cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2009 Special Issue: Vortices in brain activity: Their mechanism and significance for perception

Brains interface with the world through perception. The process extracts information from microscopic sensory inputs and incorporates it into the mesoscopic memory store for retrieval in recognition. The process requires creation of spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity. The construction is done through phase transitions in cortical populations that condense the background activity through spontaneous symmetry breaking. Large-scale interactions create fields of synaptically driven activity that is observed by measuring brain waves (electrocorticogram, ECoG) and evaluated by constructing a mesoscopic vectorial order parameter as follows. The negative feedback among excitatory and inhibitory neurons creates spatially and spectrally distributed gamma oscillations (20-80 Hz) in the background activity. Band pass filtering reveals beats in ECoG log analytic power. In some beats that recur at theta rates (3-7 Hz), the order parameter transiently approaches zero, giving a null spike in which the microscopic activity is uniformly disordered (symmetric). A phase transition that is manifested in an analytic phase discontinuity breaks the symmetry. As the null spike terminates, the resurgent order parameter imposes mesoscopic order seen in spatial patterns of ECoG amplitude modulation (AM) that actualize and update the memory of a stimulus. Read-out is through a divergent/convergent projection that performs on cortical output an irreversible spatiotemporal integral transformation. The ECoG reveals a conic phase gradient that accompanies an AM pattern. The phase cone manifests a vortex, which is initiated by the null spike, and which is inferred to help stabilize and prolong its accompanying AM pattern that might otherwise be rapidly degraded by the turbulent neural noise from which it emerges.
IDEAL AND REALITY IN REAPPORTIONMENT

ABSTRACT The redistricting of Washington State presented an opportunity to apply, with court sanction, a variety of geographic criteria: compactness and regularity; integrity of well-known units (counties and cities); following of natural geographic boundaries; and consideration of functional unity and cultural homogeneity—rather than a political criterion of partisan advantage to particular parties. The existence of two party plans provided an opportunity to measure the effect of such partisanship through comparing the operation of differing criteria to the same data.
CO2, nitrogen, and diversity differentially affect seed production of prairie plants

Plant species composition and diversity is often influenced by early life history stages; thus, global change could dramatically affect plant community structure by altering seed production. Unfortunately, plant reproductive responses to global change are rarely studied in field settings, making it difficult to assess this possibility. To address this issue, we quantified the effects of elevated CO2, nitrogen deposition, and declining diversity on inflorescence production and inflorescence mass of 11 perennial grassland species in central Minnesota, USA. We analyzed these data to ask whether (1) global change differentially affects seed production of co-occurring species; (2) seed production responses to global change are similar for species within the same functional group (defined by ecophysiology and growth form); and (3) seed production responses to global change match productivity responses. We found that, on average, allocation to seed production decreased under elevated CO2, although individual species responses were rarely significant due to low power (CO2 treatment df ¼ 2). The effects of nitrogen deposition on seed production were similar within functional groups: C4 grasses tended to increase while C3 grasses tended to decrease allocation to seed production. Responses to nitrogen deposition were negatively correlated to productivity responses, suggesting a trade-off. Allocation to seed production of some species responded to a diversity gradient, but responses were uncorrelated to productivity responses and not similar within functional groups. Presumably, species richness has complex effects on the biotic and abiotic variables that influence seed production. In total, our results suggest that seed production of co-occurring species will be altered by global change, which may affect plant communities in unpredictable ways. Although functional groups could be used to generalize seed production responses to nitrogen deposition in Minnesota prairies, we caution against relying on them for predictive purposes without a mechanistic understanding of how resource availability and biotic interactions affect seed production.
Direct In Situ Nitridation of Nanostructured Metal Oxide Deposited Semiconductor Interfaces: Tuning the Response of Reversibly Interacting Sensor Sites

Metal-oxide nanostructure-decorated extrinsic semiconductor interfaces modified through in situ nitridation greatly expand the range of sensor interface response. Select metal-oxide sites, deposited to an n-type nanopore-coated microporous interface, direct a dominant electron-transduction process for reversible chemical sensing, which minimizes chemical-bond formation. The oxides are modified to decrease their Lewis acidity through a weak interaction to form metal oxynitride sites. Conductometric and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that in situ treatment changes the reversible interaction with the analytes NH3 and NO. The sensor range is extended, which creates a distinct new family of responses determined by the Lewis acidity/basicity of a given analyte relative to that of the nanostructures chosen to decorate the interface. The analyte response, broadened in a substantial and predictable way by nitridation, is explained by the recently developing inverse hard/soft acid/base model (IHSAB) of reversible electron transduction.
Assessing vitamin D contents in foods and supplements: challenges and needs

Scientists need specific data on the amounts of vitamin D in foods and dietary supplements to facilitate the assessment of vitamin D dietary intake. This vitamin is available in foods both naturally and from fortification. The Nutrient Data Laboratory of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is collaborating with vitamin D experts to review and develop methods for analyzing the vitamin D content of foods and to use these methods to analyze the vitamin D content of certain foods and dietary supplements. In this article, we review existing sources of vitamin D data on foods and dietary supplements, describe the USDA's Dietary Supplements Ingredients Database, and discuss the development of the USDA's vitamin D database for foods. In addition, we define the challenges and needs related to providing updated data on the vitamin D content of foods and supplements. After we analyze the vitamin D content of these food samples, we will disseminate the current values in the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (Internet: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata).
Conserved genes, sampling error, and phylogenomic inference

Disagreement or conflict among phylogenetic hypotheses obtained by analysis of large, genomewide data sets has incited debate over potential benefits, pitfalls, and best practices associated with phylogenomic approaches (Jeffroy et al. 2006; Philippe et al. 2009; Philippe et al. 2011). Phylogenetic analyses of genomic data typically reveal high levels of topological incongruence among gene trees. Incongruence can be real, where different genes have different genealogies due to the complex dynamics of the evolutionary processes (e.g., paralogy, horizontal transfer, or incomplete lineage sorting; Maddison 1997; Edwards et al. 2007; Rosenberg and Tao 2008; Degnan and Rosenberg 2009; Edwards 2009; Kubatko et al. 2009; Liu et al. 2009; Huang et al. 2010), or it can be the consequence of methodological artifacts. Methodological artifacts include spurious results due to sampling error (low signal-to-noise ratio), or a failure of evolutionary models to accommodate convoluted patterns in the data (e.g., Lopez et al. 2002; Pagel and Meade 2004; Collins et al. 2005; Lockhart et al. 2006; Phillips et al. 2006; Rasmussen and Kellis 2007; Galtier and Daubin 2008; Sheffield et al. 2009; Roure and Philippe 2011; Betancur-R. et al. 2013; Romiguier et al. 2013). The ultimate effect of gene-tree discordances on inferences of organismal phylogeny will thus depend on character sampling, biological processes, and the methods and models used to attempt to correct for errors caused by one or more of these factors. In a recent article, Salichos and Rokas (2013; SR Jian et al. 2008; Li et al. 2008; Regier et al. 2008; Zhang et al. 2012; Lang et al. 2013). We challenge SR Lemmon et al. 2012; Li et al. 2013).
Anatomy and Kinematics of the Lateral Collateral Ligament of the Knee

The anatomy and kinematics of the lateral collateral ligament were studied in 10 unembalmed limbs and 20 isolated femurs and fibulas. The ligament's average overall length was 66 mm (range, 59 to 74) and the average greatest dimension of its thin middle portion was the anteroposterior dimension of 3.4 mm (range, 3 to 4). The center of the femoral attachment site was 3.7 mm posterior to the ridge of the lateral epicondyle, not at it apex. A potential radiographic technique for operatively locating the femoral attachment site to within 3 mm is described. During knee flexion in neutral rotation the distance between the femoral and fibular attachment sites of the lateral collateral ligament decreased to 88% of its value in full extension. With 6.5 N x m of applied external rotation force, beyond 30 degrees of flexion the attachment sites rapidly approximated. With the same internal rotation force, beyond 15 degrees of flexion the attachment sites separated. From 60 degrees to 105 degrees they were greater than 100% of the value in full extension, suggesting significant distraction between the attachment sites. These changes correlated well with the ligament's change from an 11 degrees posterior slope in extension to a 19 degrees anterior slope in flexion with no applied rotation.
The performance and scalability of SHMEM and MPI‐2 one‐sided routines on a SGI Origin 2000 and a Cray T3E‐600

SUMMARY This paper compares the performance and scalability of SHMEM and MPI-2 one-sided routines on different communication patterns for a SGI Origin 2000 and a Cray T3E-600. The communication tests were chosen to represent commonly used communication patterns with low contention (accessing distant messages, a circular right shift, a binary tree broadcast) to communication patterns with high contention (a ‘naive’ broadcast and an all-to-all). For all the tests and for small message sizes, the SHMEM implementation significantly outperformed the MPI-2 implementation for both the SGI Origin 2000 and Cray T3E-600. Copyright c � 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electromagnetic Wave Scattering of a High-Order Bessel Vortex Beam by a Dielectric Sphere

This study investigates the arbitrary scattering of an unpolarized electromagnetic (EM) high-order Bessel vortex (helicoidal) beam (HOBVB) by a homogeneous water sphere in air. The radial components of the electric and magnetic scattering fields are expressed using partial wave series involving the beam-shape coefficients and the scattering coefficients of the sphere. The magnitude of the 3D electric and magnetic scattering directivity plots in the far-field region are evaluated using a numerical integration procedure for cases where the sphere is centered on the beam's axis and shifted off-axially with particular emphasis on the half-conical angle of the wave number components and the order (or helicity) of the beam. Some properties of the EM scattering of an HOBVB by the water sphere are discussed. The results are of some the scattering of importance in applications involving EM HOBVBs by a spherical object.
Analyzing goal semantics for rights, permissions, and obligations

Software requirements, rights, permissions, obligations, and operations of policy enforcing systems are often misaligned. Our goal is to develop tools and techniques that help requirements engineers and policy makers bring policies and system requirements into better alignment. Goals from requirements engineering are useful for distilling natural language policy statements into structured descriptions of these interactions; however, they are limited in that they are not easy to compare with one another despite sharing common semantic features. In this paper, we describe a process called semantic parameterization that we use to derive semantic models from goals mined from privacy policy documents. We present example semantic models that enable comparing policy statements and present a template method for generating natural language policy statements (and ultimately requirements) from unique semantic models. The semantic models are described by a context-free grammar called KTL that has been validated within the context of the most frequently expressed goals in over 100 Internet privacy policy documents. KTL is supported by a policy analysis tool that supports queries and policy statement generation.
How Does Genetics Influence the Efficacy and Safety of Antiarrhythmic Drugs

Recent progress in genomic sequencing has begun to elucidate the basic mechanisms for several adverse responses, as well as the clinical efficacy, for antiarrhythmic drugs. DNA variants in drug metabolizing enzymes have been implicated in excessive drug accumulation, and genetic variability in drug targets can identify individuals at increased risk for serious side effects, in particular proarrhythmia. It is hoped that future advances in the area of genomic medicine will lead to more individually tailored or personalized pharmacologic therapy in the management of cardiac arrhythmias.
User-directed routing: from theory, towards practice

User-directed routing technologies - that is, systems in which users choose their own routes through a communications network - have generated considerable interest in recent years. Despite their numerous theoretical advantages, ISPs have so far resisted these technologies, even as users have learned to capture some routing power through overlay networks. This study responds to this disconnect between theory and practice by asking how user-directed routing would affect three prominent objectives of network operators: maintaining control over the network, earning profits, and keeping inner details of the network secret. Contrary to the modern theme in routing proposals, we argue that user-directed routing is not fundamentally incompatible with ISP-control, as long as a flexible pricing system is in place. Instead - and under surprisingly general assumptions - an ISP can use prices on the open market to induce any feasible traffic pattern. Moreover, we argue that the market-based approach maximizes welfare for any given traffic pattern. In general, our model does not guarantee whether an ISP will earn more money under user-directed routing. Nevertheless, we provide some intuition to suggest why a typical ISP may expect higher profits. Finally, we suggest that giving routing power to users conflicts with an ISP's desire for secrecy. At the same time, widespread adoption of user-directed routing, perhaps promoted through regulation, may facilitate a transparent and civil industry, to the benefit of many ISPs.
Achieving Thermal-Resiliency for Multicore Hard-Real-Time Systems

Multicore processor based system designs are increasingly utilized as the processing platform for complex hard-real-time and embedded applications. These real-time systems need to operate under various physical and design constraints. Much research has focused on thermal-aware real-time systems designs. However, no results exist to investigate the resource allocation and the system degradation under external thermal constraints in a predictable manner. This paper proposes a control-theoretic framework to ensure hard-real-time deadlines on a multiprocessor platform in a dynamic thermal environment. We use real-time performance modes to permit the system to adapt to changing conditions. Also, we show how the system designer can use our framework to allocate asymmetric processing resources upon a multicore CPU and still maintain thermal constraints. We develop analysis for determining what modes the system can support for a given external thermal condition. Our system design extends the derivation of thermal-resiliency (originally proposed for uniprocessor systems) to multicore systems and determines the limitations of external thermal stress that any hard-real-time performance mode can withstand. Simulations and physical test bed results show that our algorithm predicts how a system will gracefully and predictably degrade under external thermal stress.
Apportionment of sulfur oxides at Canyonlands during the winter of 1990—III. Source apportionment of SOx, and sulfate and the conversion of S02 to sulfate in the Green River Basin

Abstract During January-March of 1990 a study was conducted to determine the sources of sulfur oxide emissions present in the Canyonlands area in Utah. Samples were collected at the Island-in-the-Sky visitors center in Canyonlands National Park and at several sites circling the park to characterize the chemical composition of air masses influencing the receptor sites from various geographical regions. The results of the sampling program and the identified chemical fingerprints of the sources that can impact the Canyonlands receptor site have been given in the first two papers in a series of three papers. In this paper are presented the results of chemical mass balance source apportionment of the SOx, present at Canyonlands, Green River, Bullfrog Marina and Edge of the Cedars, Utah, using the chemical composition and source fingerprint data given in the preceding papers. The results indicate that the presence of sulfur oxides at the Canyonlands area is a regional problem not dominated by a single source. The contributions to SOx, at Canyonlands during the 21 days included in the source apportionment analyses included sources to the southwest (37%),south and southeast (20%), north and northeast (19%), and northwest (23%). At the Edge of the Cedars State Park to the southeast of Canyonlands, sources from the southeast contributed 51 % of the observed SOx. At Bullfrog Marina in the Lake Powell National Recreation Area, southwest of Canyonlands, sources to the southwest were responsible for 81 % of the SOx present. At Green River, to the north of Canyonlands, the contribution of sources to the north and northeast were reduced (10%) because the major transport path of sources from these directions was the movement of emission from northwestern Colorado down the Colorado River drainage and south of Green River. The apportionment of sulfate at Canyonlands has been estimated from a combination of the chemical mass balance SOx source apportionment results, the measured concentrations of S02 and particulate sulfate, and meteorological data. This analysis indicates that, while the main source of SOx at Canyonlands is from emissions to the southwest, the main source of sulfate is from SOx emissions originating from the southeast of Canyonlands.
Design of error-tolerant cache memory for multithreaded computing

With the trend towards nanometer billion-transistor integration, reliable computing becomes increasingly challenged by semiconductor process variations and low-level physical effects. This is particularly a problem for on-chip memory circuits. In this paper, we propose an error-tolerant memory design technique based on a unique phenomenon referred to as the inter-thread transient redundancy in multithreaded computing. A new memory microarchitecture is developed that exploits dynamic mapping strategies for compensation of unpredictable performance variations and soft errors. Trace driven simulations on the SPEC CPU2000 benchmarks show the advantages of the proposed technique for improving error tolerance in multithreaded microprocessors.
Method of fundamental solutions for partial-slip fibrous filtration flows

In this study a Stokeslet-based method of fundamental solutions (MFS) for two-dimensional low Reynolds number partial-slip flows has been developed. First, the flow past an infinitely long cylinder is selected as a benchmark. The numerical accuracy is investigated in terms of the location and the number of the Stokeslets. The benchmark study shows that the numerical accuracy increases when the Stokeslets are submerged deeper beneath the cylinder surface, as long as the formed linear system remains numerically solvable. The maximum submergence depth increases with the decrease in the number of Stokeslets. As a result, the numerical accuracy does not deteriorate with the dramatic decrease in the number of Stokeslets. A relatively small number of Stokeslets with a substantial submergence depth is thus chosen for modeling fibrous filtration flows. The developed methodology is further examined by application to Taylor–Couette flows. A good agreement between the numerical and analytical results is observed for no-slip and partial-slip boundary conditions. Next, the flow about a representative set of infinitely long cylindrical fibers confined between two planar walls is considered to represent the fibrous filter flow. The obtained flowfield and pressure drop agree very well with the experimental data for this setup of fibers. The developed MFS with submerged Stokeslets is then applied to partial-slip flows about fibers to investigate the slip effect at fiber–fluid interface on the pressure drop. The numerical results compare qualitatively with the analytical solution available for the limit case of infinite number of fibers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Use of Knowledge Management in Healthcare: The Implementation of Shared Care Plans in Electronic Medical Record Systems at One Primary Care Practice

A transformation in the way in which primary care is delivered is underway in the US. Across the country primary care practices are grappling with how to change from the traditional physician-directed model to a more patient-centred collaborative style as part of the effort to curb the rise of chronic disease. To date, few tools or techniques exist to help the individual primary care provider make this difficult and complex transformation. One such tool that has arisen is the shared care plan (SCP). As defined in the Taking Action for Learning and Knowledge Management to improve Diabetes Mellitus (TALK/DM) study (a NIDDK funded pilot project to implement SCPs in primary care), the SCP of primary care becomes the product of collaboration between the practice and the patients. The SCP is created by combining knowledge management (KM) techniques and motivational interviewing (MI) health counselling methods to form a new knowledge object. This paper focuses on this aspect of the TALK/DM study and takes a case study approach to explore how one primary care practice is implementing the SCP as knowledge object (both a paper document and an electronic record in the EMR system) in its organisation. This study adds nuance and insight into how knowledge objects such as the SCP can serve as a tool for collaboration in primary care.
Malic enzyme gene in chick embryo hepatocytes in culture: clofibrate regulates responsiveness to triiodothyronine

In chick embryo hepatocytes, triiodothyronine (T3) causes a 30- to 40-fold increase in malic enzyme activity when added between 1 and 3 days, but has no effect when added between 5 and 7 days in culture. This transcription-mediated decline in T3 responsiveness is partially reversed by corticosterone (Roncero, C. and A. G. Goodridge, 1992. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 295: 258-267). Clofibrate also reversed the decline in responsiveness to T3, and did so in the absence of an increase in binding of T3 to nuclear receptors. The effects of clofibrate and corticosterone were additive, suggesting different mechanisms. The responsiveness of a gene to a specific agent depends on specific regulatory sequences of DNA in that gene. When 5.8 kb of the 5'-flanking DNA of the malic enzyme gene was linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and transfected into hepatocytes, T3 stimulated CAT activity. Responsiveness of CAT activity to T3 decreased with time, and this decrease was partially reversed by clofibrate. The T3 responses of cells transfected with various chimeric DNAs that contained T3 response elements (T3REs) of the malic enzyme gene or synthetic consensus T3REs also were increased by clofibrate. The results suggest that clofibrate regulates expression of a metabolite or a protein factor which, in turn, influences function of the T3 receptor.
Update on the relationship between sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose of review Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that commonly affects older men and is often associated with sexual dysfunction. Recent evidence of an association between LUTS/BPH and sexual dysfunction will be reviewed, as well as the effects of pharmacological treatment options for symptomatic LUTS/BPH on sexual function. Recent findings Large-scale epidemiological studies conducted worldwide have provided strong evidence for an association between LUTS, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory dysfunction. In multivariate analyses controlling for age, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors, LUTS have been clearly demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction. Various pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed for the association between LUTS and male sexual dysfunction. These include autonomic hyperactivity, alterations in Rho/Rho kinase pathway, endothelial (nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide) dysfunction, pelvic ischemia, and age-related hormone imbalances. Owing to the link between LUTS/BPH and male sexual dysfunction, patients presenting with one of these conditions should be routinely screened for the other condition. In addition, because medical and surgical treatments for LUTS/BPH are commonly associated with sexual side effects, patients with LUTS/BPH should be monitored for treatment-related sexual outcomes. Summary LUTS/BPH is an independent risk factor for sexual dysfunction in aging men. Further studies are needed to define the mechanism(s) underlying the link between LUTS/BPH and male sexual dysfunction. Additional studies of combination therapy for LUTS/BPH, sexual dysfunction, and other age-associated comorbidities are needed to establish new approaches to the optimal management of these conditions in aging men.
Pyrethroid Esterase(s) May Contribute to Natural Pyrethroid Tolerance of Larvae of the Common Green Lacewing

Larvae of the common green lacewing, Chrysopa carnea Stephens1, have a remarkable natural tolerance to pyrethroids, providing important selectivity in integrated control programs. A portion of this tolerance is attributable to detoxification by pyrethroid esterase(s). This larval enzyme(s) has unusually high activity and a unique specificity for hydrolyzing cis -permethrin and -cypermethrin two- to three-fold faster than the corresponding trans -isomers. Deltamethrin is also hydrolyzed rapidly. Certain properties of the larval pyrethroid esterase(s) parallel the sensitivity of the larvae to pyrethroid poisoning. Larval pyrethroid esterase(s) increases in activity for hydrolyzing trans -permethrin on larval growth in agreement with the increased tolerance to trans -permethrin poisoning. The relative rates of hydrolysis of deltamethrin and the cis - and trans -isomers of permethrin and cypermethrin by the larval pyrethroid esterase(s) generally coincide with the tolerance of the larvae to these pyrethroids. Phenyl saligenin cyclic phosphonate, a potent inhibitor for larval pyrethroid esterase, synergizes trans -permethrin toxicity by 68-fold from an LD50 of 17,000 μg/g to one of 250 μg/g. Although the involvement of penetration rates, nerve sensitivity, and oxidative detoxification has not been evaluated, it is clear that pyrethroid esterase(s) is a major factor contributing to the natural pyrethroid tolerance of lacewing larvae.
Gold nanorods dispersed in homopolymer films: optical properties controlled by self-assembly and percolation of nanorods.

In this paper, polymer nanocomposite films containing gold nanorods (AuNRs) and poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) have been investigated for their structure–optical property relationship. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the assembly of AuNRs (7.9 nm × 28.4 nm) grafted with a P2VP brush in P2VP films is examined as a function of the AuNR volume fraction OAuNRs and film thickness h. For h ∼ 40 nm, AuNRs are confined to align parallel to the film and uniformly dispersed at low OAuNRs. Upon increasing OAuNRs, nanorods form discrete aggregates containing mainly side-by-side arrays due to depletion–attraction forces. For OAuNRs = 2.7%, AuNRs assemble into a 2D network where the discrete aggregates are connected by end-to-end linked nanorods. As OAuNRs further increases, the polymer-rich regions of the network fill in with nanorods and rod overlap is observed. Monte Carlo simulations capture the experimentally observed morphologies. The effect of film thickness is investigated at OAuNRs = 2.7%, where t...
Changes in Food Consumption Patterns of Mexican-Heritage Children during a Nutrition Intervention

The Ninos Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a three-year, quasi-experimental, community-based intervention study to reduce obesity in Mexican-heritage children in Fresno Cou...
Federal Price Legislation

LTHOUGH the terms of the Sherman 1x Anti-Trust Act, as well as the court decisions thereunder, extend to various other matters besides prices, federal price legislation may be said to have begun with that statute. As construed by the courts, that Act prohibited, among other things, the fixing of wholesale or retail selling prices by a manufacturer or other seller on his own products, the fixing of prices by agreement or otherwise between or among competitors, and the use of prices as a weapon or method through local price cutting or bogus independents to eliminate competitors. So far as price is concerned, therefore, the public policy declared by the act and its subsequent interpretation is that (1) prices are to be competitive, and (2) that such prices are not to be used for the purpose of destroying or eliminating that price competition which the act was designed in part to preserve. The disclosures made in various government anti-trust suits regarding the methods and practices which had been used by various companies, particularly the large combinations, in eliminating competition tended during the decade after 1900 to focus attention upon so-called unfair methods of competition.1 It came to be felt that the presence of these methods and the injury which
Abstract 3852: Bcl-xL and IL-6 act independently and synergistically to accelerate plasmacytopoiesis and plasma cell tumor formation in Balb/c mice.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Accelerated development of spontaneous plasma cell tumors (PCT) occurs in mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues of mice bearing both IL-6 and BCL-XL transgenes (double transgenic (dTg)). 91% of dTG mice developed PCTs at a mean age of 89 days. In contrast, 53% of the IL-6 Tg mice developed PCTs at a mean age of 301 days and 12% BCL-XL Tg mice developed PCTs with a mean age of 433 days. The PCTs formed primarily in Peyer's Patches, medullary cords of the mesenteric lymph node and/or the lamina propria of small intestinal villi where they were preceded by massive plasma cell hyperplasia. To investigate the molecular basis of the cooperation between IL-6 and BCL-xL transgenes to accelerate PCT development we performed detailed analysis of cell lines developed from dTG mice and and spontaneous or pristane-induced tumors of Bcl-xL TG mice. All the tumors carry Ig/Myc-deregulating chromosomal translocations, which are thought to be the initiating event of PCT development. Therefore we focused on finding possible differences in secondary alterations. Although the subsets were poorly distinguished by microarray-based gene expression profiling, there were significant differences in the expression of p21, p19ARF, p53, HUWE1 and pRb as determined by western blotting and qPCR. DTG tumors were characterized by alterations in pathways governing expression of pRb that included increased expression of INK4A and down regulation of pRb itself as well as down regulation of p19ARF. Most notably we discovered discordance between protein and mRNA levels for pRb and p19Arf. Efforts to understand the molecular basis for these distinctions and their contributions to the biology of these PCT subsets are in progress. Citation Format: Tomomi Sakai, Alexander L. Kovalchuk, Herbert Morse. Bcl-xL and IL-6 act independently and synergistically to accelerate plasmacytopoiesis and plasma cell tumor formation in Balb/c mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3852. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3852
M13 Virus-Enabled Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide Nanowires for Tunable Mesoporous Semiconducting Networks

Mesoporous semiconducting networks exhibit advantageous photoelectrochemical properties. The M13 virus is a versatile biological scaffold that has been genetically engineered to organize various materials into nanowire (NW)-based mesoporous structures. In this study, high-aspect ratio titanium dioxide NWs are synthesized by utilizing M13 viruses as templates, and the NWs are assembled into semiconducting mesoporous networks with tunable structural properties. To understand the effects of different morphologies on the photovoltaic performance, the as-fabricated networks are employed as photoanodes in liquid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Compared with traditional nanoparticle-based photoanodes, the NW-based DSC photoanodes demonstrate much higher electron diffusion lengths while maintaining a comparable light harvesting capacity, thus leading to improved power conversion efficiencies. In addition, the NW-based semiconducting mesoporous thin films are able to load sufficient organolead iodide pero...
ANXIETY PATIENTS SHOW REDUCED WORKING MEMORY RELATED DLPFC ACTIVATION DURING SAFETY AND THREAT

BACKGROUND: Anxiety patients exhibit deficits in cognitive tasks that require prefrontal control of attention, including those that tap working memory (WM). However, it is unclear whether these deficits reflect threat-related processes or symptoms of the disorder. Here, we distinguish between these hypotheses by determining the effect of shock threat versus safety on the neural substrates of WM performance in anxiety patients and healthy controls. METHODS: Patients, diagnosed with generalized and/or social anxiety disorder, and controls performed blocks of an N-back WM task during periods of safety and threat of shock. We recorded blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) activity during the task, and investigated the effect of clinical anxiety (patients vs. controls) and threat on WM load-related BOLD activation. RESULTS: Behaviorally, patients showed an overall impairment in both accuracy and reaction time compared to controls, independent of threat. At the neural level, patients showed less WM load-related activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region critical for cognitive control. In addition, patients showed less WM load-related deactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, which are regions of the default mode network. Most importantly, these effects were not modulated by threat. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that the cognitive deficits seen in anxiety patients may represent a key component of clinical anxiety, rather than a consequence of threat.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Clinical application of EBCT in the diagnosis of cardiac neoplasms

Objective To probe the clinical utilization of electron beam CT (EBCT)in the diagnosis of cardiac neoplasms Methods Between July 1995 and Feb 1999, EBCT was performed in 12 024 patients in our hospital. 40 (0 33%) patients were diagnosed as cardiac neoplasms Retrospective analysis of 22 patients confirmed by operation, autopsy or follow up was done In this group ,there were 13 males and 9 females, age ranged from 5 months to 72 years old ( averaged 41 9 years) 17patients had both contrast single slice mode(contrast SSM)and movie mode, 3 patients only SSM, 1 patient movie mode and 1 patient plain SSM Results Accurate localization and quantitative diagnoses were made in all the 22 patients and correct histopathological diagnosis was made in 10 patients with myxoma EBCT provided characteristic clues to proper histopathological determination in 6 of the 7 patients with non myxomous benign neoplasms In the 5 patients with malignant masses, 4 patients acquired distinct histopathological classifications,and involvement of the adjacent anatomic structures was revealed Conclusion Because of excellent temporal, spatial and density resolution, EBCT has not only high accuracy in the diagnosis of myxoma, but also possesses advantage superior to echocardiography in the definition of non myxomous benign and malignant neoplasms,which are diffcult to diagnose histopathologically using echocardiography EBCT is also valuable for assessment of involvement of neigbouring organs In the diagnosis of cardiac neoplasm without specific features, this method is limited and difficult
REGULATION OF CYTOKINE GENE EXPRESSION BY REACTIVE OXYGEN AND REACTIVE NITROGEN INTERMEDIATES

Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI), and cytokines are frequent companions at sites of acute inflammation. Previous work has established a clear link between the production of cytokines and the subsequent generation of ROI and RNI. However, more recent data indicates that ROI and RNI not only serve as end-stage effector molecules of pathogen destruction and tissue injury, but also as initiators of acute inflammation. Specifically, ROI and RNI will upregulate cytokine gene expression since antioxidants inhibit interleukin 8 (IL-8) production and do not decrease production of other cytokines. Treatment with hydroxyl radical scavengers such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) will decrease the production of IL-8 in stimulated human whole blood, fibroblasts, type II epithelial cells, and hepatoma cells, but not other cytokines. Addition of exogenous ROI will increase IL-8 production in these same cells. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase will decrease production of IL-8, whereas addition of nitric oxide (NO)-generating compounds will increase production of IL-8. The hydroxyl radical appears to be the final common pathway of cell activation for IL-8 synthesis, since DMSO will inhibit the NO-driven production of IL-8. Our data indicate that ROI and RNI can serve as intracellular second messengers to induce IL-8 gene expression.
Laparoscopic Correction of Vesicoureteral Reflux in the Pig

AbstractExtravesical detrusorrhaphy is a modification of the Lich-Gregoir antireflux procedure that incorporates ureteral advancement into the repair. We report on our use of laparoscopic detrusorrhaphy to correct vesicoureteral reflux in an animal model. Reflux was created by transurethral incision of the roof of each ureteral orifice. In phase 1 of this study, laparoscopic repair was performed 1 week later in 3 pigs and an open technique was done in the remainder. In phase 2 laparoscopic repair was done in 3 pigs 3 weeks after inducing vesicoureteral reflux. All phase 1 repairs successfully corrected reflux but 1 ureter in the laparoscopic group developed obstruction. All phase 2 repairs were successful, which was determined by preoperative and postoperative cystography, and a postoperative excretory urogram. Average time was 2 hours 21 minutes for laparoscopic repair and 1 hour 10 minutes for the open procedure. Complications included bladder perforation and ureteral obstruction in 1 case each with no ...
Employee Participation in Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility

The chapter investigates the impact of employee participation on the board of directors or supervisory board (particularly codetermination) on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Conceptually, it is important to distinguish between “internal” and “external” CSR. Internal CSR relates to practices of the firm regarding groups with which it is in a long-term contractual relationship such as employees. Employee participation systems serve to protect employees from shareholder opportunism and shift the balance in the distribution of corporate rents in favor of employees, which is why they clearly have an impact on internal CSR. The situation is much less clear for external CSR, which is concerned with effects of corporate activities that are externalities, for example pollution. I argue that there may sometimes be a tradeoff between internal and external CSR: If a firm is more profitable because it scores badly in terms of external CSR (e.g. because it habitually pollutes), employees may benefit similarly as shareholders. In fact, the interests of shareholders and employees may be largely aligned in this respect, with both either benefiting or being harmed concurrently.
A Structural Equation Model of the Relationship between Advertising, Profitability and Size

According to conventional theories, advertising intensity promotes product differentiation, leading to higher barriers to entry and higher profits. Previous research has attempted to test the relationship between advertising and profitability using historical and experimental approaches. However, these relationships have not been examined over a period of time; hence no causality can be imputed to the variables of interest. Based on COMPUSTAT data for 131 firms in the consumer goods industries, this study examined the relationships between advertising, profitability and sales over a three year period using LISREL.
SU‐F‐J‐25: Position Monitoring for Intracranial SRS Using BrainLAB ExacTrac Snap Verification

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of position monitoring with BrainLAB ExacTrac snap verification following couch rotations during intracranial SRS. Methods: A CT scan of an anthropomorphic head phantom was acquired using 1.25mm slices. The isocenter was positioned near the centroid of the frontal lobe. The head phantom was initially aligned on the treatment couch using cone-beam CT, then repositioned using ExacTrac x-ray verification with residual errors less than 0.2mm and 0.2°. Snap verification was performed over the full range of couch angles in 15° increments with known positioning offsets of 0–3mm applied to the phantom along each axis. At each couch angle, the smallest tolerance was determined for which no positioning deviation was detected. Results: For couch angles 30°–60° from the center position, where the longitudinal axis of the phantom is approximately aligned with the beam axis of one x-ray tube, snap verification consistently detected positioning errors exceeding the maximum 8mm tolerance. Defining localization error as the difference between the known offset and the minimum tolerance for which no deviation was detected, the RMS error is mostly less than 1mm outside of couch angles 30°–60° from the central couch position. Given separate measurements of patient position from the two imagers, whether to proceed with treatment can be determined by the criterion of a reading within tolerance from just one (OR criterion) or both (AND criterion) imagers. Using a positioning tolerance of 1.5mm, snap verification has sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 75%, respectively, with the AND criterion, and 67% and 93%, respectively, with the OR criterion. If readings exceeding maximum tolerance are excluded, the sensitivity and specificity are 88% and 86%, respectively, with the AND criterion. Conclusion: With a positioning tolerance of 1.5mm, ExacTrac snap verification can be used during intracranial SRS with sensitivity and specificity between 85% and 90%.
Religio: The ties that bind:

In this response essay, I borrow a page from Jack Halberstam to explore the ties that bind—ligates, as in re-ligio—the two sibling fields of sociology and religious studies.
Spillway Discharge Coefficients for Rock Island Dam

A method for selecting prototype spillway discharge coefficients on the basis of model data is presented. The effects of adjacent gates opened, partially opened gates, number of gates opened, and tailwater conditions are included. The average discrepancy between coefficients selected by the recommended procedure and coefficients computed from the model data is 0.85%. The average discrepancy between prototype flow rates computed with these selected coefficients and the measured prototype flow rates is 1.65%. The usual adjustments for adjacent gate effects were not applicable for this spillway. The spillway studied was unusual in that the flow approached part of the spillway at a very oblique angle because of the shallow topography upstream of the spillway. The discharge coefficients were affected by this oblique angle of approach when coupled with numerous gates open.
Integrating Access Manager with E-Business Suite

In an effort to increase user productivity while maintaining a high level of security, Oracle Access Manager (OAM) enables single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, tying these products together so that users are not prompted to log in throughout the day as they move from one application to another.
Obese Patients Have Fewer Wound Complications Following Fixation of Ankle Fractures

Outcomes following ankle fracture surgery have been well studied; however, factors associated with surgical wound healing specifically are less clear. We aimed to study the relationship between wound healing and body mass index, as well as other variables following surgical treatment of ankle fractures. There were 127 consecutive, isolated, closed, malleolar ankle fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation at a level-1 trauma center from 2008 to 2012. Patient, injury, and treatment variables were recorded and clinical records were reviewed to identify wound complications. There were 6 major and 18 minor wound complications. The overall rate of wound complication of any type was significantly lower in obese patients at 11.7% (7/60) compared with 25.4% (17/67, P < .05) in nonobese patients. When controlling for other variables obesity was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing a wound complication (OR 0.267, 95% CI 0.087-0.822), as was low energy mechanism (OR 0.246, 95% CI 0.067-0.906). No other covariates tested were associated with an increased risk of a wound infection. Ankle anatomy may present a unique situation whereby obesity may be protective against wound complications. Further studies are needed to confirm this clinical observation, and to demonstrate the mechanism through which this may occur. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, Level IV: Retrospective.