cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Simple Cooperative Platooning Controller for Connected Vehicles.

Urban traffic congestion is a chronic problem faced by many cities. It is essentially inefficient infrastructure use which results in increased vehicle fuel consumption and emissions. This in turn adds extra costs to commuters and businesses. Addressing this issue is therefore of paramount interest due to the perceived dual benefit. Many technologies were and are being developed. These include adaptive traffic signals, dedicated lanes, etc. This paper presents a simple platooning algorithm that maintains relatively small distances (pre-specified time gap) between consecutive vehicles to enhance mobility, increase transportation capacity and ultimately reduce travel costs. Several dynamic and kinematic constraints governing the motion of vehicles are also accounted for. These include acceleration, velocity, and distance constraints. This developed logic was tested on highways that traverse the downtown area of Los Angeles. Depending on the market penetration rate of connected automated vehicles versus non-connected automated vehicles, a reduction in travel time, delay and fuel consumed across the city can be observed. Vehicles are expected to reach their destination in less travel time, delay and consumed fuel. The reduction percentages range from 0 to 5 percent, 0 to 9.4 percent, and 2.58 to 8.17 percent, respectively.
Internet search patterns reveal firearm sales, policies, and deaths.

Firearm-related violence is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and is at the center of a major public health and policy debate in the United States. Despite the critical role of data in informing this debate, accurate and comprehensive data on firearm sales and ownership is not readily available. In this study, we evaluate the potential of using firearm-related internet search queries as a complementary, freely available, and near-real-time data source for tracking firearm sales and ownership that enables analysis at finer geographic and temporal scales. (Here, we examine data by state and by month to compare with other data sources, but search engine volume can be analyzed by city and by the week or by day). We validate search query volume against available data on background checks in all 50 US states, and find that they are highly correlated over time (Pearson’s r = 0.96, Spearman’s ρ = 0.94) and space (Pearson’s r = 0.78, Spearman’s ρ = 0.76). We find that stratifying this analysis by gun type (long-gun vs. handgun) increases this correlation dramatically, across both time and space. We also find a positive association between firearm-related search query volume and firearm-related mortality (Pearson’s r = 0.87, Spearman’s ρ = 0.90), and a negative association with the strength of state-level firearm control policies (Pearson’s r = −0.82, Spearman’s ρ = −0.83). Based on these findings, we propose a framework for prospective surveillance that incorporates firearm-related internet search volume as a useful complementary data source to inform the public health policy debate on this issue.
Static Suspension of the Paralyzed Face Utilizing the Midfacial Corridor: Anatomic Evaluation and Surgical Technique.

Introduction Fascia lata and tendon grafts are frequently utilized to support the paralyzed midface and to extend muscular reach in McLaughin style, orthodromic temporalis transfers. The grafts are frequently placed in a deep subcutaneous positioning that can lead to the development of a, bowstring deformity in the cheek. This paper describes insertion of tendon grafts into the midfacial corridor collectively formed by the buccal, submasseteric and superficial temporal spaces. Methods Over a seven-year period, all patients that underwent insertion of facia lata and tendon grafts in the midfacial corridor were included. Demographic information, perioperative variables and clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 22 patients were included with a mean age of 64.3 years (33–86). There were multiple etiologies for the facial weakness including acoustic neuroma (9.1%), Bell's palsy (13.6%), facial nerve schwannoma (9.1%), temporal bone fracture (4.6%) and malignancy (22.7%). Midfacial corridor grafts were utilized in combination with nerve transfers (V-VII and XII-VII) in nine patients, McLaughin style temporalis transfers in 12 and as a standalone procedure in one individual. During the study period, no patients exhibited a tethering, or concave deformity in the midface. Additionally, no impingement, difficulties with mastication, parotitis or hematoma were encountered. One patient developed a postoperative infection, that was successfully managed. Conclusion Placement of tendon or fascia grafts for static support or tunneling of an orthodromic temporalis transfer through the midfacial corridor can be performed rapidly while providing midfacial support and avoiding the creation of visible cutaneous deformities.
Skin Failure Among Critically Ill Patients Afflicted with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective: To characterize skin integrity among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), and identify risk factors for skin failure (SF) in these patie...
A model integration framework for linking SWAT and MODFLOW

Assessment of long-term anthropogenic impacts on agro-ecosystems requires comprehensive modelling capabilities to simulate water interactions between the surface and groundwater domains. To address this need, a modelling framework, called "SWATmf", was developed to link and integrate the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a widely used surface watershed model with the MODFLOW, a groundwater model. The SWATmf is designed to serve as a project manager, builder, and model performance evaluator, and to facilitate dynamic interactions between surface and groundwater domains at the watershed scale, thus providing a platform for simulating surface and groundwater interactions. Using datasets from the Fort Cobb Reservoir experimental watershed (located in Oklahoma, USA), the SWATmf to facilitate linkage and dynamic simulation of SWAT and MODFLOW models. Simulated streamflow and groundwater levels generally agreed with observations trends showing that the SWATmf can be used for simulating surface and groundwater interactions. A modelling framework integrating SWAT and MODFLOW models based on structure grids and a unified spatio-temporal frame.Implementation of model capabilities for simulating multiple surface watersheds contributing to single aquifer domain.Simulation of daily groundwater from irrigation needs and distributed percolation fluxes in the watershed.Assessment of linkages between groundwater levels and extracted volumes during the 2011 and 2012 dry period in Oklahoma.
U.S. Human Rights activism and plan Colombia

Las organizaciones no gubernamentales dicen que juegan un papel central en definir las politicas internacionales estadounidenses, en particular sobre el tema de derechos humanos. Aqui, examinare la influencia de los derechos humanos y grupos humanitarios en los debates sobre la politica internacional hacia Colombia, enfocandome en el diseno y las apropiaciones adicionales subsecuentes para el Plan Colombia, un paquete de asistencia multibillonario que comenzo en el ano 2000. Propongo que ONGs fueron capases de usar el legado del activismo por los derechos humanos del pasado que se concentraba en America Latina, pero que no logro una movilizacion popular alrededor de este tema. Examino los problemas estructurales que limitan ese tipo de movilizacion, asi como exploro la manera en que las ONGs si usaron las condiciones legislativas que se colocaron al paquete de asistencia para que la preocupacion sobre los derechos humanos se mantuviera como parte de los debates acerca de las politicas Estadounidenses. Este caso de estudio contribuira al registro historico sobre como las politicas se establecen y desarrollan, para ser parte de la literatura creciente que explora la manera en que reclamos de derechos humanos se transforman en politicas gubernamentales especificas.
CoXML: a cooperative XML query answering system

The heterogeneity nature of XML data creates the need for approximate query answering. In this paper, we present an XML system that cooperates with users to provide user-specific approximate query answering. The key features of the system include: 1) a query language that allows users to specify approximate conditions and relaxation controls; 2) a relaxation index structure, XTAH, that enables the system to provide user-desired relaxations as specified in the queries; and 3) a ranking model that incorporates both content and structure similarities in evaluating the relevancy of approximate answers. We evaluate our system with the INEX 05 test collections. The results reveal the expressiveness of the language, show XTAH's capability in providing user-desired relaxation control and demonstrate the effectiveness of the ranking model.
Choline ingestion does not modify physical or cognitive performance.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine whether choline ingestion improves physical and cognitive performance following exhaustive load carriage exercise. Methods: In a double-blind crossover study, 13 men (28 ± 2 years) underwent four test sessions: load carriage treadmill and no-load carriage test sessions after taking choline or placebo. Physical and cognitive performance batteries were administered at the end of the test sessions. Results: Choline ingestion (50 mglkg body weight) significantly (p < 0.05) increased plasma choline concentrations during the load and no-load carriage test sessions. However, plasma choline did not decrease during the placebo load carriage test session, an indication that load carriage does not deplete circulating choline. There were no differences in performance on physical tasks, and choline ingestion had no effect on reaction time, logical reasoning, vigilance, spatial memory, or working memory. Conclusion: In healthy men, supplemental choline did not affect physical or cognitive performance after exhaustive physical activity.
Fronteiras da avaliação: Estados Unidos

For someone from the United States, addressing the theme of the “frontiers of evaluation” is a pleasure. Frontiers are an important part of the American self-concept. We have always seen ourselves moving west, into new territory that is expected to bring freedom and prosperity. This paper will trace that moving frontier in research evaluation in the United States, starting with a little history, moving towards the present, and peeking into the future. It begins with the transition from program evaluations to accountability systems, then turns to the current effort to establish a Science of Science Policy that will provide the research base for future evaluation techniques. I will illustrate current practice with several examples: complex rating systems, logic models, economic estimations, and mapping, before describing a new dataset still in preparation. I will conclude with some observations about where U.S. research evaluation has been and is going.
The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society. Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel: review of the National Cancer Data Base, 1985-1995.

BACKGROUND Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) accounts for 2% of gastrointestinal (GI) tumors and 1% of GI cancer deaths. The objective of this study was to review the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to identify case-mix characteristics, patterns of treatment, and factors influencing survival of patients with SBA. METHODS NCDB data from patients diagnosed with primary SBA between 1985–1995 were analyzed. Chi-square statistics were used to compare differences between groups. Disease specific survival (DSS) was calculated using the life table method for patients diagnosed between 1985–1990; univariate differences in survival were compared using the Wilcoxon statistic, and multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox regression model. RESULTS There were 4995 SBA cases reported to the NCDB between 1985–1995, 55% of which occurred in the duodenum, 18% in the jejunum, 13% in the ileum, and 14% in nonspecified sites. The overall 5-year DSS was 30.5%, with a median survival of 19.7 months. By multivariate analysis, factors significantly correlated with DSS included patient age, tumor site, disease stage, and whether cancer-directed surgery was performed. CONCLUSIONS SBA is found most commonly in the duodenum, and patient DSS is reduced at this site compared with those patients with jejunal or ileal tumors. This reduction in survival was associated with a lower percentage of cancer-directed surgery. Patients age > 75 years had a reduced DSS and more duodenal tumors, and were less frequently treated by cancer-directed surgery than their younger counterparts. This study reflects the experience with SBA from a large cross-section of U.S. hospitals, allowing for the identification of prognostic factors and providing a reference with which results from single institutions may be compared. Cancer 1999;86:2693–706. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Capturing the Diversity in Lexical Diversity.

The range, variety, or diversity of words found in learners’ language use is believed to reflect the complexity of their vocabulary knowledge as well as the level of their language proficiency. Many indices of lexical diversity have been proposed, most of which involve statistical relationships between types and tokens, and which ultimately reflect the rate of word repetition. These indices have generally been validated in accordance with how well they overcome sample-size effects and/or how well they predict language knowledge or behavior, rather than in accordance with how well they actually measure the construct of lexical diversity. In this article, I review developments that have taken place in lexical diversity research, and also describe obstacles that have prevented it from advancing further. I compare these developments with parallel research on biodiversity in the field of ecology, and show what language researchers can learn from ecology regarding the modeling and measurement of diversity as a multidimensional construct of compositional complexity.
Combined convection and radiation heat transfer to thermally developing laminar droplet flow in concentric annuli

This paper presents numerical results for combined convection and radiation heat transfer to a laminar mist flow in the thermal entrance region of a concentric annulus with a heated core at constant wall temperature and an insulated outer wall. The saturated droplets in the mist flow are considered as equivalent heat sinks distributed in the superheated vapor stream. Numerical calculations are performed for the variations of droplet size, mean vapor velocity, and the local Nusselt number in the streamwise direction until the single-phase fully-developed condition is reached. The important role of the saturated droplets on combined convection and radiation heat transfer to mist flow is clearly demonstrated.
Comparing Apples with....Apples : how to make (more) sense of subjective rankings of constraints to business

The use of expert or qualitative surveys to rank countries business investment conditions is widespread. However, within the economic literature there are concerns about measurement error and endogeneity based on characteristics of the respondents, raising questions about how well the data reflect the underlying reality they are trying to measure. This paper examines these concerns using data from 79,000 firms in 105 countries. The findings show that first, qualitative rankings correlate well with quantitative measures of the business environment, using both quantitative measures from within the survey and from external sources. Second, there are systematic variations in perceptions based on firm characteristics - focusing in particular on size and growth performance. However, it is not that an optimistic view of the business environment is simply the expression of a firms own performance. Rather, firm size and performance affect the relative importance of certain constraints, particularly in areas such as finance, time with officials/inspectors, corruption, and access to reliable electricity. The results also show that much of the variation in subjective responses by firm types is largely due to differences in the objective conditions across firm types. There is little evidence that size and performance have non-linear effects in how constraining a given objective condition is reported to be. Overall, concerns about endogeneity remain in using business environment indicators to explain firm performance, but this stems primarily from the fact that who you are and how well you are doing can affect the conditions you face rather than whether the indicator used is qualitative or quantitative.
Time-Frequency-Distribution Analysis of Frequency Dispersive Targets

In the analysis of scattering targets, it is common to obtain time domain profiles by a Fourier transformation of the frequency response. In this process, wide-band frequency data are used to generate an approximation of the impulse response of the target via an inverse Fourier transform (IFT). The peaks in this impulse response then correspond to scattering centers of the target1.
Flexural Strength of Ice on Temperate Lakes

Large, simply supported beams of temperate lake ice generally yield significantly higher f1exural strengths than the same beams tested in the cantilever mode. Data support the view that a significant stress concentration may exist at the fixed corners of the cantilever beams. Maximum effects are experienced with beams of cold, brittle ice substantially free of structural imperfections; the stress concentration factor may exceed 2.0 in this kind of ice. In ice that has undergone extensive thermal degradation the stress concentration effect may be eliminated entirely. Simply supported beams generally test stronger when the top surface is placed in tension. This behavior is attributed to differences in ice type; the fine-grained, crack-free top layer of snow-ice usually reacting more strongly in tension than the coarse-grained bottom lake ice which is prone to cracking.
Elimination of IR Error in Measurements of Corrosion in Concrete

The deterioration of concrete bridge decks owing to the corrosion of imbedded steel has generated interest in developing techniques to measure the corrosion of steel in this high-resistivity environment. Several electrochemical polarization methods have been used successfully in the laboratory. This paper describes the use of current interruption to eliminate the IR that arises in measuring the potential of steel during polarization measurements. Polarization measurements were carried out using a small, portable computer system that controlled and monitored the potential of the steel and the applied current. Current was cycled on and off, with the potential measured during the off cycle and the current during the on cycle. The duty cycle was 2.2 s on and 0.4 s off, and sampling of the voltage occurred approximately 75 ms after the current was interrupted. Results indicated that 95% of the error is eliminated using this technique.
Thermal Chondroplasty of Chondromalacic Human Cartilage An Ex Vivo Comparison of Bipolar and Monopolar Radiofrequency Devices

We compared the effects of treatment with bipolar and monopolar radiofrequency energy on 30 osteochondral sections harvested from 22 patients with spontaneously occurring chondromalacia who were undergoing knee arthroplasty. Specimens with chondromalacia grades 2 or 3 were randomly assigned to one of two bipolar or one monopolar treatment groups. All samples were marked and mounted on a jig to allow simulation of an arthroscopic surgical procedure with a flow rate of 100 ml/min of a balanced electrolyte solution at 22 degrees C. Under arthroscopic visualization, the designated area was treated until smooth, and the total treatment time was recorded. There was no difference in patients' ages, chondromalacia grade, or cartilage thickness among groups. Significant chondrocyte death, as determined by cell viability staining with confocal laser microscopy, was observed with each group. The bipolar devices produced significantly greater depths of chondrocyte death (2228 +/- 1003 microm and 2810 +/- 517 microm) than did the monopolar device (737 +/- 391 microm). The bipolar devices caused cell death to subchondral bone significantly more often (13 of 20 specimens) than did the monopolar device (0 of 10 specimens). Caution should be used in treating fibrillated cartilage with radiofrequency energy, particularly with the bipolar devices tested.
Willpower versus "skillpower": Examining how self-efficacy works in treatment for marijuana dependence

Self-efficacy has repeatedly been demonstrated to be a robust predictor of outcomes in the treatment of marijuana use disorders. It is not clear, however, how increases in confidence in ability to refrain from use get translated into actual improvements in drug-related outcomes. Marlatt, among others, viewed the acquisition and use of coping skills as the key to behavior change, and self-efficacy as a cognitive state that enabled coping. But that model of behavior change has not been supported, and few studies have shown that the effects of self-efficacy are mediated by coping or by other processes. The current study combined three marijuana treatment trials comprising 901 patients to examine the relationships between self-efficacy, coping, and potential mediators, to determine if the effects of self-efficacy on outcomes could be explained. Results of multilevel models indicated that self-efficacy was a strong predictor of adaptive outcomes in all trials, even when no active treatment was provided. Tests of mediation showed that effects of self-efficacy on marijuana use and on marijuana-related problems were partially mediated by use of coping skills and by reductions in emotional distress, but that direct effects of self-efficacy remained largely unexplained. The results are seen as supportive of efforts to improve coping skills and reduce distress in marijuana treatment, but also suggest that additional research is required to discover what is actually occurring when substance use changes, and how self-efficacy enables those changes.
Samuel Zell, the Chicago Tribune, and the Emergence of the S ESOP: Understanding the Tax Advantages and Disadvantages of S ESOPs

Samuel Zell's acquisition of the Chicago Tribune Company (the Tribune) in December 2007 using a little-known type of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) made headlines. In a complicated transaction, which took nearly a year to complete, the Tribune converted from a subchapter C corporation to a subchapter S corporation, established an ESOP that purchased 100 percent of the company's equity, and sold Zell a call option giving him the right to purchase 40 percent of the company's equity. Press reports claim that Zell's novel structure enabled Zell to outbid other suitors. And financial commentators predict that many acquirers will employ that same structure as soon as acquisition activity picks up. Zell's Tribune transaction also caught the eye of legislators, including Congressman Charles Rangel, who introduced a bill that would increase the tax on indirect claims - such as the one owned by Zell - on the equity of an S corporation held by an ESOP (synthetic equity).Although ESOPs are more than 30 years old, until 1998, an S corporation could not sponsor an ESOP. Over the last ten years, so-called S ESOPs have grown rapidly, but largely outside of public view. The Tribune transaction has focused a bright light on S ESOPs and there are some who believe that their current tax treatment is too favorable. Yet, there has been little in-depth analysis of the tax treatment of S ESOPs. Accordingly, this paper attempts to fill that gap by presenting a systematic economic evaluation of the tax consequences of using an S ESOP. It seeks to describe both qualitatively and quantitatively the tax advantages and disadvantages of using an S ESOP (with or without synthetic equity) relative to alternative available structures. This paper also estimates by how much the S ESOP structure likely allowed Zell to increase his bid for the Tribune.
Dependence of Castration‐Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Stem Cells on CRPC‐Associated Fibroblasts

We previously established a role for cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in enhancing the self-renewal and differentiation potentials of putative prostate cancer stem cells (CSC). Our published work focused on androgen-dependent prostate cancer (ADPC) using the conditional Pten deletion mouse model. Employing the same model, we now describe the interaction of CAF and CSC in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). CAF isolated from ADPC (ADPCAF) and from CRPC (CRPCAF) were compared in terms of their ability to support organoid formation and tumor initiation by CSC from CRPC (CRPCSC) in vitro and in vivo. CRPCSC formed spheroids in vitro and well-differentiated glandular structures under the renal capsules of recipient mice in vivo more effectively in the presence of CRPCAF compared to ADPCAF. Furthermore, whereas CSC with CAF from ADPC formed mostly well-differentiated tumors in our previous study, we now show that CRPCSC, when combined with CRPCAF (but not ADPCAF), can form aggressive, poorly-differentiated tumors. The potential of CRPCAF to support organoid/tumor formation by CRPCSC remained greater even when compared to 10-fold more ADPCAF, suggesting that paracrine factors produced specifically by CRPCAF preferentially potentiate the stemness and tumorigenic properties of the corresponding CSC. This apparently unique property of CRPCAF was notable when the CAF and CSC were grafted in either intact or castrated recipient mice. In both environments, CRPCAF induced in the epithelial compartment higher proliferative activity compared to ADPCAF, indicated by a higher Ki67 index. Factors released by CRPCAF to regulate CRPCSC may be targeted to develop novel therapeutic approaches to manage advanced prostate cancer.
Information behavior: Groups with varying levels of interpersonal acquaintance

Abstract This study examined the information processing behavior of groups characterized by varying levels (or degrees) of cohesiveness. It was hypothesized that as the cohesiveness of groups increased, their language behavior would become more redundant, hence, relatively more efficient. Results indicate that redundancy increases with increasing cohesiveness so long as messages are consistent with the task environment where cohesiveness is developed.
Fine structure of normal spermatid differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster.

Spermiogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster has been divided into eleven developmental stages based upon the fine structure of differentiating organelles. Emphasis is placed on the relative state of development of all organelles in each stage. This information will facilitate the analysis of subtle alterations in spermatid differentiation produced by mutations in the genome or by any other experimental manipulation. New details of organelle development are reported including distinctive associations of cytoplasmic microtubules with both the endoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear envelope. The centriolar complex is postulated to be the main organizational center in spermatid differentiation.
Innovative treatments for adults with obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects one in five adult males and is associated with significant comorbidity, cognitive impairment, excessive daytime sleepiness, and reduced quality of life. For over 25 years, the primary treatment has been continuous positive airway pressure, which introduces a column of air that serves as a pneumatic splint for the upper airway, preventing the airway collapse that is the physiologic definition of this syndrome. However, issues with patient tolerance and unacceptable levels of treatment adherence motivated the exploration of other potential treatments. With greater understanding of the physiologic mechanisms associated with OSA, novel interventions have emerged in the last 5 years. The purpose of this article is to describe new treatments for OSA and associated complex sleep apnea. New approaches to complex sleep apnea have included adaptive servoventilation. There is increased literature on the contribution of behavioral interventions to improve adherence with continuous positive airway pressure that have proven quite effective. New non-surgical treatments include oral pressure devices, improved mandibular advancement devices, nasal expiratory positive airway pressure, and newer approaches to positional therapy. Recent innovations in surgical interventions have included laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, radiofrequency ablation, palatal implants, and electrical stimulation of the upper airway muscles. No drugs have been approved to treat OSA, but potential drug therapies have centered on increasing ventilatory drive, altering the arousal threshold, modifying loop gain (a dimensionless value quantifying the stability of the ventilatory control system), or preventing airway collapse by affecting the surface tension. An emerging approach is the application of cannabinoids to increase upper airway tone.
Enhancement of complement-mediated lysis of dithiothreitol-treated erythrocytes involves increased C9 insertion and polymerization

Abstract Treatment of human erythrocytes with dithiothreitol (DTT) increases the sensitivity of normal cells to complement (C)-mediated lysis. We have investigated the mechanism through which DTT increases cell susceptibility to complement by comparing the interactions of complement proteins with DTT-treated erythrocytes and with normal cells. In addition, we have studied the eflfect of DTT on the physical state of the erythrocyte membrane. Results indicated that the DTT primarily affects the interactions of the late components of complement with the cell membrane. In particular, the insertion efficiency of C9 and its ability to form tubular poly-C9 are enhanced on DTT-treated cells. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic analyses of the treated and untreated membranes showed essentially no correlation between bulk membrane fluidity and the DTT-induced change in lytic susceptibility, suggesting no gross disruption of the membrane lipid structure by DTT. In view of the fact that DTT-treated erythrocytes have been proposed as a possible model for the abnormally complement-sensitive erythrocytes from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) which are deficient in a 75,000 mol. wt membrane protein called decay accelerating factor (DAF), we explored the possibility that DAF might be affected by DTT. Studies with anti-DAF F ( ab' ) 2 antibodies indicated that DAF activity is protected from DTT-treatment. These results are reinforced by the observation that DTT-treatment of DAF-deficient Type III PNH-E also led to enhanced lysis of PNH-E, implying that DTT affects membrane structures other than DAF. Thus, we conclude: (1) that DTT increases the lytic susceptibility of human erythrocytes to late components of human complement by modifying membrane structures to facilitate C9 insertion and polymerization, and (2) that DTT-treated erythrocytes are not a suitable model for PNH erythrocytes.
INHIBITION OF LYMPHOMA HYBRIDS BY HUMAN INTERFERON

Abstract A set of stable mouse-human hybrids was constructed from the neoplastic lymphocytes from a patient with nodular lymphoma and from another with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Both patients had shown a clinical response to human leucocyte interferon. The same interferon preparation inhibited the growth rate of 14 out of 17 established hybrid cell lines. This system provides evidence of a direct growth inhibitory effect of interferon on neoplastic B lymphocyctes. Such a system could be used to predict the sensitivity of a patient's tumour before therapy.
An alternative intronic promoter of the Bombyx A3 cytoplasmic actin gene exhibits a high level of transcriptional activity in mammalian cells.

Previous observations have indicated that the Bombyx mori gene for A3 cytoplasmic actin and vertebrate actin genes might make use of similar mechanisms for regulation of gene expression. To examine the suggested similarities, we have analyzed the expression of a LacZ reporter plasmid construct containing the 5′ and 3′ regulatory regions and the first intron of the A3 actin gene in a variety of vertebrate cell lines. We found that this silkworm expression cassette could drive expression of foreign genes in both mammalian and avian cell lines. Detailed analysis, however, indicated that neither the CArG box nor any of the promoter elements previously identified in the A3 actin gene were required for expression in mammalian cells. On the other hand, the first intron contained an efficient promoter, exhibiting in mouse cells a transcriptional activity comparable to that of the SV40 early promoter. The first intron of the A3 gene was also found to contain enhancer-like DNA elements that could stimulate the heterologous SV40 early promoter in mammalian cells. Promoter activity of the first intron of the A3 actin gene has not been observed previously. Recently however, we described a rare A3 actin mRNA isoform in B. mori cells, which initiates within the first intron. We suggest that the identified intronic promoter may be active not only in vertebrate cells but also in silkworm, and that it regulates the synthesis of the alternative A3 actin mRNA isoform. The characteristics of the 5′ regulatory region of the A3 gene described here can also be exploited in the construction of bi-functional insect-mammalian expression vectors.
Functional RNAi screen targeting cytokine and growth factor receptors reveals oncorequisite role for interleukin-2 gamma receptor in JAK3-mutation-positive leukemia

To understand the role of cytokine and growth factor receptor-mediated signaling in leukemia pathogenesis, we designed a functional RNA interference (RNAi) screen targeting 188 cytokine and growth factor receptors that we found highly expressed in primary leukemia specimens. Using this screen, we identified interleukin-2 gamma receptor (IL2Rγ) as a critical growth determinant for a JAK3(A572V) mutation-positive acute myeloid leukemia cell line. We observed that knockdown of IL2Rγ abrogates phosphorylation of JAK3 and downstream signaling molecules, JAK1, STAT5, MAPK and pS6 ribosomal protein. Overexpression of IL2Rγ in murine cells increased the transforming potential of activating JAK3 mutations, whereas absence of IL2Rγ completely abrogated the clonogenic potential of JAK3(A572V), as well as the transforming potential of additional JAK3-activating mutations such as JAK3(M511I). In addition, mutation at the IL2Rγ interaction site in the FERM domain of JAK3 (Y100C) completely abrogated JAK3-mediated leukemic transformation. Mechanistically, we found IL2Rγ contributes to constitutive JAK3 mutant signaling by increasing JAK3 expression and phosphorylation. Conversely, we found that mutant, but not wild-type JAK3, increased the expression of IL2Rγ, indicating IL2Rγ and JAK3 contribute to constitutive JAK/STAT signaling through their reciprocal regulation. Overall, we demonstrate a novel role for IL2Rγ in potentiating oncogenesis in the setting of JAK3-mutation-positive leukemia. In addition, our study highlights an RNAi-based functional assay that can be used to facilitate the identification of non-kinase cytokine and growth factor receptor targets for inhibiting leukemic cell growth.
Nandrolone, a 19-nortestosterone, enhances insulin-independent glucose uptake in normal men.

The effect of exogenous androgens on glucose metabolism is controversial. This study was designed to clarify the impact of testosterone enanthate (TE), an aromatizable androgen, and nandrolone decanoate (ND), a nonaromatizable androgen, on glucose disposal. Eleven healthy men were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind cross-over study. All subjects completed two treatment cycles consisting of two weekly injections of placebo followed by six weekly injections of either TE (300 mg/week) or ND (300 mg/week). Treatment periods were separated by a 4-week washout. A tolbutamide-modified, frequently sampled, iv glucose tolerance test was used to assess insulin-dependent and insulin-independent glucose disposal. Data were analyzed using Bergman's minimal model. Parameters examined included acute insulin response to glucose, fasting insulin level, glucose disappearance constant, insulin sensitivity index, glucose effectiveness at basal insulin (SG), and glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI). Neither androg...
Monitoring and treatment of suicidal potential within the context of psychotherapy

Abstract A treatment approach is presented for monitoring suicidal potential in borderline and psychotic patients within the context of psychotherapy. The approach seeks to prevent, or at least to minimize, the gap in communication which almost always develops between thehapist and suicidal patient within the context of traditional psychotherapy and which contibutes to the sense of alienation characteristically associated with suicidal action. The approach recommends that the therapist, whenever in the slightest doubt concerning the patient's suicidal potential, make the issue of the patient's suicidal potential and/or preoccupation a principal explicit focus of the therapy; insist on a joint meeting with important family and professional figures to communicate suicidal potential; actively center the psychotherapy around explicit discussion of the patient's object relations and whether he believes his life situation has become irrevocably ungratifying; and discuss with the patient the ways in which his (pathological) convictions concerning his life situation are related to his actively considering suicide. In addition to its goal of fostering communication and object relatedness, the approach attempts to objectify the issues relevant to suicidal preoccupation and thereby to permit the patient to apperceive the relevant thoughts and feelings as comprising problems to be examined rather than as unquestioned parts of being. The exploration and objectification of the patient's depressive convictions about reality becomes the central focus for therapy until his reality testing has improved sufficiently in these areas so that he no longer feels helpless or hopeless. In order to facilitate consideration of the potentially suicidal patient's internalized assessment of his external reality, the authors formulate a conception of “reality conclusion” which relates the psychic state of the potentially suicidal person and his interpersonal and social situation. Three case examples are presented to illustrate types of clinical situations in which the monitoring approach can be useful. Advantages and limitations of the approach are discussed and certain precautions are emphasized as necessary in its application.
THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF STEROLS IN SOLANUM TUBEROSUM.

The incorporation of mevalonic acid-2-C 14 into the Katahdin variety of Solanum tuberosum was studied for an extended period of growth. The largest incorportion into the major sterols, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, occurred in 1 week. Incorporation into β-sitosterol started sooner and occurred to a greater degree than in the case of stigmasterol.
Husserl’s Concept of the ‘Transcendental Person’: Another Look at the Husserl–Heidegger Relationship

This paper offers a further look at Husserl’s late thought on the transcendental subject and the Husserl–Heidegger relationship. It attempts a reconstruction of how Husserl hoped to assert his own thoughts on subjectivity vis‐a‐vis Heidegger, while also pointing out where Husserl did not reach the new level that Heidegger attained. In his late manuscripts, Husserl employs the term ‘transcendental person’ to describe the transcendental ego in its fullest ‘concretion’. I maintain that although this concept is a consistent development of Husserl’s earlier analyses of constitution, Husserl was also defending himself against Heidegger, who criticized him for framing the subject in terms of transcendental ego rather than as Dasein. Husserl was convinced that he could successfully respond to Heidegger’s critique, but he did not grasp that Heidegger’s fundamental ontology was an immanent development, rather than a scathing criticism, of his own phenomenology.
2-Deoxy-D-glucose produces delayed hypophagia and conditioned taste aversion in rats

Abstract The glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) produces cellular glucoprivation and a brief (1–6 hr) hyperphagia that may be followed by a period of overcompensatory hypophagia in rats. The present study examined the dose-response effects of 2DG upon food intake at 1, 6, and 24 hr, and investigated whether taste aversions are formed for a substance consumed immediately prior to drug injection. Water-deprived rats drank a novel 0.2% saccharin solution and then received a single injection of either 2DG (250, 500, or 750 mg/kg, IP) or saline. Food intake was elevated equally by all 2 DG doses at 1 hr, but by 6 hr these elevations no longer were statistically significant. At 24 hr, intake was subnormal after 750 mg/kg but normal after the lower doses. Conditioned saccharin aversions, measured 4 and 5 days after drug injection using 2-bottle preference tests, were produced by all 2DG doses and were not dose-related. It is suggested that the depression of 24-hr food intake that occurs after high doses may not be caused by the same drug property that induces taste aversion.
After Regime Change: Authoritarian Legacies, Political Representation, and the Democratic Future of South America

This article focuses on the legacies of the authoritarian regimes of South America for the contemporary consolidation of democracy. In particular, it considers their lasting effects on the region's informal networks and formal institutions of political representation. It questions several assumptions made by the literature on regime transition and democratic consolidation in South America about political culture, institutional reform, and electoral realignment: taken together, these assumptions are misleading about how much and what kind of political change has occurred in Latin America as a result of authoritarian rule. To understand how the challenges of democratic consolidation have been shaped, the article proposes instead to examine how the economic policies and political strategies pursued by military regimes preserved, altered, or destroyed the clientelistic and corporatist networks of mediation between state and society prevailing at the onset of authoritarianism, as well as those constructed upon the representative base of programmatic political parties.
Sound propagation in impure granular columns.

We present a detailed simulational study of the vertical propagation of weak and strong impulses in deep gravitationally compacted granular columns [see R. S. Sinkovits and S. Sen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2686 (1995)]. The intergrain potential is assumed to be $V(\ensuremath{\delta})\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\delta}}^{n}$, $ng~2$, where $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is the overlap between the grains. Due to gravitational compaction, the magnitude of the overlap between the grains increases progressively with increasing depth. Therefore the sound velocity increases as an impulse travels vertically downward into a granular column. For weak impulses, our large scale simulational studies show that the sound velocity ${c}_{\mathrm{weak}}\ensuremath{\propto}{z}^{\frac{[1\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{(n\ensuremath{-}1)}]}{2}}$, where $z$ is the depth at which ${c}_{\mathrm{weak}}$ is measured. This result, which has been obtained from particle dynamical studies, is in perfect agreement with the predictions based upon elasticity theory. We then extend our analysis to show that (i) for columns with small void fractions, $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$, ${c}_{\mathrm{weak}}\ensuremath{\propto}(1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}){z}^{\frac{[1\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{(n\ensuremath{-}1)}]}{2}}$ and (ii) for large amplitude impulses, the velocity of the perturbation ${c}_{\mathrm{strong}}$ behaves very differently compared to ${c}_{\mathrm{weak}}$ at shallow depths with ${c}_{\mathrm{strong}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{c}_{\mathrm{weak}}$ as $z\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. We also present a detailed numerical study of the velocity power spectra of the individual grains as a function of depth $z$. We close with a discussion of the effects of both light and heavy impurities on the vertical sound and shock propagation.
Subjective frequency estimates for 2,938 monosyllabic words.

Subjective frequency estimates for large sample of monosyllabic English words were collected from 574 young adults (undergraduate students) and from a separate group of 1,590 adults of varying ages and educational backgrounds. Estimates from the latter group were collected via the internet. In addition, 90 healthy older adults provided estimates for a random sample of 480 of these words. All groups rated words with respect to the estimated frequency of encounters of each word on a 7-point scale, ranging from never encountered to encountered several times a day. The young and older groups also rated each word with respect to the frequency of encounters in different perceptual domains (e.g., reading, hearing, writing, or speaking). The results of regression analyses indicated that objective log frequency and meaningfulness accounted for most of the variance in subjective frequency estimates, whereas neighborhood size accounted for the least amount of variance in the ratings. The predictive power of log frequency and meaningfulness were dependent on the level of subjective frequency estimates. Meaningfulness was a better predictor of subjective frequency for uncommon words, whereas log frequency was a better predictor of subjective frequency for common words. Our discussion focuses on the utility of subjective frequency estimates compared with other estimates of familiarity. The raw subjective frequency data for all words are available at http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~dbalota/labpub.html.
AGGREGATES OF ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS ARE NOT OBSERVED UNDER ANTI-AGRIN STAINING SCHWANN CELL PROCESSES AT THE FROG NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION

The frog neuromuscular junction offers a unique structure in which to observe fine details in the relationship between the motor neuron, muscle, and Schwann cell, which together comprise the neuromuscular junction. Schwann cell processes that extended from the synapse stained positively with anti-agrin antibodies. Immunocytochemistry revealed strong anti-agrin staining of the extracellular matrix surrounding the entire Schwann cell and the Schwann cell processes come in close contact with the muscle fiber. Dual-labeling experiments revealed a lack of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregates on the surface of the muscle fiber directly under these anti-agrin–staining Schwann cell processes. The cDNA that codes for the C-terminal portion of agrin in frog (Rana pipiens) was cloned and sequenced. Polymerase chain reaction of frog brain, nerve, and muscle cDNA revealed that like other species, agrin transcripts that contain the B8, B11, or B19 inserts were observed only in brain tissue. Unlike other species, the exact site of the B inserts in frog was slightly altered, with the B insertion site occurring within a codon sequence. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that Schwann cells produce agrin which lacks inserts at the B region, and that agrin lacking B inserts does not direct the aggregation of AChRs in vivo under physiological conditions and concentrations. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 40: 45–54, 1999