cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Capacity Region of the Three-Receiver Less Noisy Broadcast Channel with Message Cognition

The capacity region of the three-receiver discrete memoryless less noisy broadcast channel with message cognition is established in the case where the weakest receiver knows the message required by the strongest receiver prior to transmission. This problem was previously studied for the scalar Gaussian broadcast channel by Asadi et al but only inner and outer bounds were obtained. The capacity result of this paper can also be seen to augment the theory of the three-receiver discrete memoryless less noisy broadcast channel for which the capacity region was found previously by Nair and Wang but without message cognition.
Conscious awareness of self-relevant information is necessary for an incidental self-memory advantage

Co-presenting an item with self-relevant vs. other-relevant information under a non-self-referential encoding context can produce a memory advantage. The present study examined the relative contributions of conscious vs. unconscious processing of self-cues to this incidental self-memory advantage. During encoding, the participant's own or another person's name was presented supraliminally or subliminally prior to the presentation of each target word. Consistent across two experiments, we found better memory for words preceded by the own name vs. another name but only when the names were presented supraliminally. The masked priming effect produced by the own name in Experiment 2 suggests that the absence of a self-memory advantage following subliminal name presentation was unlikely due to subliminal self-processing being too weak. Our findings suggest that conscious awareness of self-cues is necessary for an incidental self-memory advantage. Potential qualitative differences between conscious vs. unconscious self-processing mediating the impact of self on memory are discussed.
Abstract IA20: Targeting DNA repair in cancer therapy

Human cancer cells have genomic instability resulting from germline or acquired defects in DNA repair. One DNA repair pathway—the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway (D9Andrea A. N Engl J Med 2010;362:1909)—is defective in many human cancers, including breast, ovarian, and pancreatic neoplasms. Disruption of the FA/BRCA pathway results in the characteristic chromosome instability and radiation/crosslinker hypersensitivity of these tumors. In general, loss of one DNA repair pathway often leads to hyperdependence on another pathway for tumor cell survival. This hyperdependence offers a unique opportunity for the development of anticancer therapeutics. For instance, FA/BRCA pathway-deficient tumors are hyperdependent on base excision repair (BER) and, accordingly, these tumors are hypersensitive to single-agent treatment with PARP1 inhibitors, which block BER, or with ATM inhibitors. Our research program is focused on profiling the FA/BRCA pathway and the other five major DNA repair pathways in tumor cells (Kennedy RD, D9Andrea A. J Clin Oncol 2006;24:3799, 2006). Each DNA repair pathway has a characteristic biomarker and repairs a specific type of DNA lesion. By profiling these pathways in primary tumor samples with activation-specific antibodies to DNA repair proteins, we have been able (1) to predict the sensitivity of tumors to conventional chemotherapy and radiation; (2) to subset tumors for their sensitivity to novel classes of DNA repair inhibitors, (i.e., PARP1, Chk1, ATM, and proteasome inhibitors); and (3) to screen for new small-molecule inhibitors of other DNA repair pathways. This combination of novel DNA repair inhibitors, conventional DNA-damaging agents, and DNA repair biomarkers offers new opportunities for developing more effective anticancer therapy. In my presentation, I will also discuss novel approaches to sensitizing triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) and ovarian tumors (OCs) to PARP1 inhibitors. We have previously shown that exposure of these tumors to either a CDK inhibitor or a proteasome inhibitor can block homologous recombination (HR) repair and thereby sensitize the tumor cells to PARP1 inhibitor. The CDK inhibitor/PARP1 inhibitor combination has been examined in orthotopic primary TNBC and OC xenograft models. Finally, we have identified an additional PARP1-dependent DNA repair mechanism in TNBCs and OCs. This pathway is driven by a novel alternative end-joining polymerase, POLθ. These tumors are hypersensitive to inhibitors of this new pathway, suggesting a new target for DNA repair therapies. Citation Format: Alan D. D9Andrea. Targeting DNA repair in cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference held in cooperation with the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) on Translational Cancer Medicine; May 4-6, 2017; Sao Paulo, Brazil. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(1_Suppl):Abstract nr IA20.
Analysis of Treatment Cost Variation Among Multiple Neurosurgical Procedures Using the Value-Driven Outcomes Database.

Background Health care costs comprise a substantial portion of total national expenditure. Although interest in cost-effectiveness analysis in neurosurgery has increased, there has been little cross-comparison of neurosurgical procedures. The aim of this study was to compare costs across elective neurosurgical procedures to understand whether drivers of cost differ. Methods The Value Driven Outcomes database was used to evaluate treatment costs for resection of vestibular schwannoma, intracranial meningioma, gliomas, and pituitary adenoma; anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and lumbar spinal fusion; and aneurysm treatment. Results A total of 1997 patients (mean age 54.6 ± 14.5 years; 45.2% male) were evaluated. The mean length of stay (LOS) was 4.0 ± 4.4 days. For cases involving hardware implantation, including spine fusion or aneurysm treatment, supplies and implants (49.1%) accounted for the largest fraction of costs followed by facility costs (37.9%). For cases that did not involve hardware, including tumor cases, facility costs (63.9%) were the largest fraction, followed by supplies and implants (16.2%). Aneurysm treatment and lumbar fusion were 1.5–3 times more costly than cranial tumor resection and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion per patient. Multivariate linear regression demonstrated that LOS (β = 0.7, P = 0.0001) and patient treatment type (β = 0.2, P = 0.0001) had the greatest effect on costs. LOS correlated with cost differently depending on case type; its effect was largest for patients with meningioma and smallest for patients with vestibular schwannoma. Costs across time increased similarly for all case types. Conclusions Costs for neurosurgical procedures vary widely depending on treatment type and correlated directly with LOS. Strategies to reduce cost may require different approaches depending on procedure type.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Precipitation Amount, Frequency, Intensity, and Persistence in China, 1973–2016

AbstractIn this paper, we examined the spatial and temporal variations in precipitation amount, frequency, and intensity in China based on daily precipitation data from 2050 weather stations from 1...
Comparing DNA, RNA and protein levels for measuring microbial dynamics in soil microcosms amended with nitrogen fertilizer

To what extent multi-omic techniques could reflect in situ microbial process rates remains unclear, especially for highly diverse habitats like soils. Here, we performed microcosm incubations using sandy soil from an agricultural site in Midwest USA. Microcosms amended with isotopically labeled ammonium and urea to simulate a fertilization event showed nitrification (up to 4.1 ± 0.87 µg N-NO3- g-1 dry soil d-1) and accumulation of N2O after 192 hours of incubation. Nitrification activity (NH4+ → NH2OH → NO → NO2- → NO3-) was accompanied by a 6-fold increase in relative expression of the 16S rRNA gene (RNA/DNA) between 10 and 192 hours of incubation for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira, unlike archaea and comammox bacteria, which showed stable gene expression. A strong relationship between nitrification activity and betaproteobacterial ammonia monooxygenase and nitrite oxidoreductase transcript abundances revealed that mRNA quantitatively reflected measured activity and was generally more sensitive than DNA under these conditions. Although peptides related to housekeeping proteins from nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms were detected, their abundance was not significantly correlated with activity, revealing that meta-proteomics provided only a qualitative assessment of activity. Altogether, these findings underscore the strengths and limitations of multi-omic approaches for assessing diverse microbial communities in soils and provide new insights into nitrification.
Effects of dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio on growth performance, plasma fatty acid profile, intestinal morphology, and immune function of pigs

Abstract A total of 185 crossbred pigs (Yorkshire x Landrace; 20.7 ± 2.5 d of age and 6.7 ± 1.1 kg BW) from 3 weaning groups were used to evaluate dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid (FA) ratios on nursery and growing pigs. Within each weaning group, pigs were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with balanced sex and 4 or 5 pigs/pen within each block. The dietary treatments were: 1) low n-6:n-3 FA ratio (LO): 5.0% menhaden oil (MO) and 0.0% corn oil (CO); 2) low-medium n-6:n-3 FA ratio (LO-MED): 3.5% MO and 1.5% CO; 3) medium n-6:n-3 FA ratio (MED): 1.5% MO and 3.5% CO; 4) high-medium n-6:n-3 FA ratio (HI-MED): 0.2% MO and 4.8% CO; and 5) high n-6:n-3 FA ratio (HI): 0.0% MO and 5.0% CO. The diets were fed in 2 phases as d 0 to 28 (nursery phase) and d 29 to 70 (grower phase). In vivo cell-mediated immune response was assessed on d 14 and 28 for Group 1 and 2 by measuring the inflammatory response to an intradermal injection of 100 µL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA, 0.5 mg/mL of PBS). One pig was euthanized from each pen in Group 1 and 2 at the end of the nursery and grower phase to assess intestinal morphology. During the nursery or grower phase, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio were not affected by increasing dietary n-6:n-3 FA ratios (P > 0.16). However, pigs fed the LO diet had lower (P 0.10). Jejunum crypt depth increase in a quadratic manner at the end of the nursery phase (P 0.10). In summary, increasing dietary n-6:n-3 FA ratios altered plasma n-3 FA concentration and n-6:n-3 FA ratio and might influence the intestinal morphology, but did not generally affect growth performance or the skin inflammatory response of pigs in the nursery or grower phases.
Understanding Career Mobility of Professors: Does Foreign-Born Status Matter?.

The purpose of this study was to seek to understand the mobility patterns of faculty members, with particular attention to foreign-born faculty members who work at 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Examining data from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients, we looked at the mobility patterns of faculty members who held tenure-track faculty positions in 2003 and who responded to the survey again in 2013 (a 10-year time period). After examining different types of mobility, we found that the only significant difference was that, all things being equal, foreign-born faculty members were less likely to move into administration than U.S.-born faculty members. Foreign-born faculty members were no different from their U.S.-born counterparts in their mobility to other universities or to business/industry.
Estimating mortality for the assessment of a small-scale fishery: Lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris) in Honduras

Abstract Gillnets are very common in small-scale fisheries. However, data obtained using gillnets are biased because of their size selectivity, making accurate estimation of mortality difficult. This study applied various methods to estimate total, natural, and fishing mortality, using data for Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris) collected in Tela, Honduras. Total mortality was estimated using a catch-curve analysis with and without accounting for size-selectivity using fitted selectivity curves, the Chapman and Robson method, and Heincke’s method. Gillnet selectivity of Lane Snapper was best characterized by a skewed normal selectivity curve. The catch-curve method in the absence of correction for gear selectivity produced greater total mortality estimates than the Chapman and Robson and Heincke’s methods, with substantial variation among the three methods. Natural mortality estimates were consistent among five methods: Lorenzen, Peterson and Wroblewski, Sekharan, “FishLife” R package and Pauly’s method. Consequently, variation among fishing mortality estimates was primarily the result of variation in estimates of total mortality. Our results suggest that accounting for gear selectivity is critically important when assessing and managing small-scale fisheries.
Revisiting the Intelligibility and Nativeness Principles

Abstract Levis (2005) named two conflicting approaches to pronunciation teaching, the Nativeness Principle and the Intelligibility Principle. This paper revisits those two principles to argue for the superiority of the Intelligibility Principle in regard to where pronunciation fits within the wider field of language teaching, in how it effectively addresses teaching goals, in how it best addresses all contexts of L2 pronunciation learning, and in how it recognizes the reality of social consequences of pronunciation differences. In contrast, the Nativeness Principle, despite its long pedigree and many defenders, falls short by advocating native pronunciation for L2 learners, which is both unlikely to be achieved and unnecessary for effective communication in the L2.
Area under the dark adaptation curve as a reliable alternate measure of dark adaptation response.

PURPOSE Quantification of dark adaptation (DA) response using the conventional rod intercept time (RIT) requires very long testing time and may not be measurable in the presence of impairments due to diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The goal of this study was to investigate the advantages of using area under the DA curve (AUDAC) as an alternative to the conventional parameters to quantify DA response. METHODS Data on 136 eyes (AMD: 98, normal controls: 38) from an ongoing longitudinal study on AMD were used. DA was measured using the AdaptDx 20 min protocol. AUDAC was computed from the raw DA characteristic curve at different time points, including 6.5 min and 20 min (default). The presence of AMD in the given eye was predicted using a logistic regression model within the leave-one-out cross-validation framework, with DA response as the predictor while adjusting for age and gender. The DA response variable was either the AUDAC values computed at 6.5 min (AUDAC6.5) or at 20 min (AUDAC20) cut-off, or the conventional RIT. RESULTS AUDAC6.5 was strongly correlated with AUDAC20 (β=86, p<0.001, R2=0.87). The accuracy of predicting the presence of AMD using AUDAC20 was 76%, compared with 79% when using RIT, the current gold standard. In addition, when limiting AUDAC calculation to 6.5 min cut-off, the predictive accuracy of AUDAC6.5 was 80%. CONCLUSIONS AUDAC can be a valuable measure to quantify the overall DA response and can potentially facilitate shorter testing duration while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
State of the Practice of Team Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate engagement in collaborative research (team science) and perceptions of related knowledge and skills to inform personnel preparation and workforc...
Combat and the Medical Mindset — The Enduring Effect of Civil War Medical Innovation

The American Civil War's most important and enduring effects on medicine may have been epistemological: ways of teaching, learning, and thinking about medicine changed drastically during the war and in the years that followed.
Multi-hazard analysis of a wind turbine concrete foundation under wind fatigue and seismic loadings

Abstract In order to assess the vulnerability of structural systems to multiple hazards occurring simultaneously, it is necessary to carry out a multi-hazard analysis of the system. Over time, and under continuous, albeit varying cyclic loading from wind forces, there may be a reduction in the structural integrity of structural systems due to fatigue that increases their vulnerability to additional non-typical loads such as seismic and impact. This results in multi-hazard loading scenario not typically considered in current design. This paper aims to present research directed towards numerically estimating the possible effect of a seismic load (earthquake) on a wind turbine foundation that has undergone fatigue over time from constant exposure to wind forces. Although the practical effect of wind induced fatigue on foundations may be relatively small, its cumulative behavior over time reduces the foundation’s capacity making it more susceptible to high impact loads such as seismic events. The analysis is done by considering the two loading events in a fault tree analytical procedure with each event taken as independent and combined together in series. Reliability analysis utilizing the computational tools MATLAB and finite element analysis (using ANSYS) is carried out to understand the behavior of the structure under each specific and combined load effects. The resulting analyses carried out using reliability analysis methods such as first order second moment reliability method and Monte Carlo simulations show a definite decrease in the foundation’s performance and a concurrent increase in its probability of failure within the structure’s design life. The results of this study will help understand the behavior of a simplified structure under the combined effect of these load types thus leading to a more accurate depiction of the actual behavior of structures.
GREEN FLUORESCENT PIGMENT ACCUMULATED BY A MUTANT OF CELLVIBRIO GILVUS

Love, Samuel H. (Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.), and Frank H. Hulcher. Green fluorescent pigment accumulated by a mutant of Cellvibrio gilvus. J. Bacteriol. 87:39-45. 1964.-A mutant of Cellvibrio gilvus, designated strain 139A, liberated a green, fluorescent pigment into the surrounding culture medium. A study of the factors which affected the accumulation of this pigment led to the development of a chemically defined medium which supported maximal pigment accumulation in aerated, liquid cultures. d-Glucose, glycine or l-serine, l-phenylalanine, l-proline, and l-lysine comprised the organic components of this medium. The visible absorption spectrum of the pigment showed a maximal band at 400 mmu (pH 7.0). A difference spectrum between reduced and oxidized pigment showed loss of the band at 400 mmu upon oxidation. However, a methanol-extractable, flavinelike compound occurred in the wild strain but not in the mutant. Ferric ions added to the defined medium stimulated growth, with a concomitant reduction of pigment accumulation. Pigment was formed at a maximal rate during the stationary growth phase, and the highest yield was obtained by 18 hr. Organic solvents did not extract the pigment from water solutions. One and sometimes two, compounds absorbing at 400 mmu could be eluted by ion-exchange chromatography on Cellex-P (H(+)), which was used to separate the pigment from other components in the culture supernatants so that the radioactivity of the pigment could be measured. The mutant synthesized C(14)-labeled pigment from d-glucose-U-C(14) and from each of four amino acids (glycine-1-C(14), l-phenylalanine-U-C(14), l-proline-U-C(14), and l-lysine-U-C(14). Delta-Amino-levulenic acid-4-C(14) did not contribute C(14) to the pigment.
Effect of HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors on antimicrobial susceptibilities for Gram‐Negative rods

Epidemiologic evidence suggests a beneficial effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) in sepsis, and in-vitro data exist for antimicrobial activity of statins against some bacteria and fungi. We examined whether statin exposure at physiologic concentrations enhances activity of selected antimicrobials against Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. Broth microdilution was performed with and without dose-ranging concentrations of lovastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. No effects on antimicrobial activity were demonstrated.
Preemptive Policy Experimentation

We develop a model of experimentation and learning in policymaking when control of power is temporary. We demonstrate how an early office holder who would otherwise not experiment is nonetheless induced to experiment when his hold on power is temporary. This preemptive policy experiment is profitable for the early office holder as it reveals information about the policy mapping to his successor, information that shapes future policy choices. Thus policy choices today can cast a long shadow over future choices purely through information transmission and absent any formal institutional constraints or real state variables. The model we develop utilizes a recent innovation that represents the policy mapping as the realized path of a Brownian motion. We provide a precise characterization of when preemptive experimentation emerges in equilibrium and the form it takes. We apply the model to several well known episodes of policymaking, reinterpreting the policy choices as preemptive experiments.
Sarbanes-Oxley, Jurisprudence, Game Theory, Insurance and Kant: Toward a Moral Theory of Good Governance

The governance rules mandated by Sarbanes-Oxley, and the SEC regulations thereunder, were in direct response to many of the specific misdeeds of the Enron, WorldCom and other scandals, leaving corporate lawyers scrambling to keep their clients in technical compliance, but wondering whether it would create better governance. In this paper, I contend first that the frustrations with Sarbanes-Oxley have their basis in the jurisprudence underlying Sarbanes - the presence or absence of articulated policies and principles underlying the specific rules. I assess the law under modern positivist and naturalist theories, and point out ironies in its ultimate application. Second, I contend there is a more fundamental issue. Neither the law, nor one of the most cogent theories of non-legal norms - Eric Posner's application of game theory and signaling to principles - accounts fully for the moral aspect of corporate board service and ethical decision-making. I critique the economic model with a real world example of a wealthy director's assessment of his potential gain versus potential exposure. I suggest there is a moral theory that explains compliance outside of law or economics, and that the directors operate simultaneously under moral, legal and economic dictates. Finally, I contend social policy and legal training that in turn fail to recognize the importance of moral bearing on corporate governance will very likely miss the intended objective of good governance: more thoughtful, independent focus by boards on their fiduciary obligations to corporate stakeholders.
Anomalous response of a calcium ion electrode in natural waters

Abstract Several chelating agents, both synthetic and natural, were selected for a study on their effects on the growth of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata Royle). These were disodium ethylenedinitrilotetraacetate dihydrate, Na2EDTA.2H2.O; ethyl‐enediamino‐N,N'‐diacetic acid, EDDA; disodium trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexanetetra‐acetic acid, Na2CDTA; ethyleneglycolbis(aminoethyl)tetraacetic acid, EGTA; and the natural chelators present in Lake Starvation (Hillsborough County, Florida) water. These chelating agents, in well‐water solutions, were incubated with hydrilla. Dissolved oxygen and dissolved carbon (inorganic and organic) were measured, and these values were related to hydrilla growth. In addition, values of calcium present were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and by a calcium ion electrode. Only EGTA solutions exhibited anomalous behavior, and this is attributed to exceptional stability of Ca‐EGTA complexes and the effect on the response of the electrode. Results are compared with other...
Interannual to multidecadal modes of Labrador climate variability inferred from tree rings

The climate of Labrador is uniquely influenced by Labrador Sea atmosphere–ocean dynamics and related sea surface temperature, sea ice and atmospheric fluctuations in the northwest Atlantic. Here we describe composite ring width and maximum latewood density white spruce records averaged over five (four for density) treeline sites in northern Labrador, spanning the past four centuries. These records correlate significantly with surface air and sea surface temperature records for the northwest Atlantic as well as with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Temperatures over Labrador appear to have been influenced by climate processes operating on interannual to multidecadal time scales over the length of the tree-ring record. The ring width composite reveals a significant (>99% level) mode of variation centered at around 40–60 years which appears to be robust over the full length of record and may correspond to multidecadal modes identified in model and instrumental studies of North Atlantic climate. The density composite indicates significant peaks at about 21–24, 9 and 2–3 years, which generally correspond to spectral modes identified for the NAO. This density series also shows a significant (>99% level) mode of variation at 3.6 years, which is statistically coherent with the winter (DJF) Southern Oscillation Index. This mode decreases in amplitude in the 1800s period of the Little Ice Age, one of the lowest growth periods in the Labrador tree-ring series as well as other northern temperature proxies. This period was also a time of diminished solar activity and several major volcanic events, including the eruption of Tambora in 1815. The ensuing summer of 1816 was the coldest over the past four centuries as inferred from the Labrador density composite. Hardships suffered by Labrador Inuit resulting from the extreme cold period of 1816–17 are mentioned in Moravian mission records. Archaeological and ethnohistorical data also document shifts in the subsistence practices and settlement patterns of Labrador Inuit throughout the 1800s. Many of the cultural changes have been attributed to the effects of European settlement of the region, but may also be a response to the severe climatic conditions during this time.
Do occlusal contact detection products alter the occlusion

Clinicians rely on occlusal contact detection products to identify high contacts and to equilibrate occlusions. Concerns about these products have stimulated numerous investigations into marking reproducibility, accuracy and interpretation, but none have looked at their effects on the occlusion itself. The aim of this study was to assess whether these products alter the occlusion that they purport to measure by determining whether there are differences in the forces and moments experienced by occluding teeth with and without their presence. A matched pair of IPN Portrait 33° molar denture teeth was placed into occlusion with the mandibular tooth supported by a load sensor and the maxillary tooth mounted onto a vertically sliding assembly with a total weight of 15·1N. The three-dimensional force and moment components on the mandibular tooth were measured when the teeth were in direct crown-crown contact (control) and with the products in place. All six products, (Accufilm I, Accufilm II, Hanel Articulating Silk, Rudischhauser Thick and Thin, and T-scan) showed significant (P<0·05) differences in forces and moments from control.
TREATMENT OF CONGENITAL TALIPES EQUINOVARUS WITH THE MODIFIED DENIS BROWNE SPLINT

1. During the treatment of fifty-three cases of uncomplicated congenital talipes equinovarus with the modified Denis Browne splint, several refinements in technique have been evolved to meet various problems,—such as pressure sores, dermatitis, incomplete correction, persistent equinus, loss of longitudinal arch, and unilateral deformity. These refinements are described. 2. Success of this method depends upon the accuracy with which the foot is fixed to the splint. If properly applied, the splints will allow correction of the varus, and yet will maintain the longitudinal arch while obtaining full correction of the equinus. 3. Recurrence of the deformity is a constant threat, but this tendency is minimized by complete correction early and then by continued use of the splint intermittently, at least until the child begins to walk. 4. The final evaluation of any method of treatment for club-foot will have to be deferred until the first group can be followed throughout the growth period. The results in this series of fifty-three cases do indicate, however, that this is an excellent method with which to obtain initial correction,—that is, a foot with normal appearance and function.
Prime factorization of N-D polynomial matrices

The prime factorization problem of multivariate polynomial matrices was posed by Youla and Gnavi (IEEE Trans. Circuits and Sys., vol. 26, pp. 105-111) in 1979, and still remains open although there are some partial results covering certain special situations. In 1999, Z. Lin (J. Multidimensional Sys. and Sig. Proc., vol. 10, pp. 379-393) made a conjecture regarding prime factorizability of polynomial matrices in terms of their reduced minors. In 2001, Z. Lin and N.K. Bose (Linear Algebra and its Appl., vol. 338, pp. 125-138) studied several conjectures including earlier conjecture by Lin, and showed that they are indeed all equivalent. In this paper, we prove Lin's conjecture, and thereby prove the correctness of all the other conjectures posed by Lin and Bose.
Novel molecular mechanism for generating NK‐cell fitness and memory

The mammalian immune system has been traditionally subdivided into two compartments known as the innate and the adaptive. T cells and B cells, which rearrange their antigen-receptor genes using the RAG recombinase, comprise the adaptive arm of immunity. Meanwhile, every other white blood cell has been grouped together under the broad umbrella of innate immunity, including NK cells. NK cells are considered innate lymphocytes because of their rapid responses to stressed cells and their ability to develop without receptor gene rearrangement (i.e. in RAG-deficient mice). However, new findings implicate a critical function for RAG proteins during NK-cell ontogeny, and suggest a novel mechanism by which controlled DNA breaks during NK-cell development dictate the fitness, function, and longevity of these cells. This review highlights recent work describing how DNA break events can impact cellular differentiation and fitness in a variety of cell types and settings.
Identification of γA-like protocadherin expressed during chick development

The protocadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules of the cadherin superfamily that have been described in numerous species. Although less well characterized than classical cadherins, the protocadherins are also thought to facilitate critical cell–cell interactions during embryonic development. We have cloned a novel protocadherin from the embryonic chick utilizing a monoclonal antibody produced against a peanut agglutinin-binding fraction of cultured chick limb tissue to screen a λZAP cDNA expression library from the stage 25 limb. A 2.8 kb cDNA clone was obtained that encoded multiple cadherin-like ectodomains. Northern blotting revealed a single 4.6 kb RNA transcript that was highly enriched in the stage 43 chick brain. Utilization of 3′ Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) identified the entire 2.4 kb reading frame. The chick protocadherin contained five cadherin-like extracellular repeats and a highly conserved cytoplasmic domain. Amino acid alignment of the extracellular domains revealed marked identity to the human γA protocadherin subfamily. In situ hybridization showed low levels of mRNA localization in several developing chick tissues, but stronger expression in the neural tube and dorsal root ganglia at stage 27. In the stage 43 chick brain, protocadherin mRNA was noted in discrete regions, particularly within the developing optic lobe. As for protocadherins described in other species, these results suggest that this novel γA-like protocadherin may also play a role in chick neural development. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Plane Waves Due to Combined Compressive and Shear Stresses in a Half Space

Abstract : The plane wave propagation in a half-space due to a uniformly distributed step load of pressure and shear on the surface was first studied by Bleich and Nelson. The material in the half-space was assumed to be elastic- ideally plastic. In this paper, we study the same problem for a general elastic-plastic material. The half-space can be initially prestressed. The results can be extended to the case in which the loads on the surface are not necessarily step loads, but with a restricted relation between the pressure and the shear stresses.
Sorption cooler technology development at JPL

Simple heating and cooling of chemisorption and physisorption compressors provide high pressure gas, which, when expanded through a Joule-Thomson (J- T) valve, can provide cooling from 0.3 to 200 K depending on the sorbent/gas combination. System life tests are under way on Pr(1-n)Ce(n)O(x)/O2 (PCO/O2) chemisorption compressors for 65-80 K cooling and on carbon/krypton (C/Kr) physisorption compressors for 120-140 K cooling. Investigations have been initiated to examine reliability physics issues related to critical compressor components such as sorbents, container materials and electrical heaters.
Bone Parameters are Improved with Intermittent Dosing of Vitamin D3 and Calcitonin

Intermittent combination of an anabolic agent to promote bone formation and an antiresorptive agent that would prevent further bone loss is a theoretically attractive approach for restoring bone mass. We tested the potential of intermittently dosed calcitriol and calcitonin (CT) to restore bone properties in ovariectomized (Ovx) rats. Rats had Ovx or sham surgery at 8 weeks old and 4 weeks later were assigned to experimental groups: (1) sham vehicle, (2) Ovx vehicle, (3) Ovx + parathyroid hormone (PTH, 40 μg/kg), and (4) Ovx + calcitriol (2 μg/kg) + CT (2 μg/kg). Group 3 received PTH every week throughout the study, and group 4 received calcitriol at weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 and CT at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. Dosing was carried out for 8 weeks with serum, and micro-computed tomographic analysis was done at 0, 4, and 8 weeks. Femurs and tibias were used for radiological analyses and for mechanical testing. Dosing with PTH improved bone mass and structure of cancellous bone at metaphyses of tibias and femurs as well as properties of cortical bone including geometry and strength. Intermittent dosing with calcitriol and CT was less potent in correcting loss of cancellous bone relative to treatment with PTH and had no effect on cortical bone parameters. However, intermittent dosing with calcitriol and CT was robust enough to improve cancellous bone mass and structure through bone formation without causing deleterious side effects. Our data provide additional evidence that therapies can be devised to ameliorate the skeletal defects associated with established osteoporosis.
Flavor Modification by Sodium Chloride and Monosodium Glutamate

Five concentrations of sodium chloride or monosodium glutamate were added to pure taste or flavor substances. The five mixtures were ranked for pure taste or flavor intensity. No true potentiation was found. Suprathreshold sodium chloride or monosodium glutamate additions generally suppressed pure tastes and flavors. The extent of suppression depended upon the pure taste or flavor present. This differential sup pression may result in apparent potentiation in more complex mixtures (e.g., three or more components) due to an apparent (relative) increase in intensity of less-suppressed flavor components. Apparent potentiation may also be due to addition of flavor components of sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate.
Orthotopic liver transplantation for unresectable hepatoblastoma: A single center's experience

Abstract Background/Purpose: Complete surgical resection after chemotherapy is the definitive treatment for hepatoblastoma. However, orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is now accepted as a treatment modality for patients with unresectable tumours. The aim of this study was to review a single center's experience of OLT for unresectable hepatoblastoma. Methods: A retrospective review of 8 patients with unresectable hepatoblastoma who were referred for liver transplantation was conducted. Results: The patients assessed had an age range of 5 to 105 months at presentation; median, 24 months, (5 boys; 3 girls). Two patients have familial adenomatous polyposis, and one has right hemihypertrophy. All 8 patients had received standard chemotherapy according to SIOP (International Society of Pediatric Oncology) protocols. Extrahepatic metastases were found in 3 patients at diagnosis, but none had detectable metastases at the time of OLT. Four patients continued chemotherapy while awaiting OLT. Three patients received whole grafts, and 5 received reduced grafts. The median follow-up period was 22 months (range, 2 to 78 months). Five patients are alive and well, although 1 patient had a second OLT for biliary cirrhosis secondary to biliary stricture at 6 years. Three patients died: one 26 days post OLT of sepsis and two of disease recurrence at 22 months and 70 months posttransplant. The actuarial survival rate is 88% and 65% at 1 and 5 years, respectively, whereas the overall survival rate is 62.5%. Conclusion: OLT for unresectable hepatoblastoma without extra hepatic metastases in highly successful with a low recurrence rate.
American College of Physicians Ethics Manual: sixth edition.

Medicine, law, and social values are not static. Reexamining the ethical tenets of medicine and their application in new circumstances is a necessary exercise. The seventh edition of the American College of Physicians (ACP) Ethics Manual covers emerging issues in medical ethics and revisits older ones that are still very pertinent. It reflects on many of the ethical tensions in medicine and attempts to shed light on how existing principles extend to emerging concerns. In addition, by reiterating ethical principles that have provided guidance in resolving past ethical problems, the Manual may help physicians avert future problems. The Manual is not a substitute for the experience and integrity of individual physicians, but it may serve as a reminder of the shared duties of the medical profession.
Personal Reflections on the Origins and Emergence of Recombinant DNA Technology

The emergence of recombinant DNA technology occurred via the appropriation of known tools and procedures in novel ways that had broad applications for analyzing and modifying gene structure and organization of complex genomes. Although revolutionary in their impact, the tools and procedures per se were not revolutionary. Rather, the novel ways in which they were applied was what transformed biology.
The activity and interaction of brassinolide and gibberellic acid in mung bean epicotyls

The growth rate of mung bean epicotyls was used for evaluating the effect of brassinolide on cell elongation. Growth above that of control plants was observed at 10−10M and above. Gibberellic acid showed an additivity relationship with low concentrations (10−9–10−8M) of brassinolide in this test system and the two growth promoters may therefore act independently at the cellular level. Because of relative ease of operation, great sensitivity and the short time required for assessing biological activity, this assay could be used in conjunction with the bean second internode bioassay for evaluating the activity of brassinolide and its analogs, as well as of other growth promotors.
On the Information Economics Approach to the Generalized Game Show Problem

Abstract The game show problem has received considerable attention since it appeared in Marilyn vos Savant's column in the Parade Magazine. I consider in this article the player's optimal decision strategy and the probability of winning the prize in a generalized version of the game show problem. By means of the information economics approach, we can easily (1) represent the host's various strategies as a simple matrix form; (2) extend the problem to more-than-three-door cases; (3) incorporate the player's prior information; and (4) consider the problem in which the player's choice behavior depends not on the probability of winning the prize, but on the expected utility in the generalized game show problem. The intricacies of this wonderfully confusing little problem make it an excellent tool in teaching probability and statistics courses.
Truncation of the Mobile Domain of Cardiac Troponin I Results in Biphasic Calcium-Dependent Thin Filament Activation

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) contains a ∼40 residue C-terminal mobile domain (cTnI-Md, residues 168-211 in Rattus norvegicus) that is known to promote the blocked state of thin filament regulation. Because it has also been shown to stabilize the closed-state position of tropomyosin, we hypothesized that cTnI-Md is involved in the cooperativity of thin filament activation. To test this hypothesis, we generated the truncation mutant cTnI(1-167) from R.norvegicus wherein the entire cTnI-Md had been removed. We used passive exchange to incorporate cTnI(1-167) and FRET labeled cTnC(T13C/N51C)AEDENS-DDPM into left ventricular detergent skinned myocardial fibers. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting demonstrated that cTnC(T13C/N51C)AEDENS-DDPM and cTnI(1-167) were efficiently exchanged into skinned fibers. Intriguingly, incorporation of cTnI(1-167) resulted in biphasic Ca2+ dependent thin filament activation as indicated by the tightly coupled force−Ca2+ and N-cTnC-opening-Ca2+ relationships. Simultaneous force and FRET measurements showed that treatment with 1 mM orthovanadate inhibited force, reduced ensemble-averaged N-cTnC opening, and decreased the Ca2+-sensitivity of activation, but did not affect the cooperativity underlying the biphasic response of N-cTnC opening to increasing Ca2+. Akaike information criteria indicated that a weighted sum of two Hill equations was >109-fold superior in describing biphasic activation than a single Hill equation. Interestingly, a steady-state cooperativity model based on the concept of tropomyosin being "pinned" by cTnI (J. Mol. Biol., vol. 340, pp. 295-305) was 41-fold superior to the weighted sum of two Hill equations and suggested that blocked-state allosteric communication is severely disrupted by removal of cTnI-Md. We concluded that cTnI-Md helps facilitate allosteric communication between thin filament regulatory units in the blocked state and is therefore essential to achieving a proper contractile response to sarcomeric Ca2+ signals during early systole.
Rectangular artificial roughness in open channels

Numerous experiments on artificial roughness in closed channels have been made in Europe and the United States since about 1920: In Europe, SHILLER [see 12 of “References” at end of paper] experimented with pipes roughened with spiral threads cut into the inner surface; HOPF [6]. and FROMM [5] investigated roughness in a rectangular closed conduit; NIKURADSE [8] investigated relative roughness over a wide range by gluing sand to the inside of pipes; and SCHLICHTING [10] experimented with a closed conduit roughened with various arrangements of spheres, spherical segments, cones, short and long angles, and sand. A brief discussion of the results of the work of SHILLER, HOPF, FROMM, and NIKURADSE may be found in the paper by STREETER [15]. The more recent investigation of SCHLICHTING has been translated into English by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and published as a Technical Memorandum [11].
Exploration of the copper-related compensatory response in the Belgrade rat model of genetic iron deficiency

The Menkes copper ATPase (Atp7a) and metallothionein (Mt1a) are induced in the duodenum of iron-deficient rats, and serum and hepatic copper levels increase. Induction of a multi-copper ferroxidase...
On herbicidal actions.

A theoretical interpretation of the herbicidal action of the 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is suggested.
Expanding the ortholog approach for hemophilia treatment complicated by factor VIII inhibitors

Background The formation of neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors) directed against human coagulation factor VIII (hFVIII) is a life-threatening pathogenic response that occurs in 20–30% of severe congenital hemophilia A patients and 0.00015% of remaining population (i.e. acquired hemophilia A). Interspecies amino acid sequence disparity among FVIII orthologs represents a promising strategy to mask FVIII from existing inhibitors while retaining procoagulant function. Evidence for the effectiveness of this approach exists in clinical data obtained for porcine FVIII products, which have demonstrated efficacy in the setting of congenital and acquired hemophilia.
Target system neutronics study for NXGENS

The Materials Test Station (MTS) [E. Pitcher, G. Muhrer, H. Trellue, Neutronics Assessment of the LANSCE Materials Test Station as an Irradiation Facility for the JIMO Space Reactor, LA-CP-04-0903.[1]], a spallation target station, planned for construction at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), will provide the opportunity to test the prototype of a long-pulse spallation source neutron scattering instrument (NXGENS). In this paper, we present the target-moderator neutronics optimization study that was performed in support of NXGENS.
RAFT polymerization of luminescent boron quinolate monomers

Fluorescent homopolymers and amphiphilic block copolymers were prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of two new styryl-type organoboron monomers; the fluorescence characteristics of PEO block copolymers in aqueous solution were studied.
Scalable cross-module optimization

Large applications are typically partitioned into separately compiled modules. Large performance gains in these applications are available by optimizing across module boundaries. One barrier to applying crossmodule optimization (CMO) to large applications is the potentially enormous amount of time and space consumed by the optimization process.We describe a framework for scalable CMO that provides large gains in performance on applications that contain millions of lines of code. Two major techniques are described. First, careful management of in-memory data structures results in sub-linear memory occupancy when compared to the number of lines of code being optimized. Second, profile data is used to focus optimization effort on the performance-critical portions of applications. We also present practical issues that arise in deploying this framework in a production environment. These issues include debuggability and compatibility with existing development tools, such as make. Our framework is deployed in Hewlett-Packard's (HP) UNIX compiler products and speeds up shipped independent software vendors' applications by as much as 71%.