cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Light Enhanced Fe-Mediated Nitrogen Fixation: Mechanistic Insights Regarding H2 Elimination, HER, and NH3 Generation.

Despite their proposed accumulation at the Fe sites of the FeMo-cofactor of MoFe-nitrogenase, the presence of hydride ligands in molecular model systems capable of the nitrogen reduction reaction (N_2RR) appears to diminish catalytic N_2-to-NH_3 conversion. We find that, for an iron-based system bearing the trisphosphine ligand P_2P^(Ph), a dramatic difference in yields is observed for N2RR catalyzed by precatalysts with zero, one, or two hydride ligands; however, irradiating the three different catalysts with a mercury lamp results in similar NH3 yields. Although the efficacy for N2RR versus the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is modest for this system by comparison to certain iron (and other metal) catalysts, the system provides an opportunity to study the role of hydrides in the selectivity for N_2RR versus HER, which is a central issue in catalyst design. Stoichiometric reactions with hydride containing precatalysts reveal a hydrogen evolution cycle in which no nitrogen fixation occurs. Irradiation of the dihydride precatalysts, observed during turnover, results in H2 elimination and formation of (P_2P^(Ph))Fe(N_2)_2, which itself is unreactive with acids at low temperature. N_2 functionalization does occur with acids and silyl electrophiles for the reduced species [(P_2P^(Ph))Fe(N_2)]^− and [(P_2P^(Ph))Fe(N_2)]^(2–), which have been characterized independently. The requirement of accessing such low formal oxidation states explains the need for strong reductants. The low selectivity of the system for functionalization at Nβ versus Fe creates off-path hydride species that participate in unproductive HER, helping to explain the low selectivity for N_2RR over HER. The data presented here thus lend further insight into the growing understanding of the selectivity, activity, and reductant strengths relevant to iron (and other) N_2RR catalysts.
Manicomio y locura: revolución dentro de la Revolución Mexicana en Nadie me verá llorar de Cristina Rivera Garza / Asylum and Madness: Revolution within the Mexican Revolution in Cristina Rivera Garza’s Nadie me verá llorar

Interweaving history and fiction, Cristina Rivera Garza’s novel, Nadie me vera llorar (1999), traces the story of the asylum La Castaneda during the first decades of the twentieth century with the purpose of critically examining a new emerging discipline system in the process of construction of a “good citizen.” Yet, through the representation of a “demented” woman who does not conform to the nation’s modernization project, this novel also offers different angles to read the Mexican Revolution. Performative madness, as a strategy of resistance of so-called pathological subjects to domestication, can be interpreted as a revolutionary expression that has been silenced in the hegemonic history of the revolution. Thus, rather than it just being a site of confinement and control, the asylum becomes a battlefield of constant negotiation of power and language. Breaking with conventional ideas of history, Rivera Garza demonstrates that the defiance of disciplined civic life constitutes another form of revolution within the Mexican Revolution. Keywords: asylum; Cristina Rivera Garza; Mexican Revolution; Mexican Literature; madness.
Technetium-99 MAS NMR Spectroscopy of a Cationic Framework Material that Traps TcO-4 Ions.

The behavior of TcO-4 ions within [(ThB5O6(OH)6)(BO(OH)2)] ·2.5H2O (I), a material capable of sequestering the TcO-4 ion, is investigated by 99Tc MAS NMR spectroscopy.
Gender Differences in Youth Exposure to Community Violence: A Partial Test of Power-Control Theory:

Youths’ exposure to community violence increases their risk for harmful emotional and behavioral outcomes. Several family management strategies protect youth against exposure though there is scant ...
Audio Interview: What Clinicians Need to Know in Diagnosing and Treating Covid-19.

What Clinicians Need to Know in Diagnosing and Treating Covid-19 In this audio interview conducted on March 3, 2020, the editors discuss the current state of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing in the Un...
Flu Epidemic, Limited Attention and Analyst Forecast Behavior

This study provides the direct evidence that limited attention caused by exogenous distraction influences financial market participants. Specifically, we examine the changes of analyst forecast behavior during influenza epidemics when analysts are facing attention limits resulted from the distraction of experiencing flu symptoms by their family members, relatives, colleagues, and themselves. This paper finds that higher flu intensity in the New York and New Jersey region is associated with lower degree of disagreement on target-price forecasts among financial analysts. More interestingly, analysts are more likely to over-predict target-price for high-performing stocks and under-predict target-price for low-performing stocks. We verify this result using an alternative measure of exogenous distraction that limits analysts’ attention: vaccine side-effect incidence, and we find consistent evidence supporting the hypothesis that the limited attention or effort allocated to their work affects analysts’ forecast behavior; as a result, their ability to act as an important source of information revelation is reduced for at least a short period of time.
Sickness behaviour reduces network centrality in wild vampire bats

Sickness behaviours, like lethargy, can slow the spread of pathogens across a social network. We conducted a field experiment to investigate how sickness behaviour reduces individual connectedness in a high-resolution dynamic social network. We captured adult female vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) from a wild roost. To create "sick" bats, we injected a random half of the bats (n=16) with the immune-challenging substance, lipopolysaccharide, and injected control bats with saline (n=15). Over the next three days, we used proximity sensors to continuously track their associations under natural conditions. The "sick" bats showed a clear decrease in social connectedness (degree, strength, and eigenvector centrality). Bats in the control group encountered fewer "sick" bats and also spent less time near them. These effects varied by time of day and declined over 48 hours. High-resolution proximity data allow researchers to define network connections based on how a pathogen spreads (e.g. the minimum contact time or distance for transmission). We, therefore, show how the estimate of the sickness effect changes as network ties are defined using varying distances and durations of association. Tracking the effects of sickness behaviour on high-resolution dynamic social networks can help create more sophisticated simulations of pathogen transmission through structured populations.
Longitudinal Toxicity over Time (ToxT) analysis to evaluate tolerability: a case study of lenalidomide in the CALGB 50401 (Alliance) trial

Evaluation of tolerability is increasingly relevant for patients with haematological malignancies treated with chronically administered therapies. Adverse events from these agents might affect the ability of patients to tolerate treatment over time. Conventional toxicity tables that include the incidence of high-grade adverse events, defined by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, do not provide information on the time profile of these adverse events or reflect the continuous, lower grade symptomatic toxicities that are particularly relevant to treatment tolerability for patients living with indolent disease. Modern approaches to the evaluation and reporting of toxicity that capture the tolerability of treatment to the patient are imperative. In this Viewpoint, we present a focused, pilot, and longitudinal Toxicity over Time analysis of adverse events from lenalidomide and lenalidomide with rituximab in patients with follicular lymphoma treated in the CALGB 50401 (Alliance; NCT00238238) trial to define the trajectory of adverse events and quantify the burden of continuous, low-grade events. Toxicity over Time analyses provided clinically relevant descriptions of neutropenia and fatigue trajectories caused by lenalidomide that were not identified by standard analysis of the maximum grade events defined by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Systematic, rigorous incorporation of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials will be crucial to our understanding of the tolerability of chronically administered therapies in patients with haematological malignancies.
Book review: Carthago. Il mito immortale. The exibition and the book

Book review:Carthago. Il mito immortale (Colosseo, Foro Romano; 27 settembre 2019-29 marzo 2020). La mostra / The Exhibition, Alfonsina Russo, Francesca Guarneri, Paolo Xella e Jose Angel Zamora Lopez (a cura di), Electa : Milano, 2019; 172 p.:ill; 21x28 cm; ISBN 9788891825247Carthago. Il mito immortale, Alfonsina Russo, Francesca Guarneri, Paolo Xella e Jose Angel Zamora Lopez (a cura di), Electa : Milano, 2019; 312 p.:ill; 21x28 cm; ISBN 9788891825223
Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasms

Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is a pre-malignant lesion that may progress to anal carcinoma. Though rare, anal cancer results in high morbidity, especially if resection is required. Due to its frequent association with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and indolent pre-malignant dysplasia, there is potential for prevention with vaccination and opportunity for early detection through screening, thorough examination, and active surveillance. However, AIN is often incidentally discovered during unrelated procedures and should be biopsied for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Due to wound failure and significant morbidity, extensive resection of AIN and malignancy is often no longer recommended as first-line standard treatment. Pre-malignant lesions are typically managed medically, with focused operations and then observed. Chemoradiation therapy is the typical first line of treatment when anal cancer is diagnosed; while surgery is indicated in persistent or recurrent cases.
Race, Politics, and Drug Law Enforcement: An Analysis of Civil Asset Forfeiture Patterns Across US Counties

The research on civil asset forfeiture has been largely anecdotal and has taken a politicized approach. Most accounts use specific cases to support their claims that widespread use of forfeiture is generated by dubious or ‘hidden’ law enforcement motives. Yet there are plausible theoretical reasons to believe that structural contexts condition the choice of mechanisms favored by the law enforcement agencies. This research emphasizes structural explanations for variation in the ratio of asset forfeiture dollars to drug arrests. Regression estimates show that agency complexity, black population size, economic inequality due to the presence of high income earners and local Republican Party political support in past elections are strong predictors of variation in this ratio indicator. This study highlights the selective use of asset forfeiture and arrest. The evidence presented here supports wider claims that the application of alternative mechanisms of local law enforcement do not operate in a social, economic and political isolation but rather their selective use is shaped by patterns of local inequality.
Serious Mental Illness in Nursing Homes: Roles and Perceived Competence of Social Services Directors.

Providing nursing home psychosocial care to persons with serious mental illnesses (SMI) requires understanding of comorbidities and attention to resident rights, needs and preferences. This quantit...
Energy Efficient Fog Computing with Architecture of Smart Traffic Lights System

Energy efficiency has gained great attention recently for its economic values, requirements of green industry, and high-performance of smart systems. Compared to cloud computing, newly evolved fog computing is still in its infancy. Over the past few years, the fog computing concept, architecture, fog nodes definition, services broker algorithm, low-latency characteristics have been intensively studied; however, the literature about the energy consumption of fog computing is still rather limited. In this paper, we propose a fog computing based Smart Traffic Lights System architecture, and then study fog computing energy consumption by comparing it with cloud computing. Apart from the most literature which was built on theoretical analysis and/or experiments under limited settings, we conduct dynamic modeling and perform the simulation with the iFogSim simulator. Our results show that fog computing does save energy when compared to cloud computing under various considerations.
Genome-wide mapping of DNA double-strand breaks from eukaryotic cell cultures using Break-seq.

Summary We describe a genome-wide DNA double-strand break (DSB) mapping technique, Break-seq. In this protocol, we provide step-by-step instructions for cell embedment in agarose, in-gel DSB labeling and subsequent capture, followed by standard Illumina library construction and sequencing. We also provide the framework for sequence data processing and DSB peak identification. Finally, we present a custom-designed 3D-printed device for processing agarose-embedded DNA samples. The protocol is applicable to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as mammalian suspension, adherent, and 3D organoid cell cultures. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Hoffman et al. (2015) and Chakraborty et al. (2020) .
Neonatal intermittent hypoxia, fish oil, and/or antioxidant supplementation on gut microbiota in neonatal rats

Background Preterm infants frequently experience intermittent hypoxia (IH) episodes, rendering them susceptible to oxidative stress and gut dysbiosis. We tested the hypothesis that early supplementation with antioxidants and/or fish oil promotes gut biodiversity and mitigates IH-induced gut injury. Methods Newborn rats were exposed to neonatal IH from birth (P0) to P14 during which they received daily oral supplementation with: (1) coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in olive oil, (2) fish oil, (3) glutathione nanoparticles (nGSH), (4) CoQ10 + fish oil, or (5) olive oil (placebo control). Pups were placed in room air (RA) from P14 to P21 with no further treatment. RA controls were similarly treated. Stool samples were assessed for microbiota and terminal ileum for histopathology and morphometry, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and biomarkers of gut injury. Results Neonatal IH induced histopathologic changes consistent with necrotizing enterocolitis, which were associated with increased lipid peroxidation, toll-like receptor, transforming growth factor, and nuclear factor kappa B. Combination of CoQ10 + fish oil and nGSH were most effective for preserving gut integrity, reducing biomarkers of gut injury, and increasing commensal organisms. Conclusions Combination of antioxidants and fish oil may confer synergistic benefits to mitigate IH-induced injury in the terminal ileum. Impact Antioxidant and fish oil (PUFA) co-treatment was most beneficial for reducing neonatal IH-induced gut injury. The synergistic effects of antioxidant and fish oil is likely due to prevention of IH-induced ROS attack on lipids, thus preserving and augmenting its therapeutic benefits. Combination treatment was also effective for increasing the abundance of the non-pathogenic Firmicutes phylum, which is associated with a healthy gastrointestinal system of the newborn. Extremely low gestational age neonates who are at high risk for frequent, repetitive neonatal IH and oxidative stress-induced diseases may benefit from this combination therapy.
Imaging the influence of red blood cell docosahexaenoic acid status on the expression of the 18KDa translocator protein in the brain: a [11C]PBR28 PET study in young healthy males

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) shows anti-inflammatory/pro-resolution effects in the brain. Higher red blood cell (RBC) DHA in humans is associated with improved cognitive performance and a lower risk for suicide. Here, we hypothesized that binding to the 18KDa translocator protein (TSPO), a proxy for microglia levels, will be higher in individuals with low DHA relative to high DHA levels. We also postulated that higher TSPO would predict poor cognitive performance and impaired stress-resilience. METHODS RBC DHA screening were performed in 320 healthy males. [11C]PBR28 PET was used to measure binding to TSPO in 38 and 32 males in the lowest and highest RBC DHA quartiles. Volumes of distribution expressed relative to total plasma ligand concentration (VT) was derived using an arterial input function-based kinetic analysis in fourteen brain regions. RESULTS [11C]PBR28 VT was significantly lower (by 12% and 20% in C/T and C/C rs6971 genotypes) in males with low compared to high RBC DHA. Regional VT was correlated positively and negatively with RBC DHA and serum triglycerides, respectively. No relationships between VT and cognitive performance, or stress-resilience measures were present. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to our hypothesis, we found lower TSPO binding in low relative to high DHA subjects. It is unclear as to whether low TSPO binding reflects differences in microglia levels and/or triglyceride metabolism in this study. Future studies with specific targets are necessary to confirm DHA’s effect on microglia. These results underscore the need to consider lipid parameters as a factor when interpreting TSPO PET clinical findings.
MAXIMUM ENTROPY TOMOGRAPHY

Tomography is the process of estimating an unknown two-dimensional density distribution from a set of its one-dimensional projections (views). The ability of Minerbo’s [1] maximum entropy tomography (MENT) algorithm to work with a very small number of views makes it especially useful in industrial radiography, accelerator beam diagnostics, and other potential applications. The MENT algorithm is reviewed using a simple continuum derivation of the factored product form for the two dimensional maximum entropy reconstruction function. The projection coordinates for the various views are related by arbitrary linear transformations. The unknown one dimensional Lagrange factor functions that constitute the maximum entropy interpolant are sampled identically to the digital projection data arrays, thus avoiding the geometric issues of pixel projection and underdeter- mined null-spaces. An iterative procedure is described for solving the large system of coupled non-linear integral equations that result when the product form is substituted into the projection integral constraints. Some of the advantages and costs of using this pure maximum entropy formalism for tomographic reconstruction are illustrated and discussed.
Popularizing the School Lunchroom

(1944). Popularizing the School Lunchroom. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 15, No. 10, pp. 544-587.
An evaluation of the UNIVAC 1100/82 text editor as an alternative word processorfor generating a newspaper index

Etude des capacites d'un equipement de traitement de textes pour produire l'index d'un journal. Aspects techniques et economiques
Technology and Police Work

This article analyzes the 2012 decision in United States v. Jones in which the Court struck down the warrantless electronic surveillance of a car, on which the police had planted a GPS device and tracked 24 hours a day for 28 days. The Court concluded that the physical attachment of the device, without a warrant, violated the defendants expectations of privacy. Unfortunately, the case did not address the many cases where no physical trespass would be necessary to electronically follow a car. I propose a solution that would apply to all cases.
Bringing space policy into the Information Age: Earth observations and the care ethic

Abstract The rapidity of technological development and the end of the Cold War have forever changed the geopolitical landscape. The new world in which space policy must be made is becoming discernible: a multipolar, fluid order that was invisible in the bipolar world of the Cold War, dominated as it was by a world view characteristic of the Industrial Age. At the same time growing concern about the Earth's environment, with the accompanying need for reliable information on which to frame policy, has shifted the immediate focus of space missions towards the Earth and the advancement of Information Age values such as the free flow of information, transparent national borders and interdependence. This article addresses some of the new challenges space policy makers will meet, among them the need to create a coherent policy that reflects the Earth-space relationship in space missions. It suggests framing remote-sensing data policy by using the concept of relatedness as the foundation for near- and long-term Earth-observation goals.
Digital signal processing assisted coherent optical receiver for high dynamic range fiber optic networks

A single fiber network transporting the multitude of signals required on an avionics platform can offer benefits of a lightweight and flexible harness, significantly reduced cabling and improved EMI immunity. In addition, the total bandwidth available and the potential for flexible routing in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) network further offers future growth capabilities, such as faster data and sensor routing for real time reaction to sensor information, without the need for additional cabling. Digital signals on such a military platform clearly benefits from the increased bandwidth. At present, the high dynamic range required by many of the analog RF signals of interest prevents the use of traditional WDM networks employing erbium or semiconductor optical amplification to overcome network node loss due to the noise added to the system. In this paper, the author proposed a technical direction for achieving a flexible, potentially mixed signal, fiber optic network suitable for the various signals and platforms in a coherent optical network utilizing a DSP-assisted optical I/Q demodulating and microwave downconverting receiver for the high dynamic range signal transport. Such a network would allow high fidelity transport of the most demanding analog RF signals while simultaneously transporting less demanding analog RF and digital signals.
LIDAR-based virtual environment study for disaster response scenarios

In the event of natural or man-made disasters, many videos may be collected by civilians and surveillance cameras that can be extremely useful for first responders trying to ascertain the extent of the damage. However, watching and analyzing numerous videos on separate screens can be a cumbersome task. Registering a set of 2D videos with a 3D model can provide an intuitive venue for viewing multiple videos simultaneously. In such a setup, it is likely that the user will want to work with the dynamic 3D environment from a remote location, requiring that videos be transferred over a network to be registered with a 3D model. In this paper, we propose combining the fields of computer vision, cloud computing, and high-speed networking to create a system that takes in HD videos, streams the data to a server where a dynamic 3D model is constructed, and provides a virtual scene navigation program for viewing the videos in a 3D scene from a mobile device. We test transferring the data of interest over different types of networks and processing the videos on various server configurations to determine the capabilities of such a system and the necessary requirements for it to provide a high-quality user experience.
Tumor Malignancy Defined by Aberrant Glycosylation and Sphingo(glyco)lipid Metabolism

Aberrant glycosylation expressed in glycosphingolipids and glycoproteins in tumor cells has been implicated as an essential mechanism in defining stage, direction, and fate of tumor progression. This general concept is supported by results from three lines of study: (a) Numerous clinicopathological studies have shown a clear correlation between aberrant glycosylation status of primary tumor and invasive/metastatic potential of human cancer as reflected by 5- or 10-year survival rates of patients. (b) Carbohydrates expressed in tumor cells are either adhesion molecules per se or modulate adhesion receptor function. Some are directly involved in cell adhesion. They are recognized by selectins or other carbohydrate-binding proteins or by complementary carbohydrates (through carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction). N- or O-glycosylation of functionally important membrane components may alter tumor cell adhesion or motility in a direction that either promotes or inhibits invasion and metastasis. Examples of such receptors are E-cadherin, integrins, immunoglobulin family receptors (e.g., CD44), and lysosome-associated membrane protein. (c) Gangliosides and sphingolipids modulate transmembrane signaling essential for tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. The transducer molecules susceptible to gangliosides and sphingolipids include integrin receptors, tyrosine kinase-linked growth factor receptors, protein kinase C, and G-protein-linked receptor affecting protein kinase A. Some glycosphingolipids (e.g., Gb3Cer, Le(y), ceramide, and sphingosine induce tumor cell differentiation and subsequent apoptosis. Shedded gangliosides may block immunogenicity of tumor cells, providing conditions favorable for "escape" from immunological suppression of tumor growth by the host. Various reagents that block carbohydrate-mediated tumor cell adhesion or block glycosylation processing have been shown to inhibit tumor cell metastasis. This provides the basis for further development of "anti-adhesion therapy." Ganglioside analogues and sphingolipid analogues that inhibit protein kinase C and receptor-associated tyrosine kinase have been applied for inhibition of metastasis. A crucial mechanism for inhibition of metastasis by these reagents may involve blocking of transmembrane signaling for expression of P- and E-selectin. This provides the basis for development of "ortho-signaling therapy."
On deriving nonreflecting boundary conditions in generalized curvilinear coordinates

In this work, nonreflecting boundary conditions in generalized three-dimensional curvilinear coordinates are derived, relying on the original analysis that was done in Cartesian two-dimensional coordinates by Giles (AIAA Journal, 28.12, 2050-2058, 1990). A thorough Fourier analysis of the linearized Euler equation is performed to determine the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors that are then used to derive the appropriate inflow and outflow boundary conditions. The analysis lacks rigorous proof of the well-posedness in the general case, which is open to investigation (a weak assumption is introduced here to complete the boundary conditions). The boundary conditions derived here are not tested on specific applications.
Sex Differences in Internalizing Problems During Adolescence in Autism Spectrum Disorder

We hypothesized that the double hit conferred by sex and diagnosis increases the risk for internalizing disorders in adolescent females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a sample of 32 adolescents with ASD and 32 controls, we examined the effects of sex, diagnostic factors, and developmental stages on depression and anxiety. A 3-way interaction revealed that females with ASD exhibited greater depressive symptoms than males with ASD and female controls particularly during early adolescence; therefore, females with ASD might have a unique combination of genetic, hormonal, and psychosocial vulnerabilities that heighten their risk for depression during early adolescence. Additionally, the ASD group reported high levels of separation anxiety and panic in late adolescence, possibly indicating atypical development of independence.
Standardized Quantitative Learning Assessments and High Stakes Testing: Throwing Learning Down the Assessment Drain

The worldwide standardization of education is well underway and includes institutional structures, teacher training, curriculum development, and more importantly, specifically delineated outcomes of schooling and the assessments that measure them. I contend that the core of the standardized testing movement has a narrow, limited, and inaccurate working definition of learning and has accepted wholesale the assumptions inherent in statistical quantitative learning assessments (SQLA) outcome measurement, which make them unsuitable for use in high stakes testing (HST). I use Gert Biesta’s work on evidence-based learning to frame my analysis of SQLA by thinking with Hans-Georg Gadamer about prejudice, foreknowledge, and interpretation to better understand these problems. I then examine how the methods used to analyze SQLA actually end up determining what “learning” is, and how using them in the context of HST may actually decrease learning even if scores increase. “QUALITY” AND “ACCOUNTABILITY” There has been much recent handwringing over the alleged “failure” of United States’ schools, partly based on the average standardized test scores of U.S. students as compared to the average scores of students from around the world on the same or similar tests. One result has been increased, and abstract, demands for “quality” and “accountability” in schooling, that find some specificity in scientific and technological concepts from industry and a market-based paradigm wherein quality is determined by the satisfaction of the “customers” or “consumers.” 1 Such a conception begs the question (Who are the customers? Students, parents, or the general public?) and easily leads to education becoming merely the delivery of goods (that is, grades and test scores) and services wherein the teacher is a “server” and operates at the customer’s behest. The arguments about accountability are similarly vague and seem to imply teachers, administrators, and schools, but what about students, parents, and society? The market-based paradigm supported by the language of SQLA is not going to hold the “customer” accountable; the customer is always right. Thus the “service” is held accountable, focusing on instrumental accountability that has as its object instrumental education, not “rich” knowledge or competencies. 2 “Accountability” also finds comfort in its linguistic brethren accounting and the quantitative and numerical values of accountancy, betraying a cultish faith in quantitative analysis to support vague determinations of quality. This market-based paradigm and the “evidence” it produces ignores the historical and intellectual prejudices embedded in the practices of statistical analyses that constrict and restrict the parameters of inquiry, substantially predetermine outcomes, and limit what can be known from the results. 3
Accumulation of protein carbonyls within cerebellar astrocytes in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Recent work from our laboratory has implicated protein carbonylation in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The present study was designed to determine the changes in protein carbonylation during the disease progression, and to identify the target cells and modified proteins in the cerebellum of EAE animals, prepared by active immunization of C57/BL6 mice with MOG35-55 peptide. In this model, protein carbonylation was maximal at the peak of the disease (acute phase) to decrease thereafter (chronic phase). Double immunofluorescence microscopy of affected cerebella showed that carbonyls accumulate in white matter astrocytes, and to a lesser extent in microglia/macrophages, both in the acute and chronic phase. Surprisingly, T cells, oligodendrocytes and neurons were barely stained. By 2D-oxyblot and mass spectrometry, β-actin, β-tubulin, GFAP and HSC-71 were identified as the major targets of carbonylation throughout disease. Using a pull-down/western blot method we found a significant increase in the proportion of carbonylated β-actin, β-tubulin and GFAP in the chronic phase but not in the acute phase. These results suggest that as disease progresses from the inflammatory to the neurodegenerative phase there may be an inappropriate removal of oxidized cytoskeletal proteins. Additionally, the extensive accumulation of carbonylated GFAP in the chronic phase of EAE may be responsible for the abnormal shape of astrocytes observed at this stage.
Murine Cytomegalovirus Open Reading Frame M27 Plays an Important Role in Growth and Virulence in Mice

Using a Tn3-based transposon mutagenesis approach, we have generated a pool of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) mutants. In this study, one of the mutants, RvM27, which contained the transposon sequence at open reading frame M27, was characterized both in tissue culture and in immunocompetent BALB/c mice and immunodeficient SCID mice. Our results suggest that the M27 carboxyl-terminal sequence is dispensable for viral replication in vitro. Compared to the wild-type strain and a rescued virus that restored the M27 region, RvM27 was attenuated in growth in both BALB/c and SCID mice that were intraperitoneally infected with the viruses. Specifically, the titers of RvM27 in the salivary glands, lungs, spleens, livers, and kidneys of the infected SCID mice at 21 days postinfection were 50- to 500-fold lower than those of the wild-type virus and the rescued virus. Moreover, the virulence of the mutant virus appeared to be attenuated, because no deaths occurred among SCID mice infected with RvM27 for up to 37 days postinfection, while all the animals infected with the wild-type and rescued viruses died within 27 days postinfection. Our observations provide the first direct evidence to suggest that a disruption of M27 expression results in reduced viral growth and attenuated viral virulence in vivo in infected animals. Moreover, these results suggest that M27 is a viral determinant required for optimal MCMV growth and virulence in vivo and provide insight into the functions of the M27 homologues found in other animal and human CMVs as well as in other betaherpesviruses.
Mycorrhizal Inoculation of Big Sacaton: Implications for Grassland Restoration of Abandoned Agricultural Fields

Grasslands dominated by Sporobolus wrightii (big sacaton) once covered riparian floodplains in south-western United States and northern Sonora, Mexico but now occupy less than 5% of their historic range, mostly due to clearing for agriculture. Many agricultural fields have been abandoned because of changing land uses, and efforts are under way to restore native grassland habitat. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to form associations with S. wrightii and can be a potential factor in grassland restoration efforts. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation on S. wrightii during transplant production and in a restoration trial. Sporobolus wrightii was grown with and without AM fungi in 2.8-L tall pots and 150-mL nursery containers under greenhouse conditions for 8 weeks and then transplanted into an abandoned agricultural field. Plants were monitored for growth, survival, and mycorrhizal infection. Seedling emergence in the greenhouse was higher in pots with mycorrhizal inoculation, but inoculation had little effect on growth except more tillers were produced by pre-inoculated plants grown in the smaller containers. In the abandoned field, pre-inoculated plants had greater survival, basal diameter, and tiller and panicle production through the first two growing seasons. Plants started in smaller containers also had greater survival, height, basal diameter, and tiller production than those started in tall pots. Root colonization was detected in all plants by 2 months after transplanting but was not consistent throughout the experiment except for pre-inoculated plants started in the smaller containers. These results indicate that mycorrhizal inoculation can benefit restoration efforts in abandoned agriculture fields in semiarid regions.
Evidence for cellular aging in long-term confluent cultures: heritable impairment of proliferation, accumulation of age pigments and their loss in neoplastic transformation

Previous experiments had shown that repeated rounds of prolonged growth constraint at confluence of NIH 3T3 sublines result in persistent changes in the growth behavior that are characteristic of cellular aging. These changes, which include an enduring decrease in the rate of proliferation in low density subcultures and a marked increase in neoplastic transformation, are here reproduced cumulatively over a 6 week period during which cultures are maintained in a single, continuous round of constraint at confluence. By testing multiple cultures at weekly intervals we show that the persistent reduction in exponential growth in low density subcultures is a property of the entire treated cell population that is first demonstrable in the cell population used here within a few days after the constraint of confluence is imposed. There is also a reduction in saturation density of cells subcultured from this early confluence which is reversed in longer term confluence when the cells become transformed. The reduction in exponential growth rate in serial subcultures becomes more pronounced in cells after longer periods of confluence. It is strongly manifest at 6 weeks when most of the cells have undergone neoplastic transformation. The transformation initially involves only a very small fraction of cells in a confluent culture, and is only detectable after 3 weeks of confluence. Beyond that time there is selective overgrowth of the transformed cells so they become the dominant element at 6 weeks. The very same cells from the 6 week cultures that have a reduced rate of growth when subcultured at low density, grow to higher saturation densities at confluence. The reduced growth rates are heterogeneously distributed among clones derived from the 6 week confluent cultures. Typical age pigment bodies appear in the cytoplasm of the cells after 3-4 days of confluence, and fill the cytoplasm at 2 weeks. They tend to enlarge into residual bodies at 3 weeks but largely disappear at 6 weeks when most of the cells are transformed. The results reinforce the conclusion that the prolonged constraint of confluence of these cells reproduces the major growth and morphological effects of cellular aging in the body.
Convertibility risk: the precautionary demand for foreign currency in a crisis

This paper presents theoretical work linking money demand to the perceptions of households about the risk that domestic currency may become inconvertible or that it may be devalued. An empirical investigation of the size of this effect is carried out using monthly data for Korea to estimate an augmented demand-for-money equation. It is found that the fear of inconvertibility arising from the 1997 Korean currency crisis may have caused broad money demand to fall by 4–5% points,equivalent to the loss of reserves of $6–7.5 billion (or about 30% of reserves as measured at end-November 1997).
Selling ‘securityware’ Transformations in prison commodities advertising, 1949-99

In this article, I examine how the marketing of penal commodities and the use of ‘security’ as a selling point has developed and proliferated over the past 50 years in the US corrections market. Us...
A Note on Feedback Queues with Bulk Service

Abstract : The paper provides some extensions of recent work by Delbrouck, which was published in the Journal of the ACM and dealt with a queuing model of a feedback system with queue-dependent service times. The emphasis of this present work is upon necessary and sufficient conditions for ergodicity, the relationship of the imbedded and general-time queuing processes, and the relaxation of the extent of state-dependence of the service times. Previous works on related problems by Pakes, Harris, and Fabens are drawn upon where necessary. (Author)
What is femme? The phenomenology of the powder room

(1997). What is femme? The phenomenology of the powder room. Women: A Cultural Review: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 183-196.
Toward worm detection in online social networks

Worms propagating in online social networking (OSN) websites have become a major security threat to both the websites and their users in recent years. Since these worms exhibit unique propagation vectors, existing Internet worm detection mechanisms cannot be applied to them. In this work, we propose an early warning OSN worms detection system, which leverages both the propagation characteristics of these worms and the topological properties of online social networks. Our system can effectively monitor the entire social graph by keeping only a small number of user accounts under surveillance. Moreover, the system applies a two-level correlation scheme to reduce the noise from normal user communications such that infected user accounts can be identified with a higher accuracy. Our evaluation on the real social graph data obtained from Flickr indicates that by monitoring five hundreds users out of 1.8 million users, the proposed detection system can detect the burst of an OSN worm when less than 0.13% of total user accounts are infected. Besides, by adopting simple countermeasures, the detection system is also shown to be very helpful for worm containment.
Determination of kinetic parameters by modeling of voltammograms for electrochemical reduction of titanium dioxide

Abstract Among the number of novel titanium extraction processes being investigated around the world, the Fray–Farthing–Chen (FFC) is one electrochemical process during which a series of lower oxides are formed in succession from titanium dioxide. This paper reports a coupled electrochemical and diffusion model to determine the kinetic parameters and a better understanding of electrode reactions that occur during the process by modeling and comparison with the experimental voltammograms. The parameters would help in the modeling of the various titanium extraction processes being currently investigated. The reaction seems to be dependent on the concentration of oxygen to the first order, i.e, a first order reaction.
Moderate hypothermia with intracranial pressure monitoring as a therapeutic paradigm for the management of acute liver failure: a systematic review

To systematically review the literature and present data on the safety and efficacy of induced moderate hypothermia combined with ICP monitoring in critically ill patients with acute liver failure. We conducted a retrospective observational search of MEDLINE database using both OVID and PubMed with the following MeSH terms, “Hypothermia, Induced,” “Brain Edema,” “Intracranial Hypertension” (ICH), “Liver failure, Acute” and “Liver Failure, Fulminant.” We limited our search to case series involving at least three human subjects and all other clinical trials. Baseline ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) as well as the response of these variables to hypothermia were recorded when available. Additional clinical and demographic data were also recorded. Five case series were identified. Pre-existing coagulopathy from liver failure was reversed by various modalities in all studies prior to insertion of ICP monitors. Induction of moderate hypothermia combined with ICP monitoring consistently improved ICP, CPP and CBF in four trials; one trial demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of moderate induced hypothermia as part of a protocolized strategy for the management of ICH. Limited data exist concerning the safety and efficacy of moderate hypothermia and ICP monitoring for the treatment of ICH in acute liver failure. The available evidence shows that induction of moderate hypothermia in this clinical setting is feasible and possibly efficacious. Well-designed prospective clinical trials are warranted in this challenging context, given the potential of providing a bridge to liver transplantation or even clinical recovery.
Will nanotechnology influence targeted cancer therapy

The rapid development of techniques that enable synthesis (and manipulation) of matter on the nanometer scale and the development of new nanomaterials will play a large role in disease diagnosis and treatment, specifically in targeted cancer therapy. Targeted nanocarriers are an intriguing means to selectively deliver high concentrations of cytotoxic agents or imaging labels directly to the cancer site. Often, solubility issues and an unfavorable biodistribution can result in a suboptimal response of novel agents even though they are very potent. New nanoparticulate formulations allow simultaneous imaging and therapy ("theranostics"), which can provide a realistic means for the clinical implementation of such otherwise suboptimal formulations. In this review, we did not attempt to provide a complete overview of the rapidly enlarging field of nanotechnology in cancer; rather, we presented properties specific to nanoparticles and examples of their uses, which show their importance for targeted cancer therapy.
Topological phases and topological entropy of two-dimensional systems with finite correlation length

We elucidate the topological features of the entanglement entropy of a region in two dimensional quantum systems in a topological phase with a finite correlation length �. Firstly, we suggest that simpler reduced quantities, related to the von Neumann entropy, could be defined to compute the topological entropy. We use our methods to compute the entanglement entropy for the ground state wave function of a quantum eight-vertex model in its topological phase, and show that a finite correlation length adds corrections of the same order as the topological entropy which come from sharp features of the boundary of the region under study. We also calculate the topological entropy for the ground state of the quantum dimer model on a triangular lattice by using a mapping to a loop model. The topological entropy of the state is determined by loop configurations with a non-trivial winding number around the region under study. Finally, we consider extensions of the Kitaev wave function, which incorporate the effects of electric and magnetic charge fluctuations, and use it to investigate the stability of the topological phase by calculating the topological entropy.
Vertebral body granuloma of the cervical region after pencil injury.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Granuloma formation has been reported as a rare complication of pencil lead injury. Insufficient data exist regarding pencil lead injuries of the cervical spine. We present the findings in an 18-year-old male patient with secondary granuloma formation after a penetrating transoral pencil injury. We suggest that imaging characteristics and a detailed history will assist with the diagnosis of such lesions. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: The patient was an 18-year-old man who presented with cervical pain. His history included falling as a child while having a pencil in his mouth. T2-weighted imaging studies documented a 1- × 1-cm enhancing lesion posterior to the vertebral body at the C3 level. The patient underwent a C3 vertebrectomy, and specimens were notable for infection, pencil lead, and granuloma formation. CONCLUSION: In the evaluation of a potential granuloma or mass lesion of the cervical spine in a child or adolescent, the differential diagnosis may include a neoplasm. Although computed tomography is an ideal tool to detect foreign objects, including pencil leads, only awareness of the potential for pencil lead injuries and that pencil lead fragments may remain unrecognized on computed tomographic scans will assist the physician in diagnosing such injuries.