cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-profile studies frequently and repetitively present data on the same patients, particularly in immunotherapy studies

Background: Traditionally, study results have been presented as abstracts at major scientific meetings at the conclusion of the analysis. Recently, presentations of studies in progress and updates to previously presented data have been allowed at major meetings. The frequency and implications of a single study being presented multiple times, particularly in high profile oral presentations, have not been fully evaluated. Methods: To identify studies presented multiple times, abstracts from an approximately 1-year period from international conferences for three major societies devoted largely or in part to lung cancer research were assessed (ASCO 2015, World Lung 2015, ESMO 2015 and ASCO 2016). Abstracts were selected in a two-step process. The first step was for subject matter based on keywords: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or immunotherapy. Searches differed slightly based on individual website functionality, with ASCO searched by track, World Lung by session and ESMO by individual abstract. In a second step, abstracts for which clinical outcome data was presented from a trial with an identifiable National Clinical Trial (NCT) number were selected. Immunotherapy abstracts that did not include the treatment of NSCLC or SCLC were excluded in the second step. Results: A total of 851 abstracts were identified that were related to NSCLC, SCLC or immunotherapy. Of these, 357 referred to a clinical trial. In total, 110 of 357 (31%) described clinical trials that were presented multiple times (mean 2.75, range 2–7), and in 44 (12%), this occurred at the same conference. Of the 113 oral presentations, 75 (66%) presented data from clinical trials, either as posters or oral presentations. Further, 35 of the 113 (31%) oral presentations presented data from clinical trials that had generated other oral presentations. Of the 16 unique clinical trials leading to multiple oral presentations, a variety of issues led to the duplicate presentations, including different cohorts of the same trial, biomarker analysis, analysis by one study variable, or simply updated data. Moreover, 107 of the 357 (30%) clinical trial abstracts pertained to immunotherapy, including 4 of the 16 clinical trials generating multiple oral presentations. Of the 16 trials generating multiple oral presentations, 11 (69%) lead to a full-length publication by July 2017, including all of those pertaining to immunotherapy. Conclusions: There is a pattern of multiple presentations of clinical trials, particularly in oral presentations, at major meetings. In most cases, data presented in subsequent oral presentations related entirely to patients whose data was presented in the previous oral presentation.
Potential Color Change Dynamics of Beneficial Use Sediments

ABSTRACT Berkowitz, J.F.; VanZomeren, C.M., and Priestas, A.M., 2018. Potential color change dynamics of beneficial use sediments. Sediment color is important in determining aesthetic and habitat suitability for beach nourishment projects; however, sediment derived from dredging operations must meet locally established color compatibility requirements (i.e. cannot be too dark). Often, potential sediment sources are close to meeting specified thresholds, and previous observations suggest that sediments may lighten over time following beach nourishment. This work seeks to characterize the degree of color change potential based on the removal of constituents affecting sediment color. Thus, a sequential chemical treatment was developed to examine color changes associated with the removal of carbonates, organic matter, and iron oxide coatings from sediments collected from eight U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging operations. The results show that Munsell values increased by an average of 1.0 unit (became lig...
Experimental Analysis of Mouse Limb Development In Situ

Using exo utero surgical techniques we have fate mapped various limb stages and have used these fate maps to analyze the regulative ability of the early mouse limb. Fate mapping studies demonstrate that the anterior-posterior extent of the limb bud develops asymmetrically with the posterior half giving rise to 3 digits while the anterior half forms only 2 digits. In addition, we find that individual digits are formed by the distal addition of phalangeal elements as opposed to the segmentation of an initial cartilagenous rod that forms in the footplate. The regulative ability of early limb buds was investigated following amputation through the footplate and by grafting tissues to confront anterior and posterior cells. In both instances we find that partial regulation occurs: partial regeneration of peripheral digits following amputation and the formation of supernumerary digits tips following heterochronic grafts of anterior wedges into posterior positions.
Discovery of Trifluoromethyl Glycol Carbamates as Potent and Selective Covalent Monoacylglycerol Lipase (MAGL) Inhibitors for Treatment of Neuroinflammation

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibition provides a potential treatment approach to neuroinflammation through modulation of both the endocannabinoid pathway and arachidonoyl signaling in the central nervous system (CNS). Herein we report the discovery of compound 15 (PF-06795071), a potent and selective covalent MAGL inhibitor, featuring a novel trifluoromethyl glycol leaving group that confers significant physicochemical property improvements as compared with earlier inhibitor series with more lipophilic leaving groups. The design strategy focused on identifying an optimized leaving group that delivers MAGL potency, serine hydrolase selectivity, and CNS exposure while simultaneously reducing log D, improving solubility, and minimizing chemical lability. Compound 15 achieves excellent CNS exposure, extended 2-AG elevation effect in vivo, and decreased brain inflammatory markers in response to an inflammatory challenge.
Nitrosative damage during retrovirus infection-induced neuropathic pain.

Peripheral neuropathy is currently the most common neurological complication in HIV-infected individuals, occurring in 35–50% of patients undergoing combination anti-retroviral therapy. Data have shown that distal symmetric polyneuropathy develops in mice by 6 weeks following infection with the LP-BM5 retrovirus mixture. Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated that glial cells modulate antiviral T-cell effector responses through the programmed death (PD)-1: PD-L1 pathway, thereby limiting the deleterious consequences of unrestrained neuroinflammation. Using the MouseMet electronic von Frey system, we assessed hind-paw mechanical hypersensitivity in LP-BM5-infected wild-type (WT) and PD-1 KO animals. Using multi-color flow cytometry, we quantitatively assessed cellular infiltration and microglial activation. Using real-time RT-PCR, we assessed viral load, expression of IFN-γ, iNOS, and MHC class II. Using western blotting, we measured protein nitrosylation within the lumbar spinal cord (LSC) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Histochemical staining was performed to analyze the presence of CD3, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule (Iba)-1, MHCII, nitrotyrosine, isolectin B4 (IB4) binding, and neurofilament 200 (NF200). Statistical analyses were carried out using graphpad prism. Hind-paw mechanical hypersensitivity observed in LP-BM5-infected animals was associated with significantly increased lymphocyte infiltration into the spinal cord and DRG. We also observed elevated expression of IFN-γ (in LSC and DRG) and MHC II (on resident microglia in LSC). We detected elevated levels of 3-nitrotyrosine within the LSC and DRG of LP-BM5-infected animals, an indicator of nitric oxide (NO)-induced protein damage. Moreover, we observed 3-nitrotyrosine in both small (IB4+) and large (NF200+) DRG sensory neurons. Additionally, infected PD-1 KO animals displayed significantly greater mechanical hypersensitivity than WT or uninfected mice at 4 weeks post-infection (p.i.). Accelerated onset of hind-paw hypersensitivity in PD-1 KO animals was associated with significantly increased infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, macrophages, and microglial activation at early time points. Importantly, we also observed elevated levels of 3-nitrotyrosine and iNOS in infected PD-1 KO animals when compared with WT animals. Results reported here connect peripheral immune cell infiltration and reactive gliosis with nitrosative damage. These data may help elucidate how retroviral infection-induced neuroinflammatory networks contribute to nerve damage and neuropathic pain.
Hiding Behind the Words of Others: Does Redundant Word Choice Reflect Suppressed Individuality When Tweeting in the First Person Singular?

We analyze naturally occurring social media data that derive from Twitter messages posted over a 24-h period in immediate reaction to the Paris terrorist attacks in November 2015. We separately examine patterns for tweets with first-person singular pronouns (I) and first-person plural pronouns (WE), the corresponding variations in valence, arousal, proportion of words in various LIWC categories, and diversity of word choices within those categories. Negatively valenced word choices revealed greater mean differences between I and WE than did positively valenced words. Novel was that tweets with I exhibited a more uniform distribution of word choices and greater linguistic alignment, for most of the LIWC categories and for both positively and negatively valenced word choices, relative to tweets in WE. Greater diversity differences associated with pronoun choice when valence is negative than when it is positive suggest less self-disclosure when tweeting with first-person singular than plural pronouns.
Centers of 2–Trees

The center of a graph G is defined as subgraph of G induced by the set of vertices which have minimal eccentricities (i.e., minimal value of distance to the most distant vertices of G). It has been shown that only a finite number of graphs can be centers of maximal outerplanar graphs (mops). We generalize this result for the class of 2-trees which contains mops.
Evaluation of Florida stone crab life history and management scenarios using spawning potential ratios

Abstract The stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, supported the third most valuable fishery in Florida in 2016. Declining catch per unit effort (CPUE) and a negative trend in landings since 2000 have raised concerns among fishermen, researchers, and fishery managers as to the fishery’s sustainability. The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that the state’s stone crab fishery has been overexploited since 1997. This stock status determination, however, is based largely on trends in total landings and CPUE and does not account for the life-history parameters that describe stock productivity, such as size at maturity, fecundity, and survivorship. In this study, an age-structured per-recruit model was developed to evaluate how alternative biological parameters and management scenarios might affect reproductive output, calculated as the spawning potential ratio (SPR), of a theoretical stone crab population. The model incorporated new estimates of size at maturity, fecundity, and temperature-dependent release mortalities. Spawning potential ratios increased with decreasing size at sexual maturity and were sensitive to increasing natural mortality. The largest contributor to changes in SPR was mortality associated with the declawing and release of stone crabs. We also assessed various management scenarios including regulations governing minimum claw length, requiring the use of juvenile trap excluder devices, and institution of temperature-dependent season openings. Increasing the minimum claw length and excluding small juveniles from traps provided moderate protection to the spawning stock. The model suggests that adaptive management strategies that allow fishing only when water temperatures are below 24 °C (the temperature at which modeled survival is improved) could greatly reduce mortality and increase SPR. We examined a suite of management scenarios on the effect of SPR, but additional research should be conducted to determine the socioeconomic impact of changes in regulations in this valuable fishery.
Optimization of PDEs with Uncertain Inputs

Uncertainty pervades nearly all science and engineering applications including the optimal control and design of systems governed by partial differential equations (PDEs). In many applications, it is critical to determine optimal solutions that are resilient to the inherent uncertainty in unknown boundary conditions, inaccurate coefficients, and unverifiable modeling assumptions. In this tutorial, we develop a general theory for PDE-constrained optimization problems in which inputs or coefficients of the PDE are uncertain. We discuss numerous approaches for incorporating risk preference and conservativeness into the optimization problem formulation, motivated by concrete engineering applications. We conclude with a discussion of nonintrusive solution methods and numerical examples.
Loss of Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A (TFAM) in Tubule Cells Causes Renal Failure Via Activating the cGAS-STING Innate Immune Pathway

Kidney fibrosis is characterized by tubule atrophy, compromised bioenergetics and proinflammatory gene expression. The relationship between these events are poorly understood. In patient samples, the expression of TFAM and mitochondrial genes correlates with kidney fibrosis. Mice with tubule specific deletion of TFAM (Ksp-Cre/Tfam flox/flox) developed severe mitochondrial loss and decline of ATP content by 6 weeks of age. Progressive azotemia, kidney fibrosis and death of the animals was only observed after 12 weeks of age. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that aberrant mtDNA packaging upon TFAM deficiency in tubule cells resulted in escape of mtDNA into the cytosol, activation of the cytosolic DNA sensing pathway, the Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), resulting in cytokine expression and immune cell recruitment. Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of STING ameliorated TFAM-loss induced kidney fibrosis, demonstrating, that in addition to its essential role in metabolism, TFAM sequesters mtDNA to prevent the activation of innate immune pathways and fibrosis.
Spinors in General Relativity

This lecture will focus on the vierbein formalism for incorporating spinor fields in General Relativity. The vierbein formalism is fundamentally related to the notion of local Lorentz invariance in the tangent space, and may be considered regardless of the presence of spinor fields. The field equations are derived from the action and compared to those found in the standard formalism. Finally, the Clifford algebra and spinor fields are embodied in the formalism, the field equations are obtained from an action principle and compared to the previous equations. Unlike the previous cases, when spinor matter is incorporated there is an ambiguity in the resulting field equations, depending on which fields are chosen to be independent dynamical variables. At present, there are no data to guideus to the correct version.
How states shaped postwar America: State government and urban power, by Nicholas Dagen Bloom: Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press, 2019

America’s cities are shaped by the decisions of municipal officials and federal urban policies, but they are also subject to policies that emanate from governors and state houses. The “massive and ...
Hosting Art Exhibits to Enhance Student Engagement: A Case Study at a Commuter College

A commuter campus library hosted an art exhibit in November 2019 to increase engagement levels of local high school and university students and to involve them in scholarly activities. The exhibit ...
Changes in night sky brightness after a countywide LED retrofit.

Abstract The US National Park Service (NPS) Night Skies Program measured changes in sky brightness resulting from a countywide lighting retrofit project. The retrofit took place in Chelan County, a gateway community to North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area in Washington State. The county retrofitted all 3693 county-owned high pressure sodium (HPS) street lamps to full cutoff LEDs. This number is about 60% of the County's total outdoor street and area lights. About 80% of the newly installed lights were 3000 K in color temperature and 20% were 4000 K. The 4000 K LEDs were used to meet Washington State Department of Transportation guidelines. To measure sky brightness, we used the NPS night sky camera system before the retrofit started in 2018 and after its completion in 2019. These images were photometrically calibrated and mosaicked together to provide hemispherical images in V band. For comparison with our ground-based measurement, we obtained the satellite imagery taken by Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. Our measurements show that the post-retrofit skyglow became brighter and extended higher in the sky, but upward radiance, as measured by the day-night band radiometer, decreased. These divergent results are likely explained by a substantial increase in light emitted at wavelengths shorter than 500 nm, and a relative decrease in upward light emission due to better shielded luminaires. These results also demonstrate that earlier models relating VIIRS day-night band data to skyglow will – at a minimum – require substantial revision to account for the different characteristics of solid state luminaires.
Which peer reviewers voluntarily reveal their identity to authors? Insights into the consequences of open-identities peer review.

Identifying reviewers is argued to improve the quality and fairness of peer review, but is generally disfavoured by reviewers. To gain some insight into the factors that influence when reviewers ar...
Evaluating immune function in domestic animals

Dexamethasone administration has been widely used as a model of immunosuppression in various species. The objective of the work reported here was to evaluate immune function in pigs treated with dexamethasone. Experiment 1 pigs were assigned to either Control (n=10) or 2 mg/kg Dexamethasone (n=10) treated groups. Treatments were administered 48 and 24 hours prior to immune function testing. The dexamethasone treated pigs received the drug on 22 of 72 experimental days. Pigs in Experiment 2 were assigned to one of three groups: Control (n=10), 2 mg/kg dexamethasone (n=10), or 6 mg/kg dexamethasone (n=10). Treatments were given once and immune functions were evaluated three and 27 hours after treatment. Lymphocyte blastogenesis, total and difTerential white blood cell count, and several measures of in vitro neutrophil function were measured in both experiments. Antigen specific antibody production, growth rate, and organ weights at necropsy were also measured in Experiment 1. There were no consistent changes in neutrophil functions in these experiments. Lymphocyte blastogenesis to concanavalin A and poke weed mitogen was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced during
The effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on endometriosis in the human female.

The effect of Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) alone or w ith various estrogens was studied in 14 patients with endometriosis. A ll the paitents except 1 were followed for 13-62 months. Depo-Provera was administered in doses of 100 mg every 2 weeks for a total dosage of 1000-2000 mg. The drug had an effect lasting 4-7 months after the last injection. The effect on endometriotic tissue was striking and was similar in many respects to those conditions occurring during pregnancy. Except for spotting and breakthrough bleeding side effects were less frequent than those reported for oral progestins and estrogen-progestogen combinations. It is concluded that Depo-Provera is a potent long-lasting progestational agent which is highly useful as an adjunct to surgery in cases of advanced endometrial lesions.
Sexual Maturity Rating: A Marker for Effects of Pubertal Maturation on the Adolescent Electrocardiogram

The heart is known to participate in the adolescent growth spurt. A peak increase in transverse diameter coincides with peak height velocity during pubertal maturation. The effects of maturation on the adolescent ECG were explored using sexual maturity rating (SMR) as a marker. ECGs were obtained from 751 patients 8 to 20 years of age seen for routine physical examinations. A total of 33 standard ECG measures were analyzed, with subjects separated by sex and SMR. Different trends were seen in boys and girls during the course of maturation for the majority of R and S wave amplitude measurements. Lower mean amplitudes were seen consistently in more mature (SMR 4 and 5) girls than less mature girls and all boys. The clinical implication of these findings is illustrated by analysis of the sum of RV5 and SV2, one of the criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy, by sex and SMR. No significant difference in the sum is noted for boys across five SMR groups. Girls, in contrast, show a steady decrease in the sum with advancing maturation. These trends are not as clearly shown when subjects are grouped by broad chronologic age ranges, as had been the practice in developing current adolescent ECG tables. These findings suggest that development of standard ECG tables in which SMR and sex have been taken into account might enhance interpretation during adolescence.
In Pursuit of the Naked Short

Recent lawsuits claiming market manipulation through naked short-selling have failed to produce remedies for the alleged injured parties; no private plaintiff yet has won a final judgment, with damages, based on allegations of naked short-selling. Despite this poor track record, naked short-selling litigation has proliferated in the post-Enron era, as struggling small-cap companies blame naked short-sellers for their sagging stock prices, and with the plaintiffs’ bar pursuing the naked short as a Holy Grail because of the potentially huge damage awards.This article explores the origins of naked short-selling litigation; considers the failures of significant naked short-selling lawsuits in federal court; surveys the obstacles erected collectively by constitutional standing requirements, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, brokerage firms, death spiral financiers, and the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation; examines the efficacy of Regulation SHO, SEC rule 10b-21, and new FINRA rules; discusses recent state legislation and state court litigation; and identifies non-litigation options to curb naked short-selling. Ultimately, this article seeks to answer the question: If manipulative naked short-selling is more than a mythological scapegoat for small cap failure, what remedies are, or should be, available?
Multiscale stereo matching

Most work in pyramidal or hierarchical stereo matching has primarily used the direct coarse-to-fine or hill climbing search method. However, there are two significant problems in using the hill climbing method. First, the match at the initial scale level can be wrong. Second, the binary decision at any of the finer scale levels may be wrong. The authors present a method which is essentially a best-first or cost minimization search method and which alleviates both of these problems. Results of application to real world image pairs are presented as well as a direct comparison in terms of percentage of correct matches to the traditional hill climbing method. >
IL-4 and IFN-γ Up-Regulate Substance P Receptor Expression in Murine Peritoneal Macrophages

While the ability of macrophages to express authentic substance P receptors (i.e., NK-1 receptors) has been inferred from radioreceptor binding assays and functional assays and, most recently, by identification of NK-1 receptor mRNA expression, we know little about NK-1 expression at the protein level or what host factors might up-regulate expression of this receptor. In the present study we demonstrate that the cytokines IL-4 and IFN-gamma can increase the expression of NK-1 receptors on murine peritoneal macrophages. Specifically, we show that IL-4 and IFN-gamma can elicit increases in the level of mRNA encoding the NK-1 receptor by up to 12- and 13-fold, respectively. Furthermore, these cytokines can significantly increase the expression of the NK-1 receptor protein as measured by Western blot and FACS analysis using specific Abs developed in our laboratory. In addition, we have demonstrated the ability of both IL-4 and IFN-gamma to enhance the ability of macrophages to bind substance P as measured by radiolabeled binding assay. The observation that the level of expression of this receptor protein can be enhanced by cytokines that promote either cell-mediated (Th1) or humoral (Th2) immune responses supports the idea that this receptor can be induced during either type of immune response. As such, these results may point to a more ubiquitous role for substance P in the generation of optimal immune responses than previously appreciated.
Repair of DNA-containing pyrimidine dimers.

Ultraviolet light-induced pyrimidine dimers in DNA are recognized and repaired by a number of unique cellular surveillance systems. The most direct biochemical mechanism responding to this kind of genotoxicity involves direct photoreversal by flavin enzymes that specifically monomerize pyrimidine:pyrimidine dimers monophotonically in the presence of visible light. Incision reactions are catalyzed by a combined pyrimidine dimer DNA-glycosylase:apyrimidinic endonuclease found in some highly UV-resistant organisms. At a higher level of complexity, Escherichia coli has a uvr DNA repair system comprising the UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC proteins responsible for incision. There are several preincision steps governed by this pathway, which includes an ATP-dependent UvrA dimerization reaction required for UvrAB nucleoprotein formation. This complex formation driven by ATP binding is associated with localized topological unwinding of DNA. This same protein complex can catalyze an ATPase-dependent 5'----3'-directed strand ...
Exoenzyme activities as indicators of dissolved organic matter composition in the hyporheic zone of a floodplain river

SUMMARY 1. We measured the hyporheic microbial exoenzyme activities in a floodplain river to determine whether dissolved organic matter (DOM) bioavailability varied with overlying riparian vegetation patch structure or position along flowpaths. 2. Particulate organic matter (POM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity and temperature were sampled from wells in a riparian terrace on the Queets River, Washington, U.S.A. on 25 March, 15 May, 20 July and 09 October 1999. Dissolved nitrate, ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus were also collected on 20 July and 09 October 1999. Wells were characterised by their associated overlying vegetation: bare cobble ⁄ young alder, mid-aged alder (8–20 years) and old alder ⁄ old-growth conifer (25 to >100 years). POM was analysed for the ash-free dry mass and the activities of eight exoenzymes (a-glucosidase, b-glucosidase, b -N-acetylglucosaminidase, xylosidase, phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, esterase and endopeptidase) using fluorogenic substrates. 3. Exoenzyme activities in the Queets River hyporheic zone indicated the presence of an active microbial community metabolising a diverse array of organic molecules. Individual exoenzyme activity (mean ± standard error) ranged from 0.507 ± 0.1547 to 22.8 ± 5.69 lmol MUF (g AFDM) )1 h )1 , was highly variable among wells and varied seasonally, with the lowest rates occurring in March. Exoenzyme activities were weakly correlated with DO, DOC and inorganic nutrient concentrations. 4. Ratios of leucine aminopeptidase : b-glucosidase were low in March, May and October and high in July, potentially indicating a switch from polysaccharides to proteins as the dominant component of microbial metabolism. 5. Principal components analysis indicated that there were patch effects and that these effects were strongest in the summer. 6. DOM degradation patterns did not change systematically along hyporheic flowpaths but varied with overlying forest patch type in the Queets River hyporheic zone, suggesting that additional carbon inputs exist. We hypothesise that the most likely input is the downward movement of DOM from overlying riparian soils. Understanding this movement of DOM from soils to subsurface water is essential for understanding both the hyporheic metabolism and the carbon budget of streams and rivers.
Terabit/sec VCSEL-based parallel optical module based on holey CMOS transceiver IC

We report a 24 TX + 24 RX transceiver underpinned by a “holey” CMOS IC. All channels operate at 20 Gb/s (BER <10−12, 7.3 pJ/bit) achieving record aggregate bidirectional bandwidth for parallel transceivers: 0.48 Tb/s.
Solving the recognition problem for six lines using the Dixon resultant

Abstract The “Six-line Problem” arises in computer vision and in the automated analysis of images. Given a three-dimensional (3D) object, one extracts geometric features (for example six lines) and then, via techniques from algebraic geometry and geometric invariant theory, produces a set of 3D invariants that represents that feature set. Suppose that later an object is encountered in an image (for example, a photograph taken by a camera modeled by standard perspective projection, i.e. a “pinhole” camera), and suppose further that six lines are extracted from the object appearing in the image. The problem is to decide if the object in the image is the original 3D object. To answer this question two-dimensional (2D) invariants are computed from the lines in the image. One can show that conditions for geometric consistency between the 3D object features and the 2D image features can be expressed as a set of polynomial equations in the combined set of two- and three-dimensional invariants. The object in the image is geometrically consistent with the original object if the set of equations has a solution. One well known method to attack such sets of equations is with resultants . Unfortunately, the size and complexity of this problem made it appear overwhelming until recently. This paper will describe a solution obtained using our own variant of the Cayley–Dixon–Kapur–Saxena–Yang resultant. There is reason to believe that the resultant technique we employ here may solve other complex polynomial systems.
Convex two-level optimization

In this paper a model for a two-level planning problem is presented in the form of a static Stackelberg game. By assumption, play is sequential and noncooperative; however, the leader can influence the actions of the followers through a set of coordination variables while the followers' responses may partly determine the leader's payoff. Under certain convexity assumptions, it is shown that the feasible region induced by the leader is continuous in the original problem variables. This observation, coupled with two corollary results, are used as a basis for a hybrid algorithm which clings to the inducible region until a local optimum is found. A branching scheme is then employed to located other segments of the region, eventually terminating with the global optimum. A number of examples are given to highlight the results, while the algorithm's performance is tested in a comparison with two other procedures.
Induction of Protein Kinase PKR-dependent Activation of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 by Vaccinia Virus Occurs through Adapter IPS-1 Signaling

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) undergoes phosphorylation-induced activation in virus-infected cells and plays an important role in the antiviral innate immune response. The E3L protein encoded by vaccinia virus is known to impair phosphorylation and activation of IRF-3. Kinases in addition to IκB kinase-related kinases are implicated in the IRF-3-dependent antiviral response. To test in human cells the role of the protein kinase regulated by RNA (PKR) in IRF-3 activation, HeLa cells made stably deficient in PKR using an RNA interference strategy were compared with PKR-sufficient cells. Rapid phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of IRF-3 were detected in PKR-sufficient cells following infection with E3L deletion mutant (ΔE3L) virus. By contrast, the full IRF-3 activation response was largely abolished in PKR-deficient cells. The ΔE3L virus-induced IRF-3 activation seen in PKR-sufficient cells was diminished by treatment with cytosine β-d-arabinofuranoside. Furthermore, the vaccinia mutant ts23, which displays increased viral double-stranded RNA production at 39 °C, induced PKR-dependent IRF-3 phosphorylation at 39 °C but not at 31 °C. Both IRF-3 phosphorylation and cell apoptosis induced by infection with ΔE3L virus were dependent upon RIG-I-like receptor signal transduction components, including the adapter IPS-1. These data suggest that PKR facilitates the host innate immune response and apoptosis in virus-infected cells by mediating IRF-3 activation through the mitochondrial IPS-1 signal transduction pathway.
Metaevolution and biocultural history

Abstract The purpose of this article is to elaborate and suggest the analytical utility of a concept called metaevolution. It will be argued that this concept provides a useful approach to explaining the pace of evolutionary change in both the biological and biocultural realms, while creating a useful philosophical frame for a reconsideration of man's significance within the larger course of life history. It will be further argued that the shape of a society's political system constitutes a critical metaevolutionary variable.
Nonsynchronous Spatial Overlap of Lizards in Patchy Habitats

Sympatric native Anolis species with similar structural habitats but contrasting climatic habitats are closer in head and body size on species—rich than on depauperate islands. In two localities, sympatric Anolis species with differential occurrences in sun or shade sought lower, more shaded perches during midday, resulting in partly nonsynchronous utilization of the vegetation by the two species. The second observation may be related to the first in the following way: nonsynchronous spatial overlap could dictate relatively great resource overlap for species coinhabiting patchy or edge areas, requiring great differences between the species in prey size in addition to those in climatic habitat. The extent of such overlap on small depauperate islands could be greater if these contained a greater proportion of patchy or edge habitats (with respect to insolation), or if climatic preferences were broader and more overlapping than on large, species—rich islands. In each locality, the relatively more shade—inhab...
A design of PET detector using microchannel plate PMT with transmission line readout

A computer simulation study has been conducted to investigate the design of a PET detector module. The detector unit consisted of a 24×24 array of pixelated LSO crystals, each was 4×4×25 mm3 in size, and two 102×102 mm2 microchannel plate (MCP) PMTs coupled to both sides of scintillators. The crystal pitch was 4.25 mm and reflective media was inserted between crystals. The signals from MCP were readout using a transmission-line scheme. The optical photon inside scintillator was simulated by using the Geant4 package and the output signals of the MCP was formed by applying the electrical responses measured of the MCP to each individual detected photon. A experimental setup was built using a Photonis planacon MCP(XP85022) and a Transmission line board to measure the characteristics of MCP/TL. The measured single photoelectron response(SER) was fed to the simulation of the electrical signal. The responses to 511 keV gamma of the test setup were compared to the simulation results for the validation. The simulation study results showed an energy resolution of∼11% at 511 keV for the detector module. When using a 400-600 keV energy window, we obtained a coincidence timing resolution of ∼323 ps FWHM and a coincidence detection efficiency of ∼40% for normally incident 511 keV photons. The position resolution was measured to be ∼4.25 mm. The readout at both ends of scintillator made it possible to infer depth of interaction(DOI) based on the energy asymmetry and time differences. The simulation study showed that the design is suitable for Time of Flight(TOF) PET with DOI capability.
Quantitative fatty acid analysis of vegetable oils by gas-liquid chromatography.

The fatty acid composition of a number of vegetable oils and of two synthetic mixtures of methyl esters are compared by gas-liquid chromatography and by standard methods. The calculated iodine values from G.L.P.C. results are in good agreement with measured iodine values and are indicative of the reliability of the G.L.P.C. values. Standard methods gave lower values for linoleic acid and higher values for linolenic acid than did G.L.P.C. This deviation was particularly evident in oils with a high proportion of linolenic acid,e.g., linseed oil. The results of G.L.P.C. are considered to be accurate to within one unit percentage. Thermal stability of the polyester polymers can be improved by using 1,4-butanediol or ethylene glycol as the polyols instead of diethylene glycol.
Transcorneal Extrusion of an Intraocular Lens

An 82-year-old woman was treated for pseukophakic bullous keratopathy with a penetrating keratoplasty complicated by a postoperative retinal detachment. The retina was reattached successfully but impaired visual acuity remained. She was lost to follow-up for 14 months. Upon re-examination the pseudophakic lens optic had eroded completely through the donor cornea. Histologic study of the enucleated eye suggests that the intraocular lens optic came in contact with the posterior cornea after a transient wound dehiscence. The lens haptics, still attached to the optic, extended through anterior corneal scar tissue into the globe. The globe remained sterile and intact during the extrusion process. This case emphasizes the importance of selecting patients who will comply with postoperative care and the need to minimize contact between intraocular lenses and ocular tissue.
Hexamethylmelamine in alkylating agent-resistant ovarian carcinoma.

Twenty-one patients with advanced ovarian cancer proven resistant to standard alkylating chemotherapy were evaluated in a prospective study of Hexamethylmelamine. All but three patients received 8 mg/kg daily with dose modifications appropriate to the degree of toxicity; the latter three patients were treated on an intermittent 14 day course of 8 mg/kg daily. Six patients (28%) experienced an objective response with a median duration of 2.5 months (range 1—5 months). The toxic effects requiring dose modification were gastrointestinal in 57%, hematologic in 62%, and neurologic in 28.5%. An average of 60.5% of the total projected dose was tolerated for a median of 44 days (range 7-113). Twelve patients (57%) experienced severe toxicity requiring discontinuation of therapy. It is apparent from this study that Hexamethylmelamine is an active agent in ovarian cancer and is not invariably cross-resistant to conventional alkylating agent therapy. These two characteristics make it an attractive agent for use in combination. Its toxicity in previously treated patients in the schedules used here, however, is substantial. Cancer 42:2157–2161, 1978.
A broadband microwave quarter-wave plate

A differential phase shift between two orthogonal TE11 waves in circular hollow waveguide may be achieved with capacitive pins which affect one mode and not the other. Representing the two modes in the guide by two equivalent transmission lines and the pins by shunt susceptances, an analysis of an array of pins may be made to determine, as a function of pin spacing, the required values of susceptance to produce a given phase shift ? with no reflection. By making use of the transmission matrix giving voltage and current at one point in terms of voltage, and current at another point on the line, the following formulas for a three-element array are derived:
Synthesis and spin-trapping properties of a new spirolactonyl nitrone.

Spin trapping using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is commonly employed for the identification of transient radicals in chemical and biological systems. A spirolactonyl-nitrone with rigid H-bond acceptor, 7-oxa-1-azaspiro[4.4]non-1-en-6-one 1-oxide, CPCOMPO, has been synthesized and characterized, and its spin-trapping properties were investigated. The rate of formation of CPCOMPO−O2H was determined using competition kinetics between the superoxide/hydroperoxyl radical (O2•-/HO2•) trapping by CPCOMPO and the spontaneous dismutation of this radical in aqueous media. The rate constant of 60 M-1·s-1 is the highest rate constant thus far observed at neutral pH for any nitrones using the kinetic method employed. Decay kinetics were also experimentally investigated for CPCOMPO−O2H. The effect of rigid H-bond acceptor on the stability of the CPCOMPO−O2H were computationally rationalized and compared to that of EMPO−O2H, which has flexible H-bond acceptor, and results show the need of a “loose...
Acid deposition, smelter emissions, and the linearity issue in the Western United States

The variation in sulfur dioxide emissions from nonferrous metal smelters in the western United States over a 4-year period is compared with the variation in sulfate concentrations in precipitation in the Rocky Mountain states. The data support a linear relation between emissions and sulfate concentration. The geographic separation of emissions sources and precipitation monitors indicates a sulfur transport scale exceeding 1000 kilometers.
Clinical studies assessing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Introduction Degenerative aortic stenosis is the most common acquired valvular heart disease in the developed countries, affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States alone.1 Symptoms of aortic stenosis are latent until there is critical narrowing of the aortic valve that results in left ventricular hypertrophy, increased left ventricular diastolic pressure and left ventricle mass, and increased myocardial oxygen demand causing subendocardial ischemia.2 Once symptoms develop, the prognosis changes dramatically unless the aortic stenosis is corrected.2 Surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) is the recommended therapy for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. The most recent American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for sAVR are found in Table 1.3 It is important to note that none of these recommendations are based on evidence from large-scale, randomized clinical trials but instead rely on the expert opinion of experienced clinicians. The Society for Thoracic Surgery Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM) has been used to estimate 30-day mortality operative risk. Other surgical risk scores, such as the logistic EuroSCORE, while correlated with overall prediction of risk, are poorly calibrated to estimate precise sAVR mortality rates.4 Many patients cannot undergo sAVR due to excessive surgical risk, including porcelain aorta,5, 6 hostile mediastinum, severe lung or liver disease, frailty, renal failure,7-9 advanced age, and prior CABG,10 among other factors,11, 12 many of which are not included in current surgical risk assessment algorithms. In patients who are deemed unsuitable for sAVR due to comorbidities, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been used as an alternative to relieve symptoms and extend life. Almost 50,000 patients have been treated worldwide with one of the two commercially approved TAVR devices, including the balloonexpandable Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve (Edwards LifeSciences, Irvine, California) and the self-expanding CoreValve Revalving System (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota). A number of additional transfemoral and transapical devices are under evaluation. The purpose of this report is to review the clinical trials used to evaluate TAVR in patients who are at higher risk for sAVR. The clinical evidence base includes both prospective registries and randomized clinical trials. Future trial designs evaluating TAVR in intermediate populations will also be discussed.
Oysters as biomonitors of the apex barge oil spill

ABSTRACT The collision of the Greek tanker ship Shinoussa resulted in a spill of an estimated 692,000 gallons of catalytic feed stock oil into Galveston Bay on July 28, 1990. Oysters were collected from Galveston Bay Todds Dump (GBTD) 235 days previous to the spill and 6, 37, 132, and 495 days after the spill. Oysters were also collected from Galveston Bay Redfish Island (GBRI), a site known to be impacted by the spill, 37 and 110 days after the spill. The concentration of the 24 polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) measured for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's national status and trends program (NS&T) site showed a sharp increase from about 100 ng/g to over 600 ng/g one week after the spill compared to concentrations 235 days previous to the spill. The concentration of the 24 NS&T PAH in oysters from GBRI ranges from 400 to over 1000 ng/g. Soon after the spill the concentration of the 24 NS&T PAH at Todds Dump decreased to levels not statistically different from pre-spill samples....
Spatial correlations in aqueous protein solutions

Abstract The primitive model for ionic solutions combined with the hypernetted chain approximation (HNC) is applied to study spatial correlations in aqueous solutions of ionized globular proteins. The accuracy of the theory is verified by comparison with results of a parallel Monte Carlo simulation. Good agreement of the theoretical results with the interprotein partial structure factors measured in cytochrome c solutions confirms that the model provides a satisfactory description of solute—solute interactions at various degrees of ionization and at different protein and simple electrolyte concentrations. Application of the proposed model in studies of thermodynamic behavior of protein solutions is suggested.
Helmet Integation: An Overview Of Critical Issues

Helmet mounted sights and displays are becoming basic requirements for new aircraft designs, upgrade programs, special mission applications and simulators. The common objective in all these efforts is to increase the mission effectiveness and survivability of the ground/air/space vehicle crew. This presentation will focus on the human integration of the helmet, display and sight subsystem functions to meet this goal. The specific intent of this information will be to impart a higher level of sensitivity to the importance of helmet subsystem functionality as it applies to the interrelated issues of protection, comfort, pilot interface, aircraft interface and supportability. Design and field experiences relative to current helmet mounted sight/display (HMS/D) production and development programs will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the evolution of specific helmet subsystems based on performance specifications, mission requirements analysis, user evaluation and the subsequent but inevitable tradeoff analysis. The performance potential of any HMS/D will ultimately be judged by the physical interface to the user. When a piecemeal, one-display-fits-all approach is taken, the results can be both ineffective and hazardous. When a thorough, functionally integrated approach is applied to the physical interaction of an HMS/D application, the vehicle crew capability will improve dramatically. Many fixed and rotary wing programs as well as land vehicle demonstrations have conclusively demonstrated this over the past twenty years. This can be safely achieved without compromising the current base line crew comfort and crew-to-vehicle interface.
Demystifying cognitive science: explaining cognition through network-based modeling

Network science has made what once seemed miracle into practical science: we can set up conditions for self-building systems, and we can use their patterns of variability to identify and explain processes underlying prospective control in biological systems.