cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural and Biophysical Studies of Human PARP-1 in Complex with Damaged DNA

The enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a global monitor of chromatin structure and DNA damage repair. PARP-1 binds to nucleosomes and poly(ADP-ribosylates) histones and several chromatin-associated factors to expose specific DNA sequences to the cellular machinery involved in gene transcription and/or DNA damage repair. While these processes are critical to genomic stability, the molecular mechanisms of how DNA damage induces PARP-1 activation are poorly understood. We have used biochemical and thermodynamic measurements in conjunction with small-angle X-ray scattering to determine the stoichiometry, affinity, and overall structure of a human PARP-1 construct containing the entire DNA binding region, the zinc ribbon domain, and automodification domains (residues 1-486). The interaction of this PARP-1 protein construct with three different DNA damage models (DNA constructs containing a nick, a blunt end, or a 3' extension) was evaluated. Our data indicate that PARP-1 binds each DNA damage model as a monomer and with similar affinity, in all cases resulting in robust activation of the catalytic domain. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we determined that the N-terminal half of PARP-1 behaves as an extended and flexible arrangement of individually folded domains in the absence of DNA. Upon binding DNA, PARP-1 undergoes a conformational change in the area surrounding the zinc ribbon domain. These data support a model in which PARP-1, upon binding DNA, undergoes a conformational change to become an active nuclear enzyme.
Sensitivity to Instrumental Contingency Degradation Is Mediated by the Entorhinal Cortex and Its Efferents via the Dorsal Hippocampus

Previous studies have shown that electrolytic lesions of the dorsal hippocampus render the instrumental performance of rats insensitive to selective degradation of the action-outcome contingency (Corbit and Balleine, 2000). In the present experiments, we sought to replicate this finding and to examine the effects of excitotoxic lesions. In the first three experiments, rats with either electrolytic or NMDA lesions of the dorsal hippocampus and sham-lesioned controls were trained to press two levers, each of which delivered a unique food outcome, before their sensitivity to outcome devaluation and degradation of the instrumental contingency was assessed. Although we were able to replicate our original finding that electrolytic lesions of the dorsal hippocampus render rats insensitive to selective degradation of the instrumental contingency, NMDA lesions of the dorsal hippocampus had no effect. Neither lesion had any detectable effect on sensitivity to outcome devaluation. In experiment 4, we assessed the possibility that the effect of the electrolytic lesion resulted from damage to fibers originating in the retrohippocampal region (including both entorhinal cortex and subiculum) by examining the impact of bilateral NMDA-induced lesions of the retrohippocampus on the same tasks. Importantly, this lesion produced a deficit similar to that observed after electrolytic hippocampal lesions. The final experiment used a disconnection procedure to assess more directly whether damage to efferents from the retrohippocampal region, rather than the dorsal hippocampus itself, can account for the observed deficit. The data from these tests suggest that the deficits observed previously after electrolytic hippocampal lesions were the result of damage to entorhinal efferents.
Generalized Blind Mismatch Correction for a Two-Channel Time-Interleaved ADC: Analytic Approach

Time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters (TIADC) require mismatch calibration to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios. In this paper, we present a new blind technique for M=2 TIADC's with following properties: (1) correction of general mismatches as well as static gain and timing error, (2) unique multi-parameter identification under realistic assumptions, and (3) analytic error measure and gradient. The proposed method overcomes the limitation of traditional gain-timing mismatch model. Time-frequency transformation is eliminated by analytic approach, enhancing efficiency.
The relationship of marital adjustment to agoraphobia treatment outcome.

Abstract The relationship between marital adjustment and behavioral treatment of agoraphobia was examined for 42 agoraphobic women and their spouses. The husbands of 28 of these women were directly involved and active participants in the treatment process, while the spouses of the remaining 14 agoraphobics did not attend treatment sessions. Results revealed that level of pretreatment marital adjustment was independent of treatment outcome for agoraphobia and treatment-produced improvement in phobic symptomatology led to an overall improvement in marital satisfaction. Furthermore, no deleterious treatment effects on spouses' psychological functioning were evident. These data suggest that spouse involvement in treatment, the use of a graduated, exposure-based treatment and more effective communication patterns between marital partners may preclude the negative effects on treatment outcome from a preexisting problematic marriage as well as any negative impact on the marriage from improvement in the client's phobic symptomatology.
Solubilization, Partial Purification, and Properties of ?-Conotoxin Receptors Associated with Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels from Rat Brain Synaptosomes

These experiments provide a starting point for biochemical characterization of Ca channels from neuronal membranes, using omega-CgTX as a specific marker. The purification of the omega-CgTX receptors is far from complete. Each of the purification steps described results in only a two- to fivefold enrichment of the receptor proteins, and is accompanied by a loss of receptor concentration and stability, so the maximal specific activity achieved by a combination of these steps falls several orders of magnitude short of that of a large, homogeneous, active protein. Nevertheless, these studies have yielded important information about the omega-CgTX receptor. The Stokes' radius, determined from gel exclusion chromatography, is approximately 87 A, and the sedimentation coefficient, determined from sucrose gradient sedimentation, is approximately 19 S. These values are similar to those found for the DHP receptors solubilized in digitonin. We have also found that at least some of the omega-CgTX receptors have complex carbohydrate moieties that are recognized by WGA, together with evidence of heterogeneity of receptor glycosylation. Additionally, we have been able to use the solubilized, partially purified receptors in cross-linking experiments to tentatively identify the molecular weights of the omega-CgTX targets from rat brain. A large peptide of approximately 300 kDa, similar to that identified in photoaffinity studies, is very clearly labeled by the chemical incorporation of [125I]omega-CgTX into partially purified receptor preparations, but some ambiguity remains because of the faint labeling of peptides in the 120-170-kDa range. The approximately 300-kDa peptide is much larger than any single peptide component of DHP receptors from skeletal muscle, and it may be related to a molecular combination of the 170-kDa and 135-kDa subunits of the DHP receptor. Because [125I]omega-CgTX presumably labels both N- and L-type neuronal Ca channels, both channel types will probably be found in the purified preparations. Thus, at some time, it will be necessary to separate DHP-sensitive L-type channels from preparations of L- and N-type channels identified by omega-CgTX binding.
CALCULATING CONTINGENCIES IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS: ISSUES IN THE APPLICATION OF SEQUENTIAL ANALYSIS

Analysis and interpretation of behavior–environment relations are increasingly being conducted with data that have been derived descriptively. This paper provides an overview of the logic that underlies a sequential analytic approach to the analysis of descriptive data. Several methods for quantifying sequential relations are reviewed along with their strengths and weaknesses. Data from descriptive analyses are used to illustrate key points. Issues germane to contingency analysis in natural environments are discussed briefly. It is concluded that the conceptual distinctions among contiguity, contingency, and dependency are critical if the logic of sequential analysis is to be extended successfully to a behavior-analytic account of reinforcement in natural environments.
Designing incentives for wireless relay networks using tokens

This paper proposes a novel system design for wireless relay networks formed of self-interested users that relies on token exchanges. Our emphasis in this paper is on developing optimal designs for token systems to be deployed in relay networks. The optimal designs aim to maximize the probability that the relay transmission will be executed by transceivers whenever they are requested to provide such services. We prove that the efficiency of the relay network heavily depends on issuing the optimal amount of tokens rather than an arbitrary amount. We formulate the design problem of the token system as a bi-level optimization problem. In the inner level optimization problem, we determine the transceivers' incentive-compatible strategies (i.e. the strategies that maximize the transceivers' own utilities). We prove that these strategies exhibit a simple threshold structure. The outer level problem determines the optimal token amount, which maximizes the overall relay network efficiency. We prove that the optimal amount of tokens tokens needs to be neither too small nor too large and depends on the threshold that the self-interested transceivers adopt in the inner level problem.
Compositional variations caused by phenocryst sorting at Cerro Negro volcano, Nicaragua

Cerro Negro volcano in Nicaragua first erupted in 1850. It has erupted at least ten more times, the last in February 1971. It is therefore a polygenetic, parasitic cinder cone that may eventually evolve into a composite cone. Lavas produced during the five important eruptions since 1923 have been sampled. These recent lavas from Cerro Negro are unusually phenocryst-rich basalts (29%–43% phenocrysts by volume) with phenocrysts of plagioclase (An 96−85 ), olivine (Fo 81−72 ), clinopyroxene (En 45 Wo 38 Fs 16 - En 41 Wo 45 Fs 14 ), and subordinate titanian magnetites (Usp 16–20 ). All of the basalts have relatively high Al 2 O 3 and low K 2 O and other incompatible element contents. There have been gradual but significant changes in lava composition with time. All multiply sampled flows show significant intra-lava inhomogeneity. The Fe-Mg contents of analyzed olivines indicate disequilibrium between the olivines and host lavas. All of the inter-lava compositional variation, most of the mineral-lava disequilibrium, and most of the intra-lava inhomogeneity are the result of differential olivine and clinopyroxene accumulation during magma ascent. The magma originated from an essentially homogeneous magma chamber. Phenocrysts in the basalts could have experienced much of their growth during ascent. Ascent velocities were probably on the order of 10 1 –10 −5 cm/sec. Increasing efficiency of crystal settling with time suggests that a narrow feeder, probably a north-south oriented dike, may be widening beneath the cone.
Decoupling bandwidth, delay and burstiness of PFQ algorithm for QoS guarantee of a leaky bucket constraint traffic

Delay and bandwidth are important QoS parameters for connections sharing the output link. PFQ algorithms address various issues for handling those parameters. For a leaky bucket constraint traffic, burstiness is also an important characteristic. In this research, we propose a scheme on decoupling delay, bandwidth and burstiness. By doing that, those QoS parameters are guaranteed in a satisfactory degree.
Fast remote isosurface visualization with chessboarding

Isosurface rendering is a technique for viewing and understanding many large data sets from both science and engineering. With the advent of multi-gigabit-per-second network backbones such as Internet2 and fast local networking technology, scientists are looking at new ways to share and explore large data sets remotely. Telemedicine, which encompasses both videoconferencing and remote visualization is likely to be in widespread use with these advances. Despite the availability of increased bandwidth, two challenges remain. First, the time it takes to locate cells intersecting an isosurface of interest must be reduced for large data sets; a cell extraction technique that scales with data size is also critical. The second challenge has to do with the mitigating the effects of network latency on the overall isosurface visualization time. We present a remote isosurface visualization technique that addresses these two challenges. Isosurface extraction delays are reduced through the use of a search-optimized, chessboarded interval tree data structure on the disk. Network transport delays are reduced by sending cells extracted from the chessboarded data on the server, compressing it by about 87%. In addition, network transport delays are hidden effectively by overlapping data transport with server side functions. On a 100 Mbits/sec. switched LAN, the remote visualization time - the time between the issue of a query from the client side to the server and the displaying of a complete image on the client is only a few seconds for most isovalues in the well-known visible woman data set.
Real-time tumor tracking in the lung using an electromagnetic tracking system.

Purpose To describe the first use of the commercially available Calypso 4D Localization System in the lung. Methods and Materials Under an institutional review board-approved protocol and an investigational device exemption from the US Food and Drug Administration, the Calypso system was used with nonclinical methods to acquire real-time 4-dimensional lung tumor tracks for 7 lung cancer patients. The aims of the study were to investigate ( 1 ) the potential for bronchoscopic implantation; ( 2 ) the stability of smooth-surface beacon transponders (transponders) after implantation; and ( 3 ) the ability to acquire tracking information within the lung. Electromagnetic tracking was not used for any clinical decision making and could only be performed before any radiation delivery in a research setting. All motion tracks for each patient were reviewed, and values of the average displacement, amplitude of motion, period, and associated correlation to a sinusoidal model ( R 2 ) were tabulated for all 42 tracks. Results For all 7 patients at least 1 transponder was successfully implanted. To assist in securing the transponder at the tumor site, it was necessary to implant a secondary fiducial for most transponders owing to the transponder's smooth surface. For 3 patients, insertion into the lung proved difficult, with only 1 transponder remaining fixed during implantation. One patient developed a pneumothorax after implantation of the secondary fiducial. Once implanted, 13 of 14 transponders remained stable within the lung and were successfully tracked with the tracking system. Conclusions Our initial experience with electromagnetic guidance within the lung demonstrates that transponder implantation and tracking is achievable though not clinically available. This research investigation proved that lung tumor motion exhibits large variations from fraction to fraction within a single patient and that improvements to both transponder and tracking system are still necessary to create a clinical daily-use system to assist with actual lung radiation therapy.
Explaining America's Surge in Manufactured Exports, 1880–1913

The United States became a net exporter of manufactured goods around 1910 after a dramatic surge in iron and steel exports began in the mid-1890s. This paper argues that natural-resource abundance fueled the expansion of iron and steel exports in part by enabling a sharp reduction in the price of U.S. exports relative to other competitors. The commercial exploitation of the Mesabi iron ore range, for example, reduced domestic ore prices by 50% in the mid-1890s and was equivalent to over a decade's worth of industry productivity improvement in its effect on iron and steel export prices. The nontradability of American ore resulted in its distinctive impact on the pattern of U.S. trade. The results are consistent with Wright's (1990) finding that U.S. manufactured exports were natural-resource-intensive at this time.
Features and advantages of WME: A Web-based mathematics education system

An ongoing project creates a Web-based mathematics education (WME) system by an innovative combination of standard Web technologies. WME delivers classroom-ready lessons that are well-prepared, interesting, effective, as well as interoperable. Lesson pages contain easy to use special-purpose manipulatives to help students understand and explore mathematical concepts and skills through hands-on activities. Manipulatives are parameterized for easy customization and object-oriented for interoperability. Mathematics-oriented chat and bulletin boards facilitate communication and discussion. Additional features enable teachers to easily tailor lessons to suit the needs of their classes, to create and conduct assessments, and to help students overcome difficulties. A pilot project puts WME through in-class trials with a prototype site, a step towards a model WME site that can be easily deployed to different schools. WME has many advantages and the potential to create a Web for mathematics education, to foster a new paradigm for supporting and delivering mathematics education, and to help mathematics curricula improve exponentially.
Personal data vaults: a locus of control for personal data streams

The increasing ubiquity of the mobile phone is creating many opportunities for personal context sensing, and will result in massive databases of individuals' sensitive information incorporating locations, movements, images, text annotations, and even health data. In existing system architectures, users upload their raw (unprocessed or filtered) data streams directly to content-service providers and have little control over their data once they "opt-in". We present Personal Data Vaults (PDVs), a privacy architecture in which individuals retain ownership of their data. Data are routinely filtered before being shared with content-service providers, and users or data custodian services can participate in making controlled data-sharing decisions. Introducing a PDV gives users flexible and granular access control over data. To reduce the burden on users and improve usability, we explore three mechanisms for managing data policies: Granular ACL, Trace-audit and Rule Recommender. We have implemented a proof-of-concept PDV and evaluated it using real data traces collected from two personal participatory sensing applications.
Silicon micro-resonators for on-chip optical networks

Recent results on compact silicon photonic circuits employing micro-resonators is reported including optical delay lines, electro-optic modulators, broadband optical switches, wavelength filters, etc..
How to filter out random clickers in a crowdsourcing-based study?

Crowdsourcing-based user studies have become increasingly popular in information visualization (InfoVis) and visual analytics (VA). However, it is still unclear how to deal with some undesired crowdsourcing workers, especially those who submit random responses simply to gain wages (random clickers, henceforth). In order to mitigate the impacts of random clickers, several studies simply exclude outliers, but this approach has a potential risk of losing data from participants whose performances are extreme even though they participated faithfully. In this paper, we evaluated the degree of randomness in responses from a crowdsourcing worker to infer whether the worker is a random clicker. Thus, we could reliably filter out random clickers and found that resulting data from crowdsourcing-based user studies were comparable with those of a controlled lab study. We also tested three representative reward schemes (piece-rate, quota, and punishment schemes) with four different levels of compensations ($0.00, $0.20, $1.00, and $4.00) on a crowdsourcing platform with a total of 1,500 crowdsourcing workers to investigate the influences that different payment conditions have on the number of random clickers. The results show that higher compensations decrease the proportion of random clickers, but such increase in participation quality cannot justify the associated additional costs. A detailed discussion on how to optimize the payment scheme and amount to obtain high-quality data economically is provided.
Optimal Approximation of the Impulse Response of Wireless Channels by Stochastic Differential Equations

Wireless communication networks are characterized by nodes and scatters mobility which make the propagation environment time-varying and subject to fading. These variations are captured by random time-varying impulse responses. The latter are fairly general finite energy functions of both time and space that cannot be specified by a finite number of parameters. In this letter, we show that the impulse responses can be approximated in a mean square sense as close as desired by impulse responses that can be realized by stochastic differential equations (SDEs). The behaviors of the SDEs are characterized by small finite dimensional parameter sets.
WAIS-III and WMS-III performance in chronic Lyme disease.

There is controversy regarding the nature and degree of intellectual and memory deficits in chronic Lyme disease. In this study, 81 participants with rigorously diagnosed chronic Lyme disease were administered the newest revisions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III), and compared to 39 nonpatients. On the WAIS-III, Lyme disease participants had poorer Full Scale and Performance IQ's. At the subtest level, differences were restricted to Information and the Processing Speed subtests. On the WMS-III, Lyme disease participants performed more poorly on Auditory Immediate, Immediate, Auditory Delayed, Auditory Recognition Delayed, and General Memory indices. Among WMS-III subtests, however, differences were restricted to Logical Memory (immediate and delayed) and Family Pictures (delayed only), a Visual Memory subtest. Discriminant analyses suggest deficits in chronic Lyme are best characterized as a combination of memory difficulty and diminished processing speed. Deficits were modest, between one-third and two-thirds of a standard deviation, consistent with earlier studies. Depression severity had a weak relationship to processing speed, but little other association to test performance. Deficits in chronic Lyme disease are consistent with a subtle neuropathological process affecting multiple performance tasks, although further work is needed to definitively rule out nonspecific illness effects. (JINS, 2006, 12, 119–129.)
Mars: Troughed terrain

An assemblage of huge parallel troughs, individually up to 200 km wide and hundreds of kilometers long, forms a belt 500 km wide extending for 2700 km E 15°S through the Tithonius Lacus-Coprates region of equatorial Mars. Some troughs are closed depressions more than 3 km deep, and the maximum trough depth may approach 6 km. These troughs, heading just southeast of the huge Tharsis volcanic ridge, are transitional westward into a festoon of U-shaped hollows and eastward into chaotic and fretted terrain. Parallel linear chains of rimless pits and shallow graben on the adjacent cratered upland suggest structural control of trough development by fractures in the Martian crust. Trough walls show scarring by slides, slumps, and U-shaped avalanche chutes. Some are dissected into narrow sharp anastomosing ridges reminiscent of badland topography. Dendritic tributaries extend 150 km into the bordering upland. These tributaries and the mass movements causing recession of trough walls are attributed to a sapping process possibly involving the evaporation or melting of exposed ground ice. Trough floors range from chaotically rough to rolling and subdued. They are not smoothly graded. In one instance layered materials, possibly 2 km thick, compose a dissected trough floor tableland. Most troughs may be partly filled by such deposits. The major problem of trough genesis involves disposal of about 2 × 10^6 km^3 of material. Running water, solution, deflation, and ground ice deterioration all appear to have significant limitations as the sole or principal agent of trough formation. Subsidence caused by magma withdrawal to supply the extensive nearby volcanic fields or the spreading of crustal plates are both quantitatively adequate. Crustal spreading would have significant implications concerning the conditions and the behavior of the Martian interior, and the lack of any obvious subduction zones would imply planetary expansion. In our ignorance concerning Mars both magma withdrawal and crustal spreading merit continued consideration in respect to trough formation, with some favor to the former because of the obvious large-scale Martian volcanism. Ground ice may have played a significant subsidiary role through sapping to produce extensive recession of trough walls.
Relational representation for improved decisions with an information-theoretic CADe system: initial experience

Our previously presented information-theoretic computer-aided detection (IT-CADe) system for distinguishing masses and normal parenchyma in mammograms is an example of a case-based system. IT-CAD makes decisions by evaluating the querys average similarity with known mass and normal examples stored in the systems case base. Pairwise case similarity is measured in terms of their normalized mutual information. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether incorporating a new machine learning concept of relational representation to IT-CAD is a more effective strategy than the decision algorithm that is currently in place. A trainable relational representation classifier builds a decision rule using the relational representation of cases. Instead of describing a case by a vector of intrinsic features, the case is described by its NMI-based similarity to a set of known examples. For this study, we first applied random mutation hill climbing algorithm to select the concise set of knowledge cases and then we applied a support vector machine to derive a decision rule using the relational representation of cases. We performed the study with a database of 600 mammographic regions of interest (300 with masses and 300 with normal parenchyma). Our experiments indicate that incorporating the concept of relational representation with a trainable classifier to IT-CAD provides an improvement in performance as compared with the original decision rule. Therefore, relational representation is a promising strategy for IT-CADe.
Myocardial remodeling after discrete radiofrequency injury: effects of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene deletion

Discrete myocardial lesions created through the delivery of radiofrequency (RF) energy can expand; however, the mechanisms have not been established. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an import...
1984 to Brazil: From the pessimism of reality to the hope of dreams

The 1985 film Brazil has several direct parallels to George Orwell's 1984. To understand these parallels, a narrative analysis of the values implied in each vision is undertaken. The means by which Brazil resists cooptation by the dominant 1984 is discussed in light of the value analysis. The explicit connections to 1984 and the ironic nature of Brazil are seen as the means by which the film's independence is maintained and its somewhat more optimistic message preserved through a process of contextual reconstruction.
Cost-utility analysis of salvage cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children

Background Indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy have expanded to include cardiopulmonary arrest and support after congenital heart surgery. Data from a national registry have reported that cardiac patients have the poorest survival of all extracorporeal membrane oxygenation recipients. Concerns have been raised about the appropriateness of such an aggressive strategy, especially in light of the high costs and potential for long-term neurologic disability. We reviewed our experience with salvage cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to determine the cost-utility, which accounts for both costs and quality of life. Methods Medical records of patients with congenital heart disease receiving salvage cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between January 2000 and May 2004 were reviewed. Charges for all medical care after the institution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were determined and converted to costs by published standards. The quality-of-life status of survivors was determined with the Health Utilities Index Mark II. Results Salvage cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was instituted in 32 patients (18 for cardiopulmonary arrest and 14 for cardiac failure after heart surgery) at a median age of 2.0 months (range, 4 days to 5.1 years). Congenital heart disease was present in 27 (84%). The mean duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was 5.1 ± 4.1 days. Survival to hospital discharge was 50%, including 1 patient bridged to heart transplantation. Survival to 1 year was 47%. The mean score of the Health Utilities Index for the survivors was 0.75 ± 0.19 (range, 0.41–1.0). The median cost for hospital stay after the institution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was $156,324 per patient. The calculated cost-utility for salvage extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in this population was $24,386 per quality-adjusted life-year saved, which would be considered within the range of accepted cost-efficacy ( Conclusions Salvage cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation results in reasonable survival and is justified on a cost-utility basis.
VERIFYING ACCURACY OF REGIONAL MODELS USED IN TRANSPORTATION AND AIR QUALITY PLANNING: CASE STUDY IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, REGION

Model validation involves the comparison of model forecasts with observed data that are not used in model development to identify model prediction capabilities. In this study, the historical forecasting method of validation is applied to the original version of the Sacramento, California, regional travel demand model (estimated with 1991 data) with observed data obtained in 2000 to test the accuracy of the model over a 9-year period. Two simulations were used to test the model's accuracy and its representation of induced travel. The results indicate that the model's functional forms and parameters overestimate vehicle miles traveled, hours traveled, and hours of delay (by 5.7%, 4.2%, and 17.1%, respectively) and that the model captures about half of estimated induced travel (i.e., elasticity of 0.14 versus 0.22). It appears that if the model were used for air quality analyses in this region, its overestimation of daily vehicle travel would provide a relatively generous margin of error with respect to meeting emissions budgets. However, in environmental impact statements for new highway projects, the model's upward bias would tend to overestimate no-build travel demand and congestion and, thus, the need for the projects. Compared with the no-build alternative, the magnitude of change for the highway alternative would have to be greater than the model error to be considered significantly different.
Randomized Trial Comparing Telephone Versus In-Person Weight Loss Counseling on Body Composition and Circulating Biomarkers in Women Treated for Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition (LEAN) Study

PurposeObesity is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer mortality. The gold standard approach to weight loss is in-person counseling, but telephone counseling may be more feasible. We examined the effect of in-person versus telephone weight loss counseling versus usual care on 6-month changes in body composition, physical activity, diet, and serum biomarkers.MethodsOne hundred breast cancer survivors with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to in-person counseling (n = 33), telephone counseling (n = 34), or usual care (UC) (n = 33). In-person and telephone counseling included 11 30-minute counseling sessions over 6 months. These focused on reducing caloric intake, increasing physical activity, and behavioral therapy. Body composition, physical activity, diet, and serum biomarkers were measured at baseline and 6 months.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 59 ± 7.5 years old, with a mean BMI of 33.1 ± 6.6 kg/m2, and the mean time from diagnosis was 2.9 ± 2.1 years. Fifty-one perc...
Low Energy Mesons in the Atmosphere

The dependence on altitude of the intensity of slow mesons, mesons with ranges less than 100 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, has been measured by the method of delayed coincidences for atmospheric depths down to 250 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The intensity at this depth is thirty times that at sea level, and the variation with the depth $x$ is approximately as $\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{x}{\ensuremath{\alpha}})$ where $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is 220 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The differential range spectrum of mesons at sea level has been measured by the same method for ranges between 10 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and 200 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The spectrum is nearly flat in this interval, the value at the lower limit being 0.9 of that at the upper limit. The data which are available in the literature have been examined to obtain the differential range spectrum of mesons whose ranges are greater than 100 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and less than 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{4}$ g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, and to obtain the variation with altitude of the intensity of fast mesons\char22{}mesons with ranges greater than 100 g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$.
Central Nervous System Multiparameter Optimization Desirability: Application in Drug Discovery

Significant progress has been made in prospectively designing molecules using the central nervous system multiparameter optimization (CNS MPO) desirability tool, as evidenced by the analysis reported herein of a second wave of drug candidates that originated after the development and implementation of this tool. This simple-to-use design algorithm has expanded design space for CNS candidates and has further demonstrated the advantages of utilizing a flexible, multiparameter approach in drug discovery rather than individual parameters and hard cutoffs of physicochemical properties. The CNS MPO tool has helped to increase the percentage of compounds nominated for clinical development that exhibit alignment of ADME attributes, cross the blood–brain barrier, and reside in lower-risk safety space (low ClogP and high TPSA). The use of this tool has played a role in reducing the number of compounds submitted to exploratory toxicity studies and increasing the survival of our drug candidates through regulatory tox...
Twombly's Seismic Disturbances

The Supreme Court’s decision in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), has had a seismic impact on federal civil litigation. We all thought the notice pleading concept introduced under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure had substantially eased the plaintiff’s burden at the pleading stage. The Supreme Court in Twombly said “yes, but,” and emphasized that notice pleading was never intended to dispense entirely with the need to plead facts demonstrating a right to relief. In short, facts matter: Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires a statement of circumstances, events, and occurrences in support of the claim presented.
Sperm Maturation in Ticks: An Example of Capacitation in Invertebrates?

Capacitation (physiologic changes of spermatozoa occurring between insemination and fertilization) in certain mammals was first reported by Austin (1951) and Chang (1951). Since then many papers have dealt with capacitation in several species of mammals and one with it in frogs (Shivers and James, 1970). Spermatozoa of many invertebrates may capacitate in the female before penetrating ova, although this possibility has apparently been ignored by most biologists. Capacitation has not been reported for a single invertebrate. Perhaps the reason for this is that most workers researching on capacitation are unfamiliar with invertebrate reproduction and/or a rather narrow concept of capacitation held by some persons. Moreover, many students of reproduction in invertebrates are unaware of capacitation in mammals. Clearly, some dramatic changes occur in spermatozoa of certain invertebrates between insemination and fertilization. Our purpose here is to cite a few examples of these changes in arthropods and to emphasize and further explain some of these changes in tick spermatozoa.
Bleeding diverticula of the thoracic esophagus

Bleeding from diverticula of the thoracic esophagus can occur. An instance of pulsion diverticulum and an instance of traction diverticulum of the esophagus, which were apparently the cause of anemia, are reported. Both cases were treated by surgical excision of the diverticula.
SF5-Substituted Aromatic Heterocycles

Abstract The review contains a comprehensive analysis of all examples related to the synthesis, reactions, and biological assay of SF 5 -substituted aromatic heterocycles that were available in scientific literature and patents through the end of 2015. The review is divided into three major sections with each representing one of the three known methods for the synthesis of SF 5 -substituted heterocycles—starting from SF 5 -substituted benzenes, from SF 5 Cl (SF 5 Br) or by oxidative fluorination of heterocyclic sulfur substituent.
Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy

In August 1944, the Welsh surgeon Ivor Lewis (1895–1982) described a two-staged esophagectomy, including a laparotomy followed by a right-sided thoracotomy, and an immediate intrathoracic gastroesophageal anastomosis. Because this approach advocated immediate rather than delayed reconstruction and also involved two standardized incisions, the Ivor Lewis procedure gained immediate popularity and is now the most commonly utilized approach for esophageal resection worldwide. The evolution of surgical technology has led to the description of hybrid, total, minimally invasive, and robotic approaches.
Characterization of Cross-Linked Actin Filament Gels and Bundles Using Birefringence and Polarized Light Scattering

Fundamental processes in the life of Dictyostelium, such as locomotion, endocytosis, cytokinesis, and morphogenesis, are mediated by the actin cytoskeleton, which is composed of actin, myosins, and numerous actin-binding proteins. An understanding of these processes at the molecular level will require characterization of the structure, function, and dynamics of the actin and actin-binding proteins both in vivo and in vitro. Dictyostelium has more than a dozen actin cross-linking proteins that can mediate the formation of isotropic actin gels and/or anisotropic actin bundles. We describe the use of transmitted polarized light and polarized light scattering in studies of actin and actin-binding proteins during formation of nematic, gelled, or bundled structures. These methods have allowed quantitative studies of the effects of actin filament length, the concentration of actin, and the concentration of the cross-linking protein on the formation of cross-linked actin structures. Such methods hold great promise for characterization of novel cross-linking proteins, and for interpretation of phenotypes from strains lacking or expressing altered forms of these proteins. These methods are also applicable to studies of other systems such as the interactions of microtubules and microtubule associated proteins.
Three Mile Island

General Public Utility (GPU) developed a two unit nuclear power plant on Three Mile Island in the Susquehanna River, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The plant’s nuclear steam system and reactor were designed and built by Babcock & Wilcox, a longtime vendor in the fossil power arena, but a latecomer to the commercial nuclear power field. A series of small, but additive mechanical failures and operational errors in the TMI Unit 2 reactor gave rise to the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history. The simplistic training of the operators combined with inadequate preparation and ignorance of water-steam attributes significantly contributed to the accident. Public uncertainty and concern about the event was increased by the utility’s initial disjointed response, as well as the fragmented flow of information between the utility, government officials, and the NRC. While the accident produced enormous financial repercussions, the health of the local populace was maintained by the plants containment structure. The TMI accident spurred significant changes in the training, communication, and regulatory oversight of the commercial nuclear industry in the US.
The Linear Ordinary Equation of Order n

The examples in Chapters I and II have introduced special methods for finding exact solutions of some special equations. Generally speaking, the discovery of exact solutions of a differential equation (when this is possible) does depend upon the use of ad hoc methods or tricks, often requiring considerable ingenuity.
Lamin B1 is required for mature neuron-specific gene expression during olfactory sensory neuron differentiation

B-type lamins are major constituents of the nuclear lamina in all metazoan cells, yet have specific roles in the development of certain cell types. Although they are speculated to regulate gene expression in developmental contexts, a direct link between B-type lamins and developmental gene expression in an in vivo system is currently lacking. Here, we identify lamin B1 as a key regulator of gene expression required for the formation of functional olfactory sensory neurons. By using targeted knockout in olfactory epithelial stem cells in adult mice, we show that lamin B1 deficient neurons exhibit attenuated response to odour stimulation. This deficit can be explained by decreased expression of genes involved in mature neuron function, along with increased expression of genes atypical of the olfactory lineage. These results support that the broadly expressed lamin B1 regulates expression of a subset of genes involved in the differentiation of a specific cell type.
A Method to Protect Mine Workers in Hot and Humid Environments.

Abstract Background Work comfort studies have been extensively conducted, especially in the underground and meteorological fields resulting in an avalanche of recommendations for their evaluation. Nevertheless, no known or universally accepted model for comprehensively assessing the thermal work condition of the underground mine environment is currently available. Current literature presents several methods and techniques, but none of these can expansively assess the underground mine environment since most methods consider only one or a few defined factors and neglect others. Some are specifically formulated for the built and meteorological climates, thus making them unsuitable to accurately assess the climatic conditions in underground development and production workings. Methods This paper presents a series of sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of environmental parameters and metabolic rate on the thermal comfort for underground mining applications. An approach was developed in the form of a “comfort model” which applied comfort parameters to extensively assess the climatic conditions in the deep, hot, and humid underground mines. Results Simulation analysis predicted comfort limits in the form of required sweat rate and maximum skin wettedness. Tolerable worker exposure times to minimize thermal strain due to dehydration are predicted. Conclusion The analysis determined the optimal air velocity for thermal comfort to be 1.5 m/s. The results also identified humidity to contribute more to deviations from thermal comfort than other comfort parameters. It is expected that this new approach will significantly help in managing heat stress issues in underground mines and thus improve productivity, safety, and health.
Impact of sleep restriction on local immune response and skin barrier restoration with and without “multinutrient” nutrition intervention

The data herein characterizes immune function in response to sleep restriction in healthy volunteers with and without nutrition supplementation. We used a unique skin wound model to show that sleep...
Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Metastases

Publisher Summary The capacity to use diagnostic imaging for detection of primary malignancy and metastases is essential for therapeutic management of most cancer patients. This is particularly true for cancer entities, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and malignant melanoma, which often metastasize to different organ systems, including liver, lungs, brain, adrenal glands, lymph nodes, and bones. Therapeutic strategies often depend on the extent of disease and on whether distant organ systems have been affected. A strong motivation for continued development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications in tumor assessment is the achievement of higher diagnostic accuracy relative to CT and partially also to PET/CT. This is mainly due to the considerable soft tissue contrast obtained with MRI. Thus, detection and characterization of tumor lesions is most accurate in most organ systems, including the brain, liver, and other abdominal and pelvic organs. MRI is sensitive for the detection of metastatic osseous lesions and is able to detect even small pulmonary nodules. Magnetic resonance imaging also avoids exposure to ionizing radiation, and intravenous MR exogenous contrast agents are not associated with the same risk of nephrotoxicity as exists for iodinated CT contrast agents. Whole-body MRI has become an accurate means for the detection of disease throughout the entire body. Technical advances including remote movement of the imaging table, the use of specialized surface coils, and high image quality T l w 3D GRE sequences have rendered whole-body screening with MRI a viable method.
The United States Money Stock: Changing Definitions

This chapter discusses money stock in United States. Money can be defined theoretically in terms of its functions as a medium of exchange, measure of value, standard for deferred payment, and liquid store of value. But the empirical definition must focus upon what serves as money. This definition must, of necessity, vary over time and space, as the things that function as money differ in different places and times. The proper definition of money eludes economists. The a priori or theoretical approach is unable to segregate assets according to the medium of exchange and store of value functions, which overlap in different monetary assets. The empirical approach, which tries to define money according to which aggregate best correlates with general economic activity, is also unable to isolate a single definition that is good for all times and places. As a result, economists and policy makers must exercise considerable judgment in deciding upon which definition to use for the purpose at hand. In a money economy, as distinct from a barter economy, acts of purchase are separated from acts of sale. To be sure, separation of these acts cannot be accomplished without a generally accepted medium of exchange, but it is also true that during the interval of time between a sale and a purchase there must be some liquid asset—some temporary abode of purchasing power, to use one of Friedman's favorite phrases—to serve sellers before they turn into buyers. This feature of money is also one of its essential functions.