cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein-Mediated and RNA-Based Origins of Replication of Extrachromosomal Mycobacterial Prophages

Temperate bacteriophages are common and establish lysogens of their bacterial hosts in which the prophage is stably inherited. It is typical for such prophages to be integrated into the bacterial chromosome, but extrachromosomally replicating prophages have been described also, with the best characterized being the Escherichia coli phage P1 system. Among the large collection of sequenced mycobacteriophages, more than half are temperate or predicted to be temperate, most of which code for a tyrosine or serine integrase that promotes site-specific prophage integration. However, within the large group of 621 cluster A temperate phages, ∼20% lack an integration cassette, which is replaced with a parABS partitioning system. A subset of these phages carry genes coding for a RepA-like protein (RepA phages), which we show here is necessary and sufficient for autonomous extrachromosomal replication. The non-RepA phages appear to replicate using an RNA-based system, as a parABS-proximal region expressing a noncoding RNA is required for replication. Both RepA and non-RepA phage-based plasmids replicate at one or two copies per cell, transform both Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and are compatible with pAL5000-derived oriM and integration-proficient plasmid vectors. Characterization of these phage-based plasmids offers insights into the variability of lysogenic maintenance systems and provides a large suite of plasmids for actinobacterial genetics that vary in stability, copy number, compatibility, and host range.IMPORTANCE Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities in the biosphere and are a source of uncharacterized biological mechanisms and genetic tools. Here, we identify segments of phage genomes that are used for stable extrachromosomal replication in the prophage state. Autonomous replication of some of these phages requires a RepA-like protein, although most lack repA and use RNA-based systems for replication initiation. We describe a suite of plasmids based on these prophage replication functions that vary in copy number, stability, host range, and compatibility. These plasmids expand the toolbox available for genetic manipulation of Mycobacterium and other Actinobacteria, including Gordonia terrae.
Lumpectomy (Wire Localized and Seed Localized)

This chapter discusses technical aspects of wire-localized and seed-localized lumpectomy, including instrumentation and equipment, patient positioning, incision, dissection technique, irrigation, hemostasis, and closure techniques for wire- and seed-localized lumpectomy. The authors also offer pearls and pitfalls.
Central and Peripheral Symptoms in Network Analysis are Differentially Heritable A Twin Study of Anxious Misery.

Abstract Background : Evidence suggests that depression and anxiety disorders are genetically based. Although symptoms of these internalizing disorders tend to correlate, the degree to which the related symptoms are heritable is unclear. This overlap has been conceptualized as Anxious Misery and existing research examining similar constructs of negative affect has revealed moderate heritability. However, it is unclear if some symptoms that characterize these constructs are more heritable than others. Modeling the symptom structure of Anxious Misery and examining which symptoms are most heritable may have implications for etiological models of internalizing disorders. Accordingly, the present study employed network analysis to explore the relationships across symptoms of Anxious Misery and to test if central symptoms in the network, compared to more peripheral symptoms, differ in their heritabilities. Methods : Twin pairs (N = 1,344 pairs) with a mean age of 39 years (SD = 16 years) completed measures of anxiety and neuroticism to represent the Anxious Misery network. Results : Panic-related symptoms were the most central in the network and were the most heritable, with genetic factors accounting for up to 59% of phenotypic variance. Peripheral symptoms were less heritable, accounting for as little as 21% of phenotypic variance. The degree of symptom heritability was strongly correlated with the degree of centrality of a symptom in the network (r = .53). Limitations : Reliance on two self-report measures to represent Anxious Misery limits the generalizability of the findings. Conclusions : Central and peripheral symptoms of an Anxious Misery network may differ in degree of heritability.
Examining the Moderating Role of Social Bonds in the Relationship between School Victimization and Educational Attainment.

School victimization affects a relatively small proportion of students each year, but this victimization may have long-term effects on a child’s life trajectory, including graduating high school an...
Conversion total knee arthroplasty: A case complexity between primary and revision total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Conversion total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may represent a more complex procedure compared with primary TKA. The purpose of this study was to compare 30-day complications between conversion TKA and primary, non-conversion TKA as well as between conversion TKA and revision TKA on a national scale using a multi-center surgical registry. METHODS Adult patients undergoing conversion TKA from 2006 to 2018 were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and were compared with patients who underwent primary TKA and aseptic revision TKA. In this analysis, 30-day complications were assessed. Bivariate analyses, including chi-squared and analysis of variance, and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS Of 299,065 total patients undergoing knee arthroplasty, 1,310 (0.4%) underwent conversion TKA, 275,470 (92.1%) underwent primary TKA, and 22,285 (7.5%) underwent revision TKA. Following adjustment, patients who underwent conversion TKA were more likely to have increased risks of any complications (P < 0.001), mortality (P = 0.021), wound complications (P < 0.001), cardiac issues (P = 0.018), bleeding requiring transfusion (P < 0.001), and reoperation (P = 0.002) relative to primary TKA patients. Compared with patients who underwent revision TKA, conversion TKA patients were less likely to have septic complications (P = 0.009). CONCLUSION Conversion TKA is associated with significantly higher rates of complications compared with primary, non-conversion TKA, but less risk of sepsis compared with revision TKA. Because current reimbursement classifications do not account for the case complexity of a conversion TKA, new classifications should be implemented with reimbursements for conversion TKA approximating reimbursements for revision TKA.
Neural Stem Cells for Early Ischemic Stroke.

Clinical treatments for ischemic stroke are limited. Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation can be a promising therapy. Clinically, ischemia and subsequent reperfusion lead to extensive neurovascular injury that involves inflammation, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and brain cell death. NSCs exhibit multiple potentially therapeutic actions against neurovascular injury. Currently, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only FDA-approved clot-dissolving agent. While tPA’s thrombolytic role within the vasculature is beneficial, tPA’s non-thrombolytic deleterious effects aggravates neurovascular injury, restricting the treatment time window (time-sensitive) and tPA eligibility. Thus, new strategies are needed to mitigate tPA’s detrimental effects and quickly mediate vascular repair after stroke. Up to date, clinical trials focus on the impact of stem cell therapy on neuro-restoration by delivering cells during the chronic stroke stage. Also, NSCs secrete factors that stimulate endogenous repair mechanisms for early-stage ischemic stroke. This review will present an integrated view of the preclinical perspectives of NSC transplantation as a promising treatment for neurovascular injury, with an emphasis on early-stage ischemic stroke. Further, this will highlight the impact of early sub-acute NSC delivery on improving short-term and long-term stroke outcomes.
Evaluation of Clinical and Economic Outcomes Following Implementation of a Medicare Pay-for-Performance Program for Surgical Procedures

Importance Surgical complications increase hospital costs by approximately $20 000 per admission and extend hospital stays by 9.7 days. Improving surgical care quality and reducing costs is needed for patients undergoing surgery, health care professionals, hospitals, and payers. Objective To evaluate the association of the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Present on Admission (HAC-POA) program, a mandated national pay-for-performance program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, with surgical care quality and costs. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional study of Medicare inpatient surgical care stays from October 2004 through September 2017 in the US was conducted. The National Inpatient Sample and a propensity score–weighted difference-in-differences analysis of hospital stays with associated primary surgical procedures was used to compare changes in outcomes for the intervention and control procedures before and after HAC-POA program implementation. The sample consisted of 1 317 262 inpatient surgical episodes representing 1 198 665 stays for targeted procedures and 118 597 stays for nontargeted procedures. Analyses were performed between November 1, 2020, and May 7, 2021. Exposures Implementation of the HAC-POA program for the intervention procedures included in this study (fiscal year 2009). Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of surgical site infections and deep vein thrombosis, length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and hospital costs. Analyses were adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics and indicators for procedure type, hospital, and year. Results In our propensity score–weighted sample, the intervention procedures group comprised 1 047 351 (88.5%) individuals who were White and 742 734 (60.6%) women; mean (SD) age was 75 (6.9) years. The control procedures group included 94 715 (88.0%) individuals who were White, and 65 436 (60.6%) women; mean (SD) age was 75 (7.1) years. After HAC-POA implementation, the incidence of surgical site infections in targeted procedures decreased by 0.3 percentage points (95% CI, −0.5 to −0.1 percentage points;P = .02) compared with nontargeted procedures. The program was associated with a reduction in length of stay by 0.5 days (95% CI, −0.6 to −0.4 days;P Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that the HAC-POA program is associated with small decreases in surgical site infection and length of stay and moderate decreases in hospital costs for patients enrolled in Medicare. Policy makers may consider these findings when evaluating the continuation and expansion of this program for other surgical procedures, and payers may want to consider adopting a similar policy.
Higher Nitriding Efficiency in Ultrafine-Grained Iron Processed by Ultrasonic Nanocrystal Surface Modification

In this work, the nitriding efficiency in an ultrafine-grained iron was investigated. Prior to nitriding, the ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM) technique was used to process the coarse-grained iron to obtain ultrafine-grained iron. Gas nitriding was conducted for the UNSM-treated iron and the coarse-grained iron at temperatures from 300 °C to 560 °C. The results indicate that the combination of UNSM and nitriding provide much higher efficiency for hardening than the sum of the efficiencies of UNSM alone and nitriding alone. Nitride nucleation was confirmed in the diffusion layer of the UNSM-treated iron following the nitriding process, enhancing the hardness after nitriding. X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained for both the UNSM-treated iron subjected to nitriding as well as iron that underwent only nitriding at different temperatures. It was also found that the minimum temperatures required to form nitrides, including γ′-Fe4N, e-Fe3N, e-Fe2N, and FeN, were reduced because of the high chemical potential at the grain boundaries. The theoretical analysis suggests that heterogeneous nitride nucleation at grain boundaries is the key factor that contributes to the enhancement in hardness in the nitriding layer in ultrafine-grained metals and nanocrystalline metals.
Does Frailty or Age Increase the Risk of Postoperative Complications Following Cochlear Implantation

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether frailty or age increases the risk of postoperative complications following cochlear implant (CI) surgery.Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingTertiary academic...
Big Data, Surveillance Capitalism, and Precision Medicine: Challenges for Privacy

Surveillance capitalism companies, such as Google and Facebook, have substantially increased the amount of information collected, analyzed, and monetized. including health information increasingly used in precision medicine research, present great challenges for health privacy. “Click through” consent online, compelled authorizations, and the development of algorithms that generate associations from diverse.
Chemical and optical changes in freshwater dissolved organic matter exposed to solar radiation

We studied the chemical and optical changes in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) from two freshwater lakes and a Sphagnum bog after exposure to solar radiation. Stable carbon isotopes and solid-state 13 C-NMR spectra of DOM were used together with optical and chemical data to interpret results from experimental exposures of DOM to sunlight and from seasonal observations of two lakes in northeastern Pennsylvania. Solar photochemical oxidation of humic-rich bog DOM to smaller LMW compounds and to DIC was inferred from losses of UV absorbance, optical indices of molecular weight and changes in DOM chemistry. Experimentally, we observed a 1.2‰ enrichment in δ 13 C and a 47% loss in aromatic C functionality in bog DOM samples exposed to solar UVR. Similar results were observed in the surface waters of both lakes. In late summer hypolimnetic water in humic Lake Lacawac, we observed 3 to 4.5‰ enrichments in δ 13 C and a 30% increase in aromatic C relative to early spring values during spring mixing. These changes coincided with increases in molecular weight and UV absorbance. Anaerobic conditions of the hypolimnion in Lake Lacawac suggest that microbial metabolism may be turning over allochthonous C introduced during spring mixing, as well as autochthonous C. This metabolic activity produces HMW DOM during the summer, which is photochemically labile and isotopically distinct from allochthonous DOM or autochthonous DOM. These results suggest both photooxidation of allochthonous DOM in the epilimnion and autotrophic production of DOM by bacteria in the hypolimnion cause seasonal trends in the UV absorbance of lakes.
The Impact of Membership in the Ethics Officer Association

In this study, we propose considering membership in the Ethics Officer Association (EOA) as a proxy for the firm's commitment to ethical decision making, and we analyze the influence of firm- and CEO-specific characteristics on this commitment. While we observe a positive relationship between membership and firm size, we also document a negative relationship between EOA membership and the executive's time in position and, to a more modest extent, accounting returns. Pursuing this further, we present evidence that firms with past legal issues may seek EOA membership as a signal of their intention to be compliant in the future.
p53 gene mutations are common in uterine serous carcinoma and occur early in their pathogenesis

Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an uncommon but aggressive type of endometrial cancer associated with rapid progression of disease and a poor prognosis. Both USC and its recently described putative precursor, endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma (EIC), demonstrate strong p53 overexpression by immunohistochemistry, suggesting alteration of the p53 gene in their pathogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated 21 USCs and 9 EICs for mutations in the p53 gene using direct sequence analysis and found that 90% of USCs and 78% of EICs contain mutations. Significantly, mutations were found in 3 cases of EIC without associated invasive carcinoma and identical mutations were detected in cases with synchronous USC and EIC. Strong p53 immunoreactivity was seen in the majority of USCs and EICs and correlated with p53 gene mutation, although lack of reactivity did not always indicate the absence of a gene mutation. Loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 17p was observed in 100% of USCs and in 43% of EICs, demonstrating that loss of the wild-type p53 allele occurs early in the development of serous carcinoma. Overall, our results reveal that p53 mutations are very common in USC and EIC. The presence of p53 gene mutations in EIC further suggests that p53 alteration plays an important role early in the pathogenesis of serous carcinoma, possibly accounting for its aggressive biological behavior.
Robust airline fleet assignment: imposing station purity using station decomposition

Fleet assignment models are used by many airlines to assign aircraft to flights in a schedule to maximize profit [1]. A major airline reported that the use of the fleet assignment model increased annual profits by more than $100 million [3] a year over three years. The results of fleet assignment models affect subsequent planning, marketing and operational processes within the airline. Anticipating these processes and developing solutions favorable to them can further increase the benefits of fleet assignment models. We develop fleet assignment solutions that increase planning flexibility and reduce cost by imposing station purity, limiting the number of fleet types allowed to serve each airport in the schedule [4]. Imposing station purity on the fleet assignment model can limit aircraft dispersion in the network and make solutions more robust relative to crew planning, maintenance planning and operations.
Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of root colonization of morningglory (Ipomoea spp.) seedlings by rhizobacteria

Hydroponically-grown ivyleaf morningglory (Ipomoea hederacea) seedlings inoculated with deleterious rhizobacteria (DRB) were studied to observe colonization of roots using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The DRB, Bradyrhizobium japonicum isolate GD3, previously isolated as a DRB producing high concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and Pseudomonas putida isolate GD4, were compared with a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), Bacillus megaterium isolate GP4. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the colonization of isolates GP4 and GD4 were consistently distributed on the surface of roots; however, isolate GD3 was deeply localized into surface furrows of roots. Transmission electron microscopy showed considerable alterations of root cells including vesiculation, partial cell wall degradation, and cytoplasm disorganization. The average population density of isolate GD4 on the root surface was about 10 and 100 times greater than GP4 and GD3, respectively. Root elongation of seedlings inoculated with isolates GD3 and GD4 after 7 d of growth was significantly inhibited by ca. 26% and 90%, respectively, compared to the control. This study showed that inhibition of morningglory root growth by isolate GD3 might be related to production of high concentrations of IAA although other phytotoxins likely contributed to inhibiting root elongation of morningglory inoculated with isolate GD4. Rhizobacteria able to suppress morningglory growth may be effective as biological control agents to supplement herbicide weed management in crops where morningglory is difficult to control.
Comparison between Ge and InGaAs APDs in the 1 to 2 /spl mu/m wavelength range

Ge and InGaAs avalanche photodiodes are suitable for lidar application at 1, 1.3 and 1.55 /spl mu/m wavelengths. A comparison between the two devices is presented, which addresses quantum efficiency, responsivity, dark current, noise and detectivity.
High responsivity, polarization-sensitive, 70-layer InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetector

Excellent material and optical quality of a 70-layer quantum dot infrared photodetector has enabled high responsivity detection and polarization-sensitive absorption.
Energy balance in adolescent girls: the trial of activity for adolescent girls cohort.

Objectives To study correlates of change in BMI percentile and body fat among adolescent girls. Methods A longitudinal prospective study following 265 girls from the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) cohort measured in 8th grade and during 10 and 11th grade or 11th and 12th grade. Twice during 2009-2011 girls wore an accelerometer and completed a food frequency questionnaire and 7-day diary documenting trips and food eaten away from home and school. Physical activity, BMI, and percent body fat were objectively measured at each time point. Results Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) declined, but the change was not independently associated with changes in BMI percentile. Increased vigorous physical activity was associated with reductions in body fat. Diet was associated with both changes in BMI percentile and body fat. Girls who increased the percentage of caloric intake from snacks and desserts reduced their BMI percentile and body fat. Conclusions Some relationships between energy balance behaviors and BMI and body composition were counter-intuitive. While it is plausible that vigorous physical activity would result in reductions of body fat, until more accurate methods are devised to measure diet, the precise contribution of dietary composition to health will be difficult to assess.
The Reversal of Political Parties' Support for Overvalued Exchange Rates

This paper shows that political parties strongly influence exchange rate policy, and that economic globalization has reversed which parties maintain overvalued exchange rates and which maintain undervalued exchange rates. When countries are insulated from the international economy, overvalued exchange rates benefit workers over capitalists, and left-wing parties adopt more overvalued exchange rates than right-wing parties. In globalized economies, right parties are more likely than left parties to overvalue the exchange rate because doing so redistributes income from labor to capital. These arguments are supported by analyses of time-series - cross-sectional data covering 110 countries over 31 years. The main finding is that left parties increase overvaluation at low levels of globalization and they decrease overvaluation at high levels of globalization. Additional analyses reveal that overvalued exchange rates increase income inequality and - two outcomes of import to class-based political parties - in globalized economies. The results suggest not only that parties have larger impacts on exchange rate policy than many theories would predict, but also that globalization can have transformative effects on the relationship between partisanship and economic policy.
My Experiences with the Lozanov Method

An instructor of French discusses her introduction to the Lozanov (suggestopedic) approach to learning and teaching. For five weeks she observed a highly trained instructor teaching an introductory French class at McGill University in Montreal. Using the suggestopedic approach, she eventually taught the same level in an American liberal arts college under the supervision of the Canadian teacher. This holistic method uses long dialogues, communication activities, songs, and games in a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere, and baroque music is played during the presentation of new material. Careful orchestration of these elements favors group interaction, development of creativity, and growth of human memory.
Chromosome mechanics in vivo: quantitative analysis of nonrigid 3D chromosome motion in Drosophila embryos

Chromosomes are often arranged into specific configurations. One example is the metaphase plate of the Drosophila embryo in which chromosomes are arranged into a parallel bundle. How is this configuration established and maintained? Quantitative analysis of chromosomes motion in vivo should help answer this question by providing a measure of the relevant mechanical properties of the chromosomes themselves. In addition, motion analysis will allow us to study interactions of chromosomes with the mitotic spindle. In order to analyze moving mitotic chromosomes, we acquire time-lapse 3D images of chromosomes in living Drosophila embryos, and then interactively model the chromosome configuration at each time point. A model-based motion estimation algorithm is then applied. From the motion estimate, we can visualize trajectories of different regions on the chromosomes, such as centromeres and telomeres, during metaphase and during prometaphase congression. In addition, quantitative estimates of mechanical properties such as mobility and flexibility can be computed. In this preliminary report we describe computational tools for tracking and visualizing 3D chromosome motion, and for detecting oscillations in position along the mitotic spindle.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
"Pure erythrocytosis": will purism prevail.

Advances in medical knowledge tend to come in bursts or at least in great strides. A tiny nucleus of an idea gathers momentum and mass, like tumbleweed rolling through the desert. The sum total of what is gathered may be impure and imprecise, but subsequent honing pares away the excesses engendered by enthusiasm, leaving a useful concept with which we may operate and that we hold to be "truth." Formulation of the concept of myeloproliferative disease constituted such a sweeping advance, gathering up a multitude of clinical "entities" into a syndrome whose unifying lesion is localized at the level of . . .
Quantitative light and electron microscopic analysis of cytochrome oxidase‐rich zones in the striate cortex of the squirrel monkey

Cytochrome oxidase activity was examined in the striate cortex (area 17) of squirrel monkeys at both the light and ultrastructural levels. Two prominent bands of reactivity were found in 4A and 4C with intermittent puffs of cytochrome oxidase reactivity in laminae 2 and 3. These puffs, spaced 0.5 mm apart, were in register with intermittent concentrations of activity in laminae 4B, 5, and 6. A thin band of reactivity was observed in lamina 1. The upper portion of 4C beta was less reactive than 4C alpha or the lower portion of 4C beta. Reactive neurons included stellate cells in all laminae and pyramidal cells in laminae 2 through 4B, 5, and 6. A row of large reactive pyramidal cells was observed in upper lamina 6. More reactive neurons were found in the puffs (laminae 2 and 3) than were observed in interpuff regions, and the reactive neurons were significantly larger than the nonreactive neurons. Reactive neurons contained two to three times as many reactive mitochondria as did the nonreactive neurons and often had indented nuclei. Based on the number of darkly or highly reactive, moderately reactive and lightly reactive mitochondria, puff regions were significantly different from nonpuff regions; there were approximately two times as many darkly reactive mitochondria in puff regions as compared to a similar nonpuff area. The majority of mitochondria (32% in puff; 44% in nonpuff) were found to reside in the dendritic profiles, which also contained the majority of highly reactive mitochondria. In a separate analysis, the total area of highly reactive mitochondria within puff regions was found to be twice the total area of highly reactive mitochondria in a comparable nonpuff region. An analysis of synapses showed that there were more asymmetrical synapses in both puff and nonpuff regions (55% and 54%, respectively) than symmetrical ones (45% in puff and 46% in nonpuff). There was an increase in mitochondrial reactivity in both asymmetrical and symmetrical synapses in the puff areas; however, the increased reactivity within asymmetrical terminals was significantly greater than that within symmetrical ones. Several somatodendritic synapses were observed and they were all of the symmetrical variety. Axospinous contacts were primarily of the asymmetrical type; however, symmetrical axospinous synapses were observed and were typically seen in association with an asymmetrical synapse. It was concluded that cytochrome oxidase activity is localized primarily within the dendritic profiles in both puff and nonpuff regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Initiation of bacteriophage ø29 DNA packaging studied by optical tweezers manipulation of single DNA molecules

A key step in the life cycle of many viruses, including bacteriophages, adenoviruses, and herpesviruses, is the packaging of replicated viral genomes into pre-assembled proheads by the action of ATP-dependent portal motor complexes. Here we present a method that allows the initiation of packaging by single complexes to be studied using optical tweezers. A procedure is developed for assembling phage Φ29 prohead-motor complexes, which are demonstrated to bind and begin translocation of a target DNA molecule within only a few seconds. We show that the Φ29 DNA terminal protein (gene product 3), which functions to prime DNA replication, also has a dramatic effect on packaging. The DNA tether length measured immediately after binding varied from ~30-100% of the full length, yet shortened monotonically, indicating that packaging does not strictly begin at the terminal end of the DNA. Removal of the terminal protein eliminated this variability, causing packaging to initiate at or very near the end of the DNA. These findings, taken together with electron microscopy data, suggest that rather than simply threading into the portal, the motor captures and dynamically tensions a DNA loop, and that the function of the terminal protein is to load DNA segments on both sides of the loop junction onto separate DNA translocating units.
Design and evaluation of a differential speedometer

Differential speedometers are gauges that continually display real-time over/under vehicle speed relative to the current speed limit. Use of these gauges may increase situation awareness and reduce driver workload. The design of such a gauge, however, is critical to its usability and its effect on driver performance. Thirty differential speedometer designs were brainstormed and subsequently down-selected to nine gauges using a heuristic assessment. The selected gauges were then tested for usability in a desktop study. Participants answered questions regarding vehicle speed with respect to the current speed limit using information presented on the gauges. Understanding was assessed by measuring the response time and accuracy of the participants’ response. Subjective ratings of usability and overall gauge preference were also obtained. Results were used to select three gauge designs for future study in a vehicle simulator for the purpose of selecting an optimal design of a differential speedometer.
A Study of Medical Injury and Medical Malpractice

For nearly two decades, an atmosphere of crisis has enveloped our system of medical-malpractice litigation and liability insurance. Courts have expanded the limits of tort liability, an increasing number of patients have sought to redress their grievances in court, and juries have awarded ever-increasing damages for medical injuries. Legislatures have responded to the problems of a shrinking insurance market and rising insurance costs by restricting liability and, in some cases, limiting damages. The courts have reviewed some of these statutory restrictions and have struck down a number of them as unconstitutional. Mean-while, report after report has come from federal and . . .
RhoA and Cytoskeletal Disruption Mediate Reduced Osteoblastogenesis and Enhanced Adipogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Modeled Microgravity

Spaceflight, aging, and disuse lead to reduced BMD. This study shows that overexpression of constitutively active RhoA restores actin cytoskeletal arrangement, enhances the osteoblastic phenotype, and suppresses the adipocytic phenotype of human mesenchymal stem cells cultured in modeled microgravity. Introduction: Reduced BMD during spaceflight is partly caused by reduced bone formation. However, mechanisms responsible for this bone loss remain unclear. We have previously shown reduced osteoblastogenesis and enhanced adipogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured in modeled microgravity (MMG). The small GTPase, RhoA, regulates actin stress fiber formation and has been implicated in the lineage commitment of hMSCs. We examined the effects of MMG on actin cytoskeletal organization and RhoA activity and the ability of constitutively active RhoA to reverse these effects.
Federalism, Subsidiarity and Education Policy in Switzerland

(2000). Federalism, Subsidiarity and Education Policy in Switzerland. Regional & Federal Studies: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 1-35.
Report of Two Cases of Combined Odontogenic Tumors: Ameloblastoma with Odontogenic Keratocyst and Ameloblastic Fibroma with Calcifying Odontogenic Cyst.

Combined odontogenic neoplasms have rarely been documented. Such tumors have also been described by other researchers as “hybrid” lesions. The histologic features are often identical to other individually well-established odontogenic neoplasms such as ameloblastoma, adenomatoid odontogenic tumor, ameloblastic fibroma (AF), and ameloblastic fibro-odontoma. Their clinical presentation is variable, ranging from cysts to neoplasms showing varying degrees of aggressive behavior. Most combined tumors contain features of one of the odontogenic tumors in combination with either a calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) or a calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. We present two new cases of combined odontogenic tumors: an ameloblastoma with an odontogenic keratocyst and an AF with COC. Predicting clinical outcome is challenging when a combination tumor is encountered due to the paucity of such lesions. One must understand salient features of these entities and differentiate them from the more common conventional neoplasms to expand classification and provide prognostic criteria.
DIATOM COLONIZATION ON ARTIFICIAL SUBSTRATA IN POOL AND RIFFLE ZONES STUDIED BY LIGHT AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY1

Light and scanning electron microscopy were utilized to quality diatom colonization in Oak Creek, Arizona. Aluminum SEM stubs with and without plexiglass discs were anchored into rocks. Early colonization on five stub microzones was examined at hourly intervals; weekly intervals of up to 3 wk were employed to record community development in pool find riffle. Plexiglass was more suitable for microbial colonization than aluminum. Organic matter and bacteria were important surface pre-conditioning agents while fungi were instrumental in trap/ting cells during early stages of colonization in the riffle. Diatom colonization was initialed within 1 h on the upstream side of substrata in riffles, while the tap face was colonized first in pools. Colonization moved rapidly to the perimeter in each system. Early colonization of-side microzones was considerably more asymmetric in the riffle than, pool. At Idler stages (2 wk) diatoms with their associated mucilage and algal filaments contributed to the stability of the microbial communities. Horizontally positioned species (Achnanthes, Cocconeis) were early colonizers in both systems while vertically positioned species (Gomphonema, Nitzschia) were more important in later successional stages (3 wk) in the riffle. Horizontally positioned species remained dominant throughout the 3 wk period in the pool. After 3 wk, diversity was normally greater in the pool while density was higher in the riffle. Detrital microcosms containing viable microbiol assemblages frequently collected on tin-upstream face of substrata in the riffle. The random nature by which these detrital microcoms contact downstream substrata greatly contribute to the spatial variation of periphyton in streams. These detrital microcosms expedite repeated colonization in lotic systems.
Material removal during magnetorheological finishing (MRF)

Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) is a newly developed and recently commercialized method for finishing optical components. The MR fluid consists of a water based suspension of carbonyl iron (CI), nonmagnetic polishing abrasives, and small amounts of stabilizers. MRF uses both mechanics and chemistry to smooth glass surfaces to less than 10 angstrom rms. Mechanics are responsible for the microscratching of the glass surface which is initially 'softened' by hydration from water in the MR fluid. Experiments were performed to study the separate roles of mechanical abrasion and chemical softening during MRF. Chemical effects were suppressed by introducing a nonaqueous fluid in place of the water. A novel nanoindentation technique was used to determine CI particle hardness, which varied by a factor of five. The mechanics of removal were then investigated with soft and hard CI powders working against soft and hard optical glasses. Chemistry was then 'turned on' by the addition of a small amount of water to the system. Preliminary results of these experiments are presented here.
An evaluation of taste aversion control of wolf (Canis lupus) predation in Northern Minnesota

Abstract Lithium chloride-laced cow-baits were placed on a ranch in prime wolf habitat in Northern Minnesota. Decreased bait consumption over the summer, and an experimental control for the effects of season, suggested that bait aversions were established in the wolf ( Canis lupus ) population. Since losses were historically low on the ranch, loss reduction may not have been an appropriate indicator of predation prevention. The dramatically decreased number of wolves taken from the ranch, compared to previous years, without a concurrent increase in depredation, suggests limited success.
Laser/rf spectroscopic techniques in fast ion beams

Abstract The perturbation-free environment and kinematically compressed velocity distribution of ion beams are ideal for high precision spectroscopic measurements using laser techniques. The limitations in the optical techniques are explored and the evolution to laser/rf double resonance techniques is described. Using the double resonance technique a 150-fold improvement in precision is achieved. Problems in applying the double resonance technique are encountered at low rf frequencies. A novel method based upon stimulated resonance Raman spectroscopy is described which circumvents these problems.
Characterization of high‐affinity protein D binding sites on the surface of rat epididymal spermatozoa

125I-labeled protein D was shown to bind to whole rat epididymal sperm in a time-dependent, saturable, and reversible manner. Scatchard analysis indicates that there are 3.4 × 105 binding sites/sperm cell with a binding efficiency (Kd) of 2.3 × 10-10 M. Binding of protein D to sperm reaches equilibrium by 95 min. and is reversible by 30 min. Specific binding of protein D to sperm pre-treated with a dilute trypsin solution is reduced significantly when compared with controls. Our findings establish that protein D-specific binding proteins displaying characteristics of a true receptor are present on the surface of rat epididymal sperm.
Entrepreneurship as Strategy: Competing on the Entrepreneurial Edge

To further our understanding of the entrepreneurial function, editors G. Dale Meyer and Kurt A. Heppard, of the book “Entrepreneurship As Strategy: Competing on the Entrepreneurial Edge,” invited several strategy “superstars” to bring their talents and their theories to bear on the entrepreneurial function, in collaboration with a doctoral student in entrepreneurship. The result is six essays plus an introduction. The unifying theme of the book is to uncover, for firms large and small, the components of an entrepreneurial dominant logic. Although the perspective of each team of authors is different, broadly speaking, two components emerge across the chapters. The first involves a focus on the development of the dynamic core competency of inventing new products faster or better than others. The second component involves development of structures to support this competency.
Early postnatal dexamethasone therapy in premature infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome: a double-blind, controlled study.

To determine whether early (≤12 hours) postnatal dexamethasone therapy would facilitate removal of the endotracheal tube and improve outcome in premature infants with severe respiratory distress syndrome, we conducted a double-blind, controlled study of 57 infants whose birth weights were p p
Thermodynamic restrictions on the rate law for faradaic current

Summary Thermodynamic considerations are shown to place restrictions on the form of the rate law for faradaic current. These restrictions lead naturally to the identification of system constants which can be associated with the concepts of exchange current density, charge-transfer coefficient, and stoichiometric numbers for the reacting species. These are meaningful experimental parameters independently of any further significance which may attach to them through applicability of detailed theoretical models of the charge-transfer process. They can be separately determined for systems to which small amplitude perturbation techniques are applicable and in which faradaic and non-faradaic currents can be separated. Failure to consider the possibility of non-unit formal stoichiometric numbers is suggested as one possible source of discrepancies and anomalies in rate parameters reported in the literature.
The effect of HCG on pinocytosis within the canine inter‐sertoli cell tight junction. A preliminary report

The role of tight junctions in permeability barriers is now well established. Other roles for this junction have been postulated but have not been demonstrated. In both adult and prepubertal dogs, stimulation with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) results in an increased number of pinocytotic vesicles on the membrane faces enclosed by tight junctions within the inter-Sertoli cell junctions of the testis. It is suggested that these membranous regions, protected from the normal flow of intercellular fluids, may act as regions of selective intercellular exchange.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Do Patients Care?

Single-incision approaches to laparoscopic cholecystectomy typically involve increasing the size of the umbilical incision and eliminating three smaller incisions, but it is not intuitive that patients would view this as a benefit. We hypothesize that when patient satisfaction with standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy is assessed, most dissatisfaction will be linked to the umbilical incision and, given the option, patients would actually wish to eliminate this incision. Two hundred eighty-one female patients aged 18 to 40 years who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy over a 2-year period were identified, and data were collected on 125 patients. Fewer than half of patients correctly remembered the number of incisions they had, with 57 patients (45.6%) recalling fewer incisions than were present. Of 58 patients reporting one site to be more painful, 38 (65.5%) cited the umbilical site as the most painful. Eighty-one patients (68.6%) would have preferred to eliminate an incision, with 51 of these (63.0%) choosing to eliminate the umbilical incision. As single-incision cholecystectomy enlarges what is already a painful and undesirable incision, and since patients often do not recall the smaller incisions, we should ask ourselves whether surgeons and industry care more about this technique than do the patients to whom we offer it.
Bounded Lattice Expansions

Abstract The notion of a canonical extension of a lattice with additional operations is introduced. Both a concrete description and an abstract characterization of this extension are given. It is shown that this extension is functorial when applied to lattices whose additional operations are either order preserving or reversing, in each coordinate, and various results involving the preservation of identities under canonical extensions are established.
Safety challenges in view of the upcoming hydrogen economy: An overview

If produced and arranged in the right way with carbon dioxide as a possible but permanently removed by-product, hydrogen as a new, large scale, applicable energy carrier promises significant reductions of carbon dioxide emissions. It is light, non-toxic, and clean burning. In different parts of the world, viz. United States, Japan, and Europe, programs have started some years ago to investigate hazardous properties of hydrogen in more detail and to develop special safety measures where necessary. Recently, in September 2009, the third International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (3rd ICHS) was held at Corsica, France. CFD tools have been adapted to describe hydrogen dispersion and explosion. Field tests have been carried out, an incident databank has been founded, knowledge gaps were defined, and risk analysis methods reviewed. The latter are required for drafting installation guidelines and measures for safe distances in land-use planning and licensing of hydrogen storage locations, pipelines, and re-fuelling stations. Yet some challenges remain. The paper will summarize present results and will address hydrogen related issues where more knowledge is needed to reduce uncertainty and improve the quality of risk control.
Revisiting the role of Internet‐EDI in the current electronic commerce scene

The electronic commerce (EC) marketplace is evolving so rapidly that the role of EDI, the technology that originally kickstarted the EC phenomenon to begin with, needs to be clarified under current conditions. Explores the way the Internet is expected to spur much higher EDI diffusion rates at much lower costs across industries. Value added networks (VANs) that firms primarily relied upon for traditional EDI connections have also redesigned their software product and service offerings to align with Internet‐enabled possibilities. On a much larger scale, the electronic marketplace is itself being reorganized as Internet‐EDI (I‐EDI) facilitates the formation of intranets, extranets, and now, “supranets”.
A diagenetic model for sediment–seagrass interactions

The objective of this modeling effort was to better understand the dynamic relationship between seagrass beds and their sedimentary environment using a diagenetic model. The model was developed and optimized for sediments in the Laguna Madre, Texas, which is one of the world's largest (∼140 km long) negative estuaries with close to 85% of the basin floor covered with seagrass beds. Although high levels of organic matter decomposition occur in the near-surface sediments, the model was unable to produce enough metabolism to satisfy dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) profiles from organic matter oxidation alone. Carbon isotope analyses of DIC verified that carbonate mineral dissolution contributes more than 50% of DIC added to porewaters during early diagenesis and is especially important below ∼5 cm. In comparison to unvegetated areas, a common characteristic of seagrass bed sediments was their low sulfide concentrations in the seagrass rootzone. Model simulations indicate that rootzone fluxes of O2 are essential to maintaining non-toxic levels of sulfide and consequently promote healthy conditions for seagrass growth. Further, the model simulations suggest that the position of maximum organic matter metabolism relative to the position of the seagrass rootzone can be used to predict several properties of seagrass sediment geochemistry. These predictions include the comparative role of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, the sulfide to ammonium ratio, and the presence or absences of sulfides in the rootzone. In summary, the results of this model clearly demonstrate a dynamic interaction between seagrasses and diagenetic processes in the underlying sediments. The primary impact of these interactions is to lower sedimentary sulfide concentrations below toxic levels for seagrasses. Such interactions not only modify the sedimentary record but also play an important role influencing the health and productivity of seagrasses.