cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtues and Vices: The Social and Historical Construction of Medical Norms

What happens to the medical virtues when there are conflicting styles and norms of medical practice, or when the disparity between moral traditions and moral practices in medicine becomes great? Is there an essential core of virtues in medicine, which remains invariant through socio-cultural and historical transformation? Or are there ‘medical revolutions’ in which different sets of virtues and vices replace each other discontinuously? Do old virtues become vices and vices virtues? Does historical and social change in the practice of medicine transmute base metals into gold and gold into dross?
Of Letters and Lists: How the MPAA Puts Films Recommended for LGBTQ Adolescents Out of Reach

The film ratings system employed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been criticized by LGBTQ critics who claim the system discriminates by holding queer content to a higher ratings standard than content in other films. The MPAA argues the constituency for its ratings system is parents in traditional families who may find queer themes inappropriate for their children. Paradoxically, a number of organizations serving adolescents identifying as LGBTQ or as questioning their sexualities have created lists of recommended films, many of whose MPAA ratings make them virtually off-limits to teens unless their parents approve. Cyberspace is also populated with lists of films recommended for teens regardless of their sexuality and gender identity. This article compares ratings distributions for lists of films recommended for queer teens and those recommended for mainstream teens and finds evidence of negative impact on access by queer teens to potentially helpful film content.
Constructing the global constitutional canon: Between authority and criticism

The future of global law seems currently in doubt. Despite this development, and indeed partly because of it, comparative constitutional law and human rights are blossoming as academic disciplines....
Intractable Epilepsy in a 12 Year Old Male with idic(15) Syndrome

PURPOSE: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) is a complex syndrome that has been linked to chromosome 15 q11.2-13.1 duplication (Idic (15) Syndrome) and possibly related to 15 q13.3 microduplication syndrome, however patients with both syndromes may have a different clinical course and outcome than those with either alone. This case report is being presented to add to the literature about Idic(15) Syndrome patients. Case Presentation: A 12-year-old male patient from Burundi, Africa first presented when he was 8 years old to the primary care with a complex neurological history. …
Verification and validation approaches for model-based software engineering

Model-based Software Engineering (MBSwE) and the use of automatic code generation has become popular for safety-critical aerospace applications. For these applications, verification and validation (V&V) is of utmost importance. With models as another layer of artifacts, however, V&V can become more complex in general, as V&V tasks can be carried out at the model level or at the code level. In this short paper, we present a V&V architecture specifically designed for MBSwE, which reflects the interrelationships between the different levels, tasks and tools, and which aims to provide a clear picture on the V&V approaches for MBSwE. We illustrate the architecture with a detailed analysis of two NASA missions and discuss their approaches to model use and understanding, automatic code generation, V&V, and model synchronization.
Economic elites and new strategies for extractivism in Chile

Within the country’s strategic copper mining sector, economic elites are begetting new political technologies that reshape state, economy, and society relations, to better anchor capitalist domination at the local level. Two post-2012 initiatives, explicitly designed to overcome community-based resistances to mega-extractivist projects, are examined. Promoting “territorial dialogues,” they set private-public-social development corporations which take on the production of public goods, legitimacy, and social cohesion for entire provinces and regions, tasks previously performed by the state. Co-created by transnational capital and centre-left epistemic communities, these novel forms of political domination illustrate a broad variety in the types of state-capital-Left relationships emerging in Latin America during the so called Pink Tide and its aftermath. Resumen: Elites economicas y nuevas estrategias de extractivismo en Chile Dentro del sector estrategico de la mineria del cobre del pais, las elites economicas estan engendrando nuevas tecnologias politicas que remodelan las relaciones entre el Estado, la economia y la sociedad para anclar mejor la dominacion capitalista a nivel local. Se examinan dos iniciativas posteriores a 2012 disenadas explicitamente para superar las resistencias comunitarias a los proyectos mega-extractivistas. Promoviendo “dialogos territoriales” que alientan la creacion de corporaciones de desarrollo social publico-privado que se encargan de la produccion de bienes publicos, legitimidad y cohesion social en provincias y regiones enteras, tareas previamente realizadas por el Estado. Cocreadas por capital transnacional y comunidades epistemicas de centroizquierda, estas novedosas formas de dominacion politica ilustran una amplia variedad en los tipos de relaciones Estado-capital-izquierda que surgieron en America Latina durante la llamada Marea Rosa y sus consecuencias.
Switching formation shape control with distance + area/angle feedback

Abstract A well known problem with distance-based formation control is the existence of multiple equilibrium points not associated with the desired formation. This problem can be mitigated by introducing an additional controlled variable. In this paper, we consider distance + area (or angle) schemes for 2D formations of single-integrator agents. By using directed graphs and triangulation of the n -agent formation, we introduce switching control laws that ensure the asymptotic stability of the desired formation for almost all initial agent positions. The state-dependent switching strategy is designed to force the formation to escape the subspaces of the incorrect equilibria. The switching strategy also allows us to remove restrictions on the shape of the desired formation that were present in previous results.
Automatic generation of open covers for the method of finite spheres using an octree-based approach

Publisher Summary The capability to automatically solve boundary value problems on complex domains leads to the widespread use of finite element techniques. However, problems associated with the generation of a “good quality” mesh has resulted in the development of the so-called “meshfree methods” that offer an alternative to the finite element methods by circumventing the problem of mesh generation. They also offer greater flexibility in the choice of approximation spaces and nonGalerkin weighted residual schemes. This chapter reviews octree-based discretization techniques for the generation of open covers for the Galerkin-based and the point collocation-based method of finite spheres. The method of finite spheres is a truly meshfree numerical technique developed for the solution of boundary value problems on complex domains. In this method, the computational domain is subordinate to the open cover generated by the spherical subdomains.
Aquatic Beetles (Coleoptera) of the University of Mississippi Field Station, Lafayette County, Mississippi, USA

Aquatic beetles in the families Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Elmidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Helophoridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, Noteridae, and Scirtidae were collected from the University of Mississippi Field Station (UMFS) in north-central Mississippi during May 2014 through August 2019. Located in the headwaters of the Little Tallahatchie River, UMFS encompasses 318 ha and includes over 200 ponds, springs, wetlands, and streams. We collected from mesocosms, ponds, and streams to survey the aquatic beetles of UMFS. In total, 103,113 beetles representing 132 species in 55 genera and 11 families were collected. We provide new state records for 24 species of Dytiscidae, three of Gyrinidae, three of Haliplidae, two of Hydraenidae, one of Elmidae, one of Helophoridae, one of Hydrophilidae, and one of Noteridae, with comments on the distribution, abundance, habitats, and life history of other species. Singletons represented 9.8% (13) of species collected. These data were used to estimate the total aquatic beetle species richness at UMFS and assess the effectiveness of mesocosm sampling in assessing a site's aquatic beetle richness.
Fish Sperm Quality Evaluation After Cryopreservation

In this chapter, we will focus on specificity of fish spermatozoa and their cryopreservation. We will discuss common cryoinjury issues and their outcomes affecting sperm behavior, with the emphasis on the importance of evaluation methods, and highlight possible development of quality control for cryopreservation methods of fish spermatozoa.
Recurrent upper extremity acute limb ischemia secondary to retained axillary polytetrafluoroethylene cuff causing axillary stump syndrome.

Abstract Acute limb ischemia of the upper extremity is less frequently encountered than in the lower extremity. The etiology is typically cardioembolic. Axillary-femoral stump syndrome is a rare complication associated with an occluded axillary-femoral bypass graft. We present the case of recurrent acute limb ischemia of the upper extremity whose embolic source was a retained cuff of a previously explanted axillary-profunda bypass graft. The patient failed anticoagulation after an initial embolectomy and after a recurrent embolism from the retained cuff, ultimately required cuff exclusion with a covered stent.
In vivo glial trans-differentiation for neuronal replacement and functional recovery in central nervous system.

The adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is deficient in intrinsic machineries to replace neurons lost in injuries or progressive degeneration. Various types of these neurons constitute neural circuitries wired to support vital sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. Based on the pioneer studies in cell lineage conversion, one promising strategy is to convert in vivo glial cells into neural progenitors or directly into neurons that can be eventually rewired for functional recovery. We first briefly summarize the well-studied regeneration-capable CNS in the zebrafish, focusing on their postinjury spontaneous reprogramming of the retinal Muller glia (MG). We then compare the signaling transductions, and transcriptional and epigenetic regulations in the zebrafish MGs with their mammalian counterparts, which perpetuate certain barriers against proliferation and neurogenesis and thus fail in MG-to-progenitor conversion. Next, we discuss emerging evidence from mouse studies, in which the in vivo glia-to-neuron conversion could be achieved with sequential or one-step genetic manipulations, such as the conversions from retinal MGs to interneurons, photoreceptors, or retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), as well as the conversions from midbrain astrocytes to dopaminergic or GABAergic neurons. Some of these in vivo studies showed considerable coverage of subtypes in the newly induced neurons and partial reestablishment in neural circuits and functions. Importantly, we would like to point out some crucial technical concerns that need to be addressed to convincingly show successful glia-to-neuron conversion. Finally, we present challenges and future directions in the field for better neural function recovery.
Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment

Pancreatic cancer is well known for its complex and elaborate tumor microenvironment (TME). This TME is comprised of numerous cellular and acellular components, including fibroblasts, pancreatic stellate cells, immune cells, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix, that in concert form a dense stromal compartment characteristic of pancreatic tumors. In this chapter, we will review the function of, and interaction between, the primary elements of the TME, preclinical models that have been used to better understand the roles the TME plays in tumor maintenance, and some of the therapeutic interventions that have been evaluated to date specifically targeting the stromal compartment.
Strategies to Assessing and Enhancing Animal Welfare in Animal-Assisted Interventions

Ethically speaking, humans should benefit from the human–animal interaction only if the animals themselves benefit as well. As the field of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) places more consideration on the welfare and well-being of the animals involved, questions as to how to best assess welfare and how to improve welfare for the animals are critical to answer. There are challenges to answering these questions, though. The study of welfare can be ambiguous, especially when AAIs are seemingly innocuous to observers. However, there is concern that AAIs may be physically and mentally taxing on animals if precautions are not taken. As research seeks to clarify the effect that AAI has on animal welfare, practitioners need to be aware of what they can do on a daily basis to safeguard the health and well-being of their animal partners. This requires the practitioner to be knowledgeable in how to judge animal welfare, what conditions put animals at risk, and what can be done to minimize risk. This chapter will discuss the considerations for assessment of animal welfare in therapy settings and provide guidance for modifying interventions in hopes of assuring the well-being of the animals involved, thus enhancing the benefits for all parties involved. While the discussion will primarily focus on canine species, these welfare considerations may be applied to all species used in AAIs.
Changes in the Tradecraft of Cheating: Technological Advances in Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is pervasive among college students throughout the country. Current research suggests that more than half of students report engaging in cheating behavior while in college. Whil...
mRNA Vaccine-Elicited SARS-CoV-2-Specific T cells Persist at 6 Months and Recognize the Delta Variant.

Little is known about the decay kinetics of COVID-19 vaccine-elicited SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells. In this study we show a modest decline in the frequency of these T cells at 6 months and demonstrate robust expansion in response to antigen and recognition of spike peptides from the delta variant.
Review - Kicked Out

‘Representing and fulfilling a dream of the editor, Sassafras Lowrey, Kicked Out is an edited collection that discusses the issues surrounding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) homeless youth. The book offers two kinds of address: personal narratives by survivors of youth homelessness, and informative essays by organizations that specifically assist LGBTQ homeless youth.‘
Analysis and Experimental Testing of a New Type of Variable Stiffness Magnetic Spring with a Linear Stroke Length

In this paper a new type of variable stiffness magnetic spring is proposed. The magnetic spring is composed of radially magnetized outer rotor magnets coupled with axially magnetized inner cylindrical magnets. It is shown that this magnet arrangement creates a highly linear stroke length. By rotating the inner magnetic rotor, the stiffness of the spring can be adjusted. The force as a function of stroke length and torque required to adjust the stiffness were computed using finite element analysis and then verified using an experimental test setup.
Study of immunoreactive material in patients with deficient HPRT activity.

Patients with severe deficiency of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT, E.C.: 2.4.2.8) activity, who usually have the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are phenotypically distinct from the patients with partially active enzyme who have renal stone disease or gout (1,2,3). There is a number of possible genetic mechanisms which could lead to the deficiency of HPRT in various patients. In most cases the molecular abnormality appears to be a structural gene mutation which results in the synthesis of a catalytically inefficient enzyme protein with 0.1% to 50% of normal HPRT activity. However, when enzymatic activity is undetectable, it is not known whether a completely inactive enzyme protein is synthesized,or no protein is synthesized. To distinguish between these two possibilities, the general approach has been to use an antibody produced against normal enzyme and test the cell extracts of enzyme deficient individuals for cross-reacting material (CRM). Earlier investigators concluded that erythrocytes from patients with the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome contained normal amounts of catalytically incompetent HPRT protein which crossreacted with antibodies prepared against HPRT from hemolysates of normal individuals (4 – 6). However, we were unable to confirm these findings (7) and therefore studied this problem further.
Malnutrition in Captive Birds of Prey

Malnutrition is a significant primary or contributing cause of disease in captive birds of prey. Artificial diets with no roughage contribute to decreased beak wear. Anorexia and starvation are rapidly debilitating and may be accompanied by hypocalcemic convulsions. Unsupplemented all-meat diets have been shown to cause vitamin A deficiency, rickets, osteomalacia, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, hypocalcemic tetany and possibly nutritional myopathy. Syndromes similar to those caused by thiamine deficiency and riboflavin deficiency in domestic fowl have been described in birds of prey.
A Putative Relation between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Diabetic Macular Edema Associated with Nerve Fiber Layer Infarcts

Purpose: To describe a possible relationship in obese diabetics between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and ischemic retinopathy with diffuse macular edema. Design: Prospective, observational case series. Methods: Obese diabetics (n=22) in a retina clinic who admitted to symptoms of sleep apnea on survey were compared with a cohort of 22 similarly obese diabetic patients. Complete ocular examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography,overnight polysomnography, blood pressure measurement, and blood testing for HgA1C, CBC, lipid profile, ESR, c reactive protein, BUN, creatinine and proteinuria were evaluated. Results: Among the 22 obese diabetics of apnea cohort who underwent polysomnography, 16 demonstrated severe and 6 moderate OSAS. An average of 44.6+21.9 apneic or hypopneic events per hour were recorded during sleep, lasting on average 23.3+5.9 seconds, resulting in oxygen desaturation of 73.5+9.5%. The retinopathy observed in the apnea cohort manifested multiple nerve-fiber-layer infarcts, at least 3 in each eye in all cases, and more than 6 infarcts in most eyes.. Among the cohort without sleep apnea, rare nerve fiber layer infarcts were observed, and the retinal microvascular leakage and macular edema was more focal and resolved with grid laser. Among the measured systemic factors, none showed a statistical difference between apneic and non-apneic cohorts. Conclusions: In obese diabetics, obstructive sleep apnea appears to be associated with retinopathy of more aggressive course, manifesting multiple nerve-fiber-layer infarction and diffuse macular edema. Physicians should consider evaluating obese diabetics who have snoring, fragmented sleep patterns, daytime somnolence, hypertension or manifesting accelerated course of retinopathy similar to the patients described.
Assessing the Bush Administration's Tax Agenda: Commentary on Gale and Orszag's an Economic Assessment of Tax Policy in the Bush Administration, 2001-2004

In response to Doctors William G. Gale and Peter R. Orszag's Article, this Commentary argues that because the economic and social consequences of making permanent the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts would be disastrous, they would need to be paid for through some form of tax increase or spending decrease, This Commentary argues that reductions in tax expenditures are equivalent to reductions in direct spending and thus should be considered together with them for deficit reduction purposes. This Ctiinmentary next notes that the Alternative Minimum Tax has become, for no clear congressional purpose, a tax on the middle class. Finally, this Commentary argues that the negative impact of the 2001 and 2003 tax Cuts on future generations is morally unacceptable.
The Salience of Ideology: Fifteen Years of Presidential Elections in El Salvador

The victory of the FMLN in El Salvador's presidential elections of March 2009 has been considered remarkable, given the dominance of ARENA in four consecutive presidential races from 1989 to 2004. Using individual-level data, this article examines the determinants of electoral support for both parties over the past 15 years. Several statistical models illuminate some of the factors that led to ARENA's dominance and ultimate defeat. A combination of variables associated with different theoretical models of voting helps explain the choices made by Salvadoran voters over the years. The most consistent predictors of vote have been voters' self-reported ideology and their evaluation of the incumbent government's performance. The 2009 turnaround relates to fundamental changes in the national and international context, and also to the selection of candidates.
Studies with purple adenine mutants in Neurospora crassa. V. Evidence for allelic complementation among ad-3B mutants.

Heterokaryon tests of all possible combinations of 161 ad-3B mutants of independent origin were made in duplicate in test tubes containing liquid minimal medium. Only 112 (0.4 percent) of the 25,760 pairwise combinations involving different mutants were positive. All combinations showing positive tests involved one of four leaky mutants and 14 nonleaky mutants. Growth tube studies on the heterokaryons revealed a wide range of growth rates from wild type to oniy slightly faster than the rate of leaky mutant itself. These tests show that the complementation map of the ad-3B cistron consists of at least two complementation subgroups or complons. (auth)
Modeling emotion and its expression

Emotion and its expression play a powerful role in shaping human behavior. As research has revealed the details of emotion's role, researchers and developers increasingly have sought to exploit these details in a range of applications. Work in human-computer interaction has sought to infer and influence a user's emotional state as a way to improve the interaction. Tutoring systems, health interventions and training applications have sought to regulate or induce specific, often quite different, emotional states in learners in order to improve learning outcomes. A related trend in HCI work is the use of emotions and emotional displays in virtual characters that interact with users in order to motivate, engender empathy, induce trust or simply arouse. Common to many of these applications is the need for computational models of the causes and consequences of emotions. To the extent that emotion's impact on behavior can be modeled correctly in artificial systems, it can facilitate interactions between computer systems and human users. In this talk, I will give an overview of some of the applications that seek to infer and influence a user's emotions. I will then go into detail on how emotions can be modeled computationally, including the theoretical basis of the models, how we validate models against human data and how human data are also used to inform the animation of virtual characters.
The Design of Instruction and Evaluation : Affordances of Using Media and Technology

This book is about empirically tested knowledge and principles that inform the design of instructional and evaluation systems, and the use and promise of media and technology within such systems. Historically, psychology has informed the design of instructional and evaluation systems in different ways. A behavioral perspective emphasizes the role of the environment in determining behavior--a factor external to the learner. A cognitive perspective focuses on the role of cognitive processing and constraints in determining learning--factors that are internal to the learner. This volume presents the affordances approach--which addresses how the environment and the affordances within it interact with cognitive processes to determine learning. Insights into this interaction are presented. It is the book's contention that the affordance approach represents an advancement over the behavioral and cognitive perspectives; it is an evolution within the cognitive approach--not an alternative to it. The Design of Instruction and Evaluation: Affordances of Using Media and Technology is intended for education practitioners responsible for the implementation of media and technology in classrooms, for researchers and faculty, and for use as a text in courses on media and technology use in educational settings, instructional design, and psychology of learning.
Rapid Coastal Bottom Water Temperature Rises

Rapid 5 to 15°F (2.8 to 8.3°C) increases of normally stable water temperature at depths of 63 to 76 ft. (19 to 23 m) in Nahant Bay, Mass., were observed during summer 1972. These rises, which occurred in a few hours and persisted for several days, were apparently caused by a temporary replacement of preexisting cooler bottom water by warm surface water which was transported into the bay by northeast winds. Weather records indicate that these events occur in Nahant Bay an average of three times per year between June and September when vertical temperature gradients occur. These rapid bottom water temperature rises are significant from an engineering standpoint because of potential deleterious effects on heated effluent diffusion and on efficiency of circulating water cooling systems. They also represent a natural means by which marine organisms are exposed to thermal stress.
Robust performance of soft real-time networked control systems with data dropouts

This paper derives the power spectral density (PSD) of the output generated by a discrete-time feedback control system in which feedback measurements are dropped with a known probability, /spl epsi/. This class of systems is a model for soft real-time control systems in which the feedback path is implemented on a nondeterministic computer network. The PSD computed in this paper is a function of the dropout probability. The dropout probability is taken as a measure of the network quality of service (QoS). Based on the derived PSD, the power semi-norm of the output is predicted. So a direct way of linking control system performance(as measured by the power semi-norm of the output) to the network's QoS (as measured by the dropout probability) is provided.
Instability, Ductility, and Size Effect in Strain-Softening Concrete

Analysis of structural instability due to strain-softening (i.e., declining branch of the stress-strain diagram) is presented. In a continuum, strain-softening is impossible; it can exist only in a heterogeneous material. Failure occurs by unstable localization of strain or beam curvature, in which the stored strain energy of the structure is transferred into a small strain-softening region whose size is several times the aggregate size, or the spacing of reinforcement, or the depth of the beam. The existence of a lower limit on the size of this region permits ductility, along with its dependence on the size and stored energy, to be predicted by a stability analysis. Calculations of limit loads and moment redistributions in strain-softening beams and frames must include instability checks of possible curvature localization. The same applies to finite element analyses of reinforced concrete structures with account of tensile cracking, and predictions of limit loads of these structures which are questionable because they depend on the size of the finite elements.
Δ4-3-Ketosteroid 5α-oxidoreductase in human uterine leiomyoma

Abstract Homogenates of human endometrial, myometrial, and leiomyoma tissues were incubated with (1,2,6,7- 3 H)-testosterone, and 3 H-dihydrotestosterone was subsequently identified, indicating the presence of the enzyme Δ 4 -3-Ketosteroid 5α-oxidoreductase. The enzyme activity of leiomyoma was higher than that of endometrial and myometrial tissue, while endometrial activity was higher than myometrial activity. The results raise the possibility that 5α-reduced androgens may play a role in the pathophysiology of uterine leiomyoma.
Assessment of statin therapy, LDL-C levels, and cardiovascular events among high-risk patients in the United States

Background Statins have demonstrated significant benefit in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Objective To evaluate statin treatment patterns by intensity, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and cardiovascular (CV) events in high-risk CVD patients. Methods Patients included were aged ≥18 years, with a coronary heart disease (CHD; Jan 1, 2007–Dec 31, 2011, index date) or CHD risk equivalent (CHD RE) diagnosis (Jan 1, 2007–Dec 31, 2010, index date), in the Truven MarketScan claims database, continuously enrolled for 2 years pre- and up to 1 (CHD) or 2 (CHD RE) years post-index. Patients with CHD, CHD RE, rhabdomyolysis, or chronic kidney disease any time pre-index were excluded. Statin therapy was assessed at baseline, 30, 90, and 365 days post-index. LDL-C values were captured in patients with available data at 30-day intervals up to 1 year. CV events were evaluated up to 1 year post-index. Descriptive statistics were used to report results. Results There were 175,103 CHD and 68,290 CHD RE patients; 3333 CHD RE patients had post-index CV events. At 1 year, 38.7% of CHD patients and 44.3% of CHD RE patients with post-index CV events were not prescribed statins. Most patients who were prescribed statins, received a moderate-intensity statin. The percentage of patients with LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL reduced over time, but at 1 year, 29.3% of CHD and 30.0% of CHD RE patients with post-index CV events had LDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL. At 1 year post-index, 9.9% CHD and 7.3% CHD RE patients had at least 1 CV event. Conclusion There is room for better LDL-C management among high-risk CVD patients to reduce their overall CV risk.
Downregulation of differentiation specific gene expression by oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells.

PURPOSE. To investigate how the differentiation of ARPE-19 cells affects the relative expression of the FGFR genes in response to oxidative stress. METHODS. After differentiation in vitro, APRE-19 cells were treated with t-butyl hydroperoxide (tBH) or hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) to induce oxidative stress. Viability and reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) production were measured using standard assays. The mRNA expression of FGFR1, FGFR2, cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP), RPE65, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were measured by Northern blot analysis as a function of treatment with tBH and H 2 O 2 . RESULTS. ARPE-19 cells were viable at all tBH concentrations tested but showed progressive loss of viability at concentrations greater than 300 μM H 2 O 2 . Differentiated ARPE-19 cells treated with tBH or H 2 O 2 resulted in upregulation of the HO-1 and FGFR1 transcripts. The expression of RPE-differentiated specific genes, including FGFR2, CRALBP, and RPE65 mRNAs, was downregulated with tBH or H 2 O 2 treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Oxidative stress in differentiated ARPE-19 cells alters the expression of FGFR1, FGFR2, CRALBP, and RPE65 toward levels characteristic of the undifferentiated state. If similar changes take place in vivo, these events could alter the proliferative potential, viability, and even the function of the RPE.
Constitutional Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy

Many emerging democracies across the globe are scrambling to craft new constitutions. The modal constitution being chosen in this most recent wave of democratization is a rather unknown, and under-theorized, type: semi-presidentialism. This article brings semi-presidentialism back to comparative constitutional theory, distinguishing it from presidentialism and parliamentarism, and guarding against its hasty export to new democracies. This article details when, and why, semi-presidentialism can be problematic from the standpoints of democracy, constitutionalism, and the protection of fundamental rights; and the conditions under which it can be supportive of them. After establishing the analytical framework, this article compares developments in two important historical cases of regime change under semi-presidentialism, cases which have also been among the most influential countries for European politics in the twentieth century: the French Fifth Republic and Weimar Germany. The concluding section draws the evidence together.
Lack of inductively-generated 60-Hz, 3 V.m-1 electric field effect on CHO cell plating efficiency.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fibroblasts were exposed or sham-exposed to inductively-generated 60-Hz, 3.1 V · m−1 fields for 24 h. The absolute plating efficiency of the cells was determined immediately following the field exposure/sham-exposure, and after one week of post-exposure incubation. One-way analyses of variance performed on replicate experimental treatment means indicated no treatment effect on cell colony-forming ability.
Propagation of polarized light in a cholesteric structure

Abstract A new representation of the propagation of polarized light within the liquid crystal is given. As the polarized wave propagates along the helical axis the polarization vector precesses about an axis in Stokes space.
A method to produce microseed stock for use in the crystallization of biological macromolecules

A method is presented for producing a seed-stock mixture for macromolecular crystallization. A PTFE bead and micro­centrifuge tube act as mortar and pestle for pulverizing seed crystals of macromolecules. Energy for the bead's motion is supplied by a vortex mixer or an ultrasonic bath. The crushed crystal is serially diluted to prepare a seed-stock mixture of the desired concentration for crystallization. Crystals produced using both hanging-drop vapor diffusion and a capillary microbatch method show expected dilution behavior. This technique of producing seed stock is compared with traditional means and advantages over the standard protocol are demonstrated.
Comparative Public Health: The Political Economy of Human Misery and Well-Being

The health of humanity varies enormously: by genetic endowment, environmental conditions, and access to health care; by age, gender, income level, and country.1 Some people live long healthy lives in peace and affluence; many others’ lives are briefer and burdened by major disabilities from disease or injury, and often the characterization “nasty, brutish, and short” is all too apt. Our central claim in this chapter is that politics plays an important role in influencing public health conditions, but unfortunately political scientists and other scholars have only conducted limited systematic research on the topic.2 As a result, the existing literature on the comparative cross-national analysis of the determinants of public health performance is largely based on the work of economists and public health experts in which political processes and conditions are understudied.3 We believe that political scientists can contribute substantially to a better understanding of why public health conditions vary in systematic ways across countries.
The generation of available potential energy by sensible heating in Southern Ocean cyclones

Estimates of the generation of available potential energy by sensible heating in the boundary layer for two extratropical cyclones in the Southern Ocean are presented. Boundary layer frictional dissipation is also estimated to contrast the relative importance of the storm's energy source by diabatic process with its sink by frictional effects. In the storm area of 2,000 km radial extent, representative average generation estimates by the sensible heating and frictional dissipation are 0.5 and 2.1 W m−2, respectively, for the late developing stage. In the occluding stage, the generation increased to 0.9 W m−2 and the frictional dissipation increased to 6.2 W m−2. The generation to frictional dissipation ratio of 1:3 and 1:7 for the two stages indicate that the in situ diabatic source of storm available potential energy is significant in the cyclogenetic stage but that its importance decreases as the storm decays. Because of the paucity of data in the Southern Ocean a simplified model to estimate the sensible heat flux is developed in this study. The model estimates the upward flux through the sea-air interface for the synoptic scale from analyses of the depth of the adiabatic boundary layer, the surface pressure and the sea surface temperature.
Diffusion, correlation, and percolation in a random alloy

Abstract The relationship between physical correlation and tracer correlation in a random alloy and their bearing on the site percolation problem are discussed. Four Monte Carlo schemes are described for the calculation of the tracer and physical (vacancy) correlation factors. Results for the latter in the f.c.c. lattice are shown to be in excellent agreement with Manning's theory for concentrations greater than 0.4 of the mobile component. Below that concentration there is a slight deviation as the simulated and predicted vacancy correlation factors tend to zero at slightly different percolation thresholds. The site percolation threshold is determined to be 0·198 ± 0·004, in excellent agreement with previous Monte Carlo studies.
Curricular Integration as Innovation: Faculty Insights on Barriers to Institutionalizing Change

In the burgeoning literature on infusing undergraduate research and creative activities into the curriculum of research-intensive institutions, few studies have examined the perspectives of the faculty mentors who provide the individualized opportunities for students. Based on focus group data from 50 faculty mentors, we document faculty perceptions of the challenges to infusing undergraduate student scholarship across the curriculum. We conclude with practical suggestions for other institutions seeking to implement innovative change initiatives in general and to broaden opportunities for undergraduate research and creative activities in particular.
Effect of denture wax-pattern position on radial setting expansion.

Abstract The dynamics of the setting expansion of gypsum-bonded investment is complicated by many variables and not well understood. The purposes of this study were to examine the fluid mechanics of the flow of investment during setting and to determine if the presence of wax patterns influences effective setting expansion. Mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) inlay wax patterns were invested at six different radial positions and four different axial positions in plastics casting rings Total expansion was determined by using xeroradiography. Combined results of radial expansion data at different axial and radial locations within casting rings suggest that expansion of gypsum-bonded investment may represent a variant of the laminar flow of a viscous fluid.
Calpain inhibitor prevented apoptosis and maintained transcription of proteolipid protein and myelin basic protein genes in rat spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with progressive neurodegeneration and dysfunction. Multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms are involved in this pathogenesis. In particular, the activation of proteases following trauma can cause apoptosis in the spinal cord. Calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine protease, plays a major role in apoptosis following trauma. We identified apoptosis and decrease in transcription of the genes for proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP) in five 1-cm long spinal cord segments (S1, distant rostral; S2, near rostral; S3, lesion; S4, near caudal; and S5, distant caudal) 24 h after induction of SCI (40 g·cm force) in rats by weight-drop method. Sham rats underwent laminectomy and did not receive injury. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation occurred prominently in the lesion (S3), moderately in near segments (S2 and S4), and slightly in distant segments (S1 and S5) of injured rats, indicating the occurrence of apoptosis in the lesion and penumbra. Levels of transcription of PLP and MBP were reduced highly in the lesion and moderately in near segments, suggesting that apoptotic loss of cells impaired biosynthesis of two important structural components of myelin. Immediate administration of the calpain inhibitor E-64-d (1 mg/kg) to injured rats prevented apoptosis and restored transcription of these genes, indicating the therapeutic efficacy of calpain inhibitor for treatment of SCI.
Rotating toroidal nuclei

For very rapidly rotating nuclei, the moment of inertia can be readily increased if the mass is distributed in the form of a torus. Thus, a rotating toroid can be a figure of equilibrium when the angular momentum exceeds a certain limit. The angular momentum thresholds for the onset of toroidal figures of equilibrium are evaluated and found to be greater than the limits at which the fission barriers vanish for nuclei with the topology of a sphere. Stability against sausage deformation, in which the toroid becomes thicker in some sections but thinner in some other, is examined. We obtain two different results on the question of stability, depending on the flow pattern in the presence of these axially asymmetric deformations which, in turn, is greatly affected by the dissipative mechanism.[NUCLEAR STRUCTURE Rotating toroidal nuclei. Nuclei with very large angular momentum. Sausage stability. Regions of stable rotating toroidal nuclei.]
The isolation of manganese in a system between bis (2-ethyl hexyl) hydrogen phosphate and aqueous nitric acid☆

Abstract In the oxidation of tracer level Mn(II) to Mn(IV) with NaBrO 3 in 16M HNO 3 , a relatively stable intermediate Mn(III) complex is formed and is shown to preferentially extract into a n -heptane solution of bis (2-ethyl hexyl) hydrogen phosphate, symbolized as HDEHP. The distribution ratio for Mn(III) was found to be greater than Mn(II) by a factor approaching 3 × 10 2 and the decontamination factor for manganese from other metal systems was found to be greater than 10 2 . Furthermore, it was found that manganese reaches equilibrium in this system in less than one minute with mean chemical yields in the organic phase of greater than 98 per cent. In the present study the effects of solvent, nitric acid, sodium bromate and carrier Mn(II) concentrations were investigated and the optimal concentrations for maximum extraction were determined.
Construction and characterization of a YAC library with a low frequency of chimeric clones from flow-sorted human chromosome 9

Abstract Human chromosome 9 DNA, flow-sorted from somaticcell hybrid PK-87-9, has been used to construct two complete digest YAC libraries. The combined representation of chromosome 9 in these libraries, estimated by hybridization of chromosome 9-specific sequences to YAC colony grids, is ∼95%. The frequency of chimeric clones, analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization of chromosome 9 YACs to human metaphase chromosomes, was estimated to be ∼4%. These libraries provide a resource for physical mapping and for moving from genetic markers to disease loci on chromosome 9.
Are free radicals involved in tumor promotion

Summary Previously it was shown that lipophilic analogs of a free-radical scavenger, 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA), inhibit ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity which is induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in mouse epidermis. With regard to this antitumor-promoting effect, eight analogs of BHA (2- and 3-BHA, 2-t-butyl-1, 4-dimethoxybenzene methyl-BHA), t-butylhydroquinone (t-BHQ), p-hydroquinone (HQ), 4-hydroxyanisole, phenol and 2-t-butylphenol) are evaluated herein for their antioxidant capacities for scavenging superoxide anions (O2−, of inhibiting lipid peroxidation and of inhibiting chemiluminescence (CL) in TPA-activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), an event associated with oxy-radical production. None of the analogs reacted with O2−, while 2- and 3-BHA suppressed the formation of O2− by TPA-activated PMNs. T-BHQ underwent autoxidation in aqueous solution, reducing molecular oxygen and increasing the levels of O2− that were formed chemically, enzymatically and cellularly. However, all of the phenolic antioxidant analogs of BHA inhibited TPA-stimulated CL in PMNs and ascorbate-initiated lipid peroxidation, while methyl-BHA (a non-antioxidant analog) was inactive. The inhibitory activities of these analogs for lipid peroxidation were related to both their lipophilic and antioxidant properties and corresponded favorably with their inhibitory activities for TPA-induced ODC activities in mouse epidermis. On the other hand, inhibition of the CL response by these antioxidants was independent of their lipophilicity and compared less favorably with their capacities to antagonize phorbol ester-induced ODC activity. These results imply that lipophilic BHA analogs inhibit TPA-induced ODC activity by scavenging free radicals other than O2−. Furthermore, the fact that t-BHQ was the most potent inhibitor of CL, lipid peroxidation and ODC activity and simultaneously reduced molecular oxygen, suggests the possibility that O2− may act as a precursor to the formation of free radicals which are reactive with t-BHQ and more directly involved in the process of tumor promotion.
Repeated-Adherence Protection Model: “I'm OK, and It's a Hassle”

Abstract Adherence to preventive measures is shown to be influenced by prior usage, particularly when hazards do not occur. Two outcomes weaken resolve to use preventive measures: (1) “hassle” events and (2) “false security” following the neglected use of the measure. Implications from the model provide suggestions for public policy interventions that can encourage repeated use of preventive measures.
On deterministic production planning: a tutorial note

Abstract Short-term single-product production planning problems with linear, convex or concave production cost functions can be solved using simple and intuitive structural rules. These rules provide pedagogical insights into some methods used for longer term problems.
Theory formation in postulating enzyme kinetic mechanisms: reasoning with constraints

Abstract This paper reports on a prototype system for modeling and analyzing the expert reasoning involved in postulating enzyme kinetic mechanisms. It involves data-driven, theory-driven, and analogical components of reasoning within a generate-and-test cycle. Its central component is a set of domain-specific “filters” for matching experimentally and theoretically derived constraints. The input to the system consists of an abstracted qualitative description of an experiment and prior knowledge reported in the literature. Its output shows how the results match those expected for a set of postulated reaction mechanism models and also provides a trace of which features do or do not match each of the candidate topological models. Results, constraints, and models are all analyzed and compared to those from other, similar experiments. We deduced rules for interpreting the qualitative features of enzyme kinetic experiments from natural language descriptions in the literature and verified that the rules were correct by predicting the results for typical mechanisms. We obtained the correct behavior for all 37 states of a complex enzyme mechanism involving three substrates and three products. We tested our system on data from several published reports dealing with the enzyme hexokinase and obtained detailed listings of the differences in conclusions and interpretation reported in several journal articles. This system, which provides qualitative representations of enzyme kinetic results, should facilitate further experimentation on theory formation in enzyme kinetics and lead to more efficient experimental designs.