cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The law lords take a detour: Chapter two of the Spycatcher saga

Abstract After nearly three years of litigation, the Thatcher government lost its battle to permanently enjoin publication of former intelligence agent Peter Wright's Spycatcher in British newspapers. The Law Lords' judgment was based on recognition of the futility of attempting to prohibit dissemination of allegations about MI5 which were already widely available elsewhere in the world. But immediately after the decision, the government took far-reaching steps to ensure that its official secrets would remain secret.
A faster ordered-subset convex algorithm for iterative reconstruction in a rotation-free micro-CT system

We present a faster iterative reconstruction algorithm based on the ordered-subset convex (OSC) algorithm for transmission CT. The OSC algorithm was modified such that it calculates the normalization term before the iterative process in order to save computational cost. The modified version requires only one backprojection per iteration as compared to two required for the original OSC. We applied the modified OSC (MOSC) algorithm to a rotation-free micro-CT system that we proposed previously, observed its performance, and compared with the OSC algorithm for 3D cone-beam reconstruction. Measurements on the reconstructed images as well as the point spread functions show that MOSC is quite similar to OSC; in noise-resolution trade-off, MOSC is comparable with OSC in a regular-noise situation and it is slightly worse than OSC in an extremely high-noise situation. The timing record shows that MOSC saves 25-30% CPU time, depending on the number of iterations used. We conclude that the MOSC algorithm is more efficient than OSC and provides comparable images.
Characterization of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in Human Skin

Because of the profound importance glucocorticoids have in dermatologic therapy, we studied the glucocorticoid receptor in human skin. A cytosol fraction was prepared from frozen skin by homogenization and centrifugation. When reacted with [3H]dexamethasone, this cytosol contained saturable, low-capacity binding. The glucocorticoid binding was stabilized by a protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, and by sodium molybdate and was destroyed by trypsin. Sedimentation analysis of the glucocorticoid binding protein showed an 8S to 4S transition in high salt, a property of many known steroid hormone receptors. The binding was steroid specific, supporting the conclusion that this binding protein was a glucocorticoid receptor. The receptor molecule had a frictional ratio of 1.60 and a Mr of about 226,000 under low-salt conditions (0.05 M KCl) and a frictional ratio of 1.86 and a Mr of about 100,000 under high-salt conditions (0.3 M KCl) consistent with a non-globular, elongated molecule. Isoelectric focusing showed that the receptor had 2 molecular species with isoelectric points of approximately 5.8 and 7.5. Quantitation of receptor in human skin showed 4–7 times more receptors in the epidermis and papillary dermis than in the lower dermis and nearly equal numbers in epidermis and papillary dermis. The concentration of receptors varied in different anatomic areas, with male foreskin showing the highest concentration, followed by female face, breast, and abdominal skin. Interestingly, the concentration of glucocorticoid receptors also varied with age; the highest levels were present at the extremes of life and a significantly lower level at midlife.
Coal Mine Safety Regulation in China and the USA

Abstract The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the USA are, by long measure, the world's largest producers and consumers of coal. Coal production is inherently risky, and fatalities are unavoidable in these large coal economies. Both countries have developed complex systems of law to regulate coal mine safety. These systems share many attributes. Despite similarities between the separate systems of mining law, the PRC significantly trails the USA in terms of coal mine safety. Due to large disparity in economic development, it may be inappropriate to compare these two countries. However, the PRC's mine safety record is significantly worse than that of other large producers who are similarly underdeveloped. It appears that the PRC has failed to effectively implement its mining safety laws. Several arguments have been made as to the cause of this failure, including lack of judicial review of agency actions, lack of meaningful trade unions, government corruption and geographical difficulties of controlling...
The drifting human genome

Around the time of the completion of the draft human genome sequence, biologists heatedly debated the number of genes contained in the human genome. In 2003, GeneSweep, an informal gene-count betting pool that began at the 2000 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Genome Meeting, announced Lee Rowen of the Institute of Systems Biology in Seattle to be the winner. His bet (25,946) was the lowest and was closest to what many computer programs predicted from the then draft human genome sequence (1). But, in this issue of PNAS, Nozawa, Kawahara, and Nei (2) tell us that asking about the exact number of human genes is meaningless, because different human individuals have different numbers of genes, and it is not uncommon for one person to have 100 more gene copies than another person. They argue that this large variation reflects genomic drift, random changes of gene copy number in evolution.
Hitchhiking of host biology by beneficial symbionts enhances transmission

Transmission plays a key role in the evolution of symbiosis. Mixed mode transmission combines horizontal and vertical mechanisms for symbiont acquisition. However, features that enable mixed transmission are poorly understood. Here, we determine the mechanistic basis for the recruitment of the beneficial bacterium, Aeromonas veronii by the leech, Hirudo verbana. We demonstrate that host mucosal secretions complement imperfect symbiont vertical transmission. First, we show that the A. veronii population within secretions originates from the host digestive tract and proliferates synchronously with shedding frequency, demonstrating the coupling of partner biology. Furthermore, leeches are attracted to these castings with oral contact proving sufficient for symbiont transmission. Leech attraction to mucus is not affected by the symbiont state of either the host or mucus, suggesting that A. veronii exploits preexisting host behavior and physiological traits. A dual transmission mode, integrating multiple layers of host contributions, may prove evolutionarily advantageous for a wide range of symbioses. Using such a strategy, host infection is ensured, while also providing access to a higher genetic diversity of symbionts. Countless host-associated microbes exhibit mixed mode transmission, supporting the use of the leech symbiosis as a model for enhancing our understanding of the specificity, establishment and persistence of microbiotas.
Glucocorticoids Improve Calcium Cycling in Cardiac Myocytes After Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Background Glucocorticoids can reduce myocardial dysfunction associated with ischemia and reperfusion injury following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and circulatory arrest. The hypothesis was that maintenance of cardiac function after CPB with methylprednisolone therapy results, in part, from preservation of myocyte calcium cycling. Methods Piglets (5–7kg) underwent CPB and 120min of hypothermic circulatory arrest with (CPB-GC) or without (CPB) methylprednisolone (30 mg kg−1) administered 6h before and at CPB. Controls (No-CPB) did not undergo CPB or receive glucocorticoids (n = 6 per treatment). Myocardial function was monitored in vivo for 120min after CPB. Calcium cycling was analyzed using rapid line-scan confocal microscopy in isolated, fluo-3-AM-loaded cardiac myocytes. Phospholamban phosphorylation and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (SERCA2a) protein levels were determined by immunoblotting of myocardium collected 120min after CPB. Calpain activation in myocardium was measured by fluorometric assay. Results Preload recruitable stroke work in vivo 120min after reperfusion decreased from baseline in CPB (47.4 ± 12 versus 26.4 ± 8.3 slope of the regression line, P 0.05). Activation of calpain after CPB was reduced with glucocorticoids. Phospholamban phosphorylation and SERCA2a protein levels in myocardium were decreased in CPB compared with No-CPB and CPB-GC (P Conclusions The glucocorticoid-mediated improvement in myocardial function after CPB might be due, in part, to prevention of calpain activation and maintenance of cardiac myocyte calcium cycling.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after rituximab-containing myeloablative preparative regimen for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We explored the safety and efficacy of rituximab administered in combination with the standard transplant conditioning regimen of cyclophosphamide (Cy) 120 mg/kg and total body irradiation (TBI) 12 Gy for adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients were eligible if their disease expressed CD20. Rituximab was administered at 375 mg/m2 weekly for four doses beginning on day −7 of the conditioning regimen. Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of tacrolimus and methotrexate. Thirty-five patients undergoing matched sibling (n=23) or unrelated donor (n=12) transplantation were studied, with a median age of 30 years (range 15–55 years). At 2 years, progression-free survival, treatment-related mortality, and overall survival were 30, 24, and 47%, respectively. There was no delay in engraftment or increased incidence of infection. The cumulative incidence of grade II–IV acute GVHD was 17%, and limited and extensive chronic GVHD was 43% at 2 years. The addition of rituximab to the standard Cy/TBI transplant conditioning regimen in ALL was safe and well tolerated, and there was a suggestion of decreased incidence of acute GVHD when compared to historically reported GVHD rates for this group of patients.
The Gingival Bleeding Time Index

Recent studies have supported an emphasis on gingival bleeding indices for detection of inflammation. The purposes of the present study were: (1) to evaluate the relationships between the time necessary for stimulated gingival bleeding to occur and both gingival fluid flow and Loe's gingival index; and (2) to develop a clinical index based on gingival bleeding time. In the first part of the study, the elapsed time for gingival bleeding to first occur after sulcular stimulation was correlated with the gingival index and fluid flow on 150 gingival units. A high correlation was found between bleeding time with both the gingival index and exudate flow. A bleeding time index based on a scattergram of the data obtained in part I of the study was then formulated and evaluated in a similar fashion on an additional 172 gingival units. Results indicate a high correlation between the bleeding time index and the other indices. It is concluded that the bleeding time index may be used by itself as an accurate and objec...
Simulation study for automatic generation control of a multi-area power system by ANFIS approach

This paper deals with the application of artificial neural network (ANN) based ANFIS approach to automatic generation control (AGC) of a three unequal area hydrothermal system. The proposed ANFIS controller combines the advantages of fuzzy controller as well as quick response and adaptability nature of ANN. Appropriate generation rate constraints (GRC) have been considered for the thermal and hydro plants. The hydro area is considered with an electric governor and thermal area is considered with reheat turbine. The design objective is to improve the frequency and tie-line power deviations of the interconnected system. 1% step load perturbation has been considered occurring either in any individual area or occurring simultaneously in all the areas. It is a maiden application of ANFIS approach to a three unequal area hydrothermal system with GRC considering perturbation in a single area as well as in all areas. The performance of the ANFIS controller is compared with the results of integral squared error (ISE) criterion based integral controller published previously. Simulation results are presented to show the improved performance of ANFIS controller in comparison with the conventional integral controller. The results indicate that the controllers exhibit better performance. In fact, ANFIS approach satisfies the load frequency control requirements with a reasonable dynamic response.
EXPLORING USES AND GRATIFICATIONS A Comparison of Reported Uses of Television and Reported Uses of Favorite Program Type

This project explored two questions: (1) whether uses are specific to program type or medium and (2) whether the factorial solutions are replicable. Two separate studies were conducted. For each study two versions of a uses questionnaire were administered. The Medium version asked respondents to answer in terms of television. The Program Type version asked respondents to answer in terms of their favorite program type. In Study, I, 142 persons answered the Medium version and 128 answered the Program-Type version. In Study II, ns were 227 and 219, respectively. The general pattern of results indicates respondents do not identify Medium-specific or Program-specific uses. The lack of differentiation found here suggests: (1) additional assessment of the relationship of medium and content in needed, (2) pending additional evidence, medium and content should be considered related variables in uses and gratifications research and research not incorporating their interaction should be evaluated carefully, and (3) ...
ANOMALOUS QUADRUPOLE COUPLING IN EUROPIUM ETHYLSULFATE

Hynerfine structure, apparently of pure quadrupolar form, has been observed in the Eu/sup 3+/ ion in a neodymium ethylsuifate lattice. It has twice the predicted magnitude and opposite sign to that calculated on the basis of a pure ground electronic configuration of the type 4f/sup n/. Arguments are presented for ascribing the anomaly to the admixing, through the crystal-field potential, of the state 5p/sup 5/6p /sup 1/D/sub 2/ into the closed-shell state 5p/sup 6/ /sup 1/S/sub 0/. For Eu/sup 152/, P/sub 15 0.5) x 10/sup -4/ cm/sup -1/ and for Eu/sup 154/, P/sub 154/ = -(8.3 plus or minus 0.7) x 10/sup -4/ cm/sup -1/. The spin and parity assignments of 2- for the 1531kev state in Sm/sup 152/ and the 1400- and 1723-kev states in Gd/sup 154/, as well as the electric dipole multipolarities of the radiations depopulating these states, are confirmed. The quadrupole moment of Eu/sup 154/ is found to be 3.29 plus or minus 0.37 b. (auth)
Visions of Juliana: A Portuguese Woman at the Court of the Mughals

This article discusses Juliana Dias da Costa (d. 1734), an influential Portuguese woman at the court of the Mughal king Bahadur Shah I (d. 1712). Through an analysis of sources that traverse three centuries and several languages, this article demonstrates how visions of Juliana were shaped by the political aspirations of those writing about her. To Jesuits, Juliana was a proxy for their mission in India, and to the Portuguese, she was one of their own, strategically placed at court to serve their interests. And for her impoverished descendants in British India, she was emblematic of times when they held both power and prestige. Concluding with the author’s encounter with a descendant of Juliana’s in Pakistan
How do government agencies review and approve text content for publication on their Web sites? A framework to compare Web content management practices

This article describes a multicase field study of four public-facing Midwestern state agencies and how they organized the work of reviewing and approving textual content for publication on Internet Web sites. Drawing on field data and concepts from institutional theory, contingency theory, and organizational design, the paper generates a framework to document systematically the processes and practices involved in the review and approval of textual Web content. The framework is then used to compare textual content management practices across the four case sites and to begin to investigate the effects of variation in content management practices on characteristics of the available textual content. The article suggests how the framework could be used in future research to investigate how content practices affect content characteristics such as quality, quantity, and cost and to investigate how and why content management practices change over time.
Hydrogels: DNA bulks up

Since the 1940s DNA has been known as the genetic material connected to heredity, and from the early 1980s it has also been considered as a potential structural material for nanoscale construction. Now, a hydrogel made entirely of DNA brings this molecule into the realm of bulk materials.
Invariants of two-dimensional systems via complex Lagrangians with applications

Abstract We explore the use of complex Lagrangians in generating first integrals (invariants) for those physical systems in which the dynamics is governed by a set of two second-order ordinary differential equations. For instance the first integrals of a time-dependent and time-independent oscillator and of the generalized coupled Lane–Emden systems are found.
Direct determination of cell diameter, surface area, and volume with an electronic volume sensing flow cytometer

A method is described in which the volume, surface area, and diameter of spherical cells can be quickly and easily determined from linear calibration curves using a flow cytometer which measures electronic volume and is equipped with a log amplifier.
Morphology-guided radiosurgery treatment planning and optimization for multiple isocenters.

This work merges two distinct fields, 3D morphology and ionizing radiation dosimetry, to solve the problem of 3D-treatment planning and optimization in stereotactic radiosurgery. In Leksell Gamma Knife radiosurgery, dose delivery is based on the unit “shot,” a dose distribution approximately spherical in shape. Multiple shots, or isocenters, are used in Gamma Knife treatment to deliver a conformal dose to an irregular radiosurgical target. The medial axis transformation, or skeleton, of the target, which uniquely characterizes the target volume and shape, is used to determine the optimal shot positions (isocenters), sizes (collimator helmet size and dosimetric weight), and the total number of shots that will deliver a conformal dose distribution to the target. The skeletonization approach reduces a complicated 3D-optimization problem to 1D searching with potential savings in computation time and mathematical complexity. In addition, optimization based on target shape replicates and automates manual treatment planning. This approach makes the process easily understandable. The relationship between skeleton discs and the dose distributions they predict is discussed. Results of optimal plans and corresponding dose distributions are presented. This approach is generally applicable to other types of multi-isocentric stereotactic radiosurgery techniques.
LOOS: An extensible platform for the structural analysis of simulations

We have developed LOOS (Lightweight Object-Oriented Structure-analysis library) as an object-oriented library designed to facilitate the rapid development of tools for the structural analysis of simulations. LOOS supports the native file formats of most common simulation packages including AMBER, CHARMM, CNS, Gromacs, NAMD, Tinker, and X-PLOR. Encapsulation and polymorphism are used to simultaneously provide a stable interface to the programmer and make LOOS easily extensible. A rich atom selection language based on the C expression syntax is included as part of the library. LOOS enables students and casual programmer-scientists to rapidly write their own analytical tools in a compact and expressive manner resembling scripting. LOOS is written in C++ and makes extensive use of the Standard Template Library and Boost, and is freely available under the GNU General Public License (version 3) LOOS has been tested on Linux and MacOS X, but is written to be portable and should work on most Unix-based platforms.
PDE denoising of MR diffusion tensor imaging data

In diffusion tensor imaging tracktography, the noise level in diffusion weighted images has direct impact on the accuracy of diffusion tensor orientation which is usually used as local fiber direction. Therefore, removing noise becomes one way to improve the signal to noise ratio without increasing the acquisition time. We demonstrate that vector based diffusion filter with norm constraint has rigid theoretical background and better denoising result on directional unit vector field regulation. A tissue property integrated framework for diffusion filter is also introduced for anatomical information driven filtering. The applications in simulated data and in situ mouse brain data reveal improved brain white matter fiber tracking results.
Psychosocial Adjustment, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Psychosexual Development of Boys with Hypospadias: A Systematic Review

Objective A systematic review of studies on psychosocial adjustment, HRQoL (health-related quality of life), and psychosexual development of boys with hypospadias. Methods Research was conducted on several online bibliographic databases. Articles were selected on the basis of predefined criteria. Methodological quality was assessed by two independent reviewers who applied a standardized checklist. When possible, data analyses were performed by calculating effect sizes. Results Thirteen studies met the criteria for inclusion, whose methodological standard ranged from low to high quality. None of them has focused on HRQoL. Findings with regard to psychosocial and psychosexual adjustment were inconsistent, though they clearly showed that boys with hypospadias suffer from negative genital appraisal and sexual inhibitions. Overall, medical factors exerted a rather small influence. Psychosocial risk factors have hardly been examined so far. Conclusions The identification of psychosocial risk factors in methodologically sound studies is necessary to guarantee a comprehensive treatment for boys with hypospadias.
An iterative, backscatter-analysis based algorithm for increasing transmission through a highly-backscattering random medium

We develop a physically-realizable algorithm for increasing transmission through a random medium using backscatter analysis. We analyze the algorithm's rate of convergence and show via numerical simulations that it converges rapidly, yielding a near-optimum wavefront in just a few iterations.
Regulation of telomerase activity in immortal cell lines

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein whose activity has been detected in germ line cells, immortal cells, and most cancer cells. Except in stem cells, which have a low level of telomerase activity, its activity is absent from normal somatic tissues. Understanding the regulation of telomerase activity is critical for the development of potential tools for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol, we found that immortal, telomerase-positive, pseudodiploid human cells (HT1080 and HL60 cells) sorted by flow repressed in quiescent cells. This was true whether quiescence was induced by contact inhibition (NIH 3T3 mouse cells), growth factor removal (bromodeoxyuridine-blocked mouse myoblasts), reexpression of cellular senescence (the reversibly immortalized IDH4 cells), or irreversible cell differentiation (HL60 promyelocytic leukemia cells and C2C12 mouse myoblasts). Taken together, these results indicate that telomerase is active throughout the cell in dividing, immortal cells but that its activity is repressed in cells that exit the cell cycle. This suggests that quiescent stem cells that have the potential to express telomerase may remain unaffected by potential antitelomerase cancer therapies.
Socioemotional Functioning in Bipolar Disorder Versus Typical Development: Behavioral and Neural Differences

Socioemotional dysfunction is a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD) across the lifespan. Recent evidence indicates associations between this atypical functioning and the presence of neurally based anomalies. This article critically reviews the literature on two types of core socioemotional skills that may represent endophenotypes for BD, with a focus on differences between individuals with BD, both youth and adults, and their typically developing peers. First, it examines studies of social cue perception and interpretation, with an emphasis on behavioral and neural studies of facial expression processing. Second, it shifts to examine behavioral and neural differences in cognitive and behavioral flexibility. Finally, the article summarizes potential future directions for research in this area.
Lake Ontario Environment Quality: Are There Future Surprises?

Great Lake productivity and health are maintained by synergistic actions of many factors, none of which act independently with similar results. For example, questions have been raised regarding a conflict in Lake Ontario resource management strategies that both target nutrient control limiting productivity, and emphasize extensive fish stocking enhancing lake productivity. Further confounding the strategies of nutrient control and fish stocking are feedback processes between food web manipulations and effects on nutrient cycling. Mass balance calculations demonstrated gaps in our knowledge on these processes and a significant concern was raised regarding how much nutrient abatement is enough in relation to primary production and food web support. It was also postulated that changes in nutrient cycles and carbon flow in Lake Ontario could significantly influence the flow of toxic contaminants from various sources within the ecosystem.
A design of distributed nonzero-sum Nash strategies

This paper deals with non-zero sum differential game with a focus on the pursuit-evasion problem. The ideas of differential game theory and cooperative control are integrated to cope with practical situations in which the information sharing is distributed and may change in time. First, if the game is under global information, linear feedback Nash strategies for single-pursuer single-evader and multiple-pursuer single-evader are derived sequentially. Then, if the game is under distributed information, i.e., players have limited information of others, the distributed Nash strategies are designed since the classical approach is not capable to handle the lack of information. Finally, simulation results are presented for those cases.
Implementation of scalable elliptic curve cryptosystem crypto-accelerators for GF(2/sup m/)

This paper focuses on designing elliptic curve crypto-accelerators in GF(2/sup m/) that are cryptographically scalable and hold some degree of reconfigurability. Previous work in elliptic curve crypto-accelerators focused on implementations using projective coordinate systems for specific field sizes. Their performance, scalar point multiplication per second (kP/s) was determined primarily by the underlying multiplier implementation. In addition, a multiplier only implementation and a multiplier plus divider implementation are compared in terms of critical path, area and area time (AT) product. Our multiplier only design, designed for high performance, can achieve 6314 kP/s for GF(2/sup 571/) and requires 47876 LUTs. Meanwhile our multiplier and divider design, with a greater degree of reconfigurability, can achieve 44 kP/s for GF(2/sup 571/). However, this design requires 27355 LUTs, and has a significantly higher AT product. It is shown that reconfigurability with the reduction polynomial significantly benefits from the addition of a low latency divider unit and scalar point multiplication in affine coordinates. In both cases the performance is limited by a critical path in the control logic.
Latent hardening in single crystals. I: Theory and experiments

Accurate measurements of the initial yield stress on previously latent slip systems as well as a reinterpretation of widely reported experimental observations have led to a new description of single crystal hardening within the framework of the incremental (flow) theory of plasticity. Slip interactions and the history of slips are essential in explaining well-known physical phenomena such as stage II deformation and latent hardening. Guidelines for deriving the set of instantaneous hardening moduli are given in terms of inequality restrictions. Although time-independent behaviour is assumed throughout the present study, these restrictions are expected to apply as well to time-dependent creep behaviour at low to intermediate temperatures. In Part II, a complete constitutive theory is developed with analytical forms given for the instantaneous hardening moduli.
Effects of Rapport, Intellectual Excitement, and Learning on Students' Perceived Ratings of College Instructors:

In two experiments the effects of rapport, intellectual excitement, and learning on students' evaluations of teaching were investigated. College students (135 women, 56 men) were first given a written scenario of an instructor who was described as having either high or low rapport with his students and high or low in intellectual excitement and as someone from whom students learned a great deal or very little. Students were then asked to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of the instructor. While positive descriptions of each of the three dimensions produced significant increases in ratings, the largest effects on global ratings were produced by the manipulation of the dimensions of rapport and intellectual excitement. Relative to the rapport and excitement dimensions, the learning dimension produced a very small effect. Data in Study 2 of 120 students confirmed these results when order of dimensions was controlled.
Active Remote Sensing of Layered Random Media

Analytical expressions for the backscattering cross sections have been derived for active remote sensing of an arbitrary number of random layers. These results are applicable to the interpretation of radar backscattering from vegetation and snow-ice fields. We illustrate the results by matching experimental data using the model of a three-layer random medium with air above and ground below.
R&D, Value Chain Location and Firm Performance in the Global Electronics Industry

In today's global electronics industry, innovation is carried out by various value chain participants, including brand-name manufacturers (sometimes called lead firms), contract manufacturers and component suppliers, but there is little understanding of who benefits most from innovation in such networks. This research examines empirically the relationship of R&D spending and location in the value chain (lead vs. non-lead firms) to firm performance in the global electronics industry by using the Electronic Business 300 data set for 2000–2005. Our results show that firms spending more on R&D have higher gross profits, but do not have higher return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA). There is a strong positive relationship between lead firms and performance as measured by gross profit, ROE and ROA, but the relationship between lead firms and gross profit becomes insignificant when the interaction term of R&D and lead firm is included in the analysis. Finally, lead firm status has a positive interacti...
Competition and Coexistence between Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis in the Dental Biofilm

The human mucosal surface is colonized by the indigenous microflora, which normally maintains an ecological balance among different species. Certain environmental or biological factors, however, may trigger disruption of this balance, leading to microbial diseases. In this study, we used two oral bacterial species, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis (formerly S. sanguis), as a model to probe the possible mechanisms of competition/coexistence between different species which occupy the same ecological niche. We show that the two species engage in a multitude of antagonistic interactions temporally and spatially; occupation of a niche by one species precludes colonization by the other, while simultaneous colonization by both species results in coexistence. Environmental conditions, such as cell density, nutritional availability, and pH, play important roles in determining the outcome of these interactions. Genetic and biochemical analyses reveal that these interspecies interactions are possibly mediated through a well-regulated production of chemicals, such as bacteriocins (produced by S. mutans) and hydrogen peroxide (produced by S. sanguinis). Consistent with the phenotypic characteristics, production of bacteriocins and H2O2 are regulated by environmental conditions, as well as by juxtaposition of the two species. These sophisticated interspecies interactions could play an essential part in balancing competition/coexistence within multispecies microbial communities.
Histone H3 and Heat Shock Protein GRP78 Are Selectively Cross-Linked to DNA by Photoactivated Gilvocarcin V in Human Fibroblasts

Gilvocarcin V (GV) is an antitumor antibiotic with a coumarin-based aromatic structure that promotes protein-DNA cross-linking when photoactivated by near-UV light. We have now identified several proteins that are selectively cross-linked to DNA in human fibroblasts by photoactivated GV, using NH2-terminal amino acid sequencing and Western blot analysis of the purified cross-linked proteins. The selectively cross-linked proteins are histone H3 and GRP78, a heat shock protein belonging to the heat shock protein-70 family. The hydrophobic leader sequence is missing from the cross-linked GRP78, suggesting that only the processed form of the protein is cross-linked to DNA. It is primarily the phosphorylated form of histone H3 that is cross-linked to DNA. Gel retardation analysis from four different GV-treated human fibroblast cell lines revealed two distinct shifted bands, and subsequent immunoblotting confirmed in situ that the slower and the faster bands, respectively, contained GRP78 and histone H3 cross-linked to DNA. The selective cross-linking of these particular proteins is dependent on UV irradiation in the presence of GV, which may help to clarify the unique molecular mechanism of this potent antitumor agent.
Reflections on Piaget's sociological studies

Abstract Reflecting on Piaget's recently translated collection of sociological studies, we highlight some salient points in his approach to sociological issues. At the same time we attempt to explain the contrast between Piaget's singular influence in cognitive and developmental psychology with nothing comparable in empirical sociology. We believe that our own social research is a genuine continuation of what had remained on a speculative level in Piaget. One of us focused on the constructive, the other on the interrelational aspect of Piaget's thought.
Visualization of Scene Structure Uncertainty in a Multi-View Reconstruction Pipeline

This paper presents a novel, interactive visualization tool that allows for the analysis of scene structure uncertainty and its sensitivity to parameters in different multi-view scene reconstruction stages. Given a set of input cameras and feature tracks, the volume rendering-based approach first creates a scalar field from angular error measurements. The obtained statistical, visual, and isosurface information provides insight into the sensitivity of scene structure at the stages leading up to structure computation, such as frame decimation, feature tracking, and self-calibration. Furthermore, user interaction allows for such an analysis in ways that have traditionally been achieved mathematically, without any visual aid. Results are shown for different types of camera configurations, where it is discussed for example how over-decimation can be detected using the proposed technique, and how feature tracking inaccuracies have a stronger impact on scene structure than the camera’s intrinsic parameters.
User Acceptance of Knowledge-Based System Recommendations: Explanations, Arguments, and Fit--Research in Progress

Knowledge-based systems (KBS) can potentially enhance individual decision making. Yet, recommendations from these systems continue to be met with resistance. This is particularly troubling in professions associated with deception detection (e.g., border control), where humans are accurate only about half the time. In this research-in-progress, we examine how the fit between KBS explanations and users' internal explanations influences acceptance of system recommendations. To describe the explanations, we rely on Toulmin's argument classifications. We leverage cognitive fit theory as the theoretical explanation as to why fit is important for user acceptance of the system's evaluation. We describe a two-phased research approach in which we first develop the arguments, evaluate their relative strength, and validate their fit with key argument types. This is followed by a description of an experiment in which we examine the processing of explanations provided by KBS, focusing on explanations in a credibility assessment task.
Law enforcement officers opinions about gun locks: Anchors on life jackets?

Objectives —One way law enforcement officers support firearm safety is by promoting the use of gun locks. This investigation examined law enforcement officers9 willingness to use gun locks on their own guns, as well as their opinions regarding gun locks in general. Setting —Law enforcement officers from an urban agency in the southern region of the United States. Methods —Free keyed cable gun locks were distributed to all law enforcement officers in one agency who wanted one, and then an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted about their subsequent use of, and attitudes toward, these devices. Results —About half of the 207 officers collected gun locks (n=103). Nearly three quarters (73%) completed and returned the questionnaire. Two thirds reported that they were not using the gun lock they collected (65%), and over half disagreed that gun lock use should be required (56%). Very few cited any actual or potential technical problems with the device. An important reason given for non-use of gun locks related to being able to access the weapon quickly in case of an emergency. Conclusions —The findings highlight the need for further investigation into law enforcement officers9 attitudes toward gun locks, the degree to which their attitudes affect their firearm safety counseling, and the need to develop a gun safety device that can be disengaged quickly.
Trust in Testimony: Children's Use of True and False Statements

The extent to which young children monitor and use the truth of assertions to gauge the reliability of subsequent testimony was examined. Three- and 4-year-old children were presented with two informants, an accurate labeler and an inaccurate labeler. They were then invited to learn names for novel objects from these informants. The children correctly monitored and identified the informants on the basis of the truth of their prior labeling. Furthermore, children who explicitly identified the unreliable or reliable informant across two tasks went on to demonstrate selective trust in the novel information provided by the previously reliable informant. Children who did not consistently identify the unreliable or reliable informant proved indiscriminate.
Older adults with heel ulcers in the acute care setting: frequency of noninvasive vascular assessment, surgical intervention, and 1-year mortality.

Abstract Objectives To examine how often hospitalized older adults with a diagnosis of heel ulcers are evaluated with noninvasive vascular tests and to determine the impact of invasive vascular or surgical procedures on 1-year mortality. Design Retrospective review using an electronic database and chart review of all patients discharged with a diagnosis of heel ulcer between 2006 and 2009. Setting Urban teaching hospital. Participants A total of 506 participants aged 65 years and older. Measurements Data collected included resident characteristics (demographics, medical history, and severity of illness using the Charlson comorbidity index), staging of heel ulcers, rates of noninvasive vascular assessments, vascular and surgical procedures, length of stay, and 1-year mortality. Results Thirty-one percent (155/506) of patients with a heel ulcer underwent noninvasive vascular testing and of these 83% (129/155) were found to have underlying ischemia. Twenty-six percent (130/506) of patients underwent at least 1 vascular or surgical procedure. The 1-year mortality rate for patients with stage 1 or 2 disease was 55%; this rose to 70% for patients with stage 3 or 4 ulcers (P = .01), and could not be explained by differences in the Charlson comorbidity index. Patients who underwent a vascular or surgical procedure had a significantly lower mortality compared with those who did not (59% vs 68% P = .04). Conclusion Older adults with a heel ulcer in the acute care setting are frequently not assessed for underlying ischemia of the lower extremities. The diagnosis carries high 1-year mortality rates. Evidence-based protocols need to be developed to determine which older adults should have a vascular assessment and then undergo an invasive procedure.
The Next Level of Accurate Server Power Monitoring and Capping

Accurate server power monitoring is essential in extracting the maximum financial benefit of server performance in the capped environment. Capping power errors leave money on the table. A fully integrated solution has been developed double the measurement accuracy of server power monitoring. Some little known error sources will be discussed along with the methods for increasing measurement accuracy. Furthermore, advanced data processing such as true running averaging along with a variety of settings for energy metering provide important parts of the processing for advanced power capping strategies. Obtaining continuous, rapid power data is only handicapped by the popular I2C or PMBus used for these devices. Described is an alternate data path connection that bypasses normal bus limitations.
Quadratic Forms and Optimization

We now begin several applications of the theory developed in the last two chapters. In the present chapter we consider first the geometry of the solution sets of quadratic equations in n variables. These solution sets generalize ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas in two variables, and a classification of their geometry in n dimensions is given by the inertia of the coefficient matrix of the quadratic form. In the next section we treat the unconstrained quadratic optimization problem and show that a necessary and sufficient condition for a unique solution is that the coefficient matrix be definite. We then consider the special constrained optimization problem of a quadratic function on the unit sphere and show that the maximum and minimum are just the largest and smallest eigenvalues of the coefficient matrix. This leads to the famous min-max representation of the eigenvalues of a Hermitian matrix. In Section 4.3 we specialize the minimization problem to the very important least squares problem and give the basic result on the existence and uniqueness of a solution. Particular examples are the linear regression and polynomial approximation problems. Then we treat the least squares problem in a more general way and obtain a minimum norm solution in the case that the original problem has infinitely many solutions. We show that this minimum norm solution can be represented in terms of a generalized inverse based on the singular value decomposition.
Elastic Tasks: Unifying Task Parallelism and SPMD Parallelism with an Adaptive Runtime

In this paper, we introduce elastic tasks, a new high-level parallel programming primitive that can be used to unify task parallelism and SPMD parallelism in a common adaptive scheduling framework. Elastic tasks are internally parallel tasks and can run on a single worker or expand to take over multiple workers. An elastic task can be an ordinary task or an SPMD region that must be executed by one or more workers simultaneously, in a tightly coupled manner.
From Compassionate Conservatism to Calculated Indifference: Politics Takes Aim at America's Families

At one time, the United States was the ultimate destination for those seeking a better life, through education, work opportunities, and above all else, a place to raise their families in freedom and relative prosperity. We were the envy of the world, not only to those living in poverty and repression, but also to those from nations with comparable political and economic status. Times have changed. While those whose homelands offer little in the way of safety or advancement still yearn for our relatively calm shores, those of us fortunate enough to live in the United States and reap the benefits of our way of life are left wondering why, if not how, our core values appear to have so drastically changed. While many areas of life are tested by a revival of conservative fervor, none suffer from the consequences as much as the family unit, in all its forms. From new intrusions into privacy issues, to the prospect of financial destruction from caring for elderly and disabled loved ones, and, not least of all, literally taking food from the mouths of babes, families are both the direct and indirect targets of many of the current political goals. Many of these actions reflect a fairly recent and dramatic ideological change in the electorate, showing a significant shift toward the conservative. In the 2006 general election, 32 percent of voters self-identified as conservative, 47 percent moderate, and 20 percent liberal; while in 2010, those numbers were 41 percent conservative, 39 percent moderate, and a fairly constant 20 percent liberal. With this growing trend over the past two decades, one has to wonder, first, why there is this continuing shift right, and second, given what now looks like veiled agendas of many of those elected, did anyone really know what they were voting for? Most importantly, how did compassionate conservatism give way to dispassionate zealotry?After the introduction in Part I, Part II of this article analyzes some of the history of this nation that has influenced the development of not just individual rights but family units. This analysis focuses on immigration, religious tolerance, rights of same-sex couples, health care, and worker's rights. Part III examines the way a newly emboldened political philosophy fundamentally attacks these areas, theoretically identifying itself by fiscal restraint, but realistically abandoning the very family values it purports to support. Part IV and the conclusion seek to determine whether and how this nation can restore our natural rights to our citizens and pride in our country throughout the world.
Mechanotransduction and nuclear function

Many signaling pathways converge on the nucleus to regulate crucial nuclear events such as transcription, DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Although the vast majority of research in this area has focused on signals generated in response to hormones or other soluble factors, the nucleus also responds to mechanical forces. During the past decade or so, much has been learned about how mechanical force can affect transcription, as well as the growth and differentiation of cells. Much has also been learned about how force is transmitted via the cytoskeleton to the nucleus and then across the nuclear envelope to the nuclear lamina and chromatin. In this brief review, we focus on some of the key proteins that transmit mechanical signals across the nuclear envelope.