cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Folsom–Midland component of the Gault site, central Texas: Context, technology, and typology

This study reports the contexts and manufacture technology of Folsom–Midland diagnostic artifacts at the Gault site, followed by a broader discussion of typological issues. Gault is a lithic procurement and habitation site along Buttermilk Creek in central Texas. In terms of context, Folsom–Midland materials are more common south of Buttermilk Creek, but their context is generally more secure to the north. Folsom and Midland technology from Gault gives insight into deviations in Folsom preform production sequences, as well as differing production techniques for Midland points. Some of these variations may be related to the flintknapping learning process. Proportions of Folsom and Midland points and preforms suggest Hofman's (1992) approach to Folsom and Midland technology is accurate for this location. Finally, Gault shows that Folsom and Midland are not always typologically distinct, with various technological hybrids being present at this site and elsewhere.
Electron-LO-phonon scattering rates in semiconductor quantum wells.

We calculate scattering rates for an electron interacting with polar optical phonons in a semiconductor quantum well based on a microscopic lattice-dynamics approach for the phonons. We employ an analytic approximation to lattice-dynamics results given by Huang and Zhu for quantum-well phonons. The resulting electron relaxation rates are compared with the rates obtained by employing ``slab'' and ``guided'' phonon modes which were used in previous studies. The intrasubband and intersubband electron relaxation rates are given as functions of quantum-well width, and the relative contributions of the confined and the interface modes are discussed for the three different phonon models.
A mathematical programming procedure for equipment selection and system evaluation in programmable assembly

A math programming model is formulated for selecting assembly stations and assigning operations to these stations so as to satisfy a production volume requirement at minimum system cost. A branch-and-bound algorithm, coupled with a subgradient optimization procedure, is proposed. The model and algorithm are demonstrated by example on a system design problem for assembling automobile alternators. The model is applicable to many kinds of manufacturing systems.
The GPU Enhanced Parallel Computing for Large Scale Data Clustering

Analyzing and clustering large scale data set is a complex problem. One explored method of solving this problem borrows from nature, imitating the flocking behavior of birds. One limitation of this method of data clustering is its complexity $O(n^2)$. As the number of data and feature dimensions grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to generate results in a reasonable amount of time. In the last few years, the graphics processing unit (GPU) has received attention for its ability to solve highly-parallel and semi-parallel problems much faster than the traditional sequential processor. In this chapter, we have conducted research to exploit this architecture and apply its strengths to the flocking based data clustering problem. Using the CUDA platform from NVIDIA, we developed a Multiple Species Data Flocking implementation to be run on the NVIDIA GPU. Performance gains ranged from $30$ to $60$ times improvement of the GPU over the CPU implementation.
Decentralized connectivity and user localization via wireless robotic networks

In this paper we investigate a problem concerning wireless communication in multi agent systems. We create a mesh of mobile routers that move in a decentralized fashion (swarming) in a two-dimensional space in search of a moving target while maintaining communication connectivity constraints. The motion of the robots is dictated by: (i) a spring-mass interaction and, (ii) potential field forces. When the communication field of a target is detected we estimate its location and create an attractive potential centered in its position. Simulation results validate the applicability of the proposed framework. By using four ground vehicles and ZigBee nodes we present also an experiment implemented in a fully decentralized fashion.
The DISPARITY Study: do gender differences exist in Surviving Sepsis Campaign resuscitation bundle completion, completion of individual bundle elements, or sepsis mortality?

Abstract Purpose Women in the emergency department are less likely to receive early goal directed therapy, but gender differences in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) bundle completion have not been studied [1]. We hypothesized that women have lower SSC resuscitation bundle completion rates. Materials and methods This was a retrospective, observational study in a large urban academic ED at a national SSC site. Consecutive patients (age > 18 years) admitted to intensive care with severe sepsis or septic shock and entered into the SSC database from October 2005 to February 2012 were included. Data on overall and individual bundle elements were exported from the database. Bivariate analyses were performed with chi-square tests and t-tests. Multiple logistic regression was then performed with gender as an effect modifier. Results Eight hundred fourteen patients were enrolled. The mean age was 66 years;, 44.8% were women. There was no association between gender and bundle completion (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.58-1.16), controlling for age, race, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, congestive heart failure, and coagulopathy. In-hospital mortality did not differ by gender. Women were less likely to receive antibiotics within 3 hours (60.5% vs. 68.8%, p = 0.01) and less likely to reach a target ScvO 2 > 70 (31.3% vs. 39.5%, P = .05). Conclusions There were no gender disparities in bundle completion or in-hospital mortality. Further research is needed to examine individual bundle elements and gender specific factors that may affect bundle completion and mortality.
The Standardized Contiguity Ratio

The contiguity ratio has limited utility as a statistic for ascertaining the similarity of a characteristic of connected units when the connected units have two characteristics of interest which are not independent of each other. This paper describes the properties and usage of a "standardized contiguity ratio" which overcomes this problem and extends the applicability of the-ratio to new kinds of data.
Longitudinal Patterns of Functional Recovery in Patients With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Receiving Activity-Based Rehabilitation

Abstract Lorenz DJ, Datta S, Harkema SJ. Longitudinal patterns of functional recovery in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury receiving activity-based rehabilitation. Objective To model the progression of 3 functional outcome measures from patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) receiving standardized locomotor training. Design Observational cohort. Setting The NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), a specialized network of treatment centers providing standardized, activity-based therapy for SCI patients. Participants Patients (N=337) with incomplete SCI (grade C or D on the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury scale) who were enrolled in the NRN between February 2008 and March 2011. Intervention All enrolled patients received standardized locomotor training sessions, as established by NRN protocol, and were evaluated monthly for progress. Main Outcome Measures Berg Balance Scale, 6-minute walk test, and 10-meter walk test. Progression over time was analyzed via the fitting of linear mixed effects models. Results There was significant improvement on each outcome measure and significant attenuation of improvement over time. Patients varied significantly across groups defined by recovery status and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade at enrollment with respect to baseline performance and rates of change over time. Time since SCI was a significant determinant of the rate of recovery for all measures. Conclusions Locomotor training, as implemented in the NRN, results in significant improvement in functional outcome measures as treatment sessions accumulate. Variability in patterns of recovery over time suggest that time since SCI and patient functional status at enrollment, as measured by the Neuromuscular Recovery Scale, are important predictors of performance and recovery as measured by the targeted outcome measures.
When Ibn Rushd Met Borges

This article both analyzes the East-West dialogue through which Ibn Rushd (Averroes) has been reintroduced to Western and Eastern audiences alike, and contributes to that dialogue. Using Haun Saussy’s concept of the membrane text, through which different cultures are imported, Jabbar Yussin Hussin’s short story “The Day in Buenos Aires” is read in conversation with Jorge Luis Borges’s story “Averroes’s Search.” Each story is rich with layers of meaning; read together, they reverberate against each other exponentially. Borges reveals Ibn Rushd’s writing as the membrane through which Aristotle is brought into Arabic letters, and Hussin, in turn, identifies Borges’s story as the membrane through which Ibn Rushd is introduced to Spanish readers, and also returned to al-Andalus.
Functional training of the gluteal muscles.

The gluteal muscles are on the radar for most fitness enthusiasts. Toning the buttocks and thighs is a sales pitch of countless exercise videos. In this self-care article the emphasis will not just be on toning for cosmetic purposes, but on activating the gluteals in their functional role. This can help achieve 2 distinct purposes. First, to prevent injury or overuse to the ankle, knee, hip, spine, and even shoulder girdle. And second, to enhance functional capacity during walking, running, pushing, pulling or throwing/striking tasks. Functional training of the gluteals has more than a cosmetic purpose. It’s main goal is twofold. First, to activate them in healthy movement patterns that do not stress neighboring body parts. Second, to integrate the gluteal activation into functional tasks so that you are less likely to become injured and your performance potential will be enhanced. Let us go over some simple gluteal progressions. For each exercise the following guidelines for repetitions, sets, and frequency should be followed.
Facebook or Renren? A comparative study of social networking site use and social capital among Chinese international students in the United States

Abstract Social networking sites (SNSs) are important tools for college students to maintain and develop social capital. Yet, few studies on the social implications of using SNSs have focused on international students and their use of different social media platforms for social capital. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the implications of using host country and home country SNSs for social capital among Chinese international students in the United States. A survey of Chinese international students at a large public university ( N = 210) reveals that both Facebook and Renren use are positively associated with bridging social capital but not with bonding social capital. Facebook use has a stronger relationship with bridging social capital than does Renren use. Yet, only Renren use has a significant and positive relationship with maintaining home country social capital. These results have practical implications for international students to develop different types of social capital through different social media platforms.
Emergency room evidence on the role of alcohol intoxication in injury at work in the U.S

Abstract Alcohol is a known risk factor for many kinds of injuries, but past research has failed to implicate alcohol intoxication as a major cause of work injuries in the U.S. Local and regional studies have indicated that alcohol-related injuries are relatively less common in work settings than non-work settings. In a six-month study, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System collected the first national sample data on alcohol and injuries presenting to hospital emergency rooms. The study included both work injuries and product-related non-work injuries. Alcohol intoxication was ascertained by emergency room chart review. Alcohol involvement was much lower than in other studies, probably because of poor sensitivity in ascertainment, and it was 10 times lower among work injuries than non-work injuries. “Non-work activities at the time of injury” were a significant risk factor for alcohol-related injuries (odds ratio = 7). Thus, results of this national study are consistent with previous research in finding that alcohol poses a greater risk for nonwork injury than for work injury.
Influence of nutritional status on exertion-induced forearm amino acid metabolism in normal man.

Abstract Normal volunteers were evaluated in the postabsorptive state, following 10 days of protein-calorie starvation, and during intravenous feeding (ivf) to determine the impact of nutritional status upon exertion-induced muscle amino acid metabolism. An isolated forearm model allowed an evaluation of recovery of metabolism following 1 min of submaximal isotonic exercise. Forearm blood flow returned to near basal levels within 15 min after exertion during postabsorptive and ivf conditions, but remained ⩾150% of basal at 1 hr after exercise during starvation. At 30 and 60 min after exercise, forearm plasma flux of total and essential amino acids were unchanged from basal in the postabsorptive state. However, the pattern of essential amino acid flux demonstrated a relative reduction in isoleucine and leucine efflux compared with basal, and this pattern persisted throughout 1 hr of recovery. During starvation, a significant (P
A dynamic model of family formation and dissolution for the United States.

The purpose of this paper has been to develop a macroeconomic model of marriage and divorce for the United States for the period 1921–1974. The model has been estimated in both levels and first differences, using two different measures for marriage and divorce rates. The fit of the equations is very good. The major explanatory variables are statistically significant and of the expected sign in both versions of the model (levels and first differences). GNP has a positive effect on both marriage and divorce rates. Female labor force participation has a positive effect on divorce and a negative effect on marriage, indicating that the rise in the female market potential is a significant factor in explaining behavior of these two variables. Fertility has a positive effect on marriage and a negative effect on divorce, indicating that the presence of children has some stabilizing effect on marriage.
Evidence on economic growth and government size

The purpose of this article is to explore the effect of government size on economic growth in the United States using time-series data over the period 1950 to 1998. A multi-equation model is developed to examine the relationship between economic growth and government size. The results indicate that government size has a significant and negative effect on economic growth.
A decomposition of trends in the nonmarital fertility ratios of blacks and whites in the United States, 1960-1992.

We use a method of standardization and decomposition developed by Das Gupta to update Smith and Cutright’s analysis of demographic factors responsible for increases in the nonmarital fertility ratio (illegitimacy ratio) among blacks and whites in the United States. We create standardized rates for each year between 1960 and 1992, and consistent, exhaustive decompositions of the nonmarital fertility ratio for any interval during this period in terms of four components: (1) the age distribution of women of reproductive age, (2) the proportion of women unmarried at each age, (3) the age-specific birth rates of married women, and (4) the age-specific birth rates of unmarried women. Nonmarital fertility ratios are much higher among blacks than among whites, but both increased monotonically from 1960 to 1992. During the last 10 years, each increased by nearly 10 percentage points. Increases in the proportion of women not married, at all ages, account for the preponderance of the increase in black nonmarital fertility ratios. Increasing rates of unmarried childbearing, however, have played a role during the most recent decade (1983–1992). For whites, from 1960 until 1975, declines in marital fertility were most important in producing increases in the proportion of children born out of wedlock. Since then, these proportions have increased primarily because of increases in unmarried women s birth rates, and secondarily because of declines in the proportion of women who are married. These trends are consistent with arguments that emphasize declining economic incentives to marry and reduced access to, and acceptability of, abortion.
Ni overlayers on biaxially textured Ni-alloy and Cu substrates by DC sputtering

Use of many Ni-based and Cu-based alloys requires deposition of a Ni overlayer prior to the deposition of the seed layer in order to obtain better epitaxy. In this work, Ni overlayers have been deposited by DC sputtering on biaxially textured NiW and Cu substrates. Films were characterized by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy as a function of temperature, film thickness and deposition rate. The optimum temperature range for deposition was found to be around 400?500??C, which results in relatively smooth films with a good cube texture on both substrates.
Nonlinear inversion of a band-limited Fourier transform

We consider the problem of reconstructing a compactly supported function with singularities either from values of its Fourier transform available only in a bounded interval or from a limited number of its Fourier coefficients. Our results are based on several observations and algorithms in [G. Beylkin, L. Monzon, On approximation of functions by exponential sums, Appl. Comput. Harmon. Anal. 19 (1) (2005) 17–48]. We avoid both the Gibbs phenomenon and the use of windows or filtering by constructing approximations to the available Fourier data via a short sum of decaying exponentials. Using these exponentials, we extrapolate the Fourier data to the whole real line and, on taking the inverse Fourier transform, obtain an efficient rational representation in the spatial domain. An important feature of this rational representation is that the positions of its poles indicate location of singularities of the function. We consider these representations in the absence of noise and discuss the impact of adding white noise to the Fourier data. We also compare our results with those obtained by other techniques. As an example of application, we consider our approach in the context of the kernel polynomial method for estimating density of states (eigenvalues) of Hermitian operators. We briefly consider the related problem of approximation by rational functions and provide numerical examples using our approach.
Public pensions and the intergenerational politics of aging societies

Nearly all modern public pension programs involve a substantial transfer of wealth from workers to retirees. If parents love their children, why are these intergenerational transfers politically sustainable? This paper develops a cross-national overlapping generations model to explore the impact of income mobility on the way workers and retirees calculate the long-term value of these programs to their children. Mobility affects their evaluations because these programs also redistribute intragenerationally. The analysis shows why a majority of rational voters who care about their descendants can insist on the preservation of current public pension benefits for themselves but accept a future reduction. Implications of this explanation are tested using comparative intergenerational mobility data and a 2001 Eurobarometer survey on pensions.
Degradation of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Bisphenol A, Ethinyl Estradiol, and Estradiol during UV Photolysis and Advanced Oxidation Processes

The degradation of three endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A, ethinyl estradiol, and estradiol, was investigated via ultraviolet (UV) radiation photolysis and the UV/hydrogen peroxide advanced oxidation process (AOP). These EDCs have been detected at low levels in wastewaters and surface waters in both the United States and European countries, can cause adverse effects on humans and wildlife via interactions with the endocrine system, and thus must be treated before entering the public drinking water supply. Because many EDCs can only be partially removed with conventional water treatment systems, there is a need to evaluate alternative treatment processes. For each EDC tested, direct UV photolysis quantum yields were derived for use with both monochromatic low-pressure (LP) UV lamps and polychromatic medium-pressure (MP) UV lamps and second-order hydroxyl radical rate constants were developed. These parameters were utilized to successfully model UV treatment of the EDCs in laboratory and natural waters. The polychromatic MP UV radiation source was more effective for direct photolysis degradation as compared to conventional LP UV lamps emitting monochromatic UV 254 nm radiation. However, in all cases the EDCs were more effectively degraded utilizing UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation as compared to direct UV photolysis treatment.
Limitations of the revelation principle

Abstract The validity of the revelation principle in ‘non-Bayesian environments’ is clarified, with respect to weak Nash-implementation - not necessarily in strategy rules - of social choice functions.
Lunar and Venusian radar bright rings

Twenty-one lunar craters have radar bright ring appearances which are analogous to eleven complete ring features in the earth-based 12.5 cm observations of Venus. Radar ring diameters and widths for the lunar and Venusian features overlap for sizes from 45 to 100 km. Radar bright areas for the lunar craters are associated with the slopes of the inner and outer rim walls, while level crater floors and level ejecta fields beyond the raised portion of the rim have average radar backscatter. We propose that the radar bright areas of the Venusian rings are also associated with the slopes on the rims of craters. The lunar craters have evolved to radar bright rings via mass wasting of crater rim walls and via post impact flooding of crater floors. Aeolian deposits of fine-grained material on Venusian crater floors may produce radar scattering effects similar to lunar crater floor flooding. These Venusian aeolian deposits may preferentially cover blocky crater floors producing a radar bright ring appearance. We propose that the Venusian features with complete bright ring appearances and sizes less than 100 km are impact craters. They have the same sizes as lunar craters and could have evolved to radar bright rings via analogous surface processes.
Recruitment experience in the full-scale phase of the modification of diet in renal disease study☆☆☆

The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study is a randomized, multicenter clinical trial testing the effects of three different levels of dietary protein and phosphorus intake and two levels of blood pressure control on the rate of loss of kidney function in persons with various chronic kidney diseases. During a 27-month recruitment period, 2507 persons who had objective evidence of impaired kidney function were screened at 15 centers. Eight hundred and forty men and women aged 18-70 with a glomerular filtration rate between 13 and 55 ml/min/1.73 m2 were randomized. Medical record review was the primary means of identifying study participants at the beginning of recruitment. Later, use of mass media was instrumental in alerting both the public and the medical community of the need for MDRD Study participants. Overall, the most important sources of randomized participants were referral by personal physician (45.4%) and relative/friend (5.6%), and self-referral after hearing about the trial from newspapers (23.9%) and television (5.2%). Review of medical records from defined patient populations was the source of 22.3% of the randomized study participants. A total of 9.4% of the randomized participants called a toll-free (800) telephone number before contacting the centers.
Salary increases and teaching effectiveness

The relationship between salary increases and student ratings of teaching effectiveness was studied for a sample of 266 faculty members at Kansas State University. Three measures of teaching effectiveness (student progress in meeting relevant course objectives, liking the instructor, and appreciation of the field of study) and two salary criteria (percent and dollar increases) were used. Several measures of the emphasis on the teaching function were used to determine if this variable moderated the relationship between salaries and student ratings. The effect of discipline was also examined. In general, there was a modest but significant correlation between ratings of teaching effectiveness and percent salary increase. The amount of emphasis given to the teaching function was a significant determinant of the strength of this relationship. Correlations were generally more pronounced in social science and humanities than in the science areas. Student motivation was highly correlated with effectiveness ratings, but was not regularly taken into account in salary recommendations.
MA-10 cells transfected with the human lutropin/choriogonadotropin receptor (hLHR): A novel experimental paradigm to study the functional properties of the hLHR

MA-10 cells are a clonal strain of mouse Leydig tumor cells that retain many of the properties of Leydig cells including expression of the endogenous lutropin/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHR) and the ability to respond to LH/CG with increased steroidogenesis. Recently we noted a dramatic decrease in expression of the endogenous LHR. Although we do not have an explanation for this decline, we took advantage of it to devise a method that allows for the expression of the recombinant human LHR (hLHR) in a Leydig cell model that is now practically devoid of endogenous LHR. We show that the recombinant hLHR can be expressed at variable densities in MA-10 cells and that it can stimulate cAMP and steroid synthesis as well as activate the inositol phosphate and MAPK cascades. We also show that two naturally occurring mutants of the hLHR associated with Leydig cell hyperplasia and one mutant associated with Leydig cell adenomas are constitutively active when assayed for activation of cAMP, inositol phosphate, progesterone, and MAPK. Our ability to express the hLHR in MA-10 cells (now practically devoid of endogenous LHR) provides a novel paradigm to study the cellular and molecular basis of the functions of the LHR in Leydig cells.
Malignant osteopetrosis: a disease of abnormal osteoclast osteoclast proliferation

Abstract Bone biopsies were obtained from two infants with the malignant form of congenital osteopetrosis. Nondecalcified histological sections of each biopsy contained vast numbers of osteoclasts occupying virtually the entire residual marrow space. Despite the apparent failure of normal bone resorption in both patients, the osteoclasts of one appeared histologically and ultrastructuraliy normal, exhibiting ruffled membrane formation and evidence of acid phosphatase synthesis and secretion. In contrast, the osteoclasts of the second patient were unusually shaped, abnormally large and contained no ruffled membranes. It is concluded that the bone marrow failure which appears in the malignant, as compared to the benign form of osteopetrosis, is at least in part due to replacement of hematopoietic precursors by osteoclasts. Furthermore, the different cytological appearance of the osteoclasts of each patient suggests that a spectrum of pathogenetic mechanisms may be responsible for the development of the disease. Finally, ruffled membrane formation by the osteoclasts of one patient calls into question the assumption that this morphological feature is invariably associated with bone resorption.
P.14.12 Mutations in prion domains of RNA binding proteins hnRNPA2/B and A1 cause IBM associated with Paget’s disease, dementia and ALS

Inclusion body myopathy (IBM) associated with paget’s disease of the bone, fronto-temporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multisystem degenerative proteinopathy (MSP) unified pathologically by ubiquitinated inclusions and TDP-43 accumulation. TDP-43 is an RNA binding protein with a Q/N rich prion-like domain (PrLD). PrLDs in RNA binding proteins mediate the assembly of RNA processing granules. Dominantly inherited mutations in valosin containing protein (VCP) have been previously reported to cause this syndrome. We identified two families with an MSP-like phenotype that did not harbor VCP mutations. Exome sequencing identified identical aspartate to valine mutations in two homologous RNA binding proteins hnRNPA2/B1 and hnRNPA1. These mutations introduce a potent “steric zipper” motif into their PrLD, which accelerates formation of self-seeding fibrils that can cross-seed polymerization of wild-type hnRNP. Disease causing mutations also promote incorporation of hnRNPA2 and A1 into stress granules and drive the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions in animal models. Consistent with this, MSP patient muscle, including VCP-associated MSP, accumulates hnRNPA2/B1, A1 and TDP-43 as sarcoplasmic aggregates that redistribute from their normal nuclear localization. Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) patient tissue also accumulates hnRNPA2/B1 and A1, as well as TDP-43 aggregates. Other distinctive features in MSP patient muscle biopsies include large regions of myopathic grouping, eosinophilic inclusions and rimmed vacuoles. Dysregulated polymerization of RNA binding proteins with PrLDs is an emerging pathogenic mechanism associated with degenerative phenotypes in IBM, ALS and dementia.
Tumor Antigens II. Immunological Studies of Tissue and Tumor Antigens and Serum Protein Production by Murine Interstitial Cell Tumors of the Testis and a Hepatoma

SummarySeveral murine ICT's and a murine hepatoma were studied for soluble antigens and differences in serum protein production in vitro by the tumors as compared to their normal counterparts. The technique used was that of radioimmunoelectrophoresis. A soluble antigen was not found in culture fluids obtained from the hepatoma but was present in two of the four ICT's. Its concentration in the normal testes was significantly less than that of the tumors. All of the ICT's synthesized B1C but the labeling was not as prominent as that obtained with culture fluids obtained from the normal testes. Three of the four varieties also produced Tr. The labeling of Tr and B1C by these tumors and tissues is believed to be due to the presence of infiltrating host cells. The hepatoma was found to synthesize albumin and B1C.The excellent technical assistance of Mrs. Yvonne Simmons is gratefully acknowledged.
Making People Responsible : The Possible, the Probable, and the Preferable

Relying only on explanations based on impersonal social forces and cultural imperatives that are viewed as inevitably leading to particular human behaviors is incomplete social analysis. Any adequate theory of modern society must include people as active, purposeful, and innovative beings whose future-oriented behavior helps create not only their own future but also the social order itself. Social research directed at the investigation of such human agency contributes to our knowledge of futures thinking and accountability. Although people produce consequences for which they ought to be held accountable, they often do so only more or less competently. Their competence can be improved by teaching them the principles of futures thinking. They can become more responsible actors by learning to search more fully for possible futures, to forecast probable futures more accurately, and to make judgments of preferable futures more objectively.
Antibiotic‐Loaded PLGA Nanofibers for Wound Healing Applications

Incorporating antibiotics into biocompatible nanoscale non-woven fibrous mats could provide utility for wound healing applications and for incorporation into wound dressing materials. In this study, the antibiotic chloramphenicol (Cm) was incorporated into electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibers, which were then tested for inhibition of bacterial growth for multiple bacterial species (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). In addition, the cytotoxicity of Cm-PLGA nanofibers was examined for two types of mammalian cells including mouse embryonic stem cells and fibroblasts. Electrospun PLGA nanofibers containing Cm were able to reduce bacterial growth on solid agar plates for all species except for P. aeruginosa. In liquid culture, Cm-loaded nanofibers inhibited growth for E. coli, B. cereus and S. typhimurium by 93% or greater, while P. aeruginosa and S. aureus growth was inhibited by 42% and 56%, respectively. Cm-loaded nanofibers showed limited cytoxicity on fibroblasts and embryonic stem cells, with viability greater than 96% for all conditions tested. These results suggest that Cm can be successfully incorporated into electrospun nanofibers and that these fibers could be used for wound healing applications with minimal cytotoxicity to the surrounding tissue.
Lumpectomy in Male Patients with Breast Cancer

Approximately 1 % of breast cancer occurs in men. 1 As a result of the rarity of this disease, few studies have been conducted. Most of the existing information about breast cancer in men comes from small institutional series and population-based cancer registries. 2,3 No randomized clinical trials have been conducted, and treatment recommendations have generally been extrapolated from the results of clinical trials conducted in women. In particular, no prospective studies have been performed to evaluate the surgical management of male patients. Although breast conservation has been shown to have equivalent outcomes to mastectomy for selected female patients, little information exists about the use of breast conservation in men with a diagnosis of breast cancer. 4 Cloyd et al. 5 offer one of the first descriptions of a large series of male patients who were treated with lumpectomy. The authors used information from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, which collects data on cancer incidence, first course of treatment, and survival on * 28 % of the population of the United States. They identified a cohort of 718 male patients who underwent lumpectomy and 4,707 male breast cancer patients who were treated with mastectomy. Being treated with lumpectomy was associated with older age, stage IV disease, and lack of axillary surgery. In this observational cohort, no difference was seen in survival by type of surgery. In this study, the patients who underwent lumpectomy were a clinically heterogeneous group. Because this study did not specifically study the surgical management of patients with operable breast cancer, the resulting cohort is a mix of patients who had standard breast conservation therapy with lumpectomy and radiation and patients who underwent lumpectomy alone, perhaps for local management of metastatic disease or for patients who were at high operative risk. In fact, only 254 of the 718 patients (35 %) had standard breast conservation therapy with lumpectomy and radiation, and the rest of the patients had lumpectomy alone. The omission of radiation was not the only deviation from standard practice because 34 % of patients treated with lumpectomy did not have their axilla evaluated. These finding suggest that most male patients treated with lumpectomy are not receiving a standard approach to local therapy as an alternative to mastectomy.
Differential Gene Regulation by the Human and Mouse Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

The human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (hAHR) and mouse aryl hydrocarbon receptor (mAHR(b)) share limited (58%) transactivation domain (TAD) sequence identity. Compared to the mAHR(b) allele, the hAHR displays 10-fold lower relative affinity for prototypical ligands, such as 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). However, in previous studies, we have demonstrated that the hAHR can display a higher relative ligand-binding affinity than the mAHR(b) for specific AHR ligands, such as indirubin. Each receptor has also been shown to differentially recruit LXXLL coactivator motif proteins and to utilize different TAD subdomains in gene transactivation. Using hepatocytes isolated from C57BL/6J mice (Ahr(b/b)) and AHR(Ttr) transgenic mice, which express hAHR protein specifically in hepatocytes, we investigated whether the hAHR and mAHR(b) differentially regulate genes. DNA microarray and quantitative PCR analysis of Ahr(b/b) and AHR(Ttr) primary mouse hepatocytes treated with 10nM TCDD revealed that a number of established AHR target genes such as Cyp1a1 and Cyp1b1 are significantly induced by both receptors. Remarkably, of the 1752 genes induced by mAHR(b) and 1186 genes induced by hAHR, only 265 genes (approximately 18%) were significantly activated by both receptors in response to TCDD. Conversely, of the 1100 and 779 genes significantly repressed in mAHR(b) and hAHR hepatocytes, respectively, only 462 (approximately 49%) genes were significantly repressed by both receptors in response to TCDD treatment. Genes identified as differentially expressed are known to be involved in a number of biological pathways, including cell proliferation and inflammatory response, which suggest that compared to the mAHR(b), the hAHR may play contrasting roles in TCDD-induced toxicity and endogenous AHR-mediated gene regulation.
Crossing Borders Without Leaving the University: MISTIC—An International Collaboration

International collaborations usually involve individuals from one country traveling to another country (Kuehn & Henne, 2003). However, for various reasons, students and faculty from the United Stat...
Stationary Solutions and Forward Equations for Controlled and Singular Martingale Problems

Stationary distributions of Markov processes can typically be characterized as probability measures that annihilate the generator in the sense that for ; that is, for each such , there exists a stationary solution of the martingale problem for A with marginal distribution . This result is extended to models corresponding to martingale problems that include absolutely continuous and singular (with respect to time) components and controls. Analogous results for the forward equation follow as a corollary.
Characterization of the stress response of a bioluminescent biological sensor in batch and continuous cultures

The effects of temperature, growth stage, and inducer (ethanol) concentration on the kinetics and magnitude of the stress response were investigated by using an Escherichia coli strain with the grpE heat shock promoter fused to the Vibrio fischeri lux genes. When stressed, the cells responded by changing the level of specific light emission, which was measured both on- and off-line. These measurements were used to characterize and optimize the sensitivity of the construct by determining the conditions at which the culture exhibited maximum specific bioluminescence and minimum response time to ethanol induction in batch cultivation. The results of the batch study were then applied to continuous cultivation, and the effect of dilution rate was determined. These results are of considerable interest in the development of an on-line biological sensor system for the detection and toxicity assessment of chemical pollutants.
Estrogen signaling at the cell surface coupled to nitric oxide release in Mytilus edulis nervous system.

In previous studies we have demonstrated release of nitric oxide (NO) in human tissues following exposure to estrogen. We now designed experiments to determine whether estrogen is present in the neural tissue of Mytilus edulis, a marine mollusk, and whether, as in vertebrates, it stimulates constitutive NO synthase activity. After HPLC purification of 17β-estradiol (17β-E2) from M. edulis ganglionic tissue, we confirmed the presence of 17β-E2 by RIA and ES-Q-TOF-MS analysis. We further found that when either exogenous or endogenous (purified HPLC fraction) 17β-E2 was added to pedal ganglia, there was immediate concentration-dependent NO release. Furthermore, 17β-E2 conjugated to BSA also stimulated NO release, suggesting mediation by a membrane surface receptor. Tamoxifen, an estrogen receptor antagonist, inhibited the action of both 17β-E2 and 17β-E2 conjugated to BSA, further supporting the presence of an estrogen receptor. In addition, by Western blot analysis with anti-ER-β antibodies, we observed a 5...
EMG patterns of rat ankle extensors and flexors during treadmill locomotion and swimming

Intramuscular electromyography (EMG) was used to determine and compare the recruitment patterns of the rat soleus (Sol), tibialis anterior (TA), and a deep and a superficial portion of the medial g...
VLSI Implementation of a High-Capacity Neural Network Associative Memory

In this paper we describe the VLSI design and testing of a high capacity associative memory which we call the exponential correlation associative memory (ECAM). The prototype 3µ-CMOS programmable chip is capable of storing 32 memory patterns of 24 bits each. The high capacity of the ECAM is partly due to the use of special exponentiation neurons, which are implemented via sub-threshold MOS transistors in this design. The prototype chip is capable of performing one associative recall in 3 µs.
Effect of tumor type, size, and endpoint on tumor radioprotection by WR-2721.

Abstract Experiments are reported showing that the degree of tumor radioprotection afforded by WR-2721 varies with the type of tumor and assay endpoint, and that for a given tumor system, microaggregates are protected better than larger cell masses. The tumors used were a methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma (FSa), and two tumors of spontaneous origin, another fibrosarcoma (NFSa), and a mammary carcinoma (MCa-4), all syngeneic to C 3 Hf/Kam mice. WR-2721 was given in a dose of 400 mg/kg 30 minutes before irradiation in all experiments. In TCD 50 assays, WR-2721 protected 5 mm diameter and impalpable 3 day-old transplants of 5 × 10 5 FSa cells growing in the leg by factors of 1.11 and 1.13, respectively. Using the tumor latency endpoint, 3 day-old s.c. transplants of 10 3 FSa in the abdominal wall were protected by a factor of 1.27, a degree of protection similar to that reported earlier for sterilization of lung micrometastases of the same tumor. MCa-4 tumors growing in the leg were protected better than FSa in TCD 50 assays with protection factors of 1.3 for 4 day-old transplants, 1.24 for 5 mm tumors, and 1.23 for 8 mm tumors. MCa-4 tumors recurrent after irradiation as 4 day-old transplants grew more rapidly in mice that had received WR-2721, and this was shown to be most likely due to protection by the drug against expression of the tumor bed effect. Using the lung micrometastases assay, NFSa was protected by a factor of 1.22. This variability in protection with different tumor types, sizes, and may endpoints is discussed in terms of drug delivery and uptake, and also in relation to the influence of tumor hypoxia on the radioprotective ability of WR-2721.
Generalized resolution and cutting planes

This paper illustrates how the application of integer programming to logic can reveal parallels between logic and mathematics and lead to new algorithms for inference in knowledge-based systems. If logical clauses (stating that at least one of a set of literals is true) are written as inequalities, then the resolvent of two clauses corresponds to a certain cutting plane in integer programming. By properly enlarging the class of cutting planes to cover clauses that state that at least a specified number of literals are true, we obtain a generalization of resolution that involves both cancellation-type and circulant-type sums. We show its completeness by proving that it generates all prime implications, generalizing an early result by Quine. This leads to a cutting-plane algorithm as well as a generalized resolution algorithm for checking whether a set of propositions, perhaps representing a knowledge base, logically implies a given proposition. The paper is intended to be readable by persons with either an operations research or an artificial intelligence background.
TALONAVICULAR COALITION : OBJECTIVE GAIT ANALYSIS

Talonavicular coalitions, a rarely reported fusion between the talus and navicular, are often an incidental radiographic finding that may be asymptomatic or associated with peroneal spasm. The authors present a review of literature and case report based on clinical evaluation and instrumented gait analysis. Specifically, a patient presenting with a bilateral talonavicular coalition was objectively evaluated with kinetic, kinematic, muscle dynamometry, and pedobarographic testing to understand the biomechanical limitations related to this pathology. An excessive passive component of ankle torque, a high first metatarsophangeal joint plantar pressure, and a diminished time in the midstance portion of stance phase were measured and compared to those of healthy individuals.
A Novel Function of IL-2: Chemokine/Chemoattractant/Retention Receptor Genes Induction in Th Subsets for Skin and Lung Inflammation

The Foxp3(+)CD4(+) regulatory T-cell (Treg)-deficient Scurfy (Sf) mice rapidly develop severe inflammation in the skin and lungs with expanded Th subsets bearing increased expression of various chemokine/chemoattractant/retention receptor genes (CRG). Nine different double mutants were generated to elucidate their roles in the skin and lung inflammation. The expanded Th2 response and the increased expression of several CRG for the skin and lung inflammation were inhibited in Sf.Il2(-/-) mice as previously described using microarray analysis. Herein in a reciprocal approach, we demonstrated that Sf.Il4(-/-) and Sf.Stat6(-/-) mice, despite lacking Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, as well as the IL-4/STAT6-dependent CRG expression, the inflammation in the skin and lungs remained. The effect of the other Th1 cytokine IFN-γ was studied in Sf.Ifng(-/-) mice in which the multi-organ inflammation (MOI) was delayed but fully developed afterward with enhanced CRG expression except for the IFN-γ-dependent Cxcr3 in CD4(+) T-cells. Similarly, a transient delay of MOI was observed for Sf.Itgae(-/-) mice but their Th subsets and the critical CRG expansion remained. Ltb4r1(-/-), Alox5(-/-), Cx3cr1(gfp/gfp), or Il10(-/-) mutant genes also failed to effectively block inflammation in the skin and lungs in Sf mice. Our study has identified a novel function of IL-2 as a powerful Th1 cytokine that induces a panel of CRG in Th subsets required for skin and lung inflammation in Sf mice. The CRG panel induced by IL-2 but not by IL-4 or IFN-γ explains the apparent "organ-specific" display of the skin and lung inflammation in Sf mice.