cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Novel Recombinant Eklf-GATA1 Fusion Protein Reduces Erythrocytes Sickling in Human Erythroid Culture Model

Current gene therapy approaches for treatment of hemoglobinopathies involve viral transduction of hematopoietic stem cells with "antisickling" globin genes. Hemoglobin A2 (HbA2, α2δ2), expressed at a low level due to the lack of Eklf binding motif in its promoter region, is fully functional and could be a valid substitute for hemoglobin A in β-thalassemia, as well as an "anti-sickling" agent in sickle cell disease. We have previously demonstrated that two Eklf-GATA1 fusion proteins, which were recruited to the GATA1 binding motif at the δ-globin promoter, can significantly activate δ-globin expression in K562 cells and hematopoietic stem CD34 + cells. Here, we report that enforced expression of Eklf-GATA1 fusion protein in sickle trait CD34 + cells significantly increased δ-globin expression, as determined by quantitative PCR and HPLC. Upon deoxygenation, the percentage of sickling cells was lower in Eklf-GATA1-transduced red blood cells as compared with mock-transduced cells. By a series of flow cytometry analyses, which includes BRDU incorporation assay, CD71/GPA, and thiazole orange staining, we found that erythroid cells proliferation, differentiation and enucleation were not affected by Eklf-GATA1 expression. To assess the potential off-target effects of our fusion protein constructs, we analyzed differentially expressed genes (and proteins) in vector-only and Eklf-GATA-1 transduced-CD34 + cells by microarray and proteomic changes by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We found that over-expression of Eklf-GATA1 resulted in a less than 2-fold change in the gene expression profile related to bone marrow hematopoiesis, and there were no significant changes that were detected in proteomic profiling. These results indicate that these fusion constructs could be a valuable genetic therapeutic tool for hemoglobinopathies, and warrant further preclinical study and evaluation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Tale of Twisted Molecules. Atropselective Photoreactions: Taming Light Induced Asymmetric Transformations through Non-biaryl Atropisomers.

ConspectusPhotochemical transformations are a powerful tool in organic synthesis to access structurally complex and diverse synthetic building blocks. However, this great potential remains untapped in the mainstream synthetic community due to the challenges associated with stereocontrol originating from excited state(s). The finite lifetime of an excited state and nearly barrierless subsequent processes present significant challenges in manipulating the stereochemical outcome of a photochemical reaction. Several methodologies were developed to address this bottleneck including photoreactions in confined media and preorganization through noncovalent interactions resulting in stereoenhancement. Yet, stereocontrol in photochemical reactions that happen in solution in the absence of organized assemblies remained largely unaddressed.In an effort to develop a general and reliable methodology, our lab has been exploring non-biaryl atropisomers as an avenue to perform asymmetric phototransformations. Atropisomers...
Low-Loss Plasmonic Dielectric Nanoresonators

Material losses in metals are a central bottleneck in plasmonics for many applications. Here we propose and theoretically demonstrate that metal losses can be successfully mitigated with dielectric particles on metallic films, giving rise to hybrid dielectric–metal resonances. In the far field, they yield strong and efficient scattering, beyond even the theoretical limits of all-metal and all-dielectric structures. In the near field, they offer high Purcell factor (>5000), high quantum efficiency (>90%), and highly directional emission at visible and infrared wavelengths. Their quality factors can be readily tailored from plasmonic-like (∼10) to dielectric-like (∼103), with wide control over the individual resonant coupling to photon, plasmon, and dissipative channels. Compared with conventional plasmonic nanostructures, such resonances show robustness against detrimental nonlocal effects and provide higher field enhancement at extreme nanoscopic sizes and spacings. These hybrid resonances equip plasmonic...
Patient Education About the Affordable Care Act Contraceptive Coverage Requirement Increases Interest in Using Long-Acting Reversible Contraception.

Abstract Background The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurance to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives at no cost to patients, including highly effective long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Our objective was to determine whether a brief educational intervention about these provisions would increase interest in LARC use. Methods This is a cross-sectional survey of women seeking contraceptive care in an urban outpatient obstetrics/gynecology clinic. We collected baseline contraceptive attitudes and knowledge of the ACA's contraceptive coverage provisions before the intervention. Our primary outcome was interest in using a LARC method before and after reading a short description of the ACA's contraceptive coverage provisions. Results Surveys were completed by 316 participants. Most participants (52.8%) could not correctly identify any of the contraception coverage stipulations protected under the ACA. We observed a significant increase in LARC interest after the intervention in all participants (37.3% vs. 44.3%; p = .038), primarily among participants who did not originally identify any ACA provisions correctly ( n = 167; 38.3% vs. 48.5%; p = .030). This subset also demonstrated a greater adjusted odds ratio of post-intervention LARC interest (odds ratio, 2.889; 95% CI, 1.234–6.723; p = .014). Interest in short-acting reversible contraception and contraception overall remained unchanged. Conclusions Most women seeking birth control lack comprehensive understanding of the contraceptive coverage protected by the ACA. Incorporating patient education about the ACA's no-cost contraception provision into routine contraceptive counseling may increase interest in LARC use and better enable women to make informed family planning decisions unrestrained by financial considerations.
Quality Matters: Sibling Relationships and Friendship Nominations among Adolescents

Several recent studies suggest that individuals exhibit better social skills if raised with siblings. This pattern has been demonstrated among kindergartners and adults, but oddly is inconsistent among adolescents. Analyzing 1662 youths from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we replicate what others have found—no association between number of siblings and number of friendship nominations received by peers. But we expand on previous research by merging structuralist approaches (focusing primarily on number of siblings) and interactional (emphasizing relationship quality) traditions. We find clear evidence that positive sibling relationships are associated with more peer nominations. This study contributes to growing evidence that sibling relationships shape individuals’ ability to form and maintain relationships with others outside of the family. It also explains why the relationship between number of siblings and social outcomes is not evident during the adolescent years—a period when interactional components of sibship may outweigh structural ones.
Compact Modeling of Distributed Effects in 2-D Vertical Tunnel FETs and Their Impact on DC and RF Performances

In this paper, distributed effects along the channel are investigated for 2-D vertical tunnel FETs by developing a model based on a succession of unit cells along the channel, each of which includes lateral FET conduction and vertical tunnel conduction components. The distributed model shows that there are tradeoffs between these two conduction mechanisms in both dc and RF characteristics. At dc, the overall device current is often limited by one of the two mechanisms, which is lateral conduction for many of the examples discussed in this paper. Channel length has opposite effects on current from the two mechanisms, so that ON-state current can typically be optimized by proper choice of channel length. Tunneling current density is highly nonuniform along the channel for long channel length. For RF applications, lateral conduction limitations increase the total input capacitance, particularly $\text{C}_{\text {gd}}$ , and can lead to capacitance peaking at specific bias voltages near device turn-on. Unlike lateral TFET design, scaling down the channel length significantly improves the cutoff frequency. The distributed model is implemented inVerilog-A and is directly useful for circuit simulations. Parasitic capacitances and contact resistances are also taken into account when evaluating RF characteristics for practical design purposes.
Re-authoring images of the Vietnam War: Dinh Q Lê’s “Light and Belief” installation at dOCUMENTA (13) and the role of the artist as historian

This article looks at a work by the Vietnamese-American artist Dinh Q Le (b. 1968) that was installed at one of the world’s most important contemporary art events, the quinquennial exhibition dOCUM...
Mast cells signal their importance in health and disease

FceRI is the primary receptor in mast cells that mediates allergic reactions by inducing rapid release of mediators, an adaptive immune response that might have evolved as a host defense against parasites and venoms. Yet it is apparent that mast cells are also activated through non-IgE receptors, the significance of which is just beginning to be understood. This includes the Mas-related G protein–coupled receptor X2, which might contribute to reactions to diverse antimicrobials and polybasic compounds, and the adhesion G protein–coupled receptor E2, variants of which are associated with familial vibratory urticaria and are activated by mechanical vibration. Similarly, mast cells have long been recognized as the main repository for histamine, heparin, and proteases. Recent evidence also points to new functions, modes of delivery, and mechanisms of action of mast cell proteases that add new dimensions to the roles of mast cells in human biology. In addition, exposure of mast cells to environmental cues can quantitatively and qualitatively modulate their responses and thus their effect on allergic inflammation. Illustrating this paradigm, we summarize a number of recent studies implicating the injury/tissue damage cytokine IL-33 as a modulator of allergen-induced mast cell responses. We also discuss the discovery of markers associated with transformed mast cells and new potential directions in suppressing mast cell activity.
Pharmacokinetics of plasmid DNA in the rat.

Purpose. The pharmacokinetics of plasmid DNA after IV bolus administration in the rat by following supercoiled (SC), open circular (OC), and linear (L) pDNA forms of the plasmid.
Facial Nerve Schwannoma: Diagnosis Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Facial nerve schwannomas are uncommon benign tumors originating along the facial nerve. These tumors often present clinically with facial nerve dysfunction. Those presenting on imaging as an enhancing cerebellopontine angle mass can be difficult to distinguish from vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas. Contrast enhancement of the geniculate ganglion on magnetic resonance imaging can help distinguish facial schwannomas from other tumor types. Proper diagnosis of cerebellopontine angle lesions is paramount as pathologic type dictates surgical approach and goals.
Cloning, pharmacological characterization, and genomic localization of the human creatine transporter.

The complete coding sequence from a human creatine transporter cDNA was isolated from a kidney library. This transporter is a member of a superfamily of proteins which includes the family of Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent transporters responsible for the uptake of certain neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine, GABA, serotonin, and norepinephrine), and amino acids (e.g. glycine). Within this family, the human creatine transporter is strongly related to a subfamily of sequences which includes the transporters for taurine, GABA, and betaine, and this cDNA is approximately 98% amino acid identical to sequences that have been reported from rat and rabbit as choline and creatine transporters respectively. Pharmacological characterization demonstrated that the protein product of this cDNA mediated high affinity (Km = 77 +/- 6 microM) creatine uptake, which was blocked by creatine analogs with high affinity. There was no specific transport of choline. Northern analysis demonstrated highest levels of mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle, kidney, and heart, with lower levels in brain and other tissues. Expression within the kidney was evenly distributed between cortex and medulla. Genetic mapping in the mouse localizes the creatine transporter to a region on the X chromosome in linkage conservation with the human region Xq28, the location of the genes for several neuromuscular diseases.
On Breastfeeding, Supramolecular Chemistry, and Long Commutes: Life as an Associate Professor, Wife, and Busy Mother of Three

It is often amazing and possibly overwhelming to think about the complexities of navigating a career, marriage, and parenthood, and it is even more overwhelming when the career in question is a tenure-track academic position in the STEM disciplines. This chapter talks about challenges in navigating these multiple roles, with detailed personal anecdotes from the writer’s own life on these important topics. Suggestions and recommendations that are more broadly transferable to others wishing to undertake the same career and family path are also included.
Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiomyopathy

With the rapid increase in cancer survival because of improved diagnosis and therapy in the past decades, cancer treatment–related cardiotoxicity is becoming an urgent healthcare concern. The anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX), one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents to date, causes cardiomyopathy by inducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We demonstrated previously that overexpression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 promotes resistance against DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Here we show that DOX exposure provokes cardiac CDK2 activation and cardiomyocyte cell cycle S phase reentry, resulting in enhanced cellular sensitivity to DOX. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of CDK2 markedly suppressed DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Conversely, CDK2 overexpression augmented DOX-induced apoptosis. We also found that DOX-induced CDK2 activation in the mouse heart is associated with up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic BCL2 family member BCL2-like 11 (Bim), a BH3-only protein essential for triggering Bax/Bak-dependent mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. Further experiments revealed that DOX induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis through CDK2-dependent expression of Bim. Inhibition of CDK2 with roscovitine robustly repressed DOX-induced mitochondrial depolarization. In a cardiotoxicity model of chronic DOX exposure (5 mg/kg weekly for 4 weeks), roscovitine administration significantly attenuated DOX-induced contractile dysfunction and ventricular remodeling. These findings identify CDK2 as a key determinant of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. CDK2 activation is necessary for DOX-induced Bim expression and mitochondrial damage. Our results suggest that pharmacological inhibition of CDK2 may be a cardioprotective strategy for preventing anthracycline-induced heart damage.
Using Household Budgetary Constraints to Explore Negative-interaction Behavior Among Homeowners in Coastal Southeast United States

In this study, household “Negative Interaction” behaviors (counterproductive behavior between home occupants) were measured by examining “Household Budgetary Constraints” (a relative measure of the balance between income and expenses), via the discriminant analysis segmentation strategy: Decision-Ade. In the current methodological study, the Decision-Ade segmentation strategy is expanded from its origins in energy-efficiency research, to family and economic issues research, thereby expanding the scholarly and programmatic “toolkit” approaches used by researchers and stakeholders in this discipline. The sample consisted of 1943 homeowners in southeast coastal United Stated (US) who were part of a larger disaster-preparedness study related to energy efficiency and occupant relationships. Among the sample, 54% (n =1049) of respondents reported the presence of “negative interaction” behaviors in their home. They also displayed misperceptions regarding their “Communication Practices” and “Engagement Practices” (how home occupants communicate and interact with one another). Interestingly, 72% of these respondents (n =1399) reported earning between $25,000 and $100,000 in annual household income, with 39% (n =758) earning > $50,000. Although this could constitute a “living wage,” those studied in this research self-reported as having “Household Budgetary Constraints,” which indicates an imbalance between income and expenses. These same respondents also were highly likely to be associated with having “negative-interaction” behaviors occurring in their home, which is considered a major deterrent to stable, healthy households in family studies research.
Perspectives on integer programming for time-dependent models

Integer programs for solving time-dependent models—models in which decisions have to be made about the times at which activities occur and/or resources are utilized—are pervasive in industry, but are notoriously difficult to solve. In the last few years, interest in the role of discretization in approaches to solve these problems has intensified. One novel paradigm, dynamic discretization discovery, has emerged with the potential to greatly enhance the practical tractability of time-dependent models using integer programming technology. We introduce dynamic discretization discovery, illustrate its use on the traveling salesman problem with time windows, highlight its core principles, and point to opportunities for further research. Relations to other approaches for tackling time-dependent models are also discussed.
Anatomy of Congenital Heart Disease Lesions Associated With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Adult congenital heart disease represents a growing population of patients. Many patients survive to adulthood and lead functional, productive lives. In fact, there are more adults living with cong...
Polypharmacy and Rational Prescribing: Changing the Culture of Medicine One Patient at a Time

Polypharmacy and the associated concept of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) have well-documented deleterious effects on older adults and other vulnerable groups commonly treated by physiatrists. Addressing the issues of polypharmacy and PIP presents an opportunity to improve health and rehabilitation outcomes. In this article, we review medications commonly initiated and managed by physiatrists such as anticoagulants, antidepressants, neuro-stimulants, and pain medications based on current evidence. We also offer strategies to minimize polypharmacy and PIP by exploring alternative and behavioral approaches to common clinical issues in rehabilitation according to the most recent guidelines. Polypharmacy is associated with a host of undesirable and potentially preventable outcomes including falls, hip fractures, delirium, incontinence, and cognitive impairments. As the number of medications increase, so does the risk of untoward effects. Physiatrists are well positioned to have a positive impact on rational prescribing and polypharmacy given our emphasis on function, familiarity with non-medication treatment modalities, and an embrace of a biopsychosocial orientation.
Reversion and location trends in the bitcoin market

The cryptocurrency market is different from traditional markets due to its unique property, which allows global trading around the clock. It is of interest to investigate if some traditional stock market phenomena still exist in the cryptocurrency markets. In this research, we studied the application of the 75% reversion rule in cryptocurrency markets. Using local linear regression, we identified active markets at certain time and location, and examined government regulations and news' influence on the cryptocurrency markets.
Navigating #ObamainCuba: how Twitter mediates frames and history in public diplomacy

Conversations in public diplomacy are increasingly influenced by social media networks, including the microblogging platform of Twitter. This study draws from US President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba in 2016 to understand how publics prioritize binational issues using social media. Utilizing the theories of framing and mediated public diplomacy as means to influencing perceptions of nations within public diplomacy, this study assesses the growing role of public audiences and their participation in so-called “Twiplomacy”. A social media content analysis is used to analyze Twitter activity containing the hashtag #ObamainCuba, which was promoted by the US government. It establishes Twitter diplomacy as a site for discourse not only from or between political elites, but as a burgeoning arena for international and previously under-represented publics, themselves engaging with governments and media in this process. The hashtag #ObamainCuba served as a bridge that joined US and Cuba narratives in framing Obama’s visit as a compelling political story, but also facilitated the contestation of historic geopolitical wounds between the USA and Cuba. This study builds on the role of mediation in public diplomacy by demonstrating the interplay between citizens, governments, and the media in the context of digital communication about a specific case of public diplomacy.
Simulations of prominence eruption preceded with large amplitude longitudinal oscillations and draining

We present magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the evolution from quasi-equilibrium to eruption of a prominence-forming twisted coronal flux rope under a coronal streamer. We have compared the cases with and without the formation of prominence condensations, and the case where prominence condensations form but we artificially initiate the draining of the prominence. We find that the prominence weight has a significant effect on the stability of the flux rope, and can significantly increase the loss-of-equilibrium height. The flux rope can be made to erupt earlier by initiating draining of the prominence mass. We have also performed a simulation where large amplitude longitudinal oscillations of the prominence are excited during the quasi-static phase. We find that the gravity force along the magnetic field lines is the major restoring force for the oscillations, in accordance with the ``pendulum model'', although the oscillation periods are higher (by about 10% to 40%) than estimated from the model because of the dynamic deformation of the field line dips during the oscillations. The oscillation period is also found to be slightly smaller for the lower part of the prominence in the deeper dips compared to the upper part in the shallower dips. The oscillations are quickly damped out after about 2-3 periods and are followed by prominence draining and the eventual eruption of the prominence. However we do not find a significant enhancement of the prominence draining and earlier onset of eruption with the excitation of the prominence oscillations compared to the case without.
Feasibility of Two Different EMG-Based Pattern Recognition Control Paradigms to Control a Robot After Stroke – Case Study

Stroke often results in chronic motor impairment of the upper-extremity yet neither traditional- nor robotics-based therapy has been able to affect this in a profound way. Supporting the weak affected shoulder against gravity improves reaching distance and minimizes abnormal co-contraction of the elbow, wrist, and fingers after stroke. However, it is necessary to assess the feasibility and efficacy of real-time controllers for this population as technology advances and a wearable shoulder device comes closer to reality. The aim of this study is to test two EMG-based controllers in this regard. A linear discriminant analysis based classifier was trained using extracted time domain and auto-regressive features from electromyographic data acquired during muscle effort required to move a load equivalent to 50 and 100% limb weight (abduction) and 150 and 200% limb weight (adduction). While rigidly connected to a custom lab-based robot, the participant was required to complete a series of lift and reach tasks under two different control paradigms: position-based control and force-based control.The participant successfully controlled the robot under both paradigms as indicated by first moving the robot arm into the proper vertical window and then reaching out as far as possible while remaining within the vertical window. This case study begins to assess the feasibility of using electromyographic data to classify the intended shoulder movement of a participant with stroke during a functional lift and reach type task. Next steps will assess how this type of support affects reaching function.
Thermoacoustic fatigue testing facility for space shuttle thermal protection system

The development of a reusable space shuttle by NASA in the next decade depends in part on the design of a satisfactory thermal protection system (TPS). The booster and orbiter parts of the shuttle require TPS panels which will withstand thermoacoustic fatigue. The Langley Research Center has begun tests on early panel designs in a new acoustic fatigue facility which is capable of simulating the combined elevated temperature and acoustic environments which these panels are expected to experience. The capabilities of the facility and computer system are outlined, and problems encountered in establishing the test methods are discussed. Tests of a Haynes 25 TPS panel are described, and representative data from tests of the panel at 650 C are included.
New Physical Model to Study Tunnels in Squeezing Clay-Rich Rocks

Squeezing ground conditions in tunnels are often associated with rock mineralogy, strength, ductility, excavation sequence, and the magnitude of in situ stresses. Numerous methodologies and empirical correlations have been proposed in the past to determine the level of ground squeezing conditions in tunnels, but most of them are problem specific and limited in scope. This paper presents a fundamental study of tunnel squeezing using a novel experimental approach to simulate tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavation in squeezing ground conditions. The proposed experimental setup employs a cubical specimen of synthetic mudstone, with each dimension being 300 mm and the six faces subjected to a true-triaxial state of stress, with different magnitudes of principal stresses and stress levels that correspond to realistic in situ conditions. A miniature TBM was designed, fabricated, and used to excavate a tunnel into the host rock (specimen) while the rock was subjected to a true-triaxial state of stress. Embedded strain gauges and acoustic emission sensors, which were coupled on the surface of the rock specimen, were also used to monitor the tunnel’s response during the excavation stage. The results from the experiment confirmed the capability of the physical model to provide a better understanding of tunnel squeezing and to delineate the damage and the deformation that occurs during instant stress release and creep behavior of rock around the tunnel boundary during tunnel excavation.
Improving the Federal Circuit's Approach to Choice of Law for Procedural Matters in Patent Cases

Because of its virtually exclusive jurisdiction over patent cases from the entire country, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit faces a unique situation with respect to choice of law for procedural matters in patent cases. Normally, in a non-patent-related case, a district court applies the procedural-law precedent of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the district court sits. However, because the Federal Circuit's jurisdiction is based on subject matter rather than geography, the court has had to choose whether (1) to develop and apply its own precedent to procedural matters or (2) to apply the precedent of the regional circuit court in which the district court sits. Under its current choice-of-law rules, the Federal Circuit by default is supposed to apply the law of the regional circuit to procedural matters. But where the procedural matter in question sufficiently pertains to patent law, the court is supposed to apply its own law under the current choice-of-law rules. Problems have arisen in the application of these rules. For one thing, the Federal Circuit has articulated these rules in many different ways over the years. And this inconsistent articulation has led to inconsistent application. As a result, district courts and litigants in patent cases often cannot be sure which law applies to a particular procedural issue. This article evaluates the Federal Circuit's current rules and contrasts these current rules with several other possible rules. To evaluate these different possibilities, this article considers how each of them advances or retards the institutional interests, needs, and goals of the players involved - namely, the Federal Circuit, the district courts, and litigants. Ultimately, this article concludes that the best approach for the Federal Circuit is to develop and apply its own law to all procedural matters in patent cases.
Metatheorizing citation

This paper reviews a variety of perspectives on citation. It argues that citations have multiple articulations in that they inform our understanding of the socio-cultural, cognitive, and textual aspects of scientific communication. Two metatheoretical frameworks are proposed as a means of negotiating the interpretative differences which characterize the various discourse communities concerned with citation theory and practice.
On deployment of solar sail with superconducting current-carrying wire

Abstract We present a novel idea of the deployment of a circular solar sail consisting of superconducting wire attached to the thin circular membrane. Based on classical electrodynamics and theory of elasticity we predict that the superconducting current in the wire can deploy the large size circular solar sail.
Effect of Surface Roughness on Antenna Array for Automotive Radar Applications

Recently, applications that use millimeter (mm) wave frequencies (30–300 GHz) have increased significantly to facilitate very high data rates and wide operational bandwidth. However, designing circuits and antennas at mm wave frequencies pose a challenge of its own. One such factor is surface roughness, which affects the conductivity of the metals used in the design and leads to degradation of performance. Surface roughness can be controlled using advanced and precise manufacturing techniques; however, they can be expensive. So, it is important to study the effect of surface roughness while designing mm wave circuits and antennas to avoid expensive modifications later in the design stages. In this paper, we consider one such application of automotive cruise control (ACC) radar that operates at 76.5 GHz and study how various values of surface roughness affect different performance parameters of the design.
The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento

1. Legitimacy: a crisis and a promise (c.1250-c.1340) 2. Civilt...: living and thinking the city (c.1300-c.1375) 3. Plague: death, disaster, and the rinascita of civilt... (c.1325-c.1425) 4. Violence: social conflict and the Italian Hundred Years War (c.1350-c.1454) 5. Imagination: the shared primary culture of the early Rinascimento (c.1350-c.1475) 6. Courts: princes, aristocrats, and quiet glory (c.1425-c.1500) 7. Self: the individual as a work of art (c.1425-c.1525) 8. Discovery: finding the old in the new (c.1450-c.1560) 9. Re-dreams: virtu, saving the Rinascimento, and the satyr in the garden (c.1500-c.1560) 10. Reform: spiritual enthusiasms, discipline, and a church militant (c.1500-c.1575) 11. Retreat: the great social divide and the end of the Rinascimento (c.1525-c.1575).
The Politics of Urban Bias: Rural Threats and the Dual Dilemma of Political Survival

Urban bias in government policy is a common phenomenon in many developing countries. Bates (1981) has famously argued that the wish to industrialize, paired with the political clout of urban residents, results in distinctly anti-rural policies. Empirically, however, the strength of urban bias varies substantially across countries and over time. This paper explains this variation by developing an argument about a countervailing force to urban bias: the threat of a rural insurgency. The direction of urban and rural bias is a function of the political threat that geographically distinct groups pose to the survival of the central government. When the rural periphery lacks collective action capacity, urban bias emerges, but if there exists a credible threat of rural violence, urban bias is diminished. I test this proposition and competing explanations using data on net taxation in the agricultural sector, covering up to 55 low- and middle-income countries from 1955 to 2007. The results show a strong relationship between past territorial conflict (which proxies for credible rural threats) and lower levels of urban bias in the developing world. The findings are robust to alternative model specifications, measures, and sensitivity analyses.
Benefits and Risks of Treating Obesity

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the benefits and risks of treating obesity. While analyzing the benefits and risks of obesity treatment, one must first determine whether estimation of a benefit/risk ratio is for the purpose of making a public health policy decision or for arriving at a judgment about treatment of an individual patient. If a certain amount of morbidity and mortality can be attributed to overweight/obesity, it follows that, to the extent overweight/obesity can be prevented, the excess morbidity and mortality attributable to this condition will be correspondingly reduced. However, because the damaging effects of obesity on health appear to accumulate over time, the degree to which sustained therapeutic weight reduction can reverse these adverse effects is difficult to predict. Nevertheless, beneficial effects of intentional weight loss on health and longevity have been reported. Although there are good reasons to believe that therapeutic weight reduction can contribute to the alleviation of such conditions as angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, and obstructive sleep apnea, it is virtually impossible to quantify beneficial effects of this kind. The treatment of obesity is frequently eclectic, with the obese patient being offered a program that includes a reduced-calorie diet, an exercise regimen, and also prescription of an anti-obesity drug. There are certain risks associated with weight loss, particularly if the rate of weight loss is too rapid. In rare instances, rapid, massive weight loss can give rise to potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias. Anti-obesity drugs can also have serious side effects such as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).
Chapter 14 Biochemical and Genetic Approaches to Microtubule Function in Dictyostelium discoideum

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the genetic and biochemical methods for analyzing both tubulin and the function of microtubules during the Dictyostelium life cycle. A two-dimensional (2D) gel system capable of resolving single charge differences in Dictyostelium polypeptides is developed. α- and β-tubulin is identified on high-resolution 2D gels, and microtubules is isolated in cytoskeleton preparations from amoebae and the gel system is used to screen potential microtubule mutants for electrophoretically altered microtubule proteins. Microtubules from Dictyostelium amoebae are localized by indirect immunofluorescence. The structure and nature of the microtubule system are defined in both growth and development. Conditions are established for preserving of Dictyostelium microtubules in vitro . This allowed the microtubules to be isolated and analyzed biochemically. Methods for isolating mutants with potentially altered microtubule proteins are devised. Once mutants are obtained, tubulin and the microtubule system from them are examined and the mutant phenotypes are characterized. A mutant possessing aberrations in cytoplasmic and mitotic microtubule systems is described.
Distribution of Eigenvalues for the Ensemble of Real Symmetric Toeplitz Matrices

Consider the ensemble of real symmetric Toeplitz matrices whose entries are i.i.d. random variable from a fixed probability distributionpof mean 0,variance 1, and finite moments of all order. The limiting spectral measure (the density of normalized eigenvalues) converges weakly to a new universal distribution with unbounded support, independent of pThis distribution’s moments are almost those of the Gaussian’s, and the deficit may be interpreted in terms of obstructions to Diophantine equations; the unbounded support follows from a nice application of the Central Limit Theorem. With a little more work, we obtain almost sure convergence. An investigation of spacings between adjacent normalized eigenvalues looks Poissonian, and not GOE. A related ensemble (real symmetric palindromic Toeplitz matrices) appears to have no Diophantine obstructions, and the limiting spectral measure’s first nine moments can be shown to agree with those of the Gaussian; this will be considered in greater detail in a future paper.
The New Political Economy of Colonialism

The new political economy of colonialism is an interdisciplinary field that unites economists, political scientists, and sociologists interested in the nature and contemporary legacies of colonialism. It is distinctive in its reliance of quantitative data, its close attention to causal identification, and its focus on deriving novel theoretical insights using standard tools in positive political economy. This essay traces the development of the new political economy of colonialism over the past 20 years and identifies exciting new contributions in this rapidly developing and interdisciplinary field. Keywords: political; economy; colonialism; political scientist; sociologists; theoretical; history; social sciences; quantitative data
Video rate adaptation and scheduling in multi-rate wireless networks

Current scheduling techniques used for cellular networks do not suffice for the emerging multi-rate systems like cdma2000 and High Data Rate (HDR). Real-time applications like video streaming must comprehend the channel conditions and consequently the data rates that are currently being supported; accordingly the content and the amount of data to be transmitted needs to be adapted to the available bandwidth. In this paper, we have considered multimedia (MPEG-4) streaming as the application over HDR and propose a content aware scheduling scheme (CAS) that takes into consideration the different priorities of the MPEG-4 stream content. The proposed transmission scheme considers both the channel conditions as perceived by the user as well as the priority of the streams. In addition, CAS verifies the playout timestamp and discards stale packets ensuring higher throughput in the process. We capture the lag of the proposed adaptation scheme using the Kullback-Leibler distance and show that the rate adaption scheme has a reasonably small lag. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme results in higher overall peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) values of the entire movie, lesser number of dropped frames, and a better throughput utilization over existing schemes.
A 400 MHz, 144 Kb CMOS ROM macro for an IBM S/390-class microprocessor

A high performance 2 K/spl times/72 CMOS ROM for fetching most frequently used complex instruction code in a high speed S/390-class microprocessor is described in this paper. The ROM has a nominal access/cycle time performance of 2.3 ns/2.5 ns and is physically organized as 128 word lines by 1152 bit lines. Personalization is done at the gate level of the device. The technology used was the IBM CMOS6S technology which features Leff=0.2 /spl mu/m and a 2.5 V power supply. Several innovative circuit techniques were employed to achieve the aggressive ROM access/cycle time performance. Each stage in the access path is dynamically reset thereby avoiding the use of a centralized clock circuit and also yielding the benefit of a fast cycle time. The ROM macro features a dynamic reference source and sense amplifier which allows single ended sensing of a bit line. Also the sense amplifier clock is generate from the decoded word line through an OR tree. Hence the access time performance tracks with the loading on the decoded word line. The macro physical area is 3300/spl times/715 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and the array cell has an area of 2/spl times/2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. Less than 10% of the ROM macro area is designated to ABIST circuitry which allows for extensive test coverage.
Oligonucleotides produced by digestion of bakers' yeast serine transfer ribonucleic acid with specific nucleases.

Abstract The oligonucleotides produced by Taka-Diastase ribonuclease T1 and pancreatic ribonuclease digestion of a highly purified bakers' yeast serine transfer RNA preparation have been isolated and their nucleotide sequences determined. After initial separation on diethylaminoethyl Sephadex into fractions containing mixed oligonucleotides identical in their number of component diester bonds, chromatography on Dowex 1-Cl- columns gave effective separation and precise quantitative determination of the oligonucleotides.
Three-dimensional motion estimation by synthetic aperture underwater acoustic systems

In this paper, we present a motion estimation technique for coherent underwater acoustic imaging systems. This technique does not require point feature selection or matching correspondence identification. The rotation matrix is estimated from the covariance matrices of the amplitude distributions of the wavefield spectra, and the translation vector can be obtained subsequently from the phase change in the spatial-frequency domain.
Ore-fluid evolution at the Getchell Carlin-type gold deposit, Nevada, USA

Minerals and fluid-inclusion populations were examined using petrography, microthermometry, quadrupole mass-spectrometer gas analyses and stable-isotope studies to characterize fluids responsible for gold mineralization at the Getchell Carlin-type gold deposit. The gold-ore assemblage at Getchell is superimposed on quartz-pyrite vein mineralization associated with a Late-Cretaceous granodiorite stock that intruded Lower-Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. The ore assemblage, of mid-Tertiary age, consists of disseminated arsenian pyrite that contains submicrometer gold, jasperoid quartz, and later fluorite and orpiment that fill fractures and vugs. Late ore-stage realgar and calcite enclose ore-stage minerals. Pre-ore quartz trapped fluids with a wide range of salinities (1 to 21 wt.% NaCl equivalent), gas compositions (H2O, CO2, and CH4), and temperatures (120 to > 360°C). Oxygen- and hydrogen-isotope ratios indicate that pre-ore fluids likely had a magmatic source, and were associated with intrusion of the granodiorite stock and related dikes. Ore-stage jasperoid contains moderate salinity, aqueous fluid inclusions trapped at 180 to 220°C. Ore fluids contain minor CO2 and trace H2S that allowed the fluid to react with limestone host rocks and transport gold, respectively. Aqueous inclusions in fluorite indicate that fluid temperatures declined to ∼ 175°C by the end of ore-stage mineralization. As the hydrothermal system collapsed, fluid temperatures declined to 155 to 115°C and realgar and calcite precipitated. Inclusion fluids in ore-stage minerals have high δDH2O and δ18OH2O values that indicate that the fluid had a deep source, and had a metamorphic or magmatic origin, or both. Late ore-stage fluids extend to lower δH2O values, and have a wider range of δ18OH2O values suggesting dilution by variably exchanged meteoric waters. Results show that deeply sourced ore fluids rose along the Getchell fault system, where they dissolved carbonate wall rocks and deposited gold-enriched pyrite and jasperoid quartz. Gold and pyrite precipitated together as H2S in the ore fluids reacted with iron in the host rocks. As ore fluids mixed with local aquifer fluids, ore fluids became cooler and more dilute. Cooling caused precipitation of ore-stage fluorite and orpiment, and late ore-stage realgar. Phase separation and/or neutralization of the ore fluid during the waning stages of the hydrothermal ore system led to deposition of late ore-stage calcite.
Effects of brine addition on effluent toxicity and marine toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) manipulations

Little information is available concerning the effect of salinity adjustment on effluent storage and toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) performance. These factors are important for accurate assessments of potential toxicity to marine organisms. The objective of this study was to determine (a) the effect of salinity adjustment using hypersaline brine on the toxicity of effluents stored up to 40 d, and (b) to determine the effect of salinity adjustment on TIE manipulations. Changes in effluent toxicity over time were examined by using a municipal and an industrial effluent. A toxicity time series was performed for 16 d for the industrial effluent and 40 d for the municipal effluent. Toxicity was measured with modified 48-h acute Mysidopsis bahia and Menidia beryllina tests. Results indicate that, compared to day 0 test results, effluent stored with brine had fewer significant changes in toxicity than did effluent stored without brine. To determine the effects of brine addition on TIE manipulations, the authors conducted a series of manipulations in which one aliquot of an effluent had brine added prior to the TIE manipulations and the other aliquot had brine added after the TIE manipulation. The manipulations conducted were EDTA addition, sodium thiosulfate addition, C[sub 18] extraction,more » aeration, filtration, and graduated pH manipulations. Toxicity was measured with the modified 48-h acute mysid test. Addition of brine had no effect on the outcome of TIE manipulations. They have concluded that it is operationally easier to add brine as soon as possible after sampling and that effluent tests should be conducted as soon as practical.« less
Suhl, Hecker, and Smith Respond

A comment to the comment offered on the simple model to account for the drastic lattice softening and accompanying high value of the superconducting transition temperature found is I/sub ..gamma../Y eutectic is made.(AIP)