cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Essential and opposing roles of zebrafish β-catenins in the formation of dorsal axial structures and neurectoderm

In Xenopus, Wnt signals and their transcriptional effector beta-catenin are required for the development of dorsal axial structures. In zebrafish, previous loss-of-function studies have not identified an essential role for beta-catenin in dorsal axis formation, but the maternal-effect mutation ichabod disrupts beta-catenin accumulation in dorsal nuclei and leads to a reduction of dorsoanterior derivatives. We have identified and characterized a second zebrafish beta-catenin gene, beta-catenin-2, located on a different linkage group from the previously studied beta-catenin-1, but situated close to the ichabod mutation on LG19. Although the ichabod mutation does not functionally alter the beta-catenin-2 reading frame, the level of maternal beta-catenin-2, but not beta-catenin-1, transcript is substantially lower in ichabod, compared with wild-type, embryos. Reduction of beta-catenin-2 function in wild-type embryos by injection of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MOs) specific for this gene (MO2) results in the same ventralized phenotypes as seen in ichabod embryos, and administration of MO2 to ichabod embryos increases the extent of ventralization. MOs directed against beta-catenin-1 (MO1), by contrast, had no ventralizing effect on wild-type embryos. beta-catenin-2 is thus specifically required for organizer formation and this function is apparently required maternally, because the ichabod mutation causes a reduction in maternal transcription of the gene and a reduced level of beta-catenin-2 protein in the early embryo. A redundant role of beta-catenins in suppressing formation of neurectoderm is revealed when both beta-catenin genes are inhibited. Using a combination of MO1 and MO2 in wild-type embryos, or by injecting solely MO1 in ichabod embryos, we obtain expression of a wide spectrum of neural markers in apparently appropriate anteroposterior pattern. We propose that the early, dorsal-promoting function of beta-catenin-2 is essential to counteract a later, dorsal- and neurectoderm-repressing function that is shared by both beta-catenin genes.
Bactericidal Activity of Increasing Daily and Weekly Doses of Moxifloxacin in Murine Tuberculosis

Moxifloxacin (MXF) is a new 8-methoxyquinolone with potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a half-life of 9 to 12 h in humans. Previous in vivo studies using daily doses of 100 mg/kg of body weight have demonstrated bactericidal activity comparable to that of isoniazid (INH) in a murine model of tuberculosis (TB). Recent pharmacokinetic data suggest that MXF may have been underadministered in these studies and that a 400-mg/kg dose in mice better approximates the area under the concentration-time curve obtained in humans after a 400-mg oral dose. Therefore, the bactericidal activity of MXF in doses up to 400 mg/kg given daily or weekly for 28 days was assessed in mice infected intravenously with 5 x 10(6) CFU of M. tuberculosis. INH was used as a positive control. After 3 days of daily therapy, the CFU counts from splenic homogenates for mice treated with MXF in doses of 100 to 400 mg/kg/day were lower than those from pretreatment controls. No significant differences in CFU counts were seen when mice receiving INH or MXF at 50 mg/kg/day were compared to pretreatment controls. After 28 days of therapy, dose-dependent reductions in CFU counts in splenic homogenates were seen for daily MXF therapy. The maximum bactericidal effect was seen with daily doses of 400 mg/kg, which resulted in a reduction in CFU counts of 1 log(10) greater than that with INH treatment, although the difference was not statistically significant. CFU counts from lung homogenates after 28 days of therapy were significantly lower in all treatment groups than in untreated controls. The weekly administration of MXF in doses ranging from 50 to 400 mg/kg resulted in no significant bactericidal activity. Mice receiving daily MXF doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day failed to gain weight and appeared ill after 28 days of therapy, findings suggestive of drug toxicity. In conclusion, MXF has dose-dependent bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis in the mouse when given in doses up to 400 mg/kg, where its pharmacokinetic profile better approximates that of standard human dosages. Combination regimens which take advantage of the enhanced pharmacodynamic profile of MXF at these doses have the potential to shorten the course of antituberculous therapy or allow more intermittent (i.e., once-weekly) therapy and should be evaluated in the mouse model of TB.
Women and Minorities in Information Technology

With the rapid expansion of the use of information technology throughout our global society, there is a need to recruit capable new employees to the information technology workforce. As a result, employers need to be aware of the employment issues and concerns of the entire labor pool, and what it takes to satisfy these workers. While the vast majority of information technology workers are men, women and underrepresented minorities also bring valuable talents to this field. This paper addresses the shortage of women and minorities in the information technology field and ways to increase their education enrollment and workforce participation in information technology.
Germline gene therapy: its time is near

For almost two decades, bioethicists, legal scholars and writers in the popular press have debated the ethics and consequences of gene engineering and gene therapy. Much of the discussion has focused on germline therapy, that is, artificially-designed alterations in the human genome that would not be limited to somatic tissues but would be passed on to succeeding generations. Currently, strategies for gene therapy that would result in alteration of the germline are not considered appropriate. Scientists and health professionals have become well-sensitized to the issues and arguments concerning germline therapy but, for the most part, have not participated openly in the debate on its potential benefits and harms. Based on existing technologies in human reproduction and on expected advancements in gene therapy technology, we believe that the debate on germline gene therapy must now also become the purview of scientists and health professionals. We have in fact already advanced beyond the theoretical considerations that have fuelled debate on germline gene therapy and must now begin to examine the issues based on clinical experiences. Indeed, for the popular press, prenatal genetic diagnosis, including preimplantation diagnosis via embryo selection (e.g. Handyside and Delahanty, 1993), is considered a form of germline gene therapy, and 'there (has been) not a murmur of dissent' (Lyon and Gorner, 1995).
Ease of Counterfactual Thought Generation Moderates the Relationship Between Need for Cognition and Punitive Responses to Crime

Punitive responses to crime have been linked to a relatively low need for cognition (NFC). Sargent's (2004) findings suggest that this relationship is due to a relatively complex attributional system, employed by high-NFC individuals, which permits them to recognize potential external or situational causes of crime. However, high-NFC individuals may also be more likely to engage in counterfactual thinking, which has been linked to greater judgments of blame and responsibility. Three studies examine the relationship between trait and state NFC and punitiveness in light of counterfactual thinking. Results suggest that the ease of generating upward counterfactuals in response to an unfortunate crime moderates the NFC-punitiveness relationship, such that high-NFC individuals are less punitive than low-NFC individuals only when counterfactual thoughts are relatively difficult to generate. These findings are discussed in light of punishment theory and their possible implications with regard to the legal system.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Improvement in Outcomes and Similar Cost

To compare outcomes of laparoscopic versus open hepatic resection (OHR) exclusively for hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of morbidity and cost. Laparoscopic hepatic resection (LHR) has become more prevalent with recent improvements in instrumentation and surgeon experience. A review of multicenter, prospectively collected hepatobiliary databases from three institutions was performed from 12/1990 to 12/2009. Prospective evaluation of all patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular cancer was performed. A total of 354 patients who had resections for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were analyzed, 100 were performed laparoscopically. The two groups were similar in terms of demographics and comorbidities. Evaluation of outcomes showed significantly higher intraoperative estimated blood loss although postoperative transfusion rates were similar. The incidence of any complication (44 vs 44 %, p = 0.23) and 90-day mortality (6 vs 6 %, p = 0.8) were similar between the two groups, with a similar reoperation rate (4.0 vs. 2.4 %; p = 0.9). Using Cox regression analysis, the laparoscopic approach had no effect on disease-free interval (OR 1.4, CI 0.31–6.3, p = 0.66) or overall survival (HR 1.2, CI 0.59–2.5 p = 0.6). Length of stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group 6.2 vs. 9.3 days (p = 0.001). Adjusted operative charges ($41 vs. $39 k, p = 0.601) and adjusted total hospital charges ($71 vs. $82 k, p = 0.368) were similar in LHR versus OHR. Our study confirms previous literature showing comparable perioperative outcomes and recurrence. We further show comparable cost with laparoscopic versus open liver resection for HCC.
Potential distribution of the invasive tree Triadica sebifera (Euphorbiaceae) in the United States: evaluating climex predictions with field trials

Models that project introduced species distributions based on the climates in native and potential introduced ranges can provide valuable insights on the extent of a species' future spread. Yet, the lack of direct field evaluation of these range projections remains a major limitation. We evaluated results from the climex model in conjunction with results from seed and plant field trials in assessing environmental constraints to spread of the invasive tree Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree) in the southeastern USA. climex incorporates key climatic parameters to generate large-scale projections of potential distributions based on the climate across the species' current distribution. By employing field trials within microhabitats within and beyond the tree's current range, we were able to determine seed and young plants' response to the heterogeneity of the environment at regional scales. Based on projections of the climex model, T. sebifera has the potential to spread 500 km northward beyond its current distribution in the southeastern USA; minimum temperature and limited precipitation are the key climatic constraints in the eastern and western USA, respectively. climex results correlate strongly with seed germination across sites in the southeastern USA. These results do not however correlate with plant growth rates, which were often higher in sites with low projected climatic suitability. Competition and herbivory were not constraints on the growth of T. sebifera in our field trials and were therefore not responsible for the lack of correlation between model results and plant growth rates. If the minimum and maximum temperatures were to rise by 2 °C, the range of T. sebifera could extend northward 700 km beyond its current distribution. While both climex and the field trials indicate that T. sebifera is capable of extensive northward spread in the eastern USA, results of field trials indicate that the patterns of invasion within the region are likely to vary substantially with local site conditions.
SO2 Revisited: laser spectroscopy of cold molecules and collission-induced electronic and rotational relaxation☆

Abstract SO2 has an electronic absorption band in the UV and some of the rotational structures between 3000 and 3300 A have been assigned to the A 1A2← X 1A1 transition by Hamada and Merer (in 1974 - 1975). It is believed that the B 1B1← X 1A1 transition also lies in this wavelength range but extensive perturbations of the B state by the X state have prevented its rotational analysis. In an attempt to locate vibronic origins of two overlapping transitions, we took rotationally resolved fluorescence excitation spectra of cold SO2 molecules (at about 1.0 K) in a supersonic free jet. The rotational structure is greatly simplified and typical vibronic bands consist of from three to five rotational lines, the rRo(O) line being the most intense. Numerous new vibronic features are readily recognized and they make a more precise vibrational assignment possible. In the selective excitation of single rotational levels of the A 1A2 state, the lifetime as well as the intensity distribution of rotationally resolved fluorescence emission were measured as a function of pressure. Collisional electronic quenching by polar molecules is very efficient, reaching a maximum value about 10 times greater than gas kinetic values. Collisional rotational relaxation proceeds by a dipole-type mechanism with a state-to-state cross section of about 50 A2 for ΔKa = +1 or ΔKa = −1.
TOPOFIT-DB, a database of protein structural alignments based on the TOPOFIT method

TOPOFIT-DB (T-DB) is a public web-based database of protein structural alignments based on the TOPOFIT method, providing a comprehensive resource for comparative analysis of protein structure families. The TOPOFIT method is based on the discovery of a saturation point on the alignment curve (topomax point) which presents an ability to objectively identify a border between common and variable parts in a protein structural family, providing additional insight into protein comparison and functional annotation. TOPOFIT also effectively detects non-sequential relations between protein structures. T-DB provides users with the convenient ability to retrieve and analyze structural neighbors for a protein; do one-to-all calculation of a user provided structure against the entire current PDB release with T-Server, and pair-wise comparison using the TOPOFIT method through the T-Pair web page. All outputs are reported in various web-based tables and graphics, with automated viewing of the structure-sequence alignments in the Friend software package for complete, detailed analysis. T-DB presents researchers with the opportunity for comprehensive studies of the variability in proteins and is publicly available at http://mozart.bio.neu.edu/topofit/index.php.
Bond Dissociation Free Energies (BDFEs) of the Acidic H-A Bonds in HA(*)(-) Radical Anions by Three Different Pathways.

Cleavage of radical anions, HA•-, have been considered to give either H• + A- (path a) or H- + A• (path b), and factors determining the preferred mode of cleavage have been discussed. It is conceiv...
Association between electronic health records and health care utilization.

Background: The federal government is investing approximately $20 billion in electronic health records (EHRs), in part to address escalating health care costs. However, empirical evidence that provider use of EHRs decreases health care costs is limited. Objective: To determine any association between EHRs and health care utilization. Methods: We conducted a cohort study (2008–2009) in the Hudson Valley, a multi-payer, multi-provider community in New York State. We included 328 primary care physicians in predominantly small practices (median practice size four primary care physicians), who were caring for 223,772 patients. Data from an independent practice association was used to determine adoption of EHRs. Claims data aggregated across five commercial health plans was used to characterize seven types of health care utilization: primary care visits, specialist visits, radiology tests, laboratory tests, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and readmissions. We used negative binomial regression to determine associations between EHR adoption and each utilization outcome, adjusting for ten physician characteristics. Results: Approximately half (48%) of the physicians were using paper records and half (52%) were using EHRs. For every 100 patients seen by physicians using EHRs, there were 14 fewer specialist visits (adjusted p < 0.01) and 9 fewer radiology tests (adjusted p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in rates of primary care visits, laboratory tests, emergency department visits, hospitalizations or readmissions. Conclusions: Patients of primary care providers who used EHRs were less likely to have specialist visits and radiology tests than patients of primary care providers who did not use EHRs.
Analysis of Pyrimidine Catabolism in Drosophila melanogaster Using Epistatic Interactions With Mutations of Pyrimidine Biosynthesis and β-Alanine Metabolism

The biochemical pathway for pyrimidine catabolism links the pathways for pyrimidine biosynthesis and salvage with β-alanine metabolism, providing an array of epistatic interactions with which to analyze mutations of these pathways. Loss-of-function mutations have been identified and characterized for each of the enzymes for pyrimidine catabolism: dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), su(r) mutants; dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), CRMP mutants; β-alanine synthase (βAS), pyd3 mutants. For all three genes, mutants are viable and fertile and manifest no obvious phenotypes, aside from a variety of epistatic interactions. Mutations of all three genes disrupt suppression by the rudimentary gain-of-function mutation (rSu(b)) of the dark cuticle phenotype of black mutants in which β-alanine pools are diminished; these results confirm that pyrimidines are the major source of β-alanine in cuticle pigmentation. The truncated wing phenotype of rudimentary mutants is suppressed completely by su(r) mutations and partially by CRMP mutations; however, no suppression is exhibited by pyd3 mutations. Similarly, su(r) mutants are hypersensitive to dietary 5-fluorouracil, CRMP mutants are less sensitive, and pyd3 mutants exhibit wild-type sensitivity. These results are discussed in the context of similar consequences of 5-fluoropyrimidine toxicity and pyrimidine catabolism mutations in humans.
A Formalization of Inductive Logic

In this note we show how Carnap's theory of degree of confirmation (inductive logic)' may be constructed upon a very simple and restricted semantical basis. The semantical meta-languages here may either be based upon a relation of multiple denotation2 or may even be non-translational.3 To these meta-languages a suitable metric for sentences may be appended. Axioms for such meta-languages are suggested, so that an especially simple formalization of Carnap's inductive logic is in effect presented in outline. For Carnap, inductive logic consists, roughly speaking, of a semantics augmented by a metric. More specifically, for a finite object-language QN the semantics consists of a theory of designation for QN, and to this are added numerical functions on sentences of QN taking real numbers as values. (2N, it will be recalled, contains just N distinct individual constants as primitive, where 'N' is a constant standing for some fixed finite number. 20, contains a denumerable infinity of distinct individual constants as primitive, and will be discussed in a moment.) Were we to formalize this theory we should have, then, a translation of QN (or just QN itself), a syntax for QN, a primitive relation of designation, real numbers, and several different kinds of class and relational variables. The character of the underlying syntax is not clear from Carnap's account, but this can easily be supplied by a suitable adaptation of Tarski's method.4 For this, variables for classes of and relations between the expressions of the object-language are needed. Also in Carnap's theory of designation, variables over relations between expressions and objects are needed fundamentally. Real numbers may be handled in various ways. To simplify, let us suppose these are introduced by having a special kind of variable to range over them. Then suitable axioms for real numbers may be given, e.g., one of the axiom sets of Tarski.5
Evaluation in volunteers of the VIA V-ABG automated bedside blood gas, chemistry, and hematocrit monitor.

Objective. To evaluate the VIA V-ABG (VIA Medical Corp.) point-of-care blood gas and chemistry monitor in healthy human volunteers, with particular emphasis on the measurement of blood gases. Methods. Experimental conditions were varied by intermittently subjecting volunteers to either isocapnic hypercapnia (end-tidal (ET), PETCO2 = 50 ± 2 mmHg, ETPO2 = 130 ± 5 mmHg) or isocapnic hypoxia (PETCO2 = 42 ± 2, PETO2 + 45 ± 2 mmHg) in addition to room air breathing. Measurements by the VIA V-ABG device were compared with paired samples and measurements performed by two ABL Radiometers (505 and 500). Analysis of results includes bias and precision plots and comparison of results with minimal performance criteria as established by CLIA. Results. Nineteen volunteers yielded 222 matched samples. The range of values were 7.32-7.61 for pH, 20.9–51.6 mmHg for PCO2, 27.9–184.5 mmHg for PO2, 134-141 mmol/l for Na, 3.1–4.1 mmol/l for K, and 30.0–50.4% for hematocrit. Bias and precision (± 2 sd) for pH was 0.01 and 0.04, for PCO2 was 0.4 and 4.8, for PO2 was 1.0 and 17.0, for Na was −0.3 and 5.2, for K was 0.1 and 0.2, and for Hct was 2.0 and 5.4. Conclusions. Over the range of blood gas values assessed, blood gas measurements by the VIA V-ABG device were clinically acceptable and met minimal performance criteria utilizing current Medicare CLIA proficiency standards. Performance criteria were also met by the VIA V-ABG device for Na, K, and Hct measurements but the range of values was too narrow to allow characterization of clinical acceptability. The VIA V-ABG device appears to perform well compared with the results which have been published for other point-of-care devices. Comparison between different studies investigating point-of-care devices is difficult due to several factors (range of values measured, comparison device, population studied, etc.). Some of these instruments, including the VIA V-ABG device, may serve quite well as point-of-care devices to perform certain tests at the bedside. Whether or not any of these devices can substitute for traditional laboratory blood gas and chemistry measurements remains an issue that is not adequately studied.
Kafka's "Assistants" from the Castle

The culmination of a series of pairs of figures (e.g., the arresting officers in The Trial, Blumfeld's assistants, the condemned man and his guard in "In the Penal Colony"), Jeremias and Artur in The Castle have challenged all interpreters of Kafka with their cryptic presence. Explanations by the critics run the gamut from those who merely accept the novel's assertion that the pair have been sent by the castle to help K. by diverting him to Charles Neider who in The Frozen Sea identifies the two as (of course) K.'s testicles. Quite appropriately, each interpreter aligns his concept of these assistants, provided the self-proclaimed surveyor K., with his concept of the book's purport. Since Ronald Gray emphasizes the serious tone of the novel in depicting the search for grace, he regards the assistants' childish behavior as parodistic. Their frivolity affords A. P. Foulkes another argument to substantiate his theory that Kafka tends to be a nihilist: "The castle had indicated to K. how life might be endured by providing him with two conformists . . ."*
Active Esters and the Strategy of Peptide Synthesis

After the epoch-making discovery of the still unsurpassed carbobenzoxy groups by Bergmann and Zervas (1932), the first major breakthrough in peptide synthesis came in the early 1950s with the introduction of mixed anhydrides by Wieland and Bernhard (1951), Boissonnas (1951), and Vaughan and Osato (1952). The impetus provided by the availability of an easily removable aminoprotecting group and efficient carboxyl activation culminated in the synthesis of oxytocin by du Vigneaud and his coworkers (du Vigneaud et al., 1953, 1954; Katsoyannis and du Vigneaud, 1954; Ressler and du Vigneaud, 1954; Swan and du Vigneaud, 1954). For even more ambitious endeavors, however, carboxyl activation in the form of mixed anhydrides seemed to be not entirely satisfactory. Unsymmetrical anhydrides yield—at least in principle—two acylation products, the desired peptide (A) and an acyl derivative (B) of the amino component (Fig. 1). With the proper choice of the “activating” acid in the mixed anhydride, the formation of the undesired byproduct B can be kept at a minimum, but it is unlikely that the relative electrophilicities of the two carbonyl carbons could be so different that the main product, peptide A, would be completely uncontaminated by some small amount of the byproduct B. [A combination of electron release and of steric hindrance, such as in pivaloyl mixed anhydrides (Zaoral, 1962), might approach the ideal of a single acylation product.]
Messing Up Texas?: A Re-Analysis of the Effects of Executions on Homicides

Executions in Texas from 1994–2005 do not deter homicides, contrary to the results of Land et al. (2009). We find that using different models—based on pre-tests for unit roots that correct for earlier model misspecifications—one cannot reject the null hypothesis that executions do not lead to a change in homicides in Texas over this period. Using additional control variables, we show that variables such as the number of prisoners in Texas may drive the main drop in homicides over this period. Such conclusions however are highly sensitive to model specification decisions, calling into question the assumptions about fixed parameters and constant structural relationships. This means that using dynamic regressions to account for policy changes that may affect homicides need to be done with significant care and attention.
Lessons From East Asian NICs Export Success

The Four Tigers of East AsiaSouth Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singaporehave all achieved economic miracles during last two decades. This article will review the external and internal conditions conducive to their export success, put into perspective their outward-looking development strategies, and analyze their trade promotion policies. Finally, some suggestions are proposed for developing a new viable export culture in the United States.
Application of Taguchi’s method to optimize fiber Raman amplifier

Abstract. Taguchi’s method is introduced to perform multiobjective optimization of fiber Raman amplifier (FRA).Theoptimizationrequirementsaretomaximizegainandkeepgainrippleminimumovertheoperatingbandwidthof a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) communication link. Mathematical formulations of FRA and corre-sponding numerical solution techniques are discussed. A general description of Taguchi’s method and how itcan be integrated with the FRA optimization problem are presented. The proposed method is used to optimizetwo different configurations of FRA. The performance of Taguchi’s method is compared with genetic algorithmand particle swarm optimization in terms of output performance and convergence rate. Taguchi’s method isfound to produce good results with fast convergence rate, which makes it well suited for the nonlinear optimi-zation problems. © 2016 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.OE.55.4.046103] Keywords: Raman amplifier; Taguchi’s method; optimization.Paper 160173 received Feb. 4, 2016; accepted for publication Mar. 14, 2016; published online Apr. 7, 2016.
Sensory characteristics and carcass traits of boars, barrows, and gilts fed high- or adequate-protein diets and slaughtered at 100 or 110 kilograms.

The objective of this study was to determine consumer reaction to boar (BO), barrow (BA), and gilt (G) meat from pigs grown and finished on high- (HI) and low- (LO) protein diets and slaughtered at 100 and 110 kg BW. Within each of two trials, 54 BO, BA, and G were allotted within sexes to HI or LO protein sequences for growing and finishing: 19 and 17% (BOHI), 18 and 16% (BOLO), 17 and 15% (GHI), 16 and 14% (GLO), 15 and 13% (BAHI), and 14 and 12% (BALO). Backfat skatole and salivary gland 16-androstene concentrations were measured from samples taken at slaughter. Longissimus (LM) and semitendinosus (ST) chops from 24 pigs (with equal representation across diet and sex groups) were evaluated by trained panelists for tenderness, juiciness, and off-flavor. Consumer panelists evaluated acceptability of LM chops. In the 100-kg trial, HI diets improved (P .05) among sexes in both trials. In the 100-kg trial, trained panelists found BOLO chops had more (P .05) to GLO. In both trials, BA chops were more tender ( P .05).
Witchcraft, Sodomy, and the Demonization of Crime

In 1577, in the dark of November, Jacob Schmidli confessed to his Lucerne interrogators that he had denied God and raised storms at the Devil’s bidding. In short, he confessed that he was a witch, opening his confession with the tale of his seduction. Thirteen years ago, Jacob related, he had encountered a priest to whom he complained of his poverty. The priest led him into a house to give him a meal, and there at the table sat three men dressed in green, with three women beside them. The men bade him sit with them and eat. When Jacob uttered a prayer, the three briefly disappeared, then returned. Their names were Spiegel, Faderli, and Gresli. Reaching for a knife that had fallen under the table, Jacob saw that the three had goat’s feet. He reflexively exclaimed a prayer, saying, “Jesus protect me!” and again they disappeared. This time the three women followed. Greasing their stools with a salve and chanting, “Howl, Devil, howl!” they flew off to the Heuberg, traditional meeting place of witches. The priest went with them, and when he returned he showed Jacob how to raise storms to spoil the hay and lay waste to Alpine meadows. Jacob said he later raised storms, used witchcraft to lame man and beast, and denied God and the saints.1
The Impact of the Rape/Sexual Assault Statutory Aggravating Factor on Death Sentencing Decision Making in Capital Murder Trials in North Carolina (1977–2009): A Propensity Score Matching Approach

It was not too many decades ago that rape was a crime for which the death penalty was a permissible punishment in the United States, particularly in death penalty states in the South. Relatedly, historical and contemporary death penalty research almost always focuses on the role of the race of the defendant and, more recently, the race of the victim and defendant–victim racial dyads as being relevant factors in death penalty decision making. As such, the current study employs data from official court records for the population of capital trials (n = 954) in the state of North Carolina (1977–2009) to evaluate the effect of the rape/sexual assault statutory aggravating factor on jurors’ decision to recommend the death penalty. Results suggest that cases in which rape is an aggravating factor had a significantly greater odds of receiving a death penalty recommendation, and these results are robust after also considering the independent effects of defendant–victim racial dyads, even following the application ...
Spin Crossover in the {Fe(pz)[Pt(CN)4]} Metal–Organic Framework upon Pyrazine Adsorption

The spin-crossover behavior of the {Fe(pz)[Pt(CN)4]} metal–organic framework (MOF) upon pyrazine adsorption is investigated through hybrid Monte Carlo/molecular dynamics (MC/MD) simulations. In contrast to previous theoretical studies, which reported a transition temperature of ∼140 K, the present MC/MD simulations predict that the high-spin state is the most stable state at all temperatures, in agreement with the experimental observations. The MC/MD simulations also indicate that the pyrazine molecules adsorbed in the MOF pores lie nearly parallel but staggered by 60° relative to the pyrazine ligands of the framework. The analysis of the magnetization curve as a function of the temperature demonstrates that the staggered configuration assumed by the guest pyrazine molecules within the framework is responsible for the stabilization of the high-spin state. Both the guest pyrazine molecules and the pyrazine ligands of the framework are effectively locked into the minimum-energy configuration and do not disp...
Golden State, genocide state

In the autumn of 2015, a controversy erupted at Sacramento State University after Chiitaanibah Johnson, a student of Navajo/Maidu ancestry, contested her history professor’s assertion that genocide...
Gene set analysis controlling for length bias in RNA-seq experiments.

In gene set analysis, the researchers are interested in determining the gene sets that are significantly correlated with an outcome, e.g. disease status or treatment. With the rapid development of high throughput sequencing technologies, Ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) has become an important alternative to traditional expression arrays in gene expression studies. Challenges exist in adopting the existent algorithms to RNA-seq data given the intrinsic difference of the technologies and data. In RNA-seq experiments, the measure of gene expression is correlated with gene length. This inherent correlation may cause bias in gene set analysis. We develop SeqGSA, a new method for gene set analysis with length bias adjustment for RNA-seq data. It extends from the R package GSA designed for microarrays. Our method compares the gene set maxmean statistic against permutations, while also taking into account of the statistics of the other gene sets. To adjust for the gene length bias, we implement a flexible weighted sampling scheme in the restandardization step of our algorithm. We show our method improves the power of identifying significant gene sets that are affected by the length bias. We also show that our method maintains the type I error comparing with another representative method for gene set enrichment test. SeqGSA is a promising tool for testing significant gene pathways with RNA-seq data while adjusting for inherent gene length effect. It enhances the power to detect gene sets affected by the bias and maintains type I error under various situations.
Olfactory dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases: is there a common pathological substrate?

Summary In patients with neurodegenerative diseases, there is a spectrum of smell dysfunction ranging from severe loss, as seen in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, to relatively little loss, as seen in progressive supranuclear palsy. Given the ubiquitous but varying degrees of olfactory dysfunction among such diseases, it is conceivable that differential disruption of a common primordial neuropathological substrate causes these differences in olfactory function. For example, the amount of damage to forebrain neurotransmitter and neuromodulator circuits, most notably those involving cholinergic transmission, appears to be correlated with quantitative smell test scores across a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, a key question is whether damage to such a substrate is the basis for the perceptual differences in olfaction or whether disease-specific or other entities, such as respiratory infections or pollution, are responsible. In light of the early preclinical onset of smell deficits in many neurodegenerative diseases, the answer to this question might provide crucial insight into the cause of disease pathology at its earliest stages of development.
Maternal Body Mass Index and Regional Anaesthesia Use at Term: Prevalence and Complications.

Background There is an evidence gap regarding the use of regional anaesthesia (epidural, spinal, or combined epidural/spinal anaesthesia) and associated complications by maternal body mass index (BMI). We examine associations between regional anaesthesia, mode of delivery, and regional anaesthesia complications by pre-pregnancy BMI categories among term deliveries. Methods Retrospective cohort study of births in California, 2007-2010, utilizing linked birth certificate data and patient discharge data. Outcomes were mode of delivery (among laboured deliveries) and select regional anaesthesia complications. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to adjust for maternal characteristics. Results In women undergoing labour (i.e. laboured delivery), women with higher BMI categories were more likely to receive regional analgesia in a dose–response fashion (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10, 1.11 for primiparous women with category I obesity), and in those receiving regional anaesthesia, were less likely to deliver vaginally (e.g. RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.84, 0.85 for the same category of women). Regional anaesthesia complications displayed a complex relationship with maternal BMI, with women in intermediate obesity categories having decreased odds as compared to normal-weight women, and women in the highest BMI category having a twofold increased risk of complications (RR 2.34, 95% CI 1.37, 4.02 for primiparous women). Conclusion Labouring women in higher BMI categories were more likely to receive regional anaesthesia and more likely to deliver via caesarean compared to normal weight women and women without regional anaesthesia. Rates of anaesthesia complications were highest among women in the highest BMI category.
IL-33 Drives Monocyte Recruitment to Lung Interstitium through Chemokine Upregulation

Tissue infiltration by circulating monocytes is a critical step in the initiation and augmentation of type 2 inflammatory responses in the lungs. Our studies demonstrate that IL-33-/- mice have a defect in monocyte extravasation from the vasculature to the lung interstitium during induction of type 2 inflammatory responses. This result suggests that monocyte migration to the lungs is IL-33 dependent, and we found that administration of exogenous recombinant IL-33 is sufficient to restore monocyte localization to the lung interstitium. Further investigation of the effect of early administration of recombinant IL-33 on the lungs identified upregulation of multiple chemokines including the monocyte chemoattractants CCL2, CCL7, and CCL22. Importantly, blockade of G-protein coupled receptor-dependent signaling, and thereby chemokine receptor activity, inhibited IL-33-driven monocyte recruitment. CCR2 deficiency prevented recruitment of monocytes to the lung extravascular space during allergic sensitization, and resulted in reduced eosinophilia after allergen challenge. Thus, IL-33 plays a critical role in the initiation of type 2 inflammatory responses by inducing upregulation of chemokines that promote monocyte recruitment to the lung interstitium.
Optical rouge wave generation in dielectrics with correlated fluctuations of refractive index

We study rouge wave generation for the propagation of light in a dielectric with correlated fluctuations of its refractive index and observe that with increasing the correlation length, the probability of rouge wave generation increases.
Utilization of Concrete Services in Child Welfare: A Mixed Method Analysis of a Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Program

ABSTRACTConcrete services are goods and services, such as rent, utilities, healthcare, or other tangible services, that are purchased directly by child welfare agencies to help support the short-term needs of a family. Practice wisdom in social work details the importance of meeting basic needs in order for clients to be able to concentrate on completing the case plan. Some literature has mentioned the importance of concrete services for child welfare practice. However, research has been limited about utilization of these services and their impact on child welfare outcomes. The current mixed methods study examines expenditures for concrete services across four categories over a four-year period in one Midwestern state. The justifications for caseworker concrete service requests and the perceptions of regional and executive managers regarding the effectiveness of the use of concrete services are also examined. Descriptive analysis revealed distributions varied by age and concrete service type. Both casewor...
Alternatives to Standard Fractionation Radiation Therapy After Lumpectomy: Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Irradiation and Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation.

Adjuvant whole-breast irradiation (WBI) after lumpectomy has been an established standard of care for decades. Standard-fractionation WBI delivered over 5 to 7 weeks can achieve durable tumor control with low toxicity but can be inconvenient for patients and cost ineffective. Hypofractionated WBI can be completed in 3 to 4 weeks and, based on long-term randomized data, is the preferred standard of care in select patients. Accelerated partial-breast irradiation can be delivered using even shorter treatment regimens. Although the available data on accelerated partial-breast irradiation is more limited, early results suggest it is an effective alternative to WBI in select patients.
Thorium Oxide Slurries as Blankets for Fissile Producing Fusion Reactors

Fissile fuel producing blankets for both D-D and D-T fusion reactors are designed based on a slurry concept. In the designs, the blanket is composed of a slurry of ThO/sub 2/ particles carried by heavy water. The slurry serves both to cool the reactor and to breed fissile fuel. Neutronic and photonic calculations showed that the slurry blankets achieved performance comparable to alternative concepts (moltensalts, fixed fertile material). For the slurry concept to be useful for a D-T reactor, a neutron multiplier needed to be used. The fast fission rate in the slurry blankets was small. Fission of the bred fissile material can be limited by removal of the ThO/sub 2/ particles for processing after 5-10 days of irradiation.
Central limit theorem in a Banach space

We describe the recent work by various authors on the central limit theorem in a Banach space E. Let {Xn} be a sequence of E-valued independent identically distributed random variables. X1 (or its distribution in E) is said to obey the CLT if the distributions of {n−1/2(X1+...+Xn)} converge weakly to a probability measure ν on E (which is necessarily Gaussian). Hoffmann-Jorgensen and Pisier have recently shown that every E-valued random variable X1 with e[X1]=0 and e[‖X1‖2]<∞ satisfies CLT ⇔ E is of “type 2”. Zinn has used this result to derive an earlier result of Jain and Marcus on CLT for C(S)-valued random variables. All these results and their proofs are included. Some recent work of Devary is also described where conditions are imposed on the distribution of X1 rather than on its modulus of continuity (as Jain and Marcus did in their main result).
A Way to Search for Multiferroic Materials with “Unlikely” Combinations of Physical Properties

The ideas presented in this chapter begin with the observation by physicists (Hill [1, 2] and Hill and Rabe [3]), probing new phenomena through the use of first principles studies, that the simultaneous occurrence of ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity is unlikely. While these studies do not usually consider the possibility of a phase transformation, there is a lot of indirect evidence that, if the lattice parameters are allowed to change a little, then one might have coexistence of “incompatible properties” like ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. Thus, one could try the following: seek a reversible first-order phase transformation, necessarily also involving a distortion, from, say, ferroelectric to ferromagnetic phases. If it were highly reversible, there would be the interesting possibility of controlling the volume fraction of phases with fields or stress. The key point is reversibility. This chapter is an exploration of these ideas. To use these ideas as the basis for the search for new materials there are two major questions that need to be addressed:
On Multidimensional Sharpening of Uncertain Data.

In this paper, we will propose a technique for multidimensional enhancement of uncertain data. In many applications, the uncertainty in the different dimensions is caused by independent factors, especially if the different dimensions have been collected from independent sources. In such cases, it is possible to enhance the quality of the data and reduce the underlying uncertainty by using multidimensional uncertainty analysis. In this paper, we will discuss techniques for uncertainty reduction of multidimensional uncertain data. We will examine the effectiveness of the approach over a variety of real and synthetic data sets.
Passive Component Modeling and Optimal Size Allocation for Hybrid-Resonant Switched Capacitor DC-DC Converters

This paper explores methods to optimize hybrid-resonant switched capacitor (ReSC) DC-DC converters. A technique is presented that leads to optimal size allocation between flying capacitors and inductor with a constraint on total size of passives. Both the losses in the active semiconductor devices and in the magnetic component are modeled. For coreless inductors, the low-frequency DC losses and the high-frequency AC (skin effect) losses are treated separately. For cored inductors, the Improved Generalized Steinmetz Equation (iGSE) is used to model the core losses, and a design algorithm and example are presented. It is shown that for optimal operation, flying capacitors and inductor should be allocated roughly similar size.
Recurrent thrombolysis of a stuttering lacunar infarction captured on serial MRIs

Abstract Lacunar strokes account for about a fourth of all ischemic strokes. Pontine infarcts often present with stuttering symptoms, referred to as pontine warning syndrome (PWS). Patients presenting with fluctuating symptoms can appear to have rapidly improving symptoms and thus often go untreated despite the risk of recurrent deficits. MRI carries a higher sensitivity in detecting posterior circulation strokes compared to computed topagraphy, but does not always indicate irreversible injury. Here we present the first description of a stuttering lacune, captured radiographically on serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that was initially averted with the administration of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), only to return a month later and progress on imaging despite re-administration of tPA. During the first admission, our patient had spontaneous resolution of symptoms with complete reversal on restricted diffusion soon after IV tPA administration. On the second admission, the stuttering symptoms returned as did the same pontine lesion. Although his stuttering lesions lasted for several days, and the pontine lesion did ultimately progress to partial infarction on MRI, he was discharged home without neurologic deficits. Our case suggests that tPA may be of benefit in patients with lacunar pontine strokes even if symptoms rapidly improve or resolve.
Safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) in combination with avelumab (A) in the treatment of resectable esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (E/GEJ) cancer.

4041Background: Neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery is the standard of care (SOC) for patients (pts) with stage II/III E/GEJ cancer. However, recurrence rates are high. Immunotherapy has demonstrat...
An Anthropologist at Ground Zero, or How I Applied My Group Perspective to the 9/11 Organizational Relief Effort

This paper, originally presented November, 2001 at the Plenary Session of the Annual Conference of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society in New York, describes the application of group psychodynamics to organizations under stress. The presentation illustrates the system sensitivity required of consultants assisting organizations traumatized by the 9/11 terror attacks. The author's comments and recommendations were shaped by his experience overseeing the consulting work provided by EGPS Members to Wall Street in the aftermath of the attacks.