cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal death time measurement using thin flexible sleeves: a new experimental approach for determining microbial destruction kinetics in fluids of arbitrary viscosity.

The thermal death time kinetics of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) was measured in buffer, egg yolk, and albumen using thin layer plastic sleeves. The sleeves allowed for the loading and sampling of liquids of high or unusual viscosity, as in the case of yolk and albumen, and accepted relatively large volumes (2 to 3 ml) of fluid. The sleeves maintained the volume of the fluid in a thin layer and could be easily handled for heat exposure. The thin layer maintained one-dimensional heat transfer and minimized temperature gradients, thus preventing parts of the fluid from experiencing different heating rates. A representative strain of SE associated with an egg-based salmonellosis outbreak was used in this study. The D- and z-values of the chosen strain, H7037, were measured in buffer, yolk, and albumen. In buffer, SE had the following mean (± standard deviation) D-values: D 55°C = 3.51 ± 0.30 min, D 57°C = 1.75 ± 0.13 min, and D 60°C = 0.25 ± 0.06 min. In yolk, D 58°C = 0.90 ± 0.05, D 60°C = 0.26 ± 0.03, and D 62°C = 0.20 ± 0.02. In albumen, D 55°C = 1.26 ± 0.31, D 56°C = 0.68 ± 0.10, and D 57°C = 0.44 ± 0.04. The z-values for SE calculated from these D-values were 4.29 ± 0.39°C in buffer, 6.12 ± 0.26°C in yolk, and 4.63 ± 1.14°C in albumen. The sleeves allowed one consistent approach to determining thermal death time kinetics regardless of viscosity.
Open Innovation: The New Imperative For Creating and Profiting From Technology

(2004). Open Innovation: The New Imperative For Creating and Profiting From Technology. Innovation: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 474-474.
Case Analysis Approach to Neonatal Transfusions

Although neonates are among the most heavily transfused patients, neonatal transfusion practices are quite controversial. This article will present case reports that illustrate the rationales for transfusing red blood cells, platelets, and granulocytes in neonatal patients. Special considerations (with emphasis on neonates) such as the use of y-irradiation and the selection of blood products from donors seronegative for cytomegalovirus also will be discussed.
A Practical Synthesis of a Potent and Selective Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) Inhibitor

A practical synthesis of a potent, selective, and orally efficacious diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1 (DGAT-1) inhibitor, is described. This synthesis is suitable for multi-kilogram scale with high regioselectivity and stereoselectivity. The synthesis involves a Knoevenagel condensation with Meldrum’s acid followed by the stereoselective addition of phenyl cuprate, regioselective Friedel–Crafts acylation, cyclization, and a regioselective reduction through an enol triflate with catalytic platinum oxide to provide the desired compound in 5.2% yield over 12 steps.
Adjuvant treatment of pancreatic cancer in 2009: where are we? Highlights from the 45th ASCO annual meeting. Orlando, FL, USA. May 29-June 2, 2009.

Despite attempted curative resection of localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma, most patients succumb a recurrence and die of their disease. The Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer trials have suggested the benefit of adjuvant therapy. However, the relatively few randomized trials available have not established a definite standard of care due to study limitations. Although these trials, and the recently published Charite Onkologie (CONKO)-001 trial, have shown a definite advantage of adjuvant chemotherapy, the most effective chemotherapy and the role of radiation therapy remain unclear. This review will discuss the data available from reported trials of adjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer, especially the results of the ESPAC-3 study presented at the annual meeting of ASCO 2009, and consider future directions for clinical trials.
Photochemical modification of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) for producing topographic and refractive index contrast for device fabrication

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) can be modified through the use of ultraviolet radiation and cross-linking agents to produce either topographic or refractive index structures. These techniques enable the fabrication of reflectors, gratings, photonic crystals and waveguides.
Reactive limits to diaspora enfranchisement policies: a conceptual categorization

Building on Matland’s ([1995]. “Synthesizing the Implementation Literature: The Ambiguity-conflict Model of Policy Implementation.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 5 (2): 145–1...
A Bricolage of Voices: Lessons Learned from Feminist Analyses in Educational Leadership

This chapter is a collection of the findings of the studies of women I have engaged in over a decade and is my attempt to transform them into a story that is multidimensional and that moves beyond perspectives from different studies in isolation to reflecting upon them as a whole and considering what significance they hold together for advancing equity and social justice in the field of education and leadership practice.
Economic freedom and growth specification debate: a retrospective

ABSTRACTThis article revisits a 2006 theoretical debate on the appropriate specifications for testing the relationship between economic outcomes and economic freedom. It provides out-of-sample empirical tests corresponding to each of the theoretical positions of the two sides of the debate. The two methods of testing the relationship essentially tie in their ability to predict out-of-sample, although neither model predicts very well for the decade following the debate.
Assessment of Performance-Based Seismic Design Methods in ASCE 41 for New Steel Buildings: Special Moment Frames

This paper presents the results of a study investigating the correlation between the anticipated seismic performance of an ASCE 7 code-compliant steel building with special moment frames and its pr...
LOCALLY SEPARABLE MOORE SPACES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses locally separable Moore spaces. It is a feature of local separability that while it appears, or may appear, to be a very restrictive property, there is a wealth of underlying mathematical content for the cases of Moore spaces for which no topology preserving semimetric has the triangle property. In relation to this position, two concepts are formulated: (1) a strict semimetric topological space and (2) a strict Moore space. The semimetric topological space is a topological space S such that for every topology preserving semimetric D it is true that there exist three points A, B, and C of S such that D(A,C) > D(A,B) + D(B,C). A strict Moore space is understood as a nonmetrizable Moore space. The appreciation of the significance of this separation is enhanced by realization that there exists a paracompact Hausdorff semimetric space, which is not metrizable. There exist Moore spaces that are not collection-wise Hausdorff and in which every closed and isolated set is the sum of countably many sets M such that M can be covered by a collection G of mutually exclusive open sets no one of which contains two points of M. Moreover, there exist Moore spaces that are not collection-wise Hausdorff in which no closed and isolated point set is the sum of uncountably many mutually exclusive sets M.
The Clinical Aspects of Botulism

Botulism may have been known to antiquity. K. F. Meyer (1928) suggests that Emperor Leo VI of Byzantium (886–911 A.D.) earned the sobriquet, “The Wise,” or “The Philosopher,” possibly because of an edict that forbade the eating of blood sausage due to its harmfulness to health. Nine centuries later physicians of southern Germany recognized the disease as the often fatal syndrome that sometimes followed the consumption of a regionally popular blood sausage. As a consequence the manufacture of that dangerous food product came under strict government surveillance, and the term botulism (botulus is Latin for sausage) was applied to the illness. In 1895 an outbreak of a strange neuroparalytic disorder occurred among 34 members of a musical society who, after performing at a funeral in the Belgium village of Ellezelles, had eaten some raw, salted ham. Three of the musicians died, while 10 became critically ill. The Belgian bacteriologist van Ermengem investigated the outbreak and, in a paper that remains a classic in the annals of bacteriology, showed that a spore-forming anaerobic bacillus produced a toxin responsible for the disease in the sick musicians and caused the illness previously termed botulism (van Ermengem, 1897).
Symmetries of Extended Objects

In analogy with a previous treatment of strings, it is shown that membrane theories exhibit global non-compact symmetries which have their origin in duality tranformations on the three-dimensional worldvolume which rotate field equations into Bianchi identities. However, in contrast to the string, the worldvolume metric also transforms under duality by a conformal factor. In this way the Cremmer-Julia hidden symmetries of supergravity are seen to be a consequence of supermembrane duality. Moreover, the string duality follows from that of the membrane by simultaneous dimensional reduction. Generalization to higher-dimensional objects is straightforward.
Lipocortins and Related Proteins may be Involved in Intracellular Signal Transduction

Recent studies have defined a family of structurally related proteins which bind to certain phospholipids in Ca2+-dependent manner (Crompton et al., 1988). Several names have been proposed for this family including annexins, lipocortins, and calpactins. Although the biological function is not known for any of these proteins, they are attracting intensive investigation because of their potential involvement in Ca2+-mediated stimulus-response coupling.
Syntactic-Semantic frames for clinical cohort identification queries

Large sets of electronic health record data are increasingly used in retrospective clinical studies and comparative effectiveness research. The desired patient cohort characteristics for such studies are best expressed as free text descriptions. We present a syntactic-semantic approach to structuring these descriptions. We developed the approach on 60 training topics (descriptions) and evaluated it on 35 test topics provided within the 2011 TREC Medical Record evaluation. We evaluated the accuracy of the frames as well as the modifications needed to achieve near perfect precision in identifying the top 10 eligible patients. Our automatic approach accurately captured 34 test descriptions; 25 automatic frames needed no modifications for finding eligible patients. Further evaluations of the overall average retrieval effectiveness showed that frames are not needed for simple descriptions containing one or two key terms. However, our training results suggest that the frames are needed for more complex real-life cohort selection tasks.
Chemical Dynamics Investigated by Laser Probes

The emphasis of this article will be upon dynamical aspects of chemical problems with the use of the laser as a tool. Molecular structural information is incorporated where available, but is not the end of the investigation. The chemist’s approach to the study of complex problems is to investigate a wide variety of model systems. The elucidation of differing models can carry one into different domains of physical insight. We will consider in the spirit of the chemist’s style illustrative model systems to convey the variety of information and systems that can be successfully probed by laser technique. They are selected for their breadth and quality of information not previously available. The examples were performed at the University of Chicago with the skillful collaborators referenced.
Phase width of kinetically stable ([PbSe]1+δ)1(TiSe2)1 ferecrystals and the effect of precursor composition on electrical properties

Abstract Synthesis and transport properties of ([PbSe]1+δ)1 ( TiSe 2 ) 1 ferecrystals made from several precursors of different compositions are reported. C-lattice parameters of crystallized compounds vary by under 0.01 A though relative cation compositions normalized to selenium content are shown to vary by over 30%. Even with a deliberate wide-range of starting precursor compositions crystallized under kinetic conditions, the variation in electrical properties of ferecrystals is less than in similar compounds grown under equilibrium conditions. The growth process of a ferecrystal appears to push impurities of excess starting material in the precursor to the surface, until impurity density becomes too high and defects are incorporated as inclusions, replacing small domains within the layered structure. Transport properties of the many compounds formed cluster into regions, with samples deposited during the same deposition cycle showing less variation.
Multi-method assessment of irritability and differential linkages to neurophysiological indicators of attention allocation to emotional faces in young children

Facilitated attention toward angry stimuli (attention bias) may contribute to anger proneness and temper outbursts exhibited by children with high irritability. However, most studies linking attention bias and irritability rely on behavioral measures with limited precision and no studies have explored these associations in young children. The present study explores irritability-related attention biases toward anger in young children (N = 128; ages 4-7 years) engaged in a dot-probe task with emotional faces, as assessed with event-related brain potential (ERP) indices of early selective attention and multi-method assessment of irritability. Irritability assessed via semi-structured clinical interview predicted larger anterior N1 amplitudes to all faces. In contrast, irritability assessed via a laboratory observation paradigm predicted reduced P1 amplitudes to angry relative to neutral faces. These findings suggest that altered early attentional processing occurs in young children with high irritability; however, the nature of these patterns may vary with methodological features of the irritability assessments. Future investigations using different assessment tools may provide greater clarity regarding the underlying neurocognitive correlates of irritability. Such studies may also contribute to the ongoing debates about how to best define and measure irritability across the developmental spectrum in a manner that is most informative for linkage to neural processes.
Marxist Political Theory, Diversity of Tactics, and the Doctrine of the Long Civil War

In The Communist Manifesto (1848), Marx and Engels “openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions.” However, by 1872, Marx suggeste...
A Novel Role of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 10A in Pathological Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction

Background: Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs), through degradation of cyclic nucleotides, play critical roles in cardiovascular biolog...
Validation of Continuous-Energy ENDF/B-VIII.0 16O, 56Fe, and 63,65Cu Cross Sections for Nuclear Criticality Safety Applications

Recently completed cross-section evaluations sponsored in part by the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program were incorporated into the 2018 release of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 cross-section library. Evaluate...
Comparison of biodegradable polyesters degradation behavior in sand

Sandy beaches represent environmental compartments particularly vulnerable to litter pollution, and they reflect the magnitude of pollution of adjacent compartments: water and coastal areas. The substitution of conventional polymers by biodegradable materials is generally considered as an alternative for reducing environmental accumulation of plastic debris. The present study is aimed to investigate the degradation of poly(lactic acid), poly(e-caprolactone), poly(butylenesuccinate adipate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) buried in sand for 267 days, simulating them as beach litter. The analysed polyesters showed different degradation mechanisms and kinetics. PLA is mainly subjected to weathering by physical aging; after an initial faster degradation of the amorphous phase, PCL showed a decrease of its degradation rate; similarly to PCL, the degradation of PBSA started from the amorphous phase; PHB is clearly subjected to biological degradation. The degradation trend of the investigated materials in sand decreased in the order PHB > PBSA > PCL > PLA. PLA, PCL and PBSA did not undergo complete degradation in sand during the testing time.
Epidemiological and Treatment Trends for Acute Ischemic Stroke Preceding and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic heralded a number of indirect perturbations to patient behavior and disease epidemiology, and mounting evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated underlying health disparities along racial and socioeconomic (SES) groups for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We used 1 large national insurance database to identify whether patient demographics, disease severity, or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) rates changed for the treatment and management of AIS during COVID-19. Methods AIS patient records were queried from the Clinformatics® Data Mart Optum SES Database from the following 2 time periods: March 1, 2019-June 30, 2019 (pre-COVID-19), and March 1, 2020-June 30, 2020 (COVID-19). The database contains the longitudinal healthcare claims of approximately 77 million patients covered by a major insurance provider between 2003 and June 30, 2020 across all 50 states. Interrupted time-series analyses were used to assess trend differences before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results During the pre-COVID-19 period (March 1, 2019-June 30, 2019), there were 9,072 patients who presented for AIS, compared to 7,366 during COVID-19 (March 1, 2020-June 30, 2020). In both periods, the majority of patients were white (66.83% pre-COVID-19 and 67.91% during COVID-19). The average hospitalization duration was not different during the 2 time periods (p = 0.632), nor were rates of MT (p = 0.260). Total inpatient costs rose slightly for the COVID-19 period (USD 30,739 vs. USD 29,406; p = 0.015), and the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was higher during CO-VID-19 (5 vs. 4; p = 0.023). When longitudinal trends were assessed for rates of MT and average NIHSS score for black and white patients, no differences were noted during the CO-VID-19 pandemic. Patients without any undergraduate experience did not present with AIS in increasing or decreasing incidence during COVID-19 (p = 0.268), but they did undergo declining rates of MT (p = 0.013). Conclusions In the largest SES analysis of AIS patients during the COVID-19 era, we found that several SES factors, including race and income, did not seem to significantly impact utilization of MT for the treatment of AIS or the severity of the stroke at presentation.
In Honor of Professor Myrna Raeder

Brilliant scholar. Tireless advocate. Supportive colleague. Champion for gender equity and criminal justice reform. All these accolades are true, though inadequate, in describing Professor Myrna Raeder, our respected friend and legal scholar who we lost all too soon. For me, personally, the additional word that comes to mind when I think of Myrna is humble. There are few people in the legal academy-or anywhere really-who are as brilliant and creative as Myrna was and yet also carry themselves in the humble and self-effacing way that she did. Myrna was not one to talk about her own importance; she talked about the importance of her work. The incarcerated women and their children and families-their stories were important to her. And I, like so many of the authors in this In Memorium issue and well beyond, admired Myrna especially because of her amazing ability to combine intellectual and scholarly rigor with a passion and activism for justice.
URMS. A graphical urban roadway management system at network level

A graphical urban roadway management system (URMS) is described. The objective of the system is to assist in scheduling maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) projects at the network level. URMS works in graphics mode and is characterized by simplicity, flexibility, and user-friendliness. In URMS, management sections can be composed of one or more street blocks. Pavement condition index, which is derived from seven types of distress, is the main calculation variable used in the system. Other evaluation indexes include pavement age, mixed average daily traffic, and truck average daily traffic. The assignment of M&R strategy to each section is performed by means of a decision tree. A methodology combining two matrices and an equation is used for project prioritization. Users can change distress types, M&R strategies, and parameters of all the models. The entire system, including the data base and all models and graphics, is written in Turbo Pascal with the Borland Graphics Interface. The system was tested and its functionality demonstrated with the use of data from the city of Austin, Texas.
Tight Bounds for Testing k -Linearity

The function \(f : \mathbb{F}_2^n \to \mathbb{F}_2\) is k-linear if it returns the sum (over \(\mathbb{F}_2\)) of exactly k coordinates of its input. We introduce strong lower bounds on the query complexity for testing whether a function is k-linear. We show that for any \(k \le \frac n2\), at least k − o(k) queries are required to test k-linearity, and we show that when \(k \approx \frac n2\), this lower bound is nearly tight since \(\frac43 k + o(k)\) queries are sufficient to test k-linearity. We also show that non-adaptive testers require 2k − O(1) queries to test k-linearity.
Putrescine, cadaverine, and indole production by bacteria isolated from wild and aquacultured penaeid shrimp stored at 0, 12, 24, and 36°C

Putrescine, cadaverine, and indole production capabilities of bacteria isolated from wild domestic and aquacultured Ni-caraguan penaeid shrimp in progressive decomposition states were evaluated. The numbers and types of microorganisms responsible for the production of putrescine, cadaverine, and indole in wild and aquacultured shrimp increased with increasing decomposition temperature and time. Throughout the storage experiments, mean aerobic plate counts (log/g) ranged from 4.5 to 9.7 and 4.5 to 9.0 for domestic and Nicaraguan shrimp, respectively. Vibrio spp. were more prominent in Nicaraguan shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) than in domestic shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus and Litopenaeus brasiliensis). The only amine-producing (putrescine) microorganism isolated from wild and aquacultured shrimp at all temperatures of decomposition (0, 12, 24, and 36 degrees C) was Shewanella putrefaciens. On the basis of putrescine production by S. putrefaciens at 0 and 12 degrees C and putrescine production by S. putrefaciens, Vibrio spp., and Morganella morganii at 24 and 36 degrees C, putrescine should be considered a potential chemical indicator of decomposition in shrimp.
Using earthquake doublets to study inner core rotation and seismicity catalog precision

[1] We report our search for doublets in the South Sandwich Islands (SSI) region among 906 earthquakes from January 1982 to December 1998. Event pairs with source separation less than 40 km, which was calculated using PDE locations, were checked using vertical component short period and broadband digital records. Cross correlation coefficients of P (or PKP) waveforms were computed for similarity comparison. Whole waveforms of those event pairs with correlation coefficients larger than 0.8 were checked by eye. By this process, 17 doublets were found, some of which form multiplets. However, only one doublet event pair (14 August 1995 and 28 March 1987) has clear PKP(DF) phases on both records at College, Alaska (COL). The PKP(DF) travel time change measured by cross correlation is a decrease by 0.15 s, with standard deviation 0.02 s, over a time period of about 8 years. This result strongly supports differential rotation of the Earth's inner core relative to the mantle and the crust. The estimated rotation rate ranges from 0.4° to 1° per year eastward. The special case of a locked inner core can then be ruled out. We also checked the precision of PDE and ISC locations using the 17 doublets. Results show that both catalogs have relatively high location precision. Standard deviations in latitude, longitude and depth are less than 4 km, 6 km, and 10 km respectively, supporting prior claims of detection of inner core rotation [Song and Richards, 1996].
ESD damage: what it is and what we can do about it

The author discusses electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage that is inflicted upon electronic components and assemblies. During manufacture or transit, various materials and compounds rub against each other or separate one from another. This creation of a net charge imbalance on two or more objects by rubbing and separating is called triboelectric charging, and is a primary source for concern in ESD damage prevention. The first damage prevention strategy is to apply design techniques to make sensitive devices less sensitive. The second strategy is to implement an ESD-damage-prevention program for all manufacturing, handling, and storage areas. Such a program should include static safe work areas, appropriate employee and equipment grounding, and the use of conductive shielding containers for all sensitive items whenever they are not at static safe workstations. >
Developmental analysis of hippocampal mossy fiber outgrowth in a mutant mouse with inherited spike-wave seizures

Neural firing patterns are an essential determinant of normal axon terminal growth and synaptic connectivity in developing afferent pathways, but the trophic role of synchronous activity in associative neural networks is less well defined. We examined the ontogeny of inherited synchronous hippocampal network discharges and mossy fiber innervation patterns at sequential stages of development in the stargazer (stg) mutant, a single-locus mouse mutation expressing generalized spike-wave epilepsy. Brief bursts of 6/sec repetitive discharges arise spontaneously on postnatal days 17–18 and persistently activate neocortical and hippocampal networks throughout adulthood. We found a striking pattern of mossy fiber recurrent axon collateral sprouting in the inner molecular layer of dentate gyrus in the adult stg hippocampus. Sprouting is not apparent until 4–6 weeks following seizure onset, but then steadily intensifies with continued synchronous activation. In the adult mutant, axon outgrowth is accompanied by a mild selective loss of hilar interneurons without gliosis. These data indicate that hypersynchronous stimulation during late postnatal brain development is linked, following a prolonged latent period, to significant fiber outgrowth and synaptic reorganization within the hippocampal formation. Since the pattern of synchronous activation in the stg mutant strongly resembles that seen in human spike-wave absence epilepsy, the synaptic plasticity described in this model has important implications for normal brain development in this common disorder.
Field-induced domain interpenetration in tetragonal ferroelectric crystal

Ferroelectric domain structures of a 〈001〉-oriented lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate tetragonal crystal were examined under cyclic bipolar electric fields. Complex patterns of orthogonal domain strips were found to emerge from a simple structure of parallel strips of 90° domains. Near the boundary between the two orthogonal sets of the domain strips, domains were forced to intersect, creating charged domain walls at the intersections. With continued electric cycling, direct impingement of individual domains resulted in domain interpenetration and fine domain cells in the boundary region. Away from the boundary region, initial domain walls were withdrawn and replaced by the walls along a different orientation, resulting in separate areas that each contained a single set of parallel strips of domains. A model based on 180° domain switching is suggested to explain interpenetration of the domains and the withdrawal of the original domain walls.
Interaction of hepatitis B surface antigen with RNA.

. Preparations of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), incubated with either wheat germ or yeast RNA at 37 °C, showed by electron microscopy a significantly greater number of tube forms and a shift in their modal lengths. Pre-treatment of RNA, or incubation of the reaction mixture, with RNAse abolished this effect. Formation of tube forms was not observed with either native or denatured calf thymus or Escherichia coli B DNA. Radiolabeled yeast RNA incubated with HBsAg was co-pelleted with the antigen following centrifugation and co-sedimented with antigen on sucrose density gradients.
DNA topoisomerases as targets for the anticancer drug TAS-103: DNA interactions and topoisomerase catalytic inhibition.

TAS-103 is a novel anticancer drug that kills cells by increasing levels of DNA cleavage mediated by topoisomerase II. While most drugs that stimulate topoisomerase II-mediated DNA scission (i.e., topoisomerase II poisons) also inhibit the catalytic activity of the enzyme, they typically do so only at concentrations above the clinical range. TAS-103 is unusual in that it reportedly inhibits the catalytic activity of both topoisomerase I and II and does so at physiologically relevant concentrations [Utsugi, T., et al. (1997) Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 88, 992-1002]. Without a topoisomerase activity to relieve accumulating torsional stress, the DNA tracking systems that promote the action of TAS-103 as a topoisomerase II poison would be undermined. Therefore, the effects of TAS-103 on the catalytic activity of topoisomerase I and II were characterized. DNA binding and unwinding assays indicate that the drug intercalates into DNA with an apparent dissociation constant of approximately 2.2 microM. Furthermore, DNA strand passage assays with mammalian topoisomerase I indicate that TAS-103 does not inhibit the catalytic activity of the type I enzyme. Rather, the previously reported inhibition of topoisomerase I-catalyzed DNA relaxation results from a drug-induced alteration in the apparent topology of the nucleic acid substrate. TAS-103 does inhibit the catalytic activity of human topoisomerase IIalpha, apparently by blocking the DNA religation reaction of the enzyme. The lack of inhibition of topoisomerase I catalytic activity by TAS-103 explains how the drug is able to function as a topoisomerase II poison in treated cells.
Fine-structure measurements in the 6 F 2 and 7 F 2 states of rubidium by radio-frequency spectroscopy

We have used radio-frequency spectroscopy in conjunction with a multistep optical excitation scheme involving a cw dye laser to measure the fine-structure intervals in the $6^{2}F$ and $7^{2}F$ states of Rb. We find that the fine-structure intervals $\ensuremath{\delta}w$ (in MHz) are $\ensuremath{\delta}w(6^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}486(4)$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}w(7^{2}F)=\ensuremath{-}347.6(10)$.
An Unexpected Discovery: One Library's Experience With Web-Scale Discovery Service (WSDS) Evaluation and Assessment

ABSTRACT “Discovery” is today's term for user-centered information searching and access. A growing number of libraries have embraced Web-scale discovery services (WSDS) featuring one-stop searching of libraries’ owned and licensed collections. Recognizing potential benefits to users of these systems, a mid-sized ARL library formed a discovery-tool committee in spring 2012 to explore selection of a WSDS in keeping with its values, vision, and institutional mission. This article explores “discovery” as it assesses WSDS performance and reports results obtained from a request to WSDS vendors to showcase the search power of their system with actual reference questions.
Empirical assessment of bottleneck congestion with a constant and peak toll: San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge

Extensive theoretical research has been conducted on the morning commute problem building on the bottleneck model (Vickrey in Am Econ Rev 59(2):251–260, 1969). There have been far fewer studies assessing the bottleneck model and its extensions using real data. This paper presents an analysis of empirical data from the toll plaza of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, which is a major regional bottleneck. The Bay Bridge transitioned from a constant toll to a peak step toll on July 1, 2010, so the site is well-suited for assessing many relevant extensions to the classic bottleneck model for the morning commute, including theories for congestion pricing. This paper uses traffic data from the Bay Bridge to address two areas of theoretical work on bottleneck congestion: (1) heterogeneous schedule preferences, and (2) equilibrium response to step tolls. The results suggest that the predicted equilibrium for the morning commute is consistent with observed traffic patterns, especially at the beginning of the rush. The data can be analyzed through the lens of relevant theories to quantify commuters’ value of earliness and lateness relative to queuing delay. The pattern of queuing suggests that the peak step toll has not been implemented in a socially optimal way.
Active retrieval facilitates across-episode binding by modulating the content of memory.

The contents of memory can be updated when information from the current episode is bound with content retrieved from previous episodes. Little is known regarding factors that determine the memory content that is subject to this across-episode binding. We tested whether across-episode binding preferentially occurs for memory content that is currently “active” and identified relevant neural correlates. After studying objects at specific locations on scene backgrounds, subjects performed one of two retrieval tasks for the objects on different scene backgrounds. In an active condition, subjects recalled object locations, whereas subjects merely dragged objects to predetermined locations in a passive condition. Immediately following each object-location retrieval event, a novel face appeared on a blank screen. We hypothesized that the original episode content would be active in memory during face encoding in the active condition, but not in the passive condition (despite seeing the same content in both conditions). A ramification of the active condition would thus be preferential binding of original episode content to novel faces, with no such across-episode binding in the passive condition. Indeed, memory for faces was better when tested on the original background scenes in the active relative to passive condition, indicating that original episode content was bound with the active condition faces, whereas this occurred to a lesser extent for the passive condition faces. Likewise, early-onset negative ERP effects reflected binding of the face to the original episode content in the active but not the passive condition. In contrast, binding in the passive condition occurred only when faces were physically displayed on the original scenes during recognition testing, and a very similar early-onset negative ERP effect signaled binding in this condition. ERP correlates of binding were thus similar for across-episode and within-episode binding (and were distinct from other encoding and retrieval ERP signals in both cases), indicating that active retrieval modulated when binding occurred, not the nature of the binding process per se. These results suggest that active retrieval promotes binding of new information with contents of memory, whereas without active retrieval, these unrelated pieces of information might be bound only when they are physically paired.
The Power of One or Power in Numbers?: Analyzing the Effect of Minority Leaders on Diversity Policy and Practice

This study analyzes the impact of racial/ethnic minority leaders on equity and diversity policies. Previous research finds that minority leaders are associated with reduced inequality, yet the ways in which these leaders impact organizational policies are understudied. Our analysis relies on a unique dataset of corporate practices, CEO race/ethnicity, and board member race/ethnicity in Fortune 500 firms from 2001 to 2010. The authors find that while minority CEOs have minimal impact on equity policies, diverse boards are significantly associated with equitable practices. They conclude that board diversity is critical for shaping corporate practice related to equity and diversity.
Population differences in breast cancer severity.

Breast cancer incidence and mortality vary among different populations. African–American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women have lower incidence but higher mortality compared with non-Hispanic white women. Explanations for the observed variation include social and economic factors such as education, income level, health insurance coverage, use of mammography, parity, breastfeeding and diet. Breast cancer may be a heterogeneous disease with different subtypes of tumors having different genetic and environmental risk factors. The difference in frequency of particular tumor subtypes between populations may explain some of the differences in incidence and mortality. Known genetic variants explain a small fraction of breast cancer cases, and so far there are no susceptibility genes that explain population differences in incidence and mortality. Studies evaluating the risk for particular tumor subtypes combining genetic and environmental variables and analyzing cases from different populations are neede...
Altered gene expression in spontaneous hepatocellular carcinomas from male B6C3F1 mice

In this study, we analyzed spontaneous hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) from male B6C3F1 mice for alterations in the expression of the genes for c-myc, insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), cyclin D1, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). These genes are all important in growth control in the rodent liver, and therefore, alterations in these genes or their products may result in unregulated growth. Northern blot analysis demonstrated an increase in expression of c-myc mRNA in five of 21 (24%) spontaneous HCCs compared with nontumor tissue. Tumors that had an increase in c-myc mRNA did not have an amplified c-myc gene. Of the HCCs analyzed, 18 of 29 (62%) showed reexpression of IGF-II RNA when compared with controls. Cyclin D1 mRNA was overexpressed in seven of 27 (26%) of the tumors analyzed relative to controls. Tumors with an increase in cyclin D1 mRNA also overexpressed the cyclin D1 protein. RNA encoding for the EGFR was decreased in 21 of 23 (91%) HCCs when compared with controls. None of the 29 liver tumors analyzed for alterations in expression of TGF-alpha mRNA differed from controls. Also, each individual tumor had a unique set of molecular alterations even when different tumors from the same animal were analyzed. These novel findings suggest that IGF-II, cyclin D1. c-myc, and EGFR are important mediators of carcinogenesis in spontaneous mouse liver tumor formation.
Surgeon beware: many patients referred for parathyroidectomy are misdiagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism

Purpose We hypothesized that patients referred for the evaluation and management of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) often do not have pHPT and that they may be harmed by unwarranted parathyroidectomy (PTX). Methods We reviewed all patients who were referred to our endocrine surgery practice between 2008 and 2011 with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for HPT (252.00), benign or malignant parathyroid tumors (227.1, 194.1, respectively), or hypercalcemia (275.42). Patients with renal failure were excluded. Clinical parameters for investigation included age, sex, presentation, laboratories, imaging studies, and referring physician. Results Three hundred twenty-four patients were referred for pHPT. The diagnosis was confirmed in 265 (82%), of whom 211 (80%) underwent PTX. Misdiagnoses occurred in 60 of 324 patients (19%). Of these, 54 (90%) had secondary HPT and 6 (10%) had hypercalcemia but no pHPT. Before referral, 70% of misdiagnosed patients underwent localizing studies, 57% of which suggested a positive finding. Conclusion Considerable confusion exists regarding the differentiation of primary and secondary HPT. Surgeons should be cautioned that patients who are referred for parathyroidectomy, even those with complete laboratory and radiographic evaluations, might not have pHPT at all.
Colchicine inhibits integrin α5β1 gene expression during PMA-induced differentiation of U937 cells

Monocyte adhesion involves specific cell surface receptors, integrins and results in cell differentiation. We have stiudied expression and regulation of integrin α5β1 during differentiation along the monocytic pathway in human monocytic cell line, U937 asin vitro model. To determine expression of integrin α5β1 during differentiation of U937 cells, cells were cultured for 24 h in RPMI 1640 medium with PMA (2 to 200 ng/ml). We determined expression of integrin α5β1 genes by RT-PCR (reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction) method. We found that expression of integrin α5β1 was greatly increased during PMA-induced differentiation of U 937 cells and also found that PMA-induced expression of integrin α5β1 was inhibited by colchicine, microtubule depolymerizing agent. These results indicate that microtubular integrity is associated with expression of integrin α5β1 during PMA-induced differentiation of U937 cells.
Organizational attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder: the interaction of demographic characteristics with foreignness

Our analysis of 4605 individual evaluations of the 60 companies in the Reputation Quotient Annual 2000 study suggests that foreign-headquartered companies are less attractive employers, whereas more international companies are more attractive. Moreover, we find that gender, race, respondent age and educational level significantly interact with our foreignness variables in predicting company attractiveness.
Water compatibility and organic transformations of organo-Zintl deltahedral clusters

We report the remarkable stability of di-substituted organo-Zintl deltahedral clusters in the presence of water. This has been exploited in a reaction at the organic substituents of the cluster which produces water as a by-product. Also reported are the synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure of [K-krypt]2[Ge9–(CHCH–CH2NH2)2] involved in the reaction.
Family history and risk of breast cancer: Nurses’ Health Study

Family history of cancer remains underused in general clinical practice. We assess age at diagnosis and the role of family history in risk of breast cancer. Prospective follow-up of nurses' health study participants from 1980 to 2006. Updated assessment of family history in mother and sister including age at diagnosis. We used youngest age at diagnosis for family member when classifying risk. We confirmed 4327 incident invasive breast cancers confirmed. Breast cancer incidence models fitted to women with and without family history to assess variation in the risk for established risk factors. Compared to women with no family history those whose mother was diagnosed before age 50 had an adjusted relative risk of 1.69 (95% CI 1.39-2.05) and those with mother diagnosed at 50 or older had a relative risk of 1.37 (1.22-1.53). Sister history was associated with increased relative risk; 1.66 (1.38-1.99) for those with sister history before age 50 and 1.52 (1.29-1.77) for those with sister diagnosed at age 50 or older. Women with either mother or sister diagnosed before age 50 had a relative risk of 1.70 (1.48-1.95) significantly higher than those with diagnosis at age 50 or older (RR = 1.30; (1.27-1.54), P = 0.016). The magnitude of risk associated with established reproductive and lifestyle risk factors did not differ significantly between women with and those without family history with the exception of risk after bilateral oophorectomy in which setting women with family history had greater reduction in risk of subsequent breast cancer. Women with a family member diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 had increased risk of breast cancer compared to women with family members diagnosed at older ages. Consistent findings for risk factors regardless of family history adds to robust evidence for risk identification and risk stratification in clinical settings where prevention strategies will apply equally to women with and without family history.
Amelioration of capsular contracture by motion restriction

Surgical augmentation of the female breast has become a well-accepted and frequently performed operation since the introduction of the Cronin Silastic mammary prosthesis in 1963. A sleeve of scar tissue (collagenous capsule) consistently develops around every silicone implant. This "reactive bursa" is the normal healing response to this unique foreign body, and should not be referred to as a complication. It actually supports the prosthesis and contours the augmented breast. Operative technique includes precautions to prevent particulate or microbial contamination. Postoperative management involves restriction of motion of and around the mammary implant. (I realize this is a departure from currently accepted techniques. The methods presented, however, are based on physiologic principles of wound healing.) The results for all (private practice) patients who underwent augmentation mammaplasty during the four-year period of 1980 through 1983 were evaluated and codified. They suggest that the incidence of capsular contracture of the augmented breast can be decreased by taking precautions to ameliorate the foreign body reaction to silicone.
Disruption of cutaneous feedback alters magnitude but not direction of muscle responses to postural perturbations in the decerebrate cat

Quadrupeds and bipeds respond to horizontal perturbations of the support surface with muscular responses that are broadly tuned and directionally sensitive. Since the discovery of this directional sensitivity, interest has turned toward the critical sensory systems necessary to generate these responses. We hypothesize that cutaneous feedback affects the magnitude of muscle responses to postural perturbation but has little effect on the directionality of the muscle response. We developed a modified premammillary decerebrate cat preparation to evaluate the sensory mechanisms driving this directionally sensitive muscle activation in response to support surface perturbation. This preparation allows us the flexibility to isolate the proprioceptive (cutaneous and muscle receptors) system from other sensory influences. We found that loss of cutaneous feedback leads to a significant loss in background activity causing a smaller muscular response to horizontal perturbations. However, the directional properties of the muscular responses remained intact.
Bayesian outcome-based strategy classification

Hilbig and Moshagen (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21, 1431–1443, 2014) recently developed a method for making inferences about the decision processes people use in multi-attribute forced choice tasks. Their paper makes a number of worthwhile theoretical and methodological contributions. Theoretically, they provide an insightful psychological motivation for a probabilistic extension of the widely-used “weighted additive” (WADD) model, and show how this model, as well as other important models like “take-the-best” (TTB), can and should be expressed in terms of meaningful priors. Methodologically, they develop an inference approach based on the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principles that balances both the goodness-of-fit and complexity of the decision models they consider. This paper aims to preserve these useful contributions, but provide a complementary Bayesian approach with some theoretical and methodological advantages. We develop a simple graphical model, implemented in JAGS, that allows for fully Bayesian inferences about which models people use to make decisions. To demonstrate the Bayesian approach, we apply it to the models and data considered by Hilbig and Moshagen (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21, 1431–1443, 2014), showing how a prior predictive analysis of the models, and posterior inferences about which models people use and the parameter settings at which they use them, can contribute to our understanding of human decision making.