cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agrarian reforms in Eastern European countries: lessons from international experience

The fall of the Berlin wall has led to a monumental change in the social and economic structure of most countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the CIS that have profoundly affected the nature of the rural sector and the livelihood opportunities open to rural residents. Prior to 1990, most of these countries had de facto abolished private property rights in favor of state or cooperative ownership. Agricultural production was in most cases collective, leading to inefficiencies due to free-riding, moral hazard, and lack of individual incentives for effort supply as well as investment. In large collective or stateowned farms (about 2000 ha; 500 workers) lack of transparency added to the difficulties of monitoring implied by sheer size. The goal was to meet centrally prescribed targets established with little consideration to profit or hard budget constraints, and their survival relied on write-offs and subsidies, and political connections. Cuts in producer and consumer subsidies, price liberalization, reduced demand with falling incomes, and lower demand for exports within the former Soviet Union led to a significant fall in the terms of trade for the agricultural sector throughout the region. As a result, input use and output from the agricultural sector declined precipitously, stronger than for non-agriculture (Csaki, 2000). The extent to which agricultural production was able to recover since the 1990s was affected by the level of economic development, the type of macroand privatization policies pursued, as well as the extent to which these policies could actually be implemented on the ground. Land reform and farm restructuring have played an important role in this process. This is due to the importance of land as an asset for the rural population and the relevance of well-functioning land markets as basis for financial market development. Macro statistics highlight the tremendous heterogeneity of the countries in Eastern Europe with respect to the level of economic development, land endowments, and the importance of the agricultural sector. Table 1 illustrates that per capita GNP ranged from of almost US $10 000 in Slovenia to of US $370 and US $380, in Moldova and Tajikistan, respectively. In between are countries such as Armenia and Azerbaijan ($460 and $480),
Mouse mammary hyperplasias and neoplasias exhibit different patterns of cyclins D1 and D2 binding to cdk4

Deregulated expression of G1 cyclins D1 and D2 is a feature of some neoplasias. This study examined the altered expression of D1 and D2 cyclins, both the total pool and as associated with cdk4 and cdk2, at different stages of mouse mammary tumorigenesis. Three different mammary hyperplastic outgrowth lines, TM2, TM10 and TM12, and their respective tumors were examined. Increasing levels of the cyclin D1 protein pool, D1 binding to cdk4 and cdk2 and cdk4 kinase activity were closely correlated with tumorigenesis. In constrast, cyclin D2 binding to cdk4 was predominant in hyperplasias and much less in tumors, where cyclin D1 became predominant. However, the cyclin D2 pool showed increases of 15-65 times in hyperplasias compared with the normal gland and further increases of 11-15 times in two of three different tumors. The message level for cyclin D1 increased only 2-3 times in tumors compared with normal gland. Cyclin D2 mRNA was highest in normal tissue and decreased only marginally in tumors. These results suggest that cyclin D2 functions uniquely from cyclin D1 in the early stages of mouse mammary tumor development. Cyclin D2 bound to cdk4 may act to guarantee a low level of kinase activity in hyperplasias and may be an attempt to direct the mammary epithelial cells through differentiation rather than proliferation. This interaction may be one of the negative regulatory mechanisms in the early stages in mouse mammary tumor development, until cyclin D1 totally replaces cyclin D2 binding to cdk4, which would activate the high levels of cdk4 kinase activity observed in neoplasias.
On the settlement patterns of recent Caribbean and Latin immigrants to the United States.

In this paper the settlement patterns of persons from each of eleven different Latin and Caribbean nations who received immigrant status [in the United States] in 1987 are considered. Regression analysis suggests that social and economic forces were important but that specific factors influenced different nationalities differently. Evidence is also found for a lagged adjustment in the settlement process. Furthermore the attractive effect of a previously settled migrant stock is estimated to be strong for every nationality. (EXCERPT)
The efficacy and safety of oral desmopressin in children with primary nocturnal enuresis.

Purpose: We confirmed findings that oral desmopressin safely decreases the number of wet nights in children with enuresis and identified doses at which acceptable responses can be obtained.Materials and Methods: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral desmopressin in a double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, randomized, multicenter trial of 193 children 6 to 16 years old with documented primary nocturnal enuresis. The study was conducted in 2 phases: 1) a 2-week dose ranging phase in which children received desmopressin (0.2, 0.4 or 0.6 mg.) or placebo at bedtime and 2) an 8-week dose titration phase that followed a 2-week placebo washout. Patients received 0.2 mg. desmopressin or placebo for the first 2 weeks and then the dose was increased in 0.2 mg. increments at 2-week intervals until the patient was completely dry or was receiving 0.6 mg. Patients were instructed to limit fluid intake. Mean decrease from baseline in the number of wet nights, percentage of responding patients and safety...
Immunotherapy of cancer: an experimental model in syngeneic guinea pigs.

Successful treatment of a solid tumor was accomplished by repeated intradermal injection of living tumor cells.
Modulation of Prion-dependent Polyglutamine Aggregation and Toxicity by Chaperone Proteins in the Yeast Model *

In yeast, aggregation and toxicity of the expanded polyglutamine fragment of human huntingtin strictly depend on the presence of the endogenous self-perpetuating aggregated proteins (prions), which contain glutamine/asparagine-rich domains. Some chaperones of the Hsp100/70/40 complex, modulating propagation of yeast prions, were also reported to influence polyglutamine aggregation in yeast, but it was not clear whether they do it directly or via affecting prions. Our data show that although some chaperone alterations indeed act on polyglutamines via curing endogenous prions, other alterations decrease size and ameliorate toxicity of polyglutamine aggregates without affecting prion propagation. Therefore, the role of yeast chaperones in polyglutamine aggregation and toxicity is not restricted only to their effects on the endogenous prions. Moreover, chaperone interactions with prion and polyglutamine aggregates appear to be of a highly specific nature. One and the same chaperone alteration, substitution A503V in the middle region of the chaperone Hsp104, exhibited opposite effects on one of the endogenous prions ([PSI+], the prion form of Sup35) and on polyglutamines, increasing aggregate size and toxicity in the former case and decreasing them in the latter case. On the other hand, different members of a single chaperone family exhibited opposite effects on one and the same type of aggregates: excess of the Hsp40 chaperone Ydj1 increased polyglutamine aggregate size and toxicity, whereas excess of the other Hsp40 chaperone, Sis1, decreased them. As many stress-defense proteins are conserved between yeast and mammals, these data shed light on possible mechanisms modulating polyglutamine aggregation and toxicity in mammalian cells.
Orbital Graves' Disease

This paper reviews the original American Thyroid Association (ATA) classification of the orbital changes in Graves' disease, analyzes the subsequent modification of the classification made by the ATA in 1977, and, finally, suggests a second modification. This consists of the addition of six specific soft-tissue signs to Class II of the original classification.
Creating accessible Web sites: an introduction

The Internet and World Wide Web (Web) provide instant access to vast quantities of information. Unfortunately, many people with visual, hearing, mobility, or learning disabilities are unable to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the Web. This is because badly designed and/or inaccessible Web sites prevent them from fully experiencing the graphical and aural benefits of the medium. This paper introduces concepts of accessible Web design and describes how Web designers can build sites accessible to everyone with little added effort. It also provides a brief legal and economic rationale as to why it is important to do so. Principles of universal design and the guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative are described. An appendix of selected resources is also included.
The CT criteria for conservative treatment — but under close clinical observation — of posterior fossa epidural haematomas

In order to assess whether the indications for conservative treatment of supratentorial epidural haematomas are applicable also to posterior fossa epidural haematomas (PFEDH), the author reviewed the records of 25 patients. With a PFEDH volume of no more than 10 ml, a thickness of no more than 15 mm, a midline shift of no more than 5 mm, and in the absence of a significant intracranial haematoma elsewhere on computed tomography (CT) scans, the patients undergoing conservative treatment achieved the same excellent outcome as those undergoing early surgery. These CT criteria for conservative treatment of PFEDHs are similar to those of supratentorial epidural haematomas except the volume factor, namely, 10 ml in the former against 30 ml in the latter. That means a PFEDH of 10 ml or larger in the small posterior fossa may produce the same degree of midline shift and compression, and be as dangerous as an epidural haematoma of 30 ml or larger in the more capacious supratentorial compartment. But also for epidural haematomas of the posterior fossa, which initially are smaller than 10 ml, the general rule remains valid that they should be under close clinical supervision.
Regulation of HIF-1α activity by overexpression of thioredoxin is independent of thioredoxin reductase status.

Under hypoxic conditions, cells activate a transcriptional response mainly driven by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). HIF-1α stabilization and activity are known to be regulated by thioredoxin 1 (Txn1), but how the thioredoxin system regulates the hypoxic response is unknown. By examining the effects of Txn1 overexpression on HIF-1α function in HeLa, HT-29, MCF-7 and EMT6 cell lines, we found that this oxidoreductase did not stabilize HIF-1α, yet could increase its activity. These effects were dependent on the redox function of Txn1. However, Txn1 deficiency did not affect HIF-1α hypoxic-stabilization and activity, and overexpression of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TR1), the natural Txn1 reductase, had no influence on HIF-1α activity. Moreover, overexpression of Txn1 in TR1 deficient HeLa and EMT6 cells was still able to increase HIF-1α hypoxic activity. These results indicate that Txn1 is not essential for HIF-1α hypoxic stabilization or activity, that its overexpression can increase HIF-1α hypoxic activity, and that this effect is observed regardless of TR1 status. Thus, regulation of HIF-1α by the thioredoxin system depends on the specific levels of this system’s major components.
Shielding from Solar Particle Event Exposures in Deep Space

The physical composition and intensities of solar particle event exposures of sensitive astronaut tissues are examined under conditions approximating an astronaut in deep space. Response functions for conversion of particle fluence into dose and dose equivalent averaged over organ tissues are used to establish significant fluence levels and the expected dose and dose rates of the most important events from past observations. The BRYNTRN transport code is used to evaluate the local environment experienced by sensitive tissues and used to evaluate bioresponse models developed for use in tactical nuclear warfare. The present results will help to clarify the biophysical aspects of such exposure in the assessment of RBE and dose rate effects and their impact on design of protection systems for the astronauts. The use of polymers as shielding material in place of an equal mass of aluminum would provide a large safety factor without increasing the vehicle mass. This safety factor is sufficient to provide adequate protection if a factor of two larger event than has ever been observed in fact occurs during the mission.
SWAM: a family of access methods for similarity-search in peer-to-peer data networks

Peer-to-peer Data Networks (PDNs) are large-scale, self-organizing, distributed query processing systems. Familiar examples of PDN are peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, which support exact-match search queries to locate user-requested files. In this paper, we formalize the more general problem of similarity-search in PDNs, and propose a family of distributed access methods, termed Small-World Access Methods (SWAM), for efficient execution of various similarity-search queries, namely exact-match, range, and k-nearest-neighbor queries. Unlike its predecessors, i.e., LH* and DHTs, SWAM does not control the assignment of data objects to PDN nodes; each node autonomously stores its own data. Besides, SWAM supports all similarity-search queries on multiple attributes. SWAM guarantees that the query object will be found (if it exists in the network) in average time logarithmically proportional to the network size. Moreover, once the query object is found, all the similar objects would be in its proximate network neighborhood and hence enabling efficient range and k-nearest-neighbor queries.As a specific instance of SWAM, we propose SWAM-V, a Voronoi-based SWAM that indexes PDNs with multi-attribute data objects. For a PDN with N nodes SWAM-V has query time, communication cost, and computation cost of O(log N) for exact-match queries, and O(log N + sN) and O(log N + k) for range queries (with selectivity s) and kNN queries, respectively. Our experiments show that SWAM-V consistently outperforms a similarity-search enabled version of CAN in query time and communication cost by a factor of 2 to 3.
A Systems Engineering Approach to Estimating Uncertainty in Above-Ground Biomass AGB Derived from Remote-Sensing Data

We integrate systems of measurement and modeling to improve estimation of uncertainties in above-ground biomass AGB derived from remote sensing. The outcome provides a unified starting point for the climate-change carbon community to assess uncertainty and sensitivity data and methodologies, and ultimately supports decision-making about which missions and instruments to develop for a desired cost/benefit ratio. Initial results include fusion of remote-sensing techniques e.g., radar and lidar, uncertainties associated with measurement and modeling, and the impact of potential uncertainty correlations across aggregated unit areas. Biomass uncertainty estimates are presented at the single-hectare level for the forestlands of California. Using a forest biomass map of California, we calculate changes in variance e.g., 2 orders of magnitude as a function of uncertainty correlation assumptions, with correlations extending to spatial scales up to 100 km. Using a variogram formalism to derive the correlation shape and magnitude, we show that the estimated variance for California above-ground biomass is between 1% and 2% 1 standard deviation for our current best estimate of the correlation range at 5-10 km-i.e., we bound the standard deviation by a factor of 2. This contrasts with 0.025% 1 standard deviation if one does not include the correlation term.
Wave refraction in ocean currents

Abstract Reflection of surface gravity waves in major ocean currents is investigated by applying the geometrical optics approximation to deep water waves in steady nonuniform currents. Assuming the group speed c ′ g relative to the current is much greater than the current speed, the radius of curvature R of the wave rays is given by R = c ′ g / ξ , where ξ is the vertical component of the vorticity of the current. The magnitude of R decreases with decreasing group speed (increasing frequency) relative to the current and with increasing vorticity. The sign of R is given by the sign of ξ, and the radius of curvature is positive (negative) if the ray is concave to the left (right) when looking in the direction of energy propagation. Applications to the ocean indicate that both the trapping of surface waves in currents and the total reflection of waves by currents should be possible under the appropriate conditions. Some observations of swell propagating across the Pacific are not inconsistent with a wave-current refraction mechanism.
Weak ferromagnetism in κ-(ET)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl

Abstract We present magnetization measurements at ambient pressure on κ-(ET)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl, an organic salt that is superconducting under pressure (Tc = 12.8 K at 0.3 kbar). An antiferromagnetic transition near 45 K and, for the first time in this class of materials, a transition near 22 K to a state displaying weak ferromagnetic hysteresis with a saturation moment of 8×10−4μB/formula are observed. This low-temperature state is characterized by a sequence of first-order magnetization jumps.
Association of non-wheezing lower respiratory tract illnesses in early life with persistently diminished serum IgE levels. Group Health Medical Associates.

BACKGROUND--The role of lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRIs) in the development of allergies is not well understood. The relation of wheezing and non-wheezing LRIs to serum IgE levels and atopy was studied in 888 children. METHODS--Total serum IgE levels were measured at birth, nine months and six years of age; and interferon gamma production by blood mononuclear cells was measured at birth and nine months. Atopy was determined by skin prick tests at age six. Wheezing and non-wheezing LRIs up to age three were diagnosed by a physician. RESULTS--Cord serum IgE levels were similar between all LRI groups and the no LRI group. Children who had wheezing LRIs until the age of three had IgE levels at nine months and at six years within normal ranges for age. In contrast, children who had a non-wheezing LRI before the nine month IgE sample had lower IgE levels at nine months and six years (geometric mean 1.8 IU/ml and 9.9 IU/ml, respectively) compared with children who had no LRIs (3.9 IU/ml and 38.3 IU/ml, respectively). Children who had non-wheezing LRIs after the nine month IgE sample had normal nine month IgE levels (3.2 IU/ml) but decreased IgE levels at six years of age (15.7 IU/ml). Children with more than one non-wheezing LRI before the age of three were less likely to be atopic than those with no LRI (odds radio 0.2). Interferon gamma production was higher in the non-wheezing LRI group at nine months than in the no LRI or wheezing LRI groups. CONCLUSIONS--Non-wheezing LRIs are associated with subsequent depression of IgE levels and reduced skin test reactivity.
Banded Convective Activity and Ducted Gravity Waves

Abstract Convective activity is frequently organized into band-like structures with space and time scales appropriate to internal gravity waves. When the convective activity involves cumulonimbus, then latent heat release can form a significant energy source for the waves which in turn may organize the convection [as described, for example, by wave-CISK (Lindzen, 1974; Raymond, 1975)]. However, in other cases strong forcing is absent and the existence of the waves requires the existence of a duct from which very little wave energy leaks. We show that the energy cannot be contained by an inversion. Instead, we find that a stable duct adjacent to the surface must be capped by an unstable layer wherein the mean flow at some level either equals or comes close to the phase speed of the ducted waves. We also find that the wind amplitudes associated with the observed pressure amplitudes in these waves are consistent with observed squall winds. Finally, we find that the horizontal scales of mesoscale waves are cl...
Maintenance and management of civil infrastructure based on condition, safety, optimization, and life-cycle cost∗

Cost-competent maintenance and management of civil infrastructure requires balanced consideration of both the structure performance and the total cost accrued over the entire life-cycle. Most existing maintenance and management systems are developed on the basis of life-cycle cost minimization only. The single maintenance and management solution thus obtained, however, does not necessarily result in satisfactory long-term structure performance. Another concern is that the structure performance is usually described by the visual inspection-based structure condition states. The actual structure safety level, however, has not been explicitly or adequately considered in determining maintenance management decisions. This paper reviews the recent development of life-cycle maintenance and management planning for deteriorating civil infrastructure with emphasis on bridges using optimization techniques and considering simultaneously multiple and often competing criteria in terms of condition, safety and life-cycle...
AUTORADIOGRAPHIC AND HISTOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF CHANGES IN THE VISUAL SYSTEM OF RATS AFTER UNILATERAL ENUCLEATION.

Following surgical removal of one eye, rats were permitted to survive for three days, one, two and four months, and before killing them they were injected with 2 mc of leucine-H3 intraperitoneally. The utilization of this radiochemical was investigated in the brain autoradiographically. In all groups of animals the uptake of radioleucine, as determined by microdensitometry, was significantly higher in the “degenerated” optic nerve and tract than in their “normal” counterparts, with the relative difference increasing with longer postoperative survival within the periods tested. This progressive net increase in the utilization of leucine-H3 was associated with an absolute increase in the number of glia cells. Similar, but attenuated, density differences were also obtained with relatively large-aperture measurements over the stratum griseum of the superior colliculus in which the optic tract fibers terminate. In contrast, small-aperture measurements of grain density over single neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus showed no difference in the utilization of leucine-H3 between the normal and subtotally deafferented sides. This suggests an absence of transneuronal changes in protein metabolism in the visual system of the rat as long as four months after unilateral enucleation.
Gas exchange and active ventilation in a starfish, Pteraster tesselatus

1. The oxygen uptake of the cushion star Pteraster tesselatus was independent of ambient tension down to about 70 mm Hg and showed an average value of 10.5 ml/kg/hr in normoxic water in the range 10–12° C. The average uptake decreased approximately 2.65 times when the temperature was lowered from 10–12 to 5° C. 2. Oxygen extraction from the respiratory water current averaged 18 % at normoxic conditions. Effectiveness of oxygen removal was slightly higher than 50%; this is a very high value when compared with those of the crab Cancer magister and the cephalopod Octopus dofleini. 3. The exceptional ability of Pteraster to regulate its O2 uptake is based on the active irrigation of the dermal branchiae in the nidamental cavity. About 90 % of the total O2 uptake is derived from the active ventilation, the remaining 10 % being ascribed to passive diffusion through the body surface and tube feet. Ventilation values, measured with a termal velocity probe directly over the osculum, averaged 70 ml/min. 4. The transfer factor for Pteraster at 10–12° C was 0.0048 ml O2/kg/min/mm Hg, as compared with 0.0062 for Octopus dofleini and 0.0043 for Cancer magister. 5. Normal CO2 tensions in the coelomic fluid ranged between 1.00–1.40 mm Hg; coelomic fluid pH values ranged between 7.33–7.46 when the animals were in well aerated water at 11–12° C. 6. An effective barrier exists between the large fluid compartment of the stomach and the coelomic fluid, as indicated by measurements in both compartments. 7. The ability of Pteraster to regulate O2 uptake and the values for coelomic fluid tensions under different conditions, indicate that the principal determinant of the O2 uptake rate is the O2 tension prevailing at the tissues level.
Neurite outgrowth can be modulated in vitro using a tetracycline-repressible gene therapy vector expressing human nerve growth factor.

The delivery of neurotrophic factors to the adult nervous system has potential applications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and trauma. In vivo and ex vivo gene therapy offer a means of delivering growth factors and other therapeutic substances to the central nervous system (CNS) in an intraparenchymal, accurately targeted, and regionally restricted manner. Ideally, gene therapy delivery systems should also be regulatable, allowing exogenous control of amount of gene product delivery. In the present experiment, a tetracycline-regulatable gene expression system was generated to determine whether controllable release of nerve growth factor (NGF) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) from primary rat fibroblasts could modulate biological responses (neurite outgrowth) in vitro. Using a tetracycline-repressible construct, it was found that NGF mRNA, NGF protein, and NGF-induced neurite outgrowth could be tightly regulated within a 24 hour period, and in a dose-dependent fashion, by exposure to the tetracycline analog doxycycline. Similarly, levels of green fluorescence could be regulated in GFP-transfected cells. These findings in a neurobiological system lay the framework for future studies using regulated neurotrophin delivery in in vivo models of neurodegenerative diseases and CNS injury.
Effects of prey quality on social wasps when given a choice of prey

The effect of prey quality on foraging behavior and colony demographics of the social wasp Polistes fuscatus was examined by providing a choice between non-toxic prey (Manduca sexta caterpillars) and sublethally toxic prey (Junonia coenia caterpillars), and then comparing the performance of these colonies to others given only the non-toxic prey. In the choice, one of two types of Manduca were used: those fed an artificial diet or those fed plantain (Plantago lanceolata), which contains iridoid glycosides (IGs) that Junonia coenia store but which Manduca does not. Despite the negative correlation between the number of Junonia prey used and number of adult offspring produced, when a surplus of non-toxic prey was available, the wasps did not completely avoid the toxic prey. However, they were more discriminating when the choice was between Manduca fed an artificial diet and Junonia fed plantain vs. when both prey species had eaten the plantain. Because the wasps had a choice of prey types and had a surplus of prey on about one-third of the days, the wasps were able to take enough non-toxic prey to avoid some of the negative consequences of IGs. For example, the total number of wasp offspring per nest was not affected, but mean weight of female offspring per colony was less for colonies given both prey types eating plantain, compared to that for colonies fed only non-toxic prey, or those given a choice of non-toxic prey vs. toxic prey. In addition, compared to the control (only non-toxic prey), the proportion of males produced was less in the treatment that provided a clear contrast between non-toxic and toxic prey. Why these wasps did not avoid the toxic prey is discussed.
Micromechanical Analyses of Instabilities in Braided Glass Textile Composites

The results of a finite element (FE)-based study of the multiaxial compressive instabilities in two-dimensional triaxial braided glass fiber composites are discussed. The micromechanics-based study was carried out on a two unit-cell size three-dimensional FE model. Computational simulations were carried out first to determine the orthotropic elastic engineering constants. The results were validated by comparison against available experimental data. Subsequently, the uniaxial compressive response and the biaxial tension/compression response of the micromodel were established using an arc-length method in conjunction with the ABAQUS commercial FE code. The approach is different from those reported in the literature where classical methods based on the technique of homogenization are used to model the elastic and inelastic response of braided composites. Instead, explicit account of the braid microstructure (geometry and packing) and the measured inelastic properties of the matrix (both the virgin properties and the in situ properties) are accounted for via the use of the FE method. This detail is necessary for developing a mechanism-based failure prediction capability. The computational model provides a means to assess the compressive and biaxial strength of the braided composites and its dependence on various microstructural parameters. It also serves as a tool to assess the most significant parameters that affect compressive strength.
"Network Neutrality": the meme, its cost, its future

In June 2011 I participated on a panel on network neutrality hosted at the June cybersecurity meeting of the DHS/SRI Infosec Technology Transition Council (ITTC), where "experts and leaders from the government, private, financial, IT, venture capitalist,and academia and science sectors came together to address the problem of identity theft and related criminal activity on the Internet." I recently wrote up some of my thoughts on that panel, including what network neutrality has to do with cybersecurity.
Combinatorial Expression of GATA4, Nkx2-5, and Serum Response Factor Directs Early Cardiac Gene Activity

Herein, the restricted expression of serum response factors (SRF) closely overlapped withNkx2-5 and GATA4 transcripts in early chick embryos coinciding with the earliest appearance of cardiac α-actin (αCA) transcripts and nascent myocardial cells. The combinatorial expression of SRF, a MADS box factor Nkx2-5 (a NK4 homeodomain), and/or GATA4, a dual C4 zinc finger protein, in heterologous CV1 fibroblasts and Schneider 2 insect cells demonstrated synergistic induction of αCA promoter activity. These three factors induced endogenous αCA mRNA over a 100-fold in murine embryonic stem cells. In addition, the DNA-binding defective mutant Nkx2-5pm efficiently coactivated the αCA promoter in the presence of SRF and GATA4 in the presence of all four SREs and was substantially weakened when individual SREs were mutated and or serially deleted. In contrast, the introduction of SRFpm, a SRF DNA-binding mutant, blocked the activation with all of the αCA promoter constructions. These assays indicated a dependence upon cooperative SRF binding for facilitating the recruitment of Nkx2-5 and GATA4 to the αCA promoter. Furthermore, the recruitment of Nkx2-5 and GATA4 by SRF was observed to strongly enhance SRF DNA binding affinity. This mechanism allowed for the formation of higher ordered αCA promoter DNA binding complexes, led to a model of SRF physical association with Nkx2-5 and GATA4.
4D air traffic control for non-4D-equipped aircraft

Current concepts for 4-dimensional (4D) time-based air traffic control automation systems are generally designed to control aircraft so that they cross a final control waypoint at a scheduled time, but the trajectory between the initial waypoint and the control waypoint is not explicitly specified. Instead of this type of single-point 4D control, it may be advantageous to use closed-loop control to reference 4D trajectories. The design of a compensator to help air traffic controllers and pilots accurately and efficiently control aircraft to buffered 4D reference trajectories is presented in this paper. The main technical challenge is to develop a control algorithm that efficiently achieves 4D control for aircraft while maintaining acceptable air traffic controller workload levels. The approach is to soften 4D trajectory clearances by allowing aircraft to be within a well-defined error buffer region around the trajectory and to try and synchronize advisory updates with the reference trajectory advisories such that the aircraft remains within the buffer. A bias estimator is used to remove steady-state errors. The control algorithms are developed and a simple example of a 4D control scenario is presented.
A novel family of non-parametric cumulative based divergences for point processes

Hypothesis testing on point processes has several applications such as model fitting, plasticity detection, and non-stationarity detection. Standard tools for hypothesis testing include tests on mean firing rate and time varying rate function. However, these statistics do not fully describe a point process, and therefore, the conclusions drawn by these tests can be misleading. In this paper, we introduce a family of non-parametric divergence measures for hypothesis testing. A divergence measure compares the full probability structure and, therefore, leads to a more robust test of hypothesis. We extend the traditional Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Cramer-von-Mises tests to the space of spike trains via stratification, and show that these statistics can be consistently estimated from data without any free parameter. We demonstrate an application of the proposed divergences as a cost function to find optimally matched point processes.
The natural history of a novel, systemic, disseminated model of syngeneic mouse B-cell lymphoma

Lymphomas and leukemias, neoplasms of hematopoetic lineage, pose unique challenges that require novel treatment paradigms. The inter-relationship between the immune system and the neoplastic lesion in these diseases dictates that, to evaluate novel therapies, models are needed that mimic human disease in an immunocompetent host. In the present study, we describe a disseminated, syngeneic model of B-cell lymphoma in the Balb/c mouse based upon the A20 cell line. This model mimics aspects of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas in humans, and recapitulates para-spinous tumor growth, bone destruction and nerve root compression, which may complicate disseminated disease. Furthermore, this tumor expresses a key marker of interest, CD40, which is a candidate for tumor-specific vector targeting via current modalities. The present study therefore describes a high-fidelity model of disseminated lymphoma with implications for novel targeted therapeutics. Lymphomas and leukemias, neoplasms of hematopoetic lineage, pose unique challenges that require novel treatment paradigms. The inter-relationship between the immune system and the neoplastic lesion in these diseases dictates that, to evaluate novel therapies, models are needed that mimic human disease in an immunocompetent host. In the present study, we describe a disseminated, syngeneic model of B-cell lymphoma in the Balb/c mouse based upon the A20 cell line. This model mimics aspects of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas in humans, and recapitulates para-spinous tumor growth, bone destruction and nerve root compression, which may complicate disseminated disease. Furthermore, this tumor expresses a key marker of interest, CD40, which is a candidate for tumor-specific vector targeting via current modalities. The present study therefore describes a high-fidelity model of disseminated lymphoma with implications for novel targeted therapeutics.
Relationships Between Scirtothrips perseae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Populations on Avocado Leaves, Fruit, and Scarring Damage on Fruit

Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara causes significant scarring of avocado fruit and is the most serious pest of avocado in southern California. Because it was described only in 1997, no information that can be used for its control exists, including the relationships between its densities on leaves and fruit and scarring damage on fruit. To determine these relationships, percentages of scarring damage on avocado fruit were regressed against thrips numbers/leaf and numbers/fruit using data collected from three orchards in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, CA, from 1997 through 1999. Thrips population increases were positively related to leaf growth flushes. Numbers of first and second instars, total larvae, and adults/leaf were all predictive of scarring on fruit. Peaks of three to five larvae/leaf before and during fruit set predicted 6–15% economic scarring damage on fruit from October through December, whereas means of 0.5–1.5 larvae/small fruit predicted 22–51% scarring. Fruit were most susceptible to damage within a 2-wk period during and shortly after fruit set when they measured 0.53–1.42 cm long. Results suggest S. perseae numbers on leaves during fruit set can be used to predict scarring damage on fruit, and that damage thresholds may be ≤5 larvae/leaf during this time. Because low numbers of larvae on fruit within a 2-wk period can result in high scarring damage, early treatments when thrips are on leaves, just before they move onto fruit, may help prevent damage to fruit.
Does increased cement pressure produce superior femoral component fixation

A new system of femoral cement pressurization is presented that attempts to produce sustained and elevated cement pressure. Five paired cadaver femora were pressurized with Simplex cement, and PFC femoral components were inserted. One of each pair was pressurized with the new system, and 1 was pressurized with an existing device. Pressure was recorded at the proximal and distal levels. After curing, all 10 specimens were sectioned at similar levels and subjected to push-out testing to failure. Specimens that achieved higher pressures and longer duration of pressures tended to show higher levels of failure (not statistically proven on 10 specimens). Cementing techniques that use higher pressurization of cement are recommended. It is mandatory, however, that the femur be thoroughly cleaned of fat before the application of these techniques to avoid a fat embolism syndrome.
40Ar/36Ar analyses of historic lava flows

Abstract The ratio 40 Ar/ 36 Ar was measured for 26 subaerial historic lava flows. Approximately one-third of the samples had 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratios either higher or lower than the atmospheric value of 295.5 at the 95% confidence level. Excess radiogenic 40 Ar in five flows ranged from about 1 × 10 −13 to 1.5 × 10 −12 mol/g. Possible excess 36 Ar in three flows was on the order of 10 −16 to 10 −15 mol/g. Upper 95% confidence limits for excess 40 Ar in samples with normal 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratios are generally less than 3 × 10 −13 mol/g. The origin of the excess 36 Ar is unknown but it may be due either to the incorporation of primitive argon that has been stored in the mantle in very low potassium environments or to enrichment in 36 Ar as atmospheric argon diffuses into the rocks after they cool.
Macro Practice Teaching and Curriculum Development From an Evidence-Based Perspective

This article contributes to the discourse around evidence-based practice (EBP) as an organizing principle and guiding framework for macro-practice education as it has developed in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. In examining the first five years of implementing evidence-based education at the macro level, some lessons learned are provided. This learning has opened the door for continuing the dialogue on surmounting the challenges around training macro social workers in evidence-based practices. The overarching challenge in integrating EBP into the curriculum lies in the complexity of the multi-dimensional conceptualization of evidence.
Social Movement Strategy, Tactics, And Collective Identity

Tactical choices and their execution are closely related to the construction of collective identities in social movements. Studying collective identity has helped scholars understand why people participate in collective action, but the array of tactics that constitute action has not been fully explored. An emerging interest in culture and strategy that situates social movement actors in a field of contention with opponents, allies, and bystanding publics raises questions about the tactics that are used and the construction of collective identity, which is formed in interaction with others. Strategies and tactics reflect collective identities but also provide opportunities for reaffirming or challenging them. Innovative methods can create tension as activists work to resolve what they do with who they feel they are. Conflict studies, nonviolent action studies, and sociological research using concepts such as framing, discourse, protest events, and tactical repertoires offer tools with which to bridge tactics and collective identity.
National estimated costs of never events following radical prostatectomy.

Abstract Objective To examine the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which since 2008 has identified and not reimbursed 10 common postoperative complications deemed “never events” or hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). Prostate cancer, the most frequent cancer among U.S. men, is most often treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Therefore, its complications in total may represent significant costs to hospitals and providers if not reimbursed. We evaluated the potential effect of these unreimbursed HACs following RP on clinical outcomes and costs. Methods and materials Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we selected a weighed, national, estimated sample of 451,707 men with prostate cancer who underwent RP between 2002 and 2009. Baseline sociodemographic and hospital characteristics are described. We calculated estimated frequencies and costs of HACs and the predictors of in-hospital mortality, prolonged length of stay, and increased total hospital costs. Results Overall, HACs were infrequent at 0.08%, with pressure ulcer development (0.02%) and foreign object retained at surgery (0.02%) being the most common. HAC occurrence was not affected by hospital teaching status or surgical volume, but larger hospital size was related to more HACs. Those experiencing an HAC were much more likely to have a prolonged length of stay (odds ratio = 6.68, 95% CI: 5.34–8.36) and increased hospital costs (odds ratio = 5.03, 95% CI: 4.05–6.24). HACs after RP cost an estimated nearly $1 million annually in the United States. Conclusion In a robust sample of patients who underwent RP in the United States, HACs were very uncommon and contributed approximately $1 million in additional expenditures. As the U.S. government continues to expand quality improvement programs and develop incentives to avoid complications, efforts to monitor unnecessary complications should continue as well.
Differential autolysis of human and canine plasmins.

Abstract Plasmin, like trypsin, undergoes autolysis. The proteolytic activity of human plasmin was virtually abolished after incubation at 37° for 1 hour, whereas the activity of the canine plasmin remained relatively stable under the same conditions. After 23 hours of incubation at 25°, canine plasmin had lost only 12% of its proteolytic activity, while human plasmin had lost 72% of its activity. Gel electrophoretic analyses showed differences in the susceptibility to proteolysis of the light and heavy chain components of the two plasmin molecules. The light chain of canine plasmin was relatively stable to autolysis while the light chain of human plasmin underwent extensive proteolytic degradation. The patterns of digestion of the heavy chain components of the two plasmin species were also found to be different. The results obtained in this study suggest that significant differences exist in the structures of human and canine plasmins.
An Assessment of Prolonged Reactivity of Seven Monoclonal Antibodies Against CX-1 Tumor Xenografts Using A Hand-Held Gamma-Detecting Probe

The biodistribution and kinetics of 7 monoclonal antibodies (MAb) with known reactivity against CX-I tumor were examined over 21 days using a hand-held gamma-detecting probe (Neoprobe system). Twenty-eight irnmuno-deprived (athymic) nude mice implanted with human colon adenocarcinoma CX-1 xenografts were injected intraperitoneally with 50 µCi of125I-labeled antibodies (4 mice/antibody). Of the 7 monoclonal antibodies, 4 were anti-CEA (MA, MB, MC, and MD), 2 were anti-TAG 72 (B72.3 NCI and B72.3 fermented) and one was anti-colorectal cancer (17-1A). Daily probe counts were recorded in duplicate over the tumor site and the contralateral nontumor site (background), and tumor-to-background (Tu/Bkg) ratios were calculated. Animals were sacrificed on day 21, and blood, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestine, muscle, and the tumor were removed for gamma well counting. All antibodies identified the tumor as early as 24 h postinjection and speciJic tumor localization improved over time. Patterns of prolon...
Shape control of a deformable object by multiple manipulators

Shape control of a deformable object by a robotic system is a challenging problem because of the difficulty of imposing shape change by a finite number actuation points to an essentially infinite dimensional object. In this paper, a new approach to shape changing of deformable objects by a system of manipulators is presented. First, an integrated dynamic equation of motion for a system of multiple manipulators handling a deformable object is developed. The initial and the final shapes of the deformable object are specified by curves that represent the boundary of the object. We design an optimization-based planner that minimizes an energy-like criterion to determine the locations of the contact points on the desired curve representing the final shape of the object. The motion of each manipulator is controlled independently without any communication between them. The simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Distal Embolic Protection for Renal Arterial Interventions

Distal or embolic protection has intuitive appeal for its potential to prevent embolization of materials generated during interventional procedures. Distal protection devices (DPDs) have been most widely used in the coronary and carotid vascular beds, where they have demonstrated the ability to trap embolic materials and, in some cases, to reduce complications. Given the frequency of chronic kidney disease in patients with renal artery stenosis undergoing stent placement, it is reasonable to propose that these devices may play an important role in limiting distal embolization in the renal vasculature. Careful review of the literature reveals that atheroembolization does occur during renal arterial interventions, although it often goes undetected. Early experience with DPDs in the renal arteries in patients with suitable anatomy suggests retrieval of embolic materials in approximately 71% of cases and renal functional improvement/stabilization in 98% of cases. The combination of platelet inhibition and a DPD may provide even greater benefit. Given the critical importance of renal functional preservation, it follows that everything that can be done to prevent atheroembolism should be undertaken including the use of DPDs when anatomically feasible. The data available at this time support a beneficial role for these devices.
Solution of the nuclear electric quadrupole hamiltonian for spin 3

Abstract The nuclear electric quadrupole Hamiltonian for I = 3 is solved analytically. Energy levels and transition probabilities are derived in terms of the conventional quadrupole parameters, νQ and η.