cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing Conflict in Distribution Channels: A Laboratory Study

This article examines a laboratory methodology for studying interorganizational conflict between members of a distribution channel. A parasimulation approach was used to investigate the effectivene...
Melting and Laser Annealing in Semiconductors using 0.485 μm and 0.193 μm Pulsed Lasers

Annealing of displacement damage, the dissolution of boron precipitates, the formation of constitution supercooling cells, and the broadening of dopant profiles have been studied in laser annealed silicon. These samples were irradiated with a dye laser (λ = 0.485 µm, τ = 9 ns, E = 0.7–1.2 J cm−2) and an Excimer laser (λ = 0.193 µm, τ= 9 ns, E = 0.5–0.7 J cm−2) pulses. These results can be consistently interpreted by invoking melting during pulsed laser irradiation. Thus these results provide convincing evidence for the melting phenomenon.
Protection From Risk: Exploration of When and How Neighborhood-Level Factors Can Reduce Violent Youth Outcomes

This research explores the ability of neighborhood-level factors to serve as either promotive or protective factors to reduce the risk of violent outcomes among adolescents. Unique contributions of this research include a novel definition of neighborhood constructed through a housing market study, the aggregation of individual-level survey responses to the newly defined neighborhoods, and the application ofhierarchical linear modeling to explore cross-level interaction (e.g., protective) effects. Using data from Waves 1–9 of the Rochester Youth Development Study, our analyses find little support for promotive effects at the neighborhood level. However, several of our constructs are revealed to provide protective effects across various domains of risk. In specific, we find that high-risk youths whose parents report high levels of social integration and neighborhood integration are less likely to experience violent outcomes than similar youth whose parents do not report high levels of integration. These fin...
Structure-based inhibition of HIV-1 protease activity and viral infectivity.

The protease encoded by the HIV genome is essential for viral replication, making the enzyme an important target for the therapeutic treatment of AIDS. The structure of the HIV protease1 was used to locate compounds with molecular complementarity to the active site. The computer program DOCK2 produced a negative image of the active site cavity that was a cylindrical shape 24 A in length and 8 A in diameter. The image was used to search 10,000 molecules of the Cambridge Crystallographic Database for compounds that could recognize the active site and serve as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme. One of the compounds to result from the complementarity screen was haloperidol, a known antipsychotic agent. Recombinant HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteases were expressed and purified from E. coli 3 and 5. cerevisiae,4 respectively, to assay the putative inhibitors. Haloperidol inhibits the HIV-1 and 2 proteases in a concentration-dependent fashion with a Ki of 100 μM.5 Both haloperidol and its hydroxy derivative, hydroxy-HAL, show activity against maturation of viral polypeptides in an E. coli assay system.
Adaptive residual DPCM for lossless intra coding

In the Differential Pulse-code Modulation (DPCM) image coding, the intensity of a pixel is predicted as a linear combination of a set of surrounding pixels and the prediction error is encoded. In this paper, we propose the adaptive residual DPCM (ARDPCM) for intra lossless coding. In the ARDPCM, intra residual samples are predicted using adaptive mode-dependent DPCM weights. The weights are estimated by minimizing the Mean Squared Error (MSE) of coded data and they are synchronized at the encoder and the decoder. The proposed method is implemented on the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) reference software. Experimental results show that the ARDPCM significantly outperforms HEVC lossless coding and HEVC with the DPCM. The proposed method is also computationally efficient.
Effects of anterior offsetting of humeral head component in posteriorly unstable total shoulder arthroplasty: Finite element modeling of cadaver specimens

A novel technique of "anterior offsetting" of the humeral head component to address posterior instability in total shoulder arthroplasty has been proposed, and its biomechanical benefits have been previously demonstrated experimentally. The present study sought to characterize the changes in joint mechanics associated with anterior offsetting with various amounts of glenoid retroversion using cadaver specimen-specific 3-dimensional finite element models. Specimen-specific computational finite element models were developed through importing digitized locations of six musculotendinous units of the rotator cuff and deltoid muscles based off three cadaveric shoulder specimens implanted with total shoulder arthroplasty in either anatomic or anterior humeral head offset. Additional glenoid retroversion angles (0°, 10°, 20°, and 30°) other than each specimen׳s actual retroversion were modeled. Contact area, contact force, peak pressure, center of pressure, and humeral head displacement were calculated at each offset and retroversion for statistical analysis. Anterior offsetting was associated with significant anterior shift of center of pressure and humeral head displacement upon muscle loading (p 0.05). All study variables showed significant differences when compared between the 4 different glenoid retroversion angles (p < 0.05) except for total force (p < 0.05). The study finding suggests that the anterior offsetting technique may contribute to joint stability in posteriorly unstable shoulder arthroplasty and may reduce eccentric loading on glenoid components although the long term clinical results are yet to be investigated in future.
Frequency analysis of catecholamine axonal morphology in human brain. II: Alzheimer's disease and hippocampal sympathetic ingrowth

We have examined the various diverse morphologies of catecholamine axons in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease and aged control brain tissue were obtained by a rapid autopsy protocol (mean postmortem delay 75 years) Alzheimer's disease. In summary, the use of quantitative neuroanatomical measures of catecholamine axonal morphologies in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue identified a specific frequency shift which may represent hippocampal sympathetic ingrowth and this unique measure was found to have predictive utility with respect to Alzheimer's disease.
Dietary overlap and selectivity among silver carp and two native filter feeders in the Wabash River.

Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are a potential threat to native filter feeders and larval fish due to dietary overlap. To test for dietary overlap and selectivity, we collected diet samples from invasive silver carp and two native filter feeders (gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum and bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus), and river plankton samples at three sites on the Wabash River during the spring and summer of 2015. Contents of diet items were identified to major group and quantified. Diet proportions were compared among seasons, sites and species. Diet selectivity was calculated using the Manly–Chesson diet selectivity index. The results of our diet analysis showed that silver carp had significantly dissimilar diets among seasons and displayed dietary overlap with native fishes. We did not find a significant difference among sample sites. While silver carp diets overlapped with native fishes, the impact of this possible source of competition requires further study to confirm impacts on native fish abundances and body conditions.
Malignant conversion, the first stage in progression, is distinct from phorbol ester promotion in mouse skin.

Multiple stages in the induction of benign and malignant tumors have been demonstrated experimentally in the mouse skin model system of chemical carcinogenesis1,2. Although skin tumors can be induced by repeated topical applications of a carcinogen3, protocols have been developed which define at least three distinct stages: initiation, promotion and malignant conversion4–6. In a typical experiment, the first stage, initiation, is accomplished by a single exposure to a low dose of a mutagenic carcinogen. Initiation, which may represent a single mutational event7, causes a heritable change in some epidermal cells, which are termed “initiated.” Without subsequent treatment, the initiated cells do not develop into tumors. Repeated topical treatment of initiated mice with a tumor promoter allows the expression of the neoplastic change resulting in the formation of benign squamous papillomas. The second stage, promotion, is effective even when promoter treatments are delayed for several months after initiation, indicating the irreversibility of the initiating mutation. In contrast, the promoting effects of individual TPA applications are reversible since papillomas do not develop after insufficient exposure of initiated skin to promoters or when the interval between individual promoter applications is increased. The reversibility of promotion suggests an epigenetic mechanism. Promotion can be defined as the selective clonal expansion of initiated cells.
Estimation of Individual Exposure Following a Chemical Spill in Superior, Wisconsin

The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of self-reported survey data as an indication of exposure. Parametric and nonparametric statistical models and functions including Generalized Linear Models, Cumulative Logit link models, and the quasi-likelihood function, were used to fit the possibly nonlinear relationship between self-reported exposure and spatial location. Because the errors in estimates of exposure based on self-reported data are different from the errors in estimates from deterministic simulations, the similarities between these estimates should reflect the underlying spatial stochastic processes corresponding to the true exposure. This is demonstrated using data from a chemical spill in Superior, Wisconsin.
Swimming Behavior of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: Bridging Small-Scale Locomotion with Biomechanics

Undulatory locomotion, as seen in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, is a common swimming gait of organisms populating the world of low Reynolds number. While the nematode’s motility is expected to be a strong function of its material properties, measurements remain scarce. Here, we first reveal the robustness of C. elegans’ swimming gait with increasing mechanical load. By coupling kinematic data with a simple model, we measure non-invasively C. elegans’ material properties including Young’s modulus and tissue viscosity. By comparing wild-type nematodes with mutant strains carrying muscular dystrophy, we find that tissue properties are sensitive to changes in muscle functional properties. Altogether, our findings suggest that C. elegans is an attractive model to bridge small-scale motility research with biomechanical knowledge.
Prediction of Failure of Polypropylene Films

The search for process-property relationships has occupied a central role in the development of polymer engineering. Of particular interest is the understanding, control, and prediction of such properties as modulus, yield, and failure, and the influence variables such as time, temperature, and environment have on material performance. These parameters control all deformation properties and thus determine the process, testing, and end-use applications of a material.
Nisbet, Robert (1913–96)

Among well-known sociologists, Robert Nisbet was almost unique in considering himself a ‘conservative.’ He defined this orientation not in terms of conventional American partisan affiliation but as a sociological and anthropological perspective. Nisbet viewed human relations as requiring organic relations, which he assumed to be hierarchical and communally determined. Such relations seemed to Nisbet, natural and even beneficial; and his lifelong interest in nineteenth-century social theory and his efforts to locate organicist positions among social thinkers of the left, especially Emile Durkheim, can be attributed to an attempt to substantiate his understanding of basic human relations. Nisbet also significantly viewed contemporary America as departing rapidly and perhaps irreversibly from what he considered to be a good society. This concern pervades his studies of social theory; and it is possible to interpret his emphasis on the ‘conservative’ origins of sociology and his attack on leveling public administration from the 1950s onward as related reference points. Against the social disintegration and social engineering he already criticizes in his early work The Quest for Community, Nisbet poses his vision of personal authority and communal hierarchy. This vision is present in Nisbet's writings, from his early studies of French counterrevolutionary thinkers through his final assaults on America in the present age.
Parallelizing the Training of the Kinect Body Parts Labeling Algorithm

We present the parallelized implementation of decision forest training as used in Kinect to train the body parts classification system. We describe the practical details of dealing with large training sets and deep trees, and describe how to parallelize over multiple dimensions of the problem.
Learning to Operate an Excavator via Policy Optimization

Abstract This paper provides a case study for optimizing a deep neural network policy to control an excavator and perform bucket-leveling. The policy mimics human behavior, which traditional control algorithms find difficult because of the unstructured earthmoving environment and excavator system dynamics. The approach in this paper relies on integrating a proprietary simulator, Dynasty, with the OpenAI Gym framework. By exposing the simulation engine in a manner compatible with OpenAI Gym, we benchmarked several reinforcement learning algorithms against an excavator bucket-leveling control problem. The paper provides results for the experiment and discusses techniques to effectively find policies that converge on smooth machine operation.
Abstract WP312: Application of the e-NIHSS at a Tertiary Care Stroke Center: Experience and Results

Background and Purpose: Stroke is a time sensitive emergency with proper identification and rapid evaluation critical. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is used to quantify str...
Sphingosine Kinase 2 Phosphorylation of FTY720 is Unnecessary for Prevention of Light-Induced Retinal Damage

Mammalian Sphingosine kinase 2 is the primary enzyme responsible for phosphorylating FTY720 to its active form, FTY720-P. Systemic FTY720 treatment confers significant protection to murine retinas from light- and disease-mediated photoreceptor cell death. It is not clear whether FTY720-P, FTY720, or both are responsible for this photoreceptor protection. We investigated Sphingosine kinase 2 knockout (Sphk2 KO) mouse retinas, tested their sensitivity to light, and measured what degree of protection from light-induced damage they receive from systemic FTY720 treatment. Sphk2 KO retinas were found to be similar to their wild-type counterparts in sensitivity to light damage. Additionally, FTY720 treatment protected Sphk2 KO retinas from light-induced damage despite significant retardation of FTY720 phosphorylation in Sphk2 KO mice. We conclude that FTY720 serves an active role in preventing photoreceptor cell death. Furthermore, we conclude that the phosphorylation of FTY720 is not necessary to provide this protective effect.
Intraoperative radiotherapy in early-stage breast cancer: Multidiciplinary management and analysis of outcome.

e12036Background: The TARGIT-A trial investigated the efficacy of using single-dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in place of whole-breast external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for treati...
Numericware i: Identical in state matrix calculator

Herein we introduce software, Numericware i to compute a matrix consisting of all pairwise identical in state (IIS) coefficients from genotypic data. Since the emergence of high throughput technology for genotyping, calculating an IIS matrix between many pairs of entities has required large computer memory and lengthy processing times. Numericware i addresses these limitations with two algorithmic methods: multithreading and forward chopping. The multithreading feature allows computational routines to concurrently run on multiple CPU processors. The forward chopping addresses memory limitations by dividing the genotypic data into appropriately sized subsets. Numericware i allows researchers who need to estimate an IIS matrix for big genotypes to use typical laptop/desktop computers. For comparison with different software, we calculated genetic relationship matrices using Numericware i, SPAGeDi and TASSEL with the same small-sized data set. Numericware i measured kinship coefficients between zero and two, while the matrices from SPAGeDi and TASSEL produced different ranges of values, including negative values. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the matrices from Numericware i and TASSEL was high at 0.993, while SPAGeDi rarely showed correlation with Numericware i (0.088) and TASSEL (0.087). To compare the capacity with high dimensional data, we applied the three software to a simulated data set consisted of 500 entities by 1,000,000 SNPs. Numericware i spent 71 minutes using seven CPU cores on a laptop (DELL LATITUDE E6540), while SPAGeDi and TASSEL failed to start. Numericware i is freely available for Windows and Linux under CC-BY license at https://figshare.com/s/f100f33a8857131eb2db.
tRNA ligase structure reveals kinetic competition between non-conventional mRNA splicing and mRNA decay

Yeast tRNA ligase (Trl1) is an essential trifunctional enzyme that catalyzes exon-exon ligation during tRNA biogenesis and the non-conventional splicing of HAC1 mRNA during the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR regulates the protein folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER stress activates Ire1, an ER-resident kinase/RNase, which excises an intron from HAC1 mRNA followed by exon-exon ligation by Trl1. The spliced product encodes for a potent transcription factor that drives the UPR. Here we report the crystal structure of Trl1 RNA ligase domain from Chaetomium thermophilum at 1.9 A resolution. Structure-based mutational analyses uncovered kinetic competition between RNA ligation and degradation during HAC1 mRNA splicing. Incompletely processed HAC1 mRNA is degraded by Xrn1 and the Ski/exosome complex. We establish cleaved HAC1 mRNA as endogenous substrate for ribosome-associated quality control. We conclude that mRNA decay and surveillance mechanisms collaborate in achieving fidelity of non-conventional mRNA splicing during the UPR.
Desiccation and Thermal Resistance of Escherichia coli O121 in Wheat Flour

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infections have recently been associated with wheat flour on two separate accounts in the United States and Canada. However, there is little information regarding the thermal resistance and longevity of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli during storage in low-moisture environments. The objectives of this study were to determine the thermal inactivation kinetics of E. coli O121 in wheat flour and to compare the thermal inactivation rates with those of other pathogens. Wheat flour, inoculated with E. coli O121, was equilibrated at 25°C to a water activity of 0.45 in a humidity-controlled conditioning chamber. Inoculated samples were treated isothermally at 70, 75, and 80°C, and posttreatment population survivor ratios were determined by plate counting. D- and z-values calculated with a log-linear model, were compared with those obtained in other studies. At 70, 75, and 80°C, the D-values for E. coli O121 were 18.16 ± 0.96, 6.47 ± 0.50, and 4.58 ± 0.40 min, respectively, and the z-value was 14.57 ± 2.21°C. Overall, E. coli O121 was observed to be slightly less thermally resistant than what has been previously reported for Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 in wheat flour as measured under the same conditions with the same methods.
Learning Heuristics for Quantified Boolean Formulas through Deep Reinforcement Learning

We demonstrate how to learn efficient heuristics for automated reasoning algorithms for quantified Boolean formulas through deep reinforcement learning. We focus on a backtracking search algorithm, which can already solve formulas of impressive size - up to hundreds of thousands of variables. The main challenge is to find a representation of these formulas that lends itself to making predictions in a scalable way. For a family of challenging problems, we learned a heuristic that solves significantly more formulas compared to the existing handwritten heuristics.
Impact of an oncology clinical pharmacist specialist in an outpatient multiple myeloma clinic.

e14030Background: Improvements in cancer treatment, supportive care, and the approval of oral chemotherapy medications over the past decade have resulted in an increasing number of cancer patients ...
Phenotypic plasticity and the origins of novelty

Abstract A growing number of biologists have begun asking whether environmentally induced phenotypic change—phenotypic plasticity—precedes and facilitates the origin and subsequent fixation of novel, complex phenotypes. However, such plasticity-led evolution (PLE) remains controversial. Here, we begin with a summary of the PLE hypothesis and describe how its key criteria can be evaluated in natural (or experimental) systems. We then present a case study using this approach in spadefoot toad tadpoles. We close by describing phenotypic plasticity’s relevance to macroevolutionary change. As we describe, environmentally induced traits might be a potent force during the evolution of novelty, diversity, and adaptation.
Relative Weight Analysis of the Western Aphasia Battery

The Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) is one of the most widely used batteries for assessing people with aphasia. Despite longstanding use, it is unclear how the individual components of the battery co...
Adherence trajectories in oral therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia: Overview of a research protocol

Over a quarter of chemotherapy regimens now include oral agents. Individuals living with cancer are now responsible for administering this lifesaving therapy at home by taking every dose as prescribed. One type of oral chemotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), is the current recommended treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. This targeted therapy has markedly improved survival but comes with significant side effects and financial costs. In the study described in this protocol, the investigators seek to understand the dynamic nature of TKI adherence experienced by individuals diagnosed with CML. Using a mixed-method approach in this prospective observational study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, we seek to describe subjects' adherence trajectories over 1 year. We aim to characterize adherence trajectories in individuals taking TKIs using model-based cluster analysis. Next, we will determine how side effects and financial toxicity influence adherence trajectories. Then we will examine the influence of TKI adherence trajectories on disease outcomes. Additionally, we will explore the experience of patients taking TKIs by interviewing a subset of participants in different adherence trajectories. The projected sample includes 120 individuals taking TKIs who we will assess monthly for 12 months, measuring adherence with an objective measure (Medication Event Monitoring System). Identifying differential trajectories of adherence for TKIs is important for detecting subgroups at the highest risk of nonadherence and will support designing targeted interventions. Results from this study can potentially translate to other oral agents to improve care across different types of cancer.
Nanoheterogeneity of LiTFSI Solutions Transitions Close to a Surface and with Concentration.

Water-in-salt (WIS) electrolytes composed of 21 m LiTFSI have recently emerged as a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional organic electrolytes in Li-ion batteries. Several s...
Problematizing Perceptions of STEM Potential: Differences by Cognitive Disability Status in High School and Postsecondary Educational Outcomes:

The STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) potential of youth with cognitive disabilities is often dismissed through problematic perceptions of STEM ability as natural and of youth with cognitive disabilities as unable. National data on more than 15,000 adolescents from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 first suggest that, among youth with disabilities, youth with medicated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have the highest levels of STEM achievement, and youth with learning or intellectual disabilities typically have the lowest. Undergraduates with medicated ADHD or autism appear to be more likely to major in STEM than youth without cognitive disabilities, and youth with autism have the most positive STEM attitudes. Finally, results suggest that high school STEM achievement is more salient for college enrollment than STEM-positive attitudes across youth with most disability types, whereas attitudes are more salient than achievement for choosing a STEM major.
Symptomatic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Symptomatic thoracic aortic aneurysms are a clinical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis, focused investigation and early treatment. Aneurysmal disease is normally silent. When symptoms occur, they are well recognized as a risk factor for acute aortic event such of rapid expansion, rupture or dissection. Management strategy is based on medical temporization, symptom relief and expedient open surgical and/or endovascular correction. The great physician Sir William Osler observed, “there is no condition more conductive to clinical humility than aneurysm of the aorta.” Although progress has been made since Osler’s observation regarding the challenge posed by aortic disease, the statement remains true to this day.
Institutions and Economic Performance: An Introduction to the Literature

This essay serves as the introduction to a collection of critical writings on the relationship between institutions and economic performance. The essay not only provides an overview of the field but also explores some of the thorny questions surrounding the definition and measurement of institutions.
Retinoids and their receptors in differentiation, embryogenesis, and neoplasia.

The crucial role of retinoids in controlling differentiation processes has become evident from studies conducted in a variety of in vivo and in vitro systems. Most striking is the role of retinoic acid as a morphogenic substance in vertebrate limb development, but equally important is its role in the maintenance of epithelial integrity in most superficial linings of the body. The similarity of the mode of action of retinoids to that of the steroid and thyroid hormones has recently been demonstrated with the discovery of the nuclear receptors for retinoic acid, which belong to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. These receptors act as transcriptional activators by binding as heterodimers to specific nucleotide sequences in the response elements of target genes. Response elements for retinoic acid have so far been identified for the rat growth hormone and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, the mouse complement H and laminin B1, the human and mouse retinoic acid receptor beta, the human osteoca...
A quantum approach to condensed matter physics

This textbook is an accessible introduction to the theory underlying the many fascinating properties of solids. Assuming only an elementary knowledge of quantum mechanics, it describes the methods by which one can perform calculations and make predictions of some of the many complex phenomena that occur in solids and quantum liquids. The emphasis is on reaching important results by direct and intuitive methods, and avoiding unnecessary mathematical complexity. Designed as a self-contained text that starts at an elementary level and proceeds to more advanced topics, this book is aimed primarily at advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. Problem sets are included at the end of each chapter, with solutions available to lecturers. The coverage of some of fascinating developments in condensed matter physics will also appeal to experienced scientists in industry and academia working on electrical properties of materials.
Resistance to Small Molecule Inhibitors of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Malignant Gliomas

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) is commonly amplified and/or mutated in high-grade gliomas. Abnormal signaling from this receptor tyrosine kinase is believed to contribute to the malignant phenotypes seen in these tumors. Highly specific small molecule inhibitors of this receptor tyrosine kinase have been developed and may potentially improve the treatment of these highly aggressive brain tumors. A glioma cell line overexpressing EGFR was developed to mimic the situation of a malignant glioma with amplified EGFR, and this line was used to characterize the response to specific EGFR inhibitors. Treatment of our in vitro glioma model with the EGFR kinase inhibitors ZD1839 (Iressa) or PD153035, synthetic anilinoquinazolines with high specificity for EGFR, resulted in significant suppression of EGFR autophosphorylation even with very low levels of drug. However, significantly higher levels of drug were required to fully inhibit signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Interestingly, not all downstream signaling pathways displayed this resistance to inhibition. EGF-dependent activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription-3 occurred at low doses of EGFR inhibitors. The uncoupling of EGFR autophosphorylation and signaling through AKT and ERK was not dependent on EGFR overexpression. In addition, although this response was seen in other glioma and the SK-BR3 breast cancer cell lines, it was not universally present. The SQ20B head and neck squamous carcinoma cell line demonstrated loss of EGF-dependent AKT and ERK activation even at low doses of inhibitor. Despite significant loss of EGF-dependent autophosphorylation, the inability of low levels of EGFR inhibitor to suppress some downstream signaling pathways in our model glioma cell line permitted continued EGF-responsive decreases in the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27KIP and EGF-dependent proliferation/cell cycle progression. Although the mechanism responsible for the differential sensitivity of the various signal transduction pathways to EGFR inhibitors remains unclear, signaling through erbB2 does not appear to be involved. The ability of certain tumor cells to maintain signaling through AKT and ERK under EGFR inhibition may represent a potential mechanism of resistance by which a tumor cell may escape the antiproliferative activity of this new class of drugs.
The Arizona IDMatcher: developing an identity matching tool for law enforcement

Identity resolution is central to fighting crime and terrorism. Identity information can be unreliable due to intentional deception or data entry errors. In this poster we propose to develop an efficient open-source entity-matching and identity resolution tool for law enforcement, based on a probabilistic matching technique that requires little or no human intervention in the matching process. Compared to the IBM Identity Resolution, the Arizona IDMatcher achieved better recall and overall F-measure ratings on two real-world datasets.
What Is Expressive Theory

Expressive theory has been sketched in sections 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 of chapter 4 dealing with (oni)ontology of performance. We have seen that expression splits into semantics and rhetorics: What is expressed, and how this is performed. Performance theory as it stands now partitions this complex of expressivity into three big themes: emotion, gesture, and analysis. These refer not to the rhetoric aspect, but to the variety of contents that are transferred to the audience, i.e. to the two axes of realities and embodiments on which these contents are distributed.
Social and environmental enrichment enhances sensitivity to the effects of kappa opioids: studies on antinociception, diuresis and conditioned place preference

Previous studies have reported that social and environmental enrichment can have a marked impact on the functional maturation of the central nervous system and may influence an organism's sensitivity to psychotropic drugs. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of social and environmental enrichment on sensitivity to drugs possessing activity at the kappa opioid receptor. Rats were obtained at weaning and randomly assigned to one of two housing conditions: isolated rats were housed individually with no visual or tactile contact with other rats; enriched rats were housed in groups of four in large cages and given various novel objects on a regular basis. After 7 weeks under these conditions, the effects of spiradoline, U69,593 and nalorphine were examined in the warm water, tail-withdrawal procedure. The effects of spiradoline were also examined on urine output and in the conditioned place preference procedure. Enriched rats were more sensitive to the antinociceptive effects of all the opioids examined in the tail-withdrawal procedure, and were more sensitive to the effects of spiradoline on urine output and in the conditioned place preference procedure. Following the conclusion of these tests, housing conditions were reassigned, such that isolated rats were transferred to enrichment cages, and enriched rats were transferred to isolation cages. After 7 weeks under these new conditions, the two groups were equally sensitive to the antinociceptive effects of spiradoline, indicating that the effects of the initial housing conditions were, in part, reversible. Collectively, these data suggest that enriched rats are more sensitive than isolated rats to the effects of kappa opioids, and that the kappa opioid receptor system is sensitive to social and environmental manipulations after weaning.
Biological Assay of Thyroprotein

Summary A new method for the biological assay of thyroidal substances based upon the determination of the thyroxine secretion rate (TSR) of rats is suggested. The mean TSR of a group of rats is first determined by thyroxine replacement. Thyroprotein is then injected subcutaneously in amount sufficient to block thyroidal-I 131 release in the individual rats. Biological estimation of thyroidal activity in five samples of thyroprotein indicated that samples contained 42, 27, 45, 31, and 53% more activity than chemical estimation of 1% thyroxine. It was suggested that the increased biological activity might be due to slower absorption of thyroxine from the injection site or to the presence of significant amounts of triiodothyronine in thyroprotein.
Hepatitis C in 1994.

Since the discovery of hepatitis C in 1989 its role in the development of acute and chronic liver disease has been carefully evaluated. Hepatitis C has a mean incubation period of between 6 and 8 weeks. It is often indolent and asymptomatic. Interferon may be helpful in chronically infected patients. After 6 months of therapy approximately 40-50% enter remission. Relapses are common however, up to 80% within 6 months. Effective long-term treatment has not yet been established.
The role of hydrogen on the diamond C(111)−(2 × 1) reconstruction

Abstract The correlation between hydrogen adatom coverage and the diamond C(111)-(1 × 1) to (2 × 1) structural phase transition has been investigated with electron-stimulated desorption time-of-flight (ESD-TOF) mass spectrometry and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). In addition, electron-stimulated desorption ion angular distributions (ESDIAD) have been recorded to investigate C-H bonding on the hydrogen-terminated (1 × 1) surface. The H+ desorption angular distribution is found to be strongly peaked along the surface normal, consistent with H termination of carbon dangling bonds oriented along the normal. A sequence of thermal annealing treatments induced the reconstruction of the (1 × 1) surface to the (2 × 1) surface. The emergence of half-order diffraction beams occurred only after heating to 1275 K; at this temperature a fivefold decrease in the H+ ESD signal intensity was also observed. Further annealing produced a sharpening and a doubling of the half-order spot intensities but only a slight further decrease in the H+ ESD signal intensity. When compared to model calculations, these measurements indicate that hydrogen loss from the surface is necessary but not sufficient to induce the formation of the ordered (2 × 1) structure: annealing after hydrogen desorption is required for the complete reconstruction.
Visibility and vernier acuity for separated targets

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of the putative “spatial filter” and “local sign” mechanisms in determining line vernier thresholds for a range of target separations, using stimulus contrast or visibility as a tool. In Expt 1, the effects of varying target contrast and exposure duration on vernier thresholds for lines separated by 90 min arc, where the reference line was fixated, were measured. Contrast thresholds for the nonfixated test Une were also measured, so that the role of its visibility in limiting vernier thresholds could be assessed. Vernier thresholds decreased almost proportionally with increasing contrast only until the visibility of the test line reached about 3 times the contrast detection threshold, regardless of exposure duration. At higher visibility levels, vernier thresholds were virtually independent of target contrast. In Expt 2, the effects of varying target contrast on vernier thresholds for a range of target separations (2–90 min arc) were measured using a 250 msec exposure duration. Vernier thresholds for abutting lines and for those separated by 2 min arc, decreased with target contrast until about 30 times the test line's contrast detection threshold. However for lines separated by 4 min arc or more, they were only weakly dependent on target contrast at much lower visibility levels. We propose that for very close separations vernier thresholds are limited by the contrast response properties of spatial filters. For separations of 4 min arc or more, thresholds appear to be limited by the positional uncertainty of the test line, which increases with eccentricity.
Real-time maximum value determination on an easily testable VLSI architecture

An algorithm is presented for determining the maximum value of n numerical elements on a VLSI architecture. The computational complexity of this algorithm does not depend on the number of elements, so that it is suitable for real-time applications. The architecture is easily testable, and a simple scheme for the generation of its test vectors is provided. >
Dependence of rat and rabbit photoreceptor potentials upon anaerobic and aerobic metabolism in vitro.

Abstract The relative contributions of anaerobic and aerobic pathways of glucose metabolism to the generation of the a-wave (photoreceptor potential) were investigated by determining the effects of anoxia on this potential in isolated rat and rabbit retinas incubated in the presence and absence of calcium under identical conditions. The results show that anaerobic mechanisms play an important role in the maintenance of electric activity in the photoreceptor cell of the rat while aerobic mechanisms are essential for the preservation of the rabbit photoreceptor potential. Aerobic mechanisms are also essential for the increase in the amplitude of the rat photoreceptor potential in calcium-free medium.
Role-Based access control consistency validation

Modern enterprise systems support Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Although RBAC allows restricting access to privileged operations, a deployer may actually intend to restrict access to privileged data. This paper presents a theoretical foundation for correlating an operation-based RBAC policy with a data-based RBAC policy. Relying on a location consistency property, this paper shows how to infer whether an operation-based RBAC policy is equivalent to any databased RBAC policy. We have built a static analysis tool for Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) called Static Analysis for Validation of Enterprise Security (SAVES). Relying on interprocedural pointer analysis and dataflow analysis, SAVES analyzes Java EE bytecode to determine if the associated RBAC policy is location consistent, and reports potential security flaws where location consistency does not hold. The experimental results obtained by using SAVES on a number of production-level Java EE codes have identified several security flaws with no false positive reports.
Using ESR spectroscopy to study radical intermediates in proton-exchange membranes exposed to oxygen radicals

Direct ESR and spin-trapping experiments were used to study the behavior of Nafion, a perfluorinated ionomer membrane used in fuel cells, when exposed in the laboratory to oxygen radicals produced by Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions. DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyroline) was used as the spin trap. The results suggest that the two ESR methods provide complementary information on Nafion fragmentation. The presence of membrane-derived fragments was suggested indirectly by the presence of a broad signal (line width ≈ 84 G) after prolonged exposure of the membrane to the Fenton reagent based on Ti(III), and by the DMPO adduct of a carbon-centered radical in the spin-trapping experiments. The most convincing proof for the presence of perfluorinated radicals was obtained in Nafion membranes partially neutralized by Cu(II), Fe(II) and Fe(III) upon exposure to UV-irradiation in the presence or absence of H2O2 (photo-Fenton treatment). Identification of the chain-end radical RCF2CF 2 • with magnetic parameters different to those determined for the chain-end detected in γ-irradiated Teflon, was taken as evidence for the attack of reactive oxygen radicals on the side-chain of the membrane. Additional support for this suggestion was the detection of the “quartet” ESR signal assigned to the CF3C•O radical, and of the “quintet” ESR signal assigned to the radical centered at the intersection of the main and side chains. The limitations and advantages of each approach are discussed.
Mechanisms of neuronal growth cone guidance: an historical perspective.

At the distal most aspect of motile extending axons and dendrites lies the growth cone, a hand like macroorganelle of membrane bound cytoskeleton, packed with receptors, adhesion molecules, molecular motors, and an army of regulatory and signaling proteins. Splayed out along the substratum in vitro, the growth cone resembles an open hand with bundles of filamentous actin, barbed ends outstretched, as if fingers extending from a central domain of dynamic microtubule plus ends. The growth cone acts first as a sensory platform, analyzing the environment ahead for the presence of guidance cues, secondly as a mechanical dynamo establishing focal contact with the extracellular matrix to drive processive forward outgrowth, and thirdly as a forward biochemical command center where signals are interrogated to inform turning, extension, retraction, or branching. During his career, Paul Letourneau has made major contributions to our understanding of how growth cones respond to their environment. Here, we will summarize some of these major advances in their historical context. Letourneau's contributions have provided insights into cytoskeletal organization, growth cone dynamics, and signaling pathways. His recent work has described some important molecules and molecular mechanisms involved in growth cone turning. Although much remains to be understood about this important and intriguing structure, Letourneau's contributions have provided us with “growth cone guidance.” © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2011
Popular Music and Historiography

A study of the proliferation, institutionalization and legitimization of the study of popular music over the past several decades.
Capsule commentary on Zhang et al., Race/ethnicity, disability, and medication adherence among medicare beneficiaries with heart failure.

In an analysis of Medicare patients with heart failure, Zhang and Baik found strong racial differences in adherence to medical treatment.1 Native American, black, and Hispanic patients were the least likely to be adherent to common heart failure medications [beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, or diuretics], followed by Asian and then white patients. The same pattern was seen for disabled patients, with adherence rates lower for all groups. While white patients were the most adherent, the absolute values were still concerning as only 63 % were adherent (defined as having enough medications to cover 75 % of days). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data were not available; among those with a high LVEF, discontinuation of these medications would not be expected to impact survival. Moreover, regardless of the LVEF, the need for diuretics may wax and wane. However, even though some of the discontinuation may be appropriate, it is highly likely that much of the non-adherence occurred at the patient’s discretion and may involve lack of adherence with medications known to prolong survival. The low rate for black patients is of particular concern since prior studies of hospitalized patients have found that they are more likely to have a lower LVEF than whites2,3 and thus are more likely to benefit from therapy. There are several implications for the practicing provider. The authors recommend providers be particularly sensitive to medication use by disabled and non-white patients. However, attention to barriers to medication use for all patients is needed given the magnitude of non-adherence seen for all groups. Medication reviews are time-consuming and difficult to complete during a typical clinic visit. Fortunately, several electronic medical record systems can now provide up-to-date medication possession ratios for each of a patient’s medications. One can envision future automated systems where a letter is sent or other contact made with a potentially non-adherent patient to determine barriers to care. As the authors note, reducing medication costs will not eliminate the adherence problem. In many cases an individualized intervention will be needed that considers medical knowledge, attitudes toward medical care and preferences for length versus quality of life.
Theory of Explosions in Anisotropic Media

Vast deposits of oil shale in the western United States could be exploited to solve our energy problem if an economical means of processing it were available. One of the most promising approaches is the modified in-situ method, in which a portion of the oil shale is mined out, and a large bed of rubble is prepared with explosives. Then, combustion supported by forced air causes the organic matter to separate from the rock. A portion of it supports the flame, and the remainder flows to the bottom of the retort, whence it is pumped out.
The role of fantasy figures in the regulation of young children's behavior: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and donations

Abstract The present study examined the influence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny on children's donations near the Easter season. Kindergarten and first-grade children were asked to tell stories about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or pets, for which they received nine pieces of gum. They were then encouraged to donate any amount of their gum to handicapped children. Main effects were found only for grade, with first-grade children donating significantly more than kindergarten children. In addition, a significant interaction was obtained between grade and type of story elicited from the child. This interaction revealed that for kindergarten children, the type of story failed to influence donations, whereas for first-grade children, stories referring to Santa Claus increased donations relative to stories told about the Easter Bunny or pets.