cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implications of Electronic Trading for the Structure of Agricultural Markets

Assessing the potential impact of the adoption of electronic trading systems on the structure of agriculture is a formidable task. The various pilot projects on agricultural commodity electronic trading did not generate empirical observations on structural variables in the same fashion as they did on price. While no electronic trading analysis is easy, price at least represents an empirical series which can be subjected to various statistical tests. Structural variables and market performance dimensions changed by the adoption of electronic trading necessarily reside in a more murky long-run and theoretical view of potential impacts. Despite the vagaries endemic to an assessment of agricultural market structure, the purpose here is to (a) deduce the potential longrun impact of electronic trading systems on selected structural variables and (b) draw some implications concerning market performance, especially pricing efficiency, garnered from adoption of electronic trading systems through changes in certain structural variables. Relatively more emphasis will be placed on the buyer side of producer-first handler markets, in particular the theoretical impact electronic trading systems have on the longrun average costs of buyers. Scant attention has been paid to this particular issue in previous electronic marketing literature, yet it is important to structural considerations. Because the pilot projects could not really generate data appropriate for assessing structure, sparse reference is made to these individual efforts. Rather, general arguments are used to identify potential impacts. Only experience and additional research after systems have been adopted and operated over a number of years can answer structure questions empirically.
The effects of the epidermal chalone on DNA synthesis in mammalian epidermal cells.

The rate of incorporation of tritiated thymidine ( 3 H-TdR) was used to measure the synthetic capabilities of epidermal cells in vitro in the presence of ethanolic fractions of a tissue-specific mitotic inhibitor (chalone). In control cultures a synthesis lag period of approximately two hours was followed by a period of maximal DNA synthesis at four hours' incubation. In the chalone-treated cells, a marked depression in incorporation of 3 H-TdR was observed during this period of maximal synthesis. This synthetic depression was attributed to the presence of chalone. The chalone effect was demonstrated most dramatically in the 0–60 percent ethanolic fraction; however, the 70–80 percent fraction showed a higher percent inhibition per mg protein. The 80–90 percent fractions consistently showed a stimulatory effect on 3 H-TdR incorporation. Statistical analyse showed that DNA synthesis in control and chalone-treated cells was statistically different at hours 3, 4, and 5 of incubation. It was concluded that this difference could only be attributed to the presences of chalone.
Transcription initiation site of rat ribosomal DNA

The sequence of 1,100 nucleotides surrounding the transcription initiation site of a cloned rat ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) has been determined. The location of the 5' terminus of 45S pre-rRNA was determined by S1 nuclease mapping, reverse transcriptase elongation and confirmed by in vitro capping of 45S rRNA and in vitro transcription. Two different plasmid subclones, from two separate genomic clones of rat rDNA, contained the identical sequence surrounding the transcription initiation site: -10GGAGATATAT 1GCTGACACGC TGTCCTTTTG+20. Relatively long, greater than 15 base pairs, regions of sequence homology were found when the sequences of the initiation regions of rat and mouse rDNA (Urano, Y., Kominami, R., Mishima, Y., and Muramatsu, M., Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 6043-6058, 1980) were compared. When both the rat and mouse sequences were compared to that of human rDNA (G. Wilson, personal communication) a sequence of 15 nucleotides immediately following the initiation sites were found to be preserved.
Effects of relativity and M2 transitions on the resonance contributions to electron-impact ionization of highly charged Li-like ions.

The effects of relativity on resonance contributions to electron-impact ionization of ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{15+}$, ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{23+}$, ${\mathrm{Kr}}^{33+}$, and ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{51+}$ are investigated. The effects of relativity are found to increase the resonance strengths by 20% for ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{23+}$ and by as much as a factor of 3 for ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{51+}$. The magnetic quadrupole (M2) radiation for the 1s2s2${\mathit{p}}_{3/2}$ J=5/2 metastable state depends strongly on the atomic number, varying as ${\mathit{Z}}^{8}$. We find that including the M2 emission for the 1s2s2${\mathit{p}}_{3/2}$ J=5/2 state is essential for obtaining reliable cross sections for ions with Z\ensuremath{\ge}26.
EFFECTS OF ACUTE CORONARY OCCLUSION ON PERFORMANCE OF RIGHT AND LEFT VENTRICLES IN INTACT UNANESTHETIZED DOGS.

Abstract Changes in the mechanical performance of the right and left ventricles were studied before, during, and after abrupt occlusion of a major coronary artery, by directly recording from indwelling pressure cannulas and flowmeters. Analogue computers were used to derive additional pertinent variables, so that an engineering type of description of ventricular function was inscribed in as many as 22 variables with standard physical units. In 7 of the 9 animals in the series the anterior descending coronary artery was ligated at the time of operation, days or weeks before the experiment. The principal effects of acute occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery in unanesthetized dogs were a reduction in peak ejection velocity, peak acceleration, and stroke volume of the left ventricle. These changes may be attributed to interference with the left ventricle as an impulse generator, since the pattern of ejection assumed some of the characteristics of the pattern of normal right ventricular outflow. Sustained tachycardia compensated for the reduction in the stroke volume, so that cardiac output was well maintained. The experiments in which large changes in left ventricular performance occurred were suddenly terminated by ventricular fibrillation within minutes or hours of the experimental coronary occlusion.
Walk&Sketch: create floor plans with an RGB-D camera

Creating floor plans for large areas via manual surveying is labor-intensive and error-prone. In this paper, we present a system, Walk&Sketch, that creates floor plans of an indoor environment by a person walking through the environment at a normal strolling pace and taking videos using a consumer RGB-D camera. The method computes floor maps represented by polylines from a 3D point cloud based on precise frame-to-frame alignment. It aligns a reference frame with the floor and computes the frame-to-frame offsets from the continuous RGB-D input. Line segments at a certain height are extracted from the 3D point cloud, and are merged to form a polyline map, which can be further modified and annotated by users. The explored area is visualized as a sequence of polygons, providing users with the information on coverage. Experiments have done in various areas of an office building and have shown encouraging results.
Sovereignty for security?: the discourse of sovereignty in Estonia

Abstract This investigation of the construction and operationalisation of state sovereignty in Estonia specifies how international integration is constituted in the Estonian sovereignty discourse, particularly how the inside and the outside of the state are demarcated in that discourse. The focus on this post-Soviet European Union applicant state is significant because if we understand sovereignty as a discourse, its political functions are inseparable from the specific context in which the inside and the outside of the state are constructed. Broadening the empirical scope of the constructivist international relations and critical geopolitics research on sovereignty therefore also enables me to substantiate and elaborate arguments made in that research. The Estonian sovereignty discourse hinges on the question as to whether or not international integration strengthens Estonia’s national security against the Russian threat. Different assumptions and positions on that issue make possible a highly selective deployment of pro- and contra-EU arguments that promulgate Estonia as European while minimising the influence of foreign institutions on Estonia’s citizenship and minority rights policies. While eagerly pursuing EU and NATO memberships, Estonia is not passively adopting but selectively appropriating political rhetoric and practices from these organisations. Concerns about the loss of sovereignty in Estonia are not examples of mere ignorance or irrational fear of changes, as is conventionally assumed, but are integral to, and reinforced by, the ways in which international integration is framed in political debates.
Teacher versus Expert Presentations of Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs

Previous studies of sexual abuse prevention programs conducted in schools have not compared the effectiveness of teachers versus outside consultants in implementing these programs. The current study contrasted three treatment conditions: (1) 15 regular teachers with their own classes (237 children); (2) eight lead teachers with unfamiliar classes (114 children); and (3) expert consultants with unfamiliar classes (201 children). All trainers used an adaptation of the Feeling Yes, Feeling No prevention curriculum, and both lead teachers and classroom teachers went through extensive training before implementing the program. No significant differences were found in the relative efficacy of using teachers versus expert consultants to present the program, with children demonstrating equivalent knowledge gains and equivalent skill scores on a videotape vignettes measure. Children in each condition made equivalent numbers of disclosures and had similar positive reactions to the programs.
Application of Static Uninterruptible Power Systems to Computer Loads

Reliable operation of on-line computers requires an uninterruptible source of electric power; some computers are sensitive to power interruptions as short as one half-cycle of line frequency. Two static-type uninterruptible power systems that have been purchased by the Federal Aviation Administration for installation at air route traffic control centers are described. One, built by the General Electric Company, represents commercial design and construction; the second, built by the Garrett Corporation, represents design and construction to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration specification prepared for uninterruptible power system equipment.
Physical interpretation of the multiport return difference matrix

The physical significance of the return difference matrix with respect to the general hybrid matrix of a multiport network in a multiple-loop feedback amplifier is presented.
Students, Teachers, and the Future*

Our best preparation for the future of foreign language teaching is to recognize the directions of change in our present situation. The author examines changing relations and changing directions, the present state of the field from the point of view of the classroom teacher, the future demands on the classroom teacher in view of these changing relations and directions, the steps that can be taken to ensure development of a flexible and future-oriented profession, and steps the profession can take to influence de cision makers. The seed- of the future of foreign language teaching are seen to lie in the hands of the present teachers and those they train.
Assessing the performance of the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) using Deep Convective Clouds

Abstract The stability of the LIS instrument is examined during a 13 year period (1998–2010) by examining LIS background radiance observations of Deep Convective Clouds (DCCs) which are identified by their cold IR brightness temperature. Pixels in the LIS background image associated with DCCs are identified and analyzed during July and August of each year in the 13 year period. The resulting LIS DCC radiances are found to be stable throughout the period, varying at most by 0.8% from the 13 year mean July August value of 358.1 W sr − 1 m − 2 μm − 1 . The DCC method in this study provides a good approach for evaluating the stability of the future GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).
Cell-cycle parameters of soybean (Glycine max L.) cells growing in suspension culture: Suitability of the system for genetic studies.

Suspension cultures of Glycine max (L.) Merr. were grown at 22 and 33°. The doubling times of dividing cells were 35 and 25 h, respectively. G2 was 6.2 and 6.7 h, and S was 13.8 and 6.5 h. G1 was calculated as 13 and 10 h, respectively. These values were determined by labeling cells with 3H thymidine and measuring the appearance of radioactive mitotic figures. Treatment with 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FudR) inhibited DNA synthesis and, as a result, cells accumulated in S. Such cells were viable and, upon removal of the FudR, proceeded synchronously into mitosis. Treatment with 5-bromodeoxyuridine, following FudR synchronization, sensitized the cells to white light. Thus cells capable of synthesizing DNA could be killed. 20–30% of the cells in suspension cultures growing at 22 or 33° were not able to synthesize DNA. Nevertheless, these non-dividing (Q) cells were able to synthesize RNA and protein at a reduced rate. The proteins synthesized appear to be a particular subset of the proteins made by normal cells. The results are analyzed in relation to the use of this suspension cell culture system for isolating conditional lethal mutants of plant cells.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Hodgkin's Disease Associated with Anti-IT

In this study, three cases of Hodgkin's disease with autoimmune hemolytic anemia are described. The IgG autoantibodies in each case were shown to have IT specificity. There is only one other case of an IgG anti-IT described in the literature and that also was present in a patient with Hodgkin's disease. No other examples of anti-IT were found in studies which included 50 cases of Hodgkin's disease with negative direct antiglobulin tests, three cases with positive direct antiglobulin test but no hemolysis, and 70 cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, either idiopathic or secondary to other diseases of the reticuloendothelial system. Fetal, cord and adult cells were tested with anti-IT, anti-I and anti-i in an attempt to show the development of IT relative to i and I.
Venous thrombosis in the lower limbs: Its relation to pulmonary embolism

T HROMBOSIS in veins-thrombophIebitis is a better name-appears to be on the increase rather than otherwise. It attacks especiaIIy patients put to bed on account of injury, operation, chiIdbirth, cardiac disorders and the more debiIitating acute febriIe diseases. And though Barker has shown that thrombophIebitis can occur in the veins of seemingIy norma persons Ieading an active Iife, it aImost seems as if advances in the care of patients in bed had increased rather than Iessened the risk of thrombosis and emboIism. The subject being compIicated, attention is invited here to observations reasonabIy we11 recognized, particuIarIy those reIating to thrombophIebitis in the Iower haIf of the body, the sort which Iaiety and profession alike are apt to speak of as “phIebitis” and “miIk Ieg” but including, aIong with the famiIiar phIegmasia aIba doIens, other Iess obvious and common forms. It is agreed, of course, that somewhat simiIar processes occur in the heart, the Ieft auricIe especiaIIy, in the cerebra1 sinuses, in the porta system, in the vena cava and doubtIess eIsewhere. Tbe Process of Thrombosis is not primariIy cIotting or coaguIation but rather the pecuIiar Iesion which begins as a deposition of bIood pIateIets-thrombocytes-upon the waI1 of a vein. These, having become pIastered together and fixed, buiId out into the current a spongeIike structure in which red and white ceIIs become enguIfed and which soon occIudes the vesse1. The foundation or head of Zahn’s cIassic thrombus is white and tough, the body, which may grow aIong the vesse1 both toward and away from the heart for a considerabIe distance, dark and firm; and the tai1 becomes more and more cIot-Iike, red and soft unti1 it can hardIy be distinguished from norma bIood. In so far as this soft part extends away from the heart, it mereIy bIocks more of the periphera1 venous tree, but if it extends toward the heart, unfixed in the vein and waving in the current of an entering branch, its end is readily torn free from its base to become an embolus. The tendency of thrombosis, in extending toward the heart, is to stop abruptIy and hea where it meets a vigorous current, but to grow out into a feebIe one Iike the propagating tbrombus just described, the sort which waves free, ready to become a source of puImonary infarction or, if Iarge enough, of a fata puImonary emboIism. It is a pecuIiar quaIity of thrombosis that it deveIops most readily in a slow current. In the compIete absence of a current, that is, in a back-water, it does not form.
Stability of membership in market segments identified with a disaggregate consumption model

Abstract This paper examines the stability of membership in market segments formed from groups of households with consumption functions that indicate similar responsiveness to price, advertising, and habitual consumption rates. Four segments were identified for a particular brand of a frequently bought product: About 10% of the sample consume the brand at a steady rate; about 30% shift quantities consumed systematically over time; about 30% are very price sensitive; and the largest group of 35% are moderately price sensitive. The four segments do not have sharp demographic differences. Results indicate a high degree of instability in segment membership, with half of the households switching segments in two successive years. In a field experiment contaminated by heavy promotion, a sharp increase in advertising to an experimental group tended to inhibit household segments switching (particularly to more price-sensitive segments) relative to switching that occurred in a control group under more nearly normal advertising pressure.
On the Nature of Mathematical Truth

The problem It is a basic principle of scientific inquiry that no proposition and no theory is to be accepted without adequate grounds. In empirical science, which includes both the natural and the social sciences, the grounds for the acceptance of a theory consist in the agreement of predictions based on the theory with empirical evidence obtained either by experiment or by systematic observation. But what are the grounds which sanction the acceptance of mathematics? That is the question I propose to discuss in the present paper. For reasons which will become clear subsequently, I shall use the term “mathematics” here to refer to arithmetic, algebra, and analysis – to the exclusion, in particular, of geometry. Are the propositions of mathematics self-evident truths? One of the several answers which have been given to our problem asserts that the truths of mathematics, in contradistinction to the hypotheses of empirical science, require neither factual evidence nor any other justification because they are “self-evident.” This view, however, which ultimately relegates decisions as to mathematical truth to a feeling of self-evidence, encounters various difficulties. First of all, many mathematical theorems are so hard to establish that even to the specialist in the particular field they appear as anything but self-evident. Secondly, it is well known that some of the most interesting results of mathematics – especially in such fields as abstract set theory and topology – run counter to deeply ingrained intuitions and the customary kind of feeling of self-evidence.
A note on film metaphor

Abstract This paper is an attempt to identify a straightforward case of metaphor in film, to argue why it should be counted as a case of metaphor and to elucidate its structure.
Hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy: A rare devastating complication of bariatric surgery

The clinical manifestations of hyperammonemia are usually easily identifiable to the clinician when associated with liver disease and lead to prompt diagnosis and treatment. However, hyperammonemia-induced encephalopathy is rare in adults in the absence of overt liver disease, thus diagnosis is often delayed or missed leading to potentially life threatening complications. Without proper treatment, such patients can decompensate rapidly with poor outcomes including seizures, coma, and death. Early assessment of plasma ammonia levels in patients with normal hepatic function and characteristic symptoms of encephalopathy can lead to early intervention while investigating the underlying etiology. We describe a patient who presented with a 2-year progression of waxing and waning acute mental status changes after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. He was found to have elevated ammonia level as well as orotic aciduria; results consistent with a urea cycle disorder. After consulting neurology as well as toxicology, he ultimately improved after dietary protein restriction, sodium benzoate and lactulose therapy. While rare, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for late onset urea cycle disorders in symptomatic patients presenting with encephalopathy secondary to hyperammonemia.
Liver in sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome

In patients with sepsis and SIRS, the liver has two opposing roles: a source of inflammatory mediators and a target organ for the effects of the inflammatory mediators. The liver is pivotal in modulating the systemic response to severe infection, because it contains the largest mass of macrophages (Kupffer cells) in the body; these macrophages can clear the endotoxin and bacteria that initiate the systemic inflammatory response. This article summarizes the functional changes that take place in the liver during sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome and discusses the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie clinical outcomes.
Observational Learning of a Verbal Discrimination

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether second-grade children could learn a verbal discrimination by observing an adult female model associate one algebraic symbol with past-tense words (e.g., watched) and a second symbol with present-participles (e.g., walking). Exposure to the model produced rapid acquisition of the verbal discrimination without the use of either overt practice or extrinsic reinforcement.
Learning dependencies among fetal heart rate features using Bayesian networks

We present preliminary results on the use of Bayesian-network (BN) structure learning algorithms for deciphering dependencies from amongst different fetal heart rate (FHR) features collected from a real database. We used a greedy search-and-score procedure known as the K2 algorithm for the estimation of the BN structure. The database consists of a collection of discrete-valued features quantifying presence of morphological changes as prescribed by expert guidelines (updated by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)) and implemented as rule-based programs. We compare the results of structure learning to the expert-guided structure and use decision functions for classification using posterior probabilities. It was found that the BN estimated from structure learning algorithms had comparable classification performance, but fewer edges, leading to more efficient characterization of conditional probability tables (CPD's). Moreover, structure learning algorithms offer a method of learning novel correlations between FHR features that may be exploited for automatic categorization.
MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF TWO RECOMBINANT MOUSE STRAINS WITH CROSSOVERS IN THE Eα RECOMBINATION HOT SPOT

Recombination in the E alpha gene of the mouse major histocompatibility complex has been found to occur only in mice derived from crosses between strains with the k and p haplotypes. In the present paper the crossover sites of six additional strains were examined by RFLP analysis. These recombinant strains were derived from crosses between strains (B10.RPD1, B10.RPD2) with crossovers in the E alpha gene and B10.M (H-2f). Four have crossover sites between the E alpha gene and the S region. One recombinant (B10.RFD7) also crossed over within the E alpha gene and a second (B10.RPF1) crossed over within a segment located to the left of the E alpha gene. This study suggests that the DNA sequence responsible for recombination in the E alpha gene is also present in the B10.RPD1 and B10.RPD2 recombinant strains.
The outer solar system for 200 million years

We have used a special-purpose computer to integrate the orbits of the outer five planets for more than 100 Myr into the future and more than 100 Myr into the past. The strongest features in the Fourier transforms of the orbital elements of the Jovian planets can be identified with the frequencies predicted by linear secular theory. Many of the weaker features in the Fourier spectra are identified as linear combinations of the basic frequencies. We note serious differences between our measurements and the predictions of Bretagnon (1974). The amplitude of the 3.796 Myr period libration of Pluto’s longitude of perihelion is modulated with a period of 34 Myr. Very long periods, on the order of 137 Myr, are also seen. The orbit of Pluto is stable for the duration of our integration; the maximum Lyapunov characteristic exponent is less than 10−6.8 yr−1.
Critical Theory and the Limits of Academic Economics: Resolving the Political in Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century

This essay assesses the central arguments of Piketty’s Capital in the twenty-first century. We note Piketty’s limited engagement with and active distancing from the writings of Marx. Piketty’s location within the disciplinary boundaries of academic economics seems to have profoundly shaped his surprisingly apolitical analysis. Engagement with the political dimensions of capital is further constrained to increase the book’s influence upon policy. We analyze important limitations to Piketty’s work that result from these disciplinary constraints. Important politically implicated concepts, problems, and approaches that relate to Piketty’s substantial empirical work: labor process studies, research on speculative capitalism, and literature highlighting institutional and political determinants among varieties of capitalism.
Solving the crystal structure of a submicrometer phase in TEM

Abstract The structure of an unknown orthorhombic phase in Ni alloy laser clads has been solved by electron microscopy. The method combined several different pieces of information. An approximate composition was obtained from energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The point group and space group were identified with convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED). Zone-axis symmetry analysis showed that the point group of the phase was mmm. Further examination by GM lines revealed the existence of three 21 screw axes, a diagonal (n) glide plane and an axial (a) glide plane. The space group was then identified as Pnma (No. 62). Structure models were constructed by referring to the symmetry imposed by the space group Pnma and [100] zone-axis HREM images. High-resolution images were compared with simulated images at the [100], [010] and [001] zone axes to distinguish between the proposed models and to refine the right one.
Synchrotron radiation from Neptune: Neptune's magnetic field and electron population

On the basis of radio measurements of Neptune at 20 cm, one can infer the presence of about 0.4 mJy synchrotron radiation. By assuming a dipole-like magnetic field, with the energetic electrons confined to the magnetic equator, Neptune's magnetic dipole moment is estimated. Its electron population should be between that in Uranus' and Jupiter's magnetospheres. If the electrons are injected by the solar wind, local acceleration processes in the magnetosphere are required to energize the particles, because adiabatic diffusion alone is not sufficient.
WT1 immunoreactivity in breast carcinoma: selective expression in pure and mixed mucinous subtypes

Current literature suggests that strong WT1 expression in a carcinoma of unknown origin virtually excludes a breast primary. Our previous pilot study on WT1 expression in breast carcinomas has shown WT1 expression in approximately 10% of carcinomas that show mixed micropapillary and mucinous morphology (Mod Pathol 2007;20(Suppl 2):38A). To definitively assess as to what subtype of breast carcinoma might express WT1 protein, we examined 153 cases of invasive breast carcinomas. These consisted of 63 consecutive carcinomas (contained 1 mucinous tumor), 20 cases with micropapillary morphology (12 pure and 8 mixed), 6 micropapillary 'mimics' (ductal no special type carcinomas with retraction artifacts), 33 pure mucinous carcinomas and 31 mixed mucinous carcinomas (mucinous mixed with other morphologic types). Overall, WT1 expression was identified in 33 carcinomas, that is, 22 of 34 (65%) pure mucinous carcinomas and in 11 of 33 (33%) mixed mucinous carcinomas. The non-mucinous component in these 11 mixed mucinous carcinomas was either a ductal no special type carcinoma (8 cases) or a micropapillary component (3 cases). WT1 expression level was similar in both the mucinous and the non-mucinous components. The degree of WT1 expression was generally weak to moderate (>90% cases) and rarely strong (<10% cases). None of the breast carcinoma subtype unassociated with mucinous component showed WT1 expression.
Curcumin in VIP-targeted sterically stabilized phospholipid nanomicelles: a novel therapeutic approach for breast cancer and breast cancer stem cells.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the US, with 40 % chance of relapse after treatment. Recent studies outline the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor initiation, propagation, and regeneration of cancer. Moreover, it has been established that breast CSCs reside in a quiescent state that makes them more resistant to conventional cancer therapies than bulk cancer cells resulting in tumor relapse. In this study, we establish that CSCs are associated with the overexpression of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors which can be used to actively target these cells. We investigated the potential of using a novel curcumin nanomedicine (C-SSM) surface conjugated with VIP to target and hinder breast cancer with CSCs. Here, we formulated, characterized, and evaluated the feasibility of C-SSM nanomedicine in vitro. We investigated the cytotoxicity of C-SSM on breast cancer cells and CSCs by tumorsphere formation assay. Our results suggest that curcumin can be encapsulated in SSM up to 200 μg/ml with 1 mM lipid concentration. C-SSM nanomedicine is easy to prepare and maintains its original physicochemical properties after lyophilization, with an IC50 that is significantly improved from that of free curcumin (14.2 ± 1.2 vs. 26.1 ± 3.0 μM). Furthermore, C-SSM-VIP resulted in up to 20 % inhibition of tumorsphere formation at a dose of 5 μM. To this end, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing our actively targeted nanomedicine as a potential therapy for CSCs-enriched breast cancer.
Analysis of Gap Gene Regulation in a 3D Organism-Scale Model of the Drosophila melanogaster Embryo

The axial bodyplan of Drosophila melanogaster is determined during a process called morphogenesis. Shortly after fertilization, maternal bicoid mRNA is translated into Bicoid (Bcd). This protein establishes a spatially graded morphogen distribution along the anterior-posterior (AP) axis of the embryo. Bcd initiates AP axis determination by triggering expression of gap genes that subsequently regulate each other's expression to form a precisely controlled spatial distribution of gene products. Reaction-diffusion models of gap gene expression on a 1D domain have previously been used to infer complex genetic regulatory network (GRN) interactions by optimizing model parameters with respect to 1D gap gene expression data. Here we construct a finite element reaction-diffusion model with a realistic 3D geometry fit to full 3D gap gene expression data. Though gap gene products exhibit dorsal-ventral asymmetries, we discover that previously inferred gap GRNs yield qualitatively correct AP distributions on the 3D domain only when DV-symmetric initial conditions are employed. Model patterning loses qualitative agreement with experimental data when we incorporate a realistic DV-asymmetric distribution of Bcd. Further, we find that geometry alone is insufficient to account for DV-asymmetries in the final gap gene distribution. Additional GRN optimization confirms that the 3D model remains sensitive to GRN parameter perturbations. Finally, we find that incorporation of 3D data in simulation and optimization does not constrain the search space or improve optimization results.
Dialysis patient ratings of the quality of medical care

c Dialysis patients receive medical care from a variety of physicians. Little is known about how dialysis patients assess the quality of this care. We sought to determine (1) who dialysis patients receive medical care from, (2) how they rate the quality of such care, and (3) how ratings differ for care provided by generalists, nephrologists, and other specialists. We performed a cross-sectional interview study of 148 patients from four chronic hemodialysis units. Using a structured questionnaire, we asked subjects about each condition for which they received care in the preceding 12 months. For each condition, subjects mentioned the type of physician who provided care and then rated their overall satisfaction with care as well as six components of quality of care (availability of doctor, technical skill, personal manner, explanations provided, amount of time spent, and how much patient was helped). We found that generalists, nephrologists, and other specialists provided care for 14%, 48%, and 38% of conditions for which patients received care. Sixty-nine percent of overall satisfaction ratings were very good or better. Of the six components of quality of care, explanations and amount of time received the lowest ratings. On multivariate analysis, increased patient age, black race, and care for acute illnesses were associated with lower ratings of quality of care. There was no difference in ratings of care provided by generalists, nephrologists, and other specialists. In conclusion, dialysis patients receive most of their medical care from nephrologists and other specialists. Although they generally rate this care highly, we recommend that providers pay special attention to explanations provided, time spent with patients, and care for acute illness. r 1998 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
Death and the Minyan

Blanchot ... writes: "The Jews incarnate... the refusal of myths, the abandonment of idols, the recognition of an ethical order that manifests itself in respect for the law. What Hitler wants to annihilate in the Jew, in the 'myth of the Jew,' is precisely man freed from myth." This is another way of showing where and when myth was definitively interrupted. I would add this: "man freed from myth" belongs henceforth to a community that it is incumbent upon us to let come, to let write itself. Jean-Luc Nancy
Metabolic and receptor imaging in patients with neuroendocrine tumors: comparison of fludeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and computed tomography with indium in 111 pentetreotide.

Objective: To determine whether positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and indium In 111 pentetreotide, individually or collectively, predict the outcome of patients with neuroen...
The aberrant ventricular complex as an aid in prognosis

Abstract 1. 1. Thirty-eight cases showing electrocardiographic evidence of delayed intraventricular conduction are reported, with complete clinical records in thirty-three and subsequent follow-up records in twenty-seven cases over a period of 6 1 2 years. 2. 2. Over three-fourths (75.7 per cent) of the patients were past fifty years of age. 3. 3. The systolic blood pressure was above 200 mm. in four cases out of twenty-six (15 per cent), above 150 mm. in thirteen cases (50 per cent), and below 120 mm. in five cases (19 per cent). The diastolic pressure was above 100 mm. in eight cases (37 per cent). 4. 4. Evidences of bundle-branch block were found in ten patients (26 per cent), right in nine and left in one. 5. 5. Low voltage, 6 millimeters or less in all leads, occurred in four cases (10 per cent). 6. 6. Notching of R- and S-waves in one or more derivations occurred in twenty-five cases (65 per cent). 7. 7. Fourteen patients out of the twenty-six followed, or 53.8 per cent, died, as compared with 46.8 per cent of a control series of patients with auricular fibrillation and normal ventricular complexes. In eleven patients, or 45.8 per cent of the series, death occurred a year or less after the diagnosis of intraventricular delay was made, the average length of life being 8 4 5 months. Six of the eight cases complicated by auricular fibrillation have died. Ten patients out of the twenty-six, or 38.4 per cent, are known to be alive, four of them having lived for 6 years or more. 8. 8. The finding of an aberrant ventricular complex is of serious prognostic importance, but is not incompatible with a number of years of fairly active life.
Generation of Internally Mixed Insoluble and Soluble Aerosol Particles to Investigate the Impact of Atmospheric Aging and Heterogeneous Processing on the CCN Activity of Mineral Dust Aerosol

Heterogeneous reactions of trace gases with mineral dust aerosol not only impact the chemical balance of the atmosphere but also the physicochemical properties of the dust particle and the ability of the particle to act as a cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Recent field studies have shown that carbonate minerals are preferentially associated with nitrates whereas aluminum silicates (i.e., clay minerals) are preferentially associated with sulfates. To better understand how this association can impact the climate effects of mineral dust particles, we have measured the CCN activity of a number of pure and internal mixtures of aerosols relevant to these recent field studies. The CCN activity of CaCO 3 -Ca(NO 3 ) 2 aerosol, simulating the activity of mineral dust aerosol that has been partially processed by nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, is significantly enhanced relative to CaCO3 aerosol of the same diameter. Similar results are obtained for a clay mineral, kaolinite, internally mixed with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ...
Supramolecular architecture of a silver(I) coordination polymer supported by a new ligand containing four Tris(pyrazolyl)methane units.

The new ligand, 1,2,4,5-C6H2[CH2OCH2C(pz)3]4 (pz = pyrazolyl ring), that links four tris(pyrazolyl)methane groups in one molecule has been prepared and been shown to react with AgBF4 to yield the coordination polymer {1,2,4,5-C6H2[CH2OCH2C(pz)3]4Ag2(BF4)2}n. The supramolecular structure of this compound is composed of infinite chains of 32-atom metallomacrocycles each containing two silver atoms and four κ2-bonded tris(pyrazolyl)methane units (see figure), arranged in an ordered architecture by C−H···F weak hydrogen bonds and π−π stacking interactions.
Pressure and magnetic field dependence of the low temperature resistivity of PF6-doped polypyrrole

Abstract The temperature coefficient of the resistivity (TCR) of doped polypyrrole changes sign below 25 K, from negative to positive, in samples with relatively weak disorder (as inferred from the resistivity ratio, ϱ r = ϱ (1.4 K)/ ϱ (300 K)). We have studied the crossover from negative to positive TCR as a function of the disorder, and as a function of pressure and magnetic field. At ambient pressure, the sign change is systematically observed only for samples having ϱ r ⩽2. For example, when ϱ r decreases from 1.97 to 1.33, the temperature ( T 1 ) defining the transition from negative to positive TCR increases from 7.5 to 24 K. Pressure enhances interchain transport and thereby decreases ϱ r . For samples having ϱ r ≈ 2–10, the TCR transition can be induced by applying high pressure. A magnetic field of 8 T suppresses the TCR transition. This anomalous temperature dependence of the low temperature electrical transport is discussed in terms of correlation corrections to the conductivity in the disordered metallic regime near the metal-insulator transition.
Scale Issues in the Development of Future Precipitation Scenarios

: Many of the processes that govern precipitation occurrence and intensity occur at spatial and temporal scales that remain unresolved by the current generation of climate models. The resulting mismatch between the information reliably provided by such models and the needs of researchers assessing impacts associated with changes in precipitation has led to the development of downscaling techniques. In this paper, the need for downscaling is demonstrated by describing (1) the difference between real-world precipitation-governing processes and their representation in climate models and (2) the differences between theoretical expectations of precipitation changes at large and small scales in a warmer world. With a primary focus on empirical-statistical downscaling, the general strategy for developing regional scenarios is described along with outstanding issues that are likely to shape the next decade of downscaling research.
INHIBITION OF OVIDUCAL SPERM TRANSPORT IN RABBITS IMMUNIZED AGAINST SPERM-SPECIFIC LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE (LDH-C4)

Abstract Known quantities of spermatozoa were placed directly into the oviducts, via the utero-tubal junction, of rabbits which had been immunized systemically with either Freund's complete adjuvant plus saline (control) or with adjuvant and saline containing sperm-specific lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-C 4 ; immune). Sperm transport through the oviducts was estimated by determining the percentage of sperm recovered from a flask connected to the fimbriae. An average of 26.1% of inseminated sperm was recovered from control oviducts while only 6.8% of such sperm were recovered from immune oviducts (the difference is significant; P 4 in the oviducal fluid of immune rabbits, and is probably a major factor contributing to the infertility of females immunized against LDH-C 4 .
ERK1 and ERK2 Activate CCAAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein-β-dependent Gene Transcription in Response to Interferon-γ

Interferons (IFNs) regulate the expression of a number of cellular genes by activating the JAK-STAT pathway. We have recently discovered that CCAAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β (C/EBP-β) induces gene transcription through a novel IFN response element called the γ-IFN-activated transcriptional element (Roy, S. K., Wachira, S. J., Weihua, X., Hu, J., and Kalvakolanu, D. V. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 12626–12632. Here, we describe a new IFN-γ-stimulated pathway that operates C/EBP-β-regulated gene expression independent of JAK1. We show that ERKs are activated by IFN-γ to stimulate C/EBP-β-dependent expression. Sustained ERK activation directly correlated with C/EBP-βdependent gene expression in response to IFN-γ. Mutant MKK1, its inhibitors, and mutant ERK suppressed IFN-γ-stimulated gene induction through the γ-IFN-activated transcriptional element. Ras and Raf activation was not required for this process. Furthermore, Raf-1 phosphorylation negatively correlated with its activity. Interestingly, C/EBP-β-induced gene expression required STAT1, but not JAK1. A C/EBP-β mutant lacking the ERK phosphorylation site failed to promote IFN-stimulated gene expression. Thus, our data link C/EBP-β to IFN-γ signaling through ERKs.
Gestational weight gain among average-weight and overweight women — What is excessive?

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the association between increased gestational weight gain and birth weight outcomes for low-income women. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 53,541 single, live infants delivered from 1990 to 1991 to white, black, and Hispani women in eight states were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression was used to calculate risk of low and high (>4500 gm) brith weight, adjusting for selected factors. RESULTS : The association between gestational weight gain and birth weight varied by prepregnancy body mass index. Risk for low birth weight decreased with increasing weight gain for average-weight women. There was no reduction in risk for low birth weight, however, beyond weight gains of 30 to 34 pounds for overweight women and 15 to 19 pounds for very-overweight women. Risk for high birth weight, however, increased with increasing weight gain in all three groups. CONCLUSION: Very-overweight women (body mass index >29 kg/m 2 ) may benefit from an upper guideline of 25 pounds of weight gain to help reduce risk for high birth weight.
Balloon-protected carotid angioplasty.

OBJECTIVE: We describe a method of protecting the distal cerebral circulation during carotid angioplasty and report results using the technique in 17 procedures. METHODS: Eleven men and five women with carotid stenoses ranging in severity from 70 to 95% underwent the procedure. The technique was used bilaterally in one patient. A compliant silicone balloon was used to occlude the distal internal carotid artery during the angioplasty phase, when the largest number of emboli are generated. After angioplasty, debris was then flushed into the external circulation while the occlusion balloon remained inflated. The subsequent passage of an exchange guidewire through the angioplasty catheter, with the occlusion balloon deflated, allowed continuous guidewire access across the area of stenosis and facilitated the subsequent placement of a stent. RESULTS: The technique was successful in 16 (94%) of 17 procedures. In the one patient in whom the occlusion balloon could not be advanced across the stenosis, the patient experienced a transient ischemic attack after subsequent angioplasty that was performed without protection. Otherwise, no complications occurred among the 15 patients undergoing successful, balloon-protected angioplasty. Inflation times for the occlusion balloon did not exceed 5 minutes in any patient. CONCLUSION: This method of cerebral protection prevents the intracranial embolization of thrombus and atherosclerotic debris, while allowing continuous guidewire access across the site of stenosis. The success of this technique and a similar method used by Theron et al. supports the use of balloon protection as a means of reducing the risk of stroke associated with carotid angioplasty.
Evidence for helical structure in a tetramer of α2-8 sialic acid: unveiling a structural antigen.

Characteristic H-bonding patterns define secondary structure in proteins and nucleic acids. We show that similar patterns apply for α2-8 sialic acid (SiA) in H2O and that H-bonds define its structure. A 15N,13C α2-8 SiA tetramer, (SiA)4, was used as a model system for the polymer. At 263 K, we detected intra-residue through-H-bond J couplings between 15N and C8 for residues R-I–R-III of the tetramer, indicating H-bonds between the 15N’s and the O8’s of these residues. Additional J couplings between the 15N’s and C2’s of the adjacent residues confirm the putative H-bonds. NH groups showing this long-range correlation also experience slower 1H/2H exchange. Additionally, detection of couplings between H7 and C2 for R-II and R-III implies that the conformations of the linkers between these residues are different than in the monomers. These structural elements are consistent with two left-handed helical models: 2 residues/turn (24 helix) and 4 residues/turn (14 helix). To discriminate between models, we resort...