cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Humoral immune response in infectious mononucleosis: Late emergence of anti-EA(R) and the effects of corticosteroid therapy*

The antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens in patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) was studied to assess antibody appearance to the restricted (R) component of the early antigen (EA) complex and to determine the effect of corticosteroids on all aspects of the humoral immune response. Sixty college students with heterophil-positive clinical IM, confirmed by EBV-specific serology, were followed for a period of 4–26 weeks. Half received prednisone for six days, and the remainder received no corticosteroid therapy. Regardless of therapy, 48% of the patients developed anti-EA(R) antibodies. The response to other antigens was similar in both groups with the exception that antibodies to the EB-associated nuclear antigen (EBNA) developed later during convalescence and at lower titers in the corticosteroid-treated group. We conclude that 1) anti-EA(R) antibodies develop with considerable frequency following IM and are not a marker, as previously proposed, of unusually severe disease, and 2) corticosteroid therapy may retard the formation of anti-EBNA antibodies but it does not otherwise influence the humoral immune response to EBV.
CONFLICT STYLES AND OUTCOMES IN A NEGOTIATION WITH FULLY‐INTEGRATIVE POTENTIAL

This study investigated the causal effects of conflict styles on outcomes of a negotiation with fully‐integrative (win‐win) potential. Participants were 444 graduate and undergraduate students who enacted a negotiating role play. While negotiators using the integrating style were more effective than those using the dominating style, they were no more effective than those using the obliging or avoiding style. There were no differences in either equality or equity of outcomes across all four styles. Integrating‐style negotiators were the most efficient, but there were no differences in efficiency across the other three styles. Pursuit of self‐interest and pursuit of other‐interest interacted in their prediction of effectiveness. Pursuit of self‐interest led to equality, and pursuit of self‐ and other‐interest enhanced efficiency.
Effects of Mechanical Harvesting of Eurasian Watermilfoil on Angling for Bluegills in Fish Lake, Wisconsin

Abstract We examined changes in angling effort, catch and catch rates, and fishing and natural mortality of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus associated with mechanical plant harvesting in a lake heavily infested with Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum. In August 1994, 18% of the total plant biomass was removed in a radial pattern of 2-m-wide channels in Fish Lake, Dane County, Wisconsin. After the vegetation removal, winter angler hours increased significantly, whereas summer angler hours did not. The number of boat trips in summer increased significantly, but the number of shore trips did not. Catch rates and total catch of bluegills did not change significantly, but the size structure of harvested bluegills increased. Catches of bluegills by shore anglers decreased in summer, whereas catches of bluegills by boat anglers increased. Natural mortality declined for bluegills of ages 4–6, but fishing mortality more than doubled for bluegills of the same ages. We conclude that removal of Eurasian waterm...
Quantitative models of the mechanisms that control genome-wide patterns of transcription factor binding during early Drosophila development.

Transcription factors that drive complex patterns of gene expression during animal development bind to thousands of genomic regions, with quantitative differences in binding across bound regions mediating their activity. While we now have tools to characterize the DNA affinities of these proteins and to precisely measure their genome-wide distribution in vivo, our understanding of the forces that determine where, when, and to what extent they bind remains primitive. Here we use a thermodynamic model of transcription factor binding to evaluate the contribution of different biophysical forces to the binding of five regulators of early embryonic anterior-posterior patterning in Drosophila melanogaster. Predictions based on DNA sequence and in vitro protein-DNA affinities alone achieve a correlation of ∼0.4 with experimental measurements of in vivo binding. Incorporating cooperativity and competition among the five factors, and accounting for spatial patterning by modeling binding in every nucleus independently, had little effect on prediction accuracy. A major source of error was the prediction of binding events that do not occur in vivo, which we hypothesized reflected reduced accessibility of chromatin. To test this, we incorporated experimental measurements of genome-wide DNA accessibility into our model, effectively restricting predicted binding to regions of open chromatin. This dramatically improved our predictions to a correlation of 0.6–0.9 for various factors across known target genes. Finally, we used our model to quantify the roles of DNA sequence, accessibility, and binding competition and cooperativity. Our results show that, in regions of open chromatin, binding can be predicted almost exclusively by the sequence specificity of individual factors, with a minimal role for protein interactions. We suggest that a combination of experimentally determined chromatin accessibility data and simple computational models of transcription factor binding may be used to predict the binding landscape of any animal transcription factor with significant precision.
Evaluations of metabolic activities as biocompatibility tools: a study of individual ions' effects on fibroblasts.

Abstract Objectives: Nickel-based dental alloys have been in use since 1930. However, there are concerns regarding the release of metal ions from these alloys to surrounding tissues. Cell culture evaluations can be used to address these concerns and to develop a biocompatibility model by providing a more basic understanding of the metabolic response to individual ions released from dental alloys. This study evaluates the metabolic as well as the morphological response of cultured human gingival fibroblasts to salt solutions of ions which may be released from these alloys; beryllium (Be2+), chromium (Cr6+ and Cr3+), nickel (Ni2+), molybdenum (Mo6+). Methods: These evaluations include viability, lysosomal activity, oxygen consumption, membrane integrity, DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, protein synthesis, intracellular ATP levels, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. The results of all cell culture evaluations are reported as the concentration (ppm) required to cause a significant change from the controls, as determined by Duncan's multiple comparison test at 0.05 significance level. Results: While Ni2+ ion solutions altered metabolic functions at 3–30 ppm and Cr3+ and Mo6+ both at 10 and 100 ppm, Cr6+ and Be2+ were the most toxic causing cellular alterations at 0.04–12 ppm. Significance: These studies indicated that monitoring metabolic activities may be better than the normally used morphology and viability assays for evaluating biocompatibility.
Homotopy theory and simplicial groupoids

The homotopy theory of simplical groups is well known [2, Ch. VI] to be equivalent to the pointed homotopy theory of reduced (i.e. only one vertex) simplicial sets (by means of a pair of adjoint functors G and W. The aim of this note is to show that similarly, the homotopy theory of simplical groupoids is equivalent to the (unpointed) homotopy theory of (all) simplical sets. This we do by 1. (i) showing that the category of simplicial groupoids admits a closed model catagory structure in the sense of Quillen [3], and 2. (ii) extending the functors G and W to pair of adjoint functors G: (simplicial sets)↔(simplicial groupoids): W which induce the desired equivalence of homotopy theories. We also show that the category of simplical groupoids admits a simplical structure which produces “function complexes” and “simplical monoids of self homotopy equivalences” of the correct homotopy types.
Analysis of Lunar-Habitat Structure Using Waterless Concrete and Tension Glass Fibers

The studies reported in this paper were undertaken to evaluate the maximum use of lunar in situ resources for surface construction, such as a habitat structure for a permanent manned lunar base. This type of activity is well into the future, but there are possible near-term applications that could utilize in situ resources for protection from radiation of surface power reactors, solar flares, and micrometeorite damage. “Waterless” concrete made of sulfur, a by-product material of oxygen and carbon extractions, is a viable alternative to hydraulic cement. Sulfur–lunar regolith concrete is an ideal material for building structures on the moon. Its availability, high strength, and durability properties make it a very attractive candidate for the development of the first lunar-construction activities. Regolith-derived glass rebar and fiber can also be used with “concrete” made with in situ regolith. Development of such habitats pose tremendous challenges that can be met by the combination of innovative design...
Silver ionic and electronic conductivity in Ag9GaS6, Ag9AlS6, AgGaS2, AgAlS2, and AgAl5S8

Abstract Silver ionic and electronic conductivity in phases in the Ag 2 SM 2 S 3 , M = Al, Ga, systems have been investigated using dc methods with ionically reversible electrodes and ac methods. Measurements on the mixed conductors Ag 9 GaS 6 and the new phase Ag 9 AlS 6 , both with high silver ionic conductivity, the chalcopyrites AgGaS 2 and AgAlS 2 , both with predominate silver ionic conductivity, and the mixed conducting spinel, AgAl 5 S 8 , are reported. In addition, a schematic version of the Ag 2 SAl 2 S 3 phase diagram is presented.
La lucha en las Cortes de España por el sufragio universal en Cuba

Es un hecho poco conocido que el sufragio universal operaba en Cuba bajo la Corona espanola cuando los Estados Unidos de America intervinieron en la isla en junio de 1898 con el apoyo de los cubano...
Carrier-and hapten-antibody producing cells, in vitro II. Effect of purine antimetabolites

To determine the effects of purine antimetabolites on the various developmental stages of cells involved in in vitro carrier and hapten responses, purine antimetabolites were added on day 0, day 1, day 2 or day 3 of the in vitro immune response. Anti-HRBC and anti-TNP responses were assessed on day 2, day 3 and day 4 of culture. Our results indicated that purine antimetabolites were: (1) most effective on early and intermediate precursor cell types, (2) most effective when added early, during the in vitro immune response and (3) more effective in inhibiting immunogen-stimulated immune response than nonspecific enhancement of the in vitro immune response.
Analysis of high yielding, early-planted soybean in Indiana.

A trend toward early planting of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in Indiana results in higher yield, but the limit to which a positive response to early planting occurs has not been evaluated. Our objective was to determine how early planting affects yield components and seed composition of indeterminate soybean planted in late March through early June in Indiana. Three cultivars (Pioneer brand 92M61, Becks brand 321NRR, and Becks brand 367NRR) were sown at six planting dates (late March through early June) in West Lafayette, IN, in 2006 and 2007. Across cultivars, yield in 2006 ranged between 4.24 to 4.43 Mg ha -1 at the planting dates from late March to mid-May, and decreased to 3.36 and 3.56 Mg ha -1 at later planting dates. In 2007, yield ranged from 4.21 to 4.44 Mg ha -1 for the 10 April, 30 April, and 9 May planting dates. Yield was reduced at the late March and early June plantings and ranged from 3.85 to 3.99 Mg ha -1 . Path analysis revealed that pods m -2 had the greatest impact on yield, but seed mass was also an important constituent. Mean oil concentration decreased approximately 12 g kg -1 as planting was delayed in both years. In 2006, average seed protein concentration varied by planting date. In 2007, mean protein concentration increased 14 g kg -1 as planting was delayed. Delaying planting until late May or early June altered seed composition slightly, but significantly reduced yield. Planting in April or early May is an effective management strategy to increase soybean yield in Indiana.
Efficiency considerations in using semi-random sources

Randomness is an important computational resource, and has found application in such diverse computational tasks as combinatorial algorithms, synchronization and deadlock resolution protocols, encrypting data and cryptographic protocols. Blum [Bl] pointed out the fundamental fact that whereas all these applications of randomness assume a source of independent, unbiased bits, the available physical sources of randomness (such as zener diodes) suffer seriously from problems of correlation. A general
Articular cartilage degeneration in the contralateral non-surgical temporomandibular joint in mice with a unilateral partial discectomy.

Objective The objective was to characterize the contralateral non-surgical temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in mice that had an opposing osteoarthrosis(OA)-like joint induced by unilateral partial discectomy. Methods TMJs on one side in mice were subjected to partial discectomy. Both surgical and contralateral non-surgical TMJs were collected at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks post-surgery for histological examination. The morphology of the articular cartilage of the condyle was evaluated using a scoring system. Results A progression of articular cartilage degeneration was seen in the TMJs following unilateral partial discectomy, including increased proteoglycan staining in the extracellular matrix at 4 weeks, the appearance of chondrocyte clusters at 8 weeks, reduced proteoglycan staining and fibrillation at 12 weeks and the loss of articular cartilage at 16 weeks. In the contralateral non-surgical TMJs, increased proteoglycan staining occurred in the articular cartilage of the condyle at 8 weeks and continued to age. Conclusion The result indicated that OA-like changes in one TMJ by partial discectomy could initiate early-onset articular cartilage degeneration in the contralateral non-surgical TMJ in mice.
Marketplace analysis demonstrates quality control standards needed for black raspberry dietary supplements.

There is currently no standard for the minimum anthocyanin concentration a black raspberry dietary supplement must contain for legal sale in the US. All consumer available black raspberry products (n = 19), packaged as dietary supplements or otherwise prepared (freeze-dried whole and pre-ground powders), were purchased and analyzed for their anthocyanin composition and concentration. Seven of the 19 samples contained no anthocyanins from black raspberry fruit, while three of those seven (without black raspberry fruit) had no anthocyanins of any kind. There was a wide range of anthocyanin concentration within the remaining products (18.1–2,904.8 mg/100 g; n = 12). When expressed as per capsule or per ∼1 teaspoon, concentration ranged from 0.1 to 145.2 mg (average 28 mg; n = 12). Until US dietary supplement labeling comes under regulatory oversight similar to food guidelines, foods are a more dependable source for dietary phenolics than supplements.
Private Sector Hiring and Use of Retirees: The Firm's Perspective

This article examines the hiring and utilization of retiree workers among U.S. firms with 20 or more employees (e.g., the hiring process, worker history with the company, scheduling, task assignment, relationship with other employees). Over 46% of private sector firms in this population hire retirees. Few firms, however, have a written policy or formalized program directed at hiring retirees. While assignment of retiree workers to regularly performed operational tasks is universal, the larger the firm, the more likely that a substantial proportion of these employees work in white-collar fields. Study results have practical implications for employment counseling services, private sector firms, and human resource specialists.
A Rediscovered Tracing by Villard de Honnecourt

Within the large body of preserved designs, contracts, budget reports, consultants' memoranda, and other documents contemporary with Gothic construction, the most intriguing are the tracing floors. Owing to their practical and temporary character, most of them have either vanished or been reported as lost. A case in point is the rediscovery of a “destroyed” thirteenth-century wall tracing in the first north chapel in the ambulatory of the collegiate church of St. Quentin (Fig. 3).1 The tracing was somewhat inaccurately published by Paul Benard in 1867. In 1925 H. Deneux considered it lost, and even Pierre Heliot in his volume on St. Quentin of 1967 refers to it as having existed “in the last century.” Having assumed its disappearance, both he and Robert Branner were unable to evaluate its significance in regard to the possible presence of Villard de Honnecourt during the construction of the choir, a theory that Benard had developed and Hahnloser strongly defended.2
The effect of growth hormone on weight gain and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease

Thirty to 60 percent of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are malnourished, and this affects ventilatory muscle function and prognosis for survival adversely. We studied the effect of growth hormone (GH) in malnourished patients with COPD (n = 7, mean FEV 1 of 1.1±0.2 L, 45±7 percent of predicted values;
A Carbon-13 Method for Evaluating Degradation of Starch-Based Polymers

A new method for evaluating biodegradability of starch-based and certain other polymer blends uses the pre- and postexposure stable carbon isotope composition of material coupled with weight loss data to determine which components have degraded. The naturally occurring stable isotope of carbon.13C, is enriched in corn starch (δ13C, approx. −11‰) compared to petroleum-derived synthetic polymers (δ13C, approx. −32‰). Results on starch-synthetic polymer blends indicate that the δ13C signatures of these blends are near-linear mixtures of their component δ13C. Values of a δ13C for starch-synthetic polymer blends exposed to biologically active laboratory soil and artificial seawater conditions are depleted in13C compared to unexposed samples, suggesting loss of the starch component. Combined with weight loss data for the exposed samples, the δ13C values are statistically consistent with models requiring loss of the soluble component glycerin, followed by loss of starch, then petrochemical polymer, or simultaneous loss of starch and petrochemical polymer. Replicate δ13C analyses of starch-synthetic polymer blends increase the statistical power of this relatively inexpensive, accessible technique to discriminate between degrading components.
The costs of photovoltaic concentrator modules

The results of comparative studies for PV concentrator modules are presented. The US Department of Energy (DOE) goals for photovoltaically generated energy are $0.12/kWh for the near-term (early 1990s) and $0.06/kWh for the year 2000. Based upon module cost projections supplied by six module developers, it is likely that the near-term goal could be met given sufficient production volume. Further cost reductions, which require innovative module designs, are necessary to meet the longer-term goals. >
The intonation and signaling of declarative questions in Manchego Peninsular Spanish.

This paper is an experimental investigation on the tonal structure and phonetic signaling of declarative questions by speakers of Manchego Peninsular Spanish, a dialect of Spanish for which little experimental research on intonation is currently available. Analysis 1 examines the scaling and timing properties of final rises produced by 16 speakers under various pressures of tonal crowding. The quantitative results provide evidence for two contrasting nuclear pitch accent specifications: L* vs. H*. These data are consistent with the findings and analyses of final rises in Dutch, although certain time pressure effects had not been reported in this previous body of research. Analysis 2 provides a phonetic comparison of the two question contours uncovered in Analysis 1 with those of lexically and syntactically identical declarative statements. The findings indicate that speakers differentiate the two question contours from corresponding statement contours in dissimilar fashion and that for the L*H% contour, t...
The Cantor-Lebesgue property

If the terms of a trigonometric series tend to zero at each point of a set and if the smallest additive group containing that set has positive outer Lebesgue measure, then the coefficients of that series tend to zero. This result generalizes the well known Cantor-Lebesgue Theorem. Several other extensions of the Cantor-Lebesgue Theorem as well as some examples to demonstrate scope and sharpness are also given.
Thermodynamic Coupling of Heat and Matter Flows in Near-Field Regions of Nuclear Waste Repositories

In near-field regions of nuclear waste repositories, thermodynamically coupled flows of heat and matter can occur in addition to the independent flows in the presence of gradients of temperature, hydraulic potential, and composition. The following coupled effects can occur: thermal osmosis, thermal diffusion, chemical osmosis, thermal filtration, diffusion thermal effect, ultrafiltration, and coupled diffusion. Flows of heat and matter associated with these effects can modify the flows predictable from the direct effects, which are expressed by Fourier's law, Darcy's law, and Fick's law. The coupled effects can be treated quantitatively together with the direct effects by the methods of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The extent of departure of fully coupled flows from predictions based only on consideration of direct effects depends on the strengths of the gradients driving flows, and may be significant at early times in backfills and in near-field geologic environments of repositories. Approximate calculations using data from the literature and reasonable assumptions of repository conditions indicate that thermal-osmotic and chemical-osmotic flows of water in semipermeable backfills may exceed Darcian flows by two to three orders of magnitude, while flows of solutes may be reduced greatly by ultrafiltration and chemical osmosis, relative to the flows predicted by advection and diffusion alone. In permeable materials, thermal diffusion may contribute to solute flows to a smaller, but still significant, extent.
Feature Selection for Consistent Biclustering via Fractional 0–1 Programming

Biclustering consists in simultaneous partitioning of the set of samples and the set of their attributes (features) into subsets (classes). Samples and features classified together are supposed to have a high relevance to each other which can be observed by intensity of their expressions. We define the notion of consistency for biclustering using interrelation between centroids of sample and feature classes. We prove that consistent biclustering implies separability of the classes by convex cones. While previous works on biclustering concentrated on unsupervised learning and did not consider employing a training set, whose classification is given, we propose a model for supervised biclustering, whose consistency is achieved by feature selection. The developed model involves solution of a fractional 0–1 programming problem. Preliminary computational results on microarray data mining problems are reported.
Direct measurement of rate constants for the reactions of CH and CD with HCN and DCN

Abstract Multiphoton laser photolysis of CHBr 3 (or CDBr 3 ) at 266 nm is utilized for the production of ground state CH(X 2 Π) (or CD)radicals in the gas phase. The relative concentration of CH (or CD) is monitored by laser-induced fluorescence near 430 nm. Absolute rate constants are determined by addition of HCN or DCN to the slowly flowing gas mixture. Heating of the reaction cell permits temperature studies between 293 and 676 K. The following Arrhenius expressions are derived: k = (5.0±0.4) × 10 −11 ×exp[(500±30)/ T ] cm 3 s −1 for CH+HCN; k = (8.1±1.7)×10 −11 exp[(420±80)/ T ] cm 3 s −1 for CH+DCN; k = (9.1±1.5)×10 −11 exp[(420±70)/ T ] cm 3 s −1 for CD+HCN and k = (5.4±0.7)×10 −11 exp[(560±50)/ T ] cm 3 s −1 for CD+DCN. The measured rate constants for the CH + HCN reaction do not vary with total pressure over the range 35–300 Torr at 296 K. The present observations are consistent with CH insertion into the CH bond in HCN followed by decomposition of the adduct to H+HCCN as the dominant reactive pathway. The rate measurements on mixed isotope species (i.e. CH+DCN or CD+HCN) support the conclusion that exchange reactions do occur to some extent above 475 K as in CH+DCN→CD+HCN and CD+HCN→CH+DCN. The result of the totally deuterated reaction (i.e. CD+DCN) indicates that the inverse isotope effect is important.
A study of Sertoli-spermatid tubulobulbar complexes in selected mammals

Tubulobulbar complexes (TBCs) were found in nine mammalian species (opossum, vole, guinea-pig, mouse, hamster, rabbit, dog, monkey and human) primarily originating from the plasma membrane overlying the acrosome of late spermatids. Fewer complexes (4--10) were noted in these species than has been previously reported for the rat (up to 24). TBCs were not seen emanating from round spermatids or those elongated spermatids located within the deep recesses of the Sertoli cell, but they appeared as the spermatids came to reside much closer to the tubular lumen in preparation for release. TBCs developed in areas deficient or lacking in Sertoli filaments and endoplasmic reticulum (ectoplasmic specialization). In general their structural configuration was similar to that shown in the rat, although minor differences were noted. Fine fibrils were observed connecting the distal portion of the spermatid tube with the Sertoli plasma membrane forming a bristle-coated pit. The length of TBCs from most species studied was 1--2 micrometers, whereas those of the opossum extended 6--8 micrometers into an apical Sertoli process. TBCs were degraded within the Sertoli cell by its lysosomes prior to sperm release, and for most species there was evidence indicating that formation of more than one generation of TBCs occurred. As sperm release approached, TBCs formed preferentially from the leading edge of spermatids with spatulate heads. The Sertoli cell gradually withdrew from around the spermatid head until only the tip of the head was embedded within the Sertoli cell. This region of contact frequently demonstrated TBCs. The proposed functions of TBCs are reviewed and discussed in light of these findings from other species.
Strategies to Teach Family Assessment and Intervention Through an Online International Curriculum

A Web-based certificate program for international health professionals to acquire understanding of family health and strategies to implement culturally sensitive health care of families is outlined. In four Web courses and a project, students progress interactively to apply culture, family, and interdisciplinary health system theories to assessments and clinical interventions with families in the interdisciplinary setting. Four online educational strategies to facilitate student success from the virtual classroom to actual clinical care are described: adjusting to the technology, communicating the learning progress openly, giving mutual feedback, and implementing evidence-based family care. Outcomes addressing student learning and skill enhancement, family interaction, and student and faculty experiences in the virtual learning environment are explored. Overall, students learned to work successfully with families in health care, experienced increasing comfort and competency in challenging situations, introduced family care in their work setting, and emerged as leaders while working in interdisciplinary teams.
Visual acuity and its decrease in classic neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

purpose To identify factors affecting visual acuity and its decrease in eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). methods Distance visual acuity was recorded at screening and up to five follow-up visits during the first year of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral prinomastat. Subjects had AMD in both eyes and neovascular AMD in at least one eye. Analysis employed a generalized linear mixed model. results Of 158 eligible subjects (age 56-90), 125 (79.1%) received prinomastat. Visual acuity was independently affected by relative acuity of the fellow eye, whether the study eye had been the first or second to develop CNV, age, current smoking, leakage area, and prior photocoagulation. Decrease in visual acuity score, unaffected by prinomastat, was less steep in eyes that had been second to develop CNV. Such eyes had a comparable time since CNV onset to other study eyes. conclusion Fellow eye features independently af...
Prenylation of RhoB Is Required for Its Cell Transforming Function but Not Its Ability to Activate Serum Response Element-dependent Transcription

Rho regulates cytoskeletal actin structure and integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Rho also has a role in cell growth regulation and is required for cell transformation by oncogenic Ras. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Rho can activate transcription from the c-fos serum response element (SRE). This raised the possibility that functions required for Rho-mediated cell transformation might overlap with those involved in transcriptional regulation. Here we show that RhoB can activate the SRE and can synergize in cell transformation with constitutively activated Raf-CAAX. Significantly, unprenylated forms of RhoB that are biologically inert and unable to transform cells can still activate SRE-dependent transcription. This finding suggests that transcriptional activation by Rho may be separable from its cell transforming functions.
Covariant w∞ gravity and its reduction to WN gravity

Abstract By gauging the linear w ∞ algebra, imposing constraints on the curvatures and choosing suitable gauges, we obtain the covariant formulation of w ∞ gravity. This theory is coupled to matrix valued scalar fields, where the set of matrices is closed under symmetrized products. For the case of the vector representation of u( N ), the theory can be reduced to W N gravity. We present closed expressions for the reduction to a covariant theory of W 3 gravity which we obtained previously.
Destructive interjurisdictional competition: Firm, capital and labor mobility in a model of direct emission control

Abstract A theoretical exception to a regional race to the bottom contends that, if decentralized environmental policy is comprised of direct controls on each firm—emissions standards are set too high relative to a centralized optimum, provided populations are immobile. Herein, we relax population immobility within a ‘purely competitive’ interjurisdictional model of direct environmental controls. By generalizing previous models, we show that the race is likely to be on when local land incomes are important and firms respond grudgingly to changes in direct emission controls.
Development of a reusable flightweight cryogenic storage system

A goldized-Kapton Superfloc multilayer insulation (MLI) coupled with an MLI purge and repressurization subsystem has been developed for use on reusable space vehicles. The subsystems were installed on an 87-inch diameter oblate spheroid liquid hydrogen tank and subjected to repeated space shuttle flight simulations to determine the effect upon system performance.
Pancreatic cancer: surgery alone is not sufficient

For a patient with resected pancreatic cancer at the head of the pancreas, the goal of the medical community in the new millennium is a long-term survival rate exceeding 50% at 5 years. This goal can best be achieved with the following formula: accurate staging by improved imaging that includes laparoscopy for selected patients with locally extensive disease using computed tomography; a balanced resection, not too extensive and not too limited; centralized treatment in high-volume centers, which includes not just the surgeons and hospitals, but also the chemotherapy infusion units; and use of an effective adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment in which toxicity is associated with efficacy. The ideal outcome for the surgeon is delivery of a patient who has been accurately staged to receive the most appropriate treatment in a timely fashion for an effective chemoradiotherapy protocol. To do this, the surgeon should use objective benchmarks of safe pancreatic resection, which involves resecting only enough, achieving low blood loss, and achieving a minimal length of hospital stay. The outcome is a patient who has optimized his or her gastrointestinal, endocrine, and exocrine functions and is ready for adjuvant treatment 6 weeks after resection. Surgery alone is not sufficient.
Isospin violation in the yield of S-wave heavy meson pairs near threshold

We consider the production of overall neutral pairs consisting of heavy ${D}^{(*)}$ or ${B}^{(*)}$ mesons and antimesons in processes where such pairs can be created in an $S$ wave, such as ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}{D}^{*}{\overline{D}}^{(*)}$, ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\gamma}{D}^{(*)}{\overline{D}}^{(*)}$, and similar reactions with ${B}^{(*)}$ mesons. The ratio ${R}^{c/n}$ of the yield of pairs of charged mesons to that of neutral mesons near the threshold for the heavy pair is strongly affected by isospin breaking due to the isotopic mass differences and due to the Coulomb interaction between the charged mesons. The actual behavior of isospin breaking in ${R}^{c/n}$ is also sensitive to the strong interaction between the heavy mesons, so that experimental measurement of this ratio can be used as a probe of this strong interaction. We calculate ${R}^{c/n}$ at and very near the threshold in terms of the isotopic scattering lengths for the meson pairs. In particular, we find that the yield of pairs of charged mesons does not go to zero at exactly the threshold, but rather starts with a finite step, whose height depends on the value of the scattering length in a particular channel.
An angiotensin converting enzyme haplotype predicts survival in patients with end stage renal disease

The renin-angiotensin system is implicated in the development of a variety of human diseases. Many studies have sought to characterize the clinical implications of polymorphisms in the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene. Given the high mortality rate of individuals on chronic hemodialysis (HD), we sought to investigate whether genetic diversity in the ACE gene correlates with mortality in this population. We assembled a racially diverse cohort of prevalent individuals on chronic outpatient HD, and followed it prospectively for a mean of 2.1 years. Subjects were genotyped for seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ACE gene. Haplotype probabilities were calculated using an expectation-maximization algorithm. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine associations between haplotype and time to mortality from initiation of HD. There was strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) across the ACE gene, with three tagging SNPs found to account for all seven-SNP haplotypes that had a frequency of greater than 4%. After adjustment for age, race, gender, and diabetes status, a three-locus haplotype was associated with a 72% risk reduction in mortality (P = 0.004). The majority of this association was captured by the TT genotype of A-239T promoter polymorphism. The TGG (non-wild-type) haplotype, consisting of three tagging SNPs in the ACE gene, is associated with significantly decreased risk of all-cause mortality in HD patients independent of age, race, gender, and diabetic status. This "protective" haplotype may encompass loci with functional significance in the ACE gene.
Absorption, dissociation, and fantasy-proneness as predictors of memory distortion in autobiographical and laboratory-generated memories

Individual differences in susceptibility to memory distortion in autobiographical and laboratory-generated memories were examined. Subjects from an earlier autobiographical memory study completed three personality measures and a list learning task designed to elicit false memories. Scores on the Tellegen Absorption Scale were negatively correlated with accuracy of the autobiographical memory. None of the personality measures predicted the occurrence of false memories in the laboratory task. Distortion of autobiographical memories was positively correlated with the production of false memories in the laboratory task. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lipid Peroxidation in Fowl Spermatozoa

Abstract During aerobic incubation at 40 to 41 C washed cock spermatozoa resuspended in phosphate buffer formed a thiobarbituric acid-reactive product. Their susceptibility to peroxidation was enhanced by the addition of ascorbate and was not altered by storage for 24 hr at 0 C. A severe impairment of motility was associated with the peroxidized spermatozoa.
What to do when search fails: finding information by association

Sometimes people cannot remember the names or locations of things on their computer, but they can remember what other things are associated with them. We created Feldspar, the first system that fully supports this associative retrieval of personal information on the computer. Feldspar's contributions include (1) an intuitive user interface that allows users to find information by interactively and incrementally specifying multiple levels of associations as retrieval queries, such as: "find the file from the person who I met at an event in May"; and (2) algorithms for collecting the association information and for providing answers to associative queries in real-time. A user study showed that Feldspar is easy to use, and suggested that it might be faster than conventional browsing and searching for these kinds of retrieval tasks. Feldspar could be an important addition to search and browsing tools.
Relative Contributions of Incidence and Survival to Increasing Prevalence of Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus: A Population-based Study

This population-based retrospective study investigates temporal trends in adult-onset diabetes mellitus prevalence, incidence, and survival. The complete community-based medical records, including laboratory results, of all Rochester, Minnesota, residents with a clinical diagnosis of diabetes or diabetes-like condition were reviewed to identify incidence cases aged 30 years or more from 1945 to 1989 (n = 1,847) and prevalence cases aged 45 years or more on January 1, 1970 (n = 465), January 1, 1980 (n = 689), or January 1, 1990 (n = 973). Glucose values and case definitions were standardized throughout. Observed 10-year survival for 1970 and 1980 prevalence cases was compared with that expected for Minnesota white populations in 1970 and 1980, respectively. Age-adjusted prevalence rose 65% for men and 37% for women between 1970 and 1990. There were marked differences among prevalence groups in treatment type, the proportion diagnosed using glucose tolerance tests, and the proportion categorized as obese. Relative survival for 1980 prevalence cases was not greater than that for 1970 prevalence cases. Age-adjusted incidence rates rose 47% for men and 26% for women between 1960 and 1965 and 1985 and 1989. These findings emphasize the need for heightened surveillance and intervention to reduce the burden of illness from adult-onset diabetes mellitus in the population.
A dual investigation of the effect of dietary supplementation with licorice flavonoid oil on anthropometric and biochemical markers of health and adiposity

Licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) has been reported to minimize visceral adipose tissue gain in obese mice and to result in a decrease in body weight and body fat in humans; the effects of which may be more pronounced when administered in an overfed state. We investigated the effects of LFO in two separate studies. Study 1 included a sample of overweight or grade I-II obese men and women (N = 22) who followed their usual dietary and physical activity programs. Study 2 included a sample of athletic men who followed their usual dietary and physical activity programs but consumed a daily supplemental meal (25% above daily energy requirements) in an attempt to induce a state of overfeeding. In both studies, subjects were randomly assigned (double-blind) to either LFO or a placebo for eight weeks, and anthropometric and multiple biochemical outcomes (e.g., markers of oxidative stress, markers of insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, etc.) were obtained before and following the intervention. No differences of statistical significance were noted between LFO and placebo for any measured variable in Study 1 or Study 2. When investigating the percent change from baseline for data in Study 2, although not of statistical significance, subjects in the LFO condition experienced less overall fat gain, as well as attenuation in the elevation in selected blood lipids (e.g., cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides). These combined data indicate little effect of LFO supplementation within a sample of overweight/obese men and women or athletic men, with the possible exception of attenuation in body fat gain and selected components of the blood lipid panel in response to an overfeeding condition.
Local optimization-based simplicial mesh untangling and improvement.

We present an optimization-based approach for mesh untangling that maximizes the minimum area or volume of simplicial elements in a local submesh. These functions are linear with respect to the free vertex position; thus the problem can be formulated as a linear program that is solved by using the computationally inexpensive simplex method. We prove that the function level sets are convex regardless of the position of the free vertex, and hence the local subproblem is guaranteed to converge. Maximizing the minimum area or volume of mesh elements, although well suited for mesh untangling, is not ideal for mesh improvement, and its use often results in poor quality meshes. We therefore combine the mesh untangling technique with optimization-based mesh improvement techniques and expand previous results to show that a commonly used two-dimensional mesh quality criterion can be guaranteed to converge when starting with a valid mesh. Typical results showing the effectiveness of the combined untangling and smoothing techniques are given for both two- and three- dimensional simplicial meshes.
Does septoplasty performed at the same time as oropharyngeal surgery increase complication rates

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine whether septoplasty when combined with ambulatory oropharyngeal surgery increases postoperative complications. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis of multistate ambulatory surgery and hospital databases. Methods Ambulatory adult septoplasty and oropharyngeal surgical procedures (tonsillectomy and uvulopalatoplasty [UPPP]) were extracted from the state ambulatory surgery databases for New York, Florida, Iowa, and California for 2010–2011. Cases with concurrent sinus surgery were excluded. Cases were linked to the state emergency department databases and the state inpatient databases to identify revisits within 14 days. The rates of unplanned revisits and postoperative bleeding were determined and compared among groups undergoing solely oropharyngeal surgery versus groups undergoing oropharyngeal surgery combined with septoplasty. Results Among 26,280 tonsillectomies alone versus 1,002 tonsillectomies + septoplasty, rates for unplanned revisits and hemorrhage were 13.2% and 12.8% (P = .66) and 4.9% and 7.0% (P = .003), respectively. Among 2,598 UPPPs alone versus 1,343 UPPPs + septoplasty, rates for revisits and hemorrhage were 11.4% versus 10.1% (P = .242) and 3.5% versus 3.8% (P = 0.683), respectively. Among 389 UPPP/tonsillectomies versus 164 UPPP/tonsillectomies + septoplasty, rates for revisits and hemorrhage were 11.8% versus 8.5% (P = .256) and 3.9% versus 6.1% (P = .247), respectively. Among all cases and groups, there were mortalities only in the UPPP alone group. Conclusions The addition of septoplasty to oropharyngeal ambulatory surgical procedures does not significantly increase the rate of unplanned revisits or postoperative hemorrhage except in the case of septoplasty added to tonsillectomy, with a small percentage increase in hemorrhage rate. Combining septoplasty with ambulatory oropharyngeal surgery is clinically reasonable in adults. Level of Evidence 2b Laryngoscope, 125:2828–2831, 2015
Anatomy and Punishment in Late Eighteenth-Century New York

The last two decades of the eighteenth century comprised the golden age of American legal reform. Reformers called for replacing frequent clemency under harsh laws with milder codes and fewer pardons. The prison, not the gallows, became the most important instrument of retribution. In the words of Michel Foucault, penal reform meant the rise ofa "gentle way of punishment." Influenced by debates in neighboring Pennsylvania, New York state also chose this path. Yet the course of reform was not straightforward.1 This essay is about one law that belies any simple understanding of legal reform. It explores the origins and implementation of a 1789 New York statute that provided for the dissection of executed felons. While from the middle of the eighteenth century English statutory law directed that murderers' cadavers be delivered to surgeons, New York's anatomy act marked the first codification of this practice in America. The American genesis of dissection as a means of ret? ribution took place in the midst ofa rhetorical commitment to penal reform. That irony needs to be explained.2 Oddly, American historians have failed to examine the punitive role of dissection. In part this may be due to the fact that the New York anatomy act does not make explicit the relationship between dissection and punishment. Accord? ing to the act's preamble, the law is meant to prevent grave robbing. Using the cadavers of executed felons for medical study would ensure a sufficient number of anatomical specimens. Retribution is not mentioned. Yet it will be argued that the anatomy act was more than simply a pragmatic means of furnishing surgeons with corpses. Applying to executed murders, arsonists, and burglars, the act created a new punishment to be added to the death sentence. New York's anatomy act, then, had two facets. It sought to prevent anatomists from desecrating cemeteries and, although silent about the implications for criminal justice, it introduced dis? section into America's retributive apparatus. The reticence of the statute is equalled by that of its framers. There are no surviving records of legislative debates which might aid in understanding New York's anatomy act. Neither have private papers yielded clues about its goals. In fact, it remains impossible to know the identity of either its proponents or its detractors. The essential documents required for the kind of close textual analysis favored by legal historians do not exist. And even if such legislative sources were available, they would not fully explain the significance of dissection as an innovative mode of punishment. For debate over the role of dissection did not only take place in legislatures and courtrooms. Shaped by a tradition of popular protest against anatomy, the debate also extended to late eighteenth-century streets and alleyways.
Robust stabilization and performance recovery of nonlinear systems with input unmodeled dynamics

In this paper we extend the time-scale separation redesign for stabilization and performance recovery of uncertain nonlinear systems proposed in and to systems with input unmodeled dynamics. The class of unmodeled dynamics studied are relative degree zero and minimum phase. We design two sets of high gain filters - the first to estimate the uncertain input to the plant over a fast time-scale, and the second to force this estimate to converge to the nominal input on an intermediate time-scale. The control input then acts over the slow time-scale and guarantees that the closed-loop trajectories approach those of the nominal system.