cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid hormone inhibits Notch signaling in osteoblasts and osteocytes

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Notch receptors regulate bone formation by governing the function of osteoblastic cells. To determine whether PTH interacts with Notch signaling as a way to control osteoblast function, we tested the effects of PTH on Notch activity in osteoblast- and osteocyte-enriched cultures. Notch signaling was activated in osteoblast-enriched cells from wild-type C57BL/6J mice following exposure to the Notch ligand Delta-like (Dll)1 or by the transient transfection of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), the transcriptionally active fragment of Notch1. To induce Notch signaling in osteocyte-enriched cultures, a murine model of Notch2 gain-of-function was used. PTH opposed the stimulatory effects of Dll1 on Hey1, Hey2 and HeyL mRNA levels in osteoblast-enriched cells and suppressed the expression of selected Notch target genes in osteocyte-enriched cultures, either under basal conditions or in the context of Notch2 gain-of-function. Induction of Notch signaling in osteocytes did not alter the inhibitory effect of PTH on Sost expression, but reduced the stimulation of Tnfsf11 mRNA levels by PTH. In agreement with these in vitro observations, male mice administered with PTH displayed suppressed Hey1 and HeyL expression in parietal bones. Transactivation experiments with a Notch reporter construct and electrophoretic mobility shift assays in osteoblast-enriched cells suggest that PTH acts by decreasing the capacity of Rbpjκ to bind to DNA. In conclusion, downregulation of Notch in osteoblasts and osteocytes may represent a mechanism contributing to the anabolic effects of PTH in bone.
MICROSTRUCTURE AND MICROMECHANICS OF SHALE ROCKS: CASE STUDY OF MARCELLUS SHALE

Shale rocks play an essential role in petroleum exploration and production because they can occur either as source rocks or caprocks depending on their mineralogical composition and microstructures. More than 60% of effective seals for geologic hydrocarbon bearing formations as natural hydraulic barriers constitute of shale caprocks. The effectiveness of caprock depends on its ability to immobilize fluids, which include a low permeability and resilience to the in-situ formation of fractures as a result of pressurized injection. The alteration in sealing properties of shale rocks is directly related to the differences in their mineralogical composition and microstructure. Failure of the shale starts with deterioration at micro/nanoscale, the structural features and properties at the micro/nanoscale can significantly impact the durability performance of these materials at the macroscale, therefore, study at micro/nanoscale becomes necessary to get better understanding of the hydraulic barriers materials to prevent failure and enhance long-term geologic storage of fluids. Indentation tests were conducted at both micro and nanometer level on Marcellus shale samples to get the mechanical properties of bulk and individual phase of the multiphase materials. The mechanical properties map were created based on the nano indentation results and the properties of each individual phase can be correlated with bulk response in the multiphase composite; the effect of each component on the microstructure and bulk mechanical properties can be better understood.
The costs of utopia: Brasilia, Johannesburg, and Moscow

Could utopian ideology influence cities’ spatial structure to the point of overriding basic self-organizing principles that have been thought to be quasi universal? In this paper, I define utopian ideology as a doctrine that is imposed by a central or local government and that aims at reaching a future state of optimum permanent equilibrium. Under my definition, the theory of free markets is the opposite of an utopian ideology because, first, free markets are spontaneously created by individuals and firms and cannot be imposed by governments, and second, because free markets imply constant adjustment toward an ever changing state of equilibrium which cannot be known in advance. The main points developed in this paper are that (i) in some cases ideology could become the main determinant of urban shape, (ii) the spatial outcomes of opposite ideologies are often identical and (iii) Cities shaped by utopian ideologies impose a measurable cost affecting adversely the welfare of their inhabitants. While I concentrate on three extreme examples of ideologically shaped cities – Brasilia, Johannesburg and Moscow – I also show that milder cases of ideologies in cities like Curitiba (Parana, Brazil) and Portland (Oregon, USA) are having milder but not insignificant costs. I conclude that mild forms of utopian ideologies are still common in land use regulations, which in turn contribute to some inefficiencies and loss of welfare in many modern cities.
Fossil Two-Dimensional Turbulence in the Ocean

Turbulence in the stratified ocean is constrained at large vertical scales by buoyancy forces, leaving remnant internal waves and temperature and salinity fluctuations, termed fossil turbulence, that persist after the flow is no longer actively turbulent (with inertial-force dominated eddies) at the scales of the fluctuations. Most patches of ocean temperature microstructure are fossil turbulence (no longer turbulent) at the largest scales, and moving as buoyancy-dominated internal waves with embedded active turbulent motions (if any) only at smaller scales. Larger scale two-dimensional turbulent motions may grow in the horizontal until contrained by Coriolis forces to form eddy-like Coriolis-inertial “waves” with embedded, smaller scale, active 2-D and 3-D turbulence. The remnant horizontal fluctuations in the scalar and vorticity fields that persist after the fluid motions are no longer active 2-D turbulence at the scale of the fluctuations are termed fossil 2-D turbulence. By preserving the largest scales L wo of the previous active 2-D turbulence the 2-D fossils preserve information about the dissipation rate e0 that existed when fossilization of the 2-D turbulence began assuming L w0 = C Ω L Ω 0, where L Ω 0 = (e 0/f 3)1/2 is the Coriolis-inertial (or Hopfinger) length scale at fossilization, f is the Coriolis parameter 2Ω sin Φ, Ω is the rotation rate, Φ is the latitude and C Ω is a universal constant of order 1.
Invention, Refinement and Patent Claim Scope: A New Perspective on the Doctrine of Equivalents

The doctrine of equivalents (DOE) allows courts to expand the scope of patent rights granted by the Patent Office. The doctrine has been justified on fairness grounds, but it lacks a convincing economic justification. The standard economic justification holds that certain frictions block patent applicants from literally claiming appropriately broad rights, and thus, the DOE is available at trial to expand patent scope and overcome these frictions. The friction theory suffers from three main weaknesses. First, the theory is implausible on empirical grounds. Frictions such as limits of language, mistake, and unforeseeability are missing from the leading cases. Second, there is not a convincing answer to the question of why the doctrine of equivalents, rather than some other doctrinal approach, should be used to overcome the frictions. The frictions can be overcome, or at least mitigated, for example, by astutely amending claims during prosecution; through a reissue proceeding after the patent issues; or through artful claim drafting as an initial matter. Third, proponents of a far-reaching DOE fail to pay adequate attention to the notice function of patent claims and are insufficiently sensitive to patent law's delicate incentive dynamic. We develop a better explanation of why claim breadth falls short of the maximum breadth allowed by patent law. Our explanation replaces the passive patent attorney depicted in the friction theory with an active inventor and attorney who are capable of responding effectively to the frictions mentioned above. Whether an inventor obtains the broadest permissible claim breadth depends mostly on the talent and effort of the inventor and attorney in identifying what has been enabled. A good attorney predicts the embodiments that could be chosen by infringers and finds appropriate language to draft a suitably broad claim. We call this process claim refinement, and we develop a refinement theory of the doctrine of equivalents. We justify the doctrine of equivalents primarily as a tool for promoting efficient investment in claim refinement. Although critics of the DOE contend the doctrine unduly inhibits competition, we show the degree of competition is often unaffected by the presence or absence of the DOE. The inventor can block competition in the absence of the DOE by drafting broad patent claims. The DOE should be used to avoid socially wasteful preemptive refinement. We reject the popular notion that the DOE is especially appropriate in the case of unforeseeable, later-developed technology. We reach this conclusion because in certain cases patent applicants can capture unforeseen embodiments at relatively low cost through clever claim drafting strategies. And in other cases unforeseen equivalents are unattainable no matter the amount of time and money spent on refinement efforts. In the latter cases, patent applicants would not exert much effort refining their claims to cover these equivalents, and inventor's incentives would not be much affected by a minute probability of loss of effective patent protection.
Football Helmet Facemask Removal Skill Development in Novice Athletic Training Students

Facemask removal is an emergency skill to gain airway access in football athletes with potential cervical injury. While facemask removal performance has been reported in experienced athletic trainers, initial skill acquisition is undocumented. Therefore, the purpose was to document skill development in novice athletic training students. After instruction, student performance was documented during six consecutive facemask removal trials. From first to last trials, there were significant improvements in time, confidence, and rating of perceived exertion. Induced head motion did not improve. While overall skill performance began to approximate previously reported norms, improvements in success rate, consistency, and motion are needed.
NDE in-process for metal parts fabricated using powder based additive manufacturing

Ensuring adequate quality for additive manufactured (AM) materials presents unique metrology challenges to the on-line process measurement and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) communities. AM parts now have complex forms that are not possible using subtractive manufacturing and there are moves for their use in safety criticality components. This paper briefly reviews the status, challenges and metrology opportunities throughout the AM process from powder to finished parts. The primary focus is on new acoustic signatures that have been demonstrated to correlate process parameters with on-line measurement for monitoring and characterization during the build. In-process, quantitative characterization and monitoring of material state is anticipated to be potentially transformational in advancing adoption of metal AM parts, including offering the potential for early part rejection, part condition guided process control or even potentially in-process repair. This approach will enable more effective deployment of quality assessment metrology into the layer-by-layer material build with designed morphology. In this proof-of-concept study acoustic-based process monitoring signals were collected during the Direct Energy Deposition (DED) AM process with different process conditions to investigate and determine if variations in process conditions can be discriminated. A novel application of signal processing tools is used for the identification and use of metrics based on temporal and spectral features in acoustic signals for the purpose of in-situ monitoring and characterization of conditions in an AM process. Results show that the features identified in signatures are correlated with the process conditions and can be used for classifying different states in the process.
When Do Opponents of Gay Rights Mobilize? Explaining Political Participation in Times of Backlash against Liberalism:

Existing research suggests that supporters of gay rights have outmobilized their opponents, leading to policy changes in advanced industrialized democracies. At the same time, we observe the diffus...
Efficacy and safety of bevacizumab for vestibular schwannoma in neurofibromatosis type 2: a systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment outcomes.

Individual evidence suggests that the anti-angiogenic agent bevacizumab may control vestibular schwannoma (VS) growth and promote hearing preservation in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). However, such metadata has yet to be consolidated, as well as its side-effect profile yet to be fully understood. Our aim was to pool systematically-identified metadata in the literature and substantiate the clinical efficacy and safety of bevacizumab with respect to radiographic tumor response, hearing, and treatment outcomes. Searches of seven electronic databases from inception to March 2019 were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Articles were screened against pre-specified criteria. The incidence of outcomes was then extracted and pooled by random-effects meta-analysis of proportions. Eight articles reporting 161 NF2 patients with 196 assessable VS met satisfied all criteria. Radiographic response to bevacizumab was partial regression in 41% (95% CI 31–51%), no change in 47% (95% CI 39–55%), and tumor progression in 7% (95% CI 1–15%). In patients with assessable audiometric data, bevacizumab treatment resulted in hearing improvement in 20% (95% CI 9–33%), stability in 69% (95% CI 51–85%) and additional loss in 6% (95% CI 1–15%) Serious bevacizumab toxicity was observed in 17% (95% CI 10–26%). Subsequent surgical intervention was required in 11% (95% CI 2–20%). Bevacizumab may arrest both tumor progression and hearing loss in select NF2 patients presenting with VS lesions. However, a considerable proportion of patients are anticipated to experience serious adverse events; correspondingly, judicious use of bevacizumab for symptomatic management of VS in NF2 is recommended.
Technology used to build and transfer mammalian chromosomes.

Abstract In the near twenty-year existence of the human and mammalian artificial chromosome field, the technologies for artificial chromosome construction and installation into desired cell types or organisms have evolved with the rest of modern molecular and synthetic biology. Medical, industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and basic research scientists seek the as yet unrealized promise of human and mammalian artificial chromosomes. Existing technologies for both top-down and bottom-up approaches to construct these artificial chromosomes for use in higher eukaryotes are very different but aspire to achieve similar results. New capacity for production of chromosome sized synthetic DNA will likely shift the field towards more bottom-up approaches, but not completely. Similarly, new approaches to install human and mammalian artificial chromosomes in target cells will compete with the microcell mediated cell transfer methods that currently dominate the field.
Monitoring of natural disasters through anomaly detection on mobile phone data

This paper aims at presenting a detailed analysis of the impact of multiple natural disasters on local populations using mobile phone data. The analysis performed demonstrates that accurate measurements of population displacements could be available in almost real-time. Moreover, data-driven information can be extracted to compare the recovery process in different areas. The coverage and precision of mobile phone data is typically better than what is available from social media, and also provides information about infrastructure damage when cell towers go offline. This paper aims at paving the way to make aggregate measurements of population movements available to officials responsible for evacuation orders and first responders, in order to improve disaster management and recovery processes.
Hyponatremia in the cancer patient

Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disorder observed in a wide variety of malignancies and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Newer cancer therapies have improved patient outcomes while contributing to new cases of hyponatremia. Patients should be monitored closely for the development of vasopressin- and non-vasopressin-mediated hyponatremia. Acute and symptomatic forms of hyponatremia require urgent intervention, and recent findings support the correction of chronic "asymptomatic" hyponatremia. Optimizing hyponatremia may reduce medical costs, and improve cancer survival likelihood and quality of life. In this article, we review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of hyponatremia in the cancer patient.
Constipation prevalence and perceptions: Comparison of children and adolescents with ASD and other developmental-behavioral disorders

Abstract Background Few studies have compared youth constipation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to constipation in other developmental-behavioral (DB) disorders. Methods Children and caregivers presenting to a DB pediatrics and psychology clinic completed written questionnaires on constipation. Comparison groups were ASD vs without ASD and caregiver vs child responses. Binary logistic regression were conducted to compare categorical variables. Results Caregivers of 169 toilet trained children and 26 non-toilet trained children completed the survey; 30 % of the toilet trained and 62 % of the non-toilet trained children had ASD. 88 toilet trained children completed the survey. Based on caregiver response, toilet trained youth with ASD were more likely to have been constipated in the past and to currently or previously taken medication to manage constipation. In both the total toilet trained and non-toilet trained sample, more caregivers endorsed their child meeting Rome IV criteria for functional constipation than endorsed current constipation. 37 % of parent/child pairs disagreed on whether the child met the Rome IV criteria. Caregivers of toilet trained youth with ASD were more likely to endorse specific barriers and impairment due to managing constipation in comparison to caregivers of youth without ASD. Conclusions Children with ASD may be at a higher lifetime risk of constipation and of needing medication compared to children with other DB disorders. Providers should use thorough questions to identify constipation and gather information from both caregiver and child when possible. Clinicians should consider targeting behavioral treatment recommendations to perceived caregiver concerns.
Vestibular and Ocular/Oculomotor Assessment Strategies and Outcomes Following Sports-Related Concussion: A Scoping Review

Recent literature has identified that the vestibular system is often involved following a sport-related concussion. Furthermore, the consequences of vestibular and ocular/oculomotor involvement have been explored and identified as potential predictors for prolonged recovery. Although vestibular and ocular/oculomotor involvement is common following head injury, the clinical assessment strategies for vestibular function are less commonly practiced in the sports medicine setting and have limited research. Therefore, despite the suspected link between vestibular consequences of concussion and prolonged recovery time, there is limited understanding on how these consequences affect outcomes following concussion and how to properly assess these functions. The objectives of this scoping review were to: (1) outline the current clinical assessment strategies for vestibular and ocular/oculomotor function in sports medicine to identify the best strategies for assessment, and (2) investigate the evidence regarding the influence of vestibular and ocular/oculomotor function on outcomes for patients with a sport-related concussion. Two separate and independent reviews of the current literature were conducted to provide evidence for each specified objective. Studies for potential inclusion were identified through electronic database searches. Inclusion criteria for each objective were used to identify the most effective studies and inquiries to address the outlined objectives. The identified and included studies provided evidence-based information regarding the current assessment strategies as well as outcomes following concussion. Despite agreement among studies, there was limited evidence to support each aim, identifying a need for further exploration into these objectives.
The U.S.A. Presidential Election of 2020: Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us

For my patients, the days after the election of 2020 were a blur. In sessions together we were often dissociated, fitful and afraid. My mind took me back to the fear and foreboding after the electi...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Uptake in Real-World Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Abstract Introduction Since the July 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) guideline revision recommended second-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), studies have suggested a greater response to ICI among patients with nonepithelioid MPM. Nevertheless, little is known regarding adoption of ICI in routine practice and if uptake differs by histologic subtype. Our objectives were to evaluate the real-world uptake of second-line ICI among patients with MPM and to reveal its association with histologic subtype. Methods This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of real-world patients with MPM receiving at least two lines of systemic therapy between 2011 and 2019. We found the uptake of second-line ICI over time and evaluated the association between histologic subtype and ICI use, adjusting for relevant patient demographic and clinical factors. Results Among the 426 patients with MPM in our cohort, 310 had epithelioid and 116 nonepithelioid histologic subtype. The median age was 73 years (interquartile range: 67–78). Overall, 144 patients (33.8%) received second-line ICI and 282 (66.2%) traditional chemotherapy. ICI uptake began in early 2015 before the NCCN guideline revision and increased rapidly to 2019. After the 2017 NCCN guideline revision, patients with nonepithelioid MPM histologic subtypes had more than 3 times the odds of receiving second-line ICI (OR = 3.26; 95% confidence interval: 1.41–7.54). Conclusions Among real-world patients with MPM, second-line ICI uptake began over two years before the 2017 NCCN guideline recommendations and was associated with nonepithelioid histologic subtype after contemporary studies suggested increased clinical benefit in this population, reflecting prompt integration of scientific discovery into clinical practice.
The Relationship of Olecranon Apophyseal Ossification and Sanders Hand Scores with the Timing of Peak Height Velocity in Adolescents

Background The onset of peak height velocity (PHV) guides the timing of interventions in the growing child. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Dimeglio olecranon grading system and to compare these scores with the Risser/triradiate closure (TRC), proximal humerus, and Sanders hand scores. Methods Eighty children with annual serial radiographs were selected from the Bolton-Brush collection. The olecranon apophysis was graded with use of lateral radiographs of the elbow. The mean age to PHV was determined for each stage, and reliability was calculated with use of an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Olecranon stage was combined with age, sex, and height in a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model to predict PHV. Predictive performance of this model was evaluated with use of tenfold cross-validation such that the model was trained on 90% of the radiographs and was asked to predict the PHV of the remaining 10%. Results PHV is closely associated with olecranon stage, with stage 1 occurring 3.0 years before PHV and stage 7 occurring 3.4 years after PHV. Stage 5 was found to occur at PHV. Scoring system reliability was high across an array of observers (ICC = 0.85 ± 0.07). The GEE model showed that this olecranon system outperforms the Risser/TRC system in predicting PHV and is comparable with the humerus and Sanders hand systems. When combined with age and sex, the olecranon system successfully predicted PHV such that 62% of PHV predictions were accurate within 6 months and 90% of PHV predictions were accurate within a year. Conclusions Our data show that stage 5 occurs at PHV, contrary to previously published data. When combined with age and sex, the olecranon system successfully predicts PHV within a year in 90% of cases, establishing a single lateral view of the olecranon as a simple alternative to more complex grading systems. Last, we describe novel 3 variations in olecranon morphology and provide a guide for accurate olecranon staging. Clinical relevance Understanding PHV is critical in the treatment of many pediatric orthopaedic disorders. The revised olecranon staging system will allow for more accurate determination of this variable.
Social dilemmas and poor water quality in private water systems

Abstract. Private water supply systems consisting of a domestic well and septic system are used throughout the world where households lack access to public water supply and sewers. In residential areas with high housing density, septic contamination of private wells is common and associated with multiple health concerns. This situation can give rise to social dilemmas, where individual costs dis-incentivize homeowners from investing in enhanced septic systems that would reduce well contamination and bring communal benefits. We combine a stylized game-theoretical model with a probabilistic groundwater model to characterize how economic and hydrogeological conditions interact to produce misaligned incentives conducive to social dilemmas. The occurrence of social dilemmas depends on the relative costs of well contamination versus the cost of installing an enhanced septic treatment system, and the relative probabilities of cross-contamination versus self-contamination. The game reveals three three types of social dilemmas that occur in such systems, with each calling for distinct policy solutions. We demonstrate how the model can be applied to existing systems using a case study of St Joseph County, Indiana, where high nitrate contamination rates have raised public health concerns. This analysis represents a step towards identifying alternative policy solutions for a problem that has remained difficult to address for decades.
Pathology of Racism - A Call to Desegregate Teaching Hospitals.

Pathology of Racism At our medical institutions, we immerse trainees in a two-tiered system. We teach them that some kinds of patients see residents and other kinds of patients see attendings. And ...
The Reawakening of Marriage

This Article contends that the convergent societal pressures from the same-sex marriage debate, the effect of the welfare legislation to define family, and the allowance of greater religious involvement in marriage preparation and divorce will precipitate a reawakening of marriage. The emergence of covenant marriage, the public debate over no-fault divorce, the resurgence of fault grounds, and Florida's enactment of its Marriage Preparation and Preservation Act are ramifications of this reawakening. Public concern over the frequency of divorce and the resulting adverse consequences for children and adults, indicate a change in attitude concerning marriage, divorce and family. Covenant marriage is simply the beginning of this process; the Florida legislation is a better and more involved approach. The litigation over same-sex marriage and the adoption of sweeping changes to welfare distribution in the United States focus new attention on the importance of marriage and its attendant responsibilities; they focus attention on the family. Thus, thirty years after no-fault divorce, attention shifts from no-fault opportunities to marriage instruction.
Factors Affecting Incubation Patterns and Sex Roles of Black Oystercatchers in Alaska

Abstract. Studies examining the effects of human disturbance on avian parental behavior and reproductive success are fundamental to bird conservation. However, many such studies fail to also consider the influence of natural threats, a variable environment, and parental roles. Our work examines interactive relationships of cyclical (time of day, tide, temperature, seasonality) and stochastic (natural/human disturbance) processes with incubation patterns (attendance, bout lengths, recess rates) of the Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani), a shorebird of conservation concern. We used 24-hr-per-day video monitoring of 13 molecularly sexed breeding pairs to systematically examine incubation, revealing previously undocumented information that may inform conservation practices for the genus. Seven of 22 video-monitored nests failed, primarily from egg depredation by nocturnal mammals. Analyses of 3177 hr of video footage indicated a near doubling of incubation-bout lengths at night, corresponding to the in...
Quantifying the relation between speech quality and speech intelligibility

The purpose of the present research was to examine the relation between speech quality and speech intelligibility. Speech quality measurements were made using continuous discourse and a category rating procedure for the following dimensions: intelligibility, pleasantness, loudness, effort, and total impression. Measurements were made using a group of listeners with normal hearing for a set of stimulus conditions in which intelligibility varied, and for a set of stimulus conditions in which intelligibility was held constant near 100%. When ratings were made for a set of stimulus conditions in which intelligibility was allowed to vary (a) intersubject reliability was high (i.e., different listeners interpreted the dimensions in a similar manner); and (b) the speech quality dimensions of intelligibility, effort, and loudness were indistinguishable. When ratings were made for a set of stimulus conditions in which intelligibility was held constant (a) intersubject reliability was reduced, indicating that different listeners interpreted the dimensions in different ways; (b) most listeners rated each dimension differently, indicating that the dimensions were unique; and (c) across listeners, no single dimension was highly correlated with total impression. These results can be used in order to examine the relation between speech quality and speech intelligibility.
Decision support display modeling for digital battlefield

A decision support display (DSD) was developed as a cognitive aiding tool to support the decision maker in a unstructured, dynamic, uncertain and information-intensive environment. Battlefield information is modeled as a context-dependent and an action-oriented object that adapts to a defined system goal or a mission statement. The DSD philosophy is applied to a graphical display of alternative courses of action designed to amplify the decision maker's knowledge and experience levels.
Quantum Neural Network for Image Watermarking

In this paper, we investigate the application of Quantum neural network (QNN) to the document image watermarking problem. The method first divides the document into some weight-invariant partitions in the spatial domain. For better performance, we then reduce the watermarking problem to a classification problem, and use the Quantum neural network to solve it. QNN, characterized by the principles of quantum computing including concepts of qubits, superposition and entanglement of states, is a relatively new type of neural networks. Owning to the power of Quantum search, QNN is considered to have at least the same computational power as classical networks. We test the performance of QNN and the experimental results indicate the soundness of our method.
Immunotherapy: Anti-PD-1 therapies-a new first-line option in advanced melanoma

Treatment with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, improved progression-free survival compared with investigator-choice chemotherapy in a phase II trial in patients with advanced-stage melanoma previously treated with ipilimumab. Two subsequent independent trials have confirmed that anti-PD-1 therapy is a better option than either chemotherapy or ipilimumab in the frontline setting.
Comparative analysis of adenovirus fiber-cell interaction: adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) and Ad9 utilize the same cellular fiber receptor but use different binding strategies for attachment.

We have analyzed the binding of adenovirus (Ad) serotypes from subgroups B, C, and D throughfiber-virus and fiber-fiber cross-competition experiments. Since viruses in these distinct subgroups display markedly different tropisms, it was unexpected that the subgroup C viruses Ad2 and 5 and the subgroup D virus Ad9 cross-competed for the same cellular fiber receptor. The subgroup B serotype Ad3 recognized a receptor distinct from the Ad2, 5, and 9fiber receptor. However, despite sharing the samefiber receptor, Ad2 and Ad9 displayed markedly different binding characteristics that appeared to result from direct Ad9 binding to cells via av-integrins. Unlike Ad2, Ad9 binding to many cell lines was not abrogated by competition with thefiber 9 knob (F9K). Ad9 binding tofiber receptor-deficient cells was blocked by a monoclonal antibody to av-integrins. In contrast, Ad9 binding to av-deficient cells that express fiber receptor was blocked by F9K. Transfectionofan av-integrin-deficientcelllinewithaplasmidthatexpresses avb5resultedinAd9bindingthatwas not significantly blocked by F9K but was blocked with a combination of F9K and penton base. These results imply that the shorter length offiber 9 (11 nm) relative tofiber 2 (37 nm) permitsfiber-independent binding of Ad9 penton base to av-integrins. The difference in fiber length may explain the different binding characteristics and tissue tropisms of each virus despite both utilizing the samefiber and penton base receptors.
Ablation of snow‐fields at high altitudes by radiant solar heat

Snow-fields and the so-called neves of glaciers on lofty mountains often present a peculiar, honeycombed appearance, the surface being pitted with deep cell-like hollows a foot or two feet in diameter and from a few inches to several feet in depth. When typically developed these hollows are closely spaced, the divides between them consisting merely of attenuated blades and pinnacles of hard, granular snow (Fig. 1). The hollows are alined roughly in rows and sunk at a uniform, high angle, all in the same direction.
Molecular simulation of crystal growth in long alkanes

Abstract We report crystal growth rate data from the melt for C50 and C100 obtained from non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. This extends our previous results for n-eicosane (C20) [Waheed et al. J Chem Phys 2002;116:2301]. We also construct a crystal growth model that accounts for the thermodynamic driving force and relaxation time, using WLF theory and a small number of chemically specific quantities that can be estimated from molecular dynamics simulations. Our model can predict growth rates as a function of temperature and molecular weight, up to the entanglement molecular weight. Qualitatively, we see frequent adsorption and desorption of chain segments on the surface in both C50 and C100 systems. We find evidence for a surface nucleus involving 4–5 chain segments that are approximately 20 beads long, shorter than the ultimate thickness of the chain stem in the crystal, and involving segments from multiple chains. Treatment of relaxation dynamics using the Rouse model and the reptation model does not yield a statistically significant difference within the limits of our data, but the Rouse-based fit yields thermodynamic parameters that are in closer accord with those found from fits to experiments.
Air Pollution Materials Damage: Economics and the Law

Abstract Recent concerns about the adverse effects of acid rain have increased the attention given to materials damage effects from air pollution. This article surveys the economics of valuing materials damage effects and relates these methods to the technical aspects of estimating actual damages. The current statutory and regulatory framework within which materials damage effects are considered is also reviewed. The key weaknesses of the relevant sections of the Clean Air Act, in terms of effectively using economic and technical information on materials damage, are identified. The article concludes with several general observations concerning the regulation of materials damage effects.
Real-time and near-real-time acquisition systems for measuring aliasing in small arrays based on crystal microstructures

Planar and volumetric arrays are for their ability to mitigate aliasing in direction of arrival (DOA) estimation using the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. The arrangements of elements within the array are based on classic array topologies and lattice configurations native to crystal microstructures. Both an eight channel switched configuration for near-real-time measurements and a simultaneous eight channel acquisition system for real-time evaluation of DOA estimations are used to evaluate these different antenna arrays for both static and motion-dynamic scenarios.
Sequence Analysis of Sarcosine Oxidase and Nearby Genes Reveals Homologies with Key Enzymes of Folate One-carbon Metabolism

Corynebacterial sarcosine oxidase, a heterotetrameric (αβγδ) enzyme containing covalent and noncovalent FAD, catalyzes the oxidative demethylation of sarcosine to yield glycine, H2O2, and 5,10-CH2-tetrahydrofolate (H4 folate) in a reaction requiring H4folate and O2. The sarcosine oxidase operon contains at least five closely packed genes encoding sarcosine oxidase subunits and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (glyA), arranged in the order glyAsoxBDAG. The operon status of a putative purU gene, found 340 nucleotides downstream from soxG, is not known. No homology with other proteins is observed for the smallest sarcosine oxidase subunits γ and δ. The β subunit (405 residues) contains an ADP-binding motif near its NH2 terminus, the covalent FAD attachment site (H175), and exhibits homology with the NH2-terminal half of dimethylglycine dehydrogenase (857 residues) and monomeric, bacterial sarcosine oxidases (~388 residues), enzymes that contain a single covalent FAD. The α subunit (967 residues) contains a second ADP-binding motif within an ~280 residue region near the NH2 terminus that exhibits homology with subunit A from octopine and nopaline oxidases, heterodimeric enzymes that catalyze analogous oxidative cleavage reactions with N-substituted arginine derivatives. An ~380 residue region near the COOH terminus of α exhibits homology with T-protein and the COOH-terminal half of dimethylglycine dehydrogenase. These enzymes catalyze the formation of 5,10-CH2-H4folate, using different one-carbon donors. The results suggest that the α subunit and dimethylglycine dehydrogenase contain an NH2-terminal domain that binds noncovalent or covalent FAD, respectively, and a carboxyl-terminal H4folate-binding domain.
Resource Conservation and Economic Stability

I. Objectives of the study, 412. — II. Influence of economic instability upon conservation: four major effects, 415; wasteful soil depletion, 417; wasteful mineral depletion, 423; implications for public policy, 426. — III. Conservation potentialities of commodity agreements: in general, 427; historical evidence, 432; the future, 442. — IV. Contribution of conservation policy to economic stability: general requirements, 445; postwar timing, 449.
A mechanical counting method and combinatorial applications

Abstract A generating function is developed for the principle of inclusion-exclusion. Applications are given to the enumeration of Hamilton paths on a graph, 1-factors in agraph, and to the computation and estimation from above, of the permanent function
vertical linear acceleration (otolithic‐ocular responses).

A 60-foot vertical linear acceleration device was used to present linear acceleration forces to test animals within a light sealed capsule. Two types of stimuli were used: !1. constant direction of force with rectilinear alterations of the acceleration rate (0 G and 2 G); and 2. constant direction with curvilinear alterations of the acceleration rates (0 to 2 G). Multiple cycles of alternating G forces were presented during a test run. Cats were used as the experimental animal. Eye movement recordings (vertical and horizontal) were made electronystagmographically. All linear acceleration tests were done in darkness. Analysis of data was done by evaluation of the direct recordings and by algebraic summation of consecutive acceleration cycles. The responses of normal and labyrinth altered cats were similar. Conjugate eye deviation was the most prominent response. Nystagmus rarely occurred. The direction of the conjugate deviation in unilaterally labyrinthectomized – contralaterally semicircular canal plugged preparations (unilateral otolithic animals), was of greatest magnitude when the acceleration force was parallel to the utricular plane from a medial to lateral direction. Reversal of position by 180d generally caused reversal of the direction of conjugate eye deviation. The maximum eye deviation and/or production or alteration of nystagmus was related to the magnitude of jerk or, in other words, the rate of change of acceleration and not to the magnitude of acceleration (rate of change of velocity). The rate of change of acceleration at which these changes occurred was near 1.66G/sec (53 ft/sec3). Correlation with predicted planes from mathematical models is cited. The lack of nystagmus production in this study was contrasted to previous reports of nystagmus production by linear acceleration. It was suggested that nystagmus production by otolithic stimulation may be regularly present when the values of linear acceleration are closer to physiologic levels and/or when the otolithic surface is serially stimulated as when the axis of the resultant force changes direction. The variations in reproducibility of response patterns suggested a limited response range to linear acceleration of the (otolithic) vestibular-ocular reflex.
On Littlewood-Paley Functions

We prove that, for a compactly supported L q function Φ with vanishing integral on R", the corresponding square function operator So is bounded on L P for |1/p - 1/2| < min{(g - 1)/2,1/2}.
Quantification of Short Term Signaling by the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

During the past decade, our knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in growth factor signaling has proliferated almost explosively. However, the kinetics and control of information transfer through signaling networks remain poorly understood. This paper combines experimental kinetic analysis and computational modeling of the short term pattern of cellular responses to epidermal growth factor (EGF) in isolated hepatocytes. The experimental data show transient tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) and transient or sustained response patterns in multiple signaling proteins targeted by EGFR. Transient responses exhibit pronounced maxima, reached within 15-30 s of EGF stimulation and followed by a decline to relatively low (quasi-steady-state) levels. In contrast to earlier suggestions, we demonstrate that the experimentally observed transients can be accounted for without requiring receptor-mediated activation of specific tyrosine phosphatases, following EGF stimulation. The kinetic model predicts how the cellular response is controlled by the relative levels and activity states of signaling proteins and under what conditions activation patterns are transient or sustained. EGFR signaling patterns appear to be robust with respect to variations in many elemental rate constants within the range of experimentally measured values. On the other hand, we specify which changes in the kinetic scheme, rate constants, and total amounts of molecular factors involved are incompatible with the experimentally observed kinetics of signal transfer. Quantitation of signaling network responses to growth factors allows us to assess how cells process information controlling their growth and differentiation.
Meta-T: TetrisⓇ as an experimental paradigm for cognitive skills research

Studies of human performance in complex tasks using video games are an attractive prospect, but many existing games lack a comprehensive way to modify the game and track performance beyond basic levels of analysis. Meta-T provides experimenters a tool to study behavior in a dynamic task environment with time-stressed decision-making and strong perceptual-motor elements, offering a host of experimental manipulations with a robust and detailed logging system for all user events, system events, and screen objects. Its experimenter-friendly interface provides control over detailed parameters of the task environment without need for programming expertise. Support for eye-tracking and computational cognitive modeling extend the paradigm’s scope.
Optic tract lesions sparing pattern vision in cats.

Abstract The visual capacities of eight cats following stereotaxic lesions that destroyed more than 85 per cent of their optic tracts were studied. Within a week post-operatively all of them resembled normal cats in most gross tests of visual abilities. Three animals tested on a flux discrimination task performed without difficulty a few days postoperatively. Two of these three also displayed skilled pattern discrimination performance despite bilateral optic lesions estimated to be 98 and 98.5 per cent complete. Postoperatively all cats presented widely dilated pupils which constricted poorly if at all to light; partial recovery of this response occurred with time.
SURVEY OF FREE-RANGING ELK FROM WYOMING AND MONTANA FOR SELECTED PATHOGENS

From December 1991 through January 1995, a disease survey was conducted on herds of free-ranging, hunter-killed elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) from three areas in proximity to Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Wyoming (USA), after tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis was discovered in a captive herd of elk in the area. Complete or partial sets of specimens from 289 elk collected between December 1991 and January 1993 were examined histologically: no mycobacterial lesions were observed. Lesions of tuberculosis were not detected in tonsils or lymph nodes of the head from an additional 99 hunter-killed, adult elk from one area (area 2) collected in January 1995. Neither M. bovis nor M. paratuberctdosis were isolated from any of the specimens cultured. Antibodies to Brucella abortus were detected in serum samples from 0%, 1%, and 1% of elk from three areas sampled (areas 1, 2, and 3), respectively. Brucella abortus biovar 1 was isolated from multiple tissues from one seropositive animal from area 3. Larvae...
A Response from IBM

Dan Ferber's article on occupational health in the microelectronics industry has several significant errors and omissions, not the least of which is the false and inflammatory headline, “Beset by lawsuits, IBM blocks a study that used its data” (News of the Week, 14 May, p. [937][1]). Richard