cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biologic Augmentation of Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis With Allogeneic Bone Block Is Associated With High Rates of Fusion.

Background:The orthopedic conditions and systemic comorbidities that occur in patients who require bone block tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis have made this procedure associated with a higher-...
Paying for expertise: The effect of experience on insurance demand

This paper investigates whether corporations purchase insurance for the real services that insurers provide. We examine the real‐service efficiency hypothesis in the insurance industry by exploiting within firm‐year variation in reinsurance usage and experience at the line of business level. Our results show that insurers purchase reinsurance to access reinsurers’ expertise and specialized knowledge. We find that, within the same year, the average multi‐line insurer purchases 2.4%–3.3% points more reinsurance for new lines relative to existing lines. The demand for reinsurance declines by 0.55%–0.80% points with each additional year of experience. The size of these effects differs by the line of business, indicating that the development of internal expertise and specialized knowledge varies by line.
Evaluating business Yelp’s star ratings using sentiment analysis

Abstract Yelp has collected enormous amount of data comprising of user’s reviews and rating for businesses over many years. Businesses organize their own listings while users’ rate any of these businesses from 1 5 stars and write text reviews. Users can also vote on other reviews indicating if they were helpful or not. Our aim for this project is to predict the ratings for a business based on the text-reviews. We are focusing on ‘Restaurant’ reviews, as they constitute more than 60% of the total reviews. We perform sentiment analysis using combinations of different features like unigrams, bigrams and Latent Semantic Indexing. The features are trained on Supervised Learning algorithms like Linear Regression, SVM and Random Forest to predict the star rating. Random Forests outperform the other models for all feature combinations with the best MSE value of 0.825.
Cell Mediated Immunity

T cell function in adaptive immunity involves effector TH cells which provide cytokine help to B cells for antibody production against T-dependent antigens. A second T cell function involves cytotoxic T cells; CTLs in T cell immunity. CTLs mediate killing of altered host target cells infected with intracellular pathogens or neoplastic cells. T cell immunity mediated by CTLs involves the killing of altered host cells by apoptosis. T cell immunity is also referred to as cell-mediated immunity, and involves the activity of cytotoxic effector cells of different types. Cytotoxic T cells (Tc) also called precursor cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL-P) are the predominant cell in T cell immunity, aided by T helper cells, in particular TH1 cells. Cytotoxic T cells are CD8+ and have two known subsets, Tc1 and Tc2 differentiated by the cytokines they secrete and the mode of killing employed when interacting with altered host cells. Similar to TH1 and TH2 cells, Tc1 cells secrete IFNγ and Tc2 cells secrete IL-4 and IL-5. Tc1 cells kill by using both the Fas-FasL and perforin-granzyme pathways while Tc2 cell use only the perforin-granzyme pathway. The targets of CTL effects are intracellularly infected host cells, tumor cells, and cells bearing non-self MHC class I proteins (allogeneic antigens) on transplanted tissue. Other cells involved in cytotoxicity include, NK cells, NKT cells and macrophages.
PCA-based Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Pipeline Risk Assessment

Scientific risk assessment of submarine oil and gas pipeline can prevent pipeline leakage accidents. In this paper, the main control factors and their weights extracted from the principal component analysis (PCA) are adopted as the weight matrix of the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE). Compared with the traditional FCE, the PCA-based FCE proposed in this paper not only eliminates the redundant indexes in the pipeline risk evaluation index set, but avoids the subjectivity of the index weight determination. The proposed method is applied to the risk assessment of a section of submarine pipeline, and the simulation result shows the effectiveness.
Undecidable arithmetic properties of solutions of Fredholm integral equations

Abstract A basic problem in transcendental number theory is to determine the arithmetic properties of values of special functions. Many special functions, such as Bessel functions and certain hypergeometric functions, are E-functions which are a natural generalization of the exponential function and satisfy certain linear differential equations. In this case, there exists an algorithm which determines if f ( α ) is transcendental or algebraic if f ( z ) is an E-function and α ∈ Q ‾ ⁎ is a non-zero algebraic number. In this paper, we consider the analogous question when f ( z ) satisfies an integral equation, in particular, a Fredholm integral equation of the first or second kind where the kernel and forcing term satisfy strong arithmetic properties. We show that in both periodic and non-periodic cases, there exists no algorithm to determine if f ( 0 ) ∈ Q is rational. Our results are an application of the undecidability of the Generalized Collatz Problem due to Conway [6] .
CFSAN SNP Pipeline: an automated method for constructing SNP matrices from next-generation sequence data

The analysis of next-generation sequence (NGS) data is often a fragmented step-wise process. For example, multiple pieces of software are typically needed to map NGS reads, extract variant sites, and construct a DNA sequence matrix containing only single nucleotide polymorphisms (i.e., a SNP matrix) for a set of individuals. The management and chaining of these software pieces and their outputs can often be a cumbersome and diffi cult task. Here, we present CFSAN SNP Pipeline, which combines into a single package the mapping of NGS reads to a reference genome with Bowtie2, processing of those mapping (BAM) files using SAMtools, identification of variant sites using VarScan, and production of a SNP matrix using custom Python scripts. We also introduce a Python package (CFSAN SNP Mutator) that when given a reference genome will generate variants of known position against which we validate our pipeline. We created 1,000 simulated Salmonella enterica sp. enterica Serovar Agona genomes at 100× and 20× coverage, each containing 500 SNPs, 20 single-base insertions and 20 single-base deletions. For the 100× dataset, the CFSAN SNP Pipeline recovered 98.9% of the introduced SNPs and had a false positive rate of 1.04 × 10 −6 ; for the 20× dataset 98.8% of SNPs were recovered and the false positive rate was 8.34 × 10 −7 . Based on these results, CFSAN SNP Pipeline is a robust and accurate tool that it is among the first to combine into a single executable the myriad steps required to produce a SNP matrix from NGS data. Such a tool is useful to those working in an applied setting (e.g., food safety traceback investigations) as well as for those interested in evolutionary questions.
The Use of Simulation in Planning the Transportation of Patients to Hospitals Following a Disaster

The characteristics of disaster management are outlined. Planning for the efficient management of a disaster is described. The level of preparedness for disasters can be increased using simulation models in conjunction with drills. With the simulation model, “what-if” analyses are performed to predict the consequences of conceivable scenarios. Emergency medical service personnel will find such computer simulation models a useful supplement to their standard training.
Benign papillary epithelioma of the vulva

Abstract A case of benign papillary epithelioma of the vulva is described and 4 similar authentic cases are collected from the literature. The tumor occurs as a single, round or ovoid mass, whose surface is papillary and nonulcerated. It is attached to the labia or mons veneris by a short pedicle or it may be sessile. It differs sharply from the condyloma acuminatum, with which it may be confused. The available evidence indicates that the tumor is anatomically and clinically benign.
Carbon Emissions and Income Trajectory in Eight Heterogeneous Countries: The Role of Trade Openness, Energy Consumption and Population Dynamics

This paper examines the long-run and dynamic temporal relationships between economic growth, energy consumption, population density, trade openness, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Brazil, China, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Korea, and South Africa based on the environment Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. We employ the ARDL Bounds test to cointegration and CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests to ensure long-run cointegration and parameter stability. The estimated results show that the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis holds in Japan and South Korea. In the other six countries, the long-run relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions follows an N-shaped trajectory and the estimated turning points are much higher than the sample mean. In addition, the results indicate that energy consumption Granger-causes both CO2 emissions and economic growth in all the countries. An important implication of our findings is that it would be ill-advised for the policy decision makers to adopt the EKC postulate as the conceptual basis for policies favoring economic growth unconditionally. A wide range of policy initiatives that would induce increased demand for better environment quality and its sustainability should be explored in tandem with measures to spur economic growth.
Maternal and fetal exposure to parabens in a multiethnic urban U.S. population

Fetal exposure to five parabens was investigated due to their endocrine-disrupting potential and possible impact on fetal development. Body burdens occurring from real-world exposures were determined typically as total concentrations after conjugate hydrolysis in 181 maternal urine and 38 umbilical cord blood plasma samples from a multiethnic cohort of 185 predominantly-black, pregnant women recruited in Brooklyn, New York between 2007/9. For 33 participants, both sample types (maternal urine and cord blood) were available. Methyl- (MePB), ethyl- (EtPB), propyl- (PrPB), butyl- (BuPB), and benzylparaben (BePB) were detected in 100, 73.5, 100, 66.3 and 0.0% of the urine samples at median concentrations of 279, 1.44, 75.3, 0.39, and <0.02μg/L, respectively. Median concentrations of MePB and PrPB were, respectively 4.4- and 8.7-fold higher compared to those reported previously for the general U.S. population (NHANES, 2005/6). Listed in the order above, the five parabens were detected in 97.4, 94.7, 47.4, 47.4, and 44.7% of cord blood plasma samples at median total concentrations of 25.0, 0.36, <0.27, <0.09, and <0.10μg/L, respectively. Free MePB, EtPB, and PrPB were detected in a subset of cord blood plasma samples at, respectively, 3.9, 71.7, and 6.4% of their total concentrations, whereas free BuPB and BePB were not detected. Literature data and those reported here show the urban community studied here to rank highest in the world for MePB and PrPB exposure in pregnant women, whereas it ranks among the lowest for EtPB and BuPB. This study is the first to report the occurrence of parabens in human umbilical cord blood. Maternal exposure to parabens is widespread, and substantial differences were found to exist between communities and countries both in the spectrum and degree of paraben exposures.
Cooperative Effects between γ′ 1 and β′ 1 Martensites in a Cu-15.0 at%Sn Alloy

A partir d'observations en microscopie electronique, on etudie quelques caracteristiques des martensites qui se forment dans l'alliage apres un traitement au-dessous de zero. On montre qu'une martensite 18R(β 1 ') se forme a l'interface entre la martensite 2H(γ 1 ') et la phase parente (β 1 ). La coexistence des deux martensites semble etre la cause majeure de la dependance sensible des temperatures A s et A f par rapport a la vitesse de chauffage
VP4 typing of bovine and porcine group A rotaviruses by PCR.

Abstract A PCR typing assay was developed to identify rotavirus P types (VP4 specificity) of bovine NCDV, UK, and B223 strains and porcine OSU and Gottfried strains. Thirty-nine human and animal strains representing all known, and some undefined, rotavirus P types were used to develop and evaluate the specificity of the method. No cross-amplification was observed. The PCR results agreed with previous characterizations by monoclonal antibodies, sequence analysis, and hybridization assays, except for the Gottfried strain, which showed a P type distinct from the human asymptomatic strains. Analysis of a small number of field specimens suggested a high level of VP4 polymorphism among porcine strains. The assay should be of value in typing field isolates and tracing interspecies infections.
Care Utilization Patterns and Diabetes Self-Management Education Duration.

Objective. Previous studies have shown that receiving diabetes self-management education (DSME) is associated with increased care utilization. However, the relationship between DSME duration and care utilization patterns remains largely unexamined. Our purpose is to characterize DSME duration and examine the relationship between DSME duration and clinical- and self-care utilization patterns. Methods. The study sample included 1,446 adults who were ≥18 years of age, had diabetes, and had participated in the 2008 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Clinical- and self-care outcomes were derived using responses to the survey's diabetes module and were based on minimum standards of care established by the American Diabetes Association. The outcomes examined included self-monitoring of blood glucose at least once per day; receiving at least one eye exam, one foot exam, A1C tests, and an influenza vaccination in the past year; and ever receiving a pneumococcal vaccination. DSME duration was categorized as no DSME, >0 to 10 hours. Results. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, compared to those who did not receive DSME, those who had 4-10 or 10+ hours of DSME were more likely to receive two A1C tests (odds ratio [95% CI] 2.69 [1.30-5.58] and 2.63 [1.10-6.31], respectively) and have a pneumococcal vaccination (1.98 [1.03-3.80] and 1.92 [1.01-3.64], respectively). Those receiving 10+ hours of DSME were 2.2 times (95% CI 1.18-4.09) as likely to have an influenza vaccination. Conclusion. These data reveal a positive relationship between DSME duration and utilization of some diabetes clinical care services.
GENETIC EXPRESSION AND DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES WITH RABBIT SERUM ATROPINESTERASE.

Abstract The basis for the genetic control over rabbit atropinesterase (atropine acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.10) levels was sought, employing immunochemical techniques. Immunochemical titrations indicate that the serum of rabbits that lack the catalytic activity contains no immunologically related protein and that rabbit serum atropinesterase is antigenic in atropinesterase-deficient rabbits. These studies indicate that the genetically controlled enzymatic deficiency is due not to the lack of an activator or the presence of an inhibitor, but to the absence of any atropinesterase-like protein in the serum of rabbits devoid of atropinesterase catalytic activity. Immunotitration of sera from young and mature rabbits indicates that, during the developmental increase in enzyme activity, the specific antigenicity of atropinesterase remains a constant, independent of age and the actual level of serum atropinesterase activity; thus no immunochemically cross-reactive precursor protein was detected during the rapid developmental appearance of the enzyme. Chemical modification of the catalytic site by phosphorylation, resulting in complete loss of catalytic activity, does not alter the qualitative or quantitative immunological properties of atropinesterase. This is in contrast to the effects of certain common protein denaturants which cause a concurrent and parallel loss of catalytic and immunological reactivities. The immunochemical specificity of the atropinesterase protein thus resides in the configurational aspects of the protein molecule primarily elsewhere than at the active catalytic center.
Low-temperature oxidation of coal. 2. An experimental and modelling investigation using a fixed-bed isothermal flow reactor

Results of an experimental and theoretical modelling investigation on the low-temperature oxidation of fresh, wet, low-rank coals are reported. The rates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide formation were measured for Wyoming subbituminous coal, using an isothermal fixed-bed flow reactor. The measurements are interpreted with a one-dimensional continuum model, including the single-particle diffusion-reaction model developed in Part 1, for the fixed-bed reactor. The model calculations are also compared with other data reported in the literature. The results indicate that the model provides a satisfactory explanation for the dependence on particle size and temperature of the low-temperature oxidation of dry and fresh wet coal. Extension of this formulation to model spontaneous combustion in coal stockpiles is reported in Part 3.
Strain-rate sensitivity limit diagrams and plastic instabilities in a 6xxx series aluminum alloy Part I: Analysis of temporal stress–strain serrations

Abstract A method for the construction of “processing windows” to avoid negative strain-rate sensitivity and associated serrated flow in some aluminum alloys is described. The method is based on modern approaches and techniques of non-linear dynamics – linear stability analysis, amplitude Ginzburg–Landau equations, and bifurcation diagrams. The general instability area is identified as possessing a negative strain-rate sensitivity coefficient (SRS). The mathematical technique developed in the present paper was applied to a specific aluminum alloy, Al–0.4%Mg–0.2%Si, and yielded good results in terms of predicting the negative strain-rate sensitivity regions in the “strain rate–temperature” parameter space. It was clearly demonstrated that even though the instability area is located in the region of intermediate strain rates, a qualitative difference exists between the areas of (relatively) fast and (relatively) slow strain rates: while in the first case the dynamic behavior of the system is supercritical, in the second case it is subcritical. The second case is highly undesirable because it causes a sudden onset of stable stress serrations that are difficult to suppress (at a given temperature), while in the first case the development of instability is gradual and, consequently, more easily controllable.
The role of the mitochondrial oxidative stress in the cytotoxic effects of the green tea catechin, (–)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate, in oral cells

Scope The tea catechin, (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), has potential cancer preventive effects. The prooxidant activity of EGCG may play a role in these effects. Methods and results Here, we report that EGCG exerted cytotoxic effects against oral cancer cell lines (IC50 = 83–95 μM). EGCG treatment resulted in formation of extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), however, these ROS were rapidly cleared (half-life = 1.7 h). EGCG treatment increased the production of mitochondrial H2O2 in SCC-25 cells (0–6 h) before the induction of apoptosis. Subsequently, an opening of the mitochondrial transition pore and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential were observed. The mitochondria-specific antioxidant, MitoTEMPO, reduced these effects. HGF-1 human gingival fibrobasts were resistant to EGCG (IC50 > 200 μM) and EGCG-induced ROS. EGCG induced differential expression of genes related to antioxidant defense in oral cancer cells and gingival fibroblasts: metallothionein 3, superoxide dismutase 2/3, and thioredoxin reductase 2 were downregulated in SCC-25 cells, but upregulated in HGF-1 cells. Conclusion We conclude that induction of mitochondrial ROS and mitochondrial dysfunction by EGCG play a role in the inhibition of oral cancer, and that gingival fibroblasts are spared from these effects in part because of a selective induction of antioxidant responsive genes.
ENERGY METABOLISM OF BRAIN HOMOGENATES FROM MICE INFECTED WITH GD VII VIRUS.

Respiration and phosphorylation were measured in brain homogenates from mice that had been infected with Theiler's GD VII virus. All of the expected respiratory carriers were present in the brain preparations; the mitochondrial fraction was 0.18 μM in cytochrome a + a3 and about the same for the other respiratory carriers. There was 20 times as much pyridine nucleotide as a + a3. No alteration in the ADPO ratio was detected following virus infection. The oxidation of succinate was inhibited by 40–45% in virus-infected preparations while oxidation of the NAD+ linked substrate, α-ketoglutarate, was elevated. β-Hydroxybutyrate oxidation was unchanged. The change in succinate oxidation occurred during the first few hours of infection and coincided with virus production.
Monotonicity and Li-Yau-Hamilton Inequalities

This is a survey article for Surveys in Differential Geometry series on the subject of Li-Yau-Hamilton type differential inequalities and related monotonicity formulae.
New onset hypertension-rare intimal variant fibromuscular dysplasia

Summary Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) involving the renal arteries commonly presents as hypertension secondary to renal artery stenosis. Atypical patterns involving intima are rare and contribute to less than 10% cases of FMD. We present a relatively uncommon case of new onset hypertension in a 30-year-old woman resulting from intimal variant FMD involving the left renal artery. Renal duplex ultrasonography and angiography showed stenosis of the left renal artery consistent with intimal variant FMD. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the stenotic lesion was successfully performed. Following angioplasty, her blood pressure was normalized. Renovascular hypertension secondary to FMD involving intimal layer is rare and requires a high index of clinical suspicion. Renal duplex ultrasonography is the recommended initial test of screening for renal artery stenosis in appropriate patients. The standard selective renal angiography, intravascular ultrasound, along with or without hemodynamic assessment should be utilized when renovascular intervention is contemplated. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is the mainstay of treatment for those who meet the criteria of intervention.
Sodium nitrite protects against kidney injury induced by brain death and improves post-transplant function

Renal injury induced by brain death is characterized by ischemia and inflammation, and limiting it is a therapeutic goal that could improve outcomes in kidney transplantation. Brain death resulted in decreased circulating nitrite levels and increased infiltrating inflammatory cell infiltration into the kidney. Since nitrite stimulates nitric oxide signaling in ischemic tissues, we tested whether nitrite therapy was beneficial in a rat model of brain death followed by kidney transplantation. Nitrite, administered over 2 h of brain death, blunted the increased inflammation without affecting brain death-induced alterations in hemodynamics. Kidneys were transplanted after 2 h of brain death and renal function followed over 7 days. Allografts collected from nitrite-treated brain-dead rats showed significant improvement in function over the first 2 to 4 days after transplantation compared with untreated brain-dead animals. Gene microarray analysis after 2 h of brain death without or with nitrite therapy showed that the latter significantly altered the expression of about 400 genes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated that multiple signaling pathways were affected by nitrite, including those related to hypoxia, transcription, and genes related to humoral immune responses. Thus, nitrite therapy attenuates brain death-induced renal injury by regulating responses to ischemia and inflammation, ultimately leading to better post-transplant kidney function.
Meta-analysis: the impact of oral anti-viral agents on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B.

SUMMARY Background Five oral nucleos(t)ide analogues are available to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB). With the availability of newer agents, their efficacy on incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well described. Aim To determine the efficacy of oral anti-viral agents in reducing HCC risk in relationship with other known factors. Methods Published studies of at least 20 CHB patients treated with an oral anti-viral agent and followed for >2 years were analysed for incidence of HCC per 100 person years follow-up. Results Pooled homogeneous data from six studies showed lamivudine (LAM) treatment (n = 3306) to reduce HCC risk by 51% compared with no treatment (n = 3585) (3.3 vs. 9.7 per 100 person years, P 50 years and hepatitis B virus-DNA detectability at HCC diagnosis increased risk of HCC by twofold with a 10-fold higher risk among patients with cirrhosis compared with chronic hepatitis. Meta-regression showed patient age, study location (Eastern vs. Western) and type of study (randomised or not) contributed to heterogeneity. Conclusions Lamivudine treatment significantly reduces the incidence of HCC compared with no treatment. However, HCC still develops at a rate of 1.3 per 100 patient years in CHB patients receiving an oral anti-viral agent. This finding highlights the need for continued HCC surveillance, particularly in CHB patients with inadequate viral suppression, older age and cirrhosis.
Benefit segmentation in the restaurant industry

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between personal values, demographics, life style, concern for nutrition, eating patterns, restaurant patronage patterns, and required benefits. To accomplish this, consumers were first clustered into four segments based on benefits sought in food preparation and food consumption. Second, univariate ANOVA and discriminant analysis are used to determine the nature of the hypothesized relationships. It was found that benefits are influenced by demographics, personal values, concernfor nutrition, and eating patterns. The data also suggest that required benefits influence restaurant patronage patterns.
Cell broadband engine processor vault security architecture

Current data protection technologies such as those based on public-key encryption and broadcast encryption focus on the secure control and protection of data. Although these protection schemes are effective and mathematically sound, they are susceptible to systematic attacks that utilize any underlying platform weakness, bypassing the cryptographic strengths of the actual schemes. Thus, ensuring that the computing platform supports the cryptographic data protection layers is a critical issue. The Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.) processor security architecture has three core features that are well suited for this purpose. It provides hardware-enforced process isolation in which code and data can execute in physically isolated memory space. It also provides the ability to perform hardware-supported authentication of any software stack (i.e., "secure boot") during runtime. Finally, the architecture provides a hardware key to act as the root of an encryption chain. Data encrypted directly or indirectly by this key can be decrypted and provided only to an application that is running in the isolated memory and that has been verified. This significantly reduces an adversary's chances of manipulating software to expose the key that is fundamental to a data protection or authentication scheme. Furthermore, it provides a foundation for an application to attest itself to a remote party by demonstrating access to a secret.
Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators in the Perinatal Setting

Poster Presentation Objective To develop a nursing sensitive quality indicator in the perinatal setting. Design Evidence‐based quality improvement project. Sample Random sampling of patients from a labor and delivery (LD engagement of staff in data collection that is meaningful to practice; and data‐driven decision making. Data included in the L&D Quality Dashboard have been used to guide the purchase of new equipment for the unit, facilitate design of a new L&D Suite, develop interdisciplinary simulation training, and initiate a nursing research project related to falls in the perinatal population. Conclusion/Implications for Nursing Practice Perinatal areas have struggled to identify nursing sensitive indicators that are meaningful and representative of the care provided in this specialty. National indicators and benchmarks have primarily focused on topics common in the medical/surgical and critical care areas of nursing. In an effort to measure and improve the valuable care provided in L&D, the unit based Nursing Quality Committee at an urban teaching hospital developed an L&D Quality Dashboard of indicators that are specific to perinatal nursing care. The L&D Quality Dashboard is a dynamic tool that has improved communication between staff, leadership, and administration. It has empirically guided decision making and promoted accountability at the bedside and in the boardroom to transform practice in the perinatal setting.
Substantia nigra dopaminergic unit activity in behaving cats: Effect of arousal on spontaneous discharge and sensory evoked activity

Single-unit activity of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra was recorded in freely moving cats during a variety of conditions designed to shed light on the hypotheses that these neurons are involved in the regulation of arousal-stress and/or selective attention. Both aversive and non-aversive arousing experimental conditions were used, including tail pinch, immersion of feet in ice-water, white noise, inaccessible food, feeding, grooming, inaccessible rats, and somatosensory stimulation. None of these conditions had an effect on tonic neuronal discharge rate. However, these neurons did exhibit brief excitatory and inhibitory responses to phasic auditory or visual stimuli presented when the cat was sitting quietly. These responses were dramatically attenuated if these stimuli were presented during the aforementioned conditions of behavioral arousal. This sharply contrasts with the inability of these same conditions to influence spontaneous discharge rate. The sensitivity of this neuronal sensory response to the concurrent behavioral condition supports the hypothesis that these neurons are involved in attentional processes or selective responding. The lack of responsiveness of these neurons to a variety of arousal/stress manipulations supports the hypothesis that dopaminergic neurons play a permissive, rather than an active, role in these processes.
Luwak: a content management solution

Purpose – To inform librarians about the benefits, costs, and technologies involved in implementing a content management system.Design/methodology/approach – A discussion of how XML is used to separate content from presentation, how this technology is used in a home‐grown freeware application, and the results of converting a static website into a database driven one through the use of this application.Findings – Demonstrates that converting to a dynamic, application driven web site results in a more flexible, efficient, and consistent web presence.Research limitations/implications – Every library is unique and what worked well at Rensselaer might not work as well elsewhere. Luwak is currently only available to organizations at Rensselaer.Practical implications – A useful primer on how a conversion like this happens and on the sort of features that can make a database driven web application run smoothly.Originality/value – This paper provides a unique account of one libraries' experience in making the sort...
Real aggregate activity and stock returns

Abstract The notion that real aggregate activity exerts important influence on stock returns has strong theoretical appeal but weak empirical support. We argue in this paper that the lack of empirical reaction to macro news might be at least partly due to the usual focus on macro variables, which are noisy measures of real aggregate activity or the common factor. To test our conjecture, we focus on the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI-MA3), a single summary measure of the common factor in 85 macro variables. Our main finding is that the news component of this index does affect stock returns. The effects show up at the market level as well as at the portfolio level. The effects are not only statistically but also economically significant.
HNF4α and NF-E2 are key transcriptional regulators of the murine Abcc6 gene expression

Abstract Mutations in an ABC transporter gene called ABCC6 are responsible for pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a rare heritable disease characterized by elastic fiber calcification in skin, ocular and vascular tissues. The presumed function of this ABC transporter is to export metabolites from polarized cells. However, the endogenous substrate(s) are unknown and the exact relationship with elastic fibers is unclear. As ABCC6 is only expressed at high level in liver and kidneys, tissues seemingly unrelated to the PXE phenotype, we explored the transcriptional regulation of the murine Abcc6 gene to define the transcriptional signal conferring tissue specificity and to gather clues on its possible biological function. We cloned 2.9 kb of the mAbcc6 5′-flanking region and several deletion constructs linked to a luciferase reporter gene. We delineated a proximal promoter and a liver-specific enhancer region. We also demonstrated that the proximal region is a TATA-less promoter requiring an intact CCAAT-box and Sp1 binding for its basal activity. By using reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitations, we showed that HNF4α and surprisingly, NF-E2, enhanced the mAbcc6 promoter activity. The involvement of both HNF4α and NF-E2 in the mAbcc6 gene regulation suggests that Abcc6 might be involved in a detoxification processes related to hemoglobin or heme.
The effect of physicians' body weight on patient attitudes: implications for physician selection, trust and adherence to medical advice.

Research has documented negative stigma by health providers toward overweight and obese patients, but it is unknown whether physicians themselves are vulnerable to weight bias from patients. This study assessed public perceptions of normal weight, overweight or obese physicians to identify how physicians’ body weight affects patients’ selection, trust and willingness to follow the medical advice of providers. An online sample of 358 adults were randomly assigned to one of three survey conditions in which they completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of physicians who were described as normal weight, overweight or obese. Participants also completed a measure of explicit weight bias (Fat Phobia Scale) to determine whether antifat attitudes are associated with weight-related perceptions of physicians. Respondents reported more mistrust of physicians who are overweight or obese, were less inclined to follow their medical advice, and were more likely to change providers if the physician was perceived to be overweight or obese, compared to normal-weight physicians who elicited significantly more favorable reactions. These weight biases remained present regardless of participants’ own body weight. Inspection of interaction effects revealed opposing effects of weight bias between the obese/overweight and normal-weight physician conditions. Stronger weight bias led to higher trust, more compassion, more inclination to follow advice, and less inclination to change doctors when the physician was presented as normal weight. In contrast, stronger weight bias led to less trust, less compassion, less inclination to follow advice and higher inclination to change doctors when the physician was presented as obese. This study suggests that providers perceived to be overweight or obese may be vulnerable to biased attitudes from patients, and that providers’ excess weight may negatively affect patients’ perceptions of their credibility, level of trust and inclination to follow medical advice.
High-calorie diet exacerbates prostate neoplasia in mice with haploinsufficiency of Pten tumor suppressor gene

Abstract Objective Association between prostate cancer and obesity remains controversial. Allelic deletions of PTEN , a tumor suppressor gene, are common in prostate cancer in men. Monoallelic Pten deletion in mice causes low prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN). This study tested the effect of a hypercaloric diet on prostate cancer in Pten +/− mice. Methods 1-month old mice were fed a high-calorie diet deriving 45% calories from fat for 3 and 6 months before prostate was analyzed histologically and biochemically for mPIN progression. Because Pten +/− mice are protected against diet-induced insulin resistance, we tested the role of insulin on cell growth in RWPE-1 normal human prostatic epithelial cells with siRNA knockdown of PTEN. Results In addition to activating PI3 kinase/Akt and Ras/MAPkinase pathways, high-calorie diet causes neoplastic progression, angiogenesis, inflammation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. It also elevates the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a lipogenic gene commonly elevated in progressive cancer. SiRNA-mediated downregulation of PTEN demonstrates increased cell growth and motility, and soft agar clonicity in addition to elevation in FAS in response to insulin in RWPE-1 normal human prostatic cells. Downregulating FAS in addition to PTEN, blunted the proliferative effect of insulin (and IL-6) in RWPE-1 cells. Conclusion High-calorie diet promotes prostate cancer progression in the genetically susceptible Pten haploinsufficient mouse while preserving insulin sensitivity. This appears to be partly due to increased inflammatory response to high-caloric intake in addition to increased ability of insulin to promote lipogenesis.
Defining and rendering of textured objects through the use of exponential functions

Abstract We present a method for modeling and rendering various surface textures by actually defining them over the entire three-dimensional space. Once this is done any surface representable by an implicit function can be rendered. We do not do any volume rendering; instead the surfaces are ray traced directly. The implicit functions used to define various surfaces are taken to be exponential functions with exponents with large magnitudes. Use of such functions allows us to define even such surfaces as the surface (entire) of a rectangular solid or a truncated cone as precisely as we want. It also allows us to model complex surfaces through piecewise modeling and blending of different analytical surfaces. Even for simple surfaces, it allows us to calculate the ray-surface points of intersection and the normals at those points very precisely because of the large relative variation of the implicit functional density in the entire three-dimensional space. Both regular and stochastic textures can be modeled and rendered. A complete methodology together with several examples is presented.
Fiber optic grating demodulation using a Fourier-transform spectrometer

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is developing a fiber optic grating sensor demodulator using a low cost static Fourier-transform interferometer. The spectrometer uses a fiber optic source and a plane mirror to form an interferogram in the spatial domain that is recorded by a linear photodiode array detector. Using this instrument with an interferogram fringe spacing of 20 microns provides fiber grating strain resolution of about 700-microstrain.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 specifically methylates the nonhistone chromatin protein HMGA1a

The HMGA family proteins HMGA1a and HMGA1b are nuclear nonhistone species implicated in a wide range of cellular processes including inducible gene transcription, modulation of chromosome structure through nucleosome and chromosome remodeling, and neoplastic transformation. HMGA proteins are highly modified, and changes in their phosphorylation states have been correlated with the phase of the cell cycle and changes in their transcriptional activity. HMGA1a is also methylated in the first DNA-binding AT-hook at Arg25 and other sites, although the enzyme or enzymes responsible have not been identified. We demonstrate here that a GST fusion of protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) specifically methylates full-length recombinant HMGA1a protein in vitro. Although GST fusions of PRMT1 and PRMT3 were also capable of methylating the full-length HMGA1a polypeptide, they recognize its proteolytic degradation products much better. GST fusions of PRMT4 or PRMT7 were unable to methylate the full-length protein or its degradation products. We conclude that PRMT6 is a good candidate for the endogenous enzyme responsible for HGMA1a methylation.
Asymptotic Planarity: An S Matrix Basis for the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka Rule

Abstract A mechanism is exhibited that monotonically depresses the cylinder component of the topological expansion with increasing t, and it is conjectured that all non-planar S-matrix components diminish as t increases, exchange degeneracy and the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule becoming more accurately satisfied. Such asymptotic planarity is compared to the field-theoretical concept of asymptotic freedom. The characteristics low-t cylinder “quenching interval” is found to be the inverse of the mean value over a two-reggeon loop, of 1 2 π 2 (α′) 2 (t 1 − t 2 ) 2 /(−t), where t 1 and t 2 are the squared masses of the loop reggeons and α′ is the trajectory slope. For leading trajectories the low-t cylinder quenching interval is predicted by this formula to be roughly 0.5 GeV2-consistent with the observed pomeron intercept and slope, with the p-ω and f-A2 mass differences and with the (φ,ω) deviation from ideal mixing. As t grows negatively over a corresponding interval, it is predicted that the pomeron will become nearly a pure SU(3) singlet. If the pion mass helps to set the scale for reggeon loops coupled to unnatural-parity trajectories, the cylinder quenching interval will be larger, explaining the large (η, η′) deviation from ideal mixing as well as the large π-η mass difference. Even when the small-t cylinder quenching is rapid (“precocious planarity”) the large-t approach to the planar limit turns out to be gentle. A by-product of this study is an explanation of the approximate reality and linearity of trajectories at large t.
Late Quaternary stratigraphy, sedimentology and geochemistry of an underfilled lake basin in the Puna plateau (northwest Argentina)

Depositional models of ancient lakes in thin-skinned retroarc foreland basins rarely benefit from appropriate Quaternary analogues. To address this, we present new stratigraphic, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of four radiocarbon-dated sediment cores from the Pozuelos Basin (PB;northwest Argentina) that capture the evolution of this low-accommodation Puna basin over the past ca. 43 cal kyr. Strata from the PB are interpreted as accumulations of a highly variable, underfilled lake system represented by lake-plain/littoral, profundal, palustrine, saline lake and playa facies associations. The vertical stacking of facies is asymmetric, with transgressive and thin organic-rich highstand deposits underlying thicker, organic-poor regressive deposits. The major controls on depositional architecture and basin palaeogeography are tectonics and climate. Accommodation space was derived from piggyback basin-forming flexural subsidence and Miocene-Quaternary normal faulting associated with incorporation of the basin into the Andean hinterland. Sediment and water supply was modulated by variability in the South American summer monsoon, and perennial lake deposits correlate in time with several well-known late Pleistocene wet periods on the Altiplano/Puna plateau. Our results shed new light on lake expansion–contraction dynamics in the PB in particular and provide a deeper understanding of Puna basin lakes in general.
Band-edge electronic structures, and pre-existing defects in remote plasma deposited (RPD) non-crystalline (nc-) SiO2 and GeO2

Abstract Three inter-related topics are addressed: (i) ray spectroscopy (XAS) studies of remote plasma deposited (RPD) nc-SiO2 and nc-GeO2 emphasizing (a) band-edge states and (b) pre-existing bonding defects: (ii) interpretation of X-ray absorption and photoemission spectra based on many electron theory, and (iii) band-edge electronic structure and intrinsic defects in nc-SiO2 and nc-GeO2 thin films and their respective interfaces with Si and Ge substrates. The most significant result is the identification of local atomic structure and medium range order (MRO) cluster in which pre-existing defects are embedded. The defects are vacated O-atom sites in which O-atoms have never been resident. They are confined to 1 nm scale chemically-ordered clusters distributed aperiodically in quartz-structured 4-fold coordinated Si(Ge) and 2-fold coordinated O clusters comprised of 12-atom Si–O and Ge–O regular rings. The vacated site defects are formed during processing and annealing, reducing macroscopic strain. Finally, they are qualitatively different, and therefore readily distinguished from defects introduced by electrical stressing, and by X-ray, γ-ray or high energy electron stressing.
Why Time is Extensive

In his stimulating defence of the common sense transient view of time ('How Time Flies', Mind, Oct. I982) Professor Schlesinger frequently and curiously puts the word 'now' in capital letters. Common sense, as manifested in ordinary language, doesn't employ this device. Though I too think the transient view is correct, I think it is crucial for Schlesinger and other advocates of the transient view to make the reason for employing such a device clear. 1 Using Schlesinger's device as a case in point, in Part I it will be shown that a seemingly watertight argument for the opposing Russellian (static) view of time can be constructed by questioning the device's raison d'etre. Then in Part II I shall attempt to turn this argument around by showing that the transient view can explain why time is extensive, and the Russellian view can't.
Design techniques for ceramics in fusion reactors

Abstract Unique design techniques are needed for low activity ceramic materials in first wall/blanket regions of fusion reactors. A Weibull probabilistic design approach is used to characterize the scatter in the fracture strength and the size effect. Results indicate that ceramic first wall/blanket structures should be modular and each module should be proof tested. The ceramic materials should have high fracture strength, high Weibull modulus, and minimal strength degradation due to subcritical crack growth. The Weibull statistical analysis is coupled with finite element thermal and stress analysis and the probability of failure of ceramic first wall/blanket design concepts is predicted. The usefulness of the approach is demonstrated by optimizing the geometry of the structure to produce minimum probability of failure.
The effect of age and postweaning and adult handling habituation on activity and exploration in the rat

Activity and exploratory behavior in rats was examined on 2 consecutive days of testing at 35 and again at 90 days of age using Greek cross mazes, proportional in size to the subject, having black, white, striped, and checkered arms. Half of the young animals received handling habituation prior to testing and half of each of these groups were handled prior to testing in adulthood. Young rats were more active than adults and handling, either postweaning or in adulthood, increased activity and exploratory behavior. Results also indicated that early handling potentiates the effects of later handling.
Coronary-Bronchial artery fistula with partial absence of a pulmonary artery: Association with partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

A patient is presented with partial absence of the right pulmonary artery, left coronary artery to bronchial artery fistula and systemic arterial desaturation with a patent foramen ovale. The various aspects of the syndrome are discussed and the rationale for nonoperative closure of the foramen is described.