cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and crystallization of rat liver NAD(P)H:(quinone-acceptor) oxidoreductase by cibacron blue affinity chromatography: identification of a new and potent inhibitor

Cytosolic NAD(P)H:(quinone-acceptor) oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.99.2) is a widely distributed, FAD-containing enzyme that catalyzes the obligatory two-electron reduction of quinones. Cibacron Blue is an inhibitor of this enzyme comparable in potency to dicoumarol. Pure quinone reductase was obtained from the livers of Sudan II (1-[2,4-dimethylphenylazo]-2-naphthol)-treated rats in a single step by Cibacron Blue-agarose chromatography. Cibacron Blue is a competitive inhibitor with respect to NADH (Ki = 170 nM) and is a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to menadione (Ki = 540 nM). Addition of Cibacron Blue to quinone reductase resulted in a decrease and red shift of the enzyme-bound FAD peak at 450 nm. The titration of the absorbance changes for both FAD and Cibacron Blue could be fitted to curves describing an equilibrium binding equation with a KD of 300 nM and one binding site per enzyme subunit. Furthermore, the Cibacron Blue difference spectrum that resulted from binding to quinone reductase was abolished by dicoumarol. Significant amino acid homology between quinone reductase and the nucleotide binding regions of enzymes that bind to Cibacron Blue was found. These data indicate that Cibacron Blue is a useful ligand for the purification of quinone reductase and a new probe for its NAD(P)H binding site. Conditions for crystallizing rat liver quinone reductase are also described.
Asymmetric low-velocity impact of a finite layer

The dynamic indentation of structural elements such as beams and plates continues to be an intriguing problem, especially for scenarios where large area contacts can occur. Standard methods of indentation analysis typically use a dynamic beam theory solution to obtain an overall load-displacement relationship and then a Hertzian contact solution to determine local stresses under the impactor. However, previous static and dynamic modeling efforts have shown that the stress distribution in the contact region will differ significantly from a Hertzian one when the contact length exceeds the thickness of the beam. In such cases point contact can no longer be assumed and Hertzian relationships are no longer valid. The dynamic indentation model presented herein is a first effort to model the asymmetric (i.e., off-center) low-velocity impact problem for elastically supported beams. Numerical results obtained are compared with elementary beam theory solutions for model validation.
Effect of Electromagnetic Corrections to Low-Energy Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering on Charge Independence

The low-energy nucleon-nucleon scattering lengths are calculated, taking into account the electric charge and magnetic-moment distributions of the nucleons. Corrections in the one-pion exchange part of the effective nuclear interaction due to the charged and uncharged pion mass difference are also included. The singlet proton-proton, proton-neutron, and neutron-neutron scattering lengths are calculated and compared with experiment. These corrections reduce the discrepancy to be explained by other effects in order to maintain charge independence. We conclude that recent measurements of the neutron-neutron scattering length do not contradict the hypothesis of charge independence.
A generalized energy consumption analysis in multihop wireless networks

Our objective is to analyze and minimize the amount of energy needed to transmit packets in a multihop wireless network, such as a sensor network or an ad hoc network. The total energy consumed to transmit a packet from a source to a destination is a function of the number of hops along the path and the energy needed to successfully transmit a packet in one hop. Given a path, the number of hops needed depends on the transmission range. The energy consumed for a successful transmission in a hop depends on not only the transmission range but also the medium access strategy. In this paper, we generalize the analysis of the energy consumption on packet transmission in multihop wireless networks. The analysis is applicable to a range of multiaccess schemes from TDM to random access schemes. The results show that typically, there is a transmission range that results in the minimum energy. However, a smaller transmission range does not always lead to less energy consumed by packet transmission. The optimum energy consumption is the result of balancing several factors, including: 1) the ratio of an overhead packet length to a data packet length, where overhead packets refer to the control packets used to reserve the media or the data packets involved in collisions; 2) the number of transmissions of the overhead packets; 3) the number of hops along a path; and 4) the transmission range.
Cost-Effectiveness of Novel Regimens for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus

Treating HCV with newer regimens seems efficacious but expensive. The authors analyzed the cost-effectiveness of standard regimens versus newer regimens containing sofosbuvir for each HCV genotype ...
Prevention and control of puerperal infection due to the beta hemolytic streptococcus

Abstract It would seem that the nature and sources of infection briefly reviewed enlighten us regarding many severe and fatal cases of infection occurring in the past, where the obstetrician professed a lack of responsibility, because of the fact that delivery was spontaneous and uncomplicated. A review of statistics on maternal mortality in this country provides us with fairly accurate information regarding the mortality due to puerperal infection. If one is privileged to assume, which seems well justified, that at least 50 per cent of the mortality due to infection actually represents the cases where the infection is initiated by the hemolytic streptococcus we can at once recognize the significance of the elimination of infection due to this organism.
The Gateway to Information: The Future of Information Access...Today.

The proliferation or information, created and sustained with the help of technology, has placed increased pressure on librarians to teach/assist library patrons to use the information efficiently and effectively. With decreasing budgets and resulting smaller staffs, academic libraries have been hard pressed to meet the demand. In response to this need, the Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries has developed a microcomputer program that enables library users to identify, locate, evaluate, and select information independently. With the support of three federal grants and one private grant, the OSU Libraries has designed The Gateway to Information in order to guide users to the best information for their needs, regardless of format. The Gateway's evaluations demonstrate that it is an effective and user‐friendly information tool for a wide range of library patrons. The Gateway is now available on all of the Libraries' terminals.
A generative framework for real time object detection and classification

We formulate a probabilistic model of image generation and derive optimal inference algorithms for finding objects and object features within this framework. The approach models images as a collage of patches of arbitrary size, some of which contain the object of interest and some of which are background. The approach requires development of likelihood-ratio models for object versus background generated patches. These models are learned using boosting methods. One advantage of the generative approach proposed here is that it makes explicit the conditions under which it is optimal. We applied the approach to the problem of finding faces and eyes on arbitrary images. Optimal inference under the proposed model works in real time and is robust to changes in lighting, illumination, and differences in facial structure, including facial expressions and eyeglasses. Furthermore, the system can simultaneously track the eyes and blinks of multiple individuals. Finally we reflect on how the development of perceptive systems like this may help advance our understanding of the human brain.
The importance of ultrasonographic pneumatosis intestinalis in equine neonatal gastrointestinal disease.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Recognising the presence of a necrotising component of the gastrointestinal disease may be clinically useful in ill equine neonates. Objectives: To study the importance of abdominal sonograms in neonatal foals suffering from gastrointestinal conditions and to describe the clinical features of necrotising gastrointestinal disease. Hypothesis: There is a subgroup of neonates with sonographically detectable pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), reflecting a necrotising disease. Methods: Records of foals aged 7 days hospitalised from 2005 to 2009 with signs of gastrointestinal disease were evaluated (n = 89). The association of sonographic, clinical and clinicopathological signs with necrotising gastrointestinal disease and outcome was determined. Results: PI was imaged in 19 foals. Twenty-seven foals were classified as having necrotising gastrointestinal disease based on the presence of gastrointestinal signs (colic, diarrhoea, gastric reflux or abdominal distension) and sonographic PI (n = 19), surgical (n = 2) or pathological (n = 6) evidence of gastrointestinal necrosis. There was a difference between survival rate in foals with and without necrotising disease (33.3 and 69.4%, respectively, P = 0.005) or foals with and without PI detected sonographically (36.8 and 72.1%, respectively, P = 0.023). PI was the only sonographic finding associated with outcome. Prematurity, the presence of blood in the faeces, gastric reflux, abdominal distension, abnormal echogenicity of the colon and the lowest white blood cell count during hospitalisation were associated with necrotising gastrointestinal disease (P<0.05). Conclusions and potential relevance: Abdominal sonograms have prognostic value in neonatal gastrointestinal disease. PI and the presence of necrotising gastrointestinal disease were common and associated with a poor prognosis.
Alteration in the processing of the ACRBP/sp32 protein and sperm head/acrosome malformations in proprotein convertase 4 (PCSK4) null mice

Proprotein convertase 4 (PCSK4) is a member of a family of proprotein convertases that convert inactive precursor proteins into their mature and active forms. PCSK4 is expressed by testicular germ cells and localizes to the sperm acrosome, suggesting roles in fertilization. Mice lacking PCSK4 exhibit a profound fertility defect; yet, to date, few substrates for PCSK4 are known. In this study, two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis analysis was carried out in order to identify proteins that are altered in spermatozoa from PCSK4 null mice. Herein, we report that the sperm fertilization molecule acrosin-binding protein (ACRBP)/sp32, which normally undergoes processing from a 58.5 kDa precursor to a 27.5 kDa mature form, is not proteolytically processed in PCSK4 null mice and thus may be a substrate for PCSK4. However, analysis of the ACRBP sequence did not show a strong consensus site for convertase cleavage, suggesting that ACRBP processing may require the activity of a yet unknown enzyme that itself may be a PCSK4 substrate. Further analysis of spermatozoa from the PCSK4 null mice showed that proacrosin did not undergo autoactivation, supporting a role for the mature form of ACRBP in the regulation of proacrosin conversion into different acrosin isoforms. Finally, examination of ACRBP localization revealed a previously undetected morphological defect in the head/acrosomes of spermatozoa from PCSK4 null mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the fertility defect in the PCSK4 null mice may in part be due to altered ACRBP protein processing as well as abnormalities in the sperm head/acrosome.
Three dimensional piezoelectric boundary elements

The boundary element method is applied to problems of 3D piezoelectricity. The continuum equations for the mechanical and electrical behavior are combined into one governing equation for piezoelectricity. A single boundary integral equation is developed from this combined filed equation and the Green's solution for a piezoelectric medium. The Green's function and its derivatives are derived using the Radon transform, and the resulting solution is represented by a line integral which is evaluated numerically using standard Gaussian quadrature. The boundary integral equation is discretized using 8-node quadrilateral elements resulting in a matrix system of equations. The solution of the boundary problem for piezoelectric materials consists of elastic displacements, tractions, electric potentials and normal charge flux densities. The field solutions can be obtained once all boundary values have been determined. The accuracy of this piezoelectric boundary element method is illustrated with two numerical examples. The first involves a unit cube of material with an applied mechanical load. The second example consists of a spherical hole in an infinite piezoelectric body loaded by a unit traction on its boundary. Comparisons are made to the analytical solution for the cube and axisymmetric finite element results for the spherical hole. The boundary element method is shown to be an accurate solution procedure for general 3D piezoelectric materials problems.
Is there gender discrimination in named professorships? An econometric analysis of economics departments in the US South

This study examines the correlates of the probability that an individual academician holds a named professorship. Named professorships, like other positions within an organization, are determined by a mixture of market and non-market forces. Thus, both merit (both past and expected future productivity) and discrimination may play a role. Regression results and Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition tests presented here support a conclusion of gender discrimination in the named professorship process at American institutions of higher education. Specifically, it is found that gender discrimination results in a 7.6 percentage point disadvantage for females (relative to males) regarding the likelihood of holding a named professorship in economics.
Convective instability of a boundary layer with temperature-and strain-rate-dependent viscosity in terms of ‘available buoyancy’

Summary Cold mantle lithosphere is gravitationally unstable with respect to the hotter buoyant asthenosphere beneath it, leading to the possibility that the lower part of the mantle lithosphere could sink into the mantle in convective downwelling. Such instabilities are driven by the negative thermal buoyancy of the cold lithosphere and retarded largely by viscous stress in the lithosphere. Because of the temperature dependence of viscosity, the coldest, and therefore densest, parts of the lithosphere are unavailable for driving the instability because of their strength. By comparing theory and the results of a finite element representation of a cooling lithosphere, we show that for a Newtonian fluid, the rate of exponential growth of an instability should be approximately proportional to the integral over the depth of the lithosphere of the ratio of thermal buoyancy to viscosity, both of which are functions of temperature, and thus depth. We term this quantity ‘available buoyancy’ because it quantifies the buoyancy of material sufficiently weak to flow, and therefore available for driving convective downwelling. For non-Newtonian viscosity with power law exponent n and temperature-dependent pre-exponential factor B, the instabilities grow superexponentially, as described by Houseman & Molnar (1997), and the appropriate timescale is given by the integral of the nth power of the ratio of the thermal buoyancy to B. The scaling by the ‘available buoyancy’ thus offers a method of determining the timescale for the growth of perturbations to an arbitrary temperature profile, and a given dependence of viscosity on both temperature and strain rate. This timescale can be compared to the one relevant for the smoothing of temperature perturbations by the diffusion of heat, allowing us to define a parameter, similar to a Rayleigh number, that describes a given temperature profile’s tendency toward convective instability. Like the Rayleigh number, this parameter depends on the cube of the thickness of a potentially unstable layer; therefore, mechanical thickening of a layer should substantially increase its degree of convective instability, and could cause stable lithosphere to become convectively unstable on short × cales. We estimate that convective erosion will, in 10 Myr, reduce a layer thickened by a factor of two to a thickness only 20 to 50 per cent greater than its pre-thickened value. Thickening followed by convective instability may lead to a net thinningof a layer if thickening also enhances the amplitude of perturbations to the layer’s lateral temperature structure. For the mantle lithosphere, the resulting influx of hot asthenosphere could result in rapid surface uplift and volcanism.
Implications of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in the pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease

Peyronie's disease is an idiopathic, localized connective tissue disorder of the penis which involves the tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum and the adjacent areolar space. Peyronie's disease is characterized by local changes in the collagen and elastic fiber composition of the tunica albuginea. The formation of fibrotic plaques alters penile anatomy and can cause different degrees of bending and narrowing, as well as penile pain and erectile dysfunction. Though long recognized as an important clinical entity of the male genitalia, the etiology of this disease has remained poorly understood. Until recently there have been no studies to examine the role nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms may play in the onset and progression of Peyronie's disease. NO is a potent biological mediator with diverse physiological and pathophysiological roles. The purpose of this review is to describe each of the NOS isoforms and their potential roles in the pathophysiology of Peyronie's disease, with particular emphasis on the regulation of endothelial and inducible NOS isoforms.
Lifetime of the triplet M center in alkali halide crystals

Abstract The decay of the lowest triplet state of the M center is considered on the basis of the McCall-Grossweiner model, which consists of a superposition of radiative and non-radiative processes. The radiative decay is postulated to occur with the help of the spin-orbit interaction; the sensitivity of the lifetime to the energy difference between the lowest triplet and lowest singlet state is pointed out. Further calculations and experiments are suggested.
Evaluating EFNEP Audience Change Through Attrition Patterns

Data on attrition from the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) were analyzed to determine whether there have been changes in the characteristics of the low-income audience served by the program. Data from the 1986, 1988, and 1989 programs in a Washington State county were used. Dropouts differed significantly in selected sociodemographic characteristics from year to year, but in ways that reflected year-to-year differences in enrollees. A pilot pro gram tested in 1989, which used new recruitment and instructional methods, led to enrollees and dropouts with higher levels of education, income, and dietary adequacy than had been seen in the previous years. There was also evidence that the program in all three years tended to lose clients in the lower income brackets and to retain clients who were less educated and of Asian-American ethnicity. Dropouts in each year had dietary inadequacies, although these inadequacies varied from year to year. Implications of the different patterns of attrition are discussed relative to program evaluation and future research.
Rejuvenation of Photoaged Skin: 5 Years Results with Intense Pulsed Light of the Face, Neck, and Chest

BACKGROUND. Photorejuvenation involves the use of lasers or light sources to reverse signs of photoaging. Multiple devices have been shown to be effective over the short-term. OBJECTIVE. To investigate the long-term clinical results on the face, neck and chest at 4 years using filtered flashlamp intense pulsed light (IPL) for treatment of photoaging changes of telangiectasias, dyspigmentation, and rough skin texture. METHODS. A chart review of 80 randomly selected patients with skin types I-IV who were treated by IPL during 1996 and 1997 was performed. Photos and patient self-assessment were graded for features of textural smoothness, telangiectasia severity, and blotchy pigmentation into four categories of worse, no change, slightly better (less than 50% improvement) and much better (greater than 50% improvement). RESULTS. At 4 years following initial treatment, skin textural improvement was noted in 83% of the subjects. Telangiectasias were improved in 82% of subjects, while pigmentation remained improved in 79%. The median number of treatments was 3. The face responded slightly better than the chest or neck. Most common side-effects included temporary mild crusting (19%), erythema (15%) and purpura (6%). CONCLUSION. Signs of photoaging including telangiectasias and mottled pigmentation of the face, neck, and chest, can be improved by IPL with a long-lasting result. Minimal or no downtime with minimal adverse effects can be achieved with the settings reported. Skin textural smoothing, although not easily quantified, is an additional benefit observed long-term. THIS STUDY WAS PRESENTED IN PART AT THE 2000 ASDS ANNUAL MEETING IN DENVER. THE AUTHORS ARE CONSULTANTS AND PRECEPTORS FOR LUMENIS. THE DEVICES USED IN THIS STUDY WERE PURCHASED AT A DISCOUNT. NO DIRECT FUNDING WAS PROVIDED FOR THIS STUDY. THE APPEARANCE of aging skin due to chronic exposure to ultraviolet light can be distinguished from chronologically or intrinsically aging skin. l Photoaging, resulting from chronic exposure to UV light, includes wrinkling of the skin, rough texture, dyspigmentation, and loss of elasticity. 2,3 These findings are explained by histologic evidence of epidermal thinning but more importantly, dermal changes of disorganized collagen bundles and clumping of elastic fibers. Changes within the matrix of the dermis and at the dermal-epidermal junction include reductions in procollagens I and III, collagen VII, and the fibrillin-rich microfibrillar apparatus at the dermo-epidermal junction.4 Photoaged skin displays prominent alterations in the cellular component and the extracellular matrix of the connective tissue with an accumulation of disorganized elastin and a severe loss of interstitial collagens.5 Similar changes may also affect superficial capillaries which can become skin surface telangiectasias. A variety of treatments to reverse this photodamage aging process have been employed. On one side of the
Column design. 3. Theoretical studies of a chiral stationary phase used in column chromatography

Conformational features of a chiral stationary phase used in column chromatography are discussed. The syn forms invoked in chiral recognition models are consistent with MNDO and MM2 calculations. It is speculated that the inherent flexibility of the syn form makes these phases effective templates for analyte binding.
Assessing Blood Brain Barrier Permeability in Traumatic Brain Injury Research

The blood brain barrier plays an important role in traumatic brain injury, serving at the crossroads of secondary injury and potential therapies. In regards to trauma, this barrier contains an array of cellular and molecular components that protect the central nervous system from derangements in water homeostasis and inflammation. Preclinical and clinical assays have been developed to describe and quantify blood brain barrier permeability in relation to the integrity of these blood brain barrier components and the handling of edema. This review will discuss both preclinical and clinical molecular and imaging techniques that are used to assess blood brain barrier function and recovery following traumatic brain injury.
Turning Up the Heat on Membrane Fluidity

How do cells maintain the fluidity of cellular membrane in response to temperature fluctuation? In this issue of Cell, Ma et al. identify a regulatory circuit involving a heat-induced acyl-CoA dehydrogenase that controls the lipid saturation level and the fluidity of cellular membranes by transcriptionally regulating a lipid desaturase.
Resolution-Aware Query Answering for Business Intelligence

Entity uncertainty is an unavoidable problem in modern enterprise databases, resulting from integration of data over multiple sources. In traditional warehousing, the administrator, during an ETL process, manually and laboriously resolves inconsistent data records to discover "true'' entities(customers, products, etc.) and identify their "correct'' attribute values. At any time point, however, the current entity resolution is merely a best guess, and OLAP query results based on this resolution are inherently imprecise. We propose a new approach that maintains the data in an unresolved state, and dynamically deals with entity uncertainty at query time. We enhance the traditional OLAP model to return not a single query answer, but rather upper and lower bounds on each OLAP aggregate. This approach avoids expensive entity-resolution processing, and serves to identify potential risks when making business decisions based on the results of OLAP queries. By focusing on bounds, rather than probability distributions, we can easily and efficiently process roll-up and group-by aggregation queries over all of the core aggregation functions. Moreover, our approach can be readily implemented in an existing RDBMS using SQL queries, and does not require the user to specify explicit probabilities for alternative entity resolutions. Experiments show that the overhead of our new OLAP functionality is small over a wide range of scenarios.
Nonstationary kernel combination

The power and popularity of kernel methods stem in part from their ability to handle diverse forms of structured inputs, including vectors, graphs and strings. Recently, several methods have been proposed for combining kernels from heterogeneous data sources. However, all of these methods produce stationary combinations; i.e., the relative weights of the various kernels do not vary among input examples. This article proposes a method for combining multiple kernels in a nonstationary fashion. The approach uses a large-margin latent-variable generative model within the maximum entropy discrimination (MED) framework. Latent parameter estimation is rendered tractable by variational bounds and an iterative optimization procedure. The classifier we use is a log-ratio of Gaussian mixtures, in which each component is implicitly mapped via a Mercer kernel function. We show that the support vector machine is a special case of this model. In this approach, discriminative parameter estimation is feasible via a fast sequential minimal optimization algorithm. Empirical results are presented on synthetic data, several benchmarks, and on a protein function annotation task.
Euro-collins solution exacerbates lung injury in the setting of high-flow reperfusion

Abstract Single-lung transplantation has been abandoned for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension by many centers because of overperfusion of the graft following implantation. Euro-Collins solution is currently used for lung preservation despite the vasoconstrictive effect of this intracellular-type solution. We hypothesized that high-flow reperfusion, alone or in combination with Euro-Collins–induced vasoconstriction, may cause lung dysfunction. Twenty-eight New Zealand White rabbit lungs were harvested and studied in an isolated, blood-perfused model of lung function after 4 hours of cold ischemia. Control lungs were preserved with 50 ml/kg cold saline solution flush and reperfused at either normal flow (60 ml/min) or high flow (120 ml/min). Experimental lungs were preserved with 50 ml/kg cold Euro-Collins solution and reperfused at normal or high flow rates. The arteriovenous oxygen gradient at the end of the 30-minute reperfusion period was significantly lower in the high-flow versus the low-flow experimental group (31.1 ± 4.2 vs 130.6 ± 41.6 mm Hg, p –5 , p p p p
Post-infarction Remodeling and Arrhythmogenesis: Molecular, Ionic, and Electrophysiological Substrates

Following myocardial infarction (MI), the heart undergoes a complex remodeling process that involves structural, biochemical, neurohormonal, and electrophysiological alterations. Electrophysiological remodeling is driven by specific molecular and ionic changes that result in an arrhythmogenic substrate. Multiple signal transduction pathways are involved in remodeling of the infarction zone, the peri-infarction border zone, and the remote noninfarcted myocardium. Key sources of post-MI arrhythmias are situated in border zone cells including the subendocardial Purkinje network. The remote noninfarcted myocardium undergoes a remodeling process characterized by increased collagen deposition and myocyte hypertrophy. The main electrophysiological abnormality of post-MI remodeled hypertrophied myocyte is prolongation of action potential duration (APD). At least eight ion-carrying systems are implicated in the prolongation of APD, where in voltage-gated potassium currents play a major role. The three potential mechanisms of arrhythmia generation in the post-MI remodeled myocardium are as follows: delayed after depolarization-triggered activity, early after depolarization triggered activity, and reentrant excitation.
Computational Investigation of Structured Shocks in Al/SiC-Particulate Metal-Matrix Composites

Purpose – Propagation of planar (i.e. one directional), longitudinal (i.e. uniaxial strain), steady (i.e. time‐invariant) structured shock waves within metal matrix composites (MMCs) is studied computationally. Waves of this type are typically generated during blast‐wave loading or ballistic impact and play a major role in the way blast/ballistic impact loads are introduced in, and applied to, a target structure. Hence, the knowledge of the basic physics of propagation of these waves is critical for designing structures with superior blast and impact protection capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to help advance the use of computational engineering analyses and simulations in the areas of design and application of the MMC protective structures.Design/methodology/approach – To derive the overall response of the composite material to shock type loading, a dynamic‐mixture model is employed. Within this model, the known constitutive responses of the constituent materials are combined using the appropri...
Unilateral action and the transformations of the world constitutive process: the special problem of humanitarian intervention

Unilateral actions' are taken by an unauthorized participant who contends they are, nonetheless, lawful. The lawfulness of such actions must be examined as a constitutive question before one proceeds to determine whether a particular action fulfilled the substantive criteria of lawfulness. Lawfulness is a function of constitutive structure. In coarchical systems without hierarchical institutions, unilateral action is perforce the mode of decision. In constitutive structures that include generally or intermittently ineffective hierarchical institutions, the lawfulness of unilateral action is more complex and unilateral action becomes normatively ambiguous as a result of the cognitive dissonance caused by the decalage between substantive lawfulness and procedural unlawfulness. In constitutive structures that incorporate effective decision institutions, unilateral action is presumptively unlawful. The normative ambiguity of unilateral actions in contemporary international law arises from the regrettable but acknowledged intermittent ineffectiveness of decision institutions. The appropriate remedy for this problem is to make the institutions effective. Most decision processes are jolted into operation in response to acts of individual participants; those acts are not 'unilateral actions', as that term is used in international law. A 'unilateral action' is an act by a formally unauthorized participant which effectively preempts the official decision a legally designated official or agency was supposed to take. Yet the unilateral action is accompanied by a claim that it is, nonetheless, lawful because:
Dietary omega 3 fatty acids and endothelium-dependent relaxations in porcine coronary arteries

Dietary supplementation with cod-liver oil significantly augments endothelium-dependent relaxations in porcine coronary arteries. The present study was designed to examine the effect of dietary administration of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly eicosapentaenoic acid, the major component of fish oil) on endothelium-dependent relaxations in porcine coronary arteries. Male Yorkshire pigs were maintained 4 wk on a regular diet with or without supplementation with purified eicosapentaenoic acid (3.5 g/day) and docosahexaenoic acid (1.5 g/day). Endothelium-dependent relaxations were examined in vitro. In rings from the treated group, endothelium-dependent relaxations were augmented in response to bradykinin, serotonin, and ADP, but not to the calcium ionophore A23187. These augmentations were not altered by indomethacin but were significantly inhibited by methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase. In the treated group, endothelium-dependent relaxations to aggregating platelets also were significantly augmented; platelet-induced contractions of quiescent rings were inhibited more by the presence of the endothelium than in arteries from the control group. Bioassay experiments demonstrated that the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s) by bradykinin and relaxations of the vascular smooth muscle to the factor(s) were greater in arteries from the treated group. These observations indicate that dietary omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment receptor-operated endothelium-dependent relaxations, partly due to the augmented release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s) and partly due to the augmented relaxation of the vascular smooth muscle to the factor(s).
A new method of synthesizing biopolymeric affinity ligands

(1) A new concept for producing soluble polymeric affinity ligands is proposed and exemplified. By solid-phase synthesis, an insoluble hydrophilic polymer is converted into an affinity gel. The gel is hydrolytically degraded to water-soluble affinity polymeric ligands which are recovered and purified. (2) A water-soluble biopolymeric metal-affinity carrier based on an iminodiacetic acid (IDA) derivative of dextran has been synthesized through the modification of Sephadex G-200 by IDA, followed by hydrolysis with dextranase and size-exclusion-chromatographic purification of the high-molecular-mass fragments. (3) The molecular size of the soluble products as a function of hydrolysis time with dextranase from Penicillium sp. was determined. The range of molecular size of the biopolymeric chelating ligand varies from around 200 Da to greater than 580 kDa. (4) The influence of three metal ions chelated with the Sephadex derivative on the hydrolysis rate and the molecular-size distribution of end products was studied. Eu 3+ was found to improve the rate of solubilization. Ni 2+ and Cu 2+ decreased the hydrolysis rate, as compared with that of the metal-free IDA-Sephadex. (5) The method introduced here has the potential of being developed and applied as a general technology for synthesis of soluble multifunctional affinity ligands. Such ligands should be useful for liquid-phase extraction as well as for the synthesis of adsorbents with localized multiple binding sites. Other possible fields of applications are to be found in medicine, where they could be used for slow drug delivery or detoxification, and in analytical chemistry, where they could be used in various assays.
Magnetoencephalography May Allow the Electromagnetic 'Biopsy' of Central Nervous System Neoplastic Tissue

Developing a non-invasive method for definitively diagnosing intracranial neoplasms would reduce the risks involved with diagnosis and improve the treatment of such tumors. We used magnetoencephalography to measure the power spectral densities of malignant brain tumor cells in vitro and found that meningioma and medulloblastoma cells produce unique electromagnetic signatures. Our results suggest that non-invasive identification of neoplastic tissue is possible through the use of magnetoencephalography.
Myotrophic and androgenic activities of androstanazole. A new heterocyclic steroid.

SummaryMyotrophic and androgenic activities of androstanazole have been evaluated using immature castrated male rats. The data indicate that androstanazole is 1/7 as myotrophic and 1/33 as androgenic as testosterone propionate when both agents are administered subcutaneously, whereas it is 2 times more myotrophic than. and 1/3 as androgenic as, methyltestosterone when the 2 agents are given orally. The data show that androstanazole is relatively more anabolic than androgenic regardless of route of administration. The results are discussed in light of nitrogen retention data previously reported for this compound.
Temperature-mediated processes in teleost immunity: homeoviscous adaptation in teleost lymphocytes.

AbstractIn vitro studies with pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) lymphocytes demonstrated that the temperature to which a fish is acclimated in vivo affects the temperature dependence of lymphocyte responses to mitogenic stimulation with conconavalin A (ConA) in vitro, i.e., at an in vitro temperature of 20°, the lymphocytes of 17° acclimated fish responded to ConA better than the lymphocytes of 27° acclimated fish. Fluidity measurements of plasma membranes from lymphocytes isolated from both cold- and warm-acclimated pinfish were made using fluorescence polarization spectrophotometry and the fluorescent membrane probe, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. While the membranes of cold-acclimated pinfish were more fluid than those of warm-acclimated fish when both were measured at the same temperature, the fluidities were equal when measured at the respective acclimation temperatures. These results support the hypothesis that the process of homeoviscous adaptation of lymphocyte plasma membranes may be an important aspe...
The Future of the Juvenile Court: A Theoretical Framework That Fits

The juvenile court has been subject to increasing criticism over the years, particularly with regard to its handling of delinquency cases. This is in part the result of an inaccurate view of the court as primarily a criminal court that adjudicates crimes committed by children. This article proposes an alternative model for the court, one that encompasses its jurisdiction over dependency and status offense cases, as well as delinquency cases. In describing this new conception of the juvenile court, an analogy is made to a "bankruptcy" court that intervenes when family members violate the laws regulating their relationships to one another. This new juvenile court would not take direct responsibility for the rehabilitation of child or family. Instead, it would use its power to hold private and public caretakers accountable for fulfilling their roles as supervisors and habilitators of children. The article concludes by exploring the advantages and potential disadvantages of this new vision of the juvenile court.
A caution on the use of the MMPI K-correction in research on psychosomatic medicine

The MMPI K scale is widely used to screen for invalid responses and to adjust substantive scale scores for defensiveness. In a normal volunteer sample, correlations of MMPI clinical scales and the Cook-Medley Hostility (HO) scale with self-reports and peer ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) were decreased rather than increased by K-correction. Similarly, in a medical sample, structured interview-based ratings of Potential for Hostility were better predicted by uncorrected HO scores than by K-corrected HO scores. Finally, in a prospective study of mortality among lawyers, uncorrected HO scores were a significant predictor of all-cause mortality; K-corrected scores were not. The data suggest that, under some circumstances, the K scale may measure substantive traits rather than defensiveness, and should be used and interpreted with caution. Its use is probably contraindicated for most research on psychiatrically normal subjects.
Modified coherent state for improvement of quantum cryptography and generation of 3-photon entangled state

We study photon number distribution for Yuen’s two-photon coherent state. We find a multi-photon interference effect will cancel either the two-photon or the three-photon terms. Such a modified coherent state can be used for improving the security of quantum cryptography and for creating a three-photon entangled state.
Embodied Presence: Contemplative Teacher Education

Teachers are taught how to facilitate knowledge and skills in their classrooms, but rarely are they given somatic experiences and tools for “reading” those landscapes. By developing awareness of their own somatic presence, teachers are better able to know more fully the presence of their students and colleagues in order to respond to all the impulses involved. Thus, rather than reacting on an often unconscious somatic level, teachers can engage with a synchronized body and mind—what we call “embodied presence.” In this chapter, we describe and define “embodied presence,” a uniquely potent approach to teacher professional development created by faculty in Naropa University’s Contemplative Education Program in Boulder, Colorado. We describe how it directly relates to the practices of mindful awareness and teaching, and offer examples from students’ writings and faculty observations. We also included sample exercises to aid readers with understanding the intentions, methods, and results of this approach.
On the development of Boolean algebra approach to terminal-electromagnetic-compatibility of networks

With the increasing use of mobile phones, internet and other electronic devices, it is important to get a safe electronic transmission between two nodes of a network. In this paper a new definition of terminal electromagnetic compatibility (TEMC) is proposed. This definition is similar to the reliability of computer communication networks using Boolean algebra techniques. Different Boolean algebra algorithms are discussed in this paper and are illustrated with series/parallel and non-series/parallel computer communication networks. It is hoped that the procedures can be put in the form of a computer program and could be used by the EMC community in future.
Herpetic infection of the middle and lower respiratory tract.

Fifteen cases of herpetic infection of the middle and lower respiratory tract are presented and discussed. All of the cases were documented histologically, two were confirmed by culture of Herpesvirus hominis and a third by electron microscopic observation of virions consistent with the Herpesvirus group within tracheal epithelial cells. The diagnosis was not made clinically in any of these cases. Six cases were discovered at necropsy and nine additional cases were found in a retrospective study of autopsy files. As the lesions were often focal or severely altered by superimposed infection, careful microscopic study was necessary for recognition of the diagnostic changes. Bacterial and fungal superinfection were found in 12 of the patients and represented potentially life-threatening sequelae.
Childhood Schizophrenia and Autism: An Empirical Study of Perceived Social Support

Although there is an abundance of literature focusing on social support for children and adults with mental illness, there is a paucity of research examining social support for individuals diagnosed with childhood and adolescent onset schizophrenia. Literature suggests that measuring social support in youth with schizophrenia poses unique challenges, which may be why it is so under-represented in existing research. In an effort to learn more about the availability of social support for children in this population, the current study compared measures of social support for children and adolescents, 5 to 17 years old, diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia to those for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The study surveyed parents of children with schizophrenia and autism using the Family Needs Questionnaire to measure perceived social support, and a subsection of the Ohio Youth Problem, Functioning, and Satisfaction Scales to measure the parent’s assessment of children’s level of functioning. A Family Questionnaire was also administered to collect demographic information about the children and their families. Results indicated, contrary to the original hypothesis, that parents of children with schizophrenia perceived their offspring as having more social support than children with autism, even though overall parents of children in the schizophrenia group rated their children as having a lower level of functioning. However, the study also found that when assessing the importance of social support needs, parents of children with schizophrenia rated their children’s needs as being significantly more important than parents of children with autism. A discussion of the research findings and limitations of the study are offered, in addition to suggestions for future research.
Physical unclonable functions and dynamic partial reconfiguration for security in resource-constrained embedded systems

Authentication and encryption within an embedded system environment using cameras, sensors, thermostats, autonomous vehicles, medical implants, RFID, etc. is becoming increasing important with ubiquitious wireless connectivity. Hardware-based authentication and encryption offer several advantages in these types of resource-constrained applications, including smaller footprints and lower energy consumption. Bitstring and key generation implemented with Physical Unclonable Functions or PUFs can further reduce resource utilization for authentication and encryption operations and reduce overall system cost by eliminating on-chip non-volatile-memory (NVM). In this paper, we propose a dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR) strategy for implementing both authentication and encryption using a PUF for bitstring and key generation on FPGAs as a means of optimizing the utilization of the limited area resources. We show that the time and energy penalties associated with DPR are small in modern SoC-based architectures, such as the Xilinx Zynq SoC, and therefore, the overall approach is very attractive for emerging resource-constrained IoT applications.
Whole Is Greater Than Sum of Its Parts

The chapter hopefully makes it clear that Supply Chain Management is a cross-departmental discipline, which depends on participation from both horizontal and vertical levels in libraries. Collaboration throughout the libraries is a must to bring meaningful changes to collection processes and, as a result, to collection services. The chapter presents some known issues of hierarchical organizations and also offers some ideas for alignment of expectations and priorities throughout libraries. The goal of this chapter is to provide readers with some suggestions for integrating functional departments into supply chain initiatives.
Dementia, Advance Directives, and the Problem of Temporal Selfishness

Ryan Davis addresses questions related to the prospect of becoming disabled in the future. Davis discusses both cognitive disabilities, such as dementia and physical disabilities. Regarding dementia, Davis argues that the reasons that inform how people with dementia are treated resemble other cases where people’s plans for their lives are informed by conflicting, seemingly irreconcilable considerations. In these cases, it is a mistake, Davis argues, to value one’s current interests or values over the values she will have in the future. Instead, Davis suggests that people should allow more flexibility for their future selves to decide based on their values. Davis writes, “it is easy to demand too much consistency from one’s own values,” but instead people who are considering their future selves should be open to a range value shifts and plot twists as the stories of their lives unfold.