cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Case-Based Research on International Negotiation: Approaches and Data Sets

Four case-based research approaches to analysis of data on international negotiation are discussed: the single, analytical case study, the temporal or time-series case study, the focused comparison of a small number of similar cases, and aggregate comparisons of a large number of different cases. The strategies are compared in terms of a number of methodological and substantive features. They are considered as alternative routes to theory development, understood best in relation to each other and best utilized together as part of a multi-method research strategy. The role of frameworks for guiding comparative analyses is discussed in the second part of the article. They are illustrated in conjunction with several multivariate projects involving the coding of variables from a variety of cases. Methods of analysis and findings obtained from these projects are then summarized. These framework-driven comparative analyses are facilitated by the advent of web-based technologies. The new technologies are especially useful for collecting information about cases of negotiation not described in archival publications. The article concludes with challenges that confront the analyst and some gaps that remain to be filled.
Effect of prenatal exposure to anticonvulsant drugs on dermal ridge patterns of fingers

Background An altered frequency of specific dermal ridge patterns on fingertips, such as an increased number of arches, has been observed in children exposed in utero to anticonvulsants and other teratogens. Asymmetry of the distribution of dermal ridge patterns has been attributed to environmental exposures and genetic factors. Methods We evaluated all of the dermal ridge patterns of 66 children who had been exposed to either the anticonvulsant phenytoin alone or phenytoin and phenobarbital. We determined the frequency of each pattern, concordance between the fingers on the left and right hands, sex differences and total ridge counts in the drug-exposed children and compared them to the findings in 716 unexposed comparison children. The frequency of each pattern was established in comparison to the most common type of pattern (ulnar loop), which showed that there were alterations in the frequency of arches, radial loops and whorls on specific fingers. Results Eight (12.1%) of 66 children had three or more arch patterns, with all but one having been exposed to phenytoin and phenobarbital. Only one of these eight children was considered by the masked examiner to have fingernail hypoplasia. There was no evidence of asymmetry in the anticonvulsant-exposed children. There were minor differences in the distribution of total ridge count. Conclusions Subtle differences in several dermal ridge patterns, not just arch patterns, were present in anticonvulsant-exposed children, primarily in those exposed to polytherapy: phenytoin and phenobarbital. Teratology 66:19–23, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reduction and IR-drop compensations techniques for reliable neuromorphic computing systems

Neuromorphic computing system (NCS) is a promising architecture to combat the well-known memory bottleneck in Von Neumann architecture. The recent breakthrough on memristor devices made an important step toward realizing a low-power, small-footprint NCS on-a-chip. However, the currently low manufacturing reliability of nano-devices and the voltage IR-drop along metal wires and memristors arrays severely limits the scale of me-mristor crossbar based NCS and hinders the design scalability. In this work, we propose a novel system reduction scheme that significantly lowers the required dimension of the memristor crossbars in NCS while maintaining high computing accuracy. An IR-drop compensation technique is also proposed to overcome the adverse impacts of the wire resistance and the sneak-path problem in large memristor crossbar designs. Our simulation results show that the proposed techniques can improve computing accuracy by 27.0% and 38.7% less circuit area compared to the original NCS design.
Reversibility and regioselectivity in thiol/disulfide interchange of tocinoic acid with glutathione in lyophilized solids.

Thiol/disulfide interchange is one of the most common routes of aggregation of lyophilized protein drug products, but the mechanisms of the reaction in the solid state have not been established. Here, we report perturbations in thiol/disulfide interchange upon lyophilization, using tocionic acid (cycloCYIQNC; TA(ox)) and glutathione (GSH) as model peptides. The results suggest that thiol/disulfide interchange reactions differ in aqueous solution and in dry lyophilized solids with regard to reversibility and regioselectivity. In solids, the reaction of TA(ox) with GSH is effectively irreversible and the less-hindered single mixed disulfide is formed exclusively. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:3312–3318, 2009
Role of Patient-Physician Dialogue in Selecting the Type of Urinary Diversion

Introduction: We analyze patient-physician dialogue prior to radical cystectomy (RC) when choosing the type of urinary diversion (UD). Methods: 132 patients operated by one surgical team between 2003 and 2005 were included. Physician’s recommendation, patient’s decision and UD (neobladder (NB) or ileal conduit (IC)) performed were analyzed. Patients were grouped based on age, considering that age is often a limiting factor for NB. Results: When offered either NB or IC, 85% (49/58) in group I (Conclusions: Counseling patients is important. When an IC was suggested, over 80% accepted this advice. When both were offered, younger patients usually elected a NB. Older patients preferred an IC.
Questioning the ‘big assumptions’. Part II: recognizing organizational contradictions that impede institutional change

Background Well-designed medical curriculum reforms can fall short of their primary objectives during implementation when unanticipated or unaddressed organizational resistance surfaces. This typically occurs if the agents for change ignore faculty concerns during the planning stage or when the provision of essential institutional safeguards to support new behaviors are neglected. Disappointing outcomes in curriculum reforms then result in the perpetuation of or reversion to the Status quo despite the loftiest of goals. Institutional resistance to change, much like that observed during personal development, does not necessarily indicate a communal lack of commitment to the organization's newly stated goals. It may reflect the existence of competing organizational objectives that must be addressed before substantive advances in a new direction can be accomplished. Objective The authors describe how the Big Assumptions process (see previous article) was adapted and applied at the institutional level during a school of medicine's curriculum reform. Reform leaders encouraged faculty participants to articulate their reservations about considered changes to provided insights into the organization's competing commitments. The line of discussion provided an opportunity for faculty to appreciate the gridlock that existed until appropriate test of the school's long held Big Assumptions could be conducted. Conclusions The Big Assumptions process proved useful in moving faculty groups to recognize and questions the validity of unchallenged institutional beliefs that were likely to undermine efforts toward change. The process also allowed the organization to put essential institutional safeguards in place that ultimately insured that substantive reforms could be sustained.
Solid state NMR studies of d-block and p-block metal nuclei: Applications to organometallic and coordination chemistry

A. Introductio B. Properties of metal nuclei . . 204 C. Solid state NMR . . . 204 D. Studies of metal nuclei 209 (i) The d-block metals . 209 (a) Group 3 (SC, Y, La) . 209 (b) Group 4 (Ti, Zr, Hf) . . . . 211 (c) Group 5 (V, Nb, Ta) . 213 (d) Group 6 (Cr, MO, W) . . 214 (e) Group 7 (Mn, Tc, Re) . . 217 (f) Group 8 (Fe, Ru, OS) . 219 (g) Group 9 (Co, Rh, Ir) . . . 220 (h) Group 10 (Ni, Pd, Pt) 220 (i) Group 11 (Cu, Ag, Au) 222 (j) Group 12 (Zn, Cd, Hg) 223 (ii) The p-block metals . . 229 (a) Group 13 (Al, Ga, In, Tl) 229 (b) Group 14 (Ge, Sn, Pb) 230 (c) Group 15 (Sb, Bi) 238 E. Concluding remarks 238 References . . . . . . 239
The functional effects of acid ceramidase overexpression in prostate cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy.

Among the many processes regulating cell death, ceramide signaling is a vital component. We previously determined that acid ceramidase (AC) is upregulated in 60% of primary prostate cancer (PCa) tissues, suggesting that AC may play a role in tumor development. In order to determine the significance of AC elevation, stable clones of DU145 cells with AC over-expression (AC-EGFP) were generated. Compared to controls (EGFP), AC-EGFP cells exhibited enhanced cell proliferation and migration. Subcutaneous injection of AC-EGFP cells into Nu/Nu mice resulted in larger tumor volumes compared to EGFP controls. Moreover, using the MTS viability assay, AC-EGFP cells were more resistant to cell death induced by doxorubicin, cisplatin, etoposide, gemcitabine or C6-ceramide. Conversely, knock down of AC using siRNA, sensitized AC-EGFP cells to these drugs. In addition, mass spectroscopic analysis of sphingolipids indicated that long chain ceramide levels were decreased in AC-EGFP cells treated with either doxorubicin or...
Bad news indeed for Ryff’s six-factor model of well-being

Abstract Springer and Hauser (An Assessment of the Construct Validity of Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being: Method, Mode, and Measurement Effects. 2006. Social Science Research 35) tested one key aspect of the validity of Ryff’s six-factor model of psychological well-being (RPWB), namely, whether there is substantial independent variation among the six factors. In several large and heterogeneous samples, under a variety of model specifications, and using various sets of RPWB items, we found very high factor correlations among the dimensions of well-being, especially personal growth, purpose in life, self-acceptance, and environmental mastery. That is, the six-factor model makes theoretical claims that do not yield large or consistent empirical distinctions when standard measures and instrumentation are used. Where Ryff and Singer’s comment (Best News Yet on the Six-Factor Model of Well-Being. 2006. Social Science Research 35) refers directly to that analysis, their methodological discussion is most often irrelevant or incorrect. Their text largely ignores and fails to challenge our strong empirical findings about the factorial structure of well-being. In this response, we reinforce these findings and their implications for the (in)validity of the six-factor well-being model as implemented by Ryff. We also explain why Ryff and Singer’s lengthy review of studies that show differential relationships of RPWB factors with other variables should be interpreted with far greater caution than Ryff and Singer recognize. We offer recommendations for analyzing RPWB items in surveys that have already been conducted, but we also emphasize the need for a thorough rethinking of the measurement and dimensionality of psychological well-being.
Discriminative Stimulus Effects of N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine

Serotonergic hallucinogens such as (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) produce distinctive visual effects, whereas the synthetic hallucinogen N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT) is known for its production of auditory distortions. This study compares the discriminative stimulus effects of DiPT to those of visual hallucinogens. Adult male rats were trained to discriminate DiPT (5 mg/kg, 15 min) from saline under a FR10 schedule. A dose–effect and time course of DiPT's discriminative stimulus effects were established. DMT, (−)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), LSD, (±)-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and (+)-methamphetamine were tested for cross-substitution in DiPT-trained animals. Rats learned to discriminate DiPT from saline in an average of 60 training sessions (30 drug and 30 saline). DiPT (0.5–5 mg/kg) produced dose-dependent increases in drug-appropriate responding (DAR) to 99 % (ED50 = 2.47 mg/kg). Onset of the discriminative stimulus effects was within 5 min, and the effects dissipated within 4 h. Full substitution for the discriminative stimulus effects of DiPT occurred with LSD, DOM, and MDMA. DMT only partially substituted for DiPT (65 % DAR), whereas (+)-methamphetamine failed to substitute for DiPT (29 % DAR). The discriminative stimulus effects of DiPT were similar those of a number of synthetic hallucinogens, only partially similar to those of DMT, but not similar to (+)-methamphetamine. The putative DiPT-induced auditory distortions do not lead to discriminative stimulus effects distinguishable from other hallucinogens.
Resonant Mesonic-Molecule Formation in Muon-Catalyzed D-T Fusion

In the resonant formation of $\mathrm{dt}\ensuremath{\mu}$ mesonic molecules, the incoming orbital and molecular angular momenta contribute in an essential way. The earlier calculation of Vinitsky et al. for the resonant molecular formation rate is generalized to incorporate these effects, and the resultant contributions of hundreds of resonances are included. The muon cycling rate is calculated and compared with recent experimental results.
Correlation and prediction of gas-liquid holdups in inclined upflows

A correlation is developed for predicting in-situ (or true) liquid holdups for two-phase, gas-liquid slug flows in inclined pipes. The correlation is based on experimental data collected in pipes ranging from 2.54 to 7.94 cm in diameter with the air-water system used. The experimental data used to develop the correlation were collected at zero input liquid qualities, as previously discussed by Greskovich (1973), and extended over the entire range. These data revealed little diameter effect on holdup for diameters greater than 2.54 cm but a marked effect of angle of inclination. Predicted holdup values show good agreement with experimental data.
Necessity of the glossopharyngeal nerve in the maintenance of normal intake and ingestive bout size of corn oil by rats

Recent evidence in the literature suggests that signals carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve (GL), which supplies sensory and parasympathetic innervation of the posterior tongue, might be essential in the maintenance of normal gustatory responses to fat stimuli. Here, we report that GL transection (GLX) significantly decreased corn oil intake and preference in 23-h two-bottle tests relative to sham-operated controls (Sham). Drinking-pattern analysis of corn oil licking revealed that bout size, rather than the number of bouts initiated, was smaller in GLX than Sham rats. We also tested a range of glucose concentrations and found that total licks over daily 23-h sessions significantly decreased in GLX compared with Sham rats, but this difference failed to reach significance when intake or any bout parameter was measured. These results show that the signals in the GL normally contribute to processes involved with corn oil bout termination as opposed to bout initiation. GL-derived signals could potentially provide input to “reward” circuits in the ventral forebrain that could serve to maintain ingestion during a meal or, alternatively, could act at the level of the brain stem to attenuate the inhibitory potency of vagal signals, thus delaying the onset of satiation, or perhaps contribute to a cephalic phase reflex modulation of the gut. Parasympathetic efferents in the GL innervating the von Ebner's glands, which secrete lingual lipase, which is thought to break down corn oil into detectable ligands, could also be playing a role in driving corn oil intake. Whatever the mechanism, an intact GL is clearly necessary in maintaining normal intake of corn oil.
Performing Race in Four Culturally Diverse Fourth Grade Classrooms: Silence, Race Talk, and the Negotiation of Social Boundaries.

This article addresses how preadolescents produce and perform race through an ethnographic study of 8- to 11-year-old students in four fourth grade classrooms in the southeastern United States. Although Asian, Latino, and white students tended to avoid explicit talk of race, many white students constructed black students as disruptive “troublemakers.” Black students were more likely to openly discuss race and racism and used race talk to silence or isolate certain students. [race, identity, media, elementary school, multicultural education]
Management of Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss

Children with impaired hearing in one ear (unilateral hearing loss [UHL]) and normal hearing in the other ear experience challenges in understanding speech in noisy backgrounds and localizing the source of sounds in 3-dimensional space. They are at a high risk for speech and language delay and need educational help in school. However, definitive evidence of benefit from amplification is currently lacking to recommend placement of hearing aids or cochlear implants in all young children with UHL. Management of UHL in children should be guided by the child's development, performance in school, and personal/family values and preferences.
The effect of cyclic operation of a horizontal ground loop on ground coupled heat pump performance

When the required load for single-speed heat pump is a fraction of its capacity, the heat pump must cycle. Multispeed heat pumps are able to vary their speed, and so cycle much less than single-speed heat pumps. The effect of cyclic operation on the heat pump ground loop and the consequent effect on heat pump performance have been examined. To analyze the effect of cyclic operation on heat transfer within the ground, separate finite element models were written for the ground loop and the surrounding soil. The models were used to compare the operation of the ground loop for single-speed and multispeed systems. Results were used to explore the effects of the pipe length, and to examine parameters which alter the effects of cycling. Parameters included pipe size and percent capacity. Results show that cyclic operation will decrease the performance of the heat pump, based solely on the performance of the ground loop (i.e., the total load remains fixed). It is also shown that as the pipe radius is increased, the effect of cyclic operation decreases, again due to the fluid capacity, and that as percent capacity decreases the cycling penalty increases.
Effect of experimental parameters on temperature distribution during continuous and pulsed microwave heating

Abstract Temperature distribution (TD) in 2% agar gel cylinders heated by same average microwave power level was evaluated. The same average power level based on oven settings (OSP) and absorbed power (AP) were applied to agar gel samples. A 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used to evaluate the effect of different experimental variables: heating time (1, 2 and 3 min); microwave application (continuous vs. pulsed); and sample size (3.5 cm and 4 cm radius). Analysis of variance under the same average OSP condition indicates that all variables affected TD significantly. Overall, pulsed microwave treatment resulted in a more uniform TD than continuous microwave treatment under the same average OSP condition. Interactions among variables under the same average OSP condition were also observed. The results indicate that pulsed microwave heating should be preferred over continuous microwave heating when sample temperature uniformity is critical. When same average absorbed microwave power was delivered into the samples of same dimensions, pulsed application resulted in relatively more uniform TD compared to continuous application.
Standardizing next-generation sequencing experiments and analysis methods.

To the Editor: The past few years have seen the emergence of new strategies for high-throughput DNA sequencing that have invigorated life science research. Because of these technological advances, the available sequencing data continue to expand. Additionally, cost reductions have made access to sequences of entire genomes easier for established laboratories and even easier for small research groups. A lack of consensus exists, however, on how best to design and analyze next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies and how to compare these data to previous and future work. Comparing different sequencing platforms and analysis methods, and thus their interpretations, is becoming more complicated. The main purpose of such studies is somehow getting lost in the process of experimental design as biologists confront new territory with NGS work, which requires handling more complex and powerful statistical methods and produces large data sets. Every new tool or method is being compared with existing methods, and investigators are using statistical arguments to propose that the new methods are better. Kiezun et al. (1) have recently …
Structure of cytoplasmic inclusions in plants infected with rod-shaped viruses.

Abstract Cytoplasmic inclusions induced by tobacco etch virus (TEV) and watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) were examined in situ with light and electron microscopy and in extracts with electron microscopy and negative staining. Numerous cylindrical inclusions, whose substructure is resolved only in the electron microscope, cluster to produce the cytoplasmic inclusions that are visible in the light microscope. In ultrathin sections of vacuum-dehydrated tissues, virus-induced inclusions exhibited fine striations that were not evident in ethanol-dehydrated tissues. Striations in TEV- and WMV-induced inclusions had an average periodicity of 5 mμ in sections of vacuum-dehydrated tissue and in negatively stained extracts. Sections of ethanol-dehydrated tissue did not indicate that inclusions were composed of groups of virus particles. Striking differences in the morphology of inclusions and rod-shaped particles were consistently observed in extracts and in sections of vacuum-dehydrated tissues. These differences indicate that TEV- and WMV-induced cylindrical inclusions are not composed of aggregated virus particles. Flexuous rod-shaped particles occurred concomitantly with cylindrical inclusions. The cylindrical inclusions are a complex organization of plates whose composition is unknown.
The focussed D* algorithm for real-time replanning

Finding the lowest-cost path through a graph is central to many problems including route planning for a mobile robot If arc costs change during the traverse then the remainder of the path may need to be replanned. This is the case for a sensor-equipped mobile robot with imperfect information about its environment. As the robot acquires additional information via its sensors it can revise its plan to reduce the total cost of the traverse. If the prior information is grossly incomplete the robot may discover useful information in every piece of sensor data. During replanning, the robot must either wait for the new path to be computed or move in the wrong direction therefore rapid replanning is essential The D* algorithm (Dynamic A*) plans optimal traverses ID real-time by incrementally repairing paths to the robots state as new information is discovered. This paper describes an extension to D* that focusses the repairs to significantly reduce the total time required for the initial path calculation and subsequent replanning operations. This extension completes the development of the D* algorithm as a full generalizatin of A* for dynamic environments where arc costs can change during the traverse of the solution path.
True time-delay fiber-optic control of an ultrawideband array transmitter/receiver with multibeam capability

A true time-delay beamformer based on a fiber-optic dispersive prism is developed and characterized. The beamformer is used to control an ultrawideband time-steered array antenna, which is a significant improvement over inherently narrowband phased-array antennas. The time-steered transmitter antenna consists of eight broadband spiral elements in a sparsely-populated array. In transmit mode the bandwidth is microwave-component limited to 2-18 GHz. The transmitter shows an unprecedented performance with >100/spl deg/ azimuth steering and no observed squint over the full frequency range. We also extend the beamformer functionality and demonstrate, we believe for the first time, fully-independent dual-beam dual-frequency ultrawideband antenna transmitter operation. Furthermore, the beamformer is shown to be capable of controlling the transmitter under pulsed operation with microwave pulse-widths as short as 75 ps. In the phase-steered receive mode, the antenna is component-limited to two elements and a frequency range of 6-16 GHz. However, we can still demonstrate squint-free receiver steering over >70/spl deg/ azimuth over the full available frequency range. >
Schizophrasia: case study of a paranoid schizophrenic's language

The various descriptions of schizophrenic language have concentrated on a structural treatment of the schizophrenic's spoken or written language or an elucidation of the relationship between linguistic and cognitive disturbances. The structural treatments in fact often focus on the content of schizophrenic discourse, e.g. circumstantiality, flight of ideas, etc., rather than on grammatical structure. In this paper, the linguistic performance of a chronic schizophrenic, paranoid type (DSM-II:295.3) is examined via a large corpus of continuous spoken and written narrative texts collected over a three-year period. A striking agreement was noted in the oral and written language of this subject in features such as the types of agrammatic errors which occur and extreme perseveration. The data reveal important differences with the six characteristics of schizophrenic language noted by Chaika (1974). A brief comparison is made with aphasic and similar neurolinguistic disturbances suggesting organicity in the present case.
Effect of 15-Deoxyspergualin on Immediate Function and Long-Term Survival of Transplanted Islets in Murine Recipients of a Marginal Islet Mass

15-Deoxyspergualin (DSG), a macrophage immunomodulatory agent, was used as a probe in a murine model of islet transplantation to examine 1) the significance of the nonspecific, macrophage-mediated effector arm of beta-cell injury in recipients of a marginal mass of isologous islets by analyzing the duration of temporary posttransplant hyperglycemia, a parameter of immediate beta-cell function; and 2) whether long-term (> 100 days) functional survival could be achieved in recipients of a marginal mass of allogeneic islets. A dose-response study of the number of islets required to ameliorate diabetes showed that 150 isologous islets per recipient resulted in a 75% incidence of cure at a mean of 39.2 +/- 5.8 days posttransplant. DSG-treated (0.625 mg.kg-1.day-1 intraperitoneally) recipients of isologous islets demonstrated a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in the duration of temporary posttransplant hyperglycemia (16.8 +/- 3.2 vs. 39.2 +/- 5.8 days), and DSG-treated recipients of allogeneic islets demonstrated a significant (P < 0.03) improvement in the rate of achieving long-term functional survival (75 vs. 22% in untreated control animals). Finally, identical rates of islet engraftment were found among control animals and DSG-treated animals by measurement of tissue insulin content in transplanted specimens. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that DSG alters the duration of temporary posttransplant hyperglycemia and extends long-term functional survival in murine recipients of a marginal mass of islets, not by affecting the efficiency of islet engraftment, but by suppression of the inhibitory effects on beta-cell function by nonspecific, macrophage mediators.
Generative Network Automata: A Generalized Framework for Modeling Complex Dynamical Systems with Autonomously Varying Topologies

We propose a new modeling framework "generative network automata (GNA)" that can uniformly describe both state transitions and autonomous topology transformations of complex dynamical networks. GNA is formulated as an extension of existing complex dynamical network models to include a new set of generative update rules that determine how local network topologies will change based on the current local network states and topologies. This paper introduces basic concepts of GNA, its formal definitions, its generality to represent other dynamical systems models, and some preliminary results of an exhaustive sweep of possible dynamics found in elementary binary GNA with restricted updating rules
Advertised reference prices in an Internet environment: Effects on consumer price perceptions and channel search intentions

Abstract This research examines the effects of inclusion of a reference price in an Internet advertisement on consumer price perceptions and price-search intentions both (1) on the Internet and (2) in brick-and-mortar retail channels. Proposed differences between Internet sites and brick-and-mortar channels are examined across three studies using different methodologies: (1) a survey administered in a classroom setting, (2) an Internet survey, and (3) a mail panel survey. Findings show that both price perceptions and price-search intentions differ for the Internet and brick-and-mortar retail channels. There is mixed evidence for the prediction that the reference price impact on price perceptions for the brick-and-mortar retailer is attenuated for the Internet channel. Finally, respondents with Internet access had different price perceptions and price-search intentions than those without access.
Nonlinear control of burn instability in fusion reactors

Control of plasma density and temperature magnitudes, as well as their profiles, are among the most fundamental problems in fusion reactors. Unfortunately, the economy of fusion reactors often requires the reactor to operate under conditions in which the rate of thermonuclear reaction increases as the plasma temperature rises. In this thermally unstable zone, an active control system is necessary to stabilize the thermonuclear reaction. Existing efforts use control techniques based on linearized models. In this work, a zero-dimensional nonlinear model involving approximate conservation equations for the energy and the densities of the species was used to synthesize a nonlinear feedback controller for stabilizing the burn condition of a fusion reactor. A computer simulation study was performed to show the capability of the controller and compare it with previous linear controllers.
Structure and sequence of the human fast skeletal troponin T (TNNT3) gene: insight into the evolution of the gene and the origin of the developmentally regulated isoforms.

We describe the cloning, sequencing and structure of the human fast skeletal troponin T (TNNT3) gene located on chromosome 11p15.5. The single-copy gene encodes 19 exons and 18 introns. Eleven of these exons, 1–3, 9–15 and 18, are constitutively spliced, whereas exons 4–8 are alternatively spliced. The gene contains an additional subset of developmentally regulated and alternatively spliced exons, including a foetal exon located between exon 8 and 9 and exon 16 or α (adult) and 17 or β (foetal and neonatal). Exon phasing suggests that the majority of the alternatively spliced exons located at the 5′ end of the gene may have evolved as a result of exon shuffling, because they are of the same phase class. In contrast, the 3′ exons encoding an evolutionarily conserved heptad repeat domain, shared by both TnT and troponin I (TnI), may be remnants of an ancient ancestral gene. The sequence of the 5′ flanking region shows that the putative promoter contains motifs including binding sites for MyoD, MEF-2 and several transcription factors which may play a role in transcriptional regulation and tissue-specific expression of TnT. The coding region of TNNT3 exhibits strong similarity to the corresponding rat sequence. However, unlike the rat TnT gene, TNNT3 possesses two repeat regions of CCA and TC. The exclusive presence of these repetitive elements in the human gene indicates divergence in the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian TnT genes. Homologous muscle-specific splicing enhancer motifs are present in the introns upstream and downstream of the foetal exon, and may play a role in the developmental pattern of alternative splicing of the gene. The genomic correlates of TNNT3 are relevant to our understanding of the evolution and regulation of expression of the gene, as well as the structure and function of the protein isoforms. The nucleotide sequence of TNNT3 has been submitted to EMBL/GenBank under Accession No. AF026276.
The Origins and Structure of Quantitative Concepts

“Number” is the single most influential quantitative dimension in modern human society. It is our preferred dimension for keeping track of almost everything, including distance, weight, time, temperature, and value. How did “number” become psychologically affiliated with all of these different quantitative dimensions? Humans and other animals process a broad range of quantitative information across many psychophysical dimensions and sensory modalities. The fact that adults can rapidly translate one dimension (e.g., loudness) into any other (e.g., handgrip pressure) has been long established by psychophysics research (Stevens, 1975). Recent literature has attempted to account for the development of the computational and neural mechanisms that underlie interactions between quantitative dimensions. We review evidence that there are fundamental cognitive and neural relations among different quantitative dimensions (number, size, time, pitch, loudness, and brightness). Then, drawing on theoretical frameworks t...
Delaying Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer.

Global guidelines for the management of locally advanced or metastatic hormone receptor–positive (HR-positive), human epidermal growth factor 2–negative (HER2-negative) breast cancer recommend endocrine therapy as first-line treatment for all patients, regardless of age or postmenopausal status. However, current practice patterns in the United States and Europe suggest that these modes of therapy are not being used as recommended, and many patients with advanced HR-positive, HER2-negative disease are being treated first-line with chemotherapy or switched to chemotherapy after a single endocrine therapy. Given that chemotherapy is associated with increased toxicity and reduced quality of life (QOL) compared with endocrine therapy, prolonging the duration of response obtained with endocrine therapy may help delay chemotherapy and its attendant toxicities. Several strategies to delay or overcome endocrine resistance and thereby postpone chemotherapy have been explored, including the use of second-line endocrine agents with different mechanisms of action, adding targeted agents that inhibit specific resistance pathways, and adding agents that act in complementary or synergistic ways to inhibit tumor cell proliferation. This review analyzes the different therapy options available to HR-positive, HER2-negative patients with advanced breast cancer that can be used to delay chemotherapy and enhance QOL.
Leukopenia Following Administration of Nicotinic Acid

1. Intravenous nicotinic acid produces an immediate and marked neutropenia, which disappears within 15 minutes. The lymphocytes frequently show a slight reduction; but the red cell count, hematocrit and platelet count reveal no significant variation. 2. This response was similar in splenectomized and nonsplenectomized subjects. 3. In 2 patients with leukemia the white cell count was reduced in 5 minutes by nicotinic acid from 177,800 to 146,400 and 73,300 to 33,600. 4. The mechanism of the granulocytopenia after nicotinic acid is discussed in relation to its vasodilatation action and the distribution of leukocytes in the vascular system. This concept is outlined in table 5.
Further results on the heating of single and multi-core lead-rubber bearings and dampers

Single-core and to a certain extent multi-core lead-rubber bearings have been extensively used in seismic isolation. Yet their behavior is not well understood and experimentation is required to obtain their mechanical properties. A recently developed and validated theory contributed to the understanding of the effects of heating of the lead core on the characteristic strength and ability to dissipate energy of these bearings. Additional results on the theory of heating of lead-rubber bearings are presented in this paper, including readily useable data on the rise of temperature in the steel shim and end plates of these bearings. The results may be used in the assessment of the validity of the theory of lead core heating in single and multi-core lead-rubber bearings and in recently developed multi-core lead-rubber dampers. Examples are presented (including some experimental data) to illustrate the application of the theory. The utility of the presented theory is to reduce the requirements for physical testing of lead-rubber bearings and dampers.
Strain Dependent Diffusion in the Dry Thermal Oxidation Process of Crystalline Si

We have investigated the influence of strain on the rate of thermal oxidation of crystalline Si. This was carried out by performing the oxidation in two steps at 850°C with an intermediate annealing step. It was observed that an anneal at 1050°C increased the oxidation rate 20% compared with an anneal at 850°C. At the same time, the films annealed at higher temperatures exhibited lower levels of strain, as determined by infrared spectroscopy, in the oxide layer grown before the anneal. These results have been interpreted in terms of a strain dependent diffusion model for the thermal oxidation process.
Repeated quinpirole treatment increases cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and CREB phosphorylation in nucleus accumbens and reverses quinpirole-induced sensorimotor gating deficits in rats

Sensorimotor gating, which is severely disrupted in schizophrenic patients, can be measured by assessing prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI). Acute administration of D2-like receptor agonists such as quinpirole reduces PPI, but tolerance occurs upon repeated administration. In the present study, PPI in rats was reduced by acute quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), but not following repeated quinpirole treatment once daily for 28 days. Repeated quinpirole treatment did not alter the levels of basal-, forskolin- (5 μM), or SKF 82958- (10 μM) stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), but significantly increased cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity. Phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) was significantly greater in the NAc after repeated quinpirole treatment than after repeated saline treatment with or without acute quinpirole challenge. Activation of PKA by intra-accumbens infusion of the cAMP analog, Sp-cAMPS, prevented acute quinpirole-induced PPI disruption, similar to the behavioral effect observed following repeated quinpirole treatment. Thus, repeated quinpirole treatment increases NAc PKA activity and CREB phosphorylation, and this neuroadaptive response might facilitate the recovery of sensorimotor gating in schizophrenia.
Resilience Its Conceptual Links to Creating Society-specific Forecasts about Emerging Change

As part of a multi-article presentation about national and social resilience to the military practitioner community, the article initially embeds the concept of resilience into a concept of change. From this grounding discussion, the profiling of national/social resilience is presented as a useful part of building an improved intelligence process of holistic change forecasting. Next, as a better way of seeing and evaluating how different nations and societies will uniquely respond to crises, uniquely recover post-crisis and thereafter change into their future, a way of using resilience change profiling to improve intelligence foresight and forecasting is detailed. Also, an argument is presented that during periods of financial stress, such an approach has efficacy, economy-of-force and other comparative advantage benefits to Western military organizations.
Composing Surfaces with Conformal Rotors

Conformal immersions are harmonic and numerically stable surfaces whose tangents scale isometrically, providing many elegant geometric properties of use in design. This paper maps these forms within the context of discrete differential geometry and conformal geometric algebra in order to outline an approach to synthesizing curved surfaces with applications in architectural geometry, machining, and computer graphics. Inspired by Dorst and Valkenburg’s “Square Root and Logarithm of Rotors” paper of 2011, we reformulate the rationalization of cyclidic nets, piecewise smooth surfaces characterized and controlled directly by their tangents.
Determinants of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness (from the Dallas Heart Study).

Previous studies have demonstrated ethnic/racial differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). However, the relative contributions of body mass index (BMI), lifestyle behaviors, socioeconomic status (SES), cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and cardiac function to these differences in CRF are unclear. In this study, we included 2,617 Dallas Heart Study participants (58.6% women, 48.6% black; 15.7% Hispanic) without CV disease who underwent estimation of CRF using a submaximal exercise test. We constructed multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to determine the association between race/ethnicity and CRF, which was defined as peak oxygen uptake (ml/kg/min). Black participants had the lowest CRF (blacks: 26.3 ± 10.2; whites: 29.0 ± 9.8; Hispanics: 29.1 ± 10.0 ml/kg/min). In multivariate analysis, both black and Hispanic participants had lower CRF after adjustment for age and gender (blacks: Std β = −0.15; p value ≤0.0001, Hispanics: Std β = −0.05, p value = 0.01; ref group: whites). However, this association was considerably attenuated for black (Std β = −0.04, p value = 0.03) and no longer significant for Hispanic ethnicity (p value = 0.56) after additional adjustment for BMI, lifestyle factors, SES, and CV risk factors. Additional adjustment for stroke volume did not substantially change the association between black race/ethnicity and CRF (Std β = −0.06, p value = 0.01). In conclusion, BMI, lifestyle, SES, and traditional risk factor burden are important determinants of ethnicity-based differences in CRF.
Clergy and the Abuse of Legal Procedure in Medieval England

The common law’s emergence as a mechanism for dispute resolution created the potential for individuals to misuse litigation to implement their self-interest, thereby perverting the justice system. These abuses prompted numerous complaints to the king and council, parliament, and chancery seeking a remedy. Parliament attempted to mitigate these problems with the enactment of various statutes dealing with the abuse of legal procedure. These prohibitions included those directed at conspiracy, maintenance, champerty, and embracery. These statutes produced a significant amount of litigation in medieval England. Among all these abuses and offenses, maintenance emerged as the most common subject of complaint and the word commonly used to denote these types of wrongful conduct. The clergy were involved in these abuses and actions, both as perpetrators and victims. The records of litigation in the plea rolls reveal this involvement. The objective of this essay is to study these activities as they related to members of the clergy.
The willingness to pay for positron emission tomography (PET): evaluation of suspected lung cancer using contingent valuation.

BACKGROUND: In this study, contingent valuation is used to estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging by patients with suspected benign or malignant lung disease. METHODS: Patients (n = 87) undergoing thoracic computed tomography were surveyed for their WTP for PET for the evaluation of lung disease in lieu of further testing. Patients were provided background PET information and a two-page self-administered questionnaire. The survey queried basic demographic information, perceived risk of malignancy, and perceived life expectancy given a diagnosis of malignancy. RESULTS: Patients with increased perception of risk were willing to pay more than those with lower perceived risk. Patients who were self-payers for their health insurance indicated a lower WTP than those who did not pay any out-of-pocket insurance premiums. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals are willing to pay additional out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic imaging to reduce their perception of risk and improve their quality of life.
mm-Wave class-E PA design in CMOS

Abstract A class-E tuned CMOS power amplifier (PA) operating in the 60-GHz band is presented. Design, layout, and parasitic modeling considerations to attain high-efficiency mm-Wave PA operation are discussed. Both single-ended and differential versions of the single-stage PA are implemented in a 32-nm SOI CMOS process. Peak power added efficiency of 27% (30%), power gain of 8.8 dB (10 dB), and saturated output power >9 dBm (12.5 dBm) are measured at 60 GHz from the single-ended (differential) PA with 0.9-V supply.
Reply to Ramey et al.: Let time be the arbiter

We thank Ramey et al. (1) for their opinion that the article “The enigma of the apparent disappearance of Eurasian highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4 influenza A viruses in North American waterfowl” (2) provides insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that wild aquatic birds do not serve as the reservoir of highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses. However, most of the concerns raised by Ramey et al. (1) are already discussed in our report (2) or resulted from a misinterpretation of our work. With regard to the disappearance of these viruses from North America, Krauss et al. (2) state that “we cannot conclude that the HP H5Nx viruses were … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: robert.webster{at}stjude.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Resilience analysis: a mathematical formulation to model resilience of engineering systems

AbstractThe resilience of a system is related to its ability to withstand stressors, adapt, and rapidly recover from disruptions. Two significant challenges of resilience analysis are to (1) quantify the resilience associated with a given recovery curve; and (2) develop a rigorous mathematical model of the recovery process. To quantify resilience, a mathematical approach is proposed that systematically describes the recovery curve in terms of partial descriptors, called resilience metrics. The proposed resilience metrics have simple and clear interpretations, and their definitions are general so that they can characterize the resilience associated with any recovery curve. This paper also introduces a reliability-based definition of damage levels which is well-suited for probabilistic resilience analysis. For the recovery modeling, a stochastic formulation is proposed that models the impact of recovery activities and potential disrupting shocks, which could happen during the recovery, on the system state. ...
Multivariable classical Prandtl–Ishlinskii hysteresis modeling and compensation and sensorless control of a nonlinear 2-dof piezoactuator

A multivariable approach of modeling and feedforward control of rate-independent hysteresis in multi-dof piezoelectric actuators is proposed in this paper. For that, the classical Prandtl–Ishlinskii (CPI) hysteresis model is extended into multivariable. Then, based on the inverse multiplicative structure and on the multivariable CPI model, a compensator is suggested. The proposed compensator does not require an extra-calculation: As soon as the model is identified, the compensator is obtained by structure. Furthermore, inversion of the model is avoided. Additionally to the hysteresis suppression, the multivariable compensator permits to reduce the cross-couplings between the axes which is not possible with standard techniques. The modeling and the inversion-free compensator are afterward applied to a two-degrees-of-freedom (2-dof) piezoactuator. The extensive investigated experimental tests demonstrate that the strong cross-couplings and the strong hysteresis in the two axes can be substantially reduced and linearized, respectively.