cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
War and Systemic Capability Reconcentration

Historical-structural analyses of world politics tend to emphasize the theoretical significance of a handful of wars that over the past several hundred years have demarcated important changes in systemic structure. However, analysts do not fully agree on which wars have constituted the benchmarks of structural change and transition. Nor do they agree completely on the definitional criteria to be employed in identifying such wars. In addressing these questions, we review and discuss the similarities and differences found in five definitions of systemic war. We also respond to a recent critique of the definitional practice of stressing war consequences. Moreover, an empirical validation of the long cycle of global leadership perspective's choice of global wars is undertaken by assessing the impact of a slate of candidate wars on nearly 500 years of fluctuations in systemic capability concentration.
Entrepreneurial resilience during challenging times

Abstract How do business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs bounce back from uncertainty and start businesses under challenging circumstances? Until recently, little has been known about what drives entrepreneurial decisions during challenging times. Our new research shows that specific personal factors matter greatly for the pursuit of entrepreneurship, especially during periods of adversity. Based on survey data from more than 500 entrepreneurs in the United States and abroad to answer this question, we find that entrepreneurial self-efficacy—defined as a belief in one's ability to be an entrepreneur—and resilience are particularly important. In order to build self-efficacy and resilience, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs need to (1) engage in business development training to build their belief in their entrepreneurial ability (i.e., entrepreneurial self-efficacy); (2) seek out networking events, special lectures, and mentoring opportunities to learn by modeling others who have been resilient through challenging times; and (3) be active in their entrepreneurial pursuits, practice business acumen, and seek feedback from those who can be objective, critical, and encouraging.
PCV13: IMPACT ON QUALITY ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS OF ENOXAPARIN FOR PREVENTING THROMBOSIS AMONG HOSPITALIZED MEDICAL PATIENTS

OBJECTIVES: Prophylactic anticoagulants, such as low molecular weight heparin, to prevent thrombosis in hospitalized medical patients has been recommended in clinical guidelines, however the impact on quality adjusted life years (QALYs) is unclear. This pilot study evaluated enoxaparin for this indication among elderly (>age 59) hospitalized medical patients. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous injections of enoxaparin 30 mg or placebo daily. Patients who had medical indications for anticoagulation (e.g., myocardial infarction, history of thrombosis) were excluded. QALYs were measured for the period of 30 to 90 days post randomization, using the Health Utilities Index(HUI). At 30 and 90 days, 51 and 40 patients in the active group completed the HUI versus 49 and 36 patients in the placebo group, respectively. Surveys were received at both time points among 40 enoxaparin and 21 placebo patients. QALYs and changes in domain scores were analyzed over the time between the two surveys. Data were analyzed using t-tests. RESULTS: Significantly more QALYs were gained (p = .007)among enoxaparin treated patients. The mean QALY values were 0.005 ± 0.015 vs −0.008 ± 0.015. The change in the HUI, Mark III domain score for ambulation approached significance (p = 0.053. The mean values were 0.012 ± 0.098 for enoxaparin versus −0.027 ± 0.056 for placebo. A significant change in the HUI, Mark II domain score for mobility was found (p = 0.017, mean values 0.015 ± 0.064 versus −0.022 ± 0.050). CONCLUSION: Among medical patients prophylactic treatment with enoxaparin was associated with increased QALYs.
The Association of Certain Measures of Interior Egg Quality with Hatchability

Abstract IN THE hatching of offspring from a group of birds being used in a study on the inheritance of certain interior egg quality characters, it became evident that there was a marked difference in the numbers of chicks obtained from the different matings. These differences suggested that some association might exist between interior egg quality and hatchability. Increasing the hatchability of hens’ eggs is one of the most basic problems in the annual renewing of the laying stock. The importance of the saving that is possible can be realized when the value of 15 to 25 percent of the fertile eggs set in incubators, that do not hatch, is calculated. To what extent do variations in the contents of the egg, or the chemical or physical arrangement of the same, affect the hatching power of that egg? Most studies of this nature have been in connection with inadequate diets fed . . .
The dynamics of welfare gains and losses: An African case study

This article uses panel survey data for Cote d'Ivoire to investigate the determinants of welfare gains and losses of households over time. A first‐difference model is estimated which takes account of initial conditions. For urban areas, it was found that human capital is not only a key explanatory factor for levels of welfare, but also the most important endowment to explain welfare changes over time. In rural areas, physical capital, especially land and farm equipment, mattered most. Household size and composition and socioeconomic characteristics of the household also affected welfare changes. Policy implications are discussed.
A new customer requirement transformation solution for intelligent product design

House of Quality(HoQ) is an effective way to transform customer requirement into technical solution, aiming at helping RD 2) new customer requirement importance creation method; 3) absolute importance creation method; 4) optimization model for technical mix.
CORE LITERATURE OF THE TWO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIES

Summary.-A comparison is made OF the lirerature cited in common by a sample of sociologically oriented social psychology textbooks and that cited in common by a sample of psychologically oriented social psychology textbooks. Results suggest that, as reflected in these textbooks, sociological social psychology exhibits less agreement upon a core literature, with such literature tending to be older, more provincial, and limited to books. An analysis of five widely adopted psychologically oriented social psychology textbooks indicated that, while they referenced a total of 7,164 items, only 59 (0.8%) were cited in common by all five books (6). Because some social psychology textbooks have a sociological orientation, the present study included similarly the bibliographes of three such textbooks for analysis (9, 11, 12). All texts were selected to represent major examples of their respective orientations (widely-adopted, malnline in their orientations) rather than the total population of social psychology textbooks in print. While the three books referenced a total of 2,502 items, only nine (0.4%) were cited in common (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13). (Had five texts been analyzed, the percentage of references cited in common would presumably have been even lower.) Thus, sociological social psychology textbooks appear to agree even less upon a core body of literature. Other differences were also apparent. While the mean age of sociologically oriented items was 32 yr., that of psychologically oriented items was only 24.7. While all sociologically oriented core items were books, only 66. 2% of their psychological counterparts were in that form. And while only four items appeared on both lists (3, 5, 8, 13), these are all in the sociological tradition. This means that, whde psychologically oriented authors cited 44.4% of the sociological core literature, there was no reciprocation. Surprisingly, while their citations included all sociological core items, none of the psychologically oriented authors hold degrees in that discipline. On the other hand, the sociological authors excluded all psychological core items, although one-third hold degrees in psychology (as distinct from social psychology). It appears that, as reflected in the textbooks, sociological social psychology exhibits less agreement upon a core literature, with such literature tending to be older, more provincial, and limited to books.
TEST OF A HIGH-HEAT-LOAD DOUBLE-CRYSTAL DIAMOND MONOCHROMATOR AT THE ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE

We have tested the first diamond double-crystal monochromator at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The monochromator consisted of two synthetic type 1b (1 1 1) diamond plates in symmetric Bragg geometry. The single-crystal plates were 6 mm × 5 mm × 0.25 mm and 6 mm × 5 mm × 0.37 mm and showed a combination of mosaic spread/strain of the order of 2–4 arcsec over a central 1.4 mm-wide strip. The monochromator first crystal was indirectly cooled by edge contact with a water-cooled copper holder. We studied the performance of the monochromator under the high-power X-ray beam delivered by the APS undulator A. By changing the undulator gap, we varied the power incident on the first crystal and found no indication of thermal distortions or strains even at the highest incident power (200 W) and power density (108 W/mm2 in normal incidence). The calculated maximum power and power density absorbed by the first crystal were 14.5 W and 2.4 W/mm2, respectively. We also compared the maximum intensity delivered by this monochromator and by a silicon (1 1 1) cryogenically cooled monochromator. For energies in the range 6–10 keV, the flux through the diamond monochromator was about a factor of two less than through the silicon monochromator, in good agreement with calculations. We conclude that water-cooled diamond monochromators can handle the high-power beams from the undulator beamlines at the APS. As single-crystal diamond plates of larger size and better quality become available, the use of diamond monochromators will become a very attractive option.
Optimized reliability test design to reduce uncertainties in reliability assessment

Manufacturers are always asked to deliver products faster while satisfying customer expectations including reliability. Customers cannot wait until they receive their products to assess if the products are reliable. Capability of accurate reliability assessment should yield important information about the likelihood that the manufacturer will provide a reliable product, and therefore add valuable competitive advantage to manufacturer. In the electronics industry, accelerated life testing such as temperature cycling is often used to assess the reliability of products. Careful planning of test conditions such as test duration and sample size is essential, as they directly influence the reliability assessment. Although some industry standards provide guidelines in terms of reliability goals to achieve, uncertainties in reliability assessment associated with test duration and sample size is not clearly defined for most cases. This paper presents sample size and test duration recommendation for knowledge based certification to reduce uncertainties in reliability assessment regardless of stress conditions. Numerical simulations have been conducted in order to determine the appropriate sample size and test duration by generating random time-to-failures from a Weibull distribution. The probability of obtaining accurate reliability assessment is provided according to sample size. Censoring plan is also considered to determine the least test duration. Moreover, temperature cycling tests have been conducted with the minimum sample size identified from this study and various censoring points in order to compare the reliability characteristics. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the findings from numerical simulations.
The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean

by David Abulafia, London, Allen Lane/Penguin, 2011, 650 + pp., £14.99 (paperback), ISBN-10: 014102755X, ISBN-13: 978-0141027555 David Abulafia introduces his vast volume on ‘The Great Sea’ by payi...
A (log 2 3 + 1/2)-competitive algorithm for the counterfeit coin problem

Abstract Consider a set of coins where each coin is either of the heavy type or the light type. The problem is to identify the type of each coin with minimal number of weighings on a balanced scale. The case that only one coin, called a counterfeit, has a different weight from others, is a classic mathematical puzzle. Later works study the case of more than one counterfeit, but the number of counterfeits is always assumed known. Recently, Hu and Hwang gave an algorithm which does not depend on the knowledge of the number of counterfeits, and yet perform uniformly good whatever that number turns out to be in the sample considered. Such an algorithm is known as a competitive algorithm and the uniform guarantee is measured by its competitive constant. Their algorithm has competitive ratio 2log2 3. In this paper, we give a new competitive algorithm with competitive ratio log 2 3 + 1 2 .
Denaturation: An example of a catastrophe III. Phase diagrams for multistate transformations

Abstract A catastrophe-theoretic approach for modelling two-state transconformation reactions, developed previously by the authors, is generalized here to treat multistate transitions. The manner in which phase-type diagrams arise is shown. An application is made to the denaturation of lysozyme and the problem of viral assembly is discussed.
Isolation of protoplasts from loblolly pine needles and their flow-cytometric analysis for air pollution effects

Abstract Flow-cytometric analysis was used for the first time to determine the effects of air pollutants on plant biochemistry. The methods used were exploratory, but the results indicate that the technique is a valuable tool for researchers interested in the effects of air pollutants on vegetation. Evidence of carryover effects was seen in protoplasts isolated from new needles of 2-year-old loblolly pines ( Pinus taeda L.) which had been treated with ozone and simulated acidic rain the preceding year. Overall, staining of the protoplasts with constituent-specific fluorescent dyes showed decreased levels of fluorescence for esterase activity, protein, neutral lipids, and RNA in the ozone-treated samples compared with the charcoal-filtered or ambient samples. However, within pollutant treatments, low-level shifts in biochemistry were seen; for instance, simulated acidic rain at pH 5.0 ameliorated the effects of ozone on neutral lipids and RNA, and at pH 4.3 ameliorated the effects of ozone on protein. This research provides evidence at the biochemical level that pollutant treatments given in one year may be reflected in the succeeding year's growth. Image analysis of cross sections of fresh young pine needles supported the biochemical data.
Characterization of Mpl mutants using primary megakaryocyte-lineage cells from mpl-/-mice : a new system for Mpl structure-function studies

Mpl is the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor. The current molecular understanding of how Mpl activation stimulates proliferation of megakaryocyte-lineage cells is based largely on the engineered expression of Mpl in nonmegakaryocyte-lineage cell lines. However, the relevance of these findings to Mpl signaling in primary megakaryocyte-lineage cells remains largely unknown. Therefore, a system was developed to study Mpl function in primary mpl(-/-) megakaryocyte-lineage cells. Expressing avian retroviral receptors on the surfaces of mammalian cells overcomes their natural block to avian retroviral infection; 815 bp of human GPIIb regulatory sequence was used to generate transgenic mice with megakaryocyte-lineage expression of the subgroup A avian leukosis virus receptor, TVA. Avian retroviral infection of unfractionated bone marrow from these mice is restricted to megakaryocyte-lineage cells. The transgenic mice were crossed to an mpl(-/-) background generating GPIIb-tva+mpl(-/-) mice. By using avian retroviruses to express wild-type or mutant Mpl on the surfaces of primary megakaryocyte-lineage cells, it was demonstrated that (1) the 10 membrane-proximal, cytoplasmic amino acids of Mpl are required for TPO-induced proliferation; (2) Y582F mutation confers a proliferative advantage over wild-type Mpl and imparts a constitutive anti-apoptotic signal; (3) truncating the 50 C-terminal Mpl amino acids reduces but does not eliminate TPO-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, yet it does not alter the synergistic effect of stem cell factor on TPO-induced proliferation; and (4) TPO-induced proliferation of early, primary megakaryocyte-lineage cells does not require Stat-5 phosphorylation. The system reported provides an improved approach for Mpl structure-function studies, and the method can be applied to any hematopoietic lineage.
Variazioni e creatività nelle auto-traduzioni ungarettiane

« Pourquoi traduit-on alors, me demanderez-vous? Pourquoi est-ce que moi-meme je traduis? Simplement pour faire une œuvre originale de poesie. » Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970) e un poeta italiano di respiro internazionale, il quale vanta moltissime collaborazioni con riviste di tutto il mondo, nonche numerose traduzioni di svariati autori europei. Il mio saggio indaghera le modalita di traduzione utilizzate da Ungaretti, volte ad una totale reinterpretazione del testo originale e ad una riscrittura dello stesso come un’opera originale di poesia. Nel saggio verra altresi analizzato l’inedito ruolo di Ungaretti come scrittore, mediatore, nonche reclutatore di talenti per la rivista parigina Commerce , e verra analizzato un componimento in particolare, frutto di questa esperienza, intitolato “L’isola” ( L’ile ) e pubblicato per la prima volta in italiano con traduzione francese a fronte proprio su Commerce . Utilizzero questo testo come esempio per dimostrare come Ungaretti consideri la traduzione non come calco piu o meno fedele all’originale, bensi come una vera e propria riscrittura dell’opera di partenza. Questo testo assume particolare rilievo proprio perche un’auto-traduzione, e mette in evidenza il processo traduttivo ungarettiano.
Akt-activated Vascular Endothelial Cells Enhance Breast Cancer Stemness

Abstract Breast cancer is a major disease leading in both incidence and mortality in women. Although the mortality has been reduced by various therapy approaches, recurrence still occurs in many patients. Evidence indicates that tumor-initiating (cancer stem) cells may contribute to disease relapse, suggesting the importance of effective targeting of this cell population. Recently, it has been shown that the components of the tumor microenvironment, including tumor vascular endothelium, interact with cancer stem cells through intracellular signaling pathways. However, the exact mechanism underlying this interaction is not known. In this study, we intend to investigate how the Akt-activated vascular endothelial cells (E4ORF1) communicate with defined populations of breast tumor. Moreover, we are interested to find out if notch pathway is regulating this crosstalk. The cancer stem cells were enriched under serum-free conditions in 3D media to obtain mammospheres. To investigate how E4ORF1 maintains breast t...
Competition in a Network Industry: The Telephone Industry, 1894–1910

The re-emergence of AT&T as the dominant firm in the telephone industry resulted from its adopting a predatory response to entrants. AT&T's strategy was effective because government regulations and capital market imperfections provided the incumbent with a first-mover advantage that prevented challengers from entering simultaneously in all markets. A lthough turn-of-the-century Americans worried a lot about predatory behavior by large-scale businesses, most present-day scholars argue that it was both irrational and rare for large firms to engage in predation. Much of the current scholarship on the extent and rationality of predation can be traced to John McGee's seminal study of predatory pricing by Standard Oil. McGee focused on the Supreme Court case Standard Oil v. U.S. because the allegedly predatory practices detailed there played a large role in motivating subsequent legislation and court rulings.1 Based on his reading of the evidence, McGee concluded that Standard Oil did not drive rivals out of business by initiating price wars and that such predation would have been an irrational strategy for the firm to pursue. He pointed out that by merging with its rival instead of cutting prices, Standard Oil could earn higher profits. Because predation involved an unneeded sacrifice of profits, merger was the preferred strategy. Theoretically, therefore, it seemed unlikely that dominant firms would pursue aggressive pricing strategies.2 Despite the dominant influence it has attained, McGee's argument can be challenged on several grounds. First, antitrust laws may preclude
Minimizing File Download Time over Stochastic Channels in Peer-to-Peer Networks

The average download time of a file is an important performance metric for a user in a peer-to-peer network. We point out that the common approach of analyzing the average download time based on average service capacity is fundamentally flawed, and show that spatial heterogeneity and temporal correlation in the service capacity over different paths are the two major factors that have negative impact on the average file download time. We then propose a simple and distributed algorithm that can completely remove this negative impact of the two factors and yield the smallest possible average download time for each user in the network.
The ensemble‐transform scheme adapted for the generation of stochastic forecast perturbations

A method for generating stochastic perturbations is derived from the ensemble-transform analysis-error sampling scheme. The method produces stochastic perturbations that not only have multivariate spatial correlation, balance, and prescribed mean and variance statistics, but also conditioning for growth. The perturbations can serve as modification for numerical weather prediction (NWP) ensemble forecasts either during integration or post-processing. A practical demonstration of the method is given, in which operational global NWP ensemble forecasts are modified with the stochastic perturbations as a post-processing exercise. The results suggest that the method can produce stochastic perturbations whose spatially-integrated statistics match target mean and variance statistics reasonably well, if a moderate number of archived NWP forecast perturbations are provided as input. They also suggest that the stochastic perturbations' correlation, balance, and conditioning for growth are functional, in the sense that the perturbations are not predisposed to marked decay at the outset of integration by an NWP model. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society.
Heterogeneous treatment effects and mechanisms in information-based environmental policies: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment

Policymakers often rely on non-pecuniary, information-based programs to achieve social objectives. Using data from a water conservation information campaign implemented as a randomized controlled trial, we estimate heterogeneous household responses. Understanding such heterogeneity is important for improving the cost-effectiveness of non-pecuniary programs, extending them to other populations and probing the mechanisms through which the treatment effects arise. We find little evidence of heterogeneous responses to purely technical information or to traditional conservation messages that combine technical information and moral suasion. In contrast, norm-based messages that combine technical information, moral suasion and social comparisons exhibit strong heterogeneity: households that are wealthier, owner-occupied and use more water are more responsive. These subgroups tend to be least responsive to pecuniary incentives. We find no evidence that any subgroup increases their water use in response to the messages. By targeting the messages to subgroups known to be most responsive, program costs could be reduced by over 50% with only a 20% reduction in the treatment effect. Combining theory and data, we also shed light on the mechanisms through which the treatment effects arise, which has implications for program design and future research on the program's welfare effects.
Updates on the pathophysiology and management of acne rosacea.

AbstractThere are many options for the treatment of acne rosacea, including topical and systemic therapies, laser and light-based therapies, and surgical procedures. A classification system for rosacea identifies 4 subtypes (ie, erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous, and ocular), which may help guide therapeutic decision making. Until recently, the pathophysiology of acne rosacea has been poorly understood and limited to descriptions of factors that exacerbate or improve this disorder. Recent molecular studies suggest that an altered innate immune response is involved in the pathogenesis of the vascular and inflammatory disease seen in patients with rosacea. These findings may help explain the benefits of current treatments and suggest new therapeutic strategies helpful for alleviating this disease. The goals of therapy include reduction of papules, pustules, erythema, physical discomfort, and an improvement in quality of life. Standard topical treatment agents include metronidazole, azelaic...
Observations of atmosphere‐ocean coupling in the North Atlantic

SUMMARY An index of sea surface temperature (SST) variability, AT, is introduced that measures the difference in SST across the separated Gulf Stream in late winter. By analysing a long observational record of SST and sea-level pressure (SLP), it is shown that AT exhibits damped oscillations of decadal period, and covaries with the strength of a dipolar SLP anomaly reminiscent of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Analysis in the frequency domain shows a broad-band ‘peak’ at 10-20 years in AT, with a continuous decrease of power on longer time-scales. Similar spectral signatures are found in the northern part of the SLP dipole (the Greenland-Icelandic Low region) but not in its southern part (the subtropical High region), whose power increases on long time-scales. The observations are interpreted in the framework of a delayed-oscillator model in which the Ocean circulation introduces the delay, and modulates AT on decadal time-scales. The decrease of power seen on long time-scales (>25 years) in the AT index is captured by a model including wind-driven ocean circulation, and arises primarily as a passive response of the latter to the NAO forcing. Variability of the ocean’s meridional overturning circulation could also play a role in modulating AT on decadal time-scales. If a small feedback of AT on the NAO pattern is introduced, the simple model can also reproduce the spectral stmctures seen in the SLP anomaly in the Greenland-Iceland region.
Atomic force microscope probe based controlled pushing for nanotribological characterization

Using an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe as a nanomanipulator, micrometer- and nanometer-sized objects, especially particles, are pushed on substrates for characterizing the object-substrate friction parameters and behavior in various environments, e.g., air, liquid, and vacuum. Two possible nanotribological characterization methods are proposed in this paper: 1) sliding the micro/nano-object on the substrate while it is attached to an AFM probe and 2) nanorobotic pushing of the micro/nano-object with the sharp tip of an AFM probe. The modeling of these methods are realized and experiments are conducted for the latter method using a piezoresistive AFM probe as a one-dimensional force sensor and nanomanipulator. In the experiments, 500-nm radius gold-coated latex particles are pushed on a silicon substrate. Preliminary results show that different frictional behavior such as sliding, rolling, and rotation could be observed, and shear stresses and frictional behavior could be estimated using these techniques at the nanoscale.
Suppression on Your Own Terms: Internally Generated Displays of Craving Suppression Predict Rebound Effects

Research on emotion suppression has shown a rebound effect, in which expression of the targeted emotion increases following a suppression attempt. In prior investigations, participants have been explicitly instructed to suppress their responses, which has drawn the act of suppression into metaconsciousness. Yet emerging research emphasizes the importance of nonconscious approaches to emotion regulation. This study is the first in which a craving rebound effect was evaluated without simultaneously raising awareness about suppression. We aimed to link spontaneously occurring attempts to suppress cigarette craving to increased smoking motivation assessed immediately thereafter. Smokers (n = 66) received a robust cued smoking-craving manipulation while their facial responses were videotaped and coded using the Facial Action Coding System. Following smoking-cue exposure, participants completed a behavioral choice task previously found to index smoking motivation. Participants evincing suppression-related facia...
Single-walled carbon nanotube electromechanical switching behavior with shoulder slip

Several electromechanical devices, each consisting of a small bundle of single-walled carbon nanotubes suspended over an actuation electrode, have been fabricated and operated electrically. The nanotubes are assembled on the electrodes using dielectrophoresis, a potential high-rate nanomanufacturing process. A large decrease in the threshold voltage was seen after the first actuation. This is a result of the nanotubes sliding inward on their supports as they are pulled down toward the actuation electrode, leaving slack in the nanotube bundle for subsequent actuations. The electrical measurements agree well with an electromechanical model that uses a literature-reported value of the shear stress between the nanotubes and the SiO2 shoulders. Electrical measurements were performed in dry nitrogen as a large build-up of contamination was seen when the measurements were performed in lab air. We present measurements as well as a detailed mechanics model that support the interpretation of the data.
The Tumor Suppressor p53 Can Both Stimulate and Inhibit Ultraviolet Light–induced Apoptosis

We have previously shown that the tumor suppressor p53 can play a protective role against UV-induced apoptosis in human fibroblasts. In the present study, we investigated whether the protective function of p53 expression is established before or after UV irradiation. Using a stable human cell line expressing a murine temperature-sensitive p53 in which p53 function could be tightly and reversibly regulated, we found that functional p53 stimulated the induction of apoptosis when expressed for as little as 4-12 h after UV irradiation and that this induction was not dependent on de novo protein synthesis. In contrast, expression of p53 for 12 h or more before UV irradiation reduced the extent of apoptosis even when functional p53 expression was maintained after irradiation. The protection conferred by p53 required ongoing protein synthesis and correlated with enhanced recovery of mRNA synthesis. Together, these results suggest that p53 induces distinct proapoptotic and antiapoptotic signals and that these opposing activities can be separated both temporally and by their requirement for de novo protein synthesis. These findings may have important implications for the refinement of gene therapy approaches combining p53 with pharmacological agents that target transcription or translation.
Minimizing predictability while retaining balance through the use of less restrictive randomization procedures.

The interpretation of between-group comparisons is facilitated by the creation of treatment groups that are similar to each other in baseline composition. To prevent treatment effects from being confounded with time effects, most trials use restricted randomization to force balance. An unintended consequence of these restrictions is that they create patterns that allow for the prediction of future treatment allocations, and hence selection bias, especially in unmasked trials. In fact, the more restrictive the allocation procedure, the greater the potential for selection bias. It was decided, in the context of a recent clinical trial comparing two dosing schedules of paclitaxel and carboplatin for advanced stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer, that the randomized block procedure could not simultaneously protect sufficiently against both selection and chronological bias. In this paper we detail our development of the maximal procedure. The maximal procedure takes as input the extent of chronological bias allowed by the randomized block procedure, then matches it, but does so with fewer restrictions. This feature makes the maximal procedure more resistant to selection bias than the randomized block procedure is.
Fiber supplementation increased the risk for recurrent adenomas, and calcium supplementation did not prevent recurrence

Source Citation Bonithon-Kopp C, Kronborg O, Giacosa A, Rath U, Faivre J, for the European Cancer Prevention Organisation Study Group. Calcium and fibre supplementation in prevention of colorectal ...
a Technique for the Estimation of Indices of Refraction of Marine PHYTOPLANKTERS1

Measurements of light scattering and particle size distribution wcrc pcrformcd on a growing culture of the unicellular phytoplankter Isoch~ysis gnlbnnn. The culture rcprcscntcd a narrow, polydispcrsc distribution of nearly spherical particles. Assuming the culture to bc homogcncous in rcfractivc index, a tcchniquc was dcvclopcd that provided an cstimatc of the index of refraction of the culture for the wavclcngths 5,460 A and 5,780 A. The rclativc index of refraction (relative to that of seawater) of the culture varied with time From 1.026 to 1.036 over a l2-day sampling period and sccmcd to bc rclatcd to changes in the surface area : vohmle ratio of the cells. The indicts of refraction detcrmincd using green light (5,460 A) corresponded closely with those found using yellow (5,780 A), with slight fluctuations perhaps due to changes in ccl1 pigmentation ratios.
Angle-of-arrival assisted Radio Interferometry (ARI) target localization

In this work, we propose a new technique that makes use of Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) information in conjunction with local interferometry to improve target location estimation. We call this process Angle-of-arrival-assisted Radio Interferometry (ARI). It has a number of desirable attributes including the ability to reduce the synchronization, network, and hardware requirements when operating as the sole RADAR modality and its ability to augment existing pulsed and CW RADAR algorithms. The proposed approach is described and analyzed.
Ultrasonic and Mechanical Behavior of Green and Partially Sintered Alumina: Effects of Slurry Consolidation Chemistry

Green and partially sintered compacts of {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder were made by filtration of aqueous suspensions under three conditions: (i) electrostatic stabilization without any organic additive, (ii) strong flocculation near the isoelectric point without any organic additive, and (iii) weak flocculation by the use of maltodextrin or oxalic acid additives. The authors evaluated relationships between the macroscopic and interparticle mechanical behavior of these compacts using model correlations with measurements of diametral compression, ultrasonic velocity, and ultrasonic attenuation. Although type iii green specimens were less dense than type i, type iii exhibited significant increases in velocity, macroscopic Young`s modulus, interparticle-contact stiffness, and diametral compressive strength, suggesting that the mechanism of stiffening/strengthening entailed interparticle bridging of maltodextrin or oxalic acid. These properties were significantly reduced upon heating type iii specimens to 500 C, suggesting that pyrolysis of surface-adsorbed maltodextrin and oxalic acid may have reduced the interparticle stiffness and strength. In contrast, negligible changes in these properties occurred upon heating type i specimens to the same temperature. Despite small increases in packing density, significant decreases in attenuation and significant increases in velocity, interparticle-contact stiffness, and Young`s modulus occurred upon heating all specimens to {ge}700 C, suggesting the formation of interparticle necksmore » by solid-state sintering.« less
Eliminating the daily life risks standard from the definition of minimal risk

The phrase "minimal risk," as defined in the United States' federal research regulations, is ambiguous and poorly defined. This article argues that most of the ambiguity that one finds in the phrase stems from the "daily life risks" standard in the definition of minimal risk. In this article, the author argues that the daily life risks standard should be dropped and that "minimal risk" should be defined as simply "the probability and magnitude of the harm or discomfort anticipated in research are not greater than those encountered during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests".
Population Estimation and Monitoring of an Endangered Lagomorph

We conducted the most intensive estimate of the endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) metapopulation to date using pellet surveys and capture-recapture methodology. We livetrapped 83 rabbits, evaluated 5 closed population models, and selected the model that best represented the data. We considered the variation in behavioral response model the best model and correlated (r 2 ¼ 0.913) its patch population estimates to patch pellet densities. From the prediction equation, we generated a range-wide metapopulation estimate of 317 rabbits, a western clade population of 257 rabbits, an eastern clade population of 25 rabbits, and translocated marsh rabbit populations of 35 and zero on Little Pine and Water keys, respectively. A subset of patches whose marsh rabbit subpopulations were last estimated in 1993 exhibited a 46% decline in abundance over 15 yr. Due to the low estimate of the eastern clade population, special effort should be initiated to avoid loss of genetic diversity. The prediction equation suffers from limited data at high pellet densities, patches with � 5 pellets/m 2 . Future studies should investigate if the slope of the regression is indeed near 1 by sampling patches across the range of pellet densities, especially those with � 5 pellets/m 2 . The equation provides managers a quick, efficient, and noninvasive method to estimate marsh rabbit abundance from pellet counts but the confidence of predicted rabbit densities from high pellet density patches is low. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Elevated Rocky Mountain elk numbers prevent positive effects of fire on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) recruitment

Abstract Quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) is the most widespread tree species in North America and has supported a unique ecosystem for tens of thousands of years, yet is currently threatened by dramatic loss and possible local extinctions. While multiple factors such as climate change and fire suppression are thought to contribute to aspen’s decline, increased browsing by elk ( Cervus elaphus ), which have experienced dramatic population increases in the last ∼80 years, may severely inhibit aspen growth and regeneration. Fires are known to favor aspen recovery, but in the last several decades the spatial scale and intensity of wildfires has greatly increased, with poorly understood ramifications for aspen growth. Here, focusing on the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in central New Mexico – one of the earliest fires described as a “mega-fire” - we use three methods to examine the impact of elk browsing on aspen regeneration after a mega-fire. First, we use an exclosure experiment to show that aspen growing in the absence of elk were 3× taller than trees growing in the presence of elk. Further, aspen that were both protected from elk and experienced burning were 8.5× taller than unburned trees growing in the presence of elk, suggesting that the combination of release from herbivores and stimulation from fire creates the largest aspen growth rates. Second, using surveys at the landscape level, we found a correlation between elk browsing intensity and aspen height, such that where elk browsing was highest, aspen were shortest. This relationship between elk browsing intensity and aspen height was stronger in burned ( r = −0.53) compared to unburned ( r = −0.24) areas. Third, in conjunction with the landscape-level surveys, we identified possible natural refugia, microsites containing downed logs, shrubs etc. that may inhibit elk browsing by physically blocking aspen from elk or by impeding elk’s ability to move through the forest patch. We did not find any consistent patterns between refuge elements and aspen size or canopy cover suggesting that natural refugia are not aiding in aspen recruitment and that all young aspen were susceptible to browsing. In much of their normal range, aspen are not growing to large size classes, which threatens the future of this iconic species and calls into question the ability of ecosystems to recover from mega-fires. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple interacting factors (i.e. fire and increased elk browsing) when considering aspen management and regeneration.
Volumenerhaltende elastische Registrierung

Die Subtraktion von dreidimensionalen medizinischen Bilddaten vor und nach Kontrastmittelgabe ist ein wertvolles Werkzeug zur Visualisierung von Gefasen und Lasionen. Bewegungen des Patienten zwischen beiden Akquisitionen verursachen Artefakte, die sich mit elastischen Registrierungsverfahren korrigieren lassen. Insbesondere solche Algorithmen, die intensitatsbasierte Bildahnlichkeitsmase verwenden, fuhren dabei haufig zu einem scheinbaren Volumenverlust der kontrastanreichernden Strukturen. Dieser Effekt schrankt die Verwendbarkeit der berechneten Koordinatentransformationen stark ein. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht anhand klinischer Bilddaten (kontrastmittelgestutzte MR-Mammographien von 17 Patientinnen) die Fahigkeit eines neuartigen volumenerhaltenden Regularisierungsterms, den Volumenverlust zu minimieren, ohne die Artefaktreduktion zu behindern.
Epidermal growth factor secreted from the salivary gland is necessary for liver regeneration

Partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats induces a synchronized burst of DNA replication in the remnant liver that peaks at 24 h post-PH. We report here that removal of the major salivary glands before one-third and two-thirds PH prevents the proliferative response in the remaining liver. Twelve days after one-third PH, the remnant liver is 89% of the normal liver weight in nonsalivectomized rats but only 55% in salivectomized animals. This indicates that salivectomy does not merely delay the first round of cell division but that it prevents actual regeneration. Salivectomy alters the early protooncogene response to partial hepatectomy. In salivectomized rats, the characteristic peak of c-myc mRNA synthesis at 2-4 h after PH is significantly decreased compared with nonsalivectomized rats. The peak of DNA synthesis at 24 h after PH in salivectomized rats is also dramatically decreased. DNA synthesis as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of hepatic cells is decreased approximately 90% in salivectomized rats vs. nonsalivectomized rats 22-26 h after PH. Ligation of the venous drainage of the salivary gland results in the same inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis, indicating 1) that the salivary gland must release circulating factor(s), and 2) that the early increase in c-myc expression and the subsequent DNA synthesis, both of which reflect the stimulation of cellular proliferation in the regenerating liver, are induced by humoral factor(s) released from the salivary glands. Injection of exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF) in salivectomized rats results in restoration of both the DNA synthetic and c-myc responses at levels characteristic of those of liver regeneration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Examining the exobase approximation: DSMC models of Titan's upper atmosphere

Abstract Chamberlain ([1963] Planet. Space Sci., 11, 901–960) described the use of the exobase layer to determine escape from planetary atmospheres, below which it is assumed that molecular collisions maintain thermal equilibrium and above which collisions are deemed negligible. De La Haye et al. ([2007] Icarus., 191, 236–250) used this approximation to extract the energy deposition and non-thermal escape rates for Titan's atmosphere by fitting the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) density data. De La Haye et al. assumed the gas distributions were composed of an enhanced population of super-thermal molecules ( E >> kT ) that could be described by a kappa energy distribution function (EDF), and they fit the data using the Liouville theorem. Here we fitted the data again, but we used the conventional form of the kappa EDF. The extracted kappa EDFs were then used with the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) technique (Bird [1994] Molecular Gas Dynamics and the Direct Simulation of Gas Flows) to evaluate the effect of collisions on the exospheric profiles. The INMS density data can be fit reasonably well with thermal and various non-thermal EDFs. However, the extracted energy deposition and escape rates are shown to depend significantly on the assumed exobase altitude, and the usefulness of such fits without directly modeling the collisions is unclear. Our DSMC results indicate that the kappa EDFs used in the Chamberlain approximation can lead to errors in determining the atmospheric temperature profiles and escape rates. Gas kinetic simulations are needed to accurately model measured exospheric density profiles, and to determine the altitude ranges where the Liouville method might be applicable.
Effect of the red imported fire ant (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) on a small plant-decomposing arthropod community

Rotting fruit exposed to the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, was consumed by the ants, which successfully prevented colonization by other decomposer arthropods. When fire ants were excluded, the fruit was colonized by large numbers of several species of Diptera (Drosophilidae and Tephritidae) and Coleoptera (Nitidulidae and Staphylinidae), as well as small numbers of parasitic Hymenoptera and other arthropods. When rotting fruit was colonized by these decomposer arthropods and then exposed to Solenopsis invicta , the remaining fruit and the fruit colonizers were consumed by the ants. The data demonstrate that fire ants rapidly locate and recruit to rotting fruit where they consume other decomposer arthropods, exclude invasion by other decomposer arthropods, and use the decomposing resource themselves.
On the preferred form of the double object construction

Two groups of 15 adults participated in two preference rating tasks for written sentence forms. Pairs of sentences were presented to the subjects which differed only in the grammatical form used to express the double object construction (one which has both a direct and an indirect object). Several hypotheses were formulated regarding the nature of subjects' preferences for various combinations of grammatical form and pronominalization. Results indicated that adults show clear preferences for one grammatical form in most instances and that rules can be formulated for these preferences. The relevance of these results for the examination of current language assessment tests and the development of language training programs is discussed.