cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Starting a biotech company in a dot.com world.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, being a biotechnology start-up company in the mid-to-late 1990s was akin to showing up at a party in the wrong kind of suit. Although biotechnology entrepreneurs were able to attend the party that drove the enormous economic boom of the 1990s, they were far from the belles of the ball. While investors lined up to court entrepreneurs armed with “dot.com” and other Internet business plans, biotech entrepreneurs generally received far less attention, funding, and resources. In some cases, after encountering difficulties, these entrepreneurs shed their biotechnology suits in favor of dot.com attire. But by the time 2000 had rolled around, those that stuck with biotechnology started to attract more attention. When the economy took a downturn and the party ended, some biotechnology companies had far greater staying power than did the dot.com companies, allowing them to enjoy the party provisions that remained. This certainly was not the first — nor will it be the last — time a single industry drove an economic boom. Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA We biotechnology entrepreneurs who lived through this period have learned valuable lessons about how such a situation affects the biotechnology start-up world, what makes being a biotech start-up different from being an Internet company, and how to deal with the challenges that emerge from these differences.
Age-related geographic atrophy and pattern dystrophy of the RPE

The pattern dystrophies are a group of hereditary disorders characterized by granular and reticular pigment patterns in the macula and periphery1,2. They typically have a clinical course that is relatively benign, with good visual acuity and few electrophysiologic changes except for a borderline or slightly reduced electro-oculogram. Some older family members have been observed with geographic atrophy, but it is unclear whether these cases represent progression of the dystrophy or independent age-related pathology.
Increased role of the otolaryngologist in endoscopic pituitary surgery: endoscopic hydroscopy of the sella.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to discuss the use of nasal irrigation and suction systems in endoscopic pituitary surgery to examine the sella and facilitate tumor removal. We describe a new t...
Math learning environment with game-like elements: an incremental approach for enhancing student engagement and learning effectiveness

Educational games intend to make learning more enjoyable, but carry a potential cost of compromising learning efficiency by consuming both instructional time and student cognitive resources. Therefore, instead of creating an educational game, we create a learning environment with game-like elements, the aspects of games that are engaging, but that hopefully do not negatively impact the learning effectiveness of the system. We present an approach of incrementally making a tutor more game-like, and present an evaluation to estimate the effect of game-like elements in terms of their benefits such as enhancing engagement and learning as well as their costs such as distraction and working memory overload. We developed four different versions of a math tutor with different degrees of game-likeness, such as adding narrative and visual feedback. The four systems were pedagogically equivalent consisting of 27 main tutor problems with the same hint and bug messages and mini tutorial lessons. Based on a study with 252 students, we found that students reported more satisfaction with a more "game-like" tutor. Students also took an 11-item pretest and posttest and the students with the most game-like tutor have significant learning gain but there is no reliable difference between the different versions of the tutor.
Ethics in Space Medicine: Holocaust Beginnings, the Present, and the Future

Space medicine began as an extension of aeronautical medicine. As airplanes developed the power and speed to achieve higher altitude, it became apparent that there were substantial challenges to human physiology that became obstacles to safe operation and pilot survival. Research to understand these challenges was conducted in the early 1930s in the United States and Europe. As Europe progressed toward major conflict, Germany’s Third Reich instituted a formal research program in aeronautical medicine. To lead this effort they chose a renowned physician and scientist, Dr. Hubertus Strughold. Dr. Strughold was implicated in experiments during WWII on humans who were detainees of the Third Reich but never convicted of any crimes. At the end of the war, he came to America under Operation Paperclip to work for the US Air Force, where he extended his research from aircraft to spacecraft and coined the term “Aerospace Medicine.” Later he was detailed from the Air Force to the National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA). Although Strughold’s role in Nazi human subjects research has raised ethical questions about the origins of NASA’s Space Medicine Program, the US space program has developed into a model civilian agency operating with the highest of ethical standards in science and exploration. As the agency pursues exploration and colonization of the solar system and deep space, new ethical issues will arise, challenging the agency to maintain these high standards.
Parallel programming in Java: pre-conference workshop

With the ever-growing demand for solving larger computational problems in all areas of science and engineering, and with the advent of multicore-CPU desktop computers which require parallel programming techniques to obtain full performance from the hardware, it is becoming imperative to teach parallel programming to all computer science students. Since more and more students are learning Java as their principal programming language, it is becoming imperative to teach parallel programming in Java to all computer science students. However, most parallel programming textbooks are written using the non object-oriented OpenMP or MPI libraries and using the C or Fortran languages, not Java. Parallel Java (PJ), a library for parallel programming in 100% Java, was developed in response to these trends. Including capabilities patterned after the OpenMP and MPI standards, PJ is a unified API for writing object oriented parallel programs that run on shared memory multiprocessor (SMP) machines such as multicore PCs, on cluster parallel computers, and on hybrid SMP cluster parallel computers. In this workshop you'll get an introduction to parallel computing, get an introduction to PJ, write small parallel programs using PJ, run your programs on shared memory and cluster parallel computers, and measure your programs' performance. You'll also receive an advance draft copy of a new textbook the presenter is writing on parallel programming in Java.
Various Host-Insect Interrelations in Host-Finding and Colonization Behavior of Bark Beetles on Coniferous Trees

Three aspects of the relationship beween the coniferous host tree and bark beetles of the family Scolytidae are analyzed, and recent results are summarized. 1) Host-plant-terpenes serve in the host-recognition mechanism by attracting or repelling certain species and by synergizing or enhancing insect pheromones. 2) Proposed biosynthetic pathways for bark beetle pheromones produced from host-plant substances include 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-l-one from the monoterpene terpinolene through piperitenone followed by cleavage of the isopropylidene side chain, and the analog alcohol 3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-l-ol from reduction of the ketone. Also, trans-verbenol, verbenone, and myrtenol are believed to result from oxidation of alpha-pinene, and similarly pinocarvone by oxidation of beta-pinene. However, the suggestion that certain kinds of pheromone production occur only on the freshly attacked host-tree is not supported by evidence that newly emerged beetles already release the same pheromones. 3) The host-plant also serves as the dense medium or substrate for sonic communication by those bark beetles that produce sound signals — an aspect that has received no study. In various Dendroctonus species it is established that the acoustic and chemical signals function as both stimulus and response in host-finding and colonization behavior.
A Clinical Trial of Proton Pump Inhibitors to Treat Children with Chronic Otitis Media with Effusion.

OBJECTIVE Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is considered a cause of otitis media with effusion (OME). This study aimed to investigate whether OME can be effectively treated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), therefore implicating GER as a causative factor of OME. MATERIALS AND METHODS A PPI or placebo was randomly administered to enrolled subjects for 4-8 weeks. To monitor effusion status, subjects underwent monthly pneumatic otoscopy and acoustic reflectometry. At enrollment and at completion of treatment, subjects underwent an audiogram and tympanogram for assessing changes in hearing due to altered fluid levels in the middle ear. After the treatment period, tympanostomy tube placement was recommended for subjects with unresolved effusion. RESULTS This study enrolled 16 patients with an average age of 5.17 years. Between the treatment and placebo groups, there was no significant difference in the need for tympanostomy tubes. At completion of this study, patients receiving Lansoprazole demonstrated a significant improvement in pure tone average (p<0.01) and speech recognition thresholds (p=0.04). Four patients (25%) from the cohort dropped out of the study. Eight patients (50%) from the cohort required tympanostomy tube placement. CONCLUSION Owing to difficulties with recruitment and small sample size, this study was unable to demonstrate the use of PPI in treating OME. A larger study is needed for further evaluation of this process.
International Roughness Index Prediction of Flexible Pavements Using Neural Networks

AbstractInternational roughness index (IRI) is a widely-accepted parameter that indicates pavement performance and ride quality. This study develops a prediction model for IRI using artificial neur...
Transcriptome-wide profiling of multiple RNA modifications simultaneously at single-base resolution

The breadth and importance of RNA modifications are growing rapidly as modified ribonucleotides can impact the sequence, structure, function, stability, and fate of RNAs and their interactions with other molecules. Therefore, knowing cellular RNA modifications at single-base resolution could provide important information regarding cell status and fate. A current major limitation is the lack of methods that allow the reproducible profiling of multiple modifications simultaneously, transcriptome-wide and at single-base resolution. Here we developed RBS-Seq, a modification of RNA bisulfite sequencing that enables the sensitive and simultaneous detection of m5C, Ψ, and m1A at single-base resolution transcriptome-wide. With RBS-Seq, m5C and m1A are accurately detected based on known signature base mismatches and are detected here simultaneously along with Ψ sites that show a 1–2 base deletion. Structural analyses revealed the mechanism underlying the deletion signature, which involves Ψ-monobisulfite adduction, heat-induced ribose ring opening, and Mg2+-assisted reorientation, causing base-skipping during cDNA synthesis. Detection of each of these modifications through a unique chemistry allows high-precision mapping of all three modifications within the same RNA molecule, enabling covariation studies. Application of RBS-Seq on HeLa RNA revealed almost all known m5C, m1A, and ψ sites in tRNAs and rRNAs and provided hundreds of new m5C and Ψ sites in noncoding RNAs and mRNAs. However, our results diverge greatly from earlier work, suggesting ∼10-fold fewer m5C sites in noncoding and coding RNAs and the absence of substantial m1A in mRNAs. Taken together, the approaches and refined datasets in this work will greatly enable future epitranscriptome studies.
Epiphrenic and Mid-Esophageal Diverticula

Epiphrenic and mid-esophageal diverticula are rare pathologic esophageal diseases. Though they are located in different regions on the esophagus, both pathologic processes are inherently related to esophageal dysmotility. The majority of patients are asymptomatic, and many of these diverticula are diagnosed incidentally on imaging. All symptomatic patients should undergo treatment, and there is growing evidence that treatment should be offered to asymptomatic patients. Ultimately, the treatment for esophageal diverticula is surgical resection and treatment of the underlying dysmotility. The tenets of epiphrenic diverticular surgical treatment are to treat the diverticulum, perform a myotomy, and perform an anti-reflux procedure on the esophagus. Epiphrenic diverticula can be approached laparoscopically or thoracoscopically depending on size and location. The treatment goals for mid-esophageal diverticula are to treat the diverticulum, identify and resect any fistula, and treat the underlying motility disorder. These diverticula are generally approached thoracoscopically, though there are emerging endoscopic treatment modalities that are safe and effective.
Model studies for the synthesis of quassinoids. 1. Construction of the BCE ring system

Bei der Dien-Addition des Diens (I) mit dem Hydrochinon (II) in Gegenwart von Silbero xid entsteht das Addukt (III), das mit Zink-Eisessig zu (IV) reduziert und dann in verschiedene polycyclische Naturstoffe wie (V), (VI) und (VII) ubergefuhrt wird.
Differential Effects of the Targeted Reading Intervention for Students With Low Phonological Awareness and/or Vocabulary:

Students most at risk for reading-related disabilities frequently struggle with word recognition and oral language, including, in the earliest grades, specific skills related to phonological awaren...
Management of Acute Substance Use Disorders: Hallucinogens and Associated Compounds

Substance use presents a growing challenge to treaters across all disciplines, including emergency medicine and psychiatry. Hallucinogenic compounds include a diverse class of substances, unified by their intended effect – to produce alteration in emotion, sensory perception, and mood. Acute intoxication with hallucinogens classically results in vivid (and often dramatic) “trips,” with patients presenting for medical and psychiatric care primarily in the setting of a bad experience. With the exception of few compounds, namely, ketamine and PCP, most hallucinogen intoxication cases will respond to containment, redirection, and medications to help reduce sensory/emotional experiences. Rarely, patients may warrant further psychiatric containment should their symptoms fail to resolve with conservative measures alone. PCP intoxication may result in a particularly violent toxidrome and carries higher risk for potential medical comorbidities. Overall, though, acute withdrawal and long-term dependence are not encountered within this drug class.
A Comprehensive Analytical Tool for Control Validation of Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft

This paper improves and implements a framework based on robustness analysis to aid in the certification of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flight controllers. The approach first models the UAS using a linear fractional transformation on uncertainties and then conducts robustness analysis on the uncertain system via integral quadratic constraint (IQC) theory. By expressing the set of desired UAS flight paths with an uncertainty, the framework considers the analysis of the uncertain UAS flying about any level path whose radius of curvature is bounded. The approach is capable of analyzing trajectory-tracking and path-following controllers, and an accurate expression of UAS path-following dynamics in the presence of nonzero wind is derived. To demonstrate the versatility of this technique, we use IQC analysis to tune trajectory-tracking and path-following controllers that are designed via $\mathcal {H}_{2}$ or $\mathcal {H}_\infty $ synthesis methods. IQC analysis is also used to tune path-following PID controllers. By employing a nondeterministic simulation environment and conducting numerous flight tests, we see that the uncertain UAS framework reliably predicts loss of control, compares the robustness of different controllers, and provides tuned controllers that are sufficiently robust. Finally, this work demonstrates that signal IQCs have an important role in obtaining IQC analysis results that are less conservative and more consistent with observations from flight test data.
Toward development of a large field-of-view cancer screening patch (CASP) to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Cervical cancers are primarily diagnosed via colposcopy, in which the tissue is visually assessed by a clinician for abnormalities, followed by directed biopsies and histologic analysis of excised tissue. Optical biopsy technologies offer a less invasive method of imaging such that subcellular features can be resolved without removing tissue. These techniques, however, are limited in field-of-view by the distal end of the probe. We present a prototype that incorporates a rigid, machinable waveguide that is in direct contact with a fluorescently-labeled sample paired with a scanning fluorescent microscope. The system is capable of imaging large areas of tissue without the need to re-position the tissue-probe interface. A mosaicing algorithm was developed to quantify scanning shifts and stitch neighboring frames together to increase the field-of-view. Our prototype can yield a maximum axial resolution of <5 µm for individual frames and can produce mosaiced images with a field-of-view greater than 15 mm x 15 mm without sacrificing resolution. We validated the system with a 1951 USAF resolution target, fluorescent in vitro standards, and a patient study where ex vivo conization samples of squamous cervical epithelium were imaged. The results of the patient study indicate that architectural features of subcellular components could be detected and differentiated between normal tissue and precancerous lesions.
The Pglyrp1-Regulated Microbiome Enhances Experimental Allergic Asthma.

Changes in intestinal or respiratory microbiomes in infants correlate with increased incidence of asthma, but the causative role of microbiome in the susceptibility to asthma and the host genes that regulate these changes in microbiome are mostly unknown. In this study, we show that decreased responsiveness to allergic asthma in Pglyrp1-/- mice (lacking bactericidal peptidoglycan recognition protein 1) could be transferred to germ-free wild-type mice by colonization of mothers and newborns with microbiota from Pglyrp1-/- mice. These colonized mice had decreased airway resistance and fewer inflammatory cells, less severe histopathology, and lower levels of IgE and proallergic cytokines and chemokines in the lungs. This microbiome-dependent decreased responsiveness to asthma was most pronounced in colonized germ-free BALB/c mice (genetically predisposed to asthma), only partially evident in outbred germ-free Swiss Webster mice, and marginal in conventional BALB/c mice following depletion of microbiome with antibiotics. Mice with a low asthmatic response colonized with microbiota from Pglyrp1-/- mice had increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased abundance of Firmicutes, Tenericutes, Deferribacteres, and Spirochaetes in the feces and increased abundance of Pasteurella in the oropharynx. These changes in bacterial abundance in the feces and oropharynx correlated with lower asthmatic responses in the lungs. Thus, our results show that Pglyrp1 enhances allergic asthmatic responses primarily through its effect on the host intestinal microbiome and identify several bacteria that may increase or decrease sensitivity to asthma. This effect of microbiome is strong in asthma-prone BALB/c mice and weak in asthma-resistant outbred mice and requires germ-free conditions before colonization with microbiota from Pglyrp1-/- mice.
Question 13: What Is the Diagnosis?

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, moderately differentiated, 0-IIa, T1a-MM, INFb, ly(-), v(-), HM0, VM0, 12 × 4.5 mm.
Four glial cells regulate ER stress resistance and longevity via neuropeptide signaling in C. elegans

The ability of the nervous system to sense cellular stress and coordinate protein homeostasis is essential for organismal health. Unfortunately, stress responses that mitigate disturbances in proteostasis, such as the unfolded protein response of the endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER), become defunct with age. In this work, we expressed the constitutively active UPRER transcription factor, XBP-1s, in a subset of astrocyte-like glia, which extended the life span in Caenorhabditis elegans. Glial XBP-1s initiated a robust cell nonautonomous activation of the UPRER in distal cells and rendered animals more resistant to protein aggregation and chronic ER stress. Mutants deficient in neuropeptide processing and secretion suppressed glial cell nonautonomous induction of the UPRER and life-span extension. Thus, astrocyte-like glial cells play a role in regulating organismal ER stress resistance and longevity.
Selective Modulation of Dynamic Protein Complexes

Dynamic proteins perform critical roles in cellular machines, including those that control proteostasis, transcription, translation, and signaling. Thus, dynamic proteins are prime candidates for chemical probe and drug discovery but difficult targets because they do not conform to classical rules of design and screening. Selectivity is pivotal for candidate probe molecules due to the extensive interaction network of these dynamic hubs. Recognition that the traditional rules of probe discovery are not necessarily applicable to dynamic proteins and their complexes, as well as technological advances in screening, have produced remarkable results in the last 2-4 years. Particularly notable are the improvements in target selectivity for small-molecule modulators of dynamic proteins, especially with techniques that increase the discovery likelihood of allosteric regulatory mechanisms. We focus on approaches to small-molecule screening that appear to be more suitable for highly dynamic targets and have the potential to streamline identification of selective modulators.
Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α (PPAR- α) to reduce paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Abstract Background and purpose Paclitaxel, a widely used anti-cancer drug, is frequently associated with prolonged and severe peripheral neuropathies (PIPN), associated with neuroinflammation. Currently, PIPN effective treatments are lacking. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α (PPAR-⍺) can modulate inflammatory responses. Thus, the use of PPAR-⍺ agonists, such as fibrates (fenofibrate and choline-fenofibrate), currently used in dyslipidemia treatment, could represent an interesting therapeutic approach in PIPN. Experimental approach Our studies tested the efficacy of fenofibrate (150 mg/kg, daily, i.p.) and choline fenofibrate (60 mg/kg daily, p.o.) in reversing and preventing the development of PIPN (paclitaxel: 8 mg/kg, i.p., every other day for 4 days) in male and female C57BL/6J mice. Mechanical and cold hypersensitivity, conditioned place preference, sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), as well as the expression of PPAR-⍺, TNF-⍺, IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA were evaluated. Key results While fenofibrate treatment partially reversed and prevented the development of mechanical hypersensitivity, this was completely reversed and prevented by choline-fenofibrate. Both fibrates were able to completely reverse and prevent cold hypersensitivity induced by paclitaxel. The reduction of SNAP amplitude induced by paclitaxel was also reversed by both fenofibrate and choline-fenofibrate. Our results indicate that suppression of paclitaxel-induced hypersensitivity by fibrates involves the regulation of PPAR-⍺ expression and decrease neuroinflammation in DRG. Finally, the co-treatment of Paclitaxel and fenofibric acid (fibrates active metabolite) was tested on different cancer cell lines, no decrease in the antitumoral effect of paclitaxel was observed. Conclusions and implications Taken together, our results show for the first time the therapeutic potential (prevention and reversal) of fibrates in PIPN and opens to a potential pharmacological repurposing of these drugs.
On the spectral properties of L± in three dimensions

This paper is part of the radial asymptotic stability analysis of the ground state soliton for either the cubic nonlinear Schrodinger or Klein–Gordon equations in three dimensions. We demonstrate by a rigorous method that the linearized scalar operators which arise in this setting, traditionally denoted by L±, satisfy the gap property, at least over the radial functions. This means that the interval (0, 1] does not contain any eigenvalues of L± and that the threshold 1 is neither an eigenvalue nor a resonance. The gap property is required in order to prove scattering to the ground states for solutions starting on the centre-stable manifold associated with these states. This paper therefore provides the final instalment in the proof of this scattering property for the cubic Klein–Gordon equation in the radial case, see the recent theory of Nakanishi and the third author. The method developed here is quite general, and applicable to other spectral problems which arise in the theory of nonlinear equations.
Location-based Services

This chapter describes a framework for providing location-based services based on the separation of content and content providers. Content from multiple providers can be aggregated and selected based on criteria reflecting what the customer has specified or purchased. Service proxies are provided to bridge the gap between the service provider’s application and the providers of such content as maps, driving directions, and Yellow Pages listings. The framework provides a management infrastructure that allows the service providers to control which content provider is accessed. The framework also enables the organization and access of services by geographic regions. The chapter describes some demonstration applications that have been developed to demonstrate how interesting services can be developed using content from different providers. It also discusses several issues relating to location-based services that merit further work and study, and several areas that show promise for future development.
Field production of yams (Dioscorea alata) from stem cuttings

A technique is described for growing yam from stem cuttings. The cuttings consisted of 2 cm of internode on each side of a node, together with the leaves, taken from stems of intermediate age from two-month-old plants of six cultivars grown from tubers in the field. The cuttings were dipped in 0.1 per cent indole-3-butyric acid powder and placed in trays containing equal quantities of vermiculite and perlite in a partially shaded mist chamber. After five weeks, those cuttings that had produced shoots and roots (16 to 88 per cent) were transferred to individual pots filled with a 1:1:2 mixture of vermiculite, perlite and soil; two weeks later they were transplanted in the field. The most vigorous cultivar produced tubers at the rate of 46 t/ha, three cvs at under 10 t/ha and two failed completely.
Mixtures and the Table Two Problem

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Development of statistical methods for mixtures epidemiology is of great current interest, but the distinction between predictive and causal models is often not made. Here we ex...
Data-Driven Respectful Discourse in the Society of Surgical Oncology

We previously reported that professional forms of address in speaker introductions were inconsistently used at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2018 and 2019 annual meetings, suggesting unconscious bias in speaker introductions. We sought to better understand how speakers would like to be introduced, and if guidelines could improve consistency in speaker introductions. SSO 2021 abstract submitters received a survey regarding demographics and preferred form of address at the meeting. Respectful discourse guidelines were developed and distributed to meeting moderators. Speaker introductions were reviewed for the 2021 SSO annual meeting and were compared with the 2018 and 2019 meetings. The survey response rate was 183/347 (53%) abstract submitters, most of whom (143/183, 78%) indicated preference for a professional form of address (Doctor/Professor) during speaker introductions, which was significantly greater than those who were introduced with a professional form of address during the 2018 and 2019 meetings (351/499, 70%; Chi-square = 4.08, p = 0.043). There was no difference in speaker introduction preference based on gender or race/ethnic identification. Respectful discourse guidelines were developed and distributed to meeting moderators. During the 2021 SSO annual meeting, professional forms of address were used for 104 (84%) speakers, significantly greater than during the 2018 and 2019 meetings (Chi-square = 9.23, p = 0.002). More survey respondents preferred speaker introductions with a professional form of address than were used in prior meetings. This preference was similar across all demographic groups evaluated. Professional addresses during speaker introductions increased significantly after the distribution of guidelines encouraging consistency to decrease unconscious bias and promote an inclusive environment.
“Kindred Forms”: Erasmus Darwin’s Posthuman Ethics of Relationality

This essay argues that Erasmus Darwin advances an ethics of relationality based on his combined theory of life and mind. Working across his corpus of poetry and prose, I argue that Darwin advances ...
The use of eosin B to assess the viability and developmental potential of rat embryos

x INTRODUCTION 1 Prelmplantatlon Period of Embryonic Development 1 Assessment of Frelmplantation Embryonic Viability 3 Background and Review of Literature 6 Morphological evaluation 6 In vitro development 10 In vivo development 14 Metabolic studies 16 Precursor uptake 16 Metabolic by-product 18 Isotope release 19 Dye assays 20 Dye metabolism 20 Vital staining 21 Nonvital staining 25 Dye-exclusion assays 27 Embryonic and/or maternal factors 28 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 30 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 31 MATERIALS AND METHODS 33 Animals 33 Strains utilized 33 Selection criteria 34
The Expanding Utility of Laser Spectroscopy

Laser spectroscopy for analysis of stable isotopes is a rapidly emerging technology with the potential to enable new scientific investigations in hydrology and biogeochemistry. The two basic advantages of laser spectroscopy over mass spectrometry—lower instrument cost and ease of use—mean more laboratories can obtain the capability. Portability of instruments allows field deployment with online analysis of large numbers of samples outside the laboratory. However, the novelty of laser spectroscopy for isotope applications means there is little collective experience, so its strengths and limitations are not as well understood as those of mass spectrometry.
Rhomberg, C. (2012). The Broken Table: The Detroit Newspaper Strike and the State of American Labor.

In The Broken Table: The Detroit Newspaper Strike and the State of American Labor, Chris Rhomberg demonstrates why and how public institutions influence organizations’ capacity to mobilize and to p...
Early system analysis of cache performance for RISC systems

The implications of packaging and interconnection technologies for reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor memory hierarchies are examined. Prior early analysis tools have taken either cache performance or interconnection models into consideration. Here such analyses are combined and extended to be more specific to RISC microprocessor cache systems. The resulting first-order model allows interactive investigation of tradeoffs at prenetlist phases of design. After summarizing the model, several test cases are presented which illustrate trends and begin to quantify design tradeoffs. >
The Writhlington phalangiotarbids: their palaeobiological significance

An unusually large number of specimens of the extinct arachnid order Phalangiotarbida have been recovered from Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve, a Westphalian D (Upper Carboniferous) locality in the West Country of Britain, near Radstock. The abundance of these specimens, and their co-occurrence with a diverse non-marine biota, permit preliminary tests and tentative corroboration of two hypotheses of Carboniferous palaeoecological dynamics. The excellent preservation of the Writhlington phalangiotarbids also corroborates previous interpretations of phalangiotarbid morphology and provides unique evidence regarding the homology of the opisothosomal segmentation, which bears directly on the phylogenetic relationships of the Phalangiotarbida.
Professional reasons for declining an evaluation contract

Professional evaluation is a market-based activity in which economic considerations play a dominant role. But are there ever professional reasons for turning down an evaluation contract? Considering how evaluations can promote either guild maintenance interests or societal improvement interests illuminates several dilemmas in the proper conduct of evaluation and suggests the need for greater explicit attention to what it means for the evaluation profession to contribute to the public interest.
VIABILITY OF DETACHED ROOT-CAP CELLS

One can find in various texts the statement that the root-cap cells of plants die and are sloughed off, and it is probably the general opinion among botanists that the root-cap cells are either dead when they are sloughed off or that they die soon thereafter. Thus, in Jost's Plant Physiology (translation by Gibson, p. 283) the statements concerning the rootcap read as follows: " Its cells are short-lived, but they are constantly being renewed. In spite of this renewal the root-cap does not increase in size because the older cells die off in front and are cast off as new ones are formed." That the root-cap cells, when sloughed off, are not necessarily dead or short-lived but may persist for many days, seems to be substantiated by various observations made by the writer with a number of different plants. In view of the increasing attention being devoted to the subject of root excretions, it seems desirable to make record of these incidental observations. The observations here recorded were made primarily on the root-cap cells of corn, although similar observations were made with Canada field pea. The plants were grown in water cultures under sterile conditions, that is, with the roots growing in the entire absence of microorganisms. Pfeffer's nutrient solution was used, with the replacement of dibasic potassium phosphate for monobasic potassium phosphate and with or without one half percent sucrose. The root-cap cells generally collected at the bottom of the culture vessel, appearing as slimy masses, the amount increasing with the age of the culture and the cells always being more abundant in the sucrose cultures. The cells were sometimes isolated, sometixnes in chains of from two to seven cells, again in plates, and occasionally entire root-caps were nloted. These cells were always in a healthful condition. They were well filled with protoplasm and each possessed a conspicuous nucleus centrally placed. That the sloughed-off cells are not short-lived is borne out by the following: Various corn cultures, both with and without sugar, were examined. When the cultures were forty-five days old, the precipitates in the culture vessels were examined and in no case could a dead cell be found. Every cell was well supplied with protoplasm, and that the cells were living was apparent not only from their general appearance but also from the fact that the cells could be plasmolyzed by a glycerine solution and recovery followed.
Cushing's syndrome from ectopic production of corticotropin by a metastatic gastrinoma.

ABSTRACT Objective To present a case of a young woman with new-onset diabetes mellitus resistant to insulin attributable to Cushing’s syndrome caused by ectopic production of corticotropin by a metastatic gastrinoma. Methods We summarize the clinical presentation and the pertinent laboratory values in a patient with Cushing’s syndrome. A review of the literature regarding ectopic production of corticotropin by gastrinomas is also presented. Results A 26-year-old woman with dehydration, severe hyperglycemia, and hypokalemia was seen in consultation. The patient required large doses of insulin to control plasma glucose, and further work-up confirmed the presence of Cushing’s syndrome caused by ectopic production of corticotropin from a metastatic gastrinoma. Conclusion This case is unusual in that the patient was relatively young and the clinical presentation of Cushing’s syndrome was dominated by uncontrolled diabetes, insulin resistance, and hypokalemia. At the time of this diagnosis, the patient already had evidence of multiple liver metastatic lesions from a pancreatic gastrinoma. The rapid occurrence of difficult-to-treat diabetes and hypokalemia should raise the suspicion of Cushing’s syndrome from ectopic production of corticotropin. In fact, patients with metastatic pancreatic tumors and poorly controlled diabetes with hypokalemia should undergo evaluation for Cushing’s syndrome, even in the absence of the typical stigmas, because of rapid development of the disease and high levels of corticotropin. (Endocr Pract. 2003;9:229-232)
iSAM2: Incremental smoothing and mapping using the Bayes tree

We present a novel data structure, the Bayes tree, that provides an algorithmic foundation enabling a better understanding of existing graphical model inference algorithms and their connection to sparse matrix factorization methods. Similar to a clique tree, a Bayes tree encodes a factored probability density, but unlike the clique tree it is directed and maps more naturally to the square root information matrix of the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem. In this paper, we highlight three insights provided by our new data structure. First, the Bayes tree provides a better understanding of the matrix factorization in terms of probability densities. Second, we show how the fairly abstract updates to a matrix factorization translate to a simple editing of the Bayes tree and its conditional densities. Third, we apply the Bayes tree to obtain a completely novel algorithm for sparse nonlinear incremental optimization, named iSAM2, which achieves improvements in efficiency through incremental variable re-ordering and fluid relinearization, eliminating the need for periodic batch steps. We analyze various properties of iSAM2 in detail, and show on a range of real and simulated datasets that our algorithm compares favorably with other recent mapping algorithms in both quality and efficiency.
Public Intellectuals 2.1

Despite renewed interest in public intellectuals, the consensus view is that they are in a state of decline. Furthermore, the Internet is viewed as one of the factors accelerating their decline. This essay takes the contrary position: the growth of online venues has stimulated rather than retarded the quality and diversity of public intellectuals. The criticisms levied against these new forms of publishing seem to mirror the flaws that plague the more general critique of current public intellectuals: hindsight bias and conceptual fuzziness. Rather, the growth of blogs and other forms of online writing have partially reversed a trend that many have lamented what Russell Jacoby labeled “professionalization and academization” in The Last Intellectuals. In particular, the growth of the blogosphere breaks down or at least lowers the barriers erected by a professionalized academy. They also provide a vetting mechanism through which public intellectuals can receive feedback and therefore fulfill their roles more effectively.
Aerosol Gemcitabine: Preclinical Safety and In Vivo Antitumor Activity in Osteosarcoma-Bearing Dogs

Abstract Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common skeletal malignancy in the dog and in young humans. Although chemotherapy improves survival time, death continues to be attributed to metastases. Aerosol delivery can provide a strategy with which to improve the lung drug delivery while reducing systemic toxicity. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of a regional aerosol approach to chemotherapy delivery in osteosarcoma-bearing dogs, and second, to evaluate the effect of gemcitabine on Fas expression in the pulmonary metastasis. Methods: We examined the systemic and local effects of aerosol gemcitabine on lung and pulmonary metastasis in this relevant large-animal tumor model using serial laboratory and arterial blood gas analysis and histopathology and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results and Conclusions: Six hundred seventy-two 1-h doses of aerosol gemcitabine were delivered. The treatment was well tolerated by these subjects with osteosarcoma (n = 20). Aerosol-treated subjects ha...
Conformationally restrained carbazolone-containing α,γ-diketo acids as inhibitors of HIV integrase

Since alpha,gamma-diketo acid (DKA) compounds were identified as potent and selective inhibitors for HIV integrase, numerous structural modification studies have been carried out to search for a clinical candidate as a supplement for the highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen. Due to the lack of structural information on inhibitor-integrase interactions, a comprehensive structure-activity relationship study is necessary. Most of the reported modification studies on the key alpha,gamma-diketo acid pharmacophore focused on substituting the carboxylate moiety with its bioisosteres or other electron-pair bearing heterocycles. We were interested in studying the conformation and geometry of the central diketo moiety. A series of carbazolone-containing alpha,gamma-diketo acids were designed and synthesized by applying conformational restraint onto the open-chain form of the diketo acid. These compounds showed anti-integrase activity in the low micromolar range, and integrase assay results indicated that the geometry of the diketo acid moiety is crucial to potency. Carbazol-1-one containing DKA analogs (7-8) showed a 2- to 3-fold increase in activity compared with those of carbazol-4-one containing DKA analogs (5 and 6). Alkylation of carbazol-4-one DKA nitrogen (6a-c) led to a loss of activity, suggesting this nitrogen atom may directly interact with the active site of integrase. The halogens (7b-d) and para-fluorobenzyl substituents (8a-d) on carbazol-1-one ring had little effect on potency.
Predatory behaviour in the ant-like wasp Methocha stygia (Say) (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)

Abstract An examination of prey-orienting behaviour of Methocha stygia has demonstrated that adult females regularly transport prey ( Cicindela larvae) when they are removed from their burrows. On a single occasion a wasp was also observed to utilize a naturally occurring depression in the soil as a nest site, instead of depending on the prey's own burrow. This flexibility in response might be a carryover of the behaviour that surely existed in the ancestors of the methochine wasps, insects which were close to if not identical with the ancestors of the ants. When Methocha females were crowded together with prey in the laboratory, frequent avoidance and aggressive behaviours were noted, but no sign of any form of co-operation.
Response to a mammalian pheromone and its geometric isomer

Black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) discriminate between the geometric isomers of a lactone used as a pheromone by the species. They react strongly to (Z)-4-hydroxy-6-dodeceonic acid lactone, which occurs in their tarsal scent, but the response to theE isomer did not differ from the response to the solvent. The isomers were applied to one member of a group of freely interacting deer, and the sniffing, licking, and following responses were recorded. The synthesis of the geometric isomers of the lactone is described.
The role of slug in neural crest

Neural crest (NC) cells are multipotent progenitor cells that migrate throughout the vertebrate embryo and give rise to diverse derivatives. The Snail family of transcription factors plays key roles during NC development and are important mediators of metastasis in epithelial-derived tumors. Snail family factors are among the earliest regulators expressed in newly formed NC cells and play multiple roles in their development. However, the transcriptional targets of Snail family factors in NC cells and how the activity of these factors is controlled such that correct targets are regulated at the right time remain poorly understood.We show that one mechanism which the activity of Snail family factors is controlled during NC development is at the level of protein turnover. Snail and Slug are targeted to the ubiquitin–proteasome system by an E3 ubiquitin ligase, Partner of Paired, and loss of this regulation leads to premature neural crest migration, suggesting that threshold levels of Snail/Slug protein regulate distinct targets. In order to elucidate other mechanisms via which the activity of reiterative transcription factors such as Snail and Slug can be directed to the correct developmental targets we explore the contributions that distinct protein domains play in processes regulated by these factors, including NC precursor formation, migration and the regulation of apoptosis. We dissect the role that SNAG, Slug and a C-terminal Binding Protein motif play in these processes. Also, we examine the role of apoptosis in neural crest formation. We suggest that cell death is not as prevalent in this region as previously reported and that Slug-mediated control of apoptosis may not play a major role in NC precursor cell formation.
Obtaining linear scores from preference pairs

A score is to be constructed as a linear combination of variables that will reflect an ordering based on expert judgement. Available data are a set of preference-ordered pairs together with values ...
X-Ray Techniques For The Life And Physical Sciences

For most of us, our experience with x-rays relates mostly to medical and dental diagnostics based on simple shadow casting techniques. As observed by Rontgen in his pioneering workl of 1895, x-rays are not easily reflected or refracted by the usual techniques of visible optics. Now, however, advances in technology are permitting a significant extension of the utility of x-rays as tools for science and technology. The new techniques bypass the limitations imposed by refractive indices of all materials at these wavelengths, n = 1 - δ -iβ, where δ and β are comparable to each other and very much less than unity.
Predicting Changes in Nasa Satellite Contracts

Six National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA satellite projects containing twenty-one contracts with approximately 1,000 changes were investigated for the purpose of developing predictive models of contract change incidence which could be used for budgetary and control purposes. Of particular interest were the number, timing, and dollar amounts of changes that can be expected to occur on future contracts. The research indicated that 1 change costs on satellite contracts have negative exponential frequency distributions, 2 contracts within the same project have the same average change costs, 3 the expected number of changes on a satellite contract is a function of the dollar size of the contract and the average project cost/change, and 4 change timing is influenced by many factors which tend to have a confounding effect on changes. A procedure for collecting and analyzing change data and for developing suitable models is outlined. The primary limitations of the models relate to the fact that only NASA satellite contracts were involved and to the availability of a small data base for modeling.