cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radical innovations as drivers of breakthroughs: characteristics and properties of the management of technology leading to superior organisational performance in the discovery process of R&D labs

ABSTRACTAn interesting problem in management of technology and economics of innovation is how to explain the sources of some breakthroughs in research organisations. The present study confronts this problem by analysing the main determinant of the discovery of quasi-periodic materials that has generated a scientific paradigm shift in crystallography. The inductive study shows that radical innovations adopted in research labs, used by high-skilled adopters (called lab-oriented radical innovations; e.g. the Transmission Electron Microscopy), support breakthroughs and enhance discovery processes. This evidence substantiates a theoretical framework, which explains the main relations, characteristics, and properties of lab-oriented radical innovations that improve discovery processes and induce the superior organisational performance in advanced scientific fields. R&D management implications are discussed.
Traumatic neuromas of the head and neck.

An interesting case of a traumatic neuroma of the greater au ricular ne rve provides the impetus for a discussion of head and neck neuromas. Traumatic neuromas of the head and neck are relatively rare. Division of the greater auricular nerve during parotidectomy occasionally results in a traumatic neuroma. We report a case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with a traumatic neuroma nine years after undergoing superficial parotidectomy with dissection of the facial nerve for a mixed tumor. The patient had a 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm mass located below the old surgical site over the anteromedial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The patient's past history was significant for Frey's syndrome, which is the result of abnormal neurologic growth. On first impression, the tumor was thought to be a recurrence ofneoplastic disease; however, because of the evaluation, traumatic neuroma was suspected. An attempt at fine-needle aspiration of the mass was too painful to be carried out. At surgery, a whitish tumor was excised which, on final pathologic examination, revealed traumatic neuroma. The surgical literature is reviewed and the subject of head and neck neuromas, including their evaluation and management, is thoroughly discussed. Knowledge of this possible diagnosis may spare the patient and the surgeon needless worry, as well as unnecessary procedures, once tumor recurrence has been ruled out.
Physical basis for the symmetries in the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker metric

Modern cosmological theory is based on the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) metric. Often written in terms of co-moving coordinates, this well-known solution to Einstein’s equations owes its elegant and highly practical formulation to the cosmological principle and Weyl’s postulate, upon which it is founded. However, there is physics behind such symmetries, and not all of it has yet been recognized. In this paper, we derive the FRW metric coefficients from the general form of the spherically symmetric line element and demonstrate that, because the co-moving frame also happens to be in free fall, the symmetries in FRW are valid only for a medium with zero active mass. In other words, the spacetime of a perfect fluid in cosmology may be correctly written as FRW only when its equation of state is ρ+3p = 0, in terms of the total pressure p and total energy density ρ. There is now compelling observational support for this conclusion, including the Alcock–Paczy´nski test, which shows that only an FRW cosmology with zero active mass is consistent with the latest model-independent baryon acoustic oscillation data.
Nerve growth factor alters microtubule targeting agent-induced neurotransmitter release but not MTA-induced neurite retraction in sensory neurons

Peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting side effect of anticancer treatment with the microtubule-targeted agents (MTAs), paclitaxel and epothilone B (EpoB); however, the mechanisms by which the MTAs alter neuronal function and morphology are unknown. We previously demonstrated that paclitaxel alters neuronal sensitivity, in vitro, in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). Evidence in the literature suggests that NGF may modulate the neurotoxic effects of paclitaxel. Here, we examine whether NGF modulates changes in neuronal sensitivity and morphology induced by paclitaxel and EpoB. Neuronal sensitivity was assessed using the stimulated release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), whereas morphology of established neurites was evaluated using a high content screening system. Dorsal root ganglion cultures, maintained in the absence or presence of NGF, were treated from day 7 to day 12 in culture with paclitaxel (300nM) or EpoB (30nM). Following treatment, the release of CGRP was stimulated using capsaicin or high extracellular potassium. In the presence of NGF, EpoB mimicked the effects of paclitaxel: capsaicin-stimulated release was attenuated, potassium-stimulated release was slightly enhanced and the total peptide content was unchanged. In the absence of NGF, both paclitaxel and EpoB decreased capsaicin- and potassium-stimulated release and the total peptide content, suggesting that NGF may reverse MTA-induced hyposensitivity. Paclitaxel and EpoB both decreased neurite length and branching, and this attenuation was unaffected by NGF in the growth media. These differential effects of NGF on neuronal sensitivity and morphology suggest that neurite retraction is not a causative factor to alter neuronal sensitivity.
EFFECTIVE PURE STATES FOR BULK QUANTUM COMPUTATION

In bulk quantum computation one can manipulate a large number of indistinguishable quantum computers by parallel unitary operations and measure expectation values of certain observables with limited sensitivity. The initial state of each computer in the ensemble is known but not pure. Methods for obtaining effective pure input states by a series of manipulations have been described by Gershenfeld and Chuang (logical labeling) and Corey et al. (spatial averaging) for the case of quantum computation with nuclear magnetic resonance. We give a different technique called temporal averaging. This method is based on classical randomization, requires no ancilla qubits and can be implemented in nuclear magnetic resonance without using gradient fields. We introduce several temporal averaging algorithms suitable for both high temperature and low temperature bulk quantum computing and analyze the signal to noise behavior of each.
Achieving the triple dividend in Portugal: a dynamic general-equilibrium evaluation of a carbon tax indexed to emissions trading

Using a dynamic general equilibrium model, we simulate the environmental, economic, and budgetary effects in Portugal of a new carbon tax indexed to the carbon price in the European Union’s Emissio...
Democracy, Violence, and Constitutional Revision in the Shadow of Democratic Revolution Theory

This response essay identified two objections to Richard Albert’s paper Democratic Revolution and his theory of democratic revolution. First, it observes that democracy is but one desirable aspect of governance and its overemphasis is in considerable tension with the protection of minority interests and the consensus-seeking features of constitutionalism. Second, contrary to Albert's claim, violence and its threat often do attend revolution - whether or not violence or its threat is a defining characteristic of revolution. In light of the undesirability of crass majoritarianism and revolutionary violence, this essay considers whether Albert’s theory could be accommodated either by interpretation-as-amendment or by the Article V method for amending the document. The response concludes that neither would suffice to satisfy the demands of Albert’s democratic revolutionary theory.
Arbitrarily distortable Banach spaces of higher order

We study an ordinal rank on the class of Banach spaces with bases that quantifies the distortion of the norm of a given Banach space. The rank AD(•), introduced by P. Dodos, uses the transfinite Schreier families and has the property that AD(X) < ω1 if and only if X is arbitrarily distortable. We prove several properties of this rank as well as some new results concerning higher order l1 spreading models. We also compute this rank for several Banach spaces. In particular, it is shown that the class of Banach spaces \(\left( {X_0^{{\omega ^\xi }}} \right)\xi < {\omega _1}\), which each admit l1 and c0 spreading models hereditarily, and were introduced by S. A. Argyros, the first and third author, satisfy \(AD\left( {X_0^{{\omega ^\xi }}} \right) = {\omega ^\xi } + 1\). This answers some questions of Dodos.
PLATELET RICH PLASMAS: DO THEY OFFER ANYTHING IN 2015?

The incorporation of platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of various musculoskeletal conditions has increased exponentially over the past decade. While described most often as an augment or treatment for tendinopathies and acute tendon injuries, more recently, PRP has been described as an adjunct to arthroplasty procedures, mostly with respect to knee arthroplasty. In the shoulder, only a single study has been published, in which Zavadil and colleagues performed a randomised study of 40 patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty undergoing either treatment with autologous platelet gel and platelet poor plasma (n=20) or undergoing no biologic treatment (control group, n=20). The authors noted that the treatment group had significantly lower pain scores, less pain medication requirements, and improved internal rotation when compared to controls; in addition, there were no significant differences in post-operative (compared to pre-operative) hemoglobin levels or length of stay. The vast majority of arthroplasty studies discussing PRP analyze the impact of treatment on wound healing, post-operative pain, post-operative range of motion, and need for post-operative blood transfusions. Unfortunately, due to the substantial variability of methodology (not all PRP preparations are the same) in the available studies as well as the variability in outcomes reporting, direct comparison between different studies is not feasible. Here, we discuss the basic science elements of PRP relevant to arthroplasty, the variability of PRP solutions, the specific applications of PRP in arthroplasty, and the latest clinical outcomes analyses of patients undergoing PRP therapy in conjunction with shoulder arthroplasty.
Seafood Safety and Marketing: The Case of the Deepwater Horizon Tragedy

This case explores the impact of the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon on various aspects of the seafood industry. Nielsen syndicated point-of-purchase scanner data for frozen fish, shrimp, and crab are used to gauge consumer response at several points during the event. Traceability systems for seafood harvested from both aquaculture production and capture fisheries are also discussed. The role of corporate environmental policies for seafood procurement is highlighted for Whole Foods Market. The case concludes with a discussion of British Petroleum's historic settlement with the US government, five states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, and numerous local governments.
A limit theorem for a 3-period time-dependent quantum walk

We consider a discrete-time 2-state quantum walk on the line. The state of the quantum walker evolves according to a rule which is determined by a coin-flip operator and a position-shift operator. In this paper we take a 3-periodic time evolution as the rule. For such a quantum walk, we get a limit distribution which expresses the asymptotic behavior of the walker after a long time. The limit distribution is different from that of a time-independent quantum walk or a 2-period time-dependent quantum walk. We give some analytical results and then consider a number of variants of our model and indicate the result of simulations for these ones.
Ergodic Energy Management Leveraging Resource Variability in Distribution Grids

Contemporary electricity distribution systems are being challenged by the variability of renewable energy sources. Slow response times and long energy management periods cannot efficiently integrate intermittent renewable generation and demand. Yet stochasticity can be judiciously coupled with system flexibilities to enhance grid operation efficiency. Voltage magnitudes for instance can transiently exceed regulation limits, while smart inverters can be overloaded over short time intervals. To implement such a mode of operation, an ergodic energy management framework is developed here. Considering a distribution grid with distributed energy sources and a feed-in tariff program, active power curtailment and reactive power compensation are formulated as a stochastic optimization problem. Tighter operational constraints are enforced in an average sense, while looser margins are enforced to be satisfied at all times. Stochastic dual subgradient solvers are developed based on exact and approximate grid models of varying complexity. Numerical tests on a real-world 56-bus distribution grid and the IEEE 123-bus test feeder relying on both grid models corroborate the advantages of the novel schemes over their deterministic alternatives.
Universal local density of states for nanoplasmonics

We obtain local density of states (LDOS) for any nanoplasmonic system in the frequency range dominated by a localized plasmon. By including the Ohmic losses in a consistent way, we show that the plasmon LDOS is proportional to the local field intensity normalized by the absorbed power. We obtain explicit formulae for energy transfer (ET) between quantum emitters and plasmons as well as between donors and acceptors situated near a plasmonic structure. In the latter case, we find that the plasmon-assisted ET rate is proportional to the LDOS product at the donor and acceptor positions, obtain, in a general form, the plasmon ET enhancement factor, and establish the transition onset between Forster-dominated and plasmon-dominated ET regimes.
Do Remittances Alter Household Nutrition? Evidence from Rural Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

This paper examines the role of remittances in the livelihoods of households in developing countries. Previous studies have shown that remittances are mostly utilized for investment in estates, agricultural inputs or education; however, remittances may also be useful for smoothing consumption by poor rural households. Hence, we estimated the differences in consumption patterns for macronutrients and micronutrients between remittance recipients and non-recipients using data from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. An instrumental variable strategy was adopted in econometric estimations of nutrient consumption to address issues of self-selection and endogeneity of net income and remittances. Furthermore, the instrumental variable quantile regression method was used to estimate the distributional effects of remittances. A major finding was that remittances increased investment in intake of nutrients such as proteins, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium; these are nutrients that are vitally important for physical development of children and for improving the health of adults. Remittances did not have a significant effect on consumption of macronutrients such as carbohydrates and fats, or total calories.
A Fast and Slippery Slope for File Systems

There is a vast number and variety of file systems currently available, each optimizing for an ever growing number of storage devices and workloads. Users have an unprecedented, and somewhat overwhelming, number of data management options. At the same time, the fastest storage devices are only getting faster, and it is unclear on how well the existing file systems will adapt. Using emulation techniques, we evaluate five popular Linux file systems across a range of storage device latencies typical to low-end hard drives, latest high-performance persistent memory block devices, and in between. Our findings are often surprising. Depending on the workload, we find that some file systems can clearly scale with faster storage devices much better than others. Further, as storage device latency decreases, we find unexpected performance inversions across file systems. Finally, file system scalability in the higher device latency range is not representative of scalability in the lower, submillisecond, latency range. We then focus on Nilfs2 as an especially alarming example of an unexpectedly poor scalability and present detailed instructions for identifying bottlenecks in the I/O stack.
Dental Hygiene Faculty Calibration in the Evaluation of Calculus Detection

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the impact of faculty calibration training on intra- and interrater reliability regarding calculus detection. After IRB approval, twelve dental hygiene faculty members were recruited from a pool of twenty-two for voluntary participation and randomized into two groups. All subjects provided two pre- and two posttest scorings of calculus deposits on each of three typodonts by recording yes or no indicating if they detected calculus. Accuracy and consistency of calculus detection were evaluated using an answer key. The experimental group received three two-hour training sessions to practice a prescribed exploring sequence and technique for calculus detection. Participants immediately corrected their answers, received feedback from the trainer, and reconciled missed areas. Intra- and interrater reliability (pre- and posttest) was determined using Cohen's Kappa and compared between groups using repeated measures (split-plot) ANOVA. The groups did not differ from pre- to posttraining (intrarater reliability p=0.64; interrater reliability p=0.20). Training had no effect on reliability levels for simulated calculus detection in this study. Recommendations for future studies of faculty calibration when evaluating students include using patients for assessing rater reliability, employing larger samples at multiple sites, and assessing the impact on students' attitudes and learning outcomes.
An Universal packaging technique for low-drift implantable pressure sensors

Monitoring bodily pressures provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information. In particular, long-term measurement through implantable sensors is highly desirable in situations where percutaneous access can be complicated or dangerous (e.g., intracranial pressure in hydrocephalic patients). In spite of decades of progress in the fabrication of miniature solid-state pressure sensors, sensor drift has so far severely limited their application in implantable systems. In this paper, we report on a universal packaging technique for reducing the sensor drift. The described method isolates the pressure sensor from a major source of drift, i.e., contact with the aqueous surrounding environment, by encasing the sensor in a silicone-filled medical-grade polyurethane balloon. In-vitro soak tests for 100 days using commercial micromachined piezoresistive pressure sensors demonstrate a stable operation with the output remaining within 1.8 cmH2O (1.3 mmHg) of a reference pressure transducer. Under similar test conditions, a non-isolated sensor fluctuates between 10 and 20 cmH2O (7.4-14.7 mmHg) of the reference, without ever settling to a stable operation regime. Implantation in Ossabow pigs demonstrate the robustness of the package and its in-vivo efficacy in reducing the baseline drift.
Patient reaction to puerperal surgical sterilization: I. General considerations

Abstract The present paper initiates a survey of the psychosexual-sociologie reaction of the surgically sterilized woman. The survey was carried out by individual interview conducted in the patient's home by a woman trained in social work and experienced in marriage counseling. The present report deals chiefly with the composition of the patient group studied and the superficial reaction to the procedure expressed in terms of having “regretted” or “not regretted” the loss of the ability to bear children. In general, the women who were persuaded to undergo the procedure by the physician expressed more regret than did those who themselves requested the operation. Over 90 per cent of the patients who suggested the procedure themselves expressed no subsequent regret. Also, the patients whose primary indication for sterilization was organic disease or previous cesarean section indicated more regret than did those whose principal indication was a high degree of parity. Sixty-four per cent of the women who expressed subsequent regret over being sterilized had had multiple cesarean sections as the principal indication for the procedure. While no final conclusions can be reached from this particular study, it appears that the women who themselves suggest bilateral partial salpingectomy on the basis of their high parity are the women who in retrospect are the least likely to experience regret over the procedure.
Enantioselective Dehydrogenative Heck Arylations of Trisubstituted Alkenes with Indoles to Construct Quaternary Stereocenters

An enantioselective, intermolecular dehydrogenative Heck arylation of trisubstituted alkenes to construct remote quaternary stereocenters has been developed. Using a new chiral pyridine oxazoline ligand, good to high enantioselectivity is achieved for various combinations of indole derivatives and trisubstituted alkenes. However, some combinations of substrates led to lower enantioselectivity, which provided the impetus to use structure enantioselectivity correlations to design a better performing ligand.
Quinolones: A New Class of Antimicrobial Agents with Wide Potential Uses

Quinolone antibiotics provide potentially important therapy for many infections that heretofore required extensive hospitalization. Improper use of these agents rapidly can lead to resistance and thereby remove them from the physician's arsenal of antimicrobial compounds. It also is possible that with more extensive use, these drugs will demonstrate adverse reactions that to date are unknown. Attention to how the agents are used can simultaneously avoid the problems of resistance and toxicity.
The Political Economy of Collaborative Organization

This article provides a theoretical framework to advance the understanding of collaborative organization through integrating extant theories of political economy. Eight propositions are advanced fr...
Plasmonics for optical manipulation and enhanced spectroscopy

Field enhancement from surface plasmon structures presents new opportunities for optical manipulation and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We review recent work on nanoparticle propulsion using surface plasmons, and on high performance SERS substrates.
Masked Hypertension: An Independent Cardiovascular Risk Factor or a Facet of True Blood Pressure Level?

The risk of cardiovascular mortality increases linearly without any thresholds from office blood pressure (BP) levels of <120/80 mm Hg.[1][1] At an individual level, BP‐related risk estimation is more challenging. An alert reaction at the office may lead to a disproportionately high office BP
Business and Bikeshare User Perceptions of the Economic Benefits of Capital Bikeshare

This study investigated potential economic benefits of bikesharing in commercial areas immediately adjacent to bikeshare docking stations. With the use of a sample of five Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) stations in Washington, D.C., an intercept survey of 333 bikeshare users at five CaBi stations at commercial activity centers and a door-to-door survey of 140 local businesses within 1/10 mi of those five CaBi stations were conducted. It was found that many CaBi riders were motivated to use the system because of savings in travel time (73% of users) and cost (25% of users). In addition, 16% of riders reported making new or induced trips because of CaBi, and 23% of users reported spending more money because of it. Income level was positively associated with new trips, spending levels, and spending during new trips. Joining CaBi to save money had a significant positive association with new trips. The business survey showed that 20% of the businesses in the sample reported a positive impact of bikesharing on sales,...
Impact of DC-Link Voltage Ripples on the Machine-Side Performance in NPC H-Bridge Topology

In this paper, the impact of dc-link voltage ripples on the machine-side spectrum is investigated. The analysis is targeted for a high-power converter using neutral-point-clamped (NPC) H-bridge topology. Due to the high amplitude of second harmonic and additional $f_{0}/{2}$ subharmonic that is introduced by a special modulation scheme, their impacts on the machine are at question. In this work, these questions are addressed via mathematical modeling followed by simulations and experimental validations. The conclusions are that the second harmonic in the dc-link leads to a small amount of amplitude distortion of the command voltage, while the $f_{0}/{2}$ subharmonic generates small amount of second and fourth even-order harmonics. These voltage ripples do not harm the machine and will not reduce the output voltage capability of the converter.
N′-Acylation of (3,2′)-indole dimers

N-Acylated indoles are abundant in nature, and have much biological importance. In the present investigation, we synthesize homo- and mixed-indole dimers (1, 5) derived from indole and 2-methylindole. N-Acylation of the indoline unit was then performed using triethylamine with acetyl chloride or benzoyl chloride or vinylogues thereof (9a–f). The resulting amides, (10a–f) and (11a–f), 10 of which are novel, could be of synthetic and biological interest. Acylation yields ranged from 50% to 91%, with most examples above 80%. The best results were obtained when base was slowly added to a mixture of indole dimer hydrochloride and acyl chlorides. When crotonoyl or sorboyl chloride was added to a basic solution of indole dimer, the product mixtures included small amounts of isomeric amides. These probably form by ketenes produced by conjugate elimination of HCl from the acyl chloride. No process was found by which the ketene-derived isomers could be obtained in good yield, or quantitatively separated from amides (10) or (11).
Growth of Au on A Ge (111) Surface

We investigate the room temperature growth of evaporated Au thin films on both clean and dirty single crystal Ge (111) substrates. The annealing behavior of these films was then examined under low and high temperatures.
Limited Reaction Processing: Growth of III-V Epitaxial Layers by Rapid Thermal Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Rapid thermal processing (RTP) has been applied to improve the versatility of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We have demonstrated a new pulsed growth method which yields enhanced layer thickness control and abrupt interfaces (2–4 atomic layers) while maintaining a high growth rate (10A/sec). In this technique, substrate temperature is used as a switch to control the growth of epitaxial layers. The unfocused tungsten halogen lamps used in RTP have also facilitated a novel thermal precracking technique, producing the best GaAs ever grown using trimethylarsenic (TMAs). Background doping is reduced by a factor of 5, and carbon incorporation is reduced by a factor of 10 or more. Net background doping below 10 16 cm −3 and room temperature electron mobilities of 4000 to 4500 cm 2 /V. sec have been obtained.
Making sense of the mayhem behind shape control in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

The formation of anisotropic Au nanoparticles predominantly follows one of two growth pathways: (1) kinetic control or (2) selective surface passivation. This Perspective describes the mechanisms that control Au nanoparticle shape via these pathways in the context of three basic chemical parameters: metal complex reduction potential, metal ion availability, and adsorbate binding strength. These chemical parameters influence the crystallinity and surface facets of the Au nanoparticles, thus dictating particle shape. Understanding nanoparticle growth mechanisms in terms of simple chemical principles enables mechanistic insights to be more easily applied to other syntheses and gives them greater predictive power in the development of new preparations of metal nanoparticles with well-defined shapes. Background information regarding the growth of Au nanoparticles with control over shape is also provided, along with a perspective on unanswered mechanistic questions in noble-metal nanoparticle synthesis and prom...
Soil Compressibility in Transient Unsaturated Seepage Analyses

Most levee underseepage and uplift analyses are based on steady-state seepage and can yield conservative results. Although computations are simpler and steady-state seepage parameters are easier to...
Reference point indentation is insufficient for detecting alterations in traditional mechanical properties of bone under common experimental conditions

Reference point indentation (RPI) was developed as a novel method to assess mechanical properties of bone in vivo, yet it remains unclear what aspects of bone dictate changes/differences in RPI-based parameters. The main RPI parameter, indentation distance increase (IDI), has been proposed to be inversely related to the ability of bone to form/tolerate damage. The goal of this work was to explore the relationshipre-intervention RPI measurebetween RPI parameters and traditional mechanical properties under varying experimental conditions (drying and ashing bones to increase brittleness, demineralizing bones and soaking in raloxifene to decrease brittleness). Beams were machined from cadaveric bone, pre-tested with RPI, subjected to experimental manipulation, post-tested with RPI, and then subjected to four-point bending to failure. Drying and ashing significantly reduced RPI's IDI, as well as ultimate load (UL), and energy absorption measured from bending tests. Demineralization increased IDI with minimal change to bending properties. Ex vivo soaking in raloxifene had no effect on IDI but tended to enhance post-yield behavior at the structural level. These data challenge the paradigm of an inverse relationship between IDI and bone toughness, both through correlation analyses and in the individual experiments where divergent patterns of altered IDI and mechanical properties were noted. Based on these results, we conclude that RPI measurements alone, as compared to bending tests, are insufficient to reach conclusions regarding mechanical properties of bone. This proves problematic for the potential clinical use of RPI measurements in determining fracture risk for a single patient, as it is not currently clear that there is an IDI, or even a trend of IDI, that can determine clinically relevant changes in tissue properties that may contribute to whole bone fracture resistance.
Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors Regulate the Expression of a TGF-β Superfamily Member That Has Proapoptotic and Antitumorigenic Activities

The antitumorigenic activity of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, is well established, but responsible molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. NSAIDs stimulate apoptosis by COX dependent and independent mechanisms in colorectal cells in culture. Identification of genes regulated by COX inhibitors could lead to a better understanding of their proapoptotic and anti-neoplastic activities. Using subtractive hybridization, a cDNA which was designated as NSAID activated gene (NAG-1) was identified from NSAID-treated HCT-116, human colorectal cells. NAG-1 has an identical sequence with a novel member of the TGF-β superfamily that has 5 different names. In the HCT-116 cells, NAG-1 expression is increased and apoptosis is induced by treatment with some NSAIDs in a concentration and time-dependent manner. NAG-1 transfected cells exhibited increased basal apoptosis, increased response to NSAIDs and reduced soft agar cloning efficiency. Furthermore, transplantable tumors derived from NAG-1 transfected HCT-116 cells showed reduced tumorigenicity in athymic nude mice compared with vector-transfected HCT-116 cells. The increased NAG-1 expression by NSAIDs provides a suitable explanation for COX-independent apoptotic effects of NSAIDs in cultured cells. These data demonstrate that NAG-1 is an antitumorigenic and proapoptotic protein, and its regulation by COX inhibitors may provide new clues for explaining their proapoptotic and antitumorigenic activities.
CT Recognition of Lateral Lumbar Disk Herniation

Although computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be useful in diagnosing posterolateral and central lumbar disk herniations, its effectiveness in demonstrating lateral herniated disks has not been emphasized. The myelographic recognition of those herniations may be difficult because root sheaths or dural sacs may not be deformed. A total of 274 CT scans interpreted as showing lumbar disk herniation was reviewed. Fourteen (5%) showed a lateral disk herniation. The CT features of a lateral herniated disk included: (1) focal protrusion of the disk margin within or lateral to the intervertebral foramen; (2) displacement of epidural fat within the intervertebral foramen; (3) absence of dural sac deformity; and (4) soft-tissue mass within or lateral to the intervertebral foramen. Because it can image the disk margin and free disk fragments irrespective of dural sac or root sheath deformity, CT may be more effective than myelography for demonstrating the presence and extent of lateral disk herniation.
GAP PATTERN ANALYSIS IN TKA WITH DIGITAL KNEE BALANCER

Backgrounds It is well accepted that gap balancing is one of the important step for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In order to evaluate gap balancing during operation, many tension devises have been used and developed. However, during operation, proper load to be applied, ideal gap amount, appropriate angle formed between femoral component and tibial cut surface are not clearly defined. Understanding the relationship between applied load and gap pattern will provide important information. The purpose of this study is to precisely analyze gap amount and inclination in extension and flexion using digital analyzer during TKA and characterize gap pattern. Methods We analyzed 39 knees in 39 cases that underwent TKA with Scorpio NRG PS knee prosthesis operated by modified gap balancing technique. A customized digital knee balancer was manufactured applying load cell, angle sensor, and gap sensor in the selected part within offset seesaw type balancer (Fig 1). It can measure three values (gap, angle and force) at the same time and automatically record the values. After bone cut for femur, tibia, and patella, femoral component trial was inserted to the femur. Then gap length and inclination angle between femoral condyle surface and tibial cut surface was analyzed in extension and at 90 degrees knee flexion with gradually increasing opening torque. Inclination was expressed by positive degrees when lateral side opened. Serial data was recorded automatically and analyzed. Results In extension, average gap between femoral implant and tibial cut surface increased gradually from 7.3mm to 13.6mm with increasing load from 10 lbs. to 75 lbs. During this load increase, average inclination changed from 0.2 degrees to 0.7degrees. In flexion, average gap between femoral implant and tibial cut surface increased gradually from 7.4mm to 15.9mm with increasing load from 10 lbs. to 75 lbs. During this increase, average inclination change was from 0 to 3.5 degrees (Fig 2). Lateral opening was observed over 25lbs and this opening angle increased gradually thereafter. When the identical load is applied, average gap difference between extension and flexion was 0.1 to 2.38mm. Linear relationship between extension gap and flexion gap was obtained when each applied load was identical (Fig 3). Discussions In this study, we have reported gap patterns using digital knee analyzer in vivo for the first time. This digital analyzer provides gap length, angle and applied force between tibia and femur with accuracy. We conclude that in extension lateral laxity is not affected even with increasing load up to 75lbs. On the other hand, in flexion, lateral laxity became remarkable with load increase and can cause more gap increase in flexion compared in extension. In determining the rotational alignment using modified gap technique, this tendency has to be kept in mind. Conclusions Digital knee balancer provided precise gap pattern in TKA with femoral component in place. Gap length in extension and flexion has linear relationship Lateral laxity in flexion need to be analyzed carefully in TKA.
Cover Song Identification with Timbral Shape Sequences

We introduce a novel low level feature for identifying cover songs which quantifies the relative changes in the smoothed frequency spectrum of a song. Our key insight is that a sliding window representation of a chunk of audio can be viewed as a time-ordered point cloud in high dimensions. For corresponding chunks of audio between different versions of the same song, these point clouds are approximately rotated, translated, and scaled copies of each other. If we treat MFCC embeddings as point clouds and cast the problem as a relative shape sequence, we are able to correctly identify 42/80 cover songs in the “Covers 80” dataset. By contrast, all other work to date on cover songs exclusively relies on matching note sequences from Chroma derived features.
Reduction of amiodarone pulmonary toxicity in patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers

Background: Amiodarone (AM) is a widely used anti-arrhythmic medication. Its utility is, however, limited by adverse side effects. The mechanism of amiodarone-induced toxicity (APT) in the lungs is...
A Novel Cell Detection Method Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network and Maximum-Weight Independent Set

Cell detection is an important topic in biomedical image analysis and it is often the prerequisite for the following segmentation or classification procedures. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm for general cell detection problem: Firstly, a set of cell detection candidates is generated using different algorithms with varying parameters. Secondly, each candidate is assigned a score by a trained deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). Finally, a subset of best detection results are selected from all candidates to compose the final cell detection results. The subset selection task is formalized as a maximum-weight independent set problem, which is designed to find the heaviest subset of mutually non-adjacent nodes in a graph. Experiments show that the proposed general cell detection algorithm provides detection results that are dramatically better than any individual cell detection algorithm.
Providing Performance Guarantees for Buffered Crossbar Switches without Speedup

Buffered crossbar switches are special crossbar switches with each crosspoint equipped with a small exclusive buffer. The crosspoint buffers decouple input ports and output ports, and simplify switch scheduling. In this paper, we propose a scheduling algorithm called Fair and Localized Asynchronous Packet Scheduling (FLAPS) for buffered crossbar switches, to provide tight performance guarantees. FLAPS needs no speedup for the crossbar and handles variable length packets without segmentation and reassembly (SAR). With FLAPS, each input port and output port independently make scheduling decisions and rely on only local queue statuses. We theoretically show that a crosspoint buffer size of 4L is sufficient for FLAPS to avoid buffer overflow, where L is the maximum packet length. In addition, we prove that FLAPS achieves strong stability, and provides bounded delay guarantees. Finally, we present simulation data to verify the analytical results.
Watch and learn: optimizing from revealed preferences feedback

A Stackelberg game is played between a leader and a follower. The leader first chooses an action, then the follower plays his best response. The goal of the leader is to pick the action that will maximize his payoff given the follower’s best response. In this paper we present an approach to solving for the leader’s optimal strategy in certain Stackelberg games where the follower’s utility function (and thus the subsequent best response of the follower) is unknown. Stackelberg games capture, for example, the following interaction between a producer and a consumer. The producer chooses the prices of the goods he produces, and then a consumer chooses to buy a utility maximizing bundle of goods. The goal of the seller here is to set prices to maximize his profit—his revenue, minus the production cost of the purchased bundle. It is quite natural that the seller in this example should not know the buyer’s utility function. However, he does have access to revealed preference feedback---he can set prices, and then observe the purchased bundle and his own profit. We give algorithms for efficiently solving, in terms of both computational and query complexity, a broad class of Stackelberg games in which the follower’s utility function is unknown, using only “revealed preference” access to it. This class includes in particular the profit maximization problem, as well as the optimal tolling problem in nonatomic congestion games, when the latency functions are unknown. Surprisingly, we are able to solve these problems even though the optimization problems are non-convex in the leader’s actions.
How can spatial language be learned

How languages are learned is one of the deepest mysteries of cognitive science. This question can be addressed from multiple perspectives. This position paper considers two of them: (1) How do people learn spatial language? (2) Given the wide range of spatial terms in language, how might we bootstrap the linguistic capabilities of intelligent systems that need spatial language to achieve wide and accurate coverage? We discuss each question in turn.
Logic programming for software testing

We propose a methodology for using logic programming to software testing. The methodology is based on logic programming applications for the formation of decision-to-decision graph, path predicate evaluation and symbolic evaluation of output variables. We mention an efficient software testing scheme which utilizes multiple theories in logic, organized as a tree structure. An Algol-like language is used to present our approach.
Growth control of normal and malignant breast epithelium.

We review information highlighting the multiple roles of both steroidal (primarily oestrogen) and polypeptide regulators of mammary epithelial cell growth, emphasising the work of our laboratory. Effects of both classes of hormones are complex and involve multiple interactions with non-tumour, host tissue. Oestrogen may induce growth regulatory polypeptide growth factors and interact with them in hormone dependent breast cancer. Progression of hormone-dependent breast cancer to hormone independence may involve multiple genetic mechanisms of oncogene activation, loss of the oestrogen receptor, or loss of hormone responsivity of other gene products. Initial carcinogenesis and progression of mammary epithelium to cancer probably also requires both proliferative stimuli (oestrogen, polypeptide growth factors) and genetic damage, leading to qualitatively different hormonal responses (hormone responsive cancer). Future therapies should be designed to block hormonal stimulation better and to interfere with necessary activated or induced components of malignant progression such as oncogenes or polypeptide growth factors receptor systems.
A split horseradish peroxidase for the detection of intercellular protein–protein interactions and sensitive visualization of synapses

Intercellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs) enable communication between cells in diverse biological processes, including cell proliferation, immune responses, infection, and synaptic transmission, but they are challenging to visualize because existing techniques have insufficient sensitivity and/or specificity. Here we report a split horseradish peroxidase (sHRP) as a sensitive and specific tool for the detection of intercellular PPIs. The two sHRP fragments, engineered through screening of 17 cut sites in HRP followed by directed evolution, reconstitute into an active form when driven together by an intercellular PPI, producing bright fluorescence or contrast for electron microscopy. Fusing the sHRP fragments to the proteins neurexin (NRX) and neuroligin (NLG), which bind each other across the synaptic cleft, enabled sensitive visualization of synapses between specific sets of neurons, including two classes of synapses in the mouse visual system. sHRP should be widely applicable to studying mechanisms of communication between a variety of cell types.
Above- and belowground competition from longleaf pine plantations limits performance of reintroduced herbaceous species.

Although overstory trees limit the abundance and species richness of herba­ ceous vegetation in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantations, the responsible mecha­ nisms are poorly understood because of confounding among limiting factors. In fall 1998, research was initiated to determine the separate effects of above- and belowground compe­ tition and needlefall from overstory pines on understory plant performance. Three 13- to 15­ yr-old plantations near Aiken, SC, were thinned to 0, 25, 50, or 100% of nonthinned basal area (19.5 m 2 ha -1 ). Combinations of trenching (to eliminate root competition) and needlefall were applied to areas within each plot, and containerized seedlings of 14 perennial herbaceous species and longleaf pine were planted within each. Overstory crown closure ranged from 0 to 81%, and soil water and available nitrogen varied consistently with pine stocking, trenching, or their combination. Cover of planted species decreased an average of 16.5 and 14.1% as a result of above- and belowground competition, respectively. Depending on species, needlefall effects were positive, negative, or negligible. Results indicate that understory restoration will be most successful when herbaceous species are established within canopy openings (0.1-0.2 ha) managed to minimize negative effects from above- and belowground competition and needlefall. FOR. SCI. 49(5):681-695.
Modular, Catalytic Enantioselective Construction of Quaternary Carbon Stereocenters by Sequential Cross-Coupling Reactions

The catalytic Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling with chiral γ,γ-disubstituted allylboronates in the presence of RuPhos ligand occurs with high regioselectivity and enantiospecificity, furnishing nonracemic compounds with quaternary centers. Mechanistic experiments suggest that the reaction occurs by transmetalation with allyl migration, followed by rapid reductive elimination.
Magnitudes and timescales of total solar irradiance variability

The Sun’s net radiative output varies on timescales of minutes to gigayears. Direct measurements of the total solar irradiance (TSI) show changes in the spatially- and spectrally-integrated radiant energy on timescales as short as minutes to as long as a solar cycle. Variations of ~0.01% over a few minutes are caused by the ever-present superposition of convection and oscillations with very large solar flares on rare occasion causing slightly-larger measurable signals. On timescales of days to weeks, changing photospheric magnetic activity affects solar brightness at the ~0.1% level. The 11-year solar cycle shows variations of comparable magnitude with irradiances peaking near solar maximum. Secular variations are more difficult to discern, being limited by instrument stability and the relatively short duration of the space-borne record. Historical reconstructions of the Sun’s irradiance based on indicators of solar-surface magnetic activity, such as sunspots, faculae, and cosmogenic isotope records, suggest solar brightness changes over decades to millennia, although the magnitudes of these variations have high uncertainties due to the indirect historical records on which they rely. Stellar evolution affects yet longer timescales and is responsible for the greatest solar variabilities. In this manuscript I summarize the Sun’s variability magnitudes over different temporal regimes and discuss the irradiance record’s relevance for solar and climate studies as well as for detections of exo-solar planets transiting Sun-like stars.