. Using either radioligand, guanosine triphosphate-dependent shifts to a single population of binding sites were observed. Despite the differences in affinities revealed by the two radioligands for the high affinity A2 site, both [3H]-CGS 21680 and [3H]-NECA were competitively displaced by increasing concentrations of a variety of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists, and exhibited an identical rank order of potency that is consistent with that reported for high affinity A2a receptors. Receptor-mediated modulation o[ adenylate cyclase activities in retinal synaptic membranes was also assessed, and while NECA or N6-methyladenosine elicited decreases in forskolin-activated cyclase activity at concentrations between 0·1-50 nM, this inhibition was reversed, and enzyme stimulated by higher agonist concentrations. CGS 21680 elicited only a stimulation of either basal and forskolin-activated adenylate cyclase activities at concentrations above 50 nM. The stimulatory modulation of adenylate cyclase at these concentrations is consistent with mediation by the A2a and/or A2b receptors.
Non-Bayesian Rate-Adaptive Wireless Communication Using ARQ-Feedback

To combat the detrimental effects of the variability in wireless channels, we consider cross-layer rate adaptation based on limited feedback. Based on limited feedback in the form of link-layer Automatic Repeat-reQuest (ARQ), we maximize the physical-layer transmission rate subject to an upper bound on the expected packet error rate without assuming any particular prior distribution on the channel state. We first analyze the fundamental limitations of such systems and derive an upper bound on the achievable rate for signalling schemes based on uncoded QAM and random Gaussian ensembles. We show that, for channel estimation based on binary ARQ feedback, it may be preferable to use a separate training sequence at high error rates, rather than to exploit low-error-rate data packets themselves. We also develop an adaptive recursive estimator, which is provably asymptotically optimal and asymptotically efficient.
ANNEALING OF IRRADIATION EFFECTS IN SODIUM CHLORIDE IRRADIATED WITH HIGH ENERGY PROTONS

Single crystals of sodium chloride were subjected to irradiation at room temperature by 350-Mev protons with a total flux of ${10}^{12}$ to ${10}^{16}$ protons per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, and changes in their electrical conductivity, stored energy, and optical absorption were studied. The relative resistivity changes due to irradiation were measured during warmup at a rate of 2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C/min, showing maxima at around 150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 250\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and annealing out at about 400\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The stored energies released during annealing were measured in the same temperature range. The results indicate the presence of three stages of annealing, the first lies between room temperature and 150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the second between 150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and 250\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and the third is above 250\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The stored energy curve has maxima at 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, 200\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and 310\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The probable mechanisms of the various annealing processes are discussed. In particular specific mechanisms are proposed for the second stage of the annealing in which significant changes of the optical absorption bands take place. Efficiency of the production of defects was estimated to be the order of ${10}^{3}$ per proton per centimeter path and this is compared briefly with the theories of Seitz and Smoluchowski.
BeamAdapt: energy efficient beamsteering on mobile devices

All current mobile devices are omni directional in transmission, which not only limits device energy efficiency but also poses a significant challenge toward network capacity through inter-link interference. In this work, we make mobile devices directional with beamsteering. By allowing a dynamic number of antennas in beamsteering, we reveal an important tradeoff between device energy efficiency and network capacity. We then provide a distributed algorithm called BeamAdapt that allows each mobile device in the network to closely approach the optimal tradeoff, with minimum aggregated device power to achieve certain network capacity. We also offer a cellular system realization of BeamAdapt as well as a Qualnet-based evaluation. The results show the effectiveness of BeamAdapt in device power reduction without sacrificing network throughput.
Transitions and duality in gauge lattice systems

A new form of the pure gauge lattice action is proposed. It is expected to allow the study of the confined phase up to low couplings. The duality transformation is built for all Abelian groups and is used to prove the existence of a transition between confined and nonconfined phases for dimension d > or = 3.
Judge, Jury, and Executioner: DXO Functions as a Decapping Enzyme and Exoribonuclease in Pre-mRNA Quality Control

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Jiao et al. (2013) describe the mammalian enzyme DXO, which has pyrophosphohydrolase, decapping, and 5'-3' exoribonuclease activity and functions as an important checkpoint in cotranscriptional capping of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pre-mRNA transcripts.
The 2003 Revised TNM Staging System for Breast Cancer: Results of Stage Re-classification on Survival and Future Comparisons among Stage Groups

Changes to TNM staging criteria for breast cancer, introduced in 2003, have resulted in stage re-classification for some tumors. The most frequently implemented change has resulted in tumors associated with more than three positive axillary nodes being upstaged.We hypothesize these TNM staging changes would result in more TNM Stage IIB, IIIA, and IIIB tumors and that disease-specific survival estimates would change under the new staging system. A review of data was completed for patients diagnosed with breast cancer between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2000. Tumors that would have been staged differently under the 2003 system were identified and re-classified.Clinical outcomes were determined and disease-specific survival estimates were compared relative to TNM Stage using the old and new staging systems.Data were analyzed using the log-rank test and the method of Kaplan and Meier was used to generate survival curves. Data were available for 2492 tumors, of which 919 were candidates for re-classification, including 829 old Stage II, 59 old Stage III, and 31 old Stage IV. Of these 919, 159 (17%) underwent stage re-classification using the new system. Separate survival estimates for patients who had been under old stage IIA/B, IIIA/B were generated; patients upstaged from IIA or IIB demonstrated a significant difference in survival. Stage specific survival curves indicated decreased survival for patients whose tumors had been upstaged from IIA or IIB under the old system; survival for all other patients remained unchanged.
The mobile people architecture

People are the outsiders in the current communications revolution. Computer hosts, pagers, and telephones are the addressable entities throughout the Internet and telephony systems. Human beings, however, still need application-specific tricks to be identified, like email addresses, telephone numbers, and ICQ IDs. The key challenge today is to find people and communicate with them personally, as opposed to communicating merely with their possibly inaccessible machines---cell phones that are turned off or PCs on faraway desktops.We introduce the Mobile People Architecture which aims to put the person, rather than the devices that the person uses, at the endpoints of a communication session. We describe a prototype that performs person-level routing; the prototype allows people to receive communication regardless of the network, device, or application they use, while maintaining their privacy.
Rotation designs in leadership research

Abstract A rotation design involves placing an individual into different groups with different group members and investigating the consistency of an individual's behavior. Rotation designs have been used to investigate coalition formation, group interaction rates, and, most frequently, emergent leadership. Despite the interest in the rotation design, there is little formal work on the statistical analysis of data from this design. A description of rotation designs and a brief overview of past research using these designs is presented as well as a general strategy for the analysis of data from rotation designs. The analysis for rotation designs, which is aided by a computer software program ROTO (a program specifically designed to analyze rotation designs), is explicated. Working with data from two studies, examples of how the analyses are performed and interpretations of the results are presented for variables that are dyadic (each member rates the group), individual-unchanging (individual difference measures), and group-level (one score for each group).
Fully coupled solution of the equations for incompressible recirculating flows using a penalty-function finite-difference formulation

This paper describes two new solution algorithms for steady recirculating flows that use a penalty formulation to eliminate the pressure from the finite difference form of the governing equations. One algorithm uses successive substitution to linearize the equations, while the other employs the Newton-Raphson linearization. In both cases, the equations are solved in a fully coupled manner using a sparse matrix form of LU decomposition. The D'Yakonov iteration is used to avoid unnecessary factorizations of the coefficient matrix, significantly improving the computational efficiency. The Newton-Raphson linearization leads to faster convergence, but the execution times of the two methods are comparable. The algorithms converge rapidly and are robust to changes in grid size and Reynolds number. In a number of laminar two-dimensional flows, the new methods proved to be two to ten times faster than some conventional iterative methods.
Estimating confidence of individual rating predictions in collaborative filtering recommender systems

Collaborative filtering algorithms predict a rating for an item based on the user's previous ratings for other items as well as ratings of other users. This approach has gained notable popularity both in academic research and in commercial applications. One aspect of collaborative filtering systems that received interest, but little systematic analysis, is confidence of the rating predictions by collaborative filtering algorithms. In this paper, I address this issue. Specifically: (1) I offer a discussion on the definition of confidence, (2) I propose a method for evaluating performance of confidence estimation algorithms, and (3) I evaluate six different confidence estimation algorithms. Three of those algorithms are introduced in this paper and three have been previously suggested for this purpose. The comparative experimental evaluation demonstrates that two of the algorithms proposed in this study: one using resampling of available ratings and one using noise injection to the available ratings provide the best performance in terms of separation between predictions of high and low confidence. The algorithms that use only the number of ratings available for the user of interest or for the item of interest turned out to be of limited use for confidence estimation.
The search for the physical basis of memory

This paper reviews, and synthesizes on a highly theoretical level, the major ideas of Lashley, Penfield, Pribram, and others in the area of the physical basis of memory. Wolfgram’s conclusions concerning this matter are that the engram is a molecular code, and that it is not a physical trace.
Evaluation of high-resolution electron microscopy as a method for studying Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopes operating at 300 and 400 kV were used to investigate the crystallography and microstructure of the perovskitelike YBa2Cu3O7−x. In this paper, we evaluate the performance attainable with these microscopes both empirically and by computer modelling. Based upon the assumption that oxygen may be a key to superconductivity properties, we have also investigated the visibility of the oxygen sites as well as the heavier yttrium and barium ion positions and the lighter Cu atom positions. We propose a scheme for observing different twin orientations in these structures and hence the oxygen atom positions seen in projection for the [100] and [010]. Our observations of both thick and thin regions of Y-Ba-Cu-O materials are reported as well as the problems of adjusting microscope parameters and specimen alignment to obtain interpretable images. We also give a preliminary report on the effects of heat treatment as seen in high-resolution micrographs to assess disorder of the heavy atoms and oxygen vacancies.