cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRYSTALLINE ACETYL DERIVATIVES OF PEPSIN

Crystalline pepsin has been acetylated by the action of ketene in aqueous solution at pH 4.07–5.5. As acetylation proceeds the activity decreases, the decrease being more rapid at pH 5.0–5.5 than at 4.0–4.5. Three acetyl derivatives have been isolated from the reaction mixture and obtained in crystalline form. The crystal form of these derivatives is similar to that of pepsin. Fractionation and solubility determinations show that these preparations are not mixtures or solid solutions of the original pepsin with an inactive derivative. A compound which contains three or four acetyl groups and which has lost all of its original primary amino groups can be isolated after short acetylation. It has the same activity as the original pepsin. A second derivative containing six to eleven acetyl groups has also been isolated. It has about 60 per cent of the activity of the original pepsin. A third derivative having twenty to thirty acetyl groups and about 10 per cent of the activity of original pepsin can be isolated after prolonged acetylation. The 60 per cent active derivative on standing in strong acid solution loses some of its acetyl groups and at the same time regains the activity of the original pepsin. The compound obtained in this way is probably the same as the completely active three acetyl derivative obtained by mild acetylation. These results show that acetylation of three or four of the primary amino groups of pepsin causes no change in the specific activity of the enzyme but that the introduction of acetyl groups in other parts of the molecule results in a marked loss in activity. The solubilities, amino nitrogen content, acetyl content, isoelectric point, and the specific activity have been determined by a variety of methods and found to be different from the corresponding properties of crystalline pepsin. The pH-activity curves, acid and alkali inactivation, and titration curves were not significantly different from the same respective properties of pepsin.
Aetiology of an ulcerative disease in goldfish Carassius auratus (L.): microbiological examination of diseased fish from seven locations

. A comparative diagnostic study was conducted on goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.), with a cutaneous ulcerative disease from five locations in the United States and one each in England and Japan. Fish were examined for parasites, viruses and bacteria. Fish from all locations examine d were infested by ectoparasites; no single parasite species was common to all locations. No virus-associated cytopathology was observed in fathead minnow (FHM) or adult goldfish (CAR) monolayer cell cultures inoculated with homogenates of cutaneous lesions, kidneys and livers from diseased fish. The only bacterium cultured from fish from all locations was an atypical, often late-pigmenting strain of Aeromonas salmonicida. This organism was isolated from 64 of 83 (77%) of the total lesions cultured and was most prevalent in early lesions. A second commonly isolated organism was Aeromonas hydrophila, which was cultured from fish at four of the seven locations and from 28 (34%) of the total lesions cultured. A. hydrophila was most prevalent in terminal lesions. From these studies it was concluded that A. salmonicida was the probable cause of ulcers noted In the cases examined an d that A. hydrophila was a secondary invader.
Serum Proteins of Chicks with Infectious and Mycoplasma Synovitis

Abstract THE livers of birds with acute cases of infectious synovitis have been observed by Olson et al. (1956) to be enlarged, mottled, greenish and to have necrotic foci. Where the disease was not as severe, the livers frequently appeared normal. In a laboratory study of the disease, Shelton et al. (1957) observed evidence of gross liver pathology in approximately 50 percent of the experimentally infected control birds. No histopathological studies were made. Sevoian et al. (1958) made histological examinations in addition to the gross observations of the livers and other organs of birds with infectious synovitis. They found and described the microscopic lesions in the liver, brain, heart, thymus, spleen, bursa of Fabricius and bone barrow. Furthermore, they observed in the livers of infected embryos the characteristic reticulocytosis of the liver. These studies complement one another and show that in the chick the liver in one of the principal organs…
Event-related potentials to omitted visual stimuli in a reptile.

Abstract Visual omitted stimulus potentials (OSPs) were recorded from awake pond turtles with arrays of 3–20 electrodes in the dorsal cortex (DC), dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) and optic tectum. Since they are generally longer in duration than the interstimulus interval (ISI), the standard experiment is a short conditioning train of regular light or dark flashes (1–20 Hz) whose termination elicits the OSP. Tectal surface OSPs after trains > 7 Hz have 2 major positive peaks, P120–140 and P220–250 after the due-time of the first omission; after
Validation and Calibration of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Model Against Dynamic Partial Pressure Data

Transient experimental validation and investigation of the effect of diffusivity of porous layers on the dynamic water vapor partial pressure profiles of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) during load change is presented. A three dimensional, isothermal, transient, single-phase computational fluid dynamics based model is developed to validate with the water partial pressure profiles experimentally measured during start-up conditions earlier in a 50 cm2 PEMFC having a single serpentine flow path in counter-flow configuration. The fluid flow within the serpentine channel geometry is simulated using a straight channel fuel cell model with total channel length equivalent to the stretched length of the entire serpentine path incorporating the same amount of pressure drop from inlet to outlet. The model equations are solved using a multi-domain approach incorporating water transport through membrane and multi-component species transport through porous diffusion layer. The transient model predictions of water partial pressure profiles of anode and cathode channels are found to be in good agreement within the error bounds of the experimental results. This validation is also indicative of the two different time scales i.e. initial anode dip due to electro-osmotic drag and recovery due to back diffusion from cathode to anode. Steady state model predictions are compared to check for accuracy simultaneously. The model also delineates the significance of effective diffusivity of porous Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL) and Catalyst Layers (CL) on transient characteristics. In order to come up with best parameters to validate with experimental data, a sensitivity analysis with parametric variations of effective porosity of GDL and CL is performed with a single experimental data set and then applied to the remaining sets. Results show that the CL diffusivity has a more pronounced effect on water accumulation as well as on temporal water transport than GDL diffusivity. The numerical simulation thus provides a validated set of quantitative model parameters along with an insight to the underlying physics of water transport phenomena in a PEMFC.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Associative history determines strength of taste-aversion conditioning in thiamine-deficient rats.

Abstract Two groups of rats (recovery) were fed a synthetic thiamine-deficient diet while two other groups (supplemented) were fed on the same diet but received supplemental thiamine in their water so as not to become deficient. Following a five-day recovery period during which all rats were given a choice between the deficient diet and a novel chocolate-flavored thiamine-enriched diet which preceded a single exposure to the chocolate-enriched diet only, one recovery group and one supplemented group received injections of lithium chloride while the remaining two groups received saline. Rats avoided the chocolate-enriched diet paired with toxicosis except when that food had previously been paired with recovery from illness. These observations suggest that a food's associative history plays a crucial role in subsequent aversion conditioning and is sufficient to dramatically influence a rat's dietary preference, thereby confirming the existence of a “familiar-positive” class of foods.
Depression of Milk Secretion during Insulin Administration

Summary Long-acting insulin was injected intramuscularly twice a day into two cows. Their daily milk yield and plasma glucose concentration both decreased. Glucose was then infused intravenously while the insulin injections were continuing. When the plasma glucose was restored to a normal level, the milk secretion returned to the pretreatment rate. These observations suggest that hypoglycemia is a more direct cause of hypogalactia than is insulin.
Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainability Education in AACSB Undergraduate and Graduate Marketing Curricula: A Benchmark Study

AACSB International advocates integration of ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability in all business school disciplines. This study provides an overview of the implementation of...
Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in absence of CT abnormality on PET-CT: What is it?

The purpose of this article is to provide a pictorial review of the findings and interpretative pitfalls about focal fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the absence of corresponding computer tomography (CT) lesion or abnormality on an integrated positron emission tomography (PET)-CT. The integrated CT images in the PET-CT scanner allow correct co-registration and fused imaging of anatomical and functional data. On FDG PET-CT imaging, a real pathologic process often demonstrates abnormal uptake associated with a visible corresponding CT lesion or abnormality. When focal uptake is seen on PET imaging but no corresponding anatomic abnormality is visualized on the integrated CT, one should always be aware of possible mis-registration or mismatch of the PET and CT images due to the patient’s respiratory or body motion. While most of the hot spots in the absence of corresponding anatomic abnormalities are artefactual or secondary to benign etiologies, some may represent small sized or early staged neoplasm or metastases, especially in the gastrointestinal tract and skeletons. Caution should be exercised to simply diagnose a pathology based on the presence of the uptake only, or exclude the disease based on the absence of anatomic abnormality.
Structure‐activity relationships for Pimephales and Tetrahymena: A mechanism of action approach

The toxicity data of 74 chemicals tested in both the 96-h fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) mortality assay and the 2-d Tetrahymena pyriformis (a protozoan) growth inhibition assay were evaluated using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs). Each chemical was a priori assigned a mechanism of acute toxic action from either nonpolar narcosis, polar narcosis, weak acid respiratory uncoupling, soft electrophilicity, or proelectrophilicity. The polar narcotics were further split into a phenol group and an aniline group. The relationship between bioreactivity and the importance of penetration to the site of action in both systems was studied. Bioreactivity showed a trend to be inversely proportional to the value of the hydrophobicity term. The data were examined to investigate how different molecular descriptors modeled the mechanisms of action. Models were produced for nonpolar narcotics and anilines for both species with the 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log K ow ) alone. Soft electrophiles were best predicted by the average acceptor superdelocalizability (S n av ), whereas proelectrophiles were modeled by log K ow and S n av . The weak acid uncouplers modeled with either log K ow or log K ow plus the ionization constant (pK a ) for Pimephales and Tetrahymena, respectively. Phenols yielded predictive models using a either a combination of log K ow with S n av or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, for fathead minnow and protozoan, respectively.
Preconception Predictors of Birth Outcomes: Prospective Findings from the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study

Objective To examine maternal pre-pregnancy (preconception) predictors of birthweight and fetal growth for singleton live births occurring over a 2-year period in a prospective study.
Deaths in the Desert: The Human Rights Crisis on the U.S.–Mexico Border

Many would acknowledge that immigration is a major issue in the United States and that immigration reform should be a priority. However, there is little attention to the human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexican border. As a result of tightened border security since 1994, it is estimated that over 5,000 migrants have died in the Sonoran desert. The criminalization of immigration has resulted in a human rights crisis in three areas: (1) the rise of deaths and injuries of migrants crossing the border in harsh and remote locations, (2) the use of mass hearings to prosecute apprehended migrants, and (3) abuses of migrants in immigration detention. These policies and practices have serious repercussions for the affected vulnerable population. Despite recent legislation designed to discourage undocumented immigration, such as Arizona's Senate Bill 1070, the deterrence strategy has not diminished migration--it has only increased the suffering and deaths of migrants. Humanitarian groups are working to prevent more deaths but also have been targeted for criminalization. The profession's ethics compel social workers to work with humanitarian organizations to prevent more deaths and to advocate for humane immigration reform.
Secondary Heavy Chain Rearrangement A Mechanism for Generating Anti–double-stranded DNA B Cells

The chronic graft-versus-host (cGVH) reaction results in a syndrome that closely resembles systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is induced in nonautoimmune mice by the transfer of alloreactive T cells. The availability of anti-DNA transgenes allows us to study the genetic origins of autoantibodies in this model. We induced cGVH in two anti-DNA H chain site-directed transgenic mouse strains. This resulted in clonal expansion and selection of specific mutations in the anti–double-stranded (ds) DNA B cell population. These data, together with a high frequency of anti-dsDNA B cell clones recovered as hybridomas, suggested that anti-dsDNAs are the product of an antigen-driven immune response. Genetic analysis associated this response with the generation of anti-dsDNA B cells through secondary rearrangements that replaced the site-directed transgene (sd-tg) with endogenous VH genes.
Predictive quad-tree expansion technique for image compression in wavelet transform domain

A predictive tree structure is presented for classifying the wavelet coefficients, and a new scheme is proposed to construct the trees based on rate distortion function, including both the optimal hierarchical quadtree construction and the predictive spatial orienta- tion tree development. The full search quadtree optimization is ap- plied first to the highest level of high frequency subbands, exploiting the intrasubband correlation of wavelet coefficients. The generated optimal quadtree serves as a predictor to construct the trees for other lower level subbands in which only the leaf nodes are to be analyzed in terms of the associated Lagrange costs for further ex- pansion, taking advantage of the self-similarity across subbands. Constraining the full search quadtree optimization within the highest level subband reduces the computational complexity significantly. Simulation results indicate the proposed scheme is efficient and the performance of the system is comparable to some of the popular image compression techniques. © 2004 SPIE and IS&T.
Work and Volunteering: The Long Arm of the Job

The impact of work on social life is a major concern of sociologists. Marx and Durkheim both believed that jobs have consequences for workers' lives outside the workplace, and subsequent research byKohn, Wilensky, and others confirms that complex and self-directedjobs encourage social participation. We use this "spillover" theory to predict volunteering among respondents to the Americans' Changing Lives survey (1986-89). Occupational self-direction increases volunteering, especially among the better educated, a result of the civic skills provided. Net of self-direction, situs and occupational differences in volunteering are alsofound. Public sector workers volunteer the most. Within each sector, higher-status occupations volunteer more. The results suggest that, ifpriority is to be given to maintaining a volunteer laborpool, it would be unwise to ignore social trends limiting occupational self-direction at work or reducing the size of the public sector. Sociologists have long been concerned with the impact of work and work organizations on social life. Marx argued that capitalist relations of production, and the labor process demanded by them, have powerfil consequences for workers'
Lycopene Inhibits the Growth of Normal Human Prostate Epithelial Cells in Vitro

Lycopene has repeatedly been shown to inhibit the growth of human prostate cells in vitro. However, previous studies with lycopene have focused on cancer specimens, and it is still unclear whether this carotenoid affects the growth of normal human prostate cells as well. Therefore, we investigated the effects of lycopene on normal human prostate epithelial cells (PrEC) by treating them with synthetic all-E-lycopene (up to 5 micromol/L) and assessing proliferation via [3H]thymidine incorporation. The effects of lycopene on cell cycle progression were investigated via flow cytometry. To elucidate whether lycopene modulates cyclins involved in cell cycle progression, protein expressions of cyclins D1 and E were analyzed. The results show that lycopene significantly inhibited the growth of PrEC in a dose-dependent fashion. Flow cytometry revealed a significant cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. This effect was confirmed by inhibition of cyclin D1 protein expression, whereas cyclin E levels remained unchanged. The results demonstrate that lycopene inhibits growth of nonneoplastic PrEC in vitro. We hypothesize that lycopene might likewise inhibit the growth of prostatic epithelial cells in vivo. This might have an effect on prostate development and/or on enlargement of prostate tissue as found in benign prostate hyperplasia, a potential precursor of prostate cancer.
High-temperature plasticity of cubic bismuth oxide

Cubic (δ) bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) has been subjected to high temperature deformation over a wide range of temperatures and strain rates. Results indicate that bismuth oxide is essentially incapable of plastic deformation at temperatures below the monoclithic to cubic phase transformation which occurs at approximately 730 °C. Above the transformation temperature, however, Bi2O3 is extensively deformable. The variability of flow stress to temperature and strain rate has been quantified through the determination of phenomenological-based constitutive equations to describe its behavior at these high temperatures. Analysis of the so-determined deformation constants indicate an extremely strong sensitivity to strain rate and temperature, with values of the strain-rate sensitivity approaching values commonly cited as indicative of superplastic behavior.
Network infrastructure for a large radiology environment

As image transmission becomes a more important part of the way radiology departments operate, the need for a high speed network infrastructure has become more important. We have installed a high speed network in the department that uses the latest Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networking technology combined with Ethernet switching. This network combination is capable of handling a tremendous amount of data traffic while maintaining compatibility with the existing Ethernet environment. These network changes have significantly improved Ethernet throughput on some of the most heavily used segments of the network by effectively isolating common traffic onto different network segments using new network management software and capabilities that are the result of the ATM backbone. Additional capabilities have allowed us to provide a number of serves that would not have been available using older techniques and architecture. Careful planning of the network before any new installations or changes is important for overall network and traffic management. The installation of this high speed network has allowed us to make imaging within the department and throughout the Medical Center and the connected region a reality.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Development of the Geophysical Data Base Variable resolution (GDBV) Version 2 using HDF5

The Geophysical Data Base Variable resolution Version 2 (GDBV V2) provides a high performance database format for ocean bottom characterization by utilizing a flexible data model implemented using the Hierarchical Data Format Version 5 (HDF5). GDBV V2 has been developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Lockheed Martin in close collaboration with the Naval Oceanographie Office (NAVOCEANO). GDBV has been designed to support the parameters stored in NAV-OCEANO's ocean bottom database products: Low Frequency Bottom Loss (LFBL), High Frequency Bottom Loss (HFBL), and Bottom Sediment Type (BST). In this paper, we describe the initial study to select the HDF5 format, as well as details regarding the GDBV data model, utilities, and implementation. Using the current GDBV V2 release candidate, we also present the initial performance statistics, which reveal excellent performance as compared to the current NAVOCEANO database formats.
A wireless service for the IEEE 802.6 metropolitan area network

The authors explore how to use specific features in the IEEE 802.6 standard to allow the metropolitan area network to function as a cellular packet switch. They compare the needs of wireless voice, data, and signaling with existing 802.6 capabilities and find that several new features are required. The proposed voice service allows voice packets from the radio link to be carried in a single 802.6 slot of 53 bytes. This is accomplished by eliminating portions of the 802.6 adaptation layer which are unneeded for voice. Signaling traffic is accommodated by use of the virtual circuit identifier and the message identification fields to provide virtual circuits, permanent virtual circuits, and point-to-multipoint virtual circuits. Low bit rate data can be supported using the existing 802.6 connection-oriented service with retransmission at the segmentation and reassembly sublayer. >
Flu Near You: Crowdsourced Symptom Reporting Spanning 2 Influenza Seasons

Objectives. We summarized Flu Near You (FNY) data from the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 influenza seasons in the United States.Methods. FNY collects limited demographic characteristic information upon registration, and prompts users each Monday to report symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI) experienced during the previous week. We calculated the descriptive statistics and rates of ILI for the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 seasons. We compared raw and noise-filtered ILI rates with ILI rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ILINet surveillance system.Results. More than 61 000 participants submitted at least 1 report during the 2012–2013 season, totaling 327 773 reports. Nearly 40 000 participants submitted at least 1 report during the 2013–2014 season, totaling 336 933 reports. Rates of ILI as reported by FNY tracked closely with ILINet in both timing and magnitude.Conclusions. With increased participation, FNY has the potential to serve as a viable complement to existing outpatient, hospital-ba...
Two-proton correlation functions for equilibrium and non-equilibrium emission

Abstract Two-proton correlation functions are compared for equilibrium and non-equilibrium emission processes investigated, respectively, in “reverse kinematics” for the reactions 129 XE+ 27 Al and 129 Xe+ 122 Sn at E A = 31 MeV and in “forward kinematics” for the reaction 14 N+ 197 Au at E A = 75 MeV . Observed differences in the shapes of the correlation functions are understood in terms of the different time scales for equilibrium and preequilibrium emission. Transverse and longitudinal correlation functions are very similar.
Biology by Design: From Top to Bottom and Back

Synthetic biology is a nascent technical discipline that seeks to enable the design and construction of novel biological systems to meet pressing societal needs. However, engineering biology still requires much trial and error because we lack effective approaches for connecting basic “parts” into higher-order networks that behave as predicted. Developing strategies for improving the performance and sophistication of our designs is informed by two overarching perspectives: “bottom-up” and “top-down” considerations. Using this framework, we describe a conceptual model for developing novel biological systems that function and interact with existing biological components in a predictable fashion. We discuss this model in the context of three topical areas: biochemical transformations, cellular devices and therapeutics, and approaches that expand the chemistry of life. Ten years after the construction of synthetic biology's first devices, the drive to look beyond what does exist to what can exist is ushering in an era of biology by design.
Twenty-four hour rhythms of selected ambient temperature in rat and hamster

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of time of day on the behavioral thermoregulatory patterns of nocturnal rodents, the Long-Evans (LE) rat, Fischer 344 (F344) rat, and the golden hamster. Individual animals were placed in a temperature gradient for 4 days while selected ambient temperature (STa) and motor activity (MA) were monitored. Food was provided at the cold and warm ends of the gradient and water was provided ad lib. All animals eventually showed a 24-h rhythm of STa and MA characterized by a preference for cooler TaS during the dark period which coincided with an increase in MA. Both rat strains had STaS of approximately 28 degrees C during the light period that decreased to 22-24 degrees C during the dark period. The F344 rat developed a STa rhythm by the second day in the gradient, whereas the LE strain required 4 days. The hamster exhibited relatively warm STaS of 32-33 degrees C during the light period that decreased to 26-28 degrees C during the dark period. The nocturnal preference for cooler STaS contradicts a current concept of an elevation in set point of the thermoregulatory system. However, the data also suggest that behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory effectors may operate independently in the control of night time elevations in body temperature.
Greenhouse effects on Venus

Calculations that used Pioneer-Venus measurements of atmosphere composition, temperature profiles, and radiative heating predicted Venus' surface temperature ‘very precisely,’ says the Ames Research Center. The calculations predict not only Venus' surface temperature but agree with temperatures measured at various altitudes above the surface by the four Pioneer Venus atmosphere probe craft. Using Pioneer-Venus spacecraft data, a research team has virtually proved that the searing 482° C surface temperature of Venus is due to an atmospheric greenhouse effect. Until now the Venus greenhouse effect has been largely a theory.
ORGANIC CARBON SUPPLY AND METABOLISM IN A SHALLOW GROUNDWATER ECOSYSTEM

In groundwater ecosystems, in situ primary production is low, and metabolism depends on organic matter inputs from other regions of the catchment. Heterotrophic metabolism and biogeochemistry in the floodplain groundwater of a headwater catchment (Rio Calaveras, New Mexico, USA) were examined to address the following questions: (1) How do groundwater metabolism and biogeochemistry vary spatially and temporally? (2) What factors influence groundwater metabolism? (3) What is the energy source for groundwater metabolism? At Rio Calaveras, surface discharge and water table elevation increased at the onset of spring snowmelt. Groundwater biogeochemical changes in response to snowmelt included increases in dissolved oxygen and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Dissolved organic carbon concentration then decreased exponentially with time, suggesting that newly saturated floodplain sediments were a major source of DOC. Organic matter content in seasonally saturated sediments averaged 3% by mass, and ∼0.05 mg C/g dry sediment was water soluble. Microorganisms from these sediments were able to consume an average of 45% of the leached DOC. These results show that snowmelt imports DOC to groundwater and that a substantial amount can be consumed by biota. These results may be important ecologically if the growth and abundance of groundwater organisms are limited by DOC availability. The influence on groundwater heterotrophic metabolism of DOC availability, inorganic nitrogen (N), inorganic phosphorus (P), temperature, and season were assessed using laboratory manipulations of aquifer sediments and seasonal measurements in field microcosms. Augmentation with DOC (10 mgC/L above background) nearly doubled respiration rate during base flow but did not influence respiration during snowmelt. In contrast, addition of N and P did not influence respiration at any time. Respiration rate during snowmelt was significantly higher than at base flow and was not influenced by any combination of DOC, N, P, or temperature. The hypothesis that groundwater metabolism is limited by DOC availability during base flow was supported. Hydrologic linkage between soils and groundwater represents a critical flux of DOC that supports metabolism in unconfined alluvial aquifers.
Planar Rowland spectrometer for fiber-optic wavelength demultiplexing

A planar Rowland spectrometer was fabricated and characterized as a wavelength demultiplexer for multimode fiber-optic applications. The spectrometer consisted of a planar multimode glass waveguide with two curved end faces and a cylindrical concave attached to one of the end faces. Semiconductor lasers with wavelengths between 0.825 and 0.845 micron were used for the measurements. Cross-talk isolation between two adjacent fibers with center-to-center separation of 175 microns (100 A in wavelength difference) was measured to be 18 dB. The device's performance was limited by grating diffraction efficiency, optical aberration, waveguide dispersion, and waveguide losses.
Leadership Lessons from Managing Multinational Project Teams

The challenges of managing culturally diverse and globally dispersed project teams are examined in a field study of multinational product developments. Our objectives are to improve the understanding of the: (i) dynamics and interaction of culturally diverse project teams and (ii) influences of managerial leadership on performance. Special focus is on complex, technology-based, geographically dispersed project environments. The findings provide insight into the business processes, organizational conditions and managerial leadership style most conducive to high team performance in complex and culturally diverse project environments. The paper suggests a framework for assessing leadership effectiveness and makes recommendations for building high-performance multinational project teams.
S&P 500 Index Revisions And Analyst Coverage

This paper examines the impacts of revisions in the composition of the S&P 500 Index on the information environment of sample firms being added to or deleted from the Index. We use the intensity (number of analysts and number of earnings estimates) and the quality (earnings forecast dispersion and accuracy) of analyst coverage to measure the information environment of sample firms. We find that firms that are added to the Index experienced significant increase in analyst coverage while those deleted from the Index suffered reduction in analyst coverage following the revision in the S&P 500 Index. The findings on the quality of analyst coverage also provide supportive evidence. There are increases in earnings forecast dispersion for both added and deleted firms, and improvements in forecast accuracy for sample firms. In addition, further findings indicate a negative correlation between the impact of index revision on the information environment and the intensity of pre-revision analyst coverage on the sample firms. Overall, our results suggest that index revisions have material impacts on the information environment of sample firms that were added to, or deleted from, the S&P 500 Index over the sample period of 1990 – 2007.
Formation Establishment, Maintenance, and Control

This chapter presents continuous and impulsive control methods for formation initialization, maintenance, and reconfiguration. For two-body, circular reference orbits, elementary impulsive control schemes are developed based on the available state transition matrix for relative motion. Formation propagation and control models are presented in the space of differential orbital elements and Cartesian/curvilinear coordinate systems. The J 2-perturbation effects are conveniently modeled with the mean elements and their secular drift rates. Methods for accommodating the disturbance due to the J 2 by modification of the relative orbit initial conditions are discussed. Examples provided include multi-impulse optimal formation initialization maneuvers and a novel inter-satellite fuel balancing concept.
Keep on Changing: Recent Trends in Amazonian Anthropology

In this article I review several recent books to consider how anthropologists have approached questions of cosmology, history, and social transformation in Amazonia. Several of these engage a now well-established tradition in presenting indigenous ontologies as radical alternatives to Western concepts of agency and history. In contrast to the discontinuities described in the “New History” of Amazonia, anthropologists tend to approach social transformation as the extension of an enduring symbolic economy of alterity. I argue that the “New Amazonian Ethnography” would benefit from an openness to understanding radical social change beyond questions of continuity.
Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Macrophages, and Biomaterials During Myocardial Repair

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a potentially lethal condition and remains one of the leading causes of death. Since heart tissue has a diminished capacity to regenerate itself, the current goal is to replace the damaged tissue with repair cells that have the capacity to recover heart function. Among the methods being investigated include the use of human-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). Although these cells have not been shown to effectively produce functional cardiomyocytes, they have shown great potential to improve angiogenesis and cardiac function. Engineered cardiac patches composed of hMSCs and a biomaterial will inevitably be subjected to the inflammatory environment that follows the MI, and these interactions will play a crucial role during the remodeling process. This chapter describes the inflammatory environment found after an MI followed by a description of how MSCs can be used as part of a cardiac patch that can modulate the inflammatory response to improve healing.
Malignant Tumors of the Sinuses Radiologic Evaluation, Including CT Scanning, with Clinical and Pathologic Correlation

This study is based on experience with 100 patients. The clinical and pathologic features of carcinoma of the sinuses are analyzed. The various radiologic modalities are described and evaluated with respect to diagnosis and treatment.
The correlation between follicular measurements, oocyte morphology, and fertilization rates in an in vitro fertilization program

Objective To explore the relationship between follicle size and the morphology of the oocyte-cumulus-corona complex with fertilization rates in stimulated cycles of IVF. Design Retrospective comparison of measurements and observations of 2,429 oocytes from 215 patients undergoing 324 stimulated IVF cycles. Setting A large hospital-based IVF program. Main Outcome Measures Individual follicles were measured by ultrasound before transvaginal aspiration and the size was recorded. The oocyte-cumulus-corona complex from each follicle was examined and classified. The oocytes were checked for evidence of fertilization 17 to 22hours after insemination. Results The fertilization rate of all oocytes regardless of morphological type revealed a positive linear correlation with increasing follicle diameter. The fertilization rates of type I oocytes was marginally higher than type II oocytes, controlling for follicle diameter; however, this difference did not achieve statistical significance. Oocytes from follicles with a mean diameter≥16mm had significantly higher fertilization rates than did oocytes from follicles with a mean diameter≤14mm. Conclusions Follicle size is a better predictor of fertilization than is morphological characterization of the oocyte-cumulus-corona complex in IVF.
A cautionary tale about a global problemAuthors Respond

Direct fundoscopy vs nonmydriatic ocular fundus photography—which is more reliable in untrained hands? I read with interest the editorial on the dying (or rather already dead) ophthalmoscopic skills of neurologists and the advent and superiority of nonmydriatic ocular fundus photography over direct fundoscopic examination. There is a saying that “the eye cannot see what the mind does not know,” and the 2 cases cited by Kattah and Halmagyi1 are examples of this rather than a failure …
Extending the limits of hemodilution on cardiopulmonary bypass using stroma-free hemoglobin solution

Ten swine were subjected to exchange transfusion to a hematocrit level of 5% with either stroma-free hemoglobin solution (SFHS) or 7% albumin solution. Myocardial performance, oxygen kinetics, and myocardial metabolism were subsequently examined using a perfused, in situ, right heart bypass, swine heart model with control of preload, afterload, and heart rate. Animals were tested during a control period (hematocrit = 30%) and following exchange transfusion with either solution to a hematocrit level of 5%. We found that myocardial performance following albumin solution exchange could not be sustained on right heart bypass, and these animals had a stroke volume of zero at a left ventricular end-diastolic pressure of 14 torr. SFHS animals had a significant drop in stroke volume at 14 torr following exchange (20 ± 3 versus 10 ± 4, p
The Emphasis on Social Enlightenment

An often-neglected sonnet may serve well to introduce our study of the emphasis that, relying on the strength of human thought and love, Shelley placed on social enlightenment. It is ‘Sonnet: To the Republic of Benevento’ — better known as ‘Political Greatness’, the title which Mary Shelley gave the sonnet when she first published it in 1824. The sonnet reads as follows: Nor happiness nor majesty nor fame Nor peace nor strength nor skill in arms or arts Shepherd those herds whom Tyranny makes tame; Verse echoes not one beating of their hearts, History is but the shadow of their shame — Art veils her glass, or from the pageant starts As to Oblivion their blind millions fleet, Staining that Heaven with obscene imagery Of their own likeness. — What are numbers knit By force or custom? Man who man would be, Must rule the empire of himself; in it Must be supreme, establishing his throne On vanquished will, — quelling the anarchy Of hopes and fears, — being himself alone. —
An affine approximation to the robust beamforming problem

The standard robust beamforming approach tries to optimize the worst case performance over a continuum of signal steering vector distortions with a bounded norm. This approach can be too conservative when the norm bound on distortions is large and if an estimated distortion vector is available. In this paper, we propose a new robust formulation, which approximates the robust solution by an affine mapping incorporating the side information of an estimated distortion vector (when available). Within this formulation, the conventional robust beamformer can be viewed as a constant approximation of the robust solution for the case when the side information of distortion vector is unavailable. We present two reformulations of the robust affine beamforming problem as a semi-definite program (SDP) that can be efficiently solved using the interior point methods. Once computed, the affine mapping can be used repeatedly to generate low-complexity robust approximations to the optimum beamforming solution whenever new information on distortion vector is available
Sanitizer efficacy in preventing cross-contamination during retail preparation of whole and fresh-cut cantaloupe

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of tap water (TW), commercial electrolyzed water (EW), and a commercial acid-based sanitizer (AS) in preventing cross-contamination of cantaloupe during processing in retail settings. A whole cantaloupe was dip-inoculated with a cocktail of Salmonella or L. monocytogenes to achieve approximately 5 log CFU/cm2. One inoculated and two non-inoculated whole cantaloupes were treated in 76 L of TW, EW (free chlorine: 50–60 ppm), or AS (pH 2.8, combination of lactic acid and phosphoric acid) for 5 min. Subsequently, fresh-cut cantaloupe flesh from the inoculated and non-inoculated cantaloupes were soaked together in 76 L of TW, EW, or AS for 90 s. EW treatment resulted in an approximately 1.5 log reduction in both Salmonella and L. monocytogenes on the rind of whole cantaloupe, which was significantly greater than with the TW treatment (0.5 log reduction) (P
Comparison of different functional imaging modalities including FDG PET/CT and DWI-MRI with respect to their value in TNM staging of cholangiocarcinoma.

1291 Objectives OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of FDG-PET/CT in TNM staging of cholangiocarcinoma(CCA). MRI and CT are considered superior to PET/CT in the initial detection and characterization of assessment for resectability of CCA. However PET/CT has many valuable advantages, which can make a clinical impact and are important to recognize. The relative advantages and disadvantages of different imaging modalities will be reviewed with a highlight on the values of functional versus anatomical imaging. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of CCA who underwent FDG-PET/CT as well as CT or MRI were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging studies within one month of PET/CT were compared. Visual and semiquantitative analysis were performed. Our findings were also compared with current literature findings. Results PET/CT can clinically impact staging and management by detecting distant unexpected metastasis and altering preoperative management resulting in upstaging in a significant percentage of cases(1,2). Another advantage of PET/CT is that it is more accurate in the diagnosis of recurrent CCA. Additionally semiquantitative analysis can differentiate benign from malignant stricture/thrombus. Disadvantages of PET/CT include the fact that its specific role in clinical use remains controversial. PET/CT is limited in evaluation of periductal infiltrating type CCA (3,4). Poor sensitivity for regional lymph node metastases with PET/CT has also been reported (4,5,2). Conclusions FDG-PET/CT is a complementary tool to conventional cross-sectional imaging modalities (US, CT and MR) and enhances the accuracy of TNM staging of CCA. FDG-PET/CT data can modify clinical management and is valuable for treatment planning. It9s specific role in the staging of CCA needs further research and elucidation. RESEARCH SUPPORT: 1. Ringe, K. I., & Wacker, F. (2015). Radiological diagnosis in cholangiocarcinoma: Application of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, 29(2), 253-265. 2. Albazaz R, Patel CN, Chowdhury FU, Scarsbrook AF. Clinical impact of FDG PET-CT on management decisions for patients with primary biliary tumours. Insights Imaging 2013;4:691e700. 3. Ayuso JR, Pages M, Darnell A. Imaging bile duct tumors: staging. Abdom Imaging 2013;38:1071e81. 4. Petrowsky H, Wildbrett P, Husarik DB, Hany TF, Tam S, Jochum W, et al. Impact of integrated positron emission tomography and computed tomography on staging and management of gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. J Hepatol 2006;45:43e50. 5. Vilgrain V. Staging cholangiocarcinoma by imaging studies. HPB Oxf 2008;10:106e9.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy among elderly patients with melanoma.

9088 Background: While SLN biopsy is considered standard of care for melanoma ≥1mm in depth, its use among the elderly population is more controversial. To examine this, we reviewed our experience ...
Feature reassembly in the acquisition of plural marking by Korean and Indonesian bilinguals: A bidirectional study

This bidirectional study investigated the L2 acquisition of plural marking in L2 Indonesian by native Korean speakers and in L2 Korean by native Indonesian speakers. Indonesian and Korean are classifier languages with partially overlapping restrictions on how pluralization interacts with quantification, allowing us to test the acquisition of new L2 features vs. the preemption of L1 features that are not in the L2. We also examined how the contextual complexity of new L2 features impacts development. Seventy learners at three L2 Korean proficiency levels and 40 native controls participated in Experiment 1; 61 learners at three L2 Indonesian proficiency levels and 39 native controls participated in Experiment 2. All participants completed three tasks – a Sentence Completion Task, a Grammaticality Judgment Task and a Multiple-Choice Task. Whereas learners were largely able to overcome the difficulty of preemption, they were less successful in acquiring new L2 feature contrasts in more complex conditioning environments.
Advantages of RNA-seq compared to RNA microarrays for transcriptome profiling of anterior cruciate ligament tears.

Microarrays and RNA-seq are at the forefront of high throughput transcriptome analyses. Since these methodologies are based on different principles there are concerns about the concordance of data between the two techniques. The concordance of RNA-seq and microarrays for genome-wide analysis of differential gene expression has not been rigorously assessed in clinically derived ligament tissues. To demonstrate the concordance between RNA-seq and microarrays and to assess potential benefits of RNA-seq over microarrays, we assessed differences in transcript expression in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tissues based on time-from-injury. ACL remnants were collected from patients with an ACL tear at the time of ACL reconstruction. RNA prepared from torn ACL remnants was subjected to Agilent microarrays (N = 24) and RNA-seq (N = 8). The correlation of biological replicates in RNA-seq and microarrays data was similar (0.98 vs. 0.97), demonstrating that each platform has high internal reproducibility. Correlations between the RNA-seq data and the individual microarrays were low, but correlations between the RNA-seq values and the geometric mean of the microarrays values were moderate. The cross-platform concordance for differentially expressed transcripts or enriched pathways was linearly correlated (r = 0.64). RNA-Seq was superior in detecting low abundance transcripts and differentiating biologically critical isoforms. Additional independent validation of transcript expression was undertaken using microfluidic PCR for selected genes. There was a higher correlation between the PCR data and the RNA-seq as well as the microarrays data. These findings demonstrate that RNA-seq has advantages over microarrays for transcriptome profiling of ligament tissues when available and affordable. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Approximations of e and π: an exploration

ABSTRACTFractional approximations of e and π are discovered by searching for repetitions or partial repetitions of digit strings in their expansions in different number bases. The discovery of such fractional approximations is suggested for students and teachers as an entry point into mathematics research.