cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ExSTraCS 2.0: Description and Evaluation of a Scalable Learning Classifier System.

Algorithmic scalability is a major concern for any machine learning strategy in this age of ‘big data’. A large number of potentially predictive attributes is emblematic of problems in bioinformatics, genetic epidemiology, and many other fields. Previously, ExSTraCS was introduced as an extended Michigan-style supervised learning classifier system that combined a set of powerful heuristics to successfully tackle the challenges of classification, prediction, and knowledge discovery in complex, noisy, and heterogeneous problem domains. While Michigan-style learning classifier systems are powerful and flexible learners, they are not considered to be particularly scalable. For the first time, this paper presents a complete description of the ExSTraCS algorithm and introduces an effective strategy to dramatically improve learning classifier system scalability. ExSTraCS 2.0 addresses scalability with (1) a rule specificity limit, (2) new approaches to expert knowledge guided covering and mutation mechanisms, and (3) the implementation and utilization of the TuRF algorithm for improving the quality of expert knowledge discovery in larger datasets. Performance over a complex spectrum of simulated genetic datasets demonstrated that these new mechanisms dramatically improve nearly every performance metric on datasets with 20 attributes and made it possible for ExSTraCS to reliably scale up to perform on related 200 and 2000-attribute datasets. ExSTraCS 2.0 was also able to reliably solve the 6, 11, 20, 37, 70, and 135 multiplexer problems, and did so in similar or fewer learning iterations than previously reported, with smaller finite training sets, and without using building blocks discovered from simpler multiplexer problems. Furthermore, ExSTraCS usability was made simpler through the elimination of previously critical run parameters.
Pseudoaneurysm of the proximal facial artery presenting as oropharyngeal hemorrhage.

Background. Penetrating trauma to the neck tra- versing zones II and III may cause considerable damage to soft tissues and neurovascular structures. Delayed sequelae of vas- cular injuries, such as pseudoaneurysm (PA), may present weeks to months after the initial injury. Methods. We report an unusual case of a traumatic PA of the proximal facial artery that ruptured into the oropharynx. Results. A 30-year-old man presented with oropharyngeal hemorrhage one month after a gunshot wound to the neck. An- giography revealed a PA of the proximal facial artery, which was treated with embolization. The arterial injury leading to the pseu- doaneurysm had not been detected by arteriography at the time. Conclusions. PAs are rare complications of penetrating neck trauma. To our knowledge, this is only the second report of PA involving the proximal facial artery, and the first of a facial PA rupture into the pharynx. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 259-263, 2001.
Program/Abstract # 41Region-specific differentiation of embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors transplanted to the adult mouse hippocampus

Spry2-GOF in the context of a reduced Fgf8 gene dosage (En1;Spry2-GOF;Fgf8), results in the absence of the cerebellar vermis. In mutant embryos, we observed a striking expansion of the roofplate over anterior r1, at the expense of Fgf8-expressing cells. Since WNT and BMP signals promote roofplate formation in r1, we examined the expression of genes in these signaling pathways. In En1;Spry2-GOF;Fgf8 embryos, Wnt1 is misexpressed in r1, indicating that FGF8 suppress Wnt1 expression in r1. In addition, Gremlin1, a BMP antagonist that is expressed across the dorsal midline of anterior r1 is downregulated in mutant embryos. We conclude that FGF8 signaling is required in anterior r1 to suppress roofplate/choroid plexus-promoting signals such as WNT and BMP, to allow development of the vermis as a continuous structure across the midline.
Forging nature-based tourism policy issues: a case study in Pennsylvania.

Abstract Because of the growing participation rates of nature-based tourism (NBT) and the variety of organizations affected by the growth, this study set out to identify NBT policy initiative recommendations designed to promote sustainable NBT activities in rural Pennsylvania. A mail survey of key decision makers in NBT programs in the state resulted in 22 major policy initiative recommendations that address: resource allocation and management, state agency planning and coordination, partnership with stakeholders, communication between state agencies and the public, knowledge base and the role of science, and information and data management. The survey also identified 65 policy initiative recommendations for 14 specific types of NBT activities. Study results help define the choices NBT programs face over what the “fit” with the state's NBT environments will or should be.
The Distribution of Galaxy Pair Redshifts

High signal to noise neutral hydrogen observations of a complete sample of 132 galaxy pairs show a velocity difference distribution which decreases monotonically from zero. There is no strong indication of redshift periodicity for the entire sample and no indication at all for a subset of 79 isolated galaxy pairs. In addition, when redshifts are corrected for the solar motion around the Galactic Center there is no indication of a redshift periodicity of 37.6 km s-lin ΔVfor galaxy pairs (as suggested by Guthrie and Napier 1996).
Rate enhancements due to autocatalysis and heterogenization in phase transfer catalysis : a comparative study

Abstract Reactions mediated by phase transfer catalysts (PT catalysts) can be carried out with either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous PT catalyst. Heterogeneous catalysts are usually bound to a polymer support and have the potential to be used in continuous processes. However, polymer bound catalysts do not enjoy industrial acceptance mainly because of the traditional circumstance that the reaction rates are lower in solid bound catalysts due to diffusional retardation. In this work polymer bound tributylmethylammonium chloride is compared to its homogeneous analog, benzyltributylammonium chloride, for different reaction systems: esterification of benzyl chloride to benzyl acetate and alkaline hydrolysis of hexyl acetate and octyl acetate. Their performance is distinctly superior to that of their homogeneous analogs at lower conversions. An unusual observation, however, is the “autocatalytic” behavior of the hydrolysis reactions which makes it possible for them to proceed faster than their heterogeneous counterparts as more product builds up with the progress of reaction (i.e. at higher conversions). This is because the autocatalytic product increases the solubility of the PT catalyst in the organic phase (where the reaction occurs) with consequent enhancement of the reaction rate. Kinetic analyses of all the systems have been carried out and rate constants for the noncatalytic, homogeneous, and heterogeneous components of the reactions determined.
A Historical Perspective of Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity

Anthracyclines remain important agents in the treatment of solid and hematological malignancy. Early experience with these drugs reported cardiac failure as an adverse event. Later, clinical recognition of cell injury at the time of administration was appreciated. This article explores the evolution of our understanding about anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity, including the various strategies for the pretreatment assessment of patients for whom anthracyclines are contemplated, the frustrations associated with the lack of specific tests that could identify patients at risk of developing problems with their next 1 or 2 cycles, the concept of balancing oncologic benefit with cardiac risk in the treatment of cancer patients, and the newer strategies for reducing the potentially devastating complications of the treatment of malignant disease with anthracyclines.
Evidence for the three spectral responses of the normal human visual system

Skilled human color-matching experts developed 317 sample pairs that matched to them in daylight (the Bayer sample sets MV68 and AA17 of about 1970). One hundred of these pairs intersect only at three well-defined wavelengths, near 458 nm, 541 nm, and 611 nm, and thus indicate visualsystem response peaks.
Trafficking-deficient LQT2 Mutations Disrupt Different Steps of hERG Channel Transport

The human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) encodes the voltage-gated K+ channel α-subunit that forms the pore of the rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current. hERG mutations are associated with type 2 Long QT syndrome (LQT2). Most missense LQT2 mutations are trafficking-deficient, and reduce complex-glycosylation in the Golgi apparatus (Golgi processing) and plasmalemmal expression. Golgi processing and plasmalemmal expression of LQT2 channels can be increased by culturing cells in drugs that block hERG current (IhERG) (pharmacological correction) or by culturing cells at 27°C (temperature correction). LQT2 channels have different ‘patterns’ of correction, for example, G601S-hERG undergoes pharmacological and temperature correction, whereas R752W-hERG only undergoes temperature correction. These data suggest that these mutations may disrupt different steps in hERG trafficking. To test this, we used confocal microscopy to examine the localization of WT-hERG, G601S-hERG, or R752W-hERG, stably expressed in HEK293 cells. We stained cells using intracellular protein markers for the ER (calnexin), the Golgi (58K), or the endosomes (mannose-6-phosphate receptor or M6PR). We found that cells expressing WT-hERG showed plasmalemmal and intracellular staining that co-localized with calnexin, 58K, and M6PR. Cells expressing G601S- or R752W-hERG showed primarily intracellular hERG staining, but their staining patterns were different. G601S-hERG showed diffused intracellular staining that colocalized with calnexin, but not 58K or M6PR. Cells expressing R752W-hERG showed strong co-localization with the calnexin and M6PR, but not 58K. We conclude G601S-hERG appears to be retained primarily with the ER, whereas R752W-hERG is retained in the ER and endosomes. These data are surprising because they suggest that R752W-hERG may exit the ER and traffic to the endosomes without undergoing Golgi processing. These are the first data to show that trafficking-deficient LQT2-linked mutations, with different patterns of correction, colocalize to different intracellular compartments.
“The Sociologist as Voyeur”: Social Theory and Sexuality Research, 1910–1978

Sociology has a long history of social theory and ethnographic research in the area of sexuality. Although it has been largely overlooked, this body of work prefigures later advances by social constructionists and queer theorists. This article reviews some of the early theoretical and empirical contributions to the sociology of sexuality, organized into five broad themes: the denaturalization of sexuality and its origins; the historicization of sexuality; the analytic shift from “deviants” to “deviance”/margins to center; the destabilization of sexual categories and identities and emphasis on the fluid and diverse meanings of sexual acts; and the theorization of sexuality and gender as performance. This article suggests that sexual stigma may contribute to the marginalization of sexuality studies in sociology.
Damage of Cross-Linked Rubbers as the Scission of Polymer Chains: Modeling and Tensile Experiments

This article develops a damage model for unfilled crosslinked rubbers based on the concept of scission of polymer chains. The model is built up on the well-known Gent elastic potential complemented by a kinetic equation describing effects of polymer chain scission. The macroscopic parameters in the damage model are evaluated through the parameters for undamaged elastomer. Qualitative analysis of changing molecular parameters of rubbers under scission of polymer chains resulted in easy scaling modeling the dependences of these parameters on the damage factor. It makes possible to predict the rubber failure in molecular terms as mechanical devulcanization. The model was tested in tensile quasistatic experiments with both the monotonous loading and repeated loading–unloading. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Potential world trade in a futures contract for shelled edible peanuts

This study reports the result of a world-wide survey showing favorable interest in a peanut futures contract (20 metric tons). A US exchange was preferred with possible delivery points in Savannah and Rotterdam. Hedging contracts were estimated to be 52,000 contracts annually with speculative contracts estimated to range from a low of 16,000 to as high as 303,000. This was judged to be the minimum volume for a successful contract and would be expected to increase significantly if the US price support program is abandoned. Thirty-seven percent of peanuts handled in the market were under the control of five firms. This level of concentration was noted as a problem by a majority of survey respondents and is considered to be a major factor in contract potential.
The demonstration of plasmalogen with periodic acid.

The same distal convolutions in the outer cortex of the kidney of the rat reacted after either the PAS or the plasmal reaction. This was substantiated by comparing PAS-positive structures in an unfixed, frozen section with plasmal-positive structures in an adjacent section. The absence of PAS-positive material after aldehyde blockade and lipid extraction procedures indicated that the PAS-positive material was lipid in nature and was probably plasmalogen. Cortical PAS-positive material was only observed in the epithelium of the distal tubules and these were the only tubules in the cortex containing plasmalogen. This was cited as empirical evidence for periodic acid demonstration of plasmalogen in particular and not unsaturated lipids in general. It is strongly suggested that controls insuring the absence of plasmalogen-derived aldehydes should be prepared by extracting unfixed, frozen sections with chloroform-methanol or by treating them with acetic acid-aniline before carrying out the PAS reaction.
FOLLOW‐UP SURVEY OF GRADUATES FROM ACCREDITED DEGREE‐GRANTING MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY TRAINING PROGRAMS

This article reports the results of a mailed survey of 1980, 1983, and 1986 graduates (n = 205) from degree-granting marriage and family therapy training programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The graduates considered themselves (a) sufficiently to quite well prepared in marital/couple therapy, family therapy, and individual therapy with adults and (b) minimally to moderately well prepared in individual therapy with children and adolescents, individual diagnosis, and individual psychological assessment. The presenting problems for which graduates most strongly recommended increased emphasis in their MFT training program were alcoholism, other substance/drug abuse, incest/sexual abuse, and domestic violence.
Opportunities, threats, & theoretical approaches: Research in traditional and social virtual reference quality

Today's digital reference service environment faces many opportunities as well as a number of threats. This panel presents three different approaches, methods of data collection, and approaches to analyze and examine quality issues in virtual reference (VR) as well as other reference platforms. One threat has to do with sustainability of VR quality in this time of budgetary constraints. Radford and Connaway will present “Thriving on Theory: A New Model for Synchronous Reference Encounters” describing a new research-based model that delineates quality criteria from user and provider perspectives. This model can be applied to virtual as well as traditional reference interactions. Pomerantz, Shah, Oh, and Oh's paper: “The Same, Yet Different: Comparing Studies of ‘Traditional’ Digital Reference and Social Q&A” compares traditional vs. social question and answering services. Social question and answer (Q&A) services have opened up pluralistic approaches that go beyond professional VR, but also pose threats to quality and professional turf. Gazen examines one of these social Q&A services, Answerbag, in his paper: “When Wrong is Right: Intentionally Bad Answers in a Social Q&A Community” which discusses his analysis of instances in which wrong answers are intentionally offered.
Clinical Outcome of Revision Meniscal Allograft Transplantation: Minimum 2-Year Follow-up

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes after revision meniscal allograft transplantation (RMAT). Methods Eleven patients underwent RMAT performed by the senior author (B.J.C.). These patients were studied prospectively and completed standardized outcome surveys (including International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC], Cincinnati Knee-Rating System, Tegner score, Lysholm score, Short Form-12, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], and overall satisfaction) preoperatively and annually thereafter for a minimum of 2 years. Radiographic analysis before surgery and at the most recent follow-up included anteroposterior, Rosenberg, lateral, and sunrise views graded by the Kellgren and Lawrence (K & L) scale. The status of the articular cartilage was graded intraoperatively using the Outerbridge classification. Two patients were lost to follow-up and one declined further participation. Results The average time to RMAT from the index procedure was 3.45 ± 2.52 years, with a mean follow-up after RMAT of 3.83 ± 1.3 years. One patient progressed to arthroplasty during follow-up and was not included in subjective outcome score follow-up. Clinical outcome scores that demonstrated significant improvements included IKDC (43 ± 12 to 61 ± 16; P = .03) and KOOS pain score (66 ± 12 to 79 ± 11; P = .047). Along with this, the subjective symptom rate significantly improved from 5.0 ± 0.9 preoperatively to 6.7 ± 1.8 postoperatively ( P = .011). Radiographic ( P = .7) and Outerbridge ( P = .809) grading did not show progression. Seven of 8 patients would have surgery again, and satisfaction at final follow-up was 7.6 ± 2.6. Conclusions In this small series with short-term follow-up, RMAT resulted in high patient satisfaction and significant symptom reduction on validated outcome scores (IKDC and KOOS pain score), proving the original hypothesis that outcomes after RMAT would be improved compared with preoperative conditions. Identifiable causes of MAT failure may help predict response to RMAT. Because arthroplasty is still not favored in young active patients, a thorough discussion with the patient is necessary to best align their goals with those of the surgery when considering revision meniscus transplantation. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
An Iterative Method for Estimating a Multivariate Mode and Isopleth

Abstract An iterative procedure for estimating the mode and isopleths of a multivariate distribution is presented. The mode is estimated by selecting a point from the final set in a nested decreasing sequence of convex sets, each one of which is iteratively the smallest closed, convex subset containing a certain proportion of its predecessor's data points. An isopleth is estimated by the boundary of the convex subset corresponding to a fixed number of iterations (independent of n). The method gives rise to a natural density estimator. The estimators are shown to converge almost surely, and convergence rates for the univariate isopleth estimator are presented. Applications to air pollution and health sciences are noted.
Recent developments in the legal protection of historic shipwrecks in china

Abstract Historic shipwrecks represent significant elements of human history and have become integral parts of the cultural heritage of mankind. China has had a long maritime history and is very rich in historic shipwrecks. Facing a recent increase in treasure hunting for historic shipwrecks under China's seas, the Chinese government has become more concerned about the protection of marine cultural resources. In 1989 China enacted its Regulation on Protection and Administration of Underwater Cultural Relics, which provides a legal framework for the protection and management of historic shipwrecks in China. Under this Regulation, China asserts jurisdiction over historic shipwrecks not only in her internal waters and territorial sea but also in other sea areas under China's jurisdiction. Furthermore, China reclaims the ownership of historic shipwrecks originating from China found within these waters. The issues of jurisdiction over and title to historic shipwrecks beyond the territorial sea are matters not ...
Molecular basis for site-specific read-out of histone H3K4me3 by the BPTF PHD finger of NURF

Mono-, di- and trimethylated states of particular histone lysine residues are selectively found in different regions of chromatin, thereby implying specialized biological functions for these marks ranging from heterochromatin formation to X-chromosome inactivation and transcriptional regulation. A major challenge in chromatin biology has centred on efforts to define the connection between specific methylation states and distinct biological read-outs impacting on function. For example, histone H3 trimethylated at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) is associated with transcription start sites of active genes, but the molecular 'effectors' involved in specific recognition of H3K4me3 tails remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate the molecular basis for specific recognition of H3(1-15)K4me3 (residues 1-15 of histone H3 trimethylated at K4) by a plant homeodomain (PHD) finger of human BPTF (bromodomain and PHD domain transcription factor), the largest subunit of the ATP-dependent chromatin-remodelling complex, NURF (nucleosome remodelling factor). We report on crystallographic and NMR structures of the bromodomain-proximal PHD finger of BPTF in free and H3(1-15)K4me3-bound states. H3(1-15)K4me3 interacts through anti-parallel beta-sheet formation on the surface of the PHD finger, with the long side chains of arginine 2 (R2) and K4me3 fitting snugly in adjacent pre-formed surface pockets, and bracketing an invariant tryptophan. The observed stapling role by non-adjacent R2 and K4me3 provides a molecular explanation for H3K4me3 site specificity. Binding studies establish that the BPTF PHD finger exhibits a modest preference for K4me3- over K4me2-containing H3 peptides, and discriminates against monomethylated and unmodified counterparts. Furthermore, we identified key specificity-determining residues from binding studies of H3(1-15)K4me3 with PHD finger point mutants. Our findings call attention to the PHD finger as a previously uncharacterized chromatin-binding module found in a large number of chromatin-associated proteins.
A tunable duty-cycle-controlled switched-R-MOSFET-C CMOS filter for low-voltage and high-linearity applications

A switched-R-MOSFET-C filter with tunable corner frequency is described. The tunability is achieved by varying the clock duty cycle using an automatic tuning circuit. This tuning method does not involve a change in any gate voltage, and is therefore particularly suitable for low-voltage and high-linearity applications. The advantages of the proposed method are illustrated with the design and simulation of a high-Q biquad filter.
Circadian gene expression in mammalian fibroblasts revealed by real-time luminescence reporting: Temperature compensation and damping

Mammalian cells such as rat-1 fibroblasts have been shown to exhibit daily oscillations in the expression of several gene transcripts in culture. After induction, these oscillations persist with a period of ≈24 h for several days. This characteristic suggests that the oscillations are controlled by a circadian clock, but the crucial criterion of temperature compensation has not been demonstrated for rat-1 fibroblasts. We have developed an automated assay of circadian expression of the mPer1 promoter in rat-1 fibroblasts that have been stably transfected with a luciferase reporter. Using this cell culture-based in vitro luminescent reporter assay, we found that the daily oscillation of mPer1 promoter activity in rat-1 cells is temperature compensated over the range of 28.5-36.5°C. This finding means that these oscillations are bona fide circadian rhythms. Moreover, the circadian clock of these homeothermic mammalian cells not only is temperature compensated but also is overcompensated such that it runs faster at cooler temperatures (Q10 of 0.85-0.88). The oscillations in rat-1 fibroblasts damp more rapidly at cooler temperatures, and damping is not due to cells becoming unhealthy because a second stimulus will reinitiate a robust rhythm. These data show that rat-1 cell cultures that are stably transfected with luminescence reporters are an excellent model system for studying circadian clocks at the cellular level in mammals.
An Uncertainty-Driven Hybrid of Intensity-Based and Feature-Based Registration with Application to Retinal and Lung CT Images

A new hybrid of feature-based and intensity-based registration is presented. The algorithm reflects a new understanding of the role of alignment error in the generation of registration constraints. This leads to an iterative process where distinctive image locations from the moving image are matched against the intensity structure of the fixed image. The search range of this matching process is controlled by both the uncertainty in the current transformation estimate and the properties of the image locations to be matched. The resulting hybrid algorithm is applied to retinal image registration by incorporating it as the main estimation engine within our recently published Dual-Bootstrap ICP algorithm. The hybrid algorithm is used to align serial and 4d CT images of the lung using a B-spline based deformation model.
Minimizing Environmental and Economic Risks with a Proppant-Sized Solid Scale Inhibitor Additive in the Bakken Formation

Within the past decade, hydraulic fracturing has proved to enhance the efficiency and economics of recovering oil and natural gas from shale formations. In a previous paper (SPE-134414MS, Gupta et al. 2010), a summary of treatment results from placing a solid scale inhibitor into formations by means of the fracturing process for more than 5 years and in more than 1,500 wells was discussed fully; however, the practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny because of concerns about environmental impact, health, and safety. Therefore, a novel, biodegradable scale inhibitor with an outstanding ecotoxicity profile for fresh water incorporated into a solid matrix was recently developed and deployed in North Dakota. For one operator with 150 Bakken producing wells in this area, severe carbonate-mineral scaling in the pump and production tubing has been observed in 22 of these producing wells, which led to well failure (Cenegy et al. 2011), whereas the results from more than 290 Bakken wells now fractured with the new solid-inhibitor additives indicate no reported scale failures to date. This paper provides a detailed description of the first deployment of this environmentally preferred proppant-sized solidscale-inhibitor additive under severe scaling conditions in the field. In addition, an analytical method developed to track the residual of this additive in the produced fluid containing polysaccharide contaminants is also discussed.
Field Experiments with Enheptin-T on the Control of Histomoniasis (Blackhead) in Turkeys

Abstract ALTHOUGH modern chemotherapy has met with signal success in the practical control of certain protozoan diseases of poultry, histomoniasis (blackhead) of turkeys so far has resisted this line of attack. An active search for blackhead-preventive agents is under way as evidenced by the recent literature. Sautter et al. (1950) screened a number of known protozoacidal drugs using rectal injection of minced histomoniasis infected liver tissue for exposure. They found sulfamerazine, sulfaguanidine, streptomycin, anthiomaline, dimidium bromide, pentamidine, sodium fluoride, Eagle’s compound, and neoarsphenamine of no protective value; sulfaquinoxaline, and iodine vermicide of slight protective value; and Stovarsol, tryparsamide, and Vioform in the order named, of definite protective value, with the first named drug affording about 60 percent protection. In similar studies using repeated oral and rectal injections with known numbers of cultivated Histomonas meleagridis for exposure, DeVolt and Holst (1948) found sulfathiazole and sulfaguanidine ineffective while 5-chloro, 7-iodo, 8-hydroxyquinoline (Vioform, Ciba), . . .
Anal fistulas: Treatment options in the new millennium ☆ ☆☆

Abstract This article reviews the evaluation and treatment of patients with anal fistulas in the new millenium. New methods of evaluation with transanal ultrasonography with hydrogen peroxide enhancement or magnetic resonance imaging can assist surgeons in treatment planning. New surgical treatments, such as fibrin glue, are sphincter saving and associated with significantly lower rates of fecal incontinence. Sphincter-saving operations have higher recurrence rates but significantly lower rates of fecal incontinence compared with sphincter-sacrificing operations such as fistulotomy. Because of the morbidity of sphincter-sacrificing operations, sphincter-saving techniques are the preferred initial approach for nearly all patients with anal fistulas. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The incorporation and controlled release of platelet-rich plasma-derived biomolecules from polymeric tissue engineering scaffolds

Platelet-richplasma(PRP)hasbeengainingpopularityinrecentyearsasacost-effectivematerialcapableofstimulatinghealing in a number of different clinical applications. As the clinical role of PRP has been growing so too has its prevalence in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, particularly in the field of extracellular matrix (ECM) analogue scaffold fabrication. As polymeric scaffold fabrication techniques strive to create structures that ever more closely replicate the native ECM’sformandfunction,theneedforincreasedscaffoldbioactivitybecomesmorepronounced.PRP,whichhasbeenshownto contain over 300 bioactive molecules, has the potential to deliver a combination of growth factors and cytokines capable of stimulating cellular activity through enhanced chemotaxis, proliferation and ECM production. The ability to incorporate such a potent bioactive milieu into a polymeric tissue engineering scaffold, which lacks intrinsic cell signaling molecules, may help to promote scaffold integration with native tissues and increase the overall patency of polymeric ECM analogue structures. This mini-review briefly discusses the physiological basis of PRP and its current clinical use, as well as the potential role that PRP may play in the future of polymeric tissue engineering scaffold design. c � 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
More closely related plants have more distinct mycorrhizal communities

Neighbouring plants are known to vary from having similar to dissimilar arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities. One possibility is that closely related plants have more similar AMF communities than more distantly related plants, an indication of phylogenetic host specificity. Here, we investigated the structure of AMF com- munities among dominant grassland plants at three sites in the Northern Great Plains to test whether the pairwise phylogenetic distance among plant species was correlated with pairwise AMF community dissimilarity. For eight dom- inant and co-occurring grassland plant species, we reconstructed a phylogeny based on DNA data and characterized the AMF communities of their roots at each site. Community analyses revealed that AMF communities varied among sites and among plant species. Contrary to expectations for phylogenetic host specificity, we found that within a site more closely related plants had more distinct AMF communities despite their having similar phenologies. Associations with unique AMF communities may enhance the functional complementarity of related species and promote their coexistence.
Structural basis for recognition of SMRT/N-CoR by the MYND domain and its contribution to AML1/ETO's activity

AML1/ETO results from the t(8;21) associated with 12%-15% of acute myeloid leukemia. The AML1/ETO MYND domain mediates interactions with the corepressors SMRT and N-CoR and contributes to AML1/ETO's ability to repress proliferation and differentiation of primary bone marrow cells as well as to enhance their self renewal in vitro. We solved the solution structure of the MYND domain and show it to be structurally homologous to the PHD and RING finger families of proteins. We also determined the solution structure of an MYND-SMRT peptide complex. We demonstrated that a single amino acid substitution that disrupts the interaction between the MYND domain and the SMRT peptide attenuated AML1/ETO's effects on proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression.
Use of ticarcillin disodium plus clavulanate potassium in the management of acute bacterial infections in children

Abstract Ticarcillin disodium plus clavulanate potassium (in a ratio of 30:1) was used to treat 30 children (mean age equal to 4.9 years) with acute infections of the urinary tract, skeletal system, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, skin and subcutaneous tissue, and blood. The drug was administered by the intravenous or intramuscular route in a dose of 310 mg/kg per day in six divided doses (26 patients) or 207 mg/kg per day in four divided doses (four patients). Duration of therapy ranged from two to 14 days (mean equal to 5.4 days), and resolution of infection was quite satisfactory in all cases, including those Involving beta-lactamase-producing bacteria, although reinfection occurred five days after successful therapy of a urinary tract infection due to Escherichia coli. No adverse clinical or biochemical changes attributable to administration of ticarcillin disodium plus clavulanate potassium were observed. Ticarcillin disodium plus clavulanate potassium appears to be safe and effective therapy for a wide range of acute infections in children, including those caused by at least some pathogens that produce beta-lactamase.
On the role of structural class of a protein with two-state folding kinetics in determining correlations between its size, topology, and folding rate.

The time it takes for proteins to fold into their native states varies over several orders of magnitude depending on their native-state topology, size, and amino acid composition. In a number of previous studies, it was found that there is strong correlation between logarithmic folding rates and contact order for proteins that fold with two-state kinetics, while such correlation is absent for three-state proteins. Conversely, strong correlations between folding rates and chain length occur within three-state proteins, but not in two-state proteins. Here, we demonstrate that chain lengths and folding rates of two-state proteins are not correlated with each other only when all-α, all-β, and mixed-class proteins are considered together, which is typically the case. However, when considering all-α and all-β two-state proteins separately, there is significant linear correlation between folding rate and size. Moreover, the sets of data points for the all-α and all-β classes define asymptotes of lower and upper limits on folding rates of mixed-class proteins. By analyzing correlation of other topological parameters with folding rates of two-state proteins, we find that only the long-range order exhibits correlation with folding rates that is uniform over all three classes. It is also the only descriptor to provide statistically significant correlations for each of the three structural classes. We give an interpretation of this observation in terms of Makarov and Plaxco's diffusion-based topomer-search model.
Hypoxic incubation creates differential morphological effects during specific developmental critical windows in the embryo of the chicken (Gallus gallus).

Hypoxia inhibits vertebrate development, but the magnitude and timing of organ-specific effects are poorly understood. Chick embryos were exposed continuously to hypoxia (15% O2) throughout Days 1–6, 6–12, 12–18 or Days 1–18 of development, followed by morphometric measurements of major organ systems. Early hypoxic exposure reduced eye mass and beak length when measured in middle development. Liver, brain, heart, kidneys, stomach, intestines and skeletal long bones were not affected by hypoxia at any developmental stage. The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) mass was unchanged by hypoxic exposure in early or mid-development, but CAM mass on Day 18 increased strikingly (40 and 60% in late and continuous populations, respectively) in response to hypoxic exposure. The increase in CAM mass presumably enhances oxygen delivery, thus minimizing the detrimental effects of hypoxia on development and growth. Hypoxic exposure at key critical windows in development thus results in differential effects on organ development, some of which can subsequently be repaired through additional incubation (yolk mass, eye mass, beak length). © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
An Empirical Investigation of Client Managers’ Responsibilities in Managing Offshore Outsourcing of Software-Testing Projects

Despite an increase in the offshore outsourcing of information technology (IT) projects, little research has been carried out to identify issues that client managers (CMs) encounter when managing projects with offshore vendors. Also research on how CMs' responsibilities change to effectively manage offshore outsourcing relationships has received little attention. We conducted a case study of an offshore outsourcing relationship between a U.S. client and its Indian vendors engaged in software-testing projects. In this paper, we identify six project management activities that underwent substantial change. We then describe the coping strategies that CMs employed effectively to deal with changing project management activities. We conclude by discussing the interplay of multiple global boundary variables and its effect on the project management activities. We integrate insights from literature on global distributed teams, organizational communications, and offshore outsourcing to theoretically ground the relationship between the boundary variables and the coping strategies.
A fusing mumps virus variant selected from a nonfusing parent with the neuraminidase inhibitor 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Abstract A fusing variant of the nonfusing O'Take strain of mumps virus was obtained by growing virus under the selective pressure of the competitive neuraminidase inhibitor 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro- N -acetylneuraminic acid (DANA). The variant virus, O'Take(DANA)v1, causes extensive syncytial formation in CV-1 cell cultures in contrast to the relatively noncytopathic infection caused by the O'Take virus parent. Neuraminidase assays indicate that O'take(DANA)v1 has no detectable neuraminidase activity using either fetuin or neuraminlactose as substrate. In addition, the O'Take(DANA)v1 virus can agglutinate red blood cells but cannot elute from these cells once adsorbed. No differences were detected in the biochemical or antigenic structure of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins from O'Take virus and O'Take(DANA)v1. These results indicate that the neuraminidase enzyme of the mumps virus HN glycoprotein is involved in modulating the cell fusion cytopathology of mumps virus infections.
Cytoarchitecture and Transcriptional Profiles of Neocortical Malformations in Inbred Mice

Malformations of neocortical development are associated with cognitive dysfunction and increased susceptibility to epileptogenesis. Rodent models are widely used to study neocortical malformations and have revealed important genetic and environmental mechanisms that contribute to neocortical development. Interestingly, several inbred mice strains commonly used in behavioral, anatomical, and/or physiological studies display neocortical malformations. In the present report we examine the cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture of the neocortex of 11 inbred mouse strains and identified malformations of cortical development, including molecular layer heterotopia, in all but one strain. We used in silico methods to confirm our observations and determined the transcriptional profiles of cells found within heterotopia. These data indicate cellular and transcriptional diversity present in cells in malformations. Furthermore, the presence of dysplasia in nearly every inbred strain examined suggests that malformations of neocortical development are a common feature in the neocortex of inbred mice.
Seekable sockets: a mechanism to reduce copy overheads in TCP-based messaging

This paper extends the traditional socket interface to TCP/IP communication with the ability to seek rather than simply receive data in order. Seeking on a TCP socket allows a user program to receive data without first receiving all previous data on the connection. Through repeated use of seeking, a messaging application or library can treat a TCP socket as a list of messages with the potential to receive and remove data from any arbitrary point rather than simply the head of the socket buffer. Seeking facilitates copy-avoidance between a messaging library and user code by eliminating the need to first copy unwanted data into a library buffer before receiving desired data that appears later in the socket buffer. The seekable sockets interface is implemented in the Linux 2.6.13 kernel. Experimental results are gathered using a simple microbenchmark that receives data out-of-order from a given socket, yielding up to a 40% reduction in processing time. The code for seekable sockets is now available for patching into existing Linux kernels and for further development into messaging libraries.
Presidential debates and campaign rhetoric: Text within context

Previous analyses have treated presidential debates as isolated incidents, focusing primarily on arguments within the text. This essay argues that, in order to understand the full political and rhetorical significance of such debates, they must be studied within the rhetorical context created by previous campaign discourse. A case study of the 1968 presidential campaign and California primary debate between Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy is used to illustrate this perspective. Analysis of this debate also reveals the class between the progressive and the populist case for change and contributes to the ongoing study of the impasse in liberal argument today.
The Influence of Organizational Culture on the Success of Knowledge Management Practices with North American Companies

This research tests a model of the moderating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between knowledge management and organizational benefits and a positive relationship between knowledge management and organizational benefits. This topic is related to organizational strategic issues such as sharing knowledge and developing new capacities for action through learning processes. The 133 respondents represented 38 of the 49 North American companies recognized for their knowledge management “best practices” initiatives. There were two instruments used in this study: Cameron and Quinn’s 1999 OCAI measured four types of organizational culture (Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy), and Lawson’s (2002) KMAI assessed Knowledge Management and Organizational Benefits. Emphasizing the competing values framework, the results from the study show that organizational culture is positively related to organizational benefits with high positive intercorrelations.
Systematic analysis of terrestrial carbon stocks in a small catchment of the Kolyma watershed

With the strongest climate warming occurring and predicted in the high-latitudes, understanding arctic carbon (C) cycling and the feedback of terrestrial C pools is increasingly important. Arctic terrestrial ecosystems comprise about one-third of the global terrestrial ecosystem C total with most of the C stored in soils, making the response of arctic systems to accelerated warming an issue of global concern. For this research, aboveand belowground C stocks were quantified in a small catchment of the Kolyma River watershed in northeastern Siberia, with the primary goal of contributing to a more precise estimate of arctic C pools. Eighteen sites were chosen based on four categories of tree density. We assessed the correlation between soil C, vegetation C, and four environmental correlates — slope, solar insolation, canopy density, and leaf area index. Carbon in the surface O horizon (2414 ± 391 g C m -2 , mean +/SE) and underlying mineral soil layer to a depth of 10 cm or to the bottom of the active layer, whichever was less, (2231 ± 432 g C m -2 ) were, together, approximately four times that of the aboveground C pools (1128 ± 273 g C m -2 ). Of the environmental correlates considered, canopy cover had the most robust association with aboveground C pools (p 0.05). Greater quantities of belowground C storage are consistent with previous studies in arctic terrestrial ecosystems, but a high degree of variability existed in both aboveand belowground C pools. High variability will make it more difficult to accurately quantify C pools at larger spatial scales. Additionally, the identification of canopy cover as a robust biotic correlate presents alternatives to directly measuring C stocks, but this v relationship needs to be verified elsewhere in the Arctic before using it in lieu of field data collection.
Entropy generation results of convenience but without purposeful analysis and due comprehension-guidelines for authors

There is a growing trend in recently-submitted manuscripts and publications to present calculated results of entropy generation, also known as entropy production, as field quantities in a system or device control volume, based on prior calculation of velocity and temperature fields, frequently using CFD numerical methods. [...]
Theorising and Exposing Institutional Racism in Britain: The Contribution of Ann and Michael Dummett to Critical Philosophy of Race

By helping to introduce the relatively new concept of institutional racism into Britain, Sir Michael and Ann Dummett expanded the concept of racism beyond the limited sense it had been given in the 1940s and 1950s when racism tended to be associated with the scientific concept of race and when the focus tended to fall on the intent to harm or speak harm of a group that was identified as a race by science. They recognised that ‘race’ was primarily a political and not a scientific concept. This led them in a different direction from that taken by the next generation of mainstream philosophers working in this area, such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, who adopted the UNESCO approach of highlighting the scientific deficiencies of the concept of race. However, although they both succeeded in developing ways to break through the forms of self-deception that allow institutional racism to go unnoticed and at the same time offered instructive insights into the ways politicians hide behind the racism of others, I argue that they failed to see, as clearly as Sartre and Fanon did, that the conception of institutional racism necessitates a structural changes in society beyond anything they contemplated.
Clarity vs. Publicity in Disclosure of Public Information

A social planner's challenge is to clearly and credibly disclose public information to private agents unable to understand or judge the information accuracy. In this paper, we analyze optimal disclosure of information whose precision is observed by the social planner, but not by the public. We show that controlling the extent (publicity) of disclosure is an important tool in signaling the importance of public disclosure to agents. Full publicity disclosure only provides more information if agents understand it, whereas full understanding (clarity) of the disclosure may only be achieved by restricting the publicity of disclosure. This provides a normative explanation for the widespread practice of restricting disclosure and reveals an essential trade-off between clarity and publicity in public disclosure that planners must evaluate when communicating to the public.