cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interdomain spacing and spatial configuration drive the potency of IgG-[L]-scFv T cell bispecific antibodies.

T cell–bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) couple cytotoxic T lymphocytes to tumor cells, inducing their destruction. Although there are more than 60 classes of BsAbs in development, the relative importance of parameters such as interdomain spacing or spatial configuration is largely unknown. Here, we dissected a symmetric dual bivalent BsAb platform (IgG-[L]-scFv: antitumor IgG with anti-CD3 scFv fused to the light chains) to explore the importance of valency and spatial configuration for BsAb-induced T cell cytotoxicity. Our results revealed that placing tumor and T cell binding domains on the same side of a BsAb (cis-configuration) elicited substantially stronger antitumor activity, in vitro and in vivo, compared to positioning them on opposite sides (trans-configuration). Moreover, using two cis-modules in the same BsAb further improved cytotoxicity (up to 2000-fold). In addition, separating antigen-binding components with a single Ig domain (CL) markedly enhanced cytokine release and in vivo tumor responses compared to smaller (G4S1) or larger (CH1-CH2-CH3) spacers. These findings provide guidelines for improving BsAb function and highlight the importance of spatial configuration and dual bivalency as development parameters.
“CONTAMINANT OR CULPRIT”: A NOVEL CASE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AURICULARIS ENDOCARDITIS

Staphylococcus auricularis, a rare coagulase negative staphylococcus (CoNS), is frequently disregarded as a culture contaminant. Only four documented cases are reported of Staph. auricularis causing systemic infections. A 67-year-old female with diabetes mellitus type 2 presented with fever and
COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: Will Social Workers Help Bridge the Gap?

Dear Editor-in-Chief, The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every facet of life. For social work professionals, the implementation of social distancing policies have altered how we interact wit...
Securing PKES: Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into PKES Forcefield For Anomaly Detection

Passive Keyless Entry and Start System (PKES) is a convenient feature found in newer cars that allows the user to enter their car without having to press a button on a key fob. Users can simply walk up to their vehicle and once they are in close enough proximity, it unlocks and the user is granted access. However, the convenience of PKES comes at a price; vulnerability to relay attacks and amplified relay attacks. Our proposed method, PKES Forcefield, would protect the user from these attacks without sacrificing any convenience. PKES Forcefield utilizes coordinate tracing and multifactor authentication to secure the user. To add more security to PKES Forcefield, we propose AI integration to construct a profile for each user of the vehicle. This profile will store data on the habits of the user (location, walking speed, time, etc.). Once each user has a profile built from their input data, our system will be able to detect any behaviors that differ from the user’s profile (anomalies) and then proper security measures will be taken depending on if the anomaly is considered to be a Low Risk Anomaly or a High Risk Anomaly.
Impact of Cardiac Dose on Overall Survival in Lung Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Compared to Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (LA-NSCLC).

Purpose To examine possible association between heart irradiation and Overall Survival (OS) in lung SBRT patients and to compare observed associations with cardiac toxicity models previously derived in LA-NSCLC patient studies. Materials and Methods 197 Patients treated with lung SBRT at Mayo Clinic Arizona were selected for this IRB-approved study. Multivariate Cox model with Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to select patient specific covariates associated with OS. Heart dosimetry was represented by VD indices, which is a percentage of volume exposed to dose D or greater. Multivariate Cox models with patient specific covariates and single VD index per model was used to find a range of doses which were predictive for OS. A digital subdivision of the heart was further used to determine the spatial distribution of doses which were predictive for OS. A coarse subdivision divided heart into 4 segments, while the fine subdivision divided heart into 64 segments. Knowledge constrained Fused Lasso operator was used to derive a more complete model which correlated heart dosimetry with OS. Results of statistical analysis were compared to predictions of a model of cardiac toxicity in LA-NSCLC patients. Results Higher age (p < 0.001), higher stage (p < 0.001) and squamous cell histology (p = 0.001) were associated with reduced OS. Whole heart DVH analysis did not reveal associations between heart irradiation and reduced OS. Coarse subdivision of the heart into four segments revealed that the irradiation of two inferior segments of the heart with low doses was associated with reduced OS, V2Gy in the right-inferior segment (HR = 1.012/1%, p = 0.02), and V1Gy in the left-inferior segment (HR = 1.01/1%, p = 0.04). Maximum dose in the right-inferior segment of the heart was also associated with reduced OS (HR = 1.02/Gy, p = 0.02). Fine subdivision of the heart into 64 segments revealed that approximately 25% of heart volume in the inferior part of the heart (15/64 segments), when irradiated to doses in the 1 Gy - 5 Gy range, were predictive for reduced OS (HR = 1.01/1%, p = 0.01). A previously derived model of cardiac toxicity in LA-NSCLC patients did not predict a reduction of OS due to heart irradiation in lung SBRT patients, because of relatively low doses to the heart in most lung SBRT patients. Conclusions Doses lower than 5 Gy in the inferior segments of the heart may be associated with reduced overall survival in patients treated for lung lesions with SBRT. Stage and histology of the disease, as well as patients' age, were also associated with overall survival. Comparisons of cardiac toxicity patterns in LA-NSCLC patients and lung SBRT patients suggest different etiology of cardiac toxicity in the two groups.
Neurobehavioral Disturbances Associated with Disorders of the Pancreas

Concerned primarily with the digestion of food and the metabolism of carbohydrates, the pancreas appears at first glance to be a most unlikely source of neuropsychiatric disturbances. Yet an extensive clinical literature has reported significant mental-status changes in individuals with several different pancreatic disorders. Severe depression and anxiety are often seen in patients with cancer of the pancreas long before any other somatic symptoms of their carcinoma are evident. Profound impairments affecting both emotional and intellectual domains have been reported in patients with pancreatitis, and severe inflammation of the pancreas is said to produce a “pancreatic encephalopathy.” Impairments on various cognitive measures are also seen in children and adults with diabetes mellitus, though these intellectual changes tend to be far less severe than those associated with pancreatitis, and they appear to be restricted to a relatively small subset of diabetic patients. In addition, mental confusion, slurred speech, motor incoordination, and a number of other symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction are typically found in patients with hyperinsulinism secondary to islet cell tumors (insulinomas).
Nonlinear rotation‐free three‐node shell finite element formulation

SUMMARY A new triangular thin-shell finite element formulation is presented, which employs only translational degrees of freedom. The formulation allows for large deformations, and it is based on the nonlinear Kirchhoff thin-shell theory. A number of static and dynamic test problems are considered for which analytical or benchmark solutions exist. Comparisons between the predictions of the new model and these solutions show that the new model accurately reproduces complex nonlinear analytical solutions as well as solutions obtained using existing, more complex finite element formulations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Doxastic Virtues in Hume’s Epistemology

In this paper, I elucidate Hume's account of doxastic virtues and offer three reasons that contemporary epistemologists ought to consider it as an alternative to one of the broadly Aristotelian models currently offered. Specifically, I suggest that Hume's account of doxastic virtues obviates (1) the much-debated question about whether such virtues are intellectual, "moral," or some combination thereof, (2) the much-debated question about whether people have voluntary control of their belief formation, and (3) the need to make the kind of thick metaphysical commitments about essentialism and final causation that Aristotelian accounts of such virtues require.
Multiphoton ionization rate with a non-Lorentzian-band-shape laser

A time-independent single-rate theory for multiphoton ionization processes is developed to cover cases with a partially coherent (finite-bandwidth) driving laser. We use the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck fluctuating-phase model to describe the driving field, which has therefore a non-Lorentzian spectrum, and the effective two-level model to represent the atomic system. We present analytic and numerical methods that permit discussion of the effects of non-Lorentzian band-shape laser light, and we give analytically the bandwidth dependence of the rate in the wings of the ionization curve. Our model contains a simple scaling relationship that permits the rate for $N$-photon-resonant ($N+1$)-photon ionization to be obtained directly from the one-photon-resonant two-photon ionization rate. We treat explicitly the cases $N=1$ and $N=2$.
Introducing strategic quality management

Abstract This paper introduces strategic total quality management (STQM) as an extension of total quality management (TQM). STQM is defined as a quality management philosophy that views quality from the overall performance of a firm. It defines quality as being driven by customer and environmental needs and looks to identify critical factors that will determine the survivability and competitiveness of a firm in the near future. A contrast between total quality assurance, total quality management and strategic total quality management is presented using ten principles of quality. The dimensions of STQM are also identified and defined and STQM transformation frameworks are presented to show the process of implementing STQM. The strategic cycle presented here is linked to the popular PDCA or Deming cycle. Furthermore, top management strategies and reasoning for this new focus and strategic targets are identified, grouped and discussed.
Trial Publication after Registration in ClinicalTrials.Gov: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background ClinicalTrials.gov is a publicly accessible, Internet-based registry of clinical trials managed by the US National Library of Medicine that has the potential to address selective trial publication. Our objectives were to examine completeness of registration within ClinicalTrials.gov and to determine the extent and correlates of selective publication.
Genetics of Aedes aegypti Oviposition

Feral, domestic, and laboratory populations of A aegypti differed significantly in frequencies of both virgin and mated females ovipositing and in the number of eggs they oviposited in clean water containers within 6 days after a blood meal. In crosses among these populations, F1 F2, and most backcross data indicated an intermediate, polygenic mode of inheritance. Oviposition of neither virgin nor mated females appeared linked to re, Si or blt, markers, respectively, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chromosome.
Impact of real-time pricing rate uncertainty on the annual performance of cool storage systems

Abstract This study investigates whether thermal storage systems can be controlled effectively in situations where cooling loads, non-cooling electrical loads, weather information, as well as the cost of electricity are uncertain and have to be predicted. The analysis shows that the reduction in achievable utility cost-savings is small when relying on real-time pricing (RTP) electricity rates that are made available by the utility only 1 h ahead instead of an entire day-ahead. Real-time pricing rate data from two utilities, one in the South and one on the West Coast of the United States, were used in both a day-ahead (24 h rate certainty) and an hour-ahead (1 h rate certainty) fashion. Using measured data for a hotel and an office building in the United States, predictive optimal control strategies delivered greatly superior utility cost-saving performance compared to conventional partial-storage thermal energy storage strategies, even with inaccurate forecasts. The more accurate the prediction becomes, the greater will be the cost-saving performance of cool storage systems under predictive optimal control, and the smaller will be the impact associated with uncertain RTP rates in the hour-ahead RTP tariff case. Consequently, uncertain electrical utility rates do not imperil the superior cost-saving benefits of cool storage when governed by predictive optimal control.
Aqueous cholesteric liquid crystals using uncharged rodlike polypeptides.

The aqueous, lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase behavior of the α-helical polypeptide, poly(Ne-2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]acetyl-lysine) (1), has been studied using optical microscopy and X-ray scattering. Solutions of optically pure 1 were found to form cholesteric liquid crystals at volume fractions that decreased with increasing average chain length. At very high volume fractions, the formation of a hexagonal mesophase was observed. The pitch of the cholesteric phase could be varied by a mixture of enantiomeric samples L-1 and D-1, where the pitch increased as the mixture approached equimolar. The cholesteric phases could be untwisted, using either magnetic field or shear flow, into nematic phases, which relaxed into cholesterics upon removal of field or shear. We have found that the phase diagram of 1 in aqueous solution parallels that of poly(γ-benzyl glutamate) in organic solvents, thus providing a useful system for liquid-crystal applications requiring water as solvent.
Age dependency of cartilage magnetic resonance imaging T2 relaxation times in asymptomatic women.

Objective Because the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) transverse relaxation time (T2) of cartilage is sensitive to organization of collagen fibers in the cartilage, it may be a noninvasive image marker for senescent changes in cartilage collagen and early cartilage degeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine age-dependent differences in cartilage T2 values in healthy asymptomatic women. Methods Quantitative T2 maps of patellar cartilage from 30 asymptomatic women ages 22–86 years were obtained using a 3.0T MRI scanner. The study population was stratified by age into 4 cohorts: 18–30, 31–45, 46–65, and 66–86 years. Spatial differences in cartilage T2 were determined as a function of normalized distance from bone. Older groups were compared with the 18–30-year-old group to determine the effects of age on cartilage T2 values. Regions were considered statistically significantly different if the mean T2 values between groups differed at P < 0.05. Results Mean cartilage T2 profiles were nearly identical for the 2 youngest cohorts. Compared with the 18–30-year-old group, T2 values were statistically significantly longer in the superficial 40% of cartilage in the 46–65-year-old group and over the entire cartilage thickness in the 66–86-year-old group. Conclusion The location of T2 elevations in women over the age of 45 years is consistent with the theory that senescent changes of cartilage collagen begin near the articular surface and progress to the deeper cartilage with advancing age.
CCD PHOTOMETRY OF THE GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTER NGC 6535 IN THE B AND V PASSBANDS

The first CCD color-magnitude diagram (CMD) in B and V is presented for the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6535. From this CMD, which extends below the main sequence turnoff, we draw the following conclusions: (1) The horizontal branch (HB) is predominantly blue in nature with no RR Lyrae variables known to be cluster members. Nonetheless, based on a comparison with clusters which have blue HBs and RR Lyraes (M15 and M79), we infer a mean HB magnitude of < VRR ≥ 15.73 ± 0.11 for NGC 6535. (2) Again, via a direct comparison with the blue HBs of M15 and M79, we derive a cluster reddening of E(B-V)=0.44 ± 0.02. (3) When combined with the apparent color of the red giant branch at the level of the HB, (B-V)g = 1.18 ± 0.02, the derived reddening yields a metal abundance of [Fe/H] = -1.85 ± 0.10, similar to that of NGC 6397. (4) Application of the delta-VTO-HB and delta(B-V)SGB-TO cluster dating techniques reveals no perceptible age difference between NGC 6535 and NGC 6397. (5) A significant population of 9 blue straggler candidates is detected in NGC 6535. However, this is too few to facilitate a meaningful analysis of their radial distribution.
Protein synthesis from amino acids associated with ribonucleic acid.

Abstract The polynucleotide (sRNA) which reacts with amino acids in the presence of amino acid-activating enzymes and adenosine triphosphate has been purified considerably by ethanol fractionation. Maximal transfer of amino acids from this purified sRNA to the protein of isolated ribonucleoprotein particles requires rather sharply defined optimal conditions. Under such conditions, however, the amino acids bound to sRNA are converted into “soluble” protein more efficiently than are free amino acids.
Genetic algorithm attributes for component selection

This paper uses a genetic algorithm for component selection given a user-defined system layout, a database of components, and a defined set of design specifications. A genetic algorithm is a search method based on the principles of natural selection. An introduction to genetic algorithms is presented, and genetic algorithm attributes that are useful for component selection are explored. A comparison of these attributes is performed using two industrial design problems. A set of genetic algorithm attributes including integer coding, uniform crossover, anti-incest mating, variable mating and mutation rates, retention of population members from generation to generation, and an attention shifted penalty function are suggested for a more efficient search in component selection problems.
Shuttle plasmids constructed by the transformation of an Escherichia coli cloning vector into two Deinococcus radiodurans plasmids

An Escherichia coli plasmid that confers kanamycin resistance (Kmr) was inserted into the large Deinococcus radiodurans cryptic plasmids pUE10 and pUE11, yielding pS28 and pS19. The method of insertion involved both in vitro splicing and the natural transformation of D. radiodurans and yielded full-length clones in E. coli of pUE10 and pUE11. Both pS28 and pS19 replicated and expressed Kmr in E. coli and D. radiodurans. In both pS28 and pS19, D. radiodurans plasmid sequences were immediately upstream from the Kmr determinant. Transformation experiments suggested that Kmr expression in D. radiodurans was initiated in upstream D. radiodurans sequences. Restriction maps of pS28 and pS19 showed that each plasmid contained three MraI sites. Both pS28 and pS19 transformed the MraI-producing D. radiodurans strain R1 at low frequencies. D. radiodurans strain Sark, which naturally contains pUE10 and pUE11, was transformed by pS28 and pS19 at much higher frequencies. A Sark derivative that was cured for pUE10 was isolated by screening Sark/pS28 subisolates for loss of kanamycin resistance.
Approximate normal standards of maximal cardiac output during upright exercise in women

The observed normal ranges of age- and weight-adjusted maximal oxygen uptake and age-adjusted maximal heart rate during upright exercise using the Bruce protocol are shown for 104 asymptomatic women. Cardiac output was measured during upright exercise in 11 normal women with the use of the direct Fick method. On the basis of the relation between oxygen uptake and cardiac output in these 11 women, the cardiac output and stroke volume were estimated by regression in the 104 women to provide normal ranges of age-adjusted values for cardiac output and stroke volume. The potential usefulness of these age-adjusted normal ranges is illustrated by analysis of 21 observations of maximal cardiac output in 16 women with heart disease.
TEXTURE EVALUATION OF FRANKFURTERS BY DYNAMIC TESTING

. A direct sinusoidal force was applied at six frequencies to four brands of commercial frankfurter samples and the magnitude of deformation was sensed to determine the complex dynamic modulus and energy loss. Instrumental values were individually correlated with 23 characteristics identified by a trained texture profile panel as the texture profile for frankfurters. The results indicated that the dynamic testing method, especially the percent energy loss, provided a highly significant means of determining differences for eight of the frankfurter texture characteristics. Initial hardness, cohesiveness, elasticity, hardness of the cross-section, ease of swallowing, moisture release, coarseness and skin texture identified by the profile panel had highly significant coefficients of correlation with the energy loss, ranging from—0.612 to—0.984 at 80 Hz frequency. The results indicated that the percent energy loss, as determined by the dynamic modulus technique, described a substantial amount of the total texture profile, probably as complete as any single instrumental method reported to-date.
Granular Flow Lubrication: Continuum Modeling of Shear Behavior

Because at extreme temperatures, conventional liquid lubrication breaks down, researchers have proposed using flows of solid particles as a lubricating mechanism. The particles may be powders, which tend to coalesce and slide over one another in sustained contact, or granules, which collide with one another in fluctuating motion. Distinction between these two regimes is elucidated. The behavior of various granular flows is studied using a granular kinetic lubrication (GKL) model. Our GKL model is a continuum approach that applies proper rheological constitutive equations for stress, conduction and dissipation to thin shearing flows of granular particles, as well as the most rigorous boundary conditions for momentum and energy transport. A robust numerical code, utilizing Newton's finite differencing method, is developed to apply GKL theory to the problem of simple shearing flow. The code solves two second-order, coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations with coupled boundary conditions of the first-order. As a result, new parametric curves for the local flow properties of the large-particle granular flows are constructed. Results from the GKL model agree qualitatively with past experiments using glass granules in an annular shear cell.
Toward holistic insights into trust in electronic markets: examining the structure of the relationship between vendor trust and its antecedents

This review advances propositions regarding the structure of the relationship between vendor trust and its antecedents as this structure pertains to the relative and complementary effectiveness of trust-building strategies. By understanding how the relationship between vendor trust and its antecedents is structured and why this relationship is structured the way it is, we hope to gain more holistic insights into trust in electronic market transactions and to provide online businesses with a clear recommendation of how to establish trust in an effective and efficient manner. Thus, while past research has made important contributions by uncovering a great number of antecedents to vendor trust, this review examines two strategies more in depth: Vendor reputation and Web site trust. Drawing from the literature on trust, we propose Vendor reputation to be more effective than Web site trust. We also propose a small complementary effect between Vendor reputation and Web site trust that may help online businesses to generate superior vendor trust.
Utility of Right Ventricular Tissue Doppler Imaging: Correlation with Right Heart Catheterization

Objectives: The objective of this study was to correlate tissue Doppler imaging of the right ventricle (RV) with pulmonary hemodynamics in patients referred for right heart catheterization. Methods: Seventy subjects (mean age 54 ± 13; 35 males) prospectively underwent tissue Doppler imaging of the RV and right heart catheterization within 1 day of each other. Peak systolic velocity and strain were measured at the RV free wall and correlated with pulmonary hemodynamics. Results: RV myocardial velocity demonstrated no correlation with any hemodynamic variable. While RV strain demonstrated significant correlation with cardiac index (r =−0.61; P < 0.001), correlations with transpulmonary gradient (r = 0.26; P < 0.05) and pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.30; P < 0.05) were weaker. Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (n = 31), RV strain showed no correlation with any hemodynamic variable. In patients with normal left ventricular systolic function (n = 39), correlations were significant between RV strain and mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.59; P < 0.001), pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.60; P < 0.001), and cardiac index (r =−0.67; P < 0.001). Conclusions: RV myocardial strain correlates significantly with pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary hypertension and normal left ventricular function. However, there is no correlation with RV performance in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
The Exchange Rate and U.S. Agriculture: Reply

In her comment, Vellianitis-Fidas makes three points: (a) that I offered little evidence in support of the central thesis of my paper and that what she construes as my main evidence constitutes a strained interpretation of exchange rate and balance of payments theory; (b) that the persistent deficit in the U.S. balance of payments was because the dollar was a major reserve currency and does not indicate that the dollar was overvalued; and (c) that even if the dollar was overvalued it would not have mattered since in her view the exchange rate has no effect. In reply, I focus on these three main issues rather than comment in a detailed way on particular statements. Her paper has numerous inaccuracies, such as "The years since 1940 represent a period of unusual growth in U.S. gold stocks." To deal with all of them would require too much space and probably contribute little to the central thrust of the debate.
Influence of Treatment Modality in Outcomes for Different Stages of Resectable Esophageal Adenocarcinomas

There is no consensus on the most effective modality for the treatment of resectable esophageal adenocarcinomas (EAC). We theorized that treatment modality may influence survival differently depending on the stage of disease. A single-institution, retrospective examination of resectable EAC between 2000 and 2008 was performed. Resectable EAC were stratified into early disease (stage 2a or less) and late disease (stage 2b or more) based on pretreatment endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Patients with T4, >N2, and/or distant disease were excluded. A total of 156 patients were included in this study. Most patients were white (97 %), male (83 %), and over 60 years of age (51 %). Patients with early disease on pretreatment EUS exhibited improved overall survival compared to patients with late disease (P < 0.001). Irrespective of treatment modality, there were no significant differences in overall 5-year survival for patients with early or late disease. Early and late disease patients whose disease responded to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) had significantly improved overall survival compared to nonresponsive disease (P < 0.05). The only negative independent predictors of overall 5-year survival were late stage disease on pretreatment EUS (hazard ratio 2.402, 95 % confidence interval 1.24–4.67, P = 0.01) and late stage disease on final pathological stage (hazard ratio 2.29, 95 % confidence interval 1.22–4.31, P = 0.01). Our data lack statistical power but reveal no difference in survival with the addition of neoadjuvant therapies to surgery for early or late resectable EAC. However, patients with disease that responded to NAC had improved outcomes at 5 years for both groups. Therefore, the prognosis for patients undergoing NAC may be optimized by immediate surgical resection if neoadjuvant therapies do not result in a dramatic clinical response.
Evidence for singlet oxygen in the air oxidation of surface adsorbed 2,5-diphenylfuran

Heating 2,5-diphenylfuran on a silicon or titanium dioxide surface results in its conversion tocis-dibenzoylethylene. This is considered an indication of singlet oxygen intermediacy. No significant reaction occurs with the solid or in solvents other than acetone. A singlet oxygen quencher inhibits the reaction, and a free radical scavenger has little effect. The differences between the surface reaction and lack of reactivity in solution may arise from several causes. These include local forces involved in adsorption, topographical and geometric effects, and metal catalysis. Knowledge of factors influencing singlet oxygen formation under nonphotochemical conditions has potential practical application.
Fraunhofer Diffraction Patterns of Squares and Rectangles

The Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of a basic set of squares and rectangles have been computed by summation. The resulting tables are presented and methods are described for building up more complicated diffraction patterns in terms of this set. The limited nature of each table introduces systematic errors for large objects. These errors are discussed and estimates of their magnitudes are given for particular cases by comparison with those cases for which analytical solutions are available.
Using Political Cartoons to Improve Your Verbal Questioning

(2004). Using Political Cartoons to Improve Your Verbal Questioning. The Social Studies: Vol. 95, No. 1, pp. 11-15.
Therapeutic strategies to reduce TNF-alpha mediated cardiac contractile depression following ischemia and reperfusion.

Recent evidence has implicated proinflammatory mediators such as TNF- alpha in the pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Clinically, serum levels of TNF-alpha are increased after myocardial infarction and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Each of these represent clinically relevant instances of cardiac I/R injury. We and others have recently reported that TNF-alpha is produced by the heart following experimental I/R in animals and that TNF-alpha directly decreases animal and human myocardial contractility in a dose dependent fashion. Thus, strategies to reduce or neutralize myocardial TNF- alpha production should conceptually decrease myocardial contractile dysfunction following I/R. The purposes of this manuscript are: 1) to explore the clinical and experimental instances of I/R injury in which TNF-alpha is elevated, 2) to review the molecular mechanisms of TNF- alpha induced contractile dysfunction, 3) to examine both experimental and clinical strategies of reducing myocardial TNF-alpha production, and 4) to determine the influence of reducing post-I/R TNF-alpha on cardiac contractile function in both animals and man.
Investigation of the MBE growth of GaAs/AlAs quantum wells and the effect of AlAs spikes on their luminescence

Abstract The interfacial smoothness of GaAs/AlAs quantum well structures is examined using photoluminescence (PL) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Transitions from what are commonly referred to as “pseudo-smooth” to “rough” to “truly-smooth” interfaces are observed by varying the growth interrupt time. Truly-smooth GaAs on AlAs interfaces are achieved simply using growth interruption. We discuss the possible utility of using AlAs spikes in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells as a more sensitive structural probe of the heterojunction interfaces.
An upper bound for the proper delay time in chaotic time-series analysis

Abstract We establish an upper bound for the proper delay time in chaotic time series analysis using delay-coordinate embeddings. The derivation is based on analyzing the effective scaling regime in the computation of the correlation dimension using the Grassberger-Procaccia algorithm. Numerical results agree with the theoretical prediction.
Voice, Boundary Work, and Visibility in Research on Sex Work in Morocco

How might the ethnographer conduct research on health and suffering among populations who would rather remain hidden? Drawing on my research with female sex workers in southern Morocco, I suggest and demonstrate an approach that allows interlocutors' discretionary practices to guide ethnographic inquiry. I show how boundary work--as a politics of visibility founded on practices of discretion, concealment, and distancing--emerged as central to my interlocutors' livelihood strategies and their efforts to enact moral personhood, integrate themselves into networks of solidarity, and articulate social critiques. A methodological focus on discourses and practices of boundary drawing, I argue, was essential for conceptualizing and representing the suffering of the women with whom I worked. Using boundary work as a guide, the ethnographer does not give voice to suffering, but learns how suffering is already voiced as part of attempts to survive, aspire, and become.
A chemostat for growing higher plant cells in single cell suspension cultures

Abstract An apparatus for the continuous cultivation of plant cells in suspension culture is described. A type of agitation and aeration is employed which prevents the cells from forming cell aggregates and produces a homogeneous cell culture.
Agents as Meditors in Electronic commerce

Software agents help automate a variety of tasks including those involved by buying and selling products over the Internet. This paper surveys several of these agent mediated electronic commerce sy...
Bronchial responsiveness to histamine or methacholine in asthma: measurement and clinical significance

Bronchial responsiveness is the term used to describe the tendency of the airways to bronchoconstrict to specific stimuli such as allergens and isocyanates, which select a limited population of apparently sensitized subjects, and to nonspecific (nonallergic) stimuli, which affect most asthmatic persons. Specific bronchial responsiveness to allergic stimuli is difficult to quantitate because commonly available allergen extracts are not well standardized for the number and concentration of components. Nonspecific responsiveness can be quantitated by inhalation tests with histamine or methacholine, by exercise, or by isocapnic hyperventilation of cold air, and may be increased in asthma and other conditions such as chronic obstructive bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. In this article we will discuss the measurement of nonspecific bronchial responsiveness by inhalation tests with histamine or methacholine and its relationship to the occurrence and severity of asthma.
Promises and pitfalls of synthetic chromosomes in plants

This review summarizes synthetic chromosome construction in plants and speculates on how they might be applied to various uses in the future, as well as the possible impact for synthetic biology. The procedures to construct foundational platforms for synthetic chromosomes in plants are described, together with some challenges to be overcome in growing such chromosomes and expanding their applications.
A decline‐model interpretation of genetic and habitat structure in oak populations and its implications for silviculture

Summary Oak decline is attributable to predisposing conditions of both biotic and abiotic origin, arid to numerous insects, pathogens, and abiotic events that act as intermediate or ultimate agents of mortality. The precise causal factors vary with circumstances, but the fundamental role of the tree genotype in the process appears to be one of predisposition. Trees are predisposed to oak decline when they are genetically incapable of surviving the stresses natural to the habitats they occupy. Quercus rubra is discussed as a ease study for which there is a considerable amount of genetic and ecological information. This species is characterized by (1) unusual sensitivity in growth to small-scale environmental heterogeneity and (2) unusually high levels of within-population variation in growth rate. Using growth rate as the best-available surrogate measure of ecological fitness, it is clear that high levels of genetic variability are important, even necessary, for the ecological success of populations of this species. Differential adaptation of genotypes to microsites within even very small areas is likely. To minimize susceptibility to oak decline, forest practices should favour (1) the maintenance of high levels of genetic variation, (2) the use of local provenances in artificial regeneration, and (3) large seedling populations. A further implication is that high rates of seedling mortality in plantations may be normal and even desirable for long-term forest health.
Informing assistive robots with models of contact forces from able-bodied face wiping and shaving

Hygiene and feeding are activities of daily living (ADLs) that often involve contact with a person's face. Robots can assist people with motor impairments to perform these tasks by holding a tool that makes contact with the care receiver's face. By sensing the forces applied to the face with the tool, robots could potentially provide assistance that is more comfortable, safe, and effective. In order to inform the design of robotic controllers and assistive robots, we investigated the forces able-bodied people apply to themselves when wiping and shaving their faces. We present our methods for capturing and modeling these forces, results from a study with 9 participants, and recommendations for assistive robots. Our contributions include a trapezoidal force model that assumes participants have a target force they attempt to achieve for each stroke of the tool. We discuss advantages of this 3 parameter model and show that it fits our data well relative to other candidate models. We also provide statistics of the models' rise rates, fall rates, and target forces for the 9 participants in our study. In addition, we illustrate how the target forces varied based on the task, participant, and location on the face.
Thermodynamic and nonstoichiometric behavior of the lead-doped Bi-2223 system

Abstract Electromotive force (EMF) measurements of oxygen fugacities as a function of stoichiometry have been made in the lead-doped Bi-2223 superconducting system in the temperature range 700–815°C by means of an oxygen titration technique. The results of our studies indicate that processing or annealing lead-doped Bi-2223 at temperatures ranging from 700 to 815°C and at oxygen partial pressures ranging from ∼0.02 to 0.2 atm should tend to preserve Bi-2223 as essentially single-phase material. Thermodynamic assessments of partial molar quantities indicate that the plateau regions can be represented by the diphasic CuOCu 2 O system. In accord with the EMF measurements, it was found that lead-doped Bi-2223 in a silver sheath is stable at 815°C for oxygen partial pressures between 0.02 and 0.13 atm. Long-duration post anneals of silver-clad Bi-2223 filaments at 825°C and an oxygen partial pressure of 0.075 atm eliminated Bi-2212 intergrowths with a concomitant increase in the superconducting transition sharpness.
Multiple Independent Binding Sites for Small-Molecule Inhibitors on the Oncoprotein c-Myc

Deregulation of the c-Myc transcription factor is involved in many types of cancer, making this oncoprotein an attractive target for drug discovery. One approach to its inhibition has been to disrupt the dimeric complex formed between its basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLHZip) domain and a similar domain on its dimerization partner, Max. As monomers, bHLHZip proteins are intrinsically disordered (ID). Previously we showed that two c-Myc-Max inhibitors, 10058-F4 and 10074-G5, bound to distinct ID regions of the monomeric c-Myc bHLHZip domain. Here, we use circular dichroism, fluorescence polarization, and NMR to demonstrate the presence of an additional binding site located between those for 10058-F4 and 10074-G5. All seven of the originally identified Myc inhibitors are shown to bind to one of these three discrete sites within the 85-residue bHLHZip domain of c-Myc. These binding sites are composed of short contiguous stretches of amino acids that can selectively and independently bind small molecules. Inhibitor binding induces only local conformational changes, preserves the overall disorder of c-Myc, and inhibits dimerization with Max. NMR experiments further show that binding at one site on c-Myc affects neither the affinity nor the structural changes taking place upon binding to the other sites. Rather, binding can occur simultaneously and independently on the three identified sites. Our results suggest the widespread existence of peptide regions prone to small-molecule binding within ID domains. A rational and generic approach to the inhibition of protein-protein interactions involving ID proteins may therefore be possible through the targeting of ID sequence.
Limiting behavior of the approximate second-order subdifferential of a convex function

Hiriart-Urruty and the author recently introduced the notions of Dupin indicatrices for nonsmooth convex surfaces and studied them in connection with their concept of a second-order subdifferential for convex functions. They noticed that second-order subdifferentials can be viewed as limit sets of difference quotients involving approximate subdifferentials. In this paper, we elaborate this point in a more detailed way and discuss some related questions.
Transactivation of the human insulin receptor gene by the CAAT/enhancer binding protein

Abstract Within human insulin receptor gene there are three consensus binding sites for the CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP). Two sites are located in the 5′ flanking region and the other is in the first intron. We have studied the ability of these sequences to be regulated by C/EBP. A eukaryotic expression vector containing these sequences can be transactivated in a dose-dependent manner by a C/EBP expression vector when co-transfected into NIH-3T3 cells. In addition, double stranded oligonucleotides corresponding to two of these sequences can bind C/EBP in a gel retardation assay. These two oligonucleotides can compete with each other to bind C/EBP. These findings suggest that this transcription factor may play a role in the regulation of insulin receptor gene expression in vivo .
Injecting errors for fun and profit

It is an unfortunate fact of life that anything with moving parts eventually wears out and malfunctions, and electronic circuitry is no exception. In this case, of course, the moving parts are elec...
The Accounting Principles Instructor's Influence on Students' Decision to Major in Accounting

Abstract Attracting students to academic programs in accounting has become more and more difficult. One way to attract students to accounting is to place more emphasis on recruitment. Because all business majors take accounting principles, this would seem to be the appropriate place to focus recruitment efforts. This assumes, however, that the instructor has significant influence on students' decisions to major in accounting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the accounting principles instructor on students' decisions to major in accounting. The study also provides insight into the timing of discipline-choice decisions by accounting majors and other factors relevant to the recruitment process for accounting majors.
Evaluation and Modification of the SES Random Error Procedure

Testing the influence of random error is important for most cross- cultural studies. This paper evaluates Witkowski's test procedure and random error hypotheses. Using his own methods, we found little support for his hypotheses. The Lazarsfeld Method of Elaboration exposes defects in the random error hypothesis statements and test procedure. When these are modified, Witkowski's system proves ten able, We suggest that the Method of Elaboration improves investi gation of the quality control test variable role for both random and systematic error.
A Laboratory Study of CO2 Foam Properties and Displacement Mechanism

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of CO/sub 2/-foam physical properties and a series of displacement tests using a high pressure glasslined flow-tube. The foam properties were studied in terms of foam quality, quantity and stability as functions of temperature, pressure surfactant concentration and surfactant mixing ratio. The CO -foam displacement tests were performed using SACROC and Rock Creek crude oils, and the oil recovery efficiency was visually investigated for both secondary and tertiary modes with varying CO/sub 2/ slug injection sequence and surfactant concentration. The results indicate that the increase of pressure promotes foam stability whereas the increase of temperature does the contrary. It was found that CO/sub 2/-foam generated either externally or internally is susceptible to quick distintegration on contact with crude oil. Therefore, the control of CO/sub 2/ mobility using a foaming agent could be effective only within a short distance from the injection well. Any improvement on oil recovery or gasoil ratio is probably obtained as a result of foam blockage of the permeable streaks or channels in the injection formation. It was found that excessively high concentrations of surfactant (foaming agent) may cause ''foam barrier'' to decrease sweep efficiency.
Estimated impact shock production of N2 and organic compounds on early Titan

The present consideration of Uranus-Neptune planetesimal bombardment of Titan notes that shock-product chemical equilibrium modeling can credit impact energy for the generation of large amounts of N2 and organic compounds. The kinetic inhibition of graphite formation in the shocked gas would have enhanced the yield of radicals and organics, and the resulting carbonaceous soot/condensed hydrocarbon mixture would have settled onto the surface to form a layer with an eventual depth of hundreds of meters. Shock conversion of NH3 into N2 bypasses the difficulties of other N2-production schemes, and is suggested to have been of exceptionally great importance in the atmospheric evolution of Titan.