cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nourish Your Competitor: Information Sharing in Own-Brand e-Marketplace

With the great success and huge data of e-marketplaces, online retailers aggressively expand their own-brand business (e.g., Amazon). A seller competing with the own-brand retailer in the retailer’s e-marketplace suffers from a dearth of knowledge about consumers; however, the retailer holds such information, being tightfistedand selective in sharing. In this paper, we examine information sharing between the own-brand retailer and its seller. When the retailer and the seller agree on an information-sharing contract (i.e., sharing arrangement),the seller has access to the shared information to estimate market demand. Following prior literature, wefirst explore a case where the seller’s ability to interpret the shared data is equivalent to the retailer’s (i.e.,knowledgeable). Then we consider another case where the seller is unaware of her false belief about the shared data (i.e., unknowledgeable). The seller’s lack of information and analysis proficiency is not only practical in online businesses but consistent with the literature. We find that the seller always prefers the sharing arrangement, but the retailer’s incentive for sharing varies. With the knowledgeable seller, the retailer always prefers sharing under the agency mode (i.e., pricing decision is delegated to the seller) but non-sharing under the reselling mode (i.e., a typical wholesale contract). With the unknowledgeable seller (e.g., overconfident seller), however, the seller’s misinterpretation can reverse the retailer’s sharing decision. Under the agency mode, sharing is only optimal for the retailer when the degree of her overconfidence is negligible and the competition, relative to the cooperation, with the seller, prevails. In contrast, the retailer shares under thereselling mode only if the overconfidence is significant, where the negative double marginalization is weakened but the relative advantage of its own product is strengthened. We further discuss information-sharing with side payments and preventive policies.
AN ATYPICAL VARIANT OF MAY-THURNER SYNDROME TREATED SUCCESSFULLY WITH ENDOVASCULAR STENT PLACEMENT

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) is a rare disorder caused by compression of left common iliac vein by right common iliac artery. Here we report a rare case of MTS with compression of right common iliac vein (R-CIV) by tortuous right common iliac artery (R-CIA). A 59 year obese male presented with
Reactance and spiritual possibilities: an application of psychological reactance theory

Abstract Psychological reactance theory (PRT) posits that threats to people’s freedom elicit reactance, an aversive motivational state that triggers freedom restoration. The current chapter utilizes PRT as a vehicle for understanding phenomena related to religious beliefs and behavior. Our focus here is on outlining the ways in which social, political, or environmental threats to people’s religious freedom can arouse reactance and a variety of associated outcomes, including increased religious adherence. In addition, we illustrate the ways in which restrictive faith-based regulations can arouse reactance among adherents, outcomes of which could be heresy (i.e., holding a belief contrary to religious orthodoxy) and apostasy (i.e., renouncing religious affiliation). We also propose that religions can use strategies from communication research to allay reactance and increase message effectiveness. Finally, we suggest future directions for research at the intersection of PRT and religious behavior.
Impact of Planning for Support Services on Students Who Are Deaf-Blind.

This article presents a study of the use of the Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach (VISTA) by seven individual student planning teams and its impact on the students with deaf-blindness t...
Time-varying dynamic analysis for a helical gear pair system with three-dimensional motion due to bearing deformation:

The dynamic response of a helical gear pair system is investigated. A new dynamic model for a helical gear pair system, considering three-dimensional motion due to bearing deformation, is proposed....
A critical review of contaminant removal by conventional and emerging media for urban stormwater treatment in the United States.

Abstract Stormwater is a major component of the urban water cycle contributing to street flooding and high runoff volumes in urban areas, and elevated contaminant concentrations in receiving waters from contact with impervious surfaces. Engineers and city planners are investing in best management practices to reduce runoff volume and to potentially capture and use urban stormwater. However, these current approaches result in moderate to low contaminant removal efficiencies for certain classes of contaminants (e.g., particles, nutrients, and some metals). This review describes options and opportunities to augment existing stormwater infrastructure with conventional and emerging reactive media to improve contaminant removal. This critical analysis characterizes media physicochemical properties and mechanisms contributing to contaminant removal, describes possible candidates for new engineered media, highlights lab and field studies investigating stormwater media contaminant removal, and identifies possible limitations and knowledge gaps in media implementation. Following this analysis, information is provided regarding factors that may contribute to or adversely impact urban stormwater treatment by media. The review closes with insights into additional research directions and important information necessary for safe and effective urban stormwater treatment using media.
Reported COVID-19 Incidence in Wisconsin High School Athletes During Fall 2020

ABSTRACT Introduction The purpose of this study was to describe the reported incidence of COVID-19 in Wisconsin high school athletes in September 2020, and to investigate the relationship of COVID-19 incidence with sport and face mask use. Methods Surveys were sent to athletic directors of all Wisconsin high schools regarding sports during September 2020. The association between reported case rates in athletes in each county and the county general population were evaluated with a weighted linear model. Multivariable negative binomial regression models evaluated the associations between COVID-19 incidence and sport type and face mask use by players, adjusting for the county COVID-19 incidence for each school. Results 207 schools that had reinitiated sport reported 270 COVID-19 cases among 30,074 players, for case and incidence rates of 809 cases per 100,000 players and 32.6 cases per 100,000 player-days, respectively. The case rates for athletes in each county were positively correlated with the case rates for the county’s general population (β =1.14±0.20, r=0.60, p 50 participating schools, there were no significant associations between COVID-19 incidence and face mask use in cross country (IRR=0.71 [0.2-2.2], p=0.52), football (IRR=1.6 [0.6-5.1], p=0.404), boys soccer (IRR=2.3 [0.5-17], p=0.31), or girls volleyball (IRR=1.4 [0.3-6.6], p=0.64). Conclusions Incidence of reported COVID-19 among athletes was related to background county incidence and most cases were attributed to household and community contact. Although not statistically significant, reported COVID-19 incidence may be lower in outdoor sports. Face mask use did not have a significant benefit, which may be due to relatively low rates of COVID-19 and the small number of schools that did not report using face masks.
Historical Perspective on Surgery and Survival with Glioblastoma: How Far Have We Come?

Background Glioblastoma multiforme remains a therapeutic challenge. We offer a historical review of the outcomes of patients with glioblastoma from the earliest report of surgery for this lesion through the introduction of modern chemotherapeutics and aggressive approaches to tumor resection. Methods We reviewed all major surgical series of patients with glioblastoma from the introduction of craniotomy for glioma (1884) to 2020. Results The earliest reported craniotomy for glioblastoma resulted in the patient's death less than a month after surgery. Improved intracranial pressure management resulted in improved outcomes, reducing early postoperative mortality from 50% to 6% in Harvey Cushing's series. In the first major surgical series (1912), the mean survival was 10.1 months. This figure did not improve until the introduction of radiotherapy in the 1950s, which doubled survival relative to those who had surgery alone. The most recent significant advance, chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide, extended survival by 2.5 months compared with surgery and radiotherapy alone (14.6 and 12.1 months, respectively). This protocol remains the standard regimen for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The innovative treatments being investigated have yet to show a survival benefit. Conclusions With advancements in localization, imaging, anesthesia, surgical technique, control of cerebral edema, and adjuvant therapies, outcomes in glioblastoma improved incrementally from Cushing's time until the introduction of magnetic resonance imaging enabled better degrees of resection in the 1990s. Modest improvements came with the advent of biomarker-driven targeted chemotherapy in the first decade of the current century.
Cooperative Capacities of the Rational: Revising Rawls’s Account of Prudential Reasoning

John Rawls characterizes political rationality as narrowly self-regarding and therefore incapable of motivating political other-regard, self-moderation, or cooperative behavior. He ascribes these cooperative properties solely to reasonable, or principled, reasoning. This article evaluates Rawls’s account of rationality by investigating his characterization of the democratic modus vivendi, which builds upon this account: Rawls asserts that the democratic modus vivendi is inherently unstable because it lacks the cooperative properties of the reasonable. These critiques entail positive claims about rational democratic equilibrium that are contradicted by formal accounts of self-enforcing democracy. The article demonstrates that the democratic modus vivendi can achieve robust stability because the rational can express the cooperative properties that Rawls reserves to the reasonable. By working within Rawls’s seminal account of political reasoning to revise the properties he ascribes to rationality, this article offers a novel motivation for theoretical engagement with the rational and its role in political cooperation.
Outcomes of Temporary Percutaneous Right Ventricular Assist Devices in Right Ventricular Failure

Purpose Right ventricular failure occurs in a variety of clinical settings and is associated with worse survival. We describe our clinical experience with two temporary percutaneous right ventricular assist devices (RVADs): TandemLife Protek Duo (TPD) and Impella RP. Methods A prospectively maintained institutional registry was used to identify patients requiring TPD and Impella RP support. Baseline characteristics, etiology of heart failure, indication for RVAD support, timing of implantation in relation to the onset of right ventricular (RV) failure were characterized. Specific clinical outcomes, including overall survival, time on temporary percutaneous RV support, device explant and device exchange rates were analyzed. Outcomes were further analyzed among the cohort of explanted patients. Results Between January 2015 and December 2018, 19 TPD devices and 10 Impella RP devices were implanted. Indication for RV support included post-left ventricular assist device implantation RV failure, post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock, and post-transplant RV failure. Mean (median) support duration for TPD was 16 (12) days, and 5 (4) days for Impella RP. Among TPD patients, 11 (57.9%) were explanted, 4 (21.0%) died, and there were no device exchanges. Among Impella RP patients, 5 (50.0%) were explanted, 3 (30.0%) died, and 1 (10.0%) required device exchange. Among TPD patients explanted, 7 (63.6%) recovered and were weaned, 3 (27.2%) died, and 1 (9.1%) required a durable RVAD. Among Impella RP patients explanted, 4 (80.0%) recovered and were weaned, and 1 (20.0%) required a durable RVAD. Conclusion RV failure is associated with reduced survival. Temporary percutaneous RVAD devices provide a suitable strategy for bridging patient to recovery.
RNA-Seq analysis of blood meal induced gene-expression changes in Aedes aegypti ovaries.

Transmission of pathogens by vector mosquitoes is intrinsically linked with mosquito’s reproductive strategy because anautogenous mosquitoes require vertebrate blood to develop a batch of eggs. Each cycle of egg maturation is tightly linked with the intake of a fresh blood meal for most species. Mosquitoes that acquire pathogens during the first blood feeding can transmit the pathogens to susceptible hosts during subsequent blood feeding and also vertically to the next generation via infected eggs. Large-scale gene-expression changes occur following each blood meal in various tissues, including ovaries. Here we analyzed mosquito ovary transcriptome following a blood meal at three different time points to investigate blood-meal induced changes in gene expression in mosquito ovaries. We collected ovaries from Aedes aegypti that received a sugar meal or a blood meal on days 3, 10 and 20 post blood meal for transcriptome analysis. Over 4000 genes responded differentially following ingestion of a blood meal on day 3, and 660 and 780 genes on days 10 and 20, respectively. Proteins encoded by differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on day 3 include odorant binding proteins (OBPs), defense-specific proteins, and cytochrome P450 detoxification enzymes. In addition, we identified 580 long non-coding RNAs that are differentially expressed at three time points. Gene ontology analysis indicated that genes involved in peptidase activity, oxidoreductase activity, extracellular space, and hydrolase activity, among others were enriched on day 3. Although most of the DEGs returned to the nonsignificant level compared to the sugar-fed mosquito ovaries following oviposition on days 10 and 20, there remained differences in the gene expression pattern in sugar-fed and blood-fed mosquitoes. Enrichment of OBPs following blood meal ingestion suggests that these genes may have other functions besides being part of the olfactory system. The enrichment of immune-specific genes and cytochrome P450 genes indicates that ovaries become well prepared to protect their germ line from any pathogens that may accompany the blood meal or from environmental contamination during oviposition, and to deal with the detrimental effects of toxic metabolites.
Intermittent Status Updating with Random Update Arrivals

We consider an intermittent status updating problem where updates arrive randomly. An energy harvesting node performs non-preemptive sensing/computing (S/C) to generate a status update when an arrival occurs. The node subsequently chooses to either transmit (Tx) or wait for another update to generate a new one. The S/C time for each update is independent with a general distribution. S/C and Tx operations each cost a single energy unit. The transmitter has a data buffer to save the latest update and a single transmitter where Tx time is independent general distributed. Any update arriving in Tx stage is discarded. We focus on one unit battery and infinite battery; and we show that average peak age of information (AoI) at the receiver is minimized by a threshold-based policy that allows only young packets to be transmitted. Our numerical results provide average peak AoI performance comparisons.
Exploring the attitudes of Millennials and Generation Xers toward ridesourcing services

This paper presents a study investigating the potential market of ridesourcing services, with a focus on the attitudinal and preferential differences between Millennials and Generation Xers. Data obtained from a stated preference survey were utilized, where the respondents were asked to choose between a conventional mode (private vehicle driver, transit, or private vehicle passenger) and ridesourcing modes (exclusive ride and shared ride). Error component nested logit models were developed for Generation Xers and Millennials, respectively. Latent attitudes derived through factor analysis were incorporated into models. A wide range of attitudinal indicators, including general mobility attitudes, perceived benefits and concerns of shared mobility services, reasons for or against owning a car, reasons for ridings Autonomous Vehicles (AV), and the most desired AV features were considered to extract latent attitudes. Model results indicated distinct mode choice behavior between Millennials and Generation Xers. For Generation Xers, the choice to switch to ridesourcing was highly dependent on the perceived time and cost benefits of shared mobility. On the other hand, Millennials' choices were more likely to be influenced by their attitudes or desire toward technology, on-demand services, and driving stress relief. Interestingly, the joy of driving showed a negative impact on Millennials' use of shared-ride services only. The findings from this study provide a more in-depth understanding of the distinct behavior of Generation Xers and Millennials toward shared mobility services, which could help develop strategies and policies to focus more effectively on the needs and concerns of individuals based on their characteristics and attitudes and help promote sustainable transportation system.
Synthesis and selected lanthanide coordination chemistry of new ((1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridine and -pyridine 1-oxide ligands

Abstract Syntheses for new potentially chelating ligands, 2,6-bis((1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridine 1-oxide (2), ((6-((1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridin-2-yl)methyl)diphenylphosphine oxide (4) and 2-((1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl)-6-((diphenylphosphoryl)methyl)pyridine 1-oxide (5), that are based upon pyridine or pyridine N-oxide platforms functionalized with pyrazol-1-ylmethyl and diphenylphosphinoylmethyl substituents, are reported along with results from molecular modeling analyses that assess the strain energy encountered by the ligands in tridentate chelate interactions for gas phase [Eu(L)3+]complexes. Coordination chemistry with selected lanthanide nitrates is described along with X-ray crystal structure determinations for the three ligands and three representative coordination complexes.
A Multifaceted Intervention to Increase Surgery Resident Engagement in Reporting Adverse Events

Background Although most residents have been involved in an adverse or near-miss event, they are not likely to report these incidents. To improve the culture of patient safety and to increase adverse event reporting among General Surgery residents, a multifaceted intervention focused on education, feedback, and event resolution was developed and implemented. Methods Adverse events involving surgery patients at Boston Medical Center were monitored for 2 months before and for 10 months after implementation of the intervention in May 2014. Results There was a significant increase in the number of adverse events reported by residents, from 0 to 30 per 2-month period (χ 2 = 8.56, p = 0.003). The classification types of reports filed by residents differed significantly from those of incidents submitted by other reporters (p Conclusion An intervention focused on addressing barriers to reporting adverse events can significantly increase the volume of incidents reported by surgery residents. Involving residents in patient safety efforts may enhance an institution’s ability to identify adverse events and to improve the overall culture of care.
Bornavirus tropism and targeted pathogenesis: Virus-host interactions in a neurodevelopmental model

Animal models provide unique opportunities to explore interactions between host and environment. Two models have been established based on Bornavirus infection that provide new insights into mechanisms by which neurotropic agents and/or immune factors may impact developing or mature CNS circuitry to effect complex disturbances in movement and behavior. Distinct losses in DA pathways in the adult infection model, and the associated dramatic movement disorder that accompanies it, make it an intriguing model for tardive dyskinesia and dystonic syndromes. The neuropathologic, physiologic, and neurobehavioral features of BDV infection of neonates indicate that it not only provides a useful model for exploring the mechanisms by which viral and immune factors may damage developing neurocircuitry, but also has significant links to the range of biologic, neurostructural, locomotor, cognitive, and social deficits observed in serious neuropsychiatric illnesses such as autism.
Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling Using Beta-splines

Computer graphics and geometric modeling using Beta-splines , Computer graphics and geometric modeling using Beta-splines , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Preservice Teacher Education for the Inner City: Ideas and Applications

(1992). Preservice Teacher Education for the Inner City: Ideas and Applications. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 65, No. 5, pp. 285-288.
Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: A postmortem neuropathological and immunohistochemical study

Abstract Immunocytochemical studies of the human forebrain have shown that enkephalin-like, dynorphin-like and substance-P-like immunoreactivity (respectively ELI, DLI, and SPI) normally present in unique pattern (now termed woolly fibers) in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, in which their concentration is at its densest. Quantitative determinations moreover indicate that the levels of all 3 peptides are higher in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra than in any other region of the brain. We report here the distribution of immunoreactivity of these 3 peptides in the brain of a patient showing the typical clinical manifestations of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (TS); a disease for which no characteristic or consistent neuropathological features have been discerned. In the case described here neuropathological examination by means of the usual histopathological methods showed no abnormalities to which the patient's illness could be ascribed. ELI- and SPLI-positive woolly fibers were densely stained and of normal distribution. DLI-staining was, however, considerably less dense throughout the brain than normal. The most striking finding was the total absence of DLI-positive woolly fibers in the dorsal part of the external segment of the globus pallidus; the ventral pallidum showed very faint staining. These observations, which indicate a decrease of dynorphin in striatal fibers projecting to the globus pallidus, are, to our knowledge, the first evidence of a distinct pathological change in the brain in TS.
On relational time and energy decoherence

Students Alice and Bob take an examination in their quantum mechanics class, and thereby illustrate some aspects of energy decoherence.
The temperature dependence of nuclear transport coefficients

We estimate the static thermal conductivity χ0 and shear viscosity η0 over a broad temperature range. We argue that the transport coefficients decrease considerably when nuclear matter undergoes a firstorder phase transition from a Fermi liquid to a Fermi gas. At lower temperatures corrections due to the finite size of the nuclei are mandatory for models including pair interactions. Brief comments on the onset of «hot spots» (localized excitations) in heavy-ion-induced reactions are also included.
Head Start: A Moving Target

In an era of federal retrenchment, it is hard to imagine a vestige of the Great Society that not only has survived, but also thrived. Yet Head Start is just such a program. In the same period in which Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Medicaid, compensatory education, community services, and student loan programs have experienced drastic cutbacks, Head Start not only has been spared the budget cutter's axe, but actually has seen its budget expand. The popular explanation for the program's longevity is simple Head Start works, producing, among other benefits, quantifiable gains in social and educational achievement for the children who participate. I agree that Head Start works; its 22-year history demonstrates this conclusively. But my experience as the Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Administration for Children, Youth and Families [ACYF] has convinced me that the reason for Head Start's continued survival is more complex than its mere successful results. In a time of constrained resources, successful results do not guarantee a program's survival. Head Start has remained vital and has prospered because it is a categorical program that defies categorization.1
Tumor Growth Complementation Among Strains of Agrobacterium

The ability of 31 strains of Agrobacterium to initiate the production of a tumor growth factor (TGF) which is associated with crown-gall tumors on primary pinto bean leaves was determined. Extracts from bean leaves inoculated with these bacteria were tested and they showed that 16 of the 19 strains that induced tumors on the leaves also initiated TGF production. The three strains for which no TGF was detected were of low infectivity and included two strains of A. tumefaciens and a strain of A. rhizogenes. Five of the 12 strains that did not induce pinto bean leaf tumors were found to initiate TGF production. Representatives of A. tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes, and A. radiobacter among these 12 strains were present in both categories. Mixed inocula composed of one of the three infectious TGF-negative strains and one of the five nontumorigenic TGF-positive strains resulted in increased growth of tumors induced by the former. These growth changes were not correlated with changes in tumor number. The ability of different strains to show these tumor growth complementation effects corresponded fully with their ability to initiate TGF, as determined by the assay of leaf extracts. The nontumorigenic TGF-positive strains also promoted the growth of tumors initiated by low concentrations of strain B6. These complementation effects were due, therefore, to the same TGF found in extracts of B6 inoculated leaves and of leaves inoculated with most tumorigenic as well as many nontumorigenic strains of Agrobacterium. Heat-inactivated cells of strain B6 failed to initiate sufficient TGF to be detected in extracts, and heat-inactivated cells of several strains failed to show tumor growth complementation, indicating bacterial viability to be one prerequisite for TGF initiation. Heat inactivated cells also inhibited TGF production by viable cells, similar to their ability to inhibit tumor initiation. Consequently, bacteria capable of attaching to the A. tumefaciens infection site may initiate one of four patterns of events: (i) TGF production only, (ii) tumor induction only, (iii) both, or (iv) neither. Suggestive evidence for a second tumor-associated growth factor is presented.
Fear of hypoglycemia in parents of children with type 1 diabetes

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine if parental hypoglycaemia fear is associated with worse glycaemic control and increased resource utilisation and to identify risk factors for increased hypoglycaemia fear. Methods: Parents of children with diabetes completed a modified Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey. Demographic data, phone contacts and mean glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were also recorded ove ra1y earstudy period. Results: A total of 106 parents participated. Mean patient age was 11.1 years, and duration of diabetes was 4.8 years. Fifty-two per cent were male, and 48% were on insulin pump therapy. Fear of hypoglycaemia was highest among parents of 6- to 11-year-olds. Parents of children with HbA1c less than 7.5% had less hypoglycaemia fear. Previous seizures and increased frequency of phone calls to the diabetes team were not associated with increased fear. Conclusion: Fear of hypoglycaemia is associated with worse glycaemic control. It is highest among parents of 6- to 11-year-olds but is not affected by previous severe hypoglycaemia or associated with increased contact with the diabetes team.
High-Pressure On-Line Photolysis with NMR Detection

The investigation of the photoreversible fulgide Aberchrome-540 as a function of pressure and temperature with the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection is described. This technique demonstrates the novel combination of high-pressure NMR and laser photolysis with the use of fiber optics for the conversion of the fulgide on-line in the instrument. Investigation of the photolysis of Aberchrome-540 to 2.0 kbar and 120 °C is reported. Extension of this technique should allow the investigation of photoinitiated reaction kinetics and equilibria as a function of pressure and temperature with simultaneous structure characterization by NMR.
Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Neurosurgical Patients Associated with a Contaminated Methylene Blue Solution

Abstract BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous organism that readily colonizes inanimate objects and can contaminate solutions. The main objective of this investigation was to determine the source of an outbreak in our hospital and to prevent the occurrence of further cases. METHOD: A case was defined as patients with clinical symptomatology of infection and cultures yielding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, between December 1997 and August 1998. Outbreak investigation was done with the classical methodology and case-control studies were conducted, with three controls hospitalized in that period. Cultures were obtained from patients, surfaces, and solutions. Isolates were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: A total of 21 cases were identified in the period. (7 meningitis, 5 ventriculitis, 3 osteomyelitis, and 6 wound infections). Attack rate was 5.9% and mortality 9.5%. This outbreak appeared in two phases, with a first cluster in summer and the second in winter. All cases were associated with neurosurgical procedures (p=0.00057). Besides patients, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from methylene blue solution used for painting the skin surrounding the surgical area. All strains isolated had identical PCR banding patterns. Following replacement of methylene blue solution by a disposable pencil marker, the outbreak ceased. CONCLUSION: This outbreak was related to methylene blue solution contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This outbreak reminds us that solutions can be contaminated by negative-gram bacilli like Pseudomonas. The detection and modification of wrong practices are essentials for controlling and preventing the appearance of similar situations.
Linear time algorithms for exact distance transform: elaboration on Maurer et al. algorithm

In 2003, Maurer at al . [7] published a paper describing an algorithm that computes the exact distance transform in a linear time (with respect to image size) for the rectangular binary images in the k-dimensional space Rk and distance measured with respect to L p -metric for 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞, which includes Euclidean distance L 2 . In this paper we discuss this algorithm from theoretical and practical points of view. On the practical side, we concentrate on its Euclidean distance version, discuss the possible ways of implementing it as signed distance transform, and experimentally compare implemented algorithms. We also describe the parallelization of these algorithms and the computation time savings associated with such an implementation. The discussed implementations will be made available as a part of the CAVASS software system developed and maintained in our group [5]. On the theoretical side, we prove that our version of the signed distance transform algorithm, GBDT, returns, in a linear time, the exact value of the distance from the geometrically defined object boundary. We notice that, actually, the precise form of the algorithm from [7] is not well defined for L 1 and L ∞ metrics and point to our complete proof (not given in [7]) that all these algorithms work correctly for the Lp-metric with 1 < p < ∞.
Evolution of subglacial water pressure along a glacier’s length

Observations from along the length of Bench Glacier, Alaska, USA, show that the subglacial water-pressure field undergoes a multiphase transition from a winter mode to a summer mode. Data were collected at the glacier surface, the outlet stream, and in a network of 47 boreholes spanning the length of the 7 km long glacier. The winter pressure field was near overburden, with low-magnitude (centimeter to meter scale) and long-period (days to weeks) variations. During a spring speed-up event, boreholes showed synchronous variations and a slight pressure drop from prior winter values. Diurnal pressure variations followed the speed-up, with their onset associated with a glacier-wide pressure drop and flood at the terminus stream. Diurnal variations with swings of up to 80% of overburden pressure were typical of mid-summer. Several characteristics of our observations contradict common conceptions about the seasonal development of the subglacial drainage system and the linkages between subglacial hydrology and basal sliding: (1) increased water pressure did not accompany high sliding rates; (2) the drainage system showed activity characteristic of the spring season long before abundant water was available on the glacier surface; (3) the onset of both spring activity and diurnal variations of the drainage system did not show a spatial progression along the length of the glacier.
Treatment of Self-Injury and Hand Mouthing Following Inconclusive Functional Analyses.

Numerous studies have used functional analyses to prescribe interventions for severe behavior disorders. The majority of these studies have focused on behavior that is clearly maintained by socially mediated reinforcement, such as contingent access to attention, tangibles, or escape from instructional demands. However, a significant proportion of functional analyses do not yield conclusive results. We examined interventions for 3 children with severe disabilities following inconclusive functional analyses. First, preferred stimuli were identified for each child via a stimulus preference assessment. Second, a functional analysis was conducted for 2 of the 3 children. High rates of aberrant behavior were seen even (if not especially) in no-interaction sessions. The 3rd child was observed for several consecutive no-interaction sessions; behavior persisted in this condition. Third, interventions based on environmental enrichment were analyzed in an analogue setting. For all of the children, environmental enrichment decreased aberrant behavior if preferred stimuli were used in the procedure. To obtain further reductions in aberrant behavior, explicit reinforcement of toy play was required for 2 children, and a brief (5-s) time-out was necessary with 1 child. Finally, effects of treatment carried over to the school or home environment following teacher or family training. Results are discussed in the context of basic reinforcement principles and future directions for research.
SWEETPEA: software tools for programmable embodied agents

Programmable Embodied Agents are portable, wireless, interactive devices embodying specific, differentiable, interactive characteristics. They take the form of identifiable characters who reside in the physical world and interact directly with users. They can act as an out-of-band communication channel between users, as proxies for system components or other users, or in a variety of other roles. Traditionally, research into such devices has been based on costly custom hardware. In this paper, we report on our explorations of the space of physical character-based interfaces built on recently available stock consumer hardware platforms, structured around an initial framework of applications.
Model catalysts which simulate penicillinase IV: Steric and electronic effects in the catalysis of hydrolysis of penicillins and cephalothin by aminoalkylcatechols

Aminoalkylcatechols have been shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of penicillin at relatively rapid rates at neutral pH by a mechanism similar to that postulated for several hydrolytic enzymes. The present study was concerned with the effect on catalytic rates of varying the penicillin side chain and nucleus. Accordingly rates of hydrolysis of a number of penicillins and cephalothin were measured in the presence of several 3,6-bis(aminoalkyl)catechols where the amino group was varied in both size and basicity. Rates of alkaline hydrolysis were measured for comparison. There was little indication of steric hindrance of catalysis between penicillins with bulky side chains and catalysts with large amino groups. Electrostatic effects were much more prominent as exemplified by faster rates with carbenicillin (α-carboxybenzylpenicillin) than expected and changes in the pH-rate profile with ampicillin (α- aminobenzylpenicillin). With cephalothin the catalyst was virtually ineffective, probably because interaction between the carboxyl of a cephalosporin and a charged amine on the catalyst would leave the phenolate ion out of position for nucleophilic attack upon the β-lactam.
Deciphering glycan linkages involved in Jurkat cell interactions with gold-coated nanofibers via sugar-displayed thiols

Abstract Metabolic oligosaccharide engineering (MOE) provides a method to install novel chemical functional groups into the glycocalyx of living cells. In this Letter we use this technology to compare the impact of replacing natural sialic acid, GalNAc, and GlcNAc with their thiol-bearing counterparts in Jurkat and HL-60 cells. When incubated in the presence of gold-coated nanofibers, only Jurkat cells incubated with Ac5ManNTGc—an analogue that installs thiols into sialosides—experienced a distinctive ‘spreading’ morphology. The comparison of Ac5ManNTGc with Ac5GalNTGc and Ac5GlcNTGc in the two cell lines implicated sialosides of N-linked glycans as critical molecular mediators of the unusual responses evoked in the Jurkat line.
Visualization of Flow Boiling in an Annular Heat Exchanger Under Microgravity Conditions

An experiment consisting of a glass annular heat exchanger was flown on NASA's KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft to study the effects of gravity on flow boiling. Visual data were taken to determine flow boiling regimes, which were then analyzed using five different flow regime maps. The flow regime maps enabled predictions of the quality, two-phase heat-transfer coefficients and wall temperatures in the axial direction during periods of reduced gravity. Results from this work illustrated the following trends: 1) less heat addition was needed to cause flow regime transitions in reduced gravity environments; 2) Earth-based flow regime maps did not correlate well with visual data or zero-g flow regime maps; 3) all of the zero-g flow regime maps produced similar results for calculations of quality, heat-transfer coefficient, and heat-exchanger temperature, indicating that all of them were acceptable for this application; and 4) that maximum heat transfer occurred at locations in the heat exchanger near the transition from bubble to slug flow.
Bilateral versus single lung transplantation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: intermediate-term results.

Abstract Background . There is controversy regarding the transplant procedure of choice in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease We reviewed our intermediate-term outcomes with single lung transplantation (SLT) versus bilateral lung transplantation (BLT). Methods . We retrospectively reviewed 130 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 84 underwent SLT, 46 BLT. The mean age was 51.1 ± 1.2 years for those who underwent BLT and 56.2 ± 0.7 years for those who underwent SLT ( p p = 0.04). Spirometry and 6-minute walk tests were obtained preoperatively and at 3- to 6-month intervals. Posttransplant survival and survival from time of onset of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. The mean follow-up was 32.4 months. Results . The 90-day mortality rate was 13.0% For BLT and 15.5% for SLT ( p = 0.71). Actuarial survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 82.6%, 74.6%, and 61.9% for BLT and 72.2%, 63.4%, and 57.4% for SLT; the favorable survival trend with BLT did not achieve statistical significance. There were no differences in preoperative spirometry or 6-minute walk tests. The improvements in forced expiratory volume in one second , forced vital capacity (FVC), and 6 MWT were significantly greater following BLT. The incidence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was 22.4% in SLT and 22.2% in BLT; survival following onset of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was similar. Conclusions . For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, BLT is associated with superior lung function, exercise tolerance, and a trend toward enhanced survival. Younger candidates may be best suited for BLT. Given the limited donor lungs, SLT remains the preferred alternative for all other patients.
Monte carlo model of charging in resists in e-beam lithography

Charging effects on beam deflection of incident electrons in electron beam lithography are investigated. We show first in detail how the non-unity yield of electron generation in insulator resists leads to local charging accumulation and affects the beam deflection of incident electrons as charging develops. Then the amounts of beam deflection are identified for various operating and resist dimension conditions, and then we conclude that the beam deflection should be avoided for more accurate manufacturing semiconductor devices by the control of charging effects.
Complement-mediated cytotoxicity of antibodies to the GABAB receptor

We read with great interest the paper by Lancaster and colleagues, which describes a novel autoimmune limbic encephalitis associated with antibodies to the GABAB receptor. In all six tested patients the anti-GABAB antibodies were IgG1 and thus able to activate complement. Nevertheless, in their discussion, the authors consider the role of complement-mediated cytotoxicity in the pathogenesis of this disorder, which was sensitive to immunotherapy in most cases, as questionable. We have described a woman with recurrent acute episodes of respiratory crises, dysautonomic symptoms, and total sleep loss (agrypnia) due to an antibody directed against the GABAB receptor, who showed a good clinical response to immunotherapy. Similar to patients described by Lancaster and colleagues, our patient’s purifi ed IgG recognised a band of about 110 kDa on protein extracts of mouse cerebellum, cortex, and brainstem, and immunolabelled cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with human GABAB1 receptors and rat GABAB2 receptors. Western blot analysis of transfected CHO homogenates showed the same band using both purifi ed IgG and anti-GABAB1 antibodies from the patient. In our case, in mice the human purifi ed IgG was able to induce a reversible neurological syndrome similar in all respects to that observed in the patient. Moreover, immunohistochemistry on brain sections of mice injected with the patient’s IgG showed the simultaneous presence of bound human IgG and C5b-9 deposits on neurons, suggesting a complementmediated cytotoxicity. In our opinion, the clinical response to treatment does not rule out the role of antineural complement-fi xing autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune encephalitis.
Optimization of pigment content and the limits of photoacclimation for Ulva rotundata (Chlorophyta)

Two vegetative clones (designated 11/85 and 7/86 in accordance with month/year of collection) of the chlorophyte macroalga Ulva rotundata were collected in the vicinity of Beaufort, North Carolina, USA. Each was grown in an outdoor continuous-flow system in summer (>-20°C) of 1986 and late winter (10° to 17°C) of 1987 in graded scalar quantum irradiances ranging from 9 to 100% of full sunlight, with and without NH4+enrichment. The pigment content of plants from each irradiance was determined following 4 to 8 d sunny weather. Chlorophyll (chl) and carotenoid content were inverse curvilinear functions of irradiance. The chl a:b and carotenoid: chl ratios were positively related to irradiance. The close nonlinear relationship between chl (a+b) and the chl a:b ratio was independent of clone, temperature or NH4+-enrichment. Chl (a+b) content was linearly correlated with light-regulated growth rate in the summer, but showed a marked hysteresis in the relationship in winter due to photoinhibition. The photon growth yield (PGY, i.e., the biomass yield per unit absorbed light) was maximal for plants grown at slightly subsaturating irradiances, and dropped off sharply at lower irradiances. At higher irradiances, PGY declined gradually in summer and markedly in winter. Light absorption exceeded growth needs at full sunlight, suggesting that U. rotundata was incapable of further reducing its pigment content when growth rate was light-saturated. This, along with the linear chlgrowth relationship, is consistent with photosynthetic feedback regulation of chl content. Regardless of the mechanism, chl regulation may operate within the constraints of a resource tradeoff between light harvesting and carboxylation capacities, such that pigmentation must be optimized rather than maximized.
Abstract A251: MGMT inhibition decreases survivin expression in pancreatic cancer.

Survivin is an antiapoptotic gene negatively regulated by p53 tumor suppressor. Survivin is overexpressed in human cancers and one of its functions is to reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy. We report that O6-benzylguanine (BG), a potent inhibitor of MGMT (O6-methyl guanine DNA methyl transferase), a DNA repair protein, curtails the expression of survivin in pancreatic cancer cells. We also show that BG, either alone or in combination with gemcitabine, inhibits survivin and PCNA expression both at the mRNA and protein levels in Panc1 and L3.6pl cells. Further, BG, either alone or in combination with gemcitabine, significantly decreases survivin promoter activity in these cells. We also show that these combinations decrease survivin protein expression in pancreatic tumors derived from orthotopic xenografts developed in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry confirms the reduced expression of survivin and PCNA in tumor sections after BG or BG plus gemcitabine treatments. We also show the enhanced recruitment of p53 protein to the survivin promoter in BG-treated pancreatic cancer cells. Further, BG promotes p53 function leading to growth inhibition. Taken together our data suggests that BG induced partial restoration of p53 activity suppresses survivin function and enhances gemcitabine effect in pancreatic cancer. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A251. Citation Format: George C. Bobustuc, Anand Patel, Michael Thompson, Srivenugopal S. Kalkunte, Jacob Frick, James Weese, Santhi D. Konduri. MGMT inhibition decreases survivin expression in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A251.
The Analytical Sciences Digital Library: Your Online Resource for Teaching Instrumentation

ASDL is an National Science Foundation-supported online collection of materials in areas of chemical analysis and instrumentation. These materials are of two basic types: annotated links to external Web sites that contain information of pedagogical value, and articles embedded within the Journal of the Analytical Sciences Digital Library (JASDL). This article describes the resource and how it can be useful in the teaching and learning analytical science and instrumentation.