cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-reactive antibodies binding to H4 hemagglutinin protect against a lethal H4N6 influenza virus challenge in the mouse model

Influenza viruses of the H4 subtype are widespread in wild birds, circulate in domestic poultry, readily infect mammals, and tolerate the insertion of a polybasic cleavage site. In addition, serological evidence suggests that humans working with poultry are exposed to these viruses. While H4 viruses are not of immediate pandemic concern, there is a lack of knowledge regarding their antigenicity. In order to study viruses of the H4 subtype, we generated and characterized a panel of antibodies that bind a wide variety of H4 hemagglutinins from avian and swine isolates of both the Eurasian and North American lineage. We further characterized these antibodies using novel recombinant H4N6 viruses that were found to be lethal in DBA/2J mice. Non-neutralizing antibodies, which had activity in an antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity reporter assay in vitro, protected mice against challenge in vivo, highlighting the importance of effector functions. Our data suggest a high degree of antigenic conservation of the H4 hemagglutinin.
All-In or checked-out? Disincentives and selection in income share agreements

Abstract Liquidity constraints can distort efficient investment across a variety of domains, for both firms and individuals. While debt financing is often used to address liquidity constraints, especially at the individual level, there has been a recent push towards Income Share Agreements (ISAs) – equity contracts in which individuals can raise money today by selling shares of their future income. Studying the impact of ISAs on future performance has proven difficult, given the lack of developed markets with sufficient data. Identifying a new ISA marketplace for tournament poker players, we assemble a unique panel data set that tracks performance for individuals who sometimes receive ISA funding and sometimes do not. Beyond providing objective outcome measures, this setting allows for a straightforward comparison of the same individual’s performance with and without an ISA contract. Because players seek ISA funding more often for more expensive tournaments, we include flexible individual by tournament entry fee fixed effects to effectively compare the same player to himself in a similar tournament. Consistent with a reduction in effort, we find that return on investment falls substantially when participating in an ISA. Additional tests reveal that about 20% of the performance decline can be explained by players selecting into ISAs for tournaments that, even conditional on entry fee, consist of more skilled opponents. The remaining performance decline we attribute to the diminished individual incentives inherent in ISAs.
Predicting Pathological Tumor Size in Prostate Cancer Based on Multiparametric Prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Preoperative Findings.

Purpose:Oncologic efficacy of focal therapies in prostate cancer depends heavily on accurate tumor size estimation. We aim to evaluate the agreement between radiologic tumor size and pathological t...
Repeat exposure to polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid induces TLR3 expression via JAK-STAT signaling and synergistically potentiates NFκB-RelA signaling in ARPE-19 cells.

Abstract Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), accounting for approximately 90% of AMD cases, is characterized by photoreceptor death, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction and, ultimately, geographic atrophy – the localized death of RPE leading to loss of the center of the visual field. The pathological etiology of AMD is multifactorial, but innate immune signaling and inflammation are involved in early stages of the disease. Although numerous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in innate immune genes are associated with dry AMD, no single gene appears to cause dry AMD. Here, we hypothesized that activation of TLR3 potentiates expression of TLR3 itself and the NFκB-p65 (RelA) subunit as part of pro-inflammatory RPE signaling. Furthermore, we hypothesized that TLR3 activation can ‘prime’ cells to future RelA stimulation, leading to enhanced, persistent RelA expression and signaling following a second TLR3 activation. We used the human RPE-derived cell line ARPE-19 as a model system for RPE signaling and measured NFκB expression and activity in response to TLR3 stimulation with its ligand, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (pI:C). Activation of TLR3 with pI:C led to increased TLR3 and RelA expression that was sustained for at least 24 h. Cells exposed for a second time to pI:C after an initial pI:C exposure displayed elevated RelA expression and RelA nuclear translocation above the level generated by individual primary or secondary exposures alone. Such an elevated response could also not be generated by a single application of higher concentrations of the agonist pI:C. Additionally, we determined the mechanism for TLR3 mediated TLR3 and RelA expression by using inhibitors of canonical TLR3-TBK1-IKKe and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. These data suggest that initial exposure of ARPE-19 cells to pI:C upregulates TLR3 and RelA signaling, leading to potentiated and persistent RelA signaling potentially generated by a positive feedback loop that may cause exacerbated inflammation in AMD. Furthermore, inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling may be a possible therapeutic treatment to prevent induction of TLR3 expression subsequent to pI:C exposure. Our results identify possible therapeutic targets to reduce the TLR3 positive feedback loop and subsequent overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in RPE cells.
Is the age of diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma getting younger? Analysis at a tertiary care center.

There are emerging data that patients 50 years showed no difference in tumor grade. Among the 179 eligible patients in the cancer registry, there was no significant difference in clinical or pathological stage for patients <50 years (P value = 0.18). There was no association between diagnosis age and survival (P = 0.24). A substantial subset of patients with EAC is diagnosed at <50 years. There was no increasing trend of EAC in younger cohorts from 1991 to 2018. We could not identify more advanced stage tumors in the younger cohort. There was no significant association between diagnosis age and survival.
Leishmania: A Maestro in Epigenetic Manipulation of Macrophage Inflammasomes

Epigenetic manipulation of host cells by intracellular pathogens has become increasingly evident. Lecoeur et al. show us how Leishmania amazonensis inhibits macrophage inflammasomes by modifying histone H3 activation marks on NF-κB-associated gene promoters that increase the expression of inhibitors and downmodulates activators of this pathway.
Black Lives Matter and the revitalization of collective visionary leadership

Herein, I share a conversation with Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, as context to detail the collective visionary leadership of the Black Lives Matter movement in...
Analysis of Cone Penetration Using the Material Point Method

This paper presents preliminary results from the numerical simulation of cone penetration in Tresca material. The simulations were performed using two variations of the generalized interpolation material point method (GIMP), uniform GIMP and contiguous particle GIMP. A moving-compressible structured irregular background grid with adaptive material point splitting was used for computational efficiency. The non-linear B-bar method was used for mitigating volumetric locking. The obtained results were compared with results published in the literature to illustrate the efficacy and accuracy of using the proposed numerical scheme.
A gentle tutorial on power simulations in suicide research: Worked examples in R

INTRODUCTION Power analysis is critical for both planning future research samples and evaluating the reasonability of answers produced by pre-existing and fixed samples. Unfortunately, the irregularity of suicide-related data and the need for increasingly complex models in suicide research can make traditional power formulas inaccurate or even unusable. Ignoring these common problems risks both over- and under-recruiting, as well as obscuring the true quality of the results (up and down) to future reviewers and readers. METHOD A better option is to use Monte Carlo power simulations. RESULTS These techniques produce answers that are equivalent to traditional power formulas when traditional assumptions are met, but produce more accurate results in the common case when those assumptions are violated. CONCLUSION What follows is a tutorial on how suicide researchers can conduct such simulations. It begins by building the reader's intuition for why simulations work, followed by two worked examples in R. Discussion also includes guidelines for conducting and reporting simulations, along with answers to frequently asked questions. Appendices provide code examples researchers can model and adapt to their own simulations as needed.
The Relationship Between Helicopter Parenting and Fear of Negative Evaluation in College Students

This study examines the relationship between self-reported levels of helicopter parenting, fear of negative evaluation (FNE), and autonomy in college students. In this study, 86 college students from 17 to 21 years of age completed surveys measuring helicopter parenting, FNE, and autonomy. After controlling for gender differences in FNE, increased levels of student-reported helicopter parenting predicted increased levels of FNE. The relationship between helicopter parenting and FNE was fully mediated by reduced feelings of autonomy. A key reason why helicopter parenting is associated with increased FNE is because students feel less able to make independent decisions. One way to support college students’ well-being may be to encourage and support student autonomy.
Capturing who participates and how: the stability of classroom observations using EQUIP

EQUIP is a free, customizable observation protocol for tracking patterns of student participation in STEM classrooms ( https://www.equip.ninja ). EQUIP generates data analytics that are disaggregated by student social markers (e.g., race, gender), which makes it a useful tool for tracking patterns of inequity in student participation. However, prior studies have not yet established how many observations are needed to create a representative picture of instruction. In this study, we use g-theory and simulations with Cramer’s V to analyze observations from 20 undergraduate mathematics instructors to determine how many classroom observations are needed, and how this differs by individual codes. We found that Gender could achieve stability in just a few observations, whereas codes such as Instructor Response, Instructor Solicitation Type, and Instructor Solicitation Method required nearly 20 observations. Thus, we recommend that users account for their specific context and needs with EQUIP when determining the ideal number of observations to conduct, using this research as a baseline. We also compare the g-study and simulations approaches, bringing up new methodological questions for the field.
Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients evaluated in the emergency department: A retrospective cohort study of 801 cases.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has extracted devastating tolls. Despite its pervasiveness, robust information on disease characteristics in the emergency department (ED) and how that information predicts clinical course remain limited. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of the first ED visit from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients in our health system, from February 21, 2020 to April 5, 2020. We reviewed each patient's ED visit(s) and included the first visit with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. We collected demographic, clinical, and treatment variables from electronic health records and structured manual chart review. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between patient characteristics and 2 primary outcomes: a critical outcome and hospitalization from index visit. Our critical outcome was defined as death or advanced respiratory support (high flow nasal cannula or greater) within 21 days. Results Of the first 1030 encounters, 801 met our inclusion criteria: 15% were over age 75 years, 47% were female, and 24% were non-Hispanic white. We found 161 (20%) had a critical outcome and 393 (49%) were hospitalized. Independent predictors of a critical outcome included a history of hypertension, abnormal chest x-ray, elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN), measured fever, and abnormal respiratory vital signs (respiratory rate, oxygen saturation). Independent predictors of hospitalization included abnormal pulmonary auscultation, elevated BUN, measured fever, and abnormal respiratory vital signs. Conclusions In this large, diverse study of ED patients with COVID-19, we have identified numerous clinical characteristics that have independent associations with critical illness and hospitalization.
Put Yourself in My Shoes

The telephone rang while he was ninning the vacuum cleaner. By this time he had worked his way through the apartment and was on the living room. He was using the brush attachment on the hose in order to get at cat hairs between the cushions. He could faintly hear the ringing. He stopped and listened, and then switched off the vacuum. He went to answer the telephone. "Hello," he said. "Myers here." "Myers, honey," she said. "How are you? What are you doing?" "Nothing," he said. "Hello, Paula." "There's an office party this afternoon," she said. "You're invited. Carl invited you." "I don't think I can come," Myers said. "Carl just this minute said get that old man of yours on the phone. Get him down here for a drink. Get him out of his ivory tower and back into the real world for a while. He's funny when he's drinking. Myers?" "I heard you," Myers said. Myers used to work for Carl. Carl always talked of going to Paris and writing a novel. He had been sorry to see Myers quit. But Carl said he would watch for his name on the best-seller list. "I can't come now," Myers said. "We found out some horrible news this morning," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "You remember Larry Gudinas. He was still here when you came to work. He helped out on science books for a while, and then they put him in the field, and then they canned him? We heard this morning he committed suicide. He shot himself in the mouth. Can you imagine? He lingered for three days, poor man. Think how his family must feel. Myers?" "I heard you," Myers said. He tried to remember Larry Gudinas and recalled a tall, stooped man with wire frame glasses, bright ties, and a receding hairline. He could imagine the jolt, the head snapping back as the bullet tore into the open mouth. "Jesus," he said. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that." "Come down to the office, honey, all right?" Paula said. "Everybody is just
Origins of heat and freshwater anomalies underlying regional decadal sea level trends

[1] Regional sea level changes often differ from global mean changes due to geographic variations in surface fluxes and to changes in ocean circulation. Here we study such regional sea level trends from 1993 to 2004 using a synthesis of observations and an ocean general circulation model. Unlike the global mean, steric changes dominate regional trends with negligible contributions from column-integrated mass variations. Regional heat and freshwater anomalies underlying steric changes are in turn distinguished between redistribution of pre-existing anomalies within the ocean and contributions from additional surface fluxes external to the ocean. Internal redistribution accounts for most regional trends but exceptions are found, most notably in the western tropical Pacific Ocean where a warming of external origin dominates the trend. On average, external thermosteric sea level trends are found to be positive in temperate regions while negative at higher latitudes with opposite trends found in halosteric anomalies of external origin.
Desaturation of oleyl phospholipid to linoleyl phospholipid in Torulopsis utilis.

Abstract An enzyme system from Torulopsis utilis consisting of microsomal pellet and supernatant (100,000 x g) catalyzes the conversion of either oleyl-CoA or oleyl phospholipid to linoleate. The desaturation of oleyl phospholipid has been demonstrated both with biosynthetic and chemically synthesized substrate. Incubation of Torulopsis particles with [3H]-oleyl-CoA in the absence of supernatant affords [3H]-oleyl phospholipid. This material is desaturated to linoleate either in situ after addition of supernatant or, after isolation, by the complete enzyme system. Fractionation of the biosynthetic [3H]oleyl lipid indicates that oleyl phosphatidylcholine is the most active of the various phospholipid fractions for desaturation. Synthetic 1,2-di[14C]oleyl phosphatidylcholine is converted to linoleate with high efficiency. Linoleate formation from either biosynthetic or chemically synthesized oleyl phospholipid requires both the particulate fraction and the supernatant from Torulopsis extracts.
Settlement Conference Judge - Legal Lion or Problem Solving Lamb: An Empirical Documentation of Judicial Settlement Conference Practices and Techniques

Settlements play an increased role in modern litigation. Judges employ a diverse range of methods in reaching a settlement and are motivated by a variety of factors. The survey addressed in this Article aims to track these methods and factors and convey this data to litigators and judges for whom settlement negotiations are an increasingly prevalent part of their practices.
Keeping College Women in STEM Fields

Policies have been implemented at all educational levels to increase access and persistence in science and engineering education for women (Rosser, 1995; Spielhagen, 2008). A popular policy approach has been single-sex programs to advance women’s networking capabilities, confidence and interest in science (Speilhagen, 2008). The purpose of this study is to identify how women who participated in a single-sex living and learning community (LLC) that focuses on women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors at a Research 1 University make their STEM career decisions and how the LLC affected that decision. Seven women who persisted in their chosen STEM field were interviewed via life history analysis methods. The results showed that these women shared similarities in their decisions to pursue STEM fields. The participation in a single-sex LLC had positive effects on women’s persistence. The results also showed that subtle discrimination still exists in the laboratory setting.
A meta-analysis of predictors of seizure freedom in the surgical management of focal cortical dysplasia.

Object Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is one of the most common causes of medically refractory epilepsy leading to surgery. However, seizure control outcomes reported in isolated surgical series are highly variable. As a result, it is not clear which variables are most crucial in predicting seizure freedom following surgery for FCD. The authors' aim was to determine the prognostic factors for seizure control in FCD by performing a meta-analysis of the published literature. Methods A MEDLINE search of the published literature yielded 37 studies that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven potential prognostic variables were determined from these studies and were dichotomized for analysis. For each variable, individual studies were weighted by inverse variance and combined to generate an odds ratio favoring seizure freedom. The methods complied with a standardized meta-analysis reporting protocol. Results Two thousand fourteen patients were included in the analysis. The overall rate of seizure freedom (...
Growth, Morphogenesis, and Virulence of Candida albicans after Oral Inoculation in the Germ-Free and Conventional Chick

Balish, Edward (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.), and A. W. Phillips. Growth, morphogenesis, and virulence of Candida albicans after oral inoculation in the germ-free and conventional chick. J. Bacteriol. 91: 1736–1743. 1966.—The effects of intestinal bacteria on the multiplication, morphogenesis, and infectivity of Candida albicans in the alimentary tract were investigated by comparing results obtained in germ-free and conventional chicks after oral inoculation. This challenge resulted in the establishment of large numbers of the pathogen in the alimentary tract of each group of chicks; these numbers were increased in crop contents from challenged bacteria-free chicks wherein hyphae predominated over the yeast form. These animals also had lesions of the crop epithelium containing numerous hyphae and few yeast-like forms. In contrast, challenged conventional chicks receiving an adequate diet displayed no evidence of infection. Their alimentary tract contained the yeast form of C. albicans ; no hyphae were seen. Although we found bacterial inhibition of C. albicans multiplication in the alimentary tract, this in itself did not seem to explain the resistance to intestinal candidiasis in our conventional chicks. We argued that this resistance to infection was due chiefly to the prevention of hyphal development in C. albicans by intestinal bacteria. C. albicans in the gut of our conventional chicks resulted in some increase in numbers of enterococci in contents from the crop. Increased p H values in contents from the gut of germ-free chicks were not clearly related to infection after challenge. The E h of the above crop contents were only slightly decreased in the germ-free crop. Thus the E h did not appear to be involved in susceptibility to infection. Invasion of the blood stream and kidneys of conventional chicks by the yeast form of C. albicans occurred in challenged animals receiving a purified diet which had been radiation-sterilized and stored for 6 months at room temperature (25 C). Their growth rate decreased and they became moribund; no hyphae were observed in tissues or intestine of these animals. Challenged bacteria-free chicks receiving the same diet were resistant to the above invasion, although they had crop lesions containing hyphae as described. The resistance of these chicks to systemic invasion was attributed to absence of intestinal bacteria competing for low levels of vitamins in the stored diet. Germ-free chicks had decreased levels of serum γ-globulin which increased after challenge, whereas this value was unchanged in conventional birds after challenge. Images
Imagen y posicionamiento de las marcas de automóviles en 2004 y 2009: diferencias de percepción en función de la experiencia en la conducción. Un análisis comparado entre estudiantes universitarios

El posicionamiento de marcas es considerado fundamental en la estrategia de comunicacion y marketing de cualquier organizacion (Kotler y Keller,2007; Joachismtaler y Aaker, 2005; Trout y Rivkin, 2001). Por otra parte, en Espana el sector de la automocion ocupa un lugar preeminente en la industria, tanto desde el punto de vista de su aporacion al PIB como desde el laboral. Por todo ello, en este trabajo se realiza un analisis comparado del posicionamiento de las marcas de automoviles por parte los estudiantes universitarios en 2004 y 2009, y la incidencia de la experiencia en la conduccion sobre dicho posicionamiento. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la estructuracion del mercado de automoviles en todos los casos en varios grupos competitivos en funcion fundamentalmente del precio. Ademas, se encontraron diferencias relevantes en el segmento de gama media en los dos periodos analizados, tanto en el caso de estudiantes con permiso de conduccion como en el caso de estudiantes sin tal autorizacion administrativa.
Analysis of models for two solution crystal growth problems

Two diffusive solution crystal growth models are considered which are characterized by two phases separated by an interface, a lack of convective mixing in either phase, and the presence of diffusion components differing widely in diffusivity. The first model describes precipitant-driven solution crystal growth and the second model describes a hanging drop evaporation problem. It is shown that for certain proteins sharp concentration gradients may develop in the drop during evaporation, while under the same conditions the concentrations of other proteins remain uniform.
Effects of Flow Gap Atop Pin Elements on the Heat Transfer From Pin Fin Arrays

This study investigates the effect of gap atop an inline array of cubic fins on the heat transfer from various participating surfaces in the channel housing the array. Five different gap sizes of C/H = 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0, as well as the baseline case without gap (C/H = 0.0) are examined and compared. The array consists of twelve rows of three columns. All tests use a unified Reynolds number at 16,000 based on the mean velocity in the channel and cube height. The heat transfer measurement uses a liquid crystal imaging technique combined with a one-dimensional, transient conduction mode) and a lumped heat-capacity model. The results reveal that the heat transfer from the surfaces uncovered by the cubic fins in the test channel generally decreases with the size of the clearance atop the array. However, such a decreasing trend is insignificant for cases with relatively smaller gaps, i.e. C/H = 0.25 and 0.5. Under these conditions, the heat transfer from the surface of cubic fin, in fact, is higher than that of the baseline case. The vortex enriched shear layer separated from the sharp edges around the cube top is considered to be responsible for this phenomenon.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
DNA-Binding Properties of the Fremyella diplosiphon RpbA Repressor

Mutant strain FdBM1 of the cyanobacterium Fremyella diplosiphon is characterized by elevated transcription of the cpcB1A1 gene set due to inactivation of rpbA by Tn5469. The predicted RpbA protein contains two regions resembling the characterized helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif involved in DNA recognition by many phage and bacterial transcription regulator proteins. It was therefore hypothesized that RpbA functions as a DNA-binding repressor involved in the control of transcription from cpcB1A1. A histidine-tagged form of RpbA, designated RpbA-His6, was examined for its ability to bind to the defined promoter region for cpcB1A1. Gel mobility shift assays showed that RpbA-His6 specifically binds to a DNA fragment containing the cpcB1A1 promoter and that significant binding can be achieved with equimolar amounts of RpbA-His6 and the cpcB1A1 promoter probe. DNase I footprint analysis localized the RpbA-His6 binding site to an asymmetric 21-bp region that overlaps the putative −10 promoter sequence. A mutational analysis suggested that binding by RpbA-His6 to its cognate DNA may involve both putative HTH motif-like regions. We conclude that RpbA functions as a transcriptional repressor for cpcB1A1 and suggest that binding by RpbA to its cognate DNA may represent an atypical protein-DNA interaction.
P to S converted wave observations at Long Valley Caldera

We report observations of P to S converted teleseismic body waves recorded with seismic stations located on the resurgent dome of Long Valley caldera. We observe strong conversions occurring at boundaries that could be the tops of small magma bodies at depths of 4–9 kilometers beneath the resurgent dome. This technique could prove to be an extremely powerful tool in the search for magma bodies for geothermal energy development. Our results from a two month deployment of triggered, digital teleseismic recorders are discussed.
The space of geodesics

Let M be a manifold with linear connection ▽. The space G(M) of all geodesics of M may be given a topological structure and may be realized as a quotient space of the reduced tangent bundle of M. The space G(M) is a T1 space iff the image of each geodesic is a closed subset of M. It is Hausdorff iff each tangentially convergent sequence of geodesics converges in the Hausdorff limit sense to the limit geodesic. If M has no conjugate points and G(M) is Hausdorff, then M is geodesically connected.
Transverse dimension effects in the dielectric wakefield accelerator

The wakefield anplitude and frequency of a Dielectric Wakefield Accelerator (DWA) is calculated taking into account the transverse dimensions of the wakefield cavity including the ratio of inner to outer radii of the dielectric liner S. The results indicate that the total wakefield an''plitude can have a significant contribution frori'' the first two transverse magnetic ntdes (TM01 and Th02) of the dielectric lined cavity for S . 7. AddItionally the wakefield amplitude of the fundamental node (Th01) decreases as the ratio of inner to outer radii S increases. The theoretical results are shown to be in good agreenent when predicting the wakefield frequencies with recent results of an experinental test of the PWA concept.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High Inductance Density Low-Profile Inductor Structure for Integrated Point-of-Load Converter

This paper presents a 3D integrated solution that uses a low-profile planar inductor as the substrate as one of the possible methods to integrate the magnetic component with the active component. In order to reduce the inductor size to achieve a more compact integrated converter, several low-profile inductor structures with different flux path patterns (vertical or lateral) based on low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology are studied and compared. Some lateral flux structures are proposed to increase the inductance density for a low-profile inductor design. A 1.5MHz, 5V to 1.2V, 3D integrated buck converter with LTCC inductor substrate is designed and fabricated and Compared with a vertical flux structure, the proposed lateral flux structure can help to save around 30% of the footprint. The full load (Io= 15A) efficiency of this 3D integrated buck converter is around 87%. The power density of this integrated converter is as high as 300W/in3.
Accountability and Responsibility in Research

Fraud and misconduct in scientific research appears to be increasing since 1980 when several cases were disclosed. Earlier instances were handled awkwardly, but the scientific community has since mobilized and issued guidelines about responding to allegations of misconduct and about the responsible conduct of research. Scientists, editors and the institutions of science are slowly learning how to cope with this problem.
Calculating screen coverage

When drawing a 3D object it is sometimes useful to find a rectangle on the screen that completely encloses the object. This can be used to minimize screen-update and z-buffer-clear regions. If the entire object is visible within the screen boundaries, this calculation is easy, you just find the minimum and maximum x and y screen coordinates. If the object extends outside the screen boundaries in one or more coordinates, the calculation is a little trickier. Simply extending the enclosing boundaries to the entire screen dimensions is overly conservative. The paper describes a way to determine a reasonable screen extent enclosing an object even if some points are off the screen or, even worse, behind the viewer's head. It is also a good exercise of your intuition about the homogeneous perspective transformation. Firstly the paper reviews the technique of clip culling.
An exploratory study on the roles of network structure and knowledge processing orientation in work unit knowledge management

Knowledge management (KM), which concerns itself with the creation, storage, access and dissemination of intellectual assets, has been a dominant research theme in recent years. However, given the fact that organizational units differ in the way they process their knowledge, there is a need to understand how informational benefits that a unit within the organization accrues by virtue of its relationships with others in the network impact its creativity and KM effectiveness. In this study, we explore the potential contribution of network characteristics to both the creativity and overall KM effectiveness of intra-organizational units. In attempting to reaffirm and extend previous study findings, we accomplish our initial research objective by relating network characteristics to innovative outcomes with a more complete set of network centrality measures. In addition, the study demonstrates that when there is a fit between network structure and knowledge processing orientation, the effectiveness of perceived KM in the units will improve. Our results suggest that fostering an organizational climate that is conducive to extensive interaction and communication between units is likely to make the units more innovative throughout the organization
Cell sheet patterning using photo-cleavable polymers

We have found that poly (4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and poly (methylmethacrylate) thin films can be etched with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. Furthermore, we also found that dermal fibroblasts could be cultured successfully on the P4VP polymer, with a doubling time comparable to tissue culture Petri dish standards. Consequently, we were able to grow tissue on P4VP substrates, this could easily be lifted using UVA radiation. The cell sheets that were removed were then re-plated at a lower density and a series of assays was performed at 3 and 6 days. Although only a small amount of damage was discernable at day 3 nearly complete recovery was observed at day 6. The technique was used to pattern areas within the tissue, where other types of cells could be inserted. To demonstrate the technique, a hybrid tissue layer was produced, in which the dermal fibroblasts in a circular area at the center of the sample were removed by exposure through a mask. A keratinocyte layer was inserted, which adhere to the fibroblast layer forming a tissue with integrated layers of two distinct cell types. This article describes a new polymer, which is photosensitive and can be used for cell culture. Consequently, the tissue cultured on this polymer can be etched through a mask using ultraviolet A to produce patterned regions with different types of cells.
Analysis of the supporting websites for the use of instructional games in K-12 settings

This paper identifies resources to be included in a website designed to facilitate the integration of instructional games in K-12 settings. Guidelines and supporting components are based on a survey of K-12 educators who are integrating games, an analysis of existing instructional game websites, and summaries of literature on the use of educational software in K-12 settings and teacher technology training. The results indicate that educators face three main challenges when integrating games, including: (1) curriculum integration, (2) technical and logistical requirements, and (3) teacher training. To overcome these challenges, K-12 educators should be provided with: (1) curriculum resources, (2) game technical information and support, and (3) communication tools. Websites designed to facilitate the use of instructional games should be designed with appropriate structures (ie, grid, web, hierarchy) to optimise organisation and simplicity. In addition, the websites should include teacher training that (1) apply a teacher training model, (2) address National Educational Technology Standards, (3) present contents in small doses, (4) make training and information as accessible as possible, and (5) model and mentor the use of instructional games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Quantifying Cervical-Spine Curvature Using Bézier Splines

Knowledge of the distributions of cervical-spine curvature is needed for computational studies of cervical-spine injury in motor-vehicle crashes. Many methods of specifying spinal curvature have been proposed, but they often involve qualitative assessment or a large number of parameters. The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative method of characterizing cervical-spine curvature using a small number of parameters. 180 sagittal X-rays of subjects seated in automotive posture with their necks in neutral, flexed, and extended postures were collected in the early 1970s. Subjects were selected to represent a range of statures and ages for each gender. X-rays were reanalyzed using advanced technology and statistical methods. Coordinates of the posterior margins of the vertebral bodies and dens were digitized. Bezier splines were fit through the coordinates of these points. The interior control points that define the spline curvature were parameterized as a vector angle and length. By defining the length as a function of the angle, cervical-spine curvature was defined with just two parameters: superior and inferior Bezier angles. A classification scheme was derived to sort each curvature by magnitude and type of curvature (lordosis versus S-shaped versus kyphosis; inferior or superior location). Cervical-spine curvature in an automotive seated posture varies with gender and age but not stature. Average values of superior and inferior Bezier angles for cervical spines in flexion, neutral, and extension automotive postures are presented for each gender and age group. Use of Bezier splines fit through posterior margins offers a quantitative method of characterizing cervical-spine curvature using two parameters: superior and inferior Bezier angles.
Women in transition: Being versus becoming or being and becoming

Women are at the center of all life transitions whether the transitions are within the family, such as maturation, or because of national modernization or a move to an urban center, or because of relocation to another nation. Ironically, women's roles in these transitions are ignored at best and misrepresented at worst. What we need is a raising of consciousness, an awareness of these women among us who are struggling with the being‐versus‐becoming dilemma of living in a new culture, and who would like to solve it by integrating being true to the values of their country of origin and becoming a valued citizen of the host country both for themselves and for their family.
p53, the Cellular Gatekeeper for Growth and Division

The author would like to thank Maureen Murphy, Stuart Lutzker, and Deborah Freedman for critical input and advice. The author regrets the lack of citations for many important observations mentioned in the text, but their omission is made necessary by restrictions in the preparation of review manuscripts. The author thanks T. Barney for her help with the manuscript.
Habitat utilization of blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus, in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

Short-duration (9.5–, 18-, and 28.5-day) deployments of pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) on blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus Lesson 1831, were used to evaluate the applicability of external electronic tags on small tunas. Ten tunas (71.1-86.4 cm FL) were tagged in the northern Gulf of Mexico in April 2012 after being caught on typical recreational fishing gear. PSATs recorded point measurements of temperature, pressure (depth), and light level every 90 s (n = 2 tags, deployment duration 9.5 days), 180 s (n = 4, duration 19 days), or 270 s (n = 4, duration 28.5 days). Nine fish survived for their respective full deployment periods; one fish died after only 5 h following release. Depths ranged from 0–217 m with a mean of 28 m (SD = 8.38 m) and temperatures ranged from 13.9–32.9 °C with a mean of 23.8 °C (SD = 1.3 °C) for all nine archived records. The nine blackfin spent 90 % of their time in depths from 0–57 m and 89 % of their time in temperatures from 21.9–26.6 °C. Over 87 % of the movements in the water column, either ascending or descending, were less than 12 m differences in depth between sequential short-duration data sampling. With appropriate concern regarding the matching of fish and PSAT sizes, these results suggest that external tags with fishery-independent reporting capabilities are an available option for smaller tuna species.
Is there hope for the uninsured

In an anecdote popular on the conference circuit, an American health policy analyst who has ascended to heaven asks God, "Will there ever be universal health insurance coverage in the United States?" "Perhaps," sighs God, "but not in my lifetime." This paper argues that this tale accurately describes the prospect of covering the uninsured in this country. Neither moral sentiments among a majority of U.S. political leaders, economic self-interest among those who would have to pay for universal health insurance, nor political pressure from the uninsured and likely-to-be-uninsured will provide a sufficiently strong imperative to move this country toward universal coverage soon, if ever.
Inverse spectral problem for the Schrödinger equation with periodic vector potential

For the Schrodinger operator with periodic magnetic (vector) and electric (scalar) potentials a new system of spectral invariants is found. These invariants are enough to prove the rigidity of isospectral deformations in the class of generic even and real analytic magnetic and electric potentials.
Role of MgATP and MgADP in the cross-bridge kinetics in chemically skinned rabbit psoas fibers. Study of a fast exponential process (C)

The role of the substrate (MgATP) and product (MgADP) molecules in cross-bridge kinetics is investigated by small amplitude length oscillations (peak to peak: 3 nm/cross-bridge) and by following amplitude change and phase shift in tension time courses. The range of discrete frequencies used for this investigation is 0.25–250 Hz, which corresponds to 0.6–600 ms in time domain. This report investigates the identity of the high frequency exponential advance (process C), which is equivalent to "phase 2" of step analysis. The experiments are performed in maximally activated (pCa 4.5–5.0) single fibers from chemically skinned rabbit psoas fibers at 20 degrees C and at the ionic strength 195 mM. The rate constant 2 pi c deduced from process (C) increases and saturates hyperbolically with an increase in MgATP concentration, whereas the same rate constant decreases monotonically with an increase in MgADP concentration. The effects of MgATP and MgADP are opposite in all respects we have studied. These observations are consistent with a cross-bridge scheme in which MgATP and MgADP are in rapid equilibria with rigorlike cross-bridges, and they compete for the substrate site on myosin heads. From our measurements, the association constants are found to be 1.4 mM-1 for MgATP and 2.8 mM-1 for MgADP. We further deduced that the composite second order rate constant of MgATP binding to cross-bridges and subsequent isomerization/dissociation reaction to be 0.57 x 10(6)M-1s-1.
KCNE Regulation of K+ Channel Trafficking – a Sisyphean Task?

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels shape the action potentials of excitable cells and regulate membrane potential and ion homeostasis in excitable and nonexcitable cells. With forty known members in the human genome and a variety of homomeric and heteromeric pore-forming alpha subunit interactions, post-translational modifications, cellular locations and expression patterns, the functional repertoire of the Kv alpha subunit family is monumental. This versatility is amplified by a host of interacting proteins, including the single membrane-spanning KCNE ancillary subunits. Here, examining both the secretory and the endocytic pathways, we review recent findings illustrating the surprising virtuosity of the KCNE proteins in orchestrating not just the function, but also the composition, diaspora and retrieval of channels formed by their Kv alpha subunit partners.
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Somatoform Disorders

This paper will address the following issues pertinent to understanding the expression of somatic symptoms in different cultures: (i) clinical approaches to interpreting patients' somatic complaints; (ii) linguistic variation in available terms and phrases used by lay people to describe somatic symptoms; and (iii) types of somatic complaints observed in patients. Cross-cultural patterns and variation in these three domains will be described on the basis of reports in the literature and data collected in the WHO International Study of Somatoform Disorders.
Effects of filtration, collimation, and target-receptor distance on artificial approximal enamel lesion detection with the use of RadioVisioGraphy

Abstract Radio VisioGraphy is an imaging modality that uses a charge-coupled device electronic sensor. Dental charge-coupled device imaging can be used to detect dental caries; however, it was not known what effect beam collimation, added filtration, or variable target-receptor distance has on this task. The purpose of this investigation was to study these effects and to compare RadioVisioGraphy images with E-speed radiographs. Human teeth with mechanically created proximal defects were imaged by conventional radiography and RadioVisioGraphy varying exposure time, target-receptor distance, collimation, and filtration. Printed RadioVisioGraphy images without enhancement and E-speed radiographs were evaluated by five viewers. The number of true-positives and false-positives were compared as were sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy, and entrance level radiation exposure. Added filtration reduced the false-positives regardless of collimation or target-receptor distance. True-positives and false-positives were greater at a target-receptor distance of 8 inch at exposures
Investigations of laser evaporation in ambient pressure helium with ultrafast hard X-ray pulses

High-spatial and -temporal resolution direct imaging of the plumes created in laser evaporation in ambient pressure helium was achieved for the first time with an ultrafast hard X-ray source. Picosecond and nanosecond laser pulses were used to evaporate a thin metal film in ∼1 atm of helium. The plumes, which contained atoms, ions, and possibly nanoparticles, were imaged with hard X-ray pulses emitted from a tungsten rod ultrafast hard X-ray apparatus. No evaporation was observed in the first nanosecond or so after irradiation with either picosecond or nanosecond ablation pulses. Approximately 10 jam thick plumes were clearly observed at ∼100 nanoseconds after laser irradiation. The corresponding slow speed of the plumes was attributed mainly to the high-pressure background gas. Attempts were made to identify the composition of these plumes with a dual laser pulse evaporation-ultrafast X-ray pulse imaging scheme.
Oxygen tension in a capillary-tissue system subject to periodic occlusion

Abstract A mathematical model and digital computer simulation of oxygen transport in skeletal muscle is developed to simulate conditions of periodic ischemia. The model uses the Krogh cylinder as a geometric basis for transcapillary exchange. Equations are developed which model the physical processes of convection and oxyhemoglobin dissociation in a “well stirred” capillary, and the coupled tissue processes of axial and radial diffusion, metabolic consumption, and lactic acid production. The effect of these processes on tissue oxygenation is demonstrated by solutions for steady state and transient conditions involving periodic occlusion of the capillaries. The significance of a local oxygen debt is demonstrated as a factor in recovery from ischemic conditions.