cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The monetary benefits and costs of hiring supported employees: A pilot study

This paper illustrates the implementation of a new cost-accounting methodology that can be used to measure the monetary outcomes of supported employment from the perspective of employers. The methodology attempts to ascertain which "type" of employee (i.e., workers with disabilities versus workers without disabilities) is most economical for employers to hire. Avenues for future research are also presented.
Effect of pupil dilation on off-angle iris recognition

Due to the less constrained setup in standoff iris recognition systems, it is likely to capture nonideal iris images with gaze angle, pupil dilation, reflections, and occlusions. The combined effect of pupil dilation and gaze angle on iris recognition is examined. We first highlight the effects on synthetic images generated with a biometric eye model using a ray-tracing algorithm. Then, we quantify the effects of pupil dilation and gaze angle on the real frontal and off-angle images at different dilation levels. Our experiments reveal that the larger differences in dilation levels and gaze angles between the compared iris images increase the Hamming distance. Even if the linear rubber-sheet normalization helps to minimize the dilation effect in frontal images, it cannot fully eliminate it in off-angle iris images because of not only the pupil dilation and three-dimensional iris texture but also the corneal refraction distortion and limbus occlusion. We also observe that the gaze angle is the main reason for the performance degradation in steeper off-angle images, where the effect of the dilation is limited. In addition, since the iris region in off-angle and dilated iris images is smaller than that in frontal and constricted iris images, their interclass Hamming distance distribution is shifted toward the intraclass distribution, which may increase the false match rate.
Shock Modification and Shock Activation: Enhanced Solid State Reactivity

In this chapter: shock modification of powders (their specific area, x-ray diffraction lines, and point defects); measurements via analytical electron microscopy, magnetization and Mossbauer spectroscopy; shock activation of catalysis, solution, solid-state chemical reactions, sintering, and structural transformations; enhanced solid-state reactivity.
George P. Moschis tribute special issue: His philosophy and contributions (Part II)

This is the second part of the George P. Moschis tribute special issue. In this part, I briefly present the gist of contributions made by each article included in this second part of the special issue.
The Probability of Liner Failure in a Mark-I Containment, Part III: Corium/Concrete Interactions and Liner Attack Phenomena

This is the third part of a three-part series of papers addressing the probability of liner failure in a Mark-I containment. The purpose is to quantify the corium/concrete interactions and liner attack phenomena in a form suitable for use in the probabilistic framework as discussed in the first part of this series. In the quantifications of corium/concrete interactions, the principal parameter of interest is the melt superheat transient, especially as it is affected by the oxidation of the metallic components in the melt. A computer code specifically developed for this purpose is also described and compared with available experimental data. In the quantification of the liner attack phenomena, the principal parameters are melt-to-liner heat transfer coefficient and liner failure criteria. The assessment of the heat transfer coefficient is based on experiments that simulate the melt-to-liner contact (recirculating) flow regime, which were specifically run for this purpose. The consideration of liner failure criteria includes finite element analyses addressing the potential for structural failure (due to loss of strength in high-temperature steel) in addition to straightforward failure by melting. The two-dimensional and transient aspects of the heat transfer problem, including solid-liquid phase change at the melt-liner interface, are shown to be important,more » and the quantification is carried out by means of an analysis tool specifically developed for this purpose.« less
The kappa opioid receptor antagonist aticaprant reverses behavioral effects from unpredictable chronic mild stress in male mice

Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is likely precipitated by chronic stress. Although many antidepressants are currently available, these drugs require weeks to months of daily administration before reduction of symptoms occurs and many patients remain treatment-resistant despite several courses of treatment. There is a pressing need for new treatments for stress-related disorders. Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) are a promising new therapeutic target for major depressive disorder and anhedonia because acute KOR blockade prevents many effects of stress in rodents. The following study assessed whether repeated treatment with the selective KOR antagonist aticaprant (also known as JNJ-67953964, and previously LY-2456302 and CERC-501) was effective in reversing behaviors in rodents following exposure to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 4 weeks of UCMS. After 3 weeks of stress, aticaprant (10 mg/kg) was administered daily for 11 treatments. Behavioral assessments included the sucrose preference test, nesting, forced swim test, hot plate test, light-dark test, and social interaction test. Aticaprant significantly reversed stress-induced deficits produced by UCMS on the SPT, nesting, FST, and hot plate test. The effects of aticaprant persisted through a stress and treatment recovery period. Aticaprant was not effective at reversing behavioral effects caused by stress in the light-dark and social interaction tests. The results support further study of the role of KORs in regulating circuits related to reward, self-care, and cognition when they are disrupted by chronic stress. They are also consistent with the clinical development of aticaprant as a therapeutic for stress-related disorders targeted at anhedonia, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Calciphylaxis: Diagnostic and Treatment Advances for the Inpatient Dermatologist

Calciphylaxis is a rare, life-threatening condition that frequently requires inpatient dermatology management. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the risk factors, classification, and pathogenesis of calciphylaxis, and summarizes current evidence for diagnostic testing and multi-disciplinary therapeutic management. The two major subtypes of calciphylaxis tend to present in different anatomic locations, with non-uremic lesions favoring the distal extremities. Skin biopsies obtained on the distal extremities are more sensitive in detecting calciphylaxis-related vascular calcifications, compared to other sites. Underlying hypercoagulable disorders are common among calciphylaxis patients, implicating thrombosis as a major mediator of this disease and highlighting the potential therapeutic role of anticoagulants. Calciphylaxis is a challenging condition to treat, requiring multi-disciplinary care from dermatology, nephrology, pain medicine, plastic/general surgery, and palliative care. Inpatient dermatologists should be aware of the risk factors associated with calciphylaxis and focus therapy with pharmacologic agents and local wound care.
JCPyV T-Antigen Activation of the Anti-Apoptotic Survivin Promoter—Its Role in the Development of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a fatal demyelinating disease of the CNS, resulting from the lytic infection of oligodendrocytes by the human neurotropic polyomavirus JC (JCPyV), typically associated with severe immunocompromised states and, in recent years, with the use of immunotherapies. Apoptosis is a homeostatic mechanism to dispose of senescent or damaged cells, including virally infected cells, triggered in the vast majority of viral infections of the brain. Previously, we showed upregulation of the normally dormant anti-apoptotic protein Survivin in cases of PML, which—in vitro—resulted in protection from apoptosis in JCPyV-infected primary cultures of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In the present study, we first demonstrate the absence of apoptotic DNA fragmentation and the lack of caspase activity in 16 cases of PML. We also identified the viral protein large T-Antigen as being responsible for the activation of the Survivin promoter. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay shows a direct binding between T-Antigen and the Survivin promoter DNA. Finally, we have identified the specific region of T-Antigen, spanning from amino acids 266 and 688, which binds to Survivin and translocates it to the nucleus, providing evidence of a mechanism that results in the efficient replication of JCPyV and a potential target for novel therapies.
Platforms in the Spotlight at the FTC Hearings

Over a series of three days, from October 15 to 17, 2018, the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI) hosted the third session of the FTC Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University. After introductory remarks by Scalia Law School Dean Henry Butler and Federal Trade Commissioner Rohit Chopra, the panels broadly focused upon three topics: (1) multisided platforms, (2) nascent/potential competition, and (3) labor policy. The overarching focus of the hearings was clearly multisided platforms, which accounted for seven of the twelve panels. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Ohio v. American Express, platforms are rightly the subject of significant attention and discussion ranging from the economic tools and methods to evaluate platforms to the correct legal framework for capturing and shaping that analysis. The economic research on platforms began in earnest fifteen years ago with pioneering work from Evans (2003) and Rochet and Tirole (2003). Much of the important economic learning over the past fifteen years—economic concepts such as cross-group effects, the interrelationship of demand, and the difference between transaction and non-transaction platforms—are becoming part of the antitrust lexicon. Much of the discussion at the hearings mirrored the conversation taking place among academic economists and lawyers, as well as practitioners and courts, focusing upon how to integrate that economic learning into antitrust institutions and doctrine. While the dueling set of amicus briefs for the American Express case indicates there are certainly areas of disagreement, we highlight what we believe emerged throughout the hearings as areas of general consensus in how to assess platforms in an antitrust context.
Profitable Restaurants Reporting Negative Equity: Causes and Implications for Investors

While typically characteristic only of insolvent businesses, negative shareholders’ equity has become more common among healthy, profitable businesses. Many are large restaurant chains, including McDonald’s, Starbucks, Yum! Brands, and Papa John’s. Since none of the above reported negative equity a decade ago, a close study of each company’s financial statements over the period 2010-2019 revealed how these deficits came about. Each company was able to pay out, as dividends and share repurchases, well over 100% of its reported earnings during the period. Interestingly, this is not because earnings understated each company’s cash-generating capability; in fact, there is strong evidence that earnings overstated reality for McDonald’s and Yum! Brands. In general, the primary driver was massive debt issuance, followed by refranchising (selling company-operated restaurants to franchisees). Of the four companies, Starbucks has the highest ability to continue distributing over 100% of earnings, while Yum! Brands does not appear to have much more room to do so. Each company was able to push equity negative because of the wide spread between its return on assets and cost of liabilities. Each has negative net working capital, which is essentially a cost-free source of funding, and was able to issue massive amounts of debt at low single digits rates. Meanwhile, return on assets averaged between 15-30% (due to powerful unrecorded intangible assets like brand and supply chain capabilities). The extreme case is Yum! Brands, whose debt at the end of 2019 was around twice the level of total recorded assets, yet their interest coverage ratio was a fairly comfortable 4.0x. There are a few important implications for investors. First, negative equity is characteristic of companies on opposite ends of the business quality spectrum. Secondly, for many companies, metrics involving equity have lost their relevance and should be ignored. Next, issuing debt to repurchase shares can be a great strategy if cost of equity greatly exceeds cost of debt, but it carries substantial risk if done too aggressively (the primary risk being that interest rates are substantially higher in the future). Lastly, businesses that appear overvalued using traditional metrics like price-to-earnings may in fact by greatly undervalued, as is the case for one that can distribute well over 100% of reported earnings for an extended period of time.
A Role for Adipocytes and Adipose Stem Cells in the Breast Tumor Microenvironment and Regenerative Medicine

Obesity rates are climbing, representing a confounding and contributing factor to many disease states, including cancer. With respect to breast cancer, obesity plays a prominent role in the etiology of this disease, with certain subtypes such as triple negative breast cancer having a strong correlation between obesity and poor outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine the obesity-related alterations to the normal stroma and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Adipocytes and adipose stem cells (ASCs) are major components of breast tissue stroma that have important functions in both physiological and pathological states, including energy storage and metabolic homeostasis, physical support of breast epithelial cells, as well as directing inflammatory and wound-healing responses through secreted factors. However, these processes can become dysregulated in both metabolic disorders such as obesity and also in the context of breast cancer. Given the well-established obesity-neoplasia axis, it is critical to understand how interactions between different cell types in the tumor microenvironment, including adipocytes and ASCs, govern carcinogenesis, tumorigenesis, and ultimately metastasis. ASCs and adipocytes have multifactorial roles in cancer progression; however, due to the plastic nature of these cells, they also have a role in regenerative medicine, making them promising tools for tissue engineering. At the physiological level, the interactions between obesity and breast cancer have been examined, here we will delineate the mechanisms that regulate ASCs and adipocytes in these different contexts through interactions between cancer cells, immune cells, and other cell types present in the TME. We will define the current state of understanding of how adipocytes and ASCs contribute to tumor progression through their role in the TME and how this is altered in the context of obesity. We will also introduce recent developments in utilization of adipocytes and ASCs in novel approaches to breast reconstruction and regenerative medicine.
Tryst or Terrorists? Financial Institutions and the Search for Bad Guys

Under international standards, financial institutions are required to freeze the accounts of customers identified by government as terrorists or the supporters of terrorism. Financial institutions are also required to monitor client transactions to determine if they suggest terrorism financing. However, financial institutions have been given little guidance as to when a pattern of transactions might suggest terrorism financing. By outsourcing the identification of such patters to financial institutions, governments have abdicated their responsibility and reduced the availability of financial services for clients who fit a popular but inaccurate profile of a terrorist.
Making Sense of Clinical Practice: Order Set Design Strategies in CPOE

A case study was conducted during the customization phase of a commercial CPOE system at a multi-hospital, academic health system. The study focused on the development of order sets. Three distinct approaches to order set development were observed: Empirical, Local Consensus and Departmental. The three approaches are first described and then examined using the framework of sensemaking. Different approaches to sensemaking in the context of order set development reflect variations in sources of knowledge related to the standardization of care.
Insider abuse comprehension through capability acquisition graphs

Insider attacks constitute one of the most potent, yet difficult to detect threats to information security in the cyber-domain. Malicious actions perpetrated by privileged insiders usually circumvent intrusion detection systems (IDS) and other mechanisms designed to detect and prevent unauthorized activity. In this paper, we present an architectural framework and technique to aid in situation awareness of insider threats in a networked computing environment such as a corporate network. Individual actions by users are analyzed using a theoretical model called a Capability Acquisition Graph (CAG) to evaluate their cumulative effect and detect possible violations. Our approach is based on periodic evaluation of the privileges that users accumulate with respect to critical information assets during their workflow. A static analysis tool called Information-Centric Modeler and Auditor Program (ICMAP) is used to periodically construct CAGs which are then analyzed to uncover possible attacks. The process is demonstrated by considering an information process cycle from the real-world.
Have Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis , Reproductive Rates Declined in Parkland Manitoba?

Long-term surveys indicate that the scaup populations have declined over the past 20 years, and that this is probably the result of decreases in Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis ) rather than Greater Scaup ( Aythya marila ) numbers. To identify factors possibly related to the decline, we estimated demographic parameters for a local population of Lesser Scaup at Erickson, Manitoba, that was well studied before declines occurred and compared these estimates to historic rates. On average, nests were initiated later than in the past, and recent estimates of nesting success and duckling survival were lower than historical estimates. Breeding-season survival of adult females was estimated as 72.6%, with most (83%) mortality occurring during nesting. Current estimates of demographic rates at Erickson are too low to maintain a stable local population, and suppressed reproductive rates might be the proximate cause of the local population decline.
Starbursts in the Evolving Universe: A Local Perspective

Nearby starburst galaxies provide fascinating astrophysical laboratories for studies of intense modes of star formation. This paper briefly considers some key features of starbursts as revealed by nearby examples, and discusses their implications for galaxy evolution.
Discoordinate surface expression of IFN-gamma-induced HLA class II proteins in nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells with absence of DM and class II colocalization

We compared HLA class II expression in a human melanoma line (a nonprofessional APC), induced by IFN-gamma or by stable transfection with CIITA, with constitutive class II expression in an EBV-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell line (a professional APC) from the same donor. IFN-gamma-induced and CIITA-transfected melanoma cells expressed DR, DP, and DQ at levels similar to those expressed by the professional APC; however, DP and DQ proteins and DM-dependent DR epitopes were delayed in appearing on the cell surface when induced by IFN-gamma. The delay in cell surface expression of some IFN-gamma-induced class II epitopes was observed even though Northern blots demonstrated class II and DM genes to be coordinately transcribed and their mRNA levels to be equivalent to that in B lymphoblastoid cells. Confocal microscopy suggests that discoordinate cell surface expression of class II results from different intracellular trafficking for IFN-gamma-induced class II proteins in the melanoma line compared with that in professional APCs. Specifically, although DR and DM proteins were present 2 days after IFN-gamma induction, colocalization of DR and DM proteins intracellularly was not apparent in cells at any time after induction. Failure of DR and DM proteins to colocalize suggests that IFN-gamma-induced cells lack an intracellular MIIC-like compartment. The absence of a compartment containing DR and DM to facilitate interaction between the two proteins may account for the delayed surface expression of class II epitopes whose formation requires both class II and DM.
Dining philosophers that tolerate malicious crashes

We present a solution to the problem of dining philosophers. Our solution tolerates malicious crashes. In a malicious crash the failed process behaves arbitrarily for a finite time and then ceases all operation undetectably to other processes. The tolerance of our solution is achieved by the combination of stabilization and crash failure locality. Stabilization allows our program to recover from an arbitrary state. Crash failure locality ensures that only a limited number of processes are affected by a process crash. The crash failure locality of our solution is optimal. Finally, we argue that the malicious crash fault model and its extensions are worthy of further study as they admit tolerances that are not achieved under stronger fault models and are unnecessary under weaker fault models.
Single- and Two-Photon Properties of a Dye-Derivatized Roussin's Red Salt Ester (Fe2(μ-RS)2(NO)4) with a Large TPA Cross Section

The synthesis, characterization, photochemistry, and two-photon photophysical properties of a new dye-derivatized iron sulfur nitrosyl cluster Fe2(μ-RS)2(NO)4 (AFX-RSE, RS = 2-thioethyl ester of N-phenyl-N-(3-(2-ethoxy)phenyl)-7-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-9,9-diethyl-fluoren-2-yl-amine) were investigated. Under continuous photolysis, AFX-RSE decomposes with modest quantum yields (Φdiss = (4.9 ± 0.9) × 10-3 at λirr = 436 nm) as measured from the loss of the nitrosyl bands in the IR absorbance spectrum. Nitric oxide (NO) was qualitatively demonstrated to be photochemically produced via single-photon excitation through the use of an NO-specific electrode. Steady-state luminescence measurements have shown that AFX-RSE fluorescence is about 88% quenched relative to the model compound AF-tosyl. This is attributed to a relatively efficient energy transfer from the excited states of the antenna chromophores to the dinuclear metal center, with the subsequent production of NO. In addition, the two-photon absorption (TPA) ...
Antiretroviral therapy in HIV‐positive men is associated with increased apolipoprotein CIII in triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins

Objectives Dyslipidaemia has become a common problem in HIV disease, especially in patients on current antiretroviral therapy. However, the pathogenic mechanisms involved are not well understood or documented using conventional lipid measurements. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, the prevalence of abnormal standard lipid measurements and novel biomarkers for abnormal lipid metabolism was determined in 271 HIV-positive men from two HIV clinics in Atlanta, GA, USA. Results A total of 147 men were treated with protease inhibitors (PIs) for >3 months (54%), 84 were treated with nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) for >3 months (31%) and 40 had not received antiretroviral therapy in the past 3 months (15%). Patients being treated with a PI had higher total cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels than patients on no therapy (P<0.05 for each). Patients in the NNRTI group had higher TG, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, and higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels than patients on no therapy (P<0.05 for each). Patients treated with either PIs or NNRTIs were more likely to have higher apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII) levels (P<0.05 for each) than patients on no therapy. Elevated TG was associated with disproportionably elevated apoCIII levels in both treatment groups. Conclusions In this cross-sectional study of HIV-infected men, either PI or NNRTI therapy elevated levels of TG and apoCIII. Higher concentrations of apoCIII in apoB-containing lipoproteins [very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs), intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) and LDLs] have been predictive of an increased incidence of coronary events in clinical trials and more rapid progression of coronary lesions measured by angiography. These findings, on a background of an older population with additional risk factors of smoking and diabetes, portend future atherosclerotic events in these patients.
The Use of Hypothermia as a Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury

Hypothermia has been shown to have neuroprotective effects and may have benefit in the treatment of head injuries. However, it is a controversial treatment in traumatic brain injury, and to date, there are no specific recommendations for its use. This article examines six research studies investigating the use of hypothermia as a treatment in patients with traumatic brain injury. All studies were prospective trials and compared a controlled normothermia group with a hypothermia group. Studies were compared by sample population, methods of hypothermia, outcomes, and conclusions. The leading variable in each study was hypothermia. However, each study used a different method of cooling, goal temperature, and duration of cooling. Through the comparison of these studies, a recommendation for change in practice cannot be made. Nevertheless, there may be benefits to hypothermia in traumatic brain injury, and suggestions for future research are identified.
Numerical simulation of shock-induced combustion past blunt bodies using shock-fitting technique

Two-dimensional axisymmetric, reacting viscous flow over blunt projectiles is computed to study shock-induced combustion at Mach 5.11 and Mach 6.46 in hydrogen-air mixture. A finite-difference, shock-fitting method is used to solve the complete set of Navier-Stokes and species conservation equations. In this approach, the bow shock represents a boundary of the computational domain and is treated as a discontinuity across which Rankine-Hugoniot conditions are applied. All interior details of the flow such as compression waves, reaction front, and the wall boundary layer are captured automatically in the solution. Since shock-fitting approach reduces the amount of artificial dissipation, all the intricate details of the flow are captured much more clearly than has been possible with the shock-capturing approach. This has allowed an improved understanding of the physics of shock-induced combustion over blunt projectiles and the numerical results can now be explained more readily with one-dimensional wave-interaction model than before.
Reducing the incidence of atrial fibrillation.

JAMA Corticosteroids for the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial Jari Halonen, MD; Pirjo Halonen, PhD; Otso Jarvinen, MD, PhD; Panu Taskinen, MD; Tommi Auvinen, MD; Matti Tarkka, MD, PhD; Mikko Hippelainen, MD, PhD; Tatu Juvonen, MD, PhD; Juha Hartikainen, MD, PhD; Tapio Hakala, MD, PhD Context: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia to occur after cardiac surgery. An exaggerated inflammatory response has been proposed to be one etiological factor. Objective: To test whether intravenous corticosteroid administration after cardiac surgery prevents AF after cardiac surgery. Design, Setting, and Patients: A double-blind, randomized multicenter trial (study enrollment August 2005-June 2006) in 3 university hospitals in Finland of 241 consecutive patients without prior AF or flutter and scheduled to undergo first on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, aortic valve replacement, or combined CABG surgery and aortic valve replacement. Intervention: Patients were randomized to receive either 100-mg hydrocortisone or matching placebo as follows: the first dose in the evening of the operative day, then 1 dose every 8 hours during the next 3 days. In addition, all patients received oral metoprolol (50-150 mg/d) titrated to heart rate. Main Outcome Measure: Occurrence of AF during the first 84 hours after cardiac surgery. Results: The incidence of postoperative AF was significantly lower in the hydrocortisone group (36/120 [30%]) than in the placebo group (58/121 [48%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.83; P = .004; number needed to treat, 5.6). Compared with placebo, patients receiving hydrocortisone did not have higher rates of superficial or deep wound infections, or other major complications. Conclusion: Intravenous hydrocortisone reduced the incidence of AF after cardiac surgery. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00442494. jama. 2007;297(14):1562-1567.
Visualizing Patterns in a Global Terrorism Incident Database

The terrorism database includes more than 27000 terrorism incidents between 1968 and 2006. Each incident record has spatial information (country names for all records and city names for some records), a time stamp (ie year, month, and day), and several other fields (eg tactics, weapon types, target types, fatalities, and injuries). We introduce a unified visualization environment that is able to present various types of patterns and thus to facilitate explorations of the incident data from different perspectives. With the visualization environment one can visualize either spatiomultivariate, spatiotemporal, temporal - multivariate, or spatiotemporal - multivariate patterns. For example, the analyst can examine the characteristics (in terms of target types, tactics, or other multivariate vectors) of aggregated incidents and at the same time perceive how multivariate characteristics change over time and vary spatially. Special attention is devoted to the application-specific data analysis process, from data...
Evolution of Poliovirus Defective Interfering Particles Expressing Gaussia Luciferase

Polioviruses (PVs) carrying a reporter gene are useful tools for studies of virus replication, particularly if the viral chimeras contain the polyprotein that provides all of the proteins necessary for a complete replication cycle. Replication in HeLa cells of a previously constructed poliovirus expressing the gene for Renilla luciferase (RLuc) fused to the N terminus of the polyprotein H2N-RLuc-P1-P2-P3-COOH (P1, structural domain; P2 and P3, nonstructural domains) led to the deletion of RLuc after only one passage. Here we describe a novel poliovirus chimera that expresses Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) inserted into the polyprotein between P1 and P2 (N2H-P1-GLuc-P2-P3-COOH). This chimera, termed PV-GLuc, replicated to 10% of wild-type yield. The reporter signal was fully retained for three passages and then gradually lost. After six passages the signal was barely detectable. On further passages, however, the GLuc signal reappeared, and after eight passages it had reached the same levels observed with the original PV-GLuc at the first passage. We demonstrated that this surprising observation was due to coevolution of defective interfering (DI) particles that had lost part or all of the capsid coding sequence (ΔP1-GLuc-P2-P3) and wild-type-like viruses that had lost the GLuc sequence (P1-P2-P3). When used at low passage, PV-GLuc is an excellent tool for studying aspects of genome replication and morphogenesis. The GLuc protein was secreted from mammalian cells but, in agreement with published data, was not secreted from PV-GLuc-infected cells due to poliovirus-induced inhibition of cellular protein secretion. Published evidence indicates that individual expression of enterovirus polypeptide 3A, 2B, or 2BC in COS-1 cells strongly inhibits host protein secretion. In HeLa cells, however, expression of none of the poliovirus polypeptides, either singly or in pairs, inhibited GLuc secretion. Thus, inhibition of GLuc secretion in PV-infected HeLa cells is likely a result of the interaction between several viral and cellular proteins that are different from those in COS-1 cells.
Acute respitatory distress syndrome

Abstract The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious and complex clinical problem that often threatens the lives of patients. Emerging clinical data suggest that the survival of patients with this disorder may have improved during the last two decades, presumably because of advances in supportive medical care. Among the supportive therapies used to treat patients with ARDS, none is more complex than mechanical ventilation. New strategies for administering mechanical ventilation to patients with ARDS may reduce the occurrence of iatrogenic volotrauma and oxygen toxicity, accounting in part for the recently observed improvements in patient survival. Prevention and cure of ARDS have remained elusive goals because of the lack of specific therapies directed against the known pathogenic factors. Ongoing investigations are aimed at identifying specific therapies to interrupt the mechanisms of inflammation and lung injury responsible for this syndrome. Until such therapies become available, clinicians caring for patients with ARDS should attempt to minimize additional morbidity and mortality resulting from nosocomial infections and iatrogenic injuries.
Expression language for the specification and implementation of imaging algorithms

The design and implementation of imaging algorithms is a growing burden to both application developers and suppliers of computer systems and specialized processors. While programmer's interfaces are being standardized to address some of these problems, these systems still necessitate extensive development efforts. Traditional languages do not provide productive environments for approaching such efforts, lacking support of constructs found in common imaging expressions. An expression language was designed around operators and semantics typically found in imaging algorithms. The language uses a notation that closely models classical discrete math. This notation can be compiled into executable code and also allows specific optimizations for specialized hardware. In the expression language, algorithms can be implemented in a form close to that found in imaging texts--taking advantage of the elegance of this short hand notation which often requires many additional statements in a conventional programming language. The current implementation of the expression language generates both C source code and LATEX. The LATEX code provides an unambiguous type set expression identical to the original mathematical description. For this reason, the ANSI X3H3.8 committee has voted to use this notation as a specification for 'man pages' in the PIK standard. Additionally, an interactive programming environment is being developed for the expression language, demonstrating its utility as an end user tool.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Modeling the Kinetics of Hybridization in Microarrays

Conventional fluorescent-based microarrays acquire data after the hybridization phase. In this phase the targets analytes (i.e., DNA fragments) bind to the capturing probes on the array and supposedly reach a steady state. Accordingly, microarray experiments essentially provide only a single, steady-state data point of the hybridization process. On the other hand, a novel technique (i.e., realtime microarrays) capable of recording the kinetics of hybridization in fluorescent-based microarrays has recently been proposed in [5]. The richness of the information obtained therein promises higher signal-to-noise ratio, smaller estimation error, and broader assay detection dynamic range compared to the conventional microarrays. In the current paper, we develop a probabilistic model of the kinetics of hybridization and describe a procedure for the estimation of its parameters which include the binding rate and target concentration. This probabilistic model is an important step towards developing optimal detection algorithms for the microarrays which measure the kinetics of hybridization, and to understanding their fundamental limitations.
Integrins and signaling in osteoclast function

Integrins are heterodimeric adhesion receptors that mediate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. Osteoclasts highly express the alphavbeta3 integrin, which binds to a variety of extracellular matrix proteins including vitronectin, osteopontin and bone sialoprotein. RGD-containing peptides, RGD-mimetics and alphavbeta3 blocking antibodies inhibit bone resorption in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that this integrin plays an important role in osteoclast function. RGD-containing peptides were shown to raise cytosolic calcium in osteoclasts. Furthermore, several signaling and adaptor molecules were found to be involved in alphavbeta3 integrin-dependent signaling pathways, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, c-Src, PYK2 and p130(cas). In addition, cytoskeletal molecules such as paxillin, vinculin, gelsolin and F-actin are recruited to adhesion contacts upon integrin activation. Many of these molecules signaling and cytoskeletal localize to the sealing zone of actively resorbing osteoclasts, suggesting that they play a role in linking the adhesion of osteoclasts to the bone matrix with the cytoskeletal organization and the polarization and activation of these cells for bone resorption.
THE GROWTH OF INHOMOGENEOUS THERMOPLASTIC SHEAR

The catastrophic growth of unstable thermoplastic shear following the transition from homogeneous deformation to heterogeneous localized deformation through distributed shear banding is studied through approximate analytic and computational methods. The calculations provide expressions for shear-band widths, spacing, catastrophic growth times and the rate of stress communication between shear bands. The calculations are applied to heterogeneous shear localization observed in the steady-wave shock compression of aluminum.
Is Coca Paste Currently a Drug of Abuse among High School Students

During the spring of 1980 we included items about the use of coca paste in an ongoing longitudinal study of high school students in greater Los Angeles. Of 228 eleventh and twelfth grade males, four (1.8%) claimed to have used coca paste in the previous six months. Of 460 eleventh and twelfth grade females, five (1.1%) reported using coca paste during the six month period. We examine the usage rates in relationship to those for other drugs like liquor, marijuana, PCP, and cocaine. We also studied the relationship of the knowledge of coca paste, having friends who use the drug, and attitudes about the substance to other forms of drug use.
Twelve new turkey microsatellite loci

Microsatellite loci continue to be important tools in genetic analysis of populations and experimental families. Twelve new microsatellite sequences for the turkey were obtained from a small insert M13 library. Polymorphism at these new loci was examined in both domestic and wild birds. Seven of 12 loci were polymorphic in domestic turkeys, whereas 10 loci were polymorphic in our sample of wild birds.
Fast matching in combinations of regular equational theories

Abstract We consider the problem of efficient term matching, modulo combinations of regular equational theories. Our general approach to the problem consists of three phases: compilation, matching and subproblem solving. We describe a technique for dealing with non-linear variables in a pattern and show how this technique is specialized to several specific equational theories. For matching in an order-sorted setting we discuss an important optimization for theories involving the associativity equation. Finally we sketch a new method of combining matching algorithms for regular collapse theories and give examples that involve the identity and idempotence equations.
On the mechanism of ballistospore discharge.

Studies on the discharge of ballistospores by Sporobolomyces holsaticus have shown that the ejection mechanism resides exclusively in the spore. They support Olive's contention that the spore is propelled by the sudden rupture of a gas-filled vesicle which is formed between the inner and outer layers of the wall at the hilar end of the spore. Evidence based on microscopic observations, micromanipulation, and electron microscopy is presented.
Retail video analytics: an overview and survey

Today retail video analytics has gone beyond the traditional domain of security and loss prevention by providing retailers insightful business intelligence such as store traffic statistics and queue data. Such information allows for enhanced customer experience, optimized store performance, reduced operational costs, and ultimately higher profitability. This paper gives an overview of various camera-based applications in retail as well as the state-ofthe- art computer vision techniques behind them. It also presents some of the promising technical directions for exploration in retail video analytics.
Where Politics Is a Blood Sport Restructuring State Higher Education Governance in Massachusetts

The 1991 restructuring of Massachusetts system of higher education is explained and analyzed using McLendon’s “Policy Stream Model of Decentralization Agenda Setting,” a revised Garbage Can model, ...
Epidural cortical stimulation and aphasia therapy

Background: There are several methods of delivering cortical brain stimulation to modulate cortical excitability, and interest in their application as an adjuvant strategy in aphasia rehabilitation after stroke is growing. Epidural cortical stimulation, although more invasive than other methods, permits high-frequency stimulation of high spatial specificity to targeted neuronal populations. Aims: First we review evidence supporting the use of epidural cortical stimulation for upper limb recovery after focal cortical injury in both animal models and human stroke survivors. These data provide the empirical and theoretical platform underlying the use of epidural cortical stimulation in aphasia. Second, we summarise evidence for the application of epidural cortical stimulation in aphasia. We describe the procedures and primary outcomes of a safety and feasibility study (Cherney, Erickson, & Small, 2010), and provide previously unpublished data regarding secondary behavioural outcomes from that study. Main Con...
Heavy thresholds, slepton masses and the μ term in anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking

The effects of heavy mass thresholds on anomaly-mediated soft supersymmetry breaking terms are discussed. While heavy thresholds completely decouple to lowest order in the supersymmetry breaking, it is argued that they do affect the breaking terms at higher orders. The relevant contributions typically occur at lower order in the loop expansion compared to purely anomaly mediated contributions. The non decoupling contributions may be used to render models in which the only source of supersymmetry breaking is anomaly mediation viable, by generating positive contributions to the sleptons' masses squared. They can also be used to generate acceptable ?- and B-terms.
The differential effects of glucocorticoid on tissue and plasma amino acid levels

Abstract The alteration in free amino acid patterns in various responsive tissues and in plasma has been investigated 4 h after the administration of a relatively low dose of cortisone acetate. In liver, in which cortisone evokes elevated tyrosine transaminase ( L -tyrosine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5) levels, a marked depression in the level of tyrosine and an elevation in concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, and alanine are evident. In the liver, in which protein synthesis is augmented under corticoid influences, the concentrations of numerous other amino acids were depressed following cortisone administration. In tissues in which cortisone produces a decrease in protein content, namely, thymus and muscle, the steroid elicited smaller elevations in the concentrations of many amino acids in addition to marked increments in the amounts of glutamate, aspartate, and alanine. Thus the alterations in amino acid patterns in tissues responsive to glucocorticoid seem to be consequent to the hormonally induced elevation of tyrosine α-ketoglutarate transaminase in the liver and to protein loss from lymphoid tissues and muscle.
The Façade of Safety in California’s Shelter-In-Place Homes: History, Wildfire, and Social Consequence:

This article examines the seemingly incongruous ways in which Shelter-in-Place (SIP) practices have been sold, deployed, and discussed in Southern California to battle wildfire. In particular, this...
Persistence rates and detection probabilities of oiled king eider carcasses on St Paul Island, Alaska

Following an oil spill off St Paul Island, Alaska in February 1996, persistence rates and detection probabilities of oiled king eider (Somateria spectabilis) carcasses were estimated using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model. Carcass persistence rates varied by day, beach type and sex, while detection probabilities varied by day and beach type. Scavenging, wave action and weather influenced carcass persistence. The patterns of persistence differed on rock and sand beaches and female carcasses had a different persistence function than males. Weather, primarily snow storms, and degree of carcass scavenging, diminished carcass detectability. Detection probabilities on rock beaches were lower and more variable than on sand beaches. The combination of persistence rates and detection probabilities can be used to improve techniques of estimating total mortality.
Transcervical chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis: A comparison of reliability, culture findings, and fetal outcome

We evaluated the reliability, culture findings, and fetal outcome after transcervical chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis in a group of 860 patients. All procedures were performed for the indication of advanced maternal age with consistent procedure and laboratory techniques. Successful procedures were completed in 97.7% (420/430) of patients in the chorionic villus sampling group, compared with 99.5% (428/430) in the amniocentesis group (p less than 0.01). Success was more frequent with only one attempt in the amniocentesis group (427/428) versus 354 of 420 in the chorionic villus sampling group (p less than 0.001). Culture failure was more common after chorionic villus sampling (p less than 0.001). Pregnancy loss rates through 28 weeks' gestation and the entire gestation were not significantly different. The prevalence of preterm delivery did not vary between groups, but birth weights of infants in the chorionic villus sampling group were significantly greater. In summary, the present investigation supports previous findings that chorionic villus sampling is a safe alternative to amniocentesis and is not associated with long-term pregnancy complications.
Unhealthy Health Care Costs

The private sector has implemented many cost containment measures in efforts to control rising health care costs. However, these measures have not controlled costs in the long run, and can be expected not to succeed as long as business cannot control factors within the health care system which affect costs. Controlling private sector health care costs requires constraints on cost shifting which necessitates a unified financing system with expenditure limits. A unified financing system will involve a partnership between the public and private sectors.
Preliminary Survey of Freshwater Early Tertiary Invertebrates from Trans-Pecos Texas: ABSTRACT

Freshwater invertebrates of early Tertiary age have been collected from eight scattered locations in Presidio and Brewster Counties in Trans-Pecos Texas. Most specimens are internal End_Page 2211------------------------------ molds of several gastropod genera of Eocene and Oligocene ages. Several specimens of a Paleocene pelecypod genus have been collected. Some small (10-25 mm in length), elliptical objects of uncertain paleontologic classification were found in Eocene, Oligocene, and lower Miocene. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2212------------