cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RUNNING MACHINES: MUSCLES IN LIVING ANIMALS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the muscles in living animals. Muscles are the biological machines that convert chemical energy into force. If a muscle shortens while generating force, it performs mechanical work. On the other hand, if a muscle's length is unchanged while it generates force, for example, during stabilization of a joint, it performs no work because the distance over which the force is exerted is zero. Also, if a muscle is stretched while it generates force, for example, when an animal lands during a stride, the work becomes negative because the distance is negative. Muscles consume energy during all of three types of muscular activities, and the efficiency with which they convert chemical energy into mechanical work goes from a positive number when the muscle shortens to zero when length is unchanged to a negative value when it is stretched. Under optimal conditions vertebrate striated muscles can be quite efficient machines. As a general rule, they are able to convert about 25% of the chemical energy stored in carbohydrates, lipids, or proteins into mechanical work.
The differences between dental and medical care: implications for dental benefit plan design.

ABSTRACT Background Dental benefit plans have grown since they were introduced in the 1960s. More than one-half of the American population is covered by a private dental benefit plan today. In general, these plans have been designed to mirror medical insurance plans, despite the fact that dental care is significantly different from medical care. The author discusses the differences and how they should influence dental benefit plan design. Conclusions The differences between dental care and medical care, how oral diseases are treated, the diseases' natural histories without treatment and the organization of the dental profession compared with that of the medical profession require that dental benefit plans be designed differently than medical insurance plans if they are to be effective. The operation of dental and medical plans requires different mind-sets. Implications If they are to be effective, dental benefit plans and attempts to control the costs of those plans must be designed with the specific nature of oral diseases and the organization of the dental profession in mind.
Amazonopsis, an unusual new genus of riffle beetle from South America with two new species (Coleoptera, Elmidae, Elminae).

Amazonopsisgen. n. is described to include A.theranyisp. n. from Peru, Venezuela and French Guiana, and A.camachoisp. n. from Venezuela. The descriptions are accompanied by figures illustrating the male and female habitus of A.theranyi, the male habitus of A.camachoi, and male genitalia of both species. Amazonopsistheranyi exhibits pronounced secondary sexual dimorphism which likewise may be a characteristic of the genus. Amazonopsis males have modified protarsal and mesotarsal claws, a pair of small spines on the anterior prosternum, and a pair of ventrally directed processes on the posterior metaventrite. Females of A.theranyi display a pair of unique, oval perforations in the cuticle of the pronotum and have unmodified claws; females of A.camachoi are unknown. Descriptions are furnished of the stream habitats and microhabitats where the study specimens were collected.
A Notched Ring Fracture Toughness Test for Ceramics

This paper describes a new method of measuring the fracture toughness of brittle materials that uses internal pressurization of an externally edge-notched ring specimen to generate an accurately known stress state. Stress intensity calibrations derived by finite element analysis are presented for three ring geometries. The results obtained when one geometry was investigated experimentally are shown to be consistent with the analytical solution. Values of KIC obtained using the new test method are given for quartz and zinc sulfide.
Lifetime Transfers Can Reduce New York Estate Taxes

This Article explains how the making of lifetime transfers can reduce the New York estate tax burden, thereby increasing the benefits for decedents’ beneficiaries. The Article focuses on lifetime transfers made close to death for decedents who are New York residents at death. The Article provides a brief explanation of the New York estate tax system, examples of when the New York estate tax will be imposed, and an explanation of the relationship between New York estate tax and federal estate tax systems. The author also provides lifetime planning strategies to reduce the New York Estate tax, including brief rules of thumb for reducing New York estate taxes.
Life Care Planning – a Practical Illustration

Life care planning is a method of estimating future care costs for patients with catastrophic disabilities. The life care planner determines an annual budget for care, including further medical and rehabilitative interventions, durable medical goods, disposable medical goods and supplies, and recreational equipment. After determining an annual budget, the life care planner must use scientifically sound methods of determining the patient's life expectancy in order to create a lifetime budget.
Using mirror-image peptides to enhance robustness and reproducibility in studying the amyloid β-protein.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is a devastating disease that affects over 44 million people worldwide. One etiological agent of Alzheimer’s, the amyloid β-protein (Aβ), is an aggregation-prone, intrinsically disordered peptide that can form a wide variety of aggregates. The pathways by which Aβ aggregates in order to exert its toxicity, referred to as the Amyloid Cascade, remains largely elusive despite substantial deconvolution efforts. Preparing high-quality material that exhibits reproducible biophysical characteristics has proven challenging. Herein, we propose that mirror-image peptides can be used to rigorously control Aβ preparation quality.
Prexasertib treatment induces homologous recombination deficiency and synergizes with olaparib in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Breast cancer remains as one of the most lethal types of cancer in women. Among various subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and hard to treat type of breast cancer. Mechanistically, increased DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoint activation remain as the foremost reasons behind TNBC tumor resistance to chemotherapy and disease recurrence. We evaluated the mechanism of prexasertib-induced regulation of homologous recombination (HR) proteins using 20S proteasome inhibitors and RT-PCR. HR efficiency and DNA damages were evaluated using Dr-GFP and comet assays. DNA morphology and DNA repair focus studies were analyzed using immunofluorescence. UALCAN portal was used to evaluate the expression of RAD51 and survival probability based on tumor stage, subtype, and race in breast cancer patients. Our results show that prexasertib treatment promotes both post-translational and transcriptional mediated regulation of BRCA1 and RAD51 proteins. Additionally, prexasertib-treated TNBC cells revealed over 55% reduction in HR efficiency compared to control cells. Based on these results, we hypothesized that prexasertib treatment induced homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and thus should synergize with PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in TNBC cells. As predicted, combined treatment of prexasertib and PARPi olaparib increased DNA strand breaks, γH2AX foci, and nuclear disintegration relative to single-agent treatment. Further, the prexasertib and olaparib combination was synergistic in multiple TNBC cell lines, as indicated by combination index (CI) values. Analysis of TCGA data revealed elevated RAD51 expression in breast tumors compared to normal breast tissues, especially in TNBC subtype. Interestingly, there was a discrepancy in RAD51 expression in racial groups, with African-American and Asian breast cancer patients showing elevated RAD51 expression compared to Caucasian breast cancer patients. Consistent with these observations, African-American and Asian TNBC patients show decreased survival. Based on these data, RAD51 could be a biomarker for aggressive TNBC and for racial disparity in breast cancer. As positive correlation exists between RAD51 and CHEK1 expression in breast cancer, the in vitro preclinical data presented here provides additional mechanistic insights for further evaluation of the rational combination of prexasertib and olaparib for improved outcomes and reduced racial disparity in TNBC.
Low-cost, smartphone-based frequency doubling technology visual field testing using a head-mounted display

Background Current visual field screening machines are bulky and expensive, limiting their accessibility, affordability and use. We report the design and evaluation of a novel, portable, cost-effective system for glaucoma screening using smartphone-based visual field screening using frequency doubling technology (FDT) and a head-mounted display. Methods Nineteen eyes of 10 subjects with new-onset or chronic primary open angle glaucoma were tested and compared with the Humphrey Zeiss FDT and the newly developed Mobile Virtual Perimetry (MVP) FDT with the C-20 testing pattern. Mann-Whitney, Bland-Altman and linear regression analyses were performed to assess statistical difference, agreement and correlation, respectively, between the two devices. Results The average age of the participants was 58±15 years. No statistically significant difference was found between the MVP FDT and the Humphrey Zeiss FDT (p>0.05). Bland-Altman and linear regression analyses demonstrated good agreement and correlation between the two devices. Conclusion The MVP FDT is a low-cost, portable visual field screening device that produces comparable results to the Humphrey Zeiss FDT and may be used as an easily accessible screening tool for glaucoma.
Effects of plane of nutrition, growth hormone and unsaturated fat on mammary growth in prepubertal lambs.

Effects of plane of nutrition, growth hormone treatment and dietary polyunsaturated fat on mammary development were assessed in prepubertal ewe lambs. Ten lambs (15.6 kg initial body weight) were assigned to each of four treatment groups. Treatments included: (A) lambs given ad libitum access to a high-energy ration; (G) fed as group A but injected s.c. daily with bovine growth hormone (.08 mg/kg BW); (R) feed intake restricted to achieve a growth rate of about 120 g/d; and (S) given ad libitum access to a ration including a formaldehyde-protected sunflower seed supplement. Diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric and were fed from about 7 to 22 wk of age. At slaughter, the udder was removed and divided into halves. One udder half was trimmed and the parenchyma was dissected from surrounding stroma for compositional analyses. Final body weight and rate of gain averaged 41.2, 42.8, 27.3 and 46.0 kg, and 251, 267, 112 and 311 g/d for groups A, G, R and S, respectively. In the same treatment order, mammary parenchymal weight averaged 15.3, 20.3, 14.2 and 25.6 g. Parenchymal dry, fat-free tissue and DNA content were 1.7, 2.5, 1.3 g and 12.6, 24.1, 10.4 and 18.8 mg, respectively. Mammary parenchymal development was stimulated by polyunsaturated fat but was not affected by plane of nutrition. Supplemental dietary lipid may promote mammogenesis in ruminants.
ATP Synthase: Energy Generating Machinery in Cells

ATP synthase is an enzyme that drives the formation of ATP from ADP and Pi. It is a molecular rotary motor composed of F1 and Fo subunits and couples ATP synthesis during cellular respiration to an electrochemical gradient created by differences in proton concentration across mitochondrial membranes. In the mitochondria, proton is pumped across the inner mitochondrial membrane as electrons traveled through the electron transport chain. This results in a proton gradient, lowering the pH in the intermembrane space and elevated pH in the mitochondrial matrix. The proton gradient and membrane potential are the proton motive force that drives ATP synthesis.
Spectral study of the linearized Boltzmann operator in L^2 spaces with polynomial and Gaussian weights

The aim of this paper is to extend to the spaces L^2(R^d , (1+|v|)^2k dv) the spectral study led in L^2(R^d , exp(|v|^2/2)dv) by R. Ellis and M. Pinsky on the space inhomogeneous linearized Boltzmann operator for hard spheres. More precisely, we look at the Fourier transform in the space variable of the inhomogeneous operator and consider the dual Fourier variable as a fixed parameter. We then perform a precise study of this operator for small frequencies (by seeing it as a perturbation of the homogeneous one) and also for large frequencies from spectral and semigroup point of views. Our approach is based on perturbation theory for linear operators as well as enlargement arguments from M.P. Gualdani, S. Mischler and C. Mouhot.
Clinical Trials in the COVID-19 Era: A breakdown of FDA Guidance and Future Considerations

Clinical trials that involve medical products are critical to advancing treatments in any medical field and are designed with careful thought and attention to detail. These details include careful assessment of safety parameters from patient safety visits, lab work and deliberately placed screening parameters. Meticulous planning for primary, secondary and correlative outcomes is completed by the study team and the biostatisticians involved in each study design. These precise measures are then methodically written as a clinical trial protocol and submitted to regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) often as an Investigational Drug Application (IND) and also submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) so that a study can have the appropriate regulatory approval to be tested for the desired outcome. The Principal Investigator (PI) and study team are required to follow these protocols and regulatory requirements with exactitude to maintain clinical trial integrity. While there are many models projecting variances in the timeframe of this pandemic, it is very possible that these modifications will be in place for months/years to come in varying intensities, so it is imperative that we understand them if we participate in clinical trials moving forward.
Poetry in TESOL Teacher Education: A Chinese Teacher’s Identity Negotiation and Reconstruction Before and During the Pandemic

This case study explores how Meili (pseudonym), a pre-service teacher in a TESOL and World Language Education program, negotiated and reconstructed her identity as a multilingual graduate student in her emergent bilingual poems through two poetry classes offered in spring 2018 and summer 2019. Her reflections and stories in the interviews are analyzed under the framework of arts-based research. The findings point out that this non-English native multilingual teacher negotiated and reconstructed her emerging teacher-poet identity through bilingual poetry in three main ways: (a) she challenged the long-existing norms and judgments set by her English monolingual peers by bringing her multilingual voice in her English poems, (b) she combined her personal experiences as a multilingual international student in the U.S. to reconstruct an ideal identity that she aspires to as a pre-service teacher, and (c) she used translingual creative writing to exhibit and expand her linguistic and cultural repertoires which contribute to the ongoing construction of her teacher-poet identity. This analysis has implications for poetry and other arts-based approaches to be included in TESOL teacher education to help pre-service and in-service teachers from diverse backgrounds disrupt problematic norms in the field during and after the pandemic. The affordance of poetry also enables multilingual teachers to mediate and reshape their desired teacher identity through their poem writing combined with their life experiences. Keywords: TESOL, teacher education, multilingual teachers, pre-service teachers, poetry
Coaching Today’s Auditors: What Causes Reviewers to Adopt a more Developmental Approach

Audit workpaper review is a quality control mechanism intended to detect preparer errors in the short-term and professionally develop preparers in the long-term. How contextual factors in the current audit environment motivate reviewers to professionally develop (or not develop) their preparers is unclear. Furthermore, whether the error detection and professional development tasks complement or compete is unknown. In this study, we investigate whether the preparer’s office affiliation (local versus international) and the likelihood of preparer recurrence affect whether reviewers focus on professional development in their review approach. We find that reviewers adopt a more developmental approach when reviewing workpapers completed by local preparers. We also observe that, regardless of office affiliation, reviewers are apt to adopt a more developmental approach when preparers are likely to recur. Results indicate that reviewers who adopt a more developmental approach exhibit greater coaching in their review comments and are also more likely to detect preparers’ errors. In addition, reviewers who emphasize professional development in their review comments perceive it benefits not only the preparer, but themselves and the audit engagement.
Long-Term Comorbid Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Hypoxia at Birth.

Perinatal hypoxia due to obstetric complications has been known to cause neurodevelopmental impairments in infants and children. The severity of the impairments and recovery depends on the degree of hypoxia. There have been some studies which focuses on understanding the effects of perinatal hypoxia on cognitive and behavioral functioning like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disorders, or aggression. Although the studies have investigated the effects in children, there are very few studies done to explore perinatal hypoxia, causing any neuropsychiatric outcomes in adults. This is a case of a 38-year-old man who presented to psychiatry as a referral for depression by neurology. He saw neurology for intractable migraine resistant to all treatment for the last year. The brain imaging was read as normal with minor small vascular changes. During our assessment, he reported depression and passive suicidal ideation, which began since he was diagnosed with migraines. His developmental history was significant for perinatal asphyxia and learning difficulties. Growing up, he reported severe irritability, impulsivity, and risk-taking behaviors but became stable when he was in his late twenties. His past psychiatric management was unclear. He was seeing an outpatient therapist when he visited our clinic. We diagnosed him with an unspecified mood disorder, tried prozac, and then gabapentin with some effect. Before we could explore further medication trials with topamax, his care had to be transferred to other psychiatrists, and we could not obtain further details of his outcome. Based on our case, we concluded there is a need for further research focused on the effects of perinatal hypoxia on certain brain areas as a cause of neuropsychiatric symptoms in adults.
Consumer behavior knowledge for effective sports and event marketing

J. King, L.R. Kahle, A. Close, Introduction: Study of Sports Consumer Behavior. Part 1. Influencing Behaviors and Society in Sports. S.P. Lee, T.B. Cornwell, A Framework for Measuring the Contributions of Sport to Society: Actors, Activities and Outcomes. E.R. Hirt, J.J. Clarkson, The Psychology of Fandom: Understanding the Etiology, Motives, and Implications of Fanship. S. Jones, S.J. Grove, G.M. Pickett, Spectator Rage: An Overview. D.L. Scammon, D.A. Fuller, K. Karniouchina, T. Masters, Sport Related Subculture as a Useful Basis of Market Segmentation: Insights for Ski Area Managers. Part 2. Building Relationships with Consumers Through Sports. P.A. Kennett-Hensel, R. Lacey, M. Biggers, The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on NBA Fan Relationships: A Conceptual Framework. S.J. Andrews, And a Child Athlete Will Save Us: Marketing Psychosocial and Physical Benefits of Sport to Children, Adolescents, Coaches and Parents. L.H.V. Kurpis, C.S. Bozman, The Motivations Associated with Attendance and Participation in an Amateur Sporting Event. R. Burton, J. Tripoldi, S. Owen, L.R. Kahle, Hospitality: A Key Sponsorship Service in Sports Marketing. Part 3. Providing Service to Consumers Through Sports and Event Sponsorship. T.J. Reynolds, Assessing the Existential Validity of the Bowl Championship Series Rankings. F. Riedmueller, Service Quality Perceived by Fans at Professional Sporting Events. R.Z. Finney, R. Lacey, A.G. Close, Event Marketing and Sponsorship: Lessons Learned from the Tour De Georgia Cycling Races.
Retinoic acid production, regulation and containment through Zic1, Pitx2c and Cyp26c1 control cranial placode specification

ABSTRACT All paired sensory organs arise from a common precursor domain called the pre-placodal region (PPR). In Xenopus, Zic1 non-cell autonomously regulates PPR formation by activating retinoic acid (RA) production. Here, we have identified two Zic1 targets, the RA catabolizing enzyme Cyp26c1 and the transcription factor Pitx2c, expressed in the vicinity of the PPR as being crucially required for maintaining low RA levels in a spatially restricted, PPR-adjacent domain. Morpholino- or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Cyp26c1 knockdown abrogated PPR gene expression, yielding defective cranial placodes. Direct measurement of RA levels revealed that this is mediated by a mechanism involving excess RA accumulation. Furthermore, we show that pitx2c is activated by RA and required for Cyp26c1 expression in a domain-specific manner through induction of FGF8. We propose that Zic1 anteriorly establishes a program of RA containment and regulation through activation of Cyp26c1 and Pitx2c that cooperates to promote PPR specification in a spatially restricted domain.
Time to resolution of axitinib-related adverse events after treatment interruption in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Introduction Combined axitinib and immuno-oncology (IO) therapy is approved for first-line advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). Overlapping toxicities represent a clinical challenge. Calculating the time to resolution (TTR) of common axitinib-related adverse events (AEs) following treatment interruption may help to identify AE etiology and determine appropriate management strategies. Materials and Methods Data from 5 randomized or single arm axitinib monotherapy or combination studies were analyzed. Patients with histologically confirmed clear cell aRCC were pooled into 3 cohorts based on treatment received: axitinib monotherapy, axitinib + IO, and other tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Any grade and grade ≥3 treatment-emergent diarrhea, fatigue, hypertension, nausea, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (PPE) were assessed. TTR was defined as the time from treatment interruption/discontinuation to resolution. Results The axitinib monotherapy cohort comprised 532 patients, the axitinib + IO cohort 541 patients, and the other TKI cohort 882 patients. Median TTR for all AEs (any grade) in the axitinib monotherapy cohort ranged from 1–3 days, except for fatigue (8 days). For diarrhea, hypertension, nausea, and PPE, median TTRs were longer in the axitinib + IO (4–11 days) and other TKI (7–8 days) cohorts versus the monotherapy cohort. Results were similar when only AEs of grade ≥3 were considered. Conclusions The TTR of monotherapeutic axitinib-related AEs is ≤3 days, except for fatigue, and generally numerically shorter than for other single agent TKIs and axitinib + IO. This has important implications for identifying AE etiology with combined axitinib-IO therapy and implementation of appropriate management strategies. ClinicalTrials.org identifiers: NCT00678392, NCT00920816, NCT02493751, NCT02684006, NCT02853331. MicroAbstract Overlapping toxicities are a concern with combined tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and immuno-oncology (IO) therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma. We analyzed the resolution time of common axitinib-related adverse events (AEs) following treatment interruption due to the AE. Resolution time of AEs for axitinib monotherapy was typically ≤3 days and was numerically shorter versus other single agent TKIs. This can support identification of the etiology of AEs with combined TKI-IO therapy and may enable faster implementation of an appropriate management plan.
Development and Evaluation of ADCareOnto - an Ontology for Personalized Home Care for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses serious challenges for both patients and their family caregivers. In this paper we present the design, development, and evaluation of an ontology model, ADCareOnto, to assist family caregivers providing personalized care for persons living with AD. ADCareOnto includes top-level categories, concepts, and relations about informal care for persons with AD. To enable personalization in care, ADCareOnto also includes a comprehensive user profile modeling that includes various characteristics of both AD patients and caregivers. AD care thus can be tailored based on the user's unique concerns, preferences, and needs. We verified and validated the design of ADCareOnto and evaluated it using a real use case. The results support the quality of its content and techniques.
The sympathetic leviathan: Modern states’ cultural responses to disasters

Abstract The sociology of disaster has paid scant attention to states’ cultural response—states’ effort to use meaningful narratives and symbolic actions to address issues about citizens’ suffering and death to enhance their legitimacy and secure citizens’ support. Our paper starts to address this gap by asking: How do states culturally respond to massive disasters? How effective are their responses? What can explain the efficacy of their cultural responses? We propose a perspective based on the cultural sociology of the state and cultural theories of trauma, theodicy, and performance. We illustrate this perspective in a comparative study of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States. We argue that the efficacy of their cultural responses depended on whether and how effectively they addressed the key components of the meaning structure of disasters through compassionate reaction to citizens’ suffering and death, convincing accounts of states’ accountability, and cogent narratives about the long-term consequences of disasters on citizens. Both states struggled to address these issues at various points in their respective disasters, and their cultural responses were shaped by their political structures. The findings also speak to an enduring debate over whether democratic or authoritarian regimes perform better in disaster responses. We eschew the exclusive focus of the debate on administrative responses and its simplistic correlation between regime type and responses.
Pitfalls in the synthesis of polyimide-linked two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks

The well-known reaction of amines with carboxylic acid anhydrides to produce highly stable imide moieties has been extended in the literature to the synthesis of two dimensional polyimide-linked covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs). We report a detailed study of these reactions to determine whether the reported polymerizations are producing the reported COFs. The studies include variations of reaction temperature, time, heating method, and monomer structures to establish whether formation of ordered crystalline material is occurring. The results of these studies indicate that a specific, previously reported polyimide COF is likely not produced with the order or exact structure as reported.
Sexual health variables as predictors of vaccination against the human papillomavirus among female college students.

Recent strides have been made in developing vaccines to prevent contraction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is currently the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the United States. This study looked to investigate seven sexually relevant variables hypothesized to be related to a young woman's choice to receive the Gardasil® vaccine in order to prevent HPV contraction via a cross sectional survey. In a sample of 77 undergraduate women, we investigated the relationship between receipt of Gardasil® and the following variables: knowledge regarding HPV, relationship status, seeking gynecological services, having received an abnormal PAP smear, sexual activity status, number of sexual partners, and concern about contracting HPV. Logistical regression analysis and independent groups t-test revealed that none of these factors were related to actual receipt of the HPV vaccine in this sample. These results suggest the need for more research regarding potential practical barriers to HPV vaccination.
Seismic Design Input for Secondary Systems

Acceleration floor spectra curves are commonly used as seismic design inputs for light equipment and other secondary systems. Earlier the writer had presented a method for generation of floor spectra directly from prescribed ground spectra. Further complementary developments in this method are made. These are: (1)The development of the method for generation of floor spectra at structural frequencies (an important resonance case); and (2)evaluation of nonstationarity of earthquake motions on floor spectra curves. Also, some approximations made in earlier work are further evaluated. As a result of these developments and evaluations, a comprehensive procedure based on stochastic principles is presented in the paper for definition of seismic design inputs for secondary systems. This procedure avoids the use of often used and recently criticized spectrum-consistent time history as seismic input for generation of floor spectra curves.
Social Dialongue with Embodied Conversational Agents

The functions of social dialogue between people in the context of performing a task is discussed, as well as approaches to modelling such dialogue in embodied conversational agents. A study of an agent’s use of social dialogue is presented, comparing embodied interactions with similar interactions conducted over the phone, assessing the impact these media have on a wide range of behavioural, task and subjective measures. Results indicate that subjects’ perceptions of the agent are sensitive to both interaction style (social vs. task-only dialogue) and medium.
Game Semantics for Type Soundness

The key idea of game semantics is that a term can interact with its enclosing context via various events, such as function calls and returns. A trace is a sequence of such interaction events. The meaning of the term is then naturally represented by the set of all event traces that the term can generate. Game semantics allows us to define the meaning of both expressions and types in the same domain which enables an interesting alternative to subject reduction for proving type soundness. This paper uses game semantics to define the meaning of and verify type soundness for a sequence of programming languages, starting with a functional sequential language (the call-by-value simply-typed lambda calculus), and then extending that proof with sub typing, side effects, control effects, and concurrency. These proofs are reasonably short and fairly semantic in structure, focusing on the relationship between the meanings of each term and its corresponding type. In particular, we show that the typing and sub typing relations are both conservative approximations of alternating trace containment.
B lifetimes and X,Y,Z states at the Tevatron

A measurement of b-hadron lifetimes in the fully reconstructed decay modes B + → J/ψ K + , B 0 → J/ψ K ∗0 , B 0 → J/ψ K 0 , and Λ 0 → J/ψ Λ 0 is reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 fb −1 , collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The measured values are τ(B + ) = 1.639±0.009 (stat)±0.009 (syst) ps, τ(B 0 ) = 1.507±0.010 (stat)± 0.008 (syst) ps and τ(Λ 0 ) = 1.537 ± 0.045 (stat) ± 0.014 (syst) ps. The lifetime ratios are τ(B + )/τ(B 0 ) = 1.088 ± 0.009 (stat) ± 0.004 (syst) and τ(Λ 0 )/τ(B 0 ) = 1.020 ± 0.030 (stat) ± 0.008 (syst). These are the most precise measurements of these quantities from a single experiment. Observation is also reported for a structure near the J/ψφ threshold, in B + to J/ψφ K + decays with an integrated luminosity of 6.0 fb −1 and a statistical significance of 5 standard deviations. There are 19 +/- 6 events observed for this structure at a mass of 4143.4 +2.9
Characterization and Serotyping of Three Feline Reovirus Isolates

Three feline virus isolates were shown to be members of the reovirus group by their growth characteristics in cell cultures, physicochemical properties, and appearance under an electron microscope. Their close serological relationship to, or identity with, human reovirus type III was revealed by hemagglutination, hemagglutination inhibition, serum neutralization, and gel diffusion tests. One feline isolate (636) was pathogenic for suckling mice.
Assessing data quality for information products

Data quality is a critical issue in the design and implementation of databases. Often, the information provided to decision-makers is derived from heterogeneous databases. To determine the quality characteristics of information provided to decision-makers (derived data), it is necessary to determine how quality characteristics associated with diverse data sources affect the quality of the derived data. We discuss a methodology to determine two data quality characteristics, accuracy and incompleteness, that are of critical importance to decision-makers. We examine how the quality metrics of source data affect metrics for data derived using relational algebra operations.
Transcription profiles of non-immortalized breast cancer cell lines

Searches for differentially expressed genes in tumours have made extensive use of array technology. Most samples have been obtained from tumour biopsies or from established tumour-derived cell lines. Here we compare cultures of non-immortalized breast cancer cells, normal non-immortalized breast cells and immortalized normal and breast cancer cells to identify which elements of a defined set of well-known cancer-related genes are differentially expressed.
Strain-dependent differences in DNA synthesis and gene expression in the regenerating livers of C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice

C3H/HeJ(C3H) mice are approximately 50-fold more susceptible to liver-tumor induction than C57BL/6J(B6) mice. This difference in susceptibility is a consequence of allelic differences in hepatocarcinogen sensitivity(Hcs) genes that control the growth of preneoplastic lesions in the liver. We have shown previously that these two strains differ in their responses to partial hepatectomy, which acts as a promoter of hepatocarcinogenesis in B6 mice but not in C3H mice. To determine whether there are also strain-specific differences in normal regulation of hepatic growth, we compared liver regeneration in C3H and B6 mice at the levels of DNA synthesis and gene expression. Partial hepatectomy induced a cascade of controlled events resulting in the regeneration of the liver to its original mass 11 d after surgery. We observed a two-fold greater level of DNA synthesis in C3H mice relative to B6 mice during the first peak of DNA synthesis, which occurred 35 h after hepatectomy in both strains. While the c-fos transcript was readily induced in both strains, there was a reduction in the expression of the late response genes E2F1 and dihydrofolate reductase in the livers of B6 mice when compared with the expression of these transcripts in the livers of C3H mice. The differential regulation of E2F1 between B6 and C3H mice may indicate that the Hcs genes and E2F1 function in the same signal-transduction pathway of normal growth control.© 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc
50 Years ago in CORR: The so-called osteochondritis dissecans of König Shigeo Nagura, MD CORR 1961;18:100-122.

Loose bodies (“joint mice”) in joints have long been recognized. According to Nagura [4], Monroe described “pea-sized arthrophytes in the knee and in a cavity corresponding to the arthrophyte in the lateral condyle of a female corpse, (and) ascribed the origin of the arthrophytes to trauma.” He also stated that Laennec, writing on joint mice in 1817, espoused the view that loose bodies were not related to trauma, but a “proliferation of the cartilage of the periarticular synovial tissue.” On the other hand, Broca, in 1854, suggested loose bodies arose from spontaneous necrosis of a part of the articular surface. (I have been unable to confirm these three references and they are not cited among Nagura’s 104 references.) Regardless of the cause, it is clear loose bodies were well recognized in the first half of the 19th Century [1]. Perhaps Konig best described and established Broca’s theory that loose bodies arose from pieces of articular cartilage that broke loose from articular surface, and coined the term “osteochondritis dissecans” [2]. His observations came from operations on three patients. Nagura, who had written on osteochondritis as early as 1937 [3], described the various theories – and disagreements between authors – in some detail, and provided extended quotations from some of the late 19th and early 20th Century writers. He showed the radiographic and gross appearances at surgery were indeed consistent with separation of the articular cartilage and/or subchondral bone with attempts to repair (Fig. 1). He produced experimental “interruption in the continuity of subchondral bone” and showed similar findings [3]. Based on his 59 clinical cases, experimental studies, and review of the literature, Nagura concluded osteochondritis dissecans arose from repeated and successive minor interruptions in the subchondral bone with subsequent cartilaginous repair and sometimes separation of a fragment that was incompletely healed to the subjacent bone and/or cartilage, and that it did not arise as a result of spontaneous necrosis. To this day, the argument of the origin is unsettled. Fig. 1 The figure shows Nagura’s description of the origin of osteochondritis dissecans. (Reprinted with permission and © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, from Nagura S. The So-called Osteochondritis Dissecans of Konig. Clin Orthop ...
Silicon-based distributed voltage-controlled oscillators

Distributed voltage-controlled oscillators (DVCOs) are presented as a new approach to the design of silicon VCOs at microwave frequencies. In this paper, the operation of distributed oscillators is analyzed and the general oscillation condition is derived, resulting in analytical expressions for the frequency and amplitude. Two tuning techniques for DVCOs are demonstrated, namely, the inherent-varactor tuning and delay-balanced current-steering tuning. A complete analysis of the tuning techniques is presented. CMOS and bipolar DVCOs have been designed and fabricated in a 0.35-/spl mu/m BiCMOS process. A 10-GHz CMOS DVCO achieves a tuning range of 12% (9.3-10.5 GHz) and a phase noise of -103 dBc/Hz at 600 kHz offset from the carrier. The oscillator provides an output power of -4.5 dBm without any buffering, drawing 14 mA of dc current from a 2.5-V power supply. A 12-GHz bipolar DVCO consuming 6 mA from a 2.5-V power supply is also demonstrated. It has a tuning range of 26% with a phase noise of -99 dBc/Hz at 600 kHz offset from the carrier.
Cycle Ambiguity Estimation for Aircraft Precision Landing Using the Global Positioning System

Measurements of the Global Positioning System carrier phase can provide the basis for the highest level of satellite-based navigation performance. In particular, the potential exists to exceed even the stringent navigation requirements for aircraft precision approach and landing. The principal dife culty in this use of carrier phase, however, lies in the real-time, high-integrity resolution of the unknown integercycle ambiguities. A new methodology is introduced, using carrier phase measurements from ground-based pseudolites, for explicit estimation of the cycle ambiguities. The mathematical basis of the new approach is detailed, and high-speed nonlinear information smoothing algorithms suitable for real-time airborne execution are derived. Extensive e ight-test data, including the results of automatic landings of a Boeing 737 aircraft, are presented as experimental validation of algorithm performance.
Interleukin-2 therapy of lymphoma-bearing immunosuppressed mice.

In the present study, the immune status of syngeneic Balb/c animals bearing a poorly metastatic RAW117-P lymphoma and the highly malignant liver metastatic variant RAW117-H10 lymphoma were measured and compared to control animals with no known tumor. The immune status was evaluated by performing various analyses of spleen cells for the frequencies of immune cells using flow cytometry,in vitro mitogen response andin vitro NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays on days 6, 9 and 12 after tumor transplantation. The results of these studies indicated that from day 9 onwards, some of the immune response of the RAW117 lymphoma-bearing animals appeared to decrease compared to control animals. In order to boost the immune response of the tumor-bearing immunosuppressed animals, recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) was administered to RAW117-H10 lymphoma-bearing animals. The immune status of tumor-bearing animals treated with rIL-2 was evaluated on days 5, 10 and 15 after tumor transplantation using similar analyses of spleen cells as described above. The results of these experiments indicated that IL-2 treatment increased splenic levels of cytotoxic cells, and decreased thein vivo tumorigenicity/metastasis of metastatic RAW117-H10 lymphoma cells. rIL-2 administration resulted in a significant increase in survival of tumor-bearing animals, and histological studies showed significantly lower tumor burdens in treated animals: it appears that rIL-2 has a beneficial therapeutic effect on immunosuppressive metastatic RAW117 lymphoma.
Cytosolic factors which affect microsomal lipid peroxidation in lung and liver

Abstract Studies were carried out to determine the effects of lung and liver cytosol on pulmonary and hepatic mierosomal lipid peroxidation, to determine the cytosolic concentrations of various substances which affect lipid peroxidation, and to determine which of these substances is responsible for the effects of the cytosol on lipid peroxidation. Lung cytosol inhibits both enzymatic (NADPH-induced) and nonenzymatic (Fe2+-induced) lung microsomal lipid peroxidation. In contrast, liver cytosol stimulates lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes during incubation alone, enhances Fe2+-stimulated lipid peroxidation, and has no effect on the NADPH-induced response. Substances which are known to be involved in inhibition of lipid peroxidation, including glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, are found in greater concentrations in liver cytosol than in lung cytosol. However, ascorbate is found in approximately equal concentrations in pulmonary and hepatic cytosol. Most of the effects of the cytosol on lipid peroxidation seem to be due to ascorbate and glutathione. For example, ascorbate, in concentrations found in lung cytosol, inhibits lung microsomal lipid peroxidation to about the same extent as the cytosol. The effects of liver cytosol on hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation can be duplicated by concentrations of ascorbate and glutathione normally found in the cytosol; i.e., ascorbate stimulates and glutathione inhibits lipid peroxidation with the net effect being similar to that of liver cytosol. The results indicate that ascorbate has opposite effects on pulmonary and hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation and suggest that ascorbate plays a major role in protecting pulmonary tissue against the harmful effects of lipid peroxidation.
Punitive damages in lawsuits against nursing homes.

(2002). Punitive Damages in Lawsuits Against Nursing Homes. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 115-129.
Impact of organosulfur content on diesel fuel stability and implications for carbon steel corrosion.

Ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel has been integrated into the worldwide fuel infrastructure to help meet a variety of environmental regulations. However, desulfurization alters the properties of diesel fuel in ways that could potentially impact its biological stability. Fuel desulfurization might predispose ULSD to biodeterioration relative to sulfur-rich fuels and in marine systems accelerate rates of sulfate reduction, sulfide production, and carbon steel biocorrosion. To test such prospects, an inoculum from a seawater-compensated ballast tank was amended with fuel from the same ship or with refinery fractions of ULSD, low- (LSD), and high sulfur diesel (HSD) and monitored for sulfate depletion. The rates of sulfate removal in incubations amended with the refinery fuels were elevated relative to the fuel-unamended controls but statistically indistinguishable (∼50 μM SO4/day), but they were found to be roughly twice as fast (∼100 μM SO4/day) when the ship’s own diesel was used as a source of carbon an...
U.S. Participation in East-West Industrial Cooperation Agreements

The article summarizes and interprets basic statistical findings regarding the magnitude and pattern of U.S. industrial participation in the USSR and Eastern Europe under so-called East-West industrial cooperation agreements. The findings are based on the authors' survey of U.S. firms, conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Transformation toughening in ceramic with martensites or micro-cracks

Abstract In certain ceramics, the high stress in the tip of a macroscopic crack induces martensitic type transformation of the second phase particles (e.g. Zirconia, ZrO 2 ). The transformation changes the near-tip stress by decreasing the net stress intensity factor and the toughness of the material is thereby enhanced. To evaluate the decrease of the stress intensity factor, one needs to know the distribution of the transformation strain around the crack tip. Therefore, an incremental analysis of plasticity, which takes into account the microstructural properties and mechanism of the particle transformation, is generally required. In this paper, we present a method of calculating the decrease of stress intensity factor without considering the microstructural details or performing an incremental analysis. Regardless of the history of loading and unloading, the current crack opening displacement is all the information needed for the calculation. It is proven that under a given distribution of crack opening displacement, there are infinite numbers of possible configurations of transformation zone with transformation strain inside. Identifying the actual transformation strain and transformation zone is impossible unless additional information is provided. However, all these transformation strains inside the corresponding transformation zones induce the same decrease of stress intensity factor. In this sense, they are all equivalent. If we can obtain any of these transformation strains with the corresponding transformation zone, the decrease of stress intensity factor is then determined. The problem is formulated as a system of integral equations of the first kind with transformation strain as unknown and crack opening displacement as input data. The regularization method is employed to obtain a stable solution of these ill-posed integral equations. The stress intensity factor is then computed by using Bueckner's weight function.
No Longer Alone

Bacteria as Multicellular Organisms. JAMES A. SHAPIRO and MARTIN DWORKIN, Eds. Oxford University Press, New York, 1997. xiv, 466 pp., illus. $95 or £69.50, ISBN 0-19-509159-0.