cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The State of Solving Large Incomplete-Information Games, and Application to Poker

Game-theoretic solution concepts prescribe how rational parties should act, but to become operational the concepts need to be accompanied by algorithms. I will review the state of solving incomplete-information games. They encompass many practical problems such as auctions, negotiations, and security applications. I will discuss them in the context of how they have transformed computer poker. In short, game-theoretic reasoning now scales to many large problems, outperforms the alternatives on those problems, and in some games beats the best humans.
Graphs as Manifolds

In this chapter, we are interested in exploring questions such as the following. Question 3.1. Do harmonic maps on a Riemann surface have an analog for graphs? Question 3.2. Does the Riemann–Roch theorem for Riemann surfaces have an analog for graphs? Question 3.3. If there is a harmonic morphism \(\Gamma _2\rightarrow \Gamma _1\), how are the Laplacians of \(\Gamma _2, \Gamma _1\) related? There are several similarities between graphs and manifolds. This chapter explores some of these connections.
SCH79797 improves outcomes in experimental bacterial pneumonia by boosting neutrophil killing and direct antibiotic activity

Objectives The role of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in the pathogenesis of pneumonia and sepsis is ambiguous given the existing literature. As PAR1 is classically activated by the coagulation-based protease thrombin and leads to vascular leakage, our hypothesis was that PAR1 blockade with SCH79797 would be therapeutically beneficial in an experimental model of murine Gram-negative pneumonia. Methods In this study, we administered SCH79797 via the intrapulmonary route 6 h after the establishment of Escherichia coli pneumonia and observed a significant improvement in survival, lung injury, bacterial clearance and inflammation. We focused on neutrophils as a potential target of the PAR1 antagonist, since they are the predominant inflammatory cell type in the infected lung. Results Neutrophils appear to express PAR1 at low levels and the PAR1 antagonist SCH79797 enhanced neutrophil killing. Part of this effect may be explained by alterations in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). SCH79797 also led to robust neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) generation and cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) release by neutrophils. Surprisingly, SCH79797 also had a potent, direct antibiotic effect with disruption of the E. coli cell membrane. However, the newer-generation PAR1 antagonist, vorapaxar (SCH530348), had no appreciable effect on neutrophil activity or direct bacterial killing, which suggests the effects seen with SCH79797 may be PAR1 independent. Conclusions In summary, we observed that intrapulmonary treatment with SCH79797 has significant therapeutic effects in a model of E. coli pneumonia that appear to be due, in part, to both neutrophil-stimulating and direct antibacterial effects of SCH79797.
First prospective study evaluating effect of metformin (M) on disease control (DC) and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPKα) in patients (pts) with GI malignancies.

264Background: Observational studies have demonstrated association of M with reduced cancer incidence and mortality in multiple cancer types, including GI. Anti-neoplastic effects of M are believed...
Diabetic Considerations in Cerebrovascular Disease

Diabetes is a global epidemic affecting millions of people and incurring exorbitant costs. Cerebrovascular disease is recognized as the most common long-term cause of morbidity in diabetics. Although the pathophysiology of diabetes has yet to be clearly established, diabetes is an incontestable risk factor for cerebrovascular impairment. It is responsible for a wide spectrum of disease from cognitive impairment to ischemic stroke, which is the predominant cerebrovascular manifestation of diabetes. Many risk factors for stroke prevention have been investigated. Although glycemic control has been the foundation of diabetic management, intensive glycemic control has not proven to reduce the incidence of stroke, although its benefit in preventing microvascular events, such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy, has been observed. The modification of other risk factors, such as hypertension and dyslipidemia, has been shown to decrease the risk for cerebral infarction in this high-risk group. Additionally, advanced carotid disease is a prevalent risk factor for stroke in diabetics. The measurement of carotid intima–media thickness and serum biomarkers may identify diabetic patients with significant carotid atherosclerosis, which increases the risk for transient ischemic attacks and ischemic stroke. Therefore, multifactorial risk management in diabetic patients has proven to be the optimal method for treating diabetic patients at increased potential for developing cerebrovascular disease.
A Chemical Perspective on the Nucleation and Growth of Diamond from Hydrocarbons

Abstract Many applications have been suggested for the emerging technology of CVD diamond and many are dependent upon achieving specific microstructures or other objectives such as good adhesion, surface smoothness, high levels of crystallographic perfection or single crystal growth. Some of these have been achieved, e.g. optically smooth nanocrystalline coatings, however others remain elusive, e.g. large area heteroepitaxial single crystal growth. It is well known that the highest nucleation densities are routinely achieved by the simple expedient of polishing or otherwise abrading the substrate with diamond powder, or by previously depositing carbon or carbon precursors on the surface to be coated and it has been suggested that diamond nucleates preferentially on carbide surfaces. The careful analysis of diamond polished silicon suggests that the principal nucleation sites for diamond are those covered with a disordered carbon and that carbide formation itself is not as important. Various reaction mechanisms and models have been suggested, many concentrating on the nature of the principal additive specie and its gas phase chemistry. Two most commonly discussed models are based on acetylene or the methyl radical and the experimental data supporting the methyl radical hypothesis is reviewed. It is suggested that the dominant growth axis is dependent on experimental conditions, that the rate determining step is the creation of a surface radical site and that the dominant low index growth axis is the [110]. A methyl radical based mechanism for growth along this axis is proposed.
LASIS: The laser assisted sputter ion source

Abstract The physical mechanism of negative ionization in the intense cesium sputter ion source was first thought to be a surface process that has a sample efficiency limit of
Charging at a distance

It has been proposed [L. S McCarty and G. M Whitesides, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 47, 2188 (2008); Lee et al., Phys. Rev. Mater. 2, 035602 (2018)] that contact charging between insulators may be mediated by nonequilibrium transport of adsorbed ions. We remark here that if adsorbed ions transport charges between surfaces, they could equally transport charges across a single surface. We test this hypothesis by contacting initially neutral insulating spheres. We find that localized charge patterns appear very far (centimeters) from a point of contact. We visualize the charges, evaluate their spatial distributions, and discuss mechanisms and implications of this apparent action at a distance.
Literature and Animal Studies

Why do animals talk in literature? In this provocative book, Mario Ortiz Robles tracks the presence of animals across an expansive literary archive to argue that literature cannot be understood as a human endeavor apart from its capacity to represent animals. Focusing on the literary representation of familiar animals, including horses, dogs, cats, and songbirds, Ortiz Robles examines the various tropes literature has historically employed to give meaning to our fraught relations with other animals. Beyond allowing us to imagine the lives of non-humans, literature can make a lasting contribution to Animal Studies, an emerging discipline within the humanities, by showing us that there is something fictional about our relation to animals. Literature and Animal Studies combines a broad mapping of literary animals with detailed readings of key animal texts to offer a new way of organizing literary history that emphasizes genera over genres and a new way of classifying animals that is premised on tropes rather than taxa. The book makes us see animals and our relation to them with fresh eyes and, in doing so, prompts us to review the role of literature in a culture that considers it an endangered art form.
Pharmacokinetics of the 1.5 mg levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive in women with normal, obese and extremely obese body mass index

Abstract Objective To assess the pharmacokinetics (PK) of levonorgestrel after 1.5 mg oral doses (LNG-EC) in women with normal, obese and extremely obese body mass index (BMI). Study design The 1.5 mg LNG dose was given to healthy, reproductive-age, ovulatory women with normal BMI (mean 22.0), obese (mean 34.4), and extremely obese (mean 46.6 kg/m2) BMI. Total serum LNG was measured over 0 to 96 h by radioimmunoassay while free and bioavailable LNG were calculated. The maximum concentration (Cmax), time to maximum concentration (Tmax), and area under the curve (AUC) of LNG were assessed. Pharmacokinetic parameters calculated included half-life (t1/2), clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (Vss). Results Ten normal-BMI, 11 obese-BMI, 5 extremely obese-BMI women were studied. After LNG-EC, mean total LNG metrics were lower in the obese and extremely obese groups compared to normal (Cmax 10.5 and 10.5 versus 16.2 ng/mL, both p Conclusions Obese and extremely obese women were exposed to lower total and bioavailable LNG than normal BMI women. Implications Lower ‘bioavailable’ (free plus albumin bound) LNG AUC in obese women may play a role in the purported reduced efficacy of LNG-EC in obese users.
Naked Chrysochromulina (Haptophyta) isolates from lake and river ecosystems: An electron microscopic comparison including new observations on the type species of this taxon

Abstract Background Chrysochromulina (Haptophyta) species are recognized as seminal contributors to marine and freshwater ecosystem function. Historically, scale vestiture is used to augment taxonomic identification of these algae, and a large literature exists concerning the morphology of many scale-covered representatives. Scale-less freshwater isolates present a new challenge. Details concerning the microanatomy of naked cells remain essentially unreported. Insight into morphological similarities/differences between scaled and naked cells provides information on the evolution of the taxon, especially as discussions defining cryptic species complexes become more germane. Using light, scanning, and transmission microscopy, we present an analysis of the cellular structure for three Chrysochromulina freshwater isolates. Results Chrysochromulina tobinii Cattolico, Chrysochromulina parva Lackey and ChrysochromulinaAND cells are approximately 5 μm wide, saddle-shaped to globose, and devoid of scales. A lipid body is nestled close to each of two chloroplasts and numerous mitochondria. Plastoglobuli are frequently associated with thylakoidal membranes that encircle an internal pyrenoid. The Golgi apparatus has large, club-shaped cisternae. The haptonema consists of 9 microtubules within the cytoplasm, but 6 or 7 microtubules in the external portion. A rootlet system anchors the two flagella that are sub-apically inserted adjacent to the haptonema. The flagellar complex is anchored in the cytoplasm by a flat ribbon of microtubules and microtubular rootlets associated with each basal body. Fibrous rootlets, several of which are cross-banded, interconnect the two flagellar basal bodies and haptonema. Conclusion Three freshwater, scale-less Chrysochromulina isolates are almost indistinguishable in ultrastructure, even though extensive genome sequencing studies verify their distinctiveness. These freshwater representatives certainly comprise members of a cryptic species complex. Extensive morphological similarity also occurs between freshwater and scaled marine isolates. Importantly, this report addresses the misidentification of Chrysochromulina tobinii Cattolico as Chrysochromulina parva Lackey and clarifies a complex literature regarding the morphological description of the type species for this algal clade.
Molecular Systematics: 1991–1993

The impact of the DNA revolution on plant systematics has increased dramatically during the last few years. These effects are noticeable in obvious ways such as the amount of grant funding, published papers, and presented talks and posters dealing with macromolecules. A quick survey of six important and broadly encompassing journals with systematic coverage, at least in part (Taxon, American Journal of Botany, Systematic Botany, Canadian Journal of Botany, Nordic Journal of Botany, and Australian Journal of Botany), reveals more than a 100% increase in molecular studies published during the last five years relative to the previous five. More subtly, these effects are seen in (1) the increasing number of studies that attempt (correctly) to fully integrate molecular results with those from more traditional studies (i.e., “morphological” broadly defined), (2) the collaboration of different “traditional” and “molecular” research programs working on the same set of systematic problems, and (3) the training in molecular systematic methods at all professional levels. Not surprising, then, is the increase in the number of taxonomic revisions based in part on molecular data (see below).
Perceived Subtle Gender Bias Index: Development and Validation for Use in Academia:

In this article, we present the development and validation of the Perceived Subtle Gender Bias Index. Given the inherent difficulty in identifying and measuring the perceptions of subtle gender bia...
An introduction to risky decision making

Abstract In this introductory chapter a brief introduction to decision making and risky decision making in particular is presented. Difficulties in defining these and related constructs, such as risk-taking behavior, are discussed. The origins of our knowledge that emotions affect decisions and the dual-process model as applied to risky decisions are presented. Finally, a brief introduction to the rest of the chapters is presented.
Identification of Vortex-Induced Vibration of Tall Building Pinnacle Using Cluster Analysis for Fatigue Evaluation: Application to Burj Khalifa

AbstractPinnacles on top of tall buildings are vulnerable to vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). These structures may undergo large-amplitude vibrations that can lead to fatigue damage accumulation. ...
The presence of an insulin-like peptide-binding protein (ILPBP) in the ovary and its involvement in the ovarian development of the red deep-sea crab, Chaceon quinquedens

Invertebrate insulin-like peptide-binding proteins (ILPBPs) are structurally homologous to vertebrate insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7). One of the invertebrate ILPBPs is considered as a potential binding protein of insulin-like androgenic gland factor (IAG) in males of crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus. However, the ILPBP expression is not limited in the androgenic gland and found in most examined tissues, implicating that ILPBP may have additional functions in crustaceans. Here, the full-length cDNA sequence of ILPBP (termed ChqILPBP) is isolated from the ovary of the red deep-sea crab, Chaceon quinquedens. ChqILPBP transcripts are present in the various tissues, as similar to other crab species. The crustacean ILPBPs have their putative amino acid sequences conserved much less than vertebrate IGFBP7s. To understand if ChqILPBP is involved in ovarian development, examined are levels of ChqILPBP, together with vitellogenin (ChqVTG) in the same ovary and hepatopancreas of adult females at the different ovarian stages: 2, 3, and 5. Chaceon hepatopancreas exhibits as the primary VTG synthesis site, while VTG transcript levels do not differ by the ovarian stages. The ovary contains ChqILPBP transcripts ~10-fold higher than hepatopancreas that changes significantly from stage 2 to 3. Such an expression pattern mirrors that of ovarian ChqVTG. In hepatopancreas, ChqILPBP transcripts are similar at stages 2 and 3 and increase significantly at stage 5. The data indicate that ovarian ILPBP may function differently from that of the hepatopancreas and may play a role in ovarian development. ChqAK transcripts are ~six folds higher in the ovary than the hepatopancreas. While they do not differ by ovarian stages, suggesting that AK may not be involved in vitellogenesis of the cold water crustacean species.
An Approach to Management Communication Pedagogy in MBA Education

This note provides a pedagogical overview of Management Communication for MBA education. Excerpt An APPROACH to Management Communication PEDAGOGY in MBA Education Management communication and corporate communication have changed dramatically in the last ten years. Corporations and organizations have become more complex; yet, the single biggest factors influencing management communication have been, externally, the explosion of business news, and internally, the very different working conditions of a highly competitive marketplace. Externally, communication in business was traditionally associated with public relations. The rise of consulting quickly pushed the envelope of communication culture in business, setting new standards of presentation, and the development of logical arguments applied to business problems. Internally, communication in business can be seen as the ways the practices of human resources are implemented, and how strategy becomes manifest. New technologies, such as the transparency of the Web, have resulted in an increasing visibility of communication in business. Increasingly, vice presidents of corporate communication and chief communication officers play a role in developing corporate strategy. The divide between internal and external communication has been replaced in more and more companies by an integrated function that communicates the strategy, values, and identity of an organization to its multiple stakeholders. A working definition of management communication can be stated as both the many communication-related activities within companies and the specific function of corporate communication. As Rosabeth Moss Kanter noted some time ago, managers spend most of their time communicating, often under a fair amount of uncertainty. Management communication continues to be the area of communication in business that centers on the individual manager's ability to be an effective communicator. The exclusive focus on writing and speaking skills, however, has evolved into a strategic approach set in real-world organizational contexts that directly prepare students for the demands placed on today's manager. A dazzling and often confusing array of communication choices and channels, from e-mail to teleconferences, from instant messaging on palm pilots, to multi-media presentation technology, faces the men and women who work in companies, where, as the cliche goes, the only constant is change. Change, by definition, raises the need for the ability to communicate persuasively. It is no coincidence that the most celebrated CEOs are often great communicators, individuals who not only articulate the company's strategy with precision, but also become the corporation's “story-teller-in-chief.” . . .
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation with Right Ventricular Assist Device for COVID-19 ARDS.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular failure is an underrecognized consequence of COVID-19 pneumonia. Those with severe disease are treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but with poor outcomes. Concomitant right ventricular assist device (RVAD) may be beneficial. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of intensive care unit patients admitted with COVID-19 ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) was performed. Nonintubated patients, those with acute kidney injury, and age > 75 were excluded. Patients who underwent RVAD/ECMO support were compared with those managed via invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) alone. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-d mortality, acute kidney injury, length of ICU stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: A total of 145 patients were admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Thirty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 21 received IMV, and 18 received RVAD/ECMO. In-hospital (52.4 versus 11.1%, P = 0.008) and 30-d mortality (42.9 versus 5.6%, P= 0.011) were significantly lower in patients treated with RVAD/ECMO. Acute kidney injury occurred in 15 (71.4%) patients in the IMV group and zero RVAD/ECMO patients (P< 0.001). ICU (11.5 versus 21 d, P= 0.067) and hospital (14 versus 25.5 d, P = 0.054) length of stay were not significantly different. There were no RVAD/ECMO device complications. The duration of mechanical ventilation was not significantly different (10 versus 5 d, P = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: RVAD support at the time of ECMO initiation resulted in the no secondary end-organ damage and higher in-hospital and 30-d survival versus IMV in specially selected patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS. Management of severe COVID-19 ARDS should prioritize right ventricular support.
Upper-Limb Therapy in Children Following Injection of Botulinum Neurotoxin A

Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) is a useful medication for the reduction of muscle overactivity in the upper limb(s) of children with cerebral palsy. The method for BoNT-A delivery, dose, and muscle localization criteria are established. Children who are being treated require appropriate assessment at the impairment and activity levels of functioning. Once injected, children require specific therapy delivered by an occupational therapist according to the specified goals that are set out prior to injection, by the child, family, and health-care workers. BoNT-A injection offers the child with cerebral palsy a period of reduced muscle overactivity and is a useful adjunct to evidence-based upper-limb therapy.
Nucleoside and Ribonucleic Acid Metabolism in Isolated Bone Cells EFFECTS OF INSULIN AND CORTISOL IN VITRO

Abstract Treatment of isolated bone cells in primary culture with insulin in vitro for 1 hour markedly enhanced the incorporation of radioactively labeled uridine into cellular free uridine nucleotide pools and into RNA. Stimulation was directly proportional to the starting insulin concentration (4.6 ng per ml being minimally effective), appeared within 15 min, was maximal in 45 to 60 min, and gradually disappeared in 4 to 5 hours. This disappearance is best explained by inactivation of insulin, since fresh insulin stimulated incorporation when added to cells which had already been treated for 4 hours. Stimulation was not diminished by washing insulin-treated cells. Neither growth hormone nor glucagon altered the incorporation of radioactive uridine into bone cells. Insulin appears to act by stimulating uridine uptake or phosphorylation (or both) since (a) it did not restrict uridine efflux or degradation, and (b) it increased the incorporation of radioactive uridine at a high (500 µm) as well as a low (4.8 µm) starting concentration of uridine in the incubation medium, thus tending to exclude the possible contribution of an alteration in the size of the corresponding intracellular precursor pool. Failure of insulin to increase cellular free uridine or uracil radioactivity is evidence for an effect on phosphorylation rather than uptake. Insulin enhanced the incorporation of uridine and cytidine to a much greater degree than that of adenosine and guanosine, suggesting a preferential effect on the transport or phosphorylation of pyrimidine nucleosides. Insulin effects appeared during inhibition of protein synthesis with either puromycin or cycloheximide, and during incubation of cells in glucose and amino acid-free medium, indicating that they were independent of protein synthesis or of changes in glucose or amino acid transport. Insulin did not increase the accumulation of radioactivity in RNA precursor pools by first stimulating RNA synthesis, since (a) this increase developed during virtually complete inhibition of RNA synthesis with actinomycin D, and (b) enhanced labeling of precursor pools and of RNA appeared simultaneously, and were equivalent in degree. Short term treatment of bone cells with insulin did not significantly increase the total content of RNA per culture. Cortisol-induced inhibition of nucleoside incorporation was not seen during simultaneous treatment with insulin, and insulin antagonized the cortisol effect even after its ability to stimulate uridine incorporation had disappeared.
Potassium Requirement of Kittens as Affected by Dietary Protein

The dietary potassium requirements of weaning kittens given basal diets containing either a "normal" (33%) or "high" (68%) level of protein were determined. Potassium as KHCO3 was added to give concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4% for the 33% protein diet and 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6% for the 68% protein diet. Excluding the highest concentrations of potassium used, body weight gains within diets were positively and linearly related to potassium concentration. Within both levels of dietary protein, concentration of potassium is plasma was linearly related to dietary potassium; however, for the same dietary potassium concentrations, kittens receiving the high protein diet had lower concentrations of potassium in plasma than kittens given he normal protein diet. Body weight gains were greater for kittens given the 68% protein diets than those receiving the 33% protein diet. The dietary potassium requirements of kittens were estimated as being in the range of 0.3% to 0.5% for 33% and 68% protein diets.
Competitive Hill-Climbing Strategies for Replica Placement in a Distributed File System

The Farsite distributed file system stores multiple replicas of files on multiple machines, to provide file access even when some machines are unavailable. Farsite assigns file replicas to machines so as to maximallyexploit the different degrees of availabilityof different machines, given an allowable replication factor R. We use competitive analysis and simulation to study the performance of three candidate hillclimbing replica placement strategies, MinMax, MinRand, and RandRand, each of which successivelyexc hanges the locations of two file replicas. We show that the MinRand and RandRand strategies are perfectlycomp etitive for R = 2 and 2/3-competitive for R = 3. For general R, MinRand is at least 1/2-competitive and RandRand is at least 10/17-competitive. The MinMax strategyis not competitive. Simulation results show better performance than the theoretic worst-case bounds.
Tritium Breeding Benchmark Calculations for a Li17Pb83 Blanket with Steel Structure

Tritium breeding calculations for a Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ benchmark problem that employs steel as structure are presented. Large deviations between the results of continuous energy Monte Carlo and multigroup discrete ordinates are observed when different multigroup libraries are used. Effects of group structure and weighting spectra are explored by collapsing the Los Alamos National Laboratory 80-group library into different broad group structures using different weighting spectra. For blanket systems with natural lithium-lead, many groups with fine structure in the iron resonance region are required for accurate tritium breeding determination. Fewer broad groups can be used only if an appropriate weighting spectrum representing the spectrum in the Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ system is used to generate the data. For systems highly enriched in /sup 5/Li, these effects are less pronounced with fewer groups being adequate.
How Informative Is Qualitative Management Earnings Guidance Compared to Quantitative Guidance

Management earnings guidance is one of the primary sources of earnings expectations for market participants. Broadly speaking, managers disclose their guidance either quantitatively or qualitatively. Comparing these guidance forms by type of news, I find that qualitative bad news forecasts are more informative to investors (i.e., have a stronger market reaction) and analysts (i.e., have larger earnings revisions) than quantitative bad news forecasts. With respect to good news earnings forecasts, I find no significant effect of guidance form. By way of an explanation, I find that qualitative bad news forecasts are more accurate ex post than quantitative bad news forecasts. Empirical results indicate that investors view qualitative bad news forecasts as a signal that the forthcoming earnings surprise may be more negative than anticipated. This result contrasts with prior studies which generally find that more precise earnings guidance is more informative – at least among alternative types of quantitative earnings guidance. Supplemental analysis reveals that managers‘ concern for litigation exposure provides a potential explanation as to why firms might issue qualitative bad news forecasts over quantitative forecasts.
Cellular zinc levels are influenced by the interaction between the mucolipidosis IV-associated TRPML1 protein and TMEM163 protein (996.5)

Dysfunctional Mucolipin-1 (TRPML1) ion channel protein causes the human lysosomal storage disorder Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV). Cells affected by MLIV have significantly higher intracellular zinc levels compared to normal cells; however, the mechanism of zinc elevation remains unknown. Using a membrane-based yeast two-hybrid technique, we identified a putative zinc-binding protein called transmembrane-163 protein (TMEM163) as an interacting partner for TRPML1. We confirmed interaction by co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. We hypothesized that the interaction between TMEM163 and TRPML1 plays a role in regulating TMEM163, and thus intracellular zinc. RNA interference targeting both TMEM163 and TRPML1 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells resulted in significant increase of intracellular zinc when both proteins were knocked down. To determine how interaction of TRPML1 and TMEM163 could be responsible in regulation of intracellular zinc, we co-expressed and analyzed expression of tagged constructs of bot...
Competency-Based Education

(1979). Competency-Based Education. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 52, No. 9, pp. 424-427.
Free at Last from Obscurity: Achieving Clarity

This article discusses how lawyers can write clearly and forcefully in plain, simple English. From the Editor: "We finish with the next installment of our 'Best of' series, this time featuring short pieces by Gerald Lebovits. Judge Lebovits . . . offers practical advice shaped by his years as a legal reader and writer. He has written many pieces worthy of inclusion here, but we’ve picked our favorite favorites."
Developing federal standards and accreditations for data protection products

Lisa J. CarnahanSecurity Technology Group, Computer Systems Laboratory,National Institute of Standards and Technology,Gaithersburg, Md., 20899ABSTRACTSecurity standards help users implement adequate protection in their systems. Independent, third-partyconformance testing to security standards provides those users with a metric beyond vendor affirmationin determining conformance. Independent third-party conformance testing gives manufacturers theopportunity to claim conformance to a standard using a strong metric. However neither standards nortesting programs can be successful without the support of the manufacturers and users they areintended to serve. This paper discusses a standard that was developed by NIST in conjunction withindusiry, federal and private sector users, and the validation program that provides users the necessarymetric to determine conformance.Keywords: conformance testing, cryptographic module, security testing, validation
Sonographic determination of normal Conus Medullaris level and ascent in early infancy

Controversial reports exist in the literature regarding both the spinal level of the conus medullaris (CM) in normal infants and the age at which the CM achieves its adult level. Autopsy studies have demonstrated ascent continuing into early infancy while more recent imaging study series’ suggest the adult conus level is attained by the 40th postmenstrual week. The authors conducted a retrospective review of 1,273 screening lumbar ultrasound studies performed over 5 years at a pediatric tertiary referral center. All patients were infants referred for initial imaging to rule out the presence of a tethered spinal cord. Referral sources included urban academic, urban private practice, and rural private practice pediatricians. After excluding studies lacking sufficient documentation (n = 90) and those reported as abnormal (n = 106), 1,077 remained for review. The CM level and patient age in days were recorded from each study. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired t testing and ANOVA for continuous variables; chi-square for categorical data. The mean CM level for infants in group I (ages 0–30 days) was compared to those in groups II (31–60 days) and group III (61–100 days). Group I had a mean CM level of 0.125 and 0.2 vertebral segments lower than groups II and III (p = 0.0005 and <0.0001, respectively). ANOVA comparison of all three groups confirmed a rostral migratory trend (p < 0.001). The prevalence of CM level caudal to L2 in group I was 13 %, group II 11.4 %, and group III 4.7 %; also indicating a significant rostral trend (p = 0.004). Rostral migration of CM level continues through the first few months of post-natal life, albeit of limited extent. Documentation of continued ascent in a neonate may obviate the need for magnetic resonance imaging.
SOME MACROECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF ALTERNATIVE COMPENSATION SYSTEMS

A basic theme of this paper is the idea that some structural reform of employee compensation arrangements is necessary to make reasonable price stability compatible with reasonably full employment. In this view even the best designed macroeconomic policies are much too aggregative to get at the heart of the stagflation problem. The ultimate solution involves going inside the workings of a modern capitalist economy and correcting the underlying structural flaw directly on the level of the individual firm. Stagflation represents an especially intractable policy dilemma for macroeconomics. Without a decisive tendency of the economic system to remain near full employment, there is a strong prima facie case for fighting recessions by exogenously stimulating aggregate demand. But the usual Keynesian expansionary policies tend to impart an inflationary inertia that is difficult to choke off. And of course the basic strategy for fighting inflation is to cool down the economy by restrictive monetary and fiscal policy thereby increasing unemployment and closing the viscous circle. Because the practical macroeconomic policies for dealing with unemployment and inflation are so diametrically opposed, stagflation is a pervasive structural problem when, for whatever reason, there is basically an unfavourable short run tradeoff between unemployment and inflation. Economic policy tends to vacillate between expansion of demand to fight unemployment and restriction of demand to fight inflation, polarising the electorate and distracting society from dealing effectively with its underlying 'real' economic problems. Even the difficulty of attaining 'external balance' in foreign accounts is largely a spillover into the international payments arena of an inability to achieve an acceptable 'internal balance' between full employment and price stability.' This paper takes what might be called a comparative systems approach to the problem of stagflation. At the heart of modern industrial capitalism is an incredibly complicated system of overlapping monopolistic competitors.2 A starting point for the paper is the realisation that the coordination difficulty which can cause some systems to suffer involuntary unemployment is not inherent in laissez faire private enterprise per se. It is closely tied to one particular property of a conventional wage payment system: namely, compensation of each firm's employees is stuck to an outside numeraire (whether money, or a cost of
The impact of menopause on health-related quality of life: results from the STRIDE longitudinal study

Purpose We examine the impact of menopausal status, beyond menopausal symptoms, on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Tunable laser resonance Raman spectroscopy of the visual process. I: The spectrum of rhodopsin

Tunable laser resonance Raman spectra have been obained of a solution of bovine rhodopsin. The spectra were obtained without causing the cis-trans isomerization of the retinylidene chromophore which is the primary photochemical act in vision. The spectra appear to be sensitive to the structure, the environment and the interactions of the retinylidene chromophore in its opsin matrix. The ease with which the spectra were obtained, the experimental flexibility of Raman spectroscopy and the apparent sensitivity of the spectra suggests a wide range of possible applications for resonance Raman spectroscopy in the elucidation of the principal molecular steps in vision.
Comparative assessment of coal tars obtained from 10 former manufactured gas plant sites in the eastern United States.

Abstract A comparative analysis was performed on eleven coal tars obtained from former manufactured gas plant sites in the eastern United States. Bulk properties analyzed included percent ash, Karl Fisher water content, viscosity and average molecular weight. Chemical properties included monocyclic- and polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations, alkylated aromatic concentrations, and concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic fractions. It was found that there was at least an order-of-magnitude variation in all properties measured between the eleven coal tars. Additionally, two coal tars obtained from the same manufactured gas plant site had very different properties, highlighting that there can be wide variations in coal tar properties from different samples obtained from the same site. Similarities were also observed between the coal tars. The relative chemical distributions were similar for all coal tars, and the coal tars predominantly consisted of PAHs, with naphthalene being the single-most prevalent compound. The C9−22 aromatic fraction, an indicator of all PAHs up to a molecular weight of approximately 276 g mole−1, showed a strong power-law relationship with the coal tar average molecular weight ( MW ¯ ct ) . And the concentrations of individual PAHs decreased linearly as MW ¯ ct increased up to ca. 1000 g mole−1, above which they remained low and variable. Implications of these properties and their variation with MW ¯ ct on groundwater quality are discussed. Ultimately, while these similarities do allow generalities to be made about coal tars, the wide range of coal tar bulk and chemical properties reported here highlights the complex nature of coal tars.
An Experimental Study Evaluating Macroscopic Cavity Interactions as a Model of Microvoid Ductility

An experimental study of the interactions between macroscopic cavities was conducted. The goal was to determine simple cavity arrangements producing deformations similar to commonly observed features of ductile fracture. The production of cavity-centered fracture surface features and ligament thinning, representative of the type observed around and between microvoids on ductile fracture surfaces, were the specific objectives of this macroscopic study. The specimens employed were cylindrical tension specimens containing from one to six coplanar radial holes, with spherical end profiles, located at the center of the specimen and either zero or one cylindrical hole located on the longitudinal axis of the specimen. The results of this parametric study identified the two specimens that best produced the desired features. The load-displacement results of these experiments also illustrate the effect of cavity geometry on the net strength and ductility of the array system. Specimens of these designs provide a future basis for simple and economical model studies of void interactions.
Extraction methods for analysis of Citrus leaf proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

General procedures for the extraction of Citrus leaf proteins for analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) were developed through the evaluation and modification of existing methods. Among the methods evaluated, the best results were obtained when Tris-HCl, KCl, and phenol extractions were followed by precipitation with organic solvents to purify and concentrate the samples. The utility of the Tris-HCl extraction method was demonstrated on the leaves of six genetically different Citrus varieties. The methods described are versatile and result in high resolution 2-DE gels of Citrus leaf proteins.
Express Lanes Performance Evaluation: Interstate 35W in Minnesota

Transportation authorities around the United States are challenged to develop highway projects that deliver the best operational performance for the public investment. Congestion pricing has been promoted as an efficient operational performance strategy that helps to add roadway capacity when it is needed most, during peak periods of the day. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has implemented its second high-occupancy toll lane in the I-35W MnPASS express lane. This paper examines the performance of the southern 7 mi of the MnPASS lane and considers a number of performance indexes as reported through the project evaluation process. Since the opening of the MnPASS express lanes on the I-35W corridor, average speeds on those lanes during the a.m. peak period have increased by 3 to 4 mph. Average speed in the adjacent general purpose lanes appears to have declined by about 1 to 2 mph in the evaluation period. Vehicle throughput on the MnPASS lanes has increased by 77% and person throughput has increa...
Reactor design and safety

Abstract Before the resurgence of light water reactor (LWR) orders, the nuclear power industry should take this time to conduct overall design reviews and to discuss, through technical or professional societies, the design criteria for the next generation of LWRs. Such a review and open discussion of design criteria for future LWRs are needed to provide a critical, in depth self-evaluation by the nuclear industry itself during this hiatus. The results of this evaluation would be beneficial to the potential owners, reactor vendors, plant constructors, reactor operators, regulators and the public. Organizations, such as the Atomic Industrial Forum and the Institute for Energy Analysis could provide a convenient focal point for this review and evaluation process. A future advanced design should be conceived based on a balanced consideration of simplicity in design, safety and reliability in operation, and cost effectiveness. Therefore, it must systematically optimized by using the invaluable operating experience and accumulated research results so that the optimum of cost/effectiveness can be obtained.
HAYEK AND MARKET SOCIALISM: SCIENCE, IDEOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY1

F. A. Hayek's significant intellectual contribution to a number of scholarly disciplines was grounded in his critique of socialist economics. This article sets out how Hayek's critique of classical and market socialism led to the development of his wide-ranging research programme in the social sciences and shows that the implications of this research programme remain crucial to academic research and public policy in the twenty-first century.
Stabilization and characterization of histidine-tagged homocitrate synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Histidine-tagged homocitrate synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was purified to about 98% using a Ni–NTA resin and stabilized using a combination of 100 mM guanidine hydrochloride, 100 mM α-cyclodextrin, and 600 mM ammonium sulfate. The enzyme was assayed using dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) as an oxidant to oxidize the CoASH produced in the reaction. A stoichiometry of 1:1 was obtained between DCPIP and CoASH. Kinetic parameters for the stable enzyme at pH 7.5 are: K m (AcCoA), 24 μM; K m (α-kg), 1.3 mM; and k cat , 37 min −1 . The enzyme, in the absence of reactants, self-associates, as suggested by size exclusion chromatography. Fluorescence and circular dichroic spectra suggested a partially exposed tryptophan residue and a mixed (α/β) secondary structure for the enzyme. Fluorescence quenching studies with KI, CsCl, and acrylamide suggest that the microenvironment around the single tryptophan residue of the enzyme has some positive charge.
Second Premolar Morphologic Trait Similarities in Twins

Seven morphologic traits of the mandibular second premolars were compared in 32 pairs of like-sexed twins to determine their value in diagnosing twin zygosity. Homolateral comparisons of the mandibular second premolars were accurate enough to be used as an aid in the diagnosis of monozygosity.
TNFα induces chromosomal abnormalities independent of ROS through IKK, JNK, p38 and caspase pathways

A role for pro-inflammatory cytokines in inflammation-related cancers has been suggested, but mechanisms are not defined. Here, we demonstrate that treatment of HeLa cells with TNFalpha increases chromosomal aberration. In contrast, IL-1beta did not increase, but rather decreased chromosomal aberration. TNFalpha and IL-1beta increased the production of H2O2 to similar levels in cells, suggesting that increased production of reactive oxygen species might not be the premier factor involved. Reducing H2O2 through overexpression of catalase or treatment of cells with NAC or BHA did not have an effect on TNF-induced chromosomal aberration. TNFalpha-induced NO production has been implicated in DNA damage. Inhibiting NO did not reduce TNF-induced chromosomal aberration. Inhibiting IKK, JNK, and p38 kinase as well as caspases decreased TNF-induced chromosomal aberration, and a correlation between TNF-induced apoptosis and CA generation was not found. Single-strand DNA breaks give rise to double-strand breaks, which then results in chromosomal breaks, when replication forks reach the single-strand breaks during S-phase. In cells progressing through S-phase, TNFalpha activation of IKK, JNK, and p38 is significantly reduced. However, these kinases were activated by IL-1beta in S-phase. The possibility that these pathways, in a TNF-specific manner, may regulate either the generation of single- and double-strand breaks or their repair, thereby resulting in increased chromosomal aberration, is discussed.
An outbreak of aspergillosis in children with acute leukemia

SINC~ 1970, a number of reports of invasive Aspergillus infection in immunosuppressed patients have appeared in the literature. 16 Though a potential complication of any immunosuppressed state, aspergillosis occurs primarily in patients with leukemia.~ Inhalation of spores is believed to be the usual route of transmission in human infections, although the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and nasopharynx have been observed as infrequent primary portals of entry?' 7 Nosocomial hazards for Aspergillus are difficult to assess, since this is an ubiquitous organism. The simultaneous discovery of contaminated ventilation systems and cases of aspergillosis within a hospital have been reported5 -6 However, no cluster of cases has been described previously. During a two-month interval, five children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were admitted to Texas Children's Hospital and subsequently developed invasive Aspergillus infections. The features of these patients are summarized in the Table. The presence, in tissue specimens, of dichotomously branching, septate hyphae, 3 to 5 microns in diameter, stained with methamine silver nitrate, established the diagnosis of aspergillosis in all patients. Only one patient had positive antemortem cultures.