cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visibility Graph Based Community Detection for Biological Time Series

Motivation: Temporal behavior is an essential aspect of all biological systems. Time series have been previously represented as networks. Such representations must address two fundamental problems: (i) How to create the appropriate network to reflect the characteristics of biological time series. (ii) How to detect characteristic temporal patterns or events as network communities. General methods to detect communities have used metrics to compare the connectivity within a community to the connectivity one would expect in a random model, or assumed a known number of communities, or are based on the betweenness centrality of edges or nodes. However, such methods were not specifically designed for network representations of time series. We introduce a visibility-graph-based method to build networks from different kinds of biological time series and detect temporal communities within these networks. Results: To characterize the uneven sampling of typical experimentally obtained biological time series, and simultaneously capture events associated to peaks and troughs, we introduce the Weighted Dual- Perspective Visibility Graph (WDPVG) for time series. To detect communities, we first find the shortest path of the network between start and end nodes to identify nodes which have high intensities. This identifies the main stem of our community detection algorithm. Then, we aggregate nodes outside the shortest path to the nodes found on the main stem based on the closest path length. Through simulation, we demonstrate the validity of our method in detecting community structures on various networks derived from simulated time series. We also confirm its effectiveness in revealing temporal communities in experimental biological time series. Our results suggest our method of visibility graph based community detection can be effective in detecting temporal biological patterns. Availability: The methods of building WDPVG and visibility graph based community detection are available as a module of the open source Python package PyIOmica (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3691912) with documentation at https://pyiomica.readthedocs.io/en/latest/. The dataset and codes we used in this manuscript are publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3693984.
Europe in Mid-Life Crisis

Europe today is not the only geopolitical area in transition. All the major global powers—Europe, China, Russia, and the United States—are navigating through domestic crises. But contrary to conventional wisdom, aside from its damaging austerity economics, Europe may be leading the way to a new model of political development. Call it "union that respects differences," says the author. Thus the leading geopolitical areas need to work together to solve their problems but allow breathing room for deep differences.
Revenue sharing in edge-cloud systems: A Game-theoretic perspective

Abstract We explore the design of revenue sharing mechanisms for an Edge-Cloud computing system from a game-theoretic perspective. Different from traditional cloud computing, the providers in an Edge-Cloud system are independent and self-interested. The system adopts a task distribution mechanism to maximize the total revenue received from clients and employs a revenue sharing mechanism to split the received revenue among service providers. Under system-level mechanisms, service providers game with the system in order to maximize their own utilities by strategically allocating their resources. We introduce a game-theoretic framework to model the competition among the service providers as a non-cooperative game. We show the existence of Nash equilibrium in the game theoretically and experimentally. We find that at Nash equilibria, the revenue sharing design based directly on actual contributions of service providers results in significantly worse system-level performance than revenue sharing mechanisms based on marginal contributions. We find that the reason for this seemingly counter-intuitive result is that revenue sharing mechanisms based on marginal contributions discourage providers with less powerful resources from contributing resources to the system at equilibrium state. Our framework offers an economics approach to the understanding of Edge-Cloud systems and provides fundamental insights into their revenue sharing design.
Long-term dynamics of loblolly pine crown structure and aboveground net primary production as affected by site quality, planting density and cultural intensity

Abstract Crown attributes respond readily to silvicultural manipulations and mediate many aspects of stand structure, consequently they dynamically influence stand production. Numerous studies reported crown structure responses to intensive cultures or stand density and the relation between foliage quantity and growth efficiency at early stages of stand development. Long-term temporal patterns of crown structure and its relation to growth have been much less studied. With long-term remeasurement data from two loblolly pine culture-by-density studies, the roles of planting density, cultural intensity and site quality on crown structure, stand aboveground net primary production (ANPP), and growth efficiency were investigated using ANCOVA and linear mixed-effects modeling approaches. Using data from 480 destructively sampled trees, the Dirichlet regression modeling approach was used to analyze foliage and crown biomass allocations among the lower-, middle- and upper-third crown sections. Stands under different cultural intensities showed different temporal patterns of foliage biomass. Increased planting density or higher site quality enhanced wood production of loblolly pine. ANPP generally increased with increasing site quality, due to increased stand foliage biomass in the early stage of stand development, and mainly due to increased growth efficiency in the late stages of stand development. More intensive cultural treatments increased foliage biomass, thus increased ANPP at early ages; thereafter cultural intensity did not affect foliage biomass, ANPP, and growth efficiency. The trend of early age increases in both foliage biomass and ANPP resulting from increased planting density did not hold true with stand development. After correcting for the effects of tree size and dominance, cultural intensity still altered the vertical distribution of foliage biomass. More intensive culture resulted in an upward shift of foliage biomass.
Abstract B014: Differences in the impact of marital status on risk of suicide among cancer survivors based on cancer sites

Introduction: Suicide is a threat to cancer survivorship, and a known non-cancer competing cause of death among cancer survivors. In fact, the risk of suicide among cancer survivors is more than double that of the general population, depending on the cancer site. While several factors like age, gender, race, and cancer site are associated with suicide, studies on the potential impact of marriage, a marker for social support, on the risk of suicide among cancer survivors have been inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the impact of marital status on the risk of suicide, and to determine whether there are differences in the effect of marital status on suicide risk based on cancer sites. Methods: Patients with head and neck (n=162,701), pancreatic (n=127,831), stomach (n=80,839), and lung/bronchus cancer (n=605,274) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 database diagnosed from 2007-2015 were included (total n=976,645). These cancer sites were selected as they have the highest suicide rates of all cancers. Competing risks proportional hazards models estimated the association between marital status and death from suicide for each of the four cancer sites while controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. These models yielded adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The patient cohort was mostly male (57%), non-Hispanic white (74%), married/partnered (51%), and had a mean age of 67 years. For stomach cancer, marital status was not associated with death from suicide. For pancreatic, lung, and HNC, divorced/separated patients were more likely to commit suicide than married/partnered patients (aHR range 1.59-2.92). For lung (aHR=1.47, 95% CI 1.14, 1.92) and HNC (aHR=1.31, 95% CI 1.01, 1.70), never-married patients were more likely to commit suicide than married/partnered patients. Conclusions: Being married was protective against suicide among the cancer survivors in our study, except for stomach cancer survivors. However, the effect of marital status on suicide risk was greater among head and neck cancer survivors than lung, pancreatic, and stomach cancer survivors. It is critical that survivors receive as much support as possible to mitigate suicide risks. Citation Format: Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Matthew C. Simpson, Eric Adjei Boakye. Differences in the impact of marital status on risk of suicide among cancer survivors based on cancer sites [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B014.
Portfolio Optimization on Multivariate Regime Switching GARCH Model with Normal Tempered Stable Innovation

We propose a Markov regime switching GARCH model with multivariate normal tempered stable innovation to accommodate fat tails and other stylized facts in returns of financial assets. The model is used to simulate sample paths as input for portfolio optimization with risk measures, namely, conditional value at risk and conditional drawdown. The motivation is to have a portfolio that avoids left tail events by combining models that incorporates fat tail with optimization that focuses on tail risk. In-sample test is conducted to demonstrate goodness of fit. Out-of-sample test shows that our approach yields higher performance measured by Sharpe-like ratios than the market and equally weighted portfolio in recent years which includes some of the most volatile periods in history. We also find that suboptimal portfolios with higher return constraints tend to outperform optimal portfolios.
Gender gaps in National Institutes of Health dermatology grant recipients.

Abstract Background Understanding the demographics and scholarly merit among National Institutes of Health (NIH) award recipients can help guide future applicants in the field of dermatology. Objective Herein, we aimed to explore gender gaps in NIH award recipient demographics and scholarly merits for dermatology-related projects. Methods Projects funded by the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases between 2015 and 2019 related to dermatology were extracted using the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools database. The number of publications and h-index of each award recipient were collected using the Scopus database. The 2019 Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research report was used to determine the top 20 NIH-funded dermatology departments/divisions. Results Between 2015 and 2019, there were 35.1% more unique male than unique female recipients. Award recipients had an average of 116.7 total publications and an average h-index of 37.1. However, men also had more than half as many publications and a >37% higher average h-index. Gender gaps in research merit, as well as number and type of awards, are reduced among recipients affiliated with a top 20 NIH-funded institution. Conclusion A higher number of awards were granted to male recipients. Men had a higher mean publication number and h-index compared with their female counterparts. Increased support, resources, and mentorship opportunities to women in research may help mitigate these gaps.
על משאבים מוגבלים, סיכויי שרידות והפליה: מדוע יש לדחות את נייר העמדה לתיעדוף חולים קשים בתקופת מגפת הקורונה Covid-19 in Israel: Why the Proposed Guidelines for Rationing Scarce Medical Resources Must be Denied

תקציר בעברית: כיצד יש להקצות משאבי רפואה מצילי חיים במצב שבו אין די משאבים לטיפול בכל החולים הזקוקים לכך? התפרצותה של מגפת הקורונה בישראל עוררה חשש ממשי שבתי החולים ייאלצו להתמודד עם השאלה הזו בזמן אמת. במטרה לגבש מדיניות ארצית אחידה בנושא זה, מינה משרד הבריאות את "הוועדה הציבורית לתיעדוף חולים קשים בתקופת מגפת הקורונה", וזו פרסמה נייר עמדה הכולל המלצות לתיעדוף במקרה של מחסור במשאבי רפואת חירום. הקריטריון המנחה לתיעדוף, כפי שהוצע בנייר העמדה, הוא "סיכויי השרידות". לפי קריטריון זה, חולים שסיכוייהם להחלים גבוהים יזכו לעדיפות על פני חולים שסיכויי השרידות שלהם נמוכים. מאמר זה מציע ניתוח של נייר העמדה מפרספקטיבה של דיני מוגבלות. הטענה העיקרית המוצגת במאמר היא שקריטריון סיכויי השרידות, וחלק מהמדדים שנבחרו לצורך יישומו, מעוררים חשש ממשי לפגיעה בזכותם של אנשים עם מוגבלות לחיים ולשוויון. במסגרת זו, נטען במאמר כי המדדים שנבחרו ליישומו של קריטריון סיכויי השרידות עלולים להביא לכך שאנשים עם מוגבלות ידורגו בעדיפות נמוכה לקבלת טיפול מציל חיים, גם אם סיכויי השרידות שלהם גבוהים יותר משל אחרים. טענה נוספת היא כי קריטריון סיכויי השרידות, כשלעצמו, אינו ניטרלי כפי שהוא נחזה להיות, וכי הוא עלול להוביל להנצחתן של תפיסות חברתיות שגויות ושל מציאות בלתי שוויונית כלפי אנשים עם מוגבלות. המאמר נחתם בהצעות חלופיות אחדות, שביכולתן להפיג, ולכל הפחות לרכך, את החששות שמעורר המודל שהוצע בנייר העמדה.
First Reported Case of Invasive Cutaneous Penicillium cluniae Infection in a Patient With Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Certain Penicillium species are emerging opportunistic pathogens. While these can be common causes of airborne contamination of clinical cultures, an increasing number of reports describe clinically significant disease in the immunocompromised population, particularly in patients with hematologic malignancy. The typical site of infection is respiratory, but disseminated infection is also reported with some frequency. Therefore, culture growth of Penicillium in respiratory and other clinical samples from immunocompromised patients requires thorough investigation with clinical correlation. Here we report a case of angioinvasive Penicillium cluniae infection of the right shin in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia and review reported cases of invasive Penicillium infection (excluding Talaromyces marneffei) in hematologic malignancy patients to characterize the emerging pathogen in this vulnerable population.
Demographic change, segregation, and the emergence of peripheral spaces in St. Louis, Missouri

Abstract St. Louis, Missouri, is a case study in America's long legacy of racism and a prominent example of a “shrinking city.” This paper expands the notions of “core” and “periphery” using the highly segregated city and its suburbs to include not just economic exploitation but also racial exploitation. Using historical and contemporary census data and spatial data delineating the boundaries of Home Owner Loan Corporation grades (i.e., “redlining” maps), this paper examines the relationship between historical racism, contemporary segregation, and economic consequences. I find that St. Louis's peripheral areas expanded over the twentieth century, first in the city and then in the county, creating dual zones of exploitation where poverty, segregation, and income inequality remain persistently higher. These findings identify the historical roots of contemporary segregation, and suggest that addressing the long term consequences of both racial and economic exploitation in peripheral spaces remains critical for improving African American families' life chances.
Gas-phase ion-molecule interactions in a collision reaction cell with triple quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Investigations with N2O as the reaction gas

Abstract Nitrous oxide (N2O) was used as a reaction gas to investigate the gas-phase ion-molecule interactions using the Agilent 8900 QQQ-ICP-MS. A multi-element standard containing 45 elements, from Be to Pb, was used for the measurement of ions with QQQ-ICP-MS in the presence and absence of N2O. The main product ion species observed were oxides and nitrides. Comparison of the N2O reaction results with similar measurements conducted with O2 revealed that N2O was more effective at forming oxides in general: The cations Cd+ and Pb+ were shown to produce oxides with N2O where the reaction did not occur with O2. Nitrous oxide was also shown to produce a significant amount of nitride species in a few cases. The general reactivity was shown to be consistent with density functional theory (DFT)-predicted reaction enthalpies, such that all predicted exothermic reactions produced product ions at levels at least 1% of the unreacted ion. Our results show that reaction enthalpy is a reasonable predictor of reactivity with N2O on the timescales of the interactions in non-thermal ICP-MS/MS systems. Our work demonstrates the utility of two relatively new platforms (commercial elemental ICP-MS/MS and EMSL Arrows interface to the NWChem program suite), which allows for the study of a large number of elements within a short period. While DFT with the basis sets utilized here is not the most accurate computational method, it is also not computationally expensive and is shown to be suitable for predicting gas phase reactivity in the QQQ-ICP-MS for the majority of ions studied. The ease and rapidity of data collection and DFT calculations has the potential to be very impactful for the identification of targeted reaction chemistries to be leveraged for analytical method development, such as for the inline separation of isobaric interferences from analytes of interest.
Chapter 36 – Unnamed blood group collection

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the terminology, history, occurrence, expression, and clinical significance of Lec antigen and Led antigen. The molecular basis associated with Lec antigen and Led antigen is also presented in the chapter.
The Chosen Place, The Timeless People: Race, Colonial Power and The Absence of Sisterhood

L'A. examine le developpement historique et socio-economique des Caraibes dans le roman de Paule Marshall : The Chosen Place, The Timeless People (publie en 1963), a travers la relation de deux femmes, l'une noire, l'autre blanche, dont les destins et l'heritage sont lies a l'histoire particuliere des relations de genre caracteristiques de l'esclavage et de la vie sur les plantations. Marshall fait preuve d'une connaissance profonde de la culture des Caraibes et de l'Amerique ; son roman met en relation l'experience historique des Caraibes a l'ideologie raciste du Sud americain et a l'esprit d'entreprise du Nord, qui a profite directement de la traite des esclaves. A travers la confrontation des deux femmes, le recit de Marshall montre la dichotomie de race et de classe qui caracterise les interventions etrangeres aux Caraibes et les relations qui en resultent entre femmes etrangeres (blanches) et noires ou mulâtres.
Concurrent Expression Of MYC/BCL2 Protein In Newly Diagnosed DLBCL Is Not Associated With An Inferior Survival Following EPOCH-R Therapy

Background While several studies have now demonstrated that patients with MYC-rearranged DLBCL have a worse outcome following treatment with CHOP -with or without rituximab - recent reports suggest that concurrent expression of MYC and BCL2 protein by immunohistochemistry (IHC), independent of a MYC rearrangement, is associated with an inferior clinical outcome following R-CHOP (Johnson et al. JCO 2012 Oct 1; 30 (28): 3452-9). We previously reported that DLBCL patients with a MYC rearrangement have a similar outcome to MYC negative cases (4 year EFS of 83% versus 76% respectively: p=0.46) following dose-adjusted (DA)-EPOCH-R (Dunleavy et al. Ann Oncol 2011 (22) Suppl 4 # 71). Methods To assess the prognostic role of MYC and BCL2 protein expression, we performed immunohistochemistry for MYC and BCL2 in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL who received DA-EPOCH-R or short-course (SC)-EPOCH-RR (if HIV infected). Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) cases were excluded as they have a different biology. Tumors were scored positive for MYC if ≥ 40% of cells stained positive. For BCL2, the staining intensity was compared with that in control T cells present in the tumor samples – tumor cells were considered positive if they stained the same or more intensely than T cells. We used the Hans algorithm, as previously described, to predict cell of origin as germinal center B-cell like (GCB) or non-GCB type and correlated this with outcome. Results Of 66 patients enrolled on study, characteristics were median (range) age: 48 (18-76) years; male sex 47 (71%); IPI score low versus intermediate/high 18 (27%) versus 48 (73%); HIV positive 22 (33%). IHC was positive for MYC in 28/48 (58%) cases and positive for BCL2 in 24/51 (47%). 36/51 (71%) and 15/51 (29%) of cases were of GCB and non-GCB origin respectively. At a median follow-up time of greater than 10 years, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 67.5% and 75% for all patients. We compared survival in the 4 groups: MYC+/BCL2+, MYC+/BCL2-, MYC-/BCL2+ and MYC-/BCL2-. PFS and OS were not significantly inferior in any group (global p value=0.5 (PFS) and 0.8 (OS)). Cell of origin did however predict outcome and at 10 years follow-up, PFS was 78% (GCB) versus 43% (non-GCB) (p=0.016) and OS 80% (GCB) versus 65% (non-GCB) (p=0.24). There was a significant association between MYC+/BCL2+ cases and non-GCB subtype (p=0.01) but as 42% were of GCB origin, MYC+/BCL2+ status alone did not predict a poor outcome. Conclusions In DLBCL patients treated with DA-EPOCH-R and SC-EPOCH-RR, concurrent expression of MYC and BCL2 protein did not correspond with a worse clinical outcome. However, cell of origin (GCB versus non-GCB) was predictive of outcome. MYC+/BCL2+ cases segregate with the non-GCB subtype. The overall survival of PMBL cases was 97% at 5 years follow-up. We are currently prospectively studying the DA-EPOCH-R regimen in MYC-rearranged DLBCL in a multicenter study (NCT01092182). Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Cyclophanes—VII : Conformations of [2.2](2,5)furanoparacyclophane,[2.2](2,5)furano(1,4)naphthalenophane and [2.2](2,5)furano(9,10)anthracenophane. perpendicularity of aromatic moieties

Abstract Variable temperature NMR spectroscopy was used to study the conformational behavior of [2.2](2,5)furanoparacyclophane (1), [2.2](2,5)furano(1,4)naphthalenophane (2) and [2.2](2,5)furano(9,10)anthracenophane (3). While the method was useful in studying 1, it was not adequate for 2 and 3. Variable temperature UV absorption and fluorescence emission studies provided information on the conformations of 2 and 3. The UV absorption and emission spectra of 1 were blue-shifted relative to their ambient temperature spectra. Those of 2 were not shifted at all and those for 3 were red-shifted. The data is consistent with an anti-orientation of the aromatic rings in 2 both at ambient and low temperture. The aromatic rings in 3 are perpendicular to one another at low temperature and probably at room temperature as well. Exiplex bands were absent in the room temperature emission spectra of 1, 2 and 3 as well as the low temperature spectra of 2 and 3. An exciplex band was observed in the low temperature emission spectrum of 1.
Sentence Comprehension, Linguistic Complexity in

The process of comprehending a sentence involves the moment-by-moment evaluation of a variety of informational and computational constraints. The combination of these constraints makes a sentence easy or difficult to process. Keywords: sentence comprehension; parsing; lexical constraints; resource constraints; locality; modularity
Protein Mis-Termination Initiates Genetic Diseases, Cancers, and Restricts Bacterial Genome Expansion

Protein termination is an important cellular process. Protein termination relies on the stop-codons in the mRNA interacting properly with the releasing factors on the ribosome. One third of inherited diseases, including cancers, are associated with the mutation of the stop-codons. Many pathogens and viruses are able to manipulate their stop-codons to express their virulence. The influence of stop-codons is not limited to the primary reading frame of the genes. Stop-codons in the second and third reading frames are referred as premature stop signals (PSC). Stop-codons and PSCs together are collectively referred as stop-signals. The ratios of the stop-signals (referred as translation stop-signals ratio or TSSR) of genetically related bacteria, despite their great differences in gene contents, are much alike. This nearly identical Genomic-TSSR value of genetically related bacteria may suggest that bacterial genome expansion is limited by their unique stop-signals bias. We review the protein termination proce...
Knowledge acquisition for clinical-trial selection

When medical researchers test a new treatment procedure, they recruit patients with appropriate medical histories. An experiment with a new procedure is called a clinical trial. The selection of patients for clinical trials has traditionally been a labor-intensive task, which involves the matching of medical records with a list of eligibility criteria, and studies have shown that clinicians can miss up to 60% of the eligible patients. A recent project at the University of South Florida has been aimed at the automation of this task. We have developed an intelligent agent that selects trials for eligible patients. We report the work on the representation and entry of the related knowledge about clinical trials. We describe the structure of the agent’s knowledge base and the interface for adding new trials. Keywords— Knowledge representation, medical expert systems, user interfaces.
Conceptual Neutronic Design of a Lead-Bismuth-Cooled Actinide Burning Reactor

A conceptual design of a lead-bismuth-eutectic (LBE)-cooled actinide burner core with innovative streaming fuel assemblies (FAs) is described. The 1800-MW(thermal) core employs metallic, fertile-free fuel where the transuranics (plutonium plus minor actinides) are dispersed in a zirconium matrix. The core contains 157 streaming FAs that enhance neutron streaming by employing gas-filled, sealed streaming tubes at the FA periphery and center. The large reactivity excess at the beginning of life is compensated for by a system of double-entry control rods. The arrangement of top-entry and bottom-entry control rods in a staggered pattern allows the achievement of a very uniform axial power profile and a small reactivity change from control rod driveline expansion. The reactor can operate with an 18- to 24-month cycle length. Safety is provided through negative reactivity coefficients and tight neutronic coupling. The void coefficient is negative for a partially as well as a fully voided core. The effective delayed neutron fraction is 25% less than that of typical oxide-fueled fast reactors, making the requirements on reactor control performance more demanding. The Doppler coefficient is negative with a magnitude appreciably lower than the typical values of oxide fuels in sodium-cooled reactors, but comparable to the values observed in integral fast reactor (IFR) cores with metallic U-Pu-Zr fuels. The fuel thermal expansion coefficient is also negative, having a magnitude approximately equal to the Doppler coefficient. In terms of the transuranic destruction rate per MW(thermal) per effective full-power year, the design is comparable to accelerator-driven systems (ADSs). Long-lived fission products also can be transmuted, albeit at lower incineration efficiency than in ADSs.
Mixed lineage leukemia: a structure-function perspective of the MLL1 protein

Several acute lymphoblastic and myelogenous leukemias are correlated with alterations in the human mixed lineage leukemia protein-1 (MLL1) gene. MLL1 is a member of the evolutionarily conserved SET1 family of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferases, which are required for the regulation of distinct groups of developmentally regulated genes in metazoans. Despite the important biological role of SET1 family enzymes and their involvement in human leukemias, relatively little is understood about how these enzymes work. Here we review several recent structural and biochemical studies that are beginning to shed light on the molecular mechanisms for the regulation of H3K4 methylation by the human MLL1 enzyme.
Bankruptcy Veil-Piercing: Bypassing Broken Nodes?

The paper examines explanations of the relative frequency of contract piercing litigation. Tort piercing may be rare because it is displaced by product and vicarious liability. Alternatively, contract piercing may be frequent because failing subsidiaries generate piercing litigation. Examining the in¬solvency of subsidiaries by forming a bankruptcy sample, three phenomena appear. (i) The majority of tort claims argue fiduciary breach, which is very rare outside of bankruptcy. (ii) Intentional torts are exceedingly rare but piercing reaches 100%. (iii) Contract piercing is dominated by attempts to pierce others’ veils rather than the debtors.’ The latter phenomenon may correspond to reckoning around the removed nexus of contracting, bypassing the broken node that was the failed subsidiary.
Gln368STOP myocilin mutation in families with late-onset primary open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE. TO examine families ascertained for late-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) to determine mutations in the gene coding for myocilin. METHODS. The diagnosis of late-onset POAG was denned as age at diagnosis more than 35 years, intraocular pressure (IOP) 22 mm Hg or more in both eyes or 19 mm Hg or more while the patient was taking two glaucoma medications, glaucomatous optic neuropathy in both eyes, and visual field loss consistent with optic nerve damage in at least one eye of the proband. Two of three criteria were required in other family members. DNA from all families was screened for polymorphisms in myocilin using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. All polymorphisms were sequenced for mutations. RESULTS. Eighty-three affected people in 29 families with late-onset POAG were screened for mutations. Three mutations, two novel missense (Thr377Met and Glu352Lys) and one nonsense (Gln368STOP), were identified. The missense mutations did not segregate with the disease phenotype in these families. The nonsense mutation was found in 3 of 29 unrelated families with POAG. All affected family members and 8 of 12 in whom glaucoma was suspected had the Gln368STOP mutation. All people with this mutation had elevated IOP, and 78% had POAG by age 70. CONCLUSIONS. Three mutations were identified in the gene coding for myocilin in families with late-onset POAG. Of these, the Gln368STOP mutation was highly associated with the development of glaucoma. All people with this mutation had glaucoma or elevated IOP by age 70. In the United States, the Gln368STOP mutation in myocilin is strongly associated with the development of late-onset POAG. However, factors in addition to the presence of this mutation seem to play a role in the development of ocular hypertension and glaucoma in these families. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998;39:2288-2295)
Superdiffusive Dispersion and Mixing of Swarms with Reactive Levy Walks

A common swarm task is to disperse evenly through an environment from an initial tightly packed formation. Due to communication and sensing limitations, it is often necessary to execute this task with little or no communication between swarm members. Prior approaches based on repulsive forces or uniform random walks motion, unfortunately, converge slowly or pass through bad transient states before converging. A simple integrate-and-fire mechanism, however, can generate modified Levy flights, thereby producing a near-optimal rapid and monotonic dispersion with no communication. This mechanism also produces rapid mixing of swarms and is a plausibly evolvable generator for the Levy flight behaviors observed in biological organisms.
A natural simple projection with norm ⩽ √n

Abstract Let V be an n -dimensional subspace of a Banach space X . There is a natural, easily constructed projection from X onto V with norm ⩽ √ n .
Merging social hierarchies: Effects on dominance rank in male green swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri)

When the same set of individuals are placed in different social contexts, some groups members often experience a change in dominance status. We examined the context-dependence of social status using a group fusion protocol in male green swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri). Six individuals were matched for size and separated into two groups of three fish. Each triad established a stable hierarchy after which time the two subgroups were merged into one larger assemblage. The maintenance of within- and between-group rank relationships was examined. Relative rank was preserved within each subgroup across social contexts but we found no evidence that familiarity with dominant animals assists individuals of one subgroup in achieving higher rank (coat-tail effects). Dominant individuals from the pre-fusion groups were significantly likely to obtain high status in the merged group and vice versa for subordinate pre-fusion animals. These results demonstrate that social rank in swordtails is relatively impervious to changes in social context, but we address some deviations from this trend. Small differences in standard length were a significant predictor of the most dominant rank in the post-fusion hierarchy, with the largest animals tending to occupy the alpha position. We discuss our results in terms of the potential factors involved in within- and between-group rank maintenance, including individual recognition, winner and loser effects, or asymmetries in dominance-related characteristics.
Cocaine-, caffeine-, and stress-evoked cocaine reinstatement in high vs. low impulsive rats: Treatment with allopregnanolone

Background Previous research indicates that individual differences in traits such as impulsivity, avidity for sweets, and novelty reactivity are predictors of several aspects of drug addiction. Specifically, rats that rank high on these behavioral measures are more likely than their low drug-seeking counterparts to exhibit several characteristics of drug-seeking behavior. In contrast, initial work suggests that the low drug-seeking animals are more reactive to negative events (e.g., punishment and anxiogenic stimuli). The goal of this study was to compare high and low impulsive rats on reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior elicited by cocaine (COC) and by negative stimuli such as the stress-inducing agent yohimbine (YOH) or a high dose of caffeine (CAFF). An additional goal was to determine whether treatment with allopregnanolone (ALLO) would reduce reinstatement (or relapse) of cocaine-seeking behavior under these priming conditions.
DOES SELECTION FOR STRESS RESISTANCE LOWER METABOLIC RATE

Environmental stress reduces the fitness of organisms, and in this manner may shape species distribution and evolutionary change. Ecologists have long been interested in physiological mechanisms that reduce the effects of stress and result in improved fitness. It has previously been suggested (1) that selection for stress resistance will bring about the evolution of lower standard metabolic rates and (2) that organisms with increased stress resistance will have a lower metabolic rate during stressful conditions, compared to stress-sensitive organisms. We have tested these hypotheses using replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Desiccation and starvation-selected populations and their controls, as well as populations selected for postponed senescence and their short-generation controls were examined. The metabolic rate of each selected and control population was measured under three different environmental conditions: (1) desiccation (no food or water), (2) starvation (water present, no food), a...
Discovery of Two Simultaneous Kilohertz Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the Persistent Flux of GX 349+2

We report the discovery of two simultaneous quasi-periodic oscillations in the persistent flux of GX 349+2 at frequencies 712±9 and 978±9 Hz, with rms amplitudes 1.25%±0.34% and 1.34%±0.32%, respectively. During our 152 ks observation with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, GX 342+2 was in either the normal branch or the flaring branch with count rates in the nominal 2-60 keV RXTE-PCA band ranging from a low of 8000 counts s-1 to a high of 15,000 counts s-1. The kHz QPOs were observed only when the source was at the top of the normal branch, when the count rate was about 8200 counts s-1, corresponding to a flux of 1.4×10−8 ergs cm-1 s-1 in the 2-10 keV band. With this report, now kHz QPOs have been observed in all six Z sources.
The social schemata technique as a projective device

The construct validity of a modified version of Kuethe's social schemata technique was studied. The major hypothesis was that the placement and replacement responses of pairs of silhouette figures to which unfavorable attributes were ascribed would be more distant than the distances between figures to which more favorable characteristics were attributed. When the data of 160 male college students, performing under five sets, two directions of set, and on two tasks, were analyzed, the direction of set effect, i.e., favorable or unfavorable characterizations of stimuli, was significant. Positive sets led to significantly closer placements than negative sets but only on the free-placement method.
A new formula for cumulants

Let θ be an n-dimensional random vector with components θ1, θ2, …, θn and let itscumulantsbe defined as usual by the identitywhere x1, x2, …, xn are purely imaginary variables, E denotes expectation, andLet θ(1), θ(2), …, θ(R) be independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random vectors each with the same distribution as θ, where R = r1 + r2 + … + rn = |r|, the order of the cumulant Kr. Let θ* have the components
Bond strengths of transition metal diatomics: VNi and V2

Abstract The abrupt onset of predissociation in an extremely congested electronic spectrum has been used to measure the bond strengths of jet-cooled VNi and V 2 . The resulting values are D 0 (VNi) = 2.100 ± 0.002 eV and D 0 (V 2 ) = 2.752 ± 0.002 eV. A discussion of the requirements needed to determine bond strengths accurately by the onset of predissociation presented, resulting in two criteria: (1) the molecule must possess a sufficient destiny of electronic states, so that non-adiabatic couplings can induce predissciation readily, and (2) the lowest separated atom limit must generate repulsive curves, so that the potential curves are not nested (and as a result, poorly coupled). Finally, comparisons of the bond strengths of V 2 , VNi, Ni 2 , NiPt, and Pt 2 with the corresponding coinage metal analogues are made, and the magnitude of d -orbital contributions to the chemical bonding in these species is assessed.
Adsorbate-induced enhancement of the magnetic moments of iron clusters

Abstract Magnetic deflection measurements were performed on Fe n and Fe n H m (n=10–25) in a molecular beam experiment. The observed high-field deflections were analyzed using the Langevin/Curie law model of superparamagnetism to extract the intrinsic magnetic moments. For n ⩾13, hydrogenation increased the magnetic moments of the iron clusters substantially. The enhancement was largest for Fe 13 in which a factor of two increase in magnetic moment was observed.
Research at Project UHV on the Performance of Contaminated Insulators Part I Basic Problems

The basic contamination research problems at Project UHV are discussed. Results of flashover tests on 27 types of insulators are presented with discussions on the test method. The performance of insulators is found not to be proportional to the leakage distance, and the influence of the shape of the insulator unit on its performance is demonstrated.
An exploratory study of antiproton-nucleus scattering

An exploratory study of¯p-nucleus scattering at low and medium energies (<200 MeV) is presented using optical potentials which are representative of those either derived from¯p-atomic data or calculated theoretically. The elastic differential cross sections are sensitive to the potential characteristics. Some indicative cases of inelastic scattering were also examined. Reaction cross sections are discussed and compared to recent measurements.
Syntheses and properties of the new electron transfer sensitizers 4,2'-pyrylogens.

The syntheses and characterizations of the 4,2′-regioisomers of the dicationic pyrylogen electron transfer sensitizers are reported. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of these sensit...
Real-time inspection of pavement by moire patterns

The necessary basis for any cost-effective highway and bridge deck pavement management program is reliable complete and up-to-date information concerning the state of pavement surface. An imaging system using the Shadow Moire method for the quantitative inspection of highway pavement surface in real-time has been developed which includes image analysis software for performing image enhancement and the analysis of Moire fringe patterns. Several enhancement schemes and thinning algorithms have been implemented and tested. The prototype system possesses a high degree of automation and gives enhanced pictures and accurate results. Also needed surface geometry information may be obtained efficiently and effectively.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Approximate reliability analysis of wood structural systems

Abstract An approximate system reliability analysis method, including system effects and load duration effects, is used to study the lifetime behavior of wood floor and roof systems. Based on the results from a simplified beam-spring model, reliability analysis of a system is performed using a single specific partially composite member incorporated with the distributions of order statistics of the lumber strength. Different load models and damage accumulation models are also investigated.
Volatile Compounds from Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Their Absorption by Strawberry Fruit

Volatile compounds emitted by cultures of two strains of the pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli O157:H7 and a nonpathogenic strain of E. coli were trapped on Super-Q porous polymer and identified by GC−MS. The predominant compound produced by all three strains was indole with lesser amounts of other components including methyl ketones, 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and 2-tridecanone. The vapor-phase profiles of these strains were similar for most chemicals identified but differed with regard to ketones. Strawberry fruit was shown to be a suitable host for E. coli O157:H7 with the population of the bacterium either increasing or remaining stable after 3 days depending on inoculation level. Headspace analysis of the volatile compounds from inoculated fruit yielded no detectable quantity of indole. Strawberry fruit readily absorbed indole and other volatile compounds produced by the bacteria and in some cases metabolized the compounds to new volatile products. Thus, headspace “marker” compounds i...
Reduced expression of multiple forms of the alpha subunit of the stimulatory GTP-binding protein in pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia.

Abstract We examined the expression of the alpha subunit of the stimulatory GTP-binding protein (Gs) in fibroblasts of subjects with pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) type Ia by transfer blot hybridization and S1 nuclease analyses. Six subjects with PHP type Ia showed decreased steady-state content of Gs alpha mRNA. S1 nuclease analysis indicates that both long and short forms of Gs alpha mRNA are decreased, with no apparent change in the ratio of long to short forms in PHP compared with normal individuals. It appears likely that in some cases of PHP type Ia the genetic lesion affects the maintenance of mRNA levels for all forms of the Gs alpha subunit.
Chemical differentiation of Type I and Type II receptors for adrenal steroids in brain cytosol

Abstract Studies outlined here compare the properties of mineralocorticoid (Type I) and glucocorticoid (Type II) receptors in cytosol from adrenalectomized mouse brain. Pretreating cytosol with dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) produced a 4.7-fold increase in the subsequent macromolecular binding of the mineralocorticoid, [ 3 H]aldosterone (20 nM ALDO, in the presence of a 50-fold molar excess of the highly specific synthetic glucocortieoid, RU 26988), whereas it produced a 55% decrease in the binding of the glucocorticoid, [ 3 H]triamcinolone acetonide (20 nM TA). Scatchard analyses revealed that DCC pretreatment had no effect on the affinity or maximal binding of Type I receptors for [ 3 H]ALDO (in the presence of a O-, 50- or 500-fold excess of RU 26988), whereas it produced a 3- to 6-fold increase in the K d , and an 8–43% decrease in the maximal binding, of Type II receptors for [ 3 H]TA and [ 3 H]dexamethasone. Optimal stability of unoccupied Type I receptors at 0°C was found to be achieved in buffers containing glycerol, but lacking molybdate. Although the addition of molybdate was found to reduce the loss in Type I receptor binding observed after incubating unlabelled cytosol at 12 or 22°C, this stabilization was accompanied by a concentration-dependent reduction in the binding of [ 3 H]ALDO at 0°C. Scatchard analyses showed that this reduction was due to a shift in the maximal binding, and not the affinity, of the Type I receptors for [ 3 H]ALDO. The presence or absence of dithiothreitol in cytosol appeared to have little effect on the stability of Type I receptors. In contrast to our finding for Type I receptors, it was possible to stabilize the binding capacity of unoccupied Type II receptors, even after 2–4 h at 12 or 22°C, if the glycerol containing buffers were supplemented with both molybdate and dithiothreitol. In summary, these results indicate distinct chemical differences between Type I and Type II receptors for adrenal steroids.
Perinatal and Growth-Associated Factors Influencing Dental Caries in Rats

A study of 990 rats investigated possible relationships of dental caries to body weight at 3 weeks of age and weight gain during the subsequent six weeks, maternal age at birth, sex, and litter sequence and size. Independent of chronologic age, the two measures of growth were inversely related to the development of caries. Effects of sex and litter characteristics were detected.
Noninvasive assessment of wound-healing angiogenesis with contrast-enhanced MRI.

Angiogenesis is a process by which new vessels grow toward and into the tissue (1,2) and is a critical component of the wound-healing process. During this process, angiogenesis leads to increased endothelial permeability of the microvasculature, which is triggered by plasma proteins such as the vascular endothelial growth factor (1,2). Based on physiologic data, there are similarities between wounds and tumors (1). Previous studies demonstrated that macromolecular contrast material–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to quantify microvascular permeability and plasma volume, representatives of angiogenesis, in tumors (3,4). The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to quantitatively assess the time course of microvascular permeability and fractional plasma volume (fPV), representatives of angiogenesis, in an established wound-healing model induced in rodents; and (b) to correlate the MRI parameters with histologic and physiologic data of the wound-healing process.
Coping with stresses and strains in adolescence

This article focuses on the specific stresses and strains young people have to cope with. The author discusses content areas of life specific to adolescence. She then continues to describe some empirical research done on the variety of ways in which adolescents cope. The article points toward ways in which adults can help develop strength in adolescents to deal positively with stresses and strains.