cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Association between Survival and the Pathologic Features of Periampullary Tumors Varies over Time

Introduction. Several histopathologic features of periampullary tumors have been shown to be correlated with prognosis. We evaluated their association with mortality at multiple time points. Methods. A retrospective chart review identified 207 patients with periampullary adenocarcinomas who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2009. Clinicopathologic features were assessed, and the data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. Results. In univariate analysis, perineural invasion had a strong association with 1-year mortality (OR 3.03, CI 1.42–6.47), and one lymph node (LN) increase in the LN ratio (LNR) equated with a 5-fold increase in mortality. In contrast, LN status (OR 6.42, CI 3.32–12.41) and perineural invasion (OR 5.44, CI 2.81–10.52) had the strongest associations with mortality at 3 years. Using Cox proportional hazards, perineural invasion (HR 2.61, CI 1.77–3.85) and LN status (HR 2.69, CI 1.84–3.95) had robust associations with overall mortality. Recursive partitioning analysis identified LNR as the most important risk factor for mortality at 1 and 3 years. Conclusions. Overall mortality was closely related to the LNR within the first year, while longer follow-up periods demonstrated a stronger association with perineural invasion and overall LN status. Therefore, the current staging for periampullary tumors may need to be updated to include the LNR.
Microengineered cell and tissue systems for drug screening and toxicology applications: Evolution of in-vitro liver technologies

The liver performs many key functions, the most prominent of which is serving as the metabolic hub of the body. For this reason, the liver is the focal point of many investigations aimed at understanding an organism's toxicological response to endogenous and exogenous challenges. Because so many drug failures have involved direct liver toxicity or other organ toxicity from liver generated metabolites, the pharmaceutical industry has constantly sought superior, predictive in-vitro models that can more quickly and efficiently identify problematic drug candidates before they incur major development costs, and certainly before they are released to the public. In this broad review, we present a survey and critical comparison of in-vitro liver technologies along a broad spectrum, but focus on the current renewed push to develop "organs-on-a-chip". One prominent set of conclusions from this review is that while a large body of recent work has steered the field towards an ever more comprehensive understanding of what is needed, the field remains in great need of several key advances, including establishment of standard characterization methods, enhanced technologies that mimic the in-vivo cellular environment, and better computational approaches to bridge the gap between the in-vitro and in-vivo results.
Shared values: no longer dirty words in company success

Abstract The heart of any organization is its value system. Here is how management can uncover its true identity and pump life into the company culture.
Genetic influences on exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis across 12 divergent mouse strains

New neurons are continuously born in the hippocampus of several mammalian species throughout adulthood. Adult neurogenesis represents a natural model for understanding how to grow and incorporate new nerve cells into preexisting circuits in the brain. Finding molecules or biological pathways that increase neurogenesis has broad potential for regenerative medicine. One strategy is to identify mouse strains that display large vs. small increases in neurogenesis in response to wheel running so that the strains can be contrasted to find common genes or biological pathways associated with enhanced neuron formation. Therefore, mice from 12 different isogenic strains were housed with or without running wheels for 43 days to measure the genetic regulation of exercise-induced neurogenesis. During the first 10 days mice received daily injections of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells. Neurogenesis was measured as the total number of BrdU cells co-expressing NeuN mature neuronal marker in the hippocampal granule cell layer by immunohistochemistry. Exercise increased neurogenesis in all strains, but the magnitude significantly depended on genotype. Strain means for distance run on wheels, but not distance traveled in cages without wheels, were significantly correlated with strain mean level of neurogenesis. Furthermore, certain strains displayed greater neurogenesis than others for a fixed level of running. Strain means for neurogenesis under sedentary conditions were not correlated with neurogenesis under runner conditions suggesting that different genes influence baseline vs. exercise-induced neurogenesis. Genetic contributions to exercise-induced hippocampal neurogenesis suggest that it may be possible to identify genes and pathways associated with enhanced neuroplastic responses to exercise.
Modeling and Configuration of Process Variants for On-Boarding Customers to IT Outsourcing

An essential part of IT outsourcing is to move the customer's IT environment into the service provider's mode of operation, which is known as customer on-boarding. It covers every aspect of transition and transformation, from the time the customer signs the contract to the time the provider can deliver steady-state IT services. In order to improve the repeatability and enforce adoption of best practices, a standard set of processes should be established to direct, control, and measure on-boarding activities for each customer. However, this process is very complex and often gets adapted according to customer environments and requirements. It is very difficult to incorporate process variants needed for diverse scenarios into a single on-boarding process model, so that they can be reused. In this paper, we propose an approach based on ontology and rules to model the standard on-boarding process and configure process variants based on the business context that characterizes various scenarios. Further, semantic rules model adaptation policies and help generate a customized process variant schema on the fly. Based on this framework, we have developed a prototype to support process variant configuration. We also discuss the flexibility of our approach, and present its cost-benefit analysis.
Endodontic Diagnosis in Dogs

Complete endodontic evaluation should diagnose endodontic involvement, provide a treatment plan, and evaluate the true success or failure probabilities. Evaluation of the age, physical and oral health of the patient, the endodontic anatomy, clinical and radiographic findings can provide a treatment plan and a predictable prognosis.
Accumulation of 5-oxo-l-proline and 5-oxo-d-proline in the blood plasma in end stage renal disease

Abstract To learn more about the metabolic and clinical significance of 5-oxoproline (pyroglutamate, pyrrolidone carboxylate), we investigated the blood plasma concentrations of 5-oxo- l -proline and 5-oxo- d -proline in normal individuals and in patients with renal failure. Normal plasma levels of total 5-oxoproline of 7–19 μ m (mean, 13.9 ± 4 μ m ) were found; about 10% of the total 5-oxoproline is of the d -configuration. Patients with renal failure had plasma levels of 5-oxo- l -proline that were about 3.5 times higher than normal, and 5-oxo- d -proline levels that were about 25 times higher than the normals. No significant differences were found between the results obtained on anephric patients and those on the other patients with renal failure. The findings, which are relevant to the role of the kidney in glutathione and amino acid metabolism, reflect the significant function of the kidney in the utilization of 5-oxo- l -proline by 5-oxo- l -prolinase and in the excretion of 5-oxo- d -proline.
A RECONSTRUCTION OF CELL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SHOOT APEX OF MAIZE

A B S T R A C T Somatic mutations were induced in maize embryos in order to follow the albino-tissue patterns in mature plants. A reconstruction of cellular development in the shoot apex has been attempted. Two strains of maize were employed, wd/Yg9 and pastel-8549/y, for seed irradiation with gamma rays. After mature plants had developed from this radiated seed, the sectored plants were analyzed in detail for their patterns of albino tissue. The location and frequency of these patterns were correlated with cell number at various sites of the initial shoot apex in order to deduce the number of cells contributing to each frequency class. Various lines of evidence lead to the conclusion that the cellular differentiation in the shoot apex is organized and a relatively stable process. Apparently a few cells in the apical dome provided daughter tissue for the upper half of the maize plant. Various sector patterns are diagrammed and the position of their albino tissue is explained in relation to the location of a specific cell in the apex.
Laminar flame speeds of cyclohexane and mono-alkylated cyclohexanes at elevated pressures

Abstract The propagation speeds of expanding spherical flames of cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane and ethylcyclohexane in mixtures of oxygen/inert were measured in a heated, dual-chamber vessel, with the corresponding laminar flame speeds extracted from them through nonlinear extrapolation. Measurements were conducted at atmospheric and elevated pressures up to 20 atm. Computational simulations were conducted using the JetSurF 2.0 mechanism, yielding satisfactory agreement with the present measurements at all pressures, with a slight over-prediction at 1 atm. Measurements reveal the following trend for the flame speeds: cyclohexane > n -hexane > methylcyclohexane ≈ ethylcyclohexane at all pressures, with the maximum difference being approximately 5% at 1 atm and 13% at 10 atm. Examination of the computed flame structure shows that owing to its symmetric ring structure, decomposition of cyclohexane produces more chain-branching 1,3-butadiene and less chain-terminating propene. On the contrary, a more balanced distribution of intermediates is present in the flames of methylcyclohexane and ethylcyclohexane due to substitution of the alkyl group for H.
Rare-earth and barium abundances in Ivory Coast tektites and rocks from the Bosumtwi Crater area, Ghana

Rare earth and barium abundances in Ivory Coast tektites and rocks determined by isotope dilution
Solution of coupled poroelastic/acoustic/elastic wave propagation problems using automatic hp-adaptivity

Abstract The paper presents a frequency-domain h p -adaptive Finite Element (FE) Method for a class of coupled acoustics/elasticity/poroelasticity problems with application to modeling of acoustic logging measurements in complex borehole environments. The paper extends methodology, software, and results presented in Matuszyk et al. (2012). We derive for poroelastic media a mixed weak formulation, which is closely related to the enhanced ( u , p ) formulation developed by Atalla et al. (2001). The formulation is extended to the transversely anisotropic (VTI) case, and makes use of the viscodynamic operator, which enables more accurate calculations for higher frequencies. In this approach, a special split of the differential operator results in boundary and coupling conditions that can be easily implemented within the FE framework. The appropriate PML technique is employed to truncate the computational domain. Accordingly, the original h p -FE code is modified by the implementation of the appropriate scaling of the independent variables to make efficient the automatic adaptation algorithm. Solutions of non-trivial examples involving formations with permeable layers are presented. They positively verify the consistency and accuracy of the presented method.
Using quotient graphs to model neutrality in evolutionary search

We introduce quotient graphs for modeling neutrality in evolutionary search. We demonstrate that for a variety of evolutionary computing problems, search can be characterized by grouping genes with similar fitness and search behavior into quotient sets. These sets can potentially reduce the degrees of freedom needed for modeling evolutionary behavior without any loss of accuracy in such models. Quotients sets, which are also shown to be Markov models, aid in understanding the nature of search. We explain how to calculate Fitness Distance Correlation (FDC) through quotient graphs, and why different problems can have the same FDC but have different dynamics. Quotient models also allow visualization of correlated evolutionary drives.
Analysis of transmembrane domain mutants is consistent with sequential cleavage of Notch by γ‐secretase

γ-Secretase is a lipid-embedded, intramembrane-cleaving aspartyl protease that cleaves its substrates twice within their transmembrane domains (TMD): once near the cytosolic leaflet (at S3/ɛ) and again in the middle of the TMD (at S4/γ). To address whether this unusual process occurs in two independent or interdependent steps, we investigated how mutations at the S3/ɛ site in Notch1-based substrates impact proteolysis. We demonstrate that such mutations greatly inhibit not only γ-secretase-mediated cleavage at S3 but also at S4, independent of their impact on NICD stability. These results, together with our previous observations, suggest that hydrolysis at the center of the Notch transmembrane domain (S4/γ) is dependent on the S3/ɛ cleavage. Notch (and perhaps all γ-secretase substrates) may be cleaved by sequential proteolysis starting at S3.
Effect of growth hormone on milk yields and related physiological functions of Holstein cows exposed to heat stress.

Abstract Responses of milk production and other physiological functions to daily subcutaneous injections of bovine growth hormone (16.6 mg/cow) were studied in six Holstein cows in midlactation under environmental heat stress. Five days were assigned for each treatment of thermoneutral (18.3°C), heat (28.9°C), heat plus growth hormone, and heat 2 . Each period was preceded by at least 3 days of adjustment. Feed and water were available ad libitum. Feed intake, milk production, and rectal temperature were measured twice daily. Blood, energy metabolism, and body weight were measured every 1st, 3rd, and 5th day of each period. Administration of growth hormone under heat stress increased milk production by 3.8 and 12% and fat yield by 9.5 and 12.7% over heat and heat 2 . Feed intake declined by 5.8% with no significant increase of heat production or body weight loss during treatment with bovine growth hormone. Heat increased somatic cell concentration.
Colors of Competence in Competition: A Guide for Active Learning in Competitive Activities

Competitive game play is often taught in early elementary school as a way for students to engage in activities in physical education. Although well-intentioned, many of these lessons are often desi...
Effect of Creep on Stresses in Cylindrical Shells

The ordinary elastic theory of shell deflections is based on considering stretching and bending of the shell. It assumes that only the stresses σ x , σ θ , τ xθ where x is the axial distance, θ the azimuthal angle along the cylindrical shell, are significant, while the remaining stress components σ z , τ xz , τ θz , where z is the distance along the normal to the middle surface of the shell, are negligible. This assumption will be adhered to in the following, both in the initial, elastic state, and as creep progresses.
Document image recognition and retrieval : Where are we?

This paper discusses survey data collected as a result of planning a project to evaluate document recognition and information retrieval technologies. In the process of establishing the project, a Request for Comment (RFC) was widely distributed throughout the document recognition and information retrieval research and development (R&D) communities, and based on the responses, the project was discontinued. The purpose of this paper is to present `real' data collected from the R&D communities in regards to a `real' project, so that we may all form our own conclusions about where we are, where we are heading, and how we are going to get there. Background on the project is provided and responses to the RFC are summarized.
Does coronary artery screening by electron beam computed tomography motivate potentially beneficial lifestyle behaviors

We evaluated the extent to which cardiovascular risk-reducing behaviors are initiated as a result of knowledge of newly detected coronary artery disease, based on test results from noninvasive electron beam computed tomography (EBCT). A total of 703 men and women, aged 28 to 84 years, asymptomatic and without prior coronary disease, who had a baseline EBCT coronary artery scan and basic medical history and risk factor information completed a follow-up survey questioning them about health behaviors undertaken since their scan. Baseline calcium scores were significantly higher in those who subsequently reported consulting with a physician, or reported new hospitalization, coronary revascularization, beginning aspirin usage, blood pressure medications, cholesterol-lowering therapy, decreasing dietary fat, losing weight, beginning vitamin E, and under more worry (all p <0.01). Other factors, including reducing time worked, obtaining life insurance, losing employment, increased work absenteeism, increasing exercise, or stopping smoking were not associated with coronary calcium. In logistic regression, after adjusting for age, gender, pre-existing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and a positive family history of coronary disease, the natural log of total calcium score remained associated with new aspirin usage, new cholesterol medication, consulting with a physician, losing weight, decreasing dietary fat, new coronary revascularization (all p <0.01), but also new hospitalization (p <0.05) and increased worry (p <0.001). The results suggest that potentially important risk-reducing behaviors may be reinforced by the knowledge of a positive coronary artery scan, independent of preexisting coronary risk factor status.
Electronic and optical switching of solution-phase deposited SnSe2 phase change memory material

We report the use of chalcogenidometallate clusters as a solution-processable precursor to SnSe2 for phase change memory applications. This precursor is spin-coated onto substrates and then thermally decomposed into a crystalline SnSe2 film. Laser testing of our SnSe2 films indicate very fast recrystallization times of 20 ns. We also fabricate simple planar SnSe2 electronic switching devices that demonstrate switching between ON and OFF resistance states with resistance ratios varying from 7−76. The simple cell design resulted in poor cycling endurance. To demonstrate the precursor’s applicability to advanced via-geometry memory devices, we use the precursor to create void-free SnSe2 structures inside nanowells of ∼25 nm in diameter and ∼40 nm in depth.
Valuation Methods in Early-Stage Biotechnology Enterprises: The â€œVenture Capital Methodâ€ at Work

Valuation approaches to biotechnology companies by angel investors and venture capitalists often appear to the entrepreneurs to be based on voodoo rather than sound principles of finance. While there may be some truth to that perception, there is actually a very sound, somewhat complex, internal logic to the way private biotechnology companies are valued. Note the emphasis on the word â€œprivate.â€ This article will focus entirely on the valuation methodology of companies that are not yet listed. Moreover, the article will not consider the valuation approaches used by, say, a pharmaceutical company when it is targeting a biotechnology company for acquisition or strategic partnering. The emphasis of this piece is on the thought process or algorithm in play â€” the so-called â€œVenture Capital Methodâ€ â€” when an investor is looking at a biotechnology company in the seed stage or in the first or second round of venture capital funding.
Cyclization Strategies to Polyenes Using Pd(II)-Catalyzed Couplings of Pinacol Vinylboronates

As a complement to Pd(0)-catalyzed cyclizations, seven Pd(II)-catalyzed cyclization strategies are reported. α,ω-Diynes are selectively hydroborated to bis(boronate esters), which cyclize under Pd(II)-catalysis producing a diverse array of small, medium, and macrocyclic polyenes with controlled E,E, Z,Z, or E,Z stereochemistry. Various functional groups are tolerated including aryl bromides, and applications are illustrated.
Perioperative Goal-Directed Therapy☆☆☆

From the Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. T.E.M. is a consultant for Edwards Lifesciences, Covidien, and Hospira. Research funding from Cheetah Medical and Retia Medical. T.J.G. is a consultant for Baxter, Edwards Life Science, Hospira and QRx. Research support from AcelRx, Cheetah, Covidien, Cubist, Deltex, Fresenius, Merck, Pacira and Premier. This work was supported solely by departmental funds. Address reprint requests to Tong J. Gan, MD, MHS, FRCA, Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University HSC Level 4, Rm 060 Stony Brook, NY 11794-8480 Tel: (631) 444-2979 Fax: (631) 444-2907 E-mail: tong.gan@ stonybrookmedicine.edu © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1053-0770/2601-0001$36.00/0 http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.jvca.2014.07.008
A biologically active receptor for the carbohydrate-binding protein(s) of dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract Recent biochemical and genetic evidence has shown that carbohydrate-binding protein (CBP-26) is intimately involved in the cell-cell cohesion process. We have isolated a cell-surface-associated receptor molecule for CBP-26 by affinity chromatography. The receptor has a molecular weight of 80,000 daltons. The CBP receptor is consitutively expressed during development. Most significantly, the receptor, when added to aggregation-competent cells, blocks the cells' ability to reaggregate. These results suggest that CBP and its receptor play an important role in the cell cohesion and aggregation process.
Direct Infra-Red Spectral Analysis of the Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infection Process

INFRA-RED spectroscopy may provide a means of following biochemical changes which occur in tissues as a result of virus infection, if induced spectral changes can be detected and related to the structure of the absorbing compounds.
Normal closures of powers of Dehn twists in mapping class groups

Let F = F(g, n) be an oriented surface of genus g≥1 with n<2 boundary components and let M(F) be its mapping class group. Then M(F) is generated by Dehn twists about a finite number of non-bounding simple closed curves in F([6, 5]). See [1] for the definition of a Dehn twist. Let e be a non-bounding simple closed curve in F and let E denote the isotopy class of the Dehn twist about e. Let Nbe the normal closure of E2in M(F). In this paper we answer a question of Birman [1, Qu 28 page 219]:Theorem 1. The subgroup N is of finite index in M(F).
Inhibition of established transplants of chemically induced sarcomas in syngeneic mice by lymphocytes from immunized donors.

Intravenous injections of lymph node cells from immunized BALB/c and (C57BL/-6 X A) F1 mice and from immunized sheep induced regression or inhibition of established grafts of a methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma in syngeneic BALB/c mice. INHIBITION DES GREFFES ETABLIES DE SARCOMES CHIMIQUEMENT INDUITS CHEZ DES SOURIS SYNGENIQUES PAR DES LYMPHOCYTES DE DONNEURS lMMUNISES Des injections intraveineuses de cellules de ganglions lymphatiques de souris BALB/c ou (C57BL/6XA) F1 et de moutons ont provoque une regression ou une inhibition des greffes etablies d'un sarcome induit par le methylcholanthrene chez des souris BALB/c syngeniques.
Enzymic memory studies with nucleoside-5'-diphosphate kinase.

Abstract Steady-state kinetic tests for enzymic memory were carried out with nucleoside-5′-diphosphate kinase (EC 2.7.4.6). The results were positive, with differences as large as 10-fold in the dTDP reactivities of phosphoryl enzymes obtained with five different nucleoside triphosphates as donor substrates. It was shown that these differences were not caused either by donor substrate inhibition or by the occurrence of separate active sites for the alternative donors. Guidelines for selecting enzymes for steady-state kinetic memory study are presented.
Where Is Wisdom to be Placed

N a monograph published over ten years ago, reprinted a number of times, and justly well known and highly influential, G. Ernest Wright addresses himself to the nature of biblical theology as recital. In the course of suggesting a tentative program for the presentation of biblical theology so understood, he notes: "In any outline of biblical theology, the proper place to treat the Wisdom literature is something of a problem."' Although in this monograph and elsewhere Wright has made some excellent suggestions regarding the nature of Israel's Wisdom and its place in Old Testament theology, a survey of the more widely circulated books on Israel's religion and theology from the mid-nineteenth century to the present accentuates the problem to which Wright refers and indicates that the question, "Where is Wisdom to be placed?", remains a very live one. Raising this question does not imply that Wisdom is ignored by writers on Old Testament theology. Rather, the question indicates that the Wisdom literature remains rather awkwardly and uneasily related to what is commonly considered the main thrust of the biblical message. Rylaarsdam, in his exceedingly valuable work on the Wisdom literature, puts the matter this way, "This striking neglect of Jewish history and religion by the canonical wisdom writers clearly indicates that the Hebrew Wisdom movement had not yet been integrated into the national religion."2 And it is quite commonly stated that the canonical wise men had no real interest in Law, as formally defined, or worse still from the perspective of Old Testament theologians, no interest in election and covenant.8 Sometimes this deficiency is minimized by asserting that the sages did not ignore these matters because they were unimportant but because they were dealt with elsewhere and the wisdom writers thus intentionally limited themselves to a narrower sphere of concern.4 This narrower sphere provides the way by which the wisdom literature is usually related to the theology of the Old Testament. There is little need for extensive documentation of this point for it is so widely held as to be almost axiomatic. H. Wheeler Robinson expressed the view concisely when he defined Wisdom as "the discipline whereby was taught the application of prophetic truth to the individual life in the light of experience."' My own
Salaries of Bank Officers and Employees

That the salaries of bank employees are disgracefully low is open to question; that the salaries are low is beyond doubt; that the question is a serious one for the employees and the banks is becoming more pronounced.1 The manpower requirements of the armed forces during World War II made serious inroads on competent bank personnel, and banks are becoming increasingly aware of the possibilities of current serious inroads resulting from the expanding activities of an economy of partial mobilization. This situation may become very serious in the case of the smaller institutions whose organizations cannot provide replacement personnel for aged officers, and where the directors cannot, or believe they cannot, afford to pay salaries which will attract competent management from the outside. A situation of this nature is bound to lead to the increasing absorption of the smaller institutions, particularly in States where State-wide branch banking is permitted. The inevitable result will be an increasing tendency towards concen? tration.2
Th2 T cells expressing transgene PDGF-A serve as vectors for gene therapy in autoimmune demyelinating disease.

We hypothesized that T cells can be genetically modified to express growth factor transgene products capable of inducing oligodendrocyte progenitor proliferation. Autoreactive T cells isolated from SWXJ mice immunized with the p139-151 determinant of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) were transfected with an antigen-inducible transgene for platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF), a growth factor important in regulating the development of oligodendrocytes. Isolated antigen-specific T cell clones expressed the PDGF transgene when stimulated with PLP 139-151 peptide and produced biologically active PDGF capable of inducing proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Furthermore, upon adoptive transfer, the PDGF transfected T cells migrated to the CNS and ameliorated ongoing disease. Our data indicate that autoreactive memory Th2 cells can be genetically modified so that upon engagement with self antigen they produce regenerative growth factors capable of mediating tissue repair during autoimmune disease.
Feasibility Study of the Social Enterprise Intervention with Homeless Youth.

Objective: To reduce mental health symptoms and high-risk behaviors and increase social support and service utilization among street-living youth, the authors conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of the social enterprise intervention (SEI) at a homeless youth agency. Method: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 16 street-living youth from the agency. SEI participants received 7 months of vocational and small business training and service referrals. A comparison sample of 12 agency youth was used. Results: Findings from independent sample t tests demonstrate that SEI participants displayed significant improvements at 9 months in life satisfaction, family contact, peer support, and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that the SEI was feasible within the agency setting and associated with higher mental health and social outcomes.
Rediscovery of Lake Balls in Lake Michigan

ABSTRACT For the first time in 70 years, the occurrence of a “lake ball” in Lake Michigan is here reported in the literature. According to a published system of classification, the object we collected in 1978 was a “false” lake ball. Dissection revealed that it was colonized by 5 chironomid larvae and 162 oligochaetes. The species and numerical proportions of the oligochaetes indicated that it was formed in or near the mouth of a eutrophic tributary rather than in the open waters of Lake Michigan where it was found. Because of their mobility, false lake balls may be ecologically important, serving as natural vehicles for the dispersal of invertebrates.
Fifty-one families with computers: A study of children's academic uses of microcomputers at home

This paper examines the extent to which children in a 51-family, qualitative study used their home microcomputers for learning school subjects such as reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Logs and analytic documents gathered over two years were content analyzed. This analysis revealed that most of the children who used their home microcomputers were not using them for academic learning. The absence of home academic microcomputing by children was found to be associated with a set of factors which included the lack of parental pressure and support for home academic microcomputing, the schools' emphasis on programming and computer literacy, the unreceptivity of the children and their peers to home academic microcomputing, and the dearth of academic software in the homes. The implications of these findings for the fostering of home academic microcomputing are discussed.
Regulation of Myocardial β-Adrenergic Receptor Function in Adult and Neonatal Rabbits

β-Adrenergic receptor (βAR) desensitization is the decrease in response following sustained agonist stimulation by catecholamines. While developmental changes in βAR response have been well documented
Colors generated by tunable plasmon resonances and their potential application to ambiently illuminated color displays

In this paper the plasmonic resonances of coated nano-particles are explored as a means for realizing tunable pigments. These pigments are investigated for their potential applicability to color display technologies. The colorimetric properties of these pigments are derived from the optical scattering spectra of the coated nano-particles. Several configurations of these pigments are investigated for their utility in realizing an ambiently illuminated color display. Their operation is contrasted to current color liquid crystal displays, which use color filters and polarization dependent effects and require internal illumination to render colors. Simulated performance characteristics of such displays are presented.
Studies on dissociation in Pasteurella multocida

Summary Little correlation exists between the morphologic cultural characteristics and virulence of strains of P. multocida . There is a relation between the type of fluorescence and virulence of a strain. Since the variants isolated from the blood and organs of mice dead of experimental infection are always identical to those injected, it cannot be proved that the seruin of susceptible animals necessarily contains a selective factor for a given variant as occurs in the case of the Brucella species. A fluorescent, virulent swine strain of P. multocida and the fluorescent and the non-fluorescent variants of a Chinese water buffalo strain ( P. bubaliseptica 4606) of P. multocida possess common antigens. By agglutination adsorption it was shown that each of the strains possesses additional specific antigens not shared by the other. The fluorescent virulent variant of the water buffalo strain could not completely adsorb agglutinins from an antiserum against the non-fluorescent avirulent variant. Either the non-fluorescent variants possess an antigen which is absent in the fluorescent variant or failure to adsorb was due to quantitative differences in the distribution of the same antigens. Normal horse serum and extract broth possessed a selective factor for the growth of the virulent fluorescent type of P. multocida . Continuous transfer in infusion broth promoted dissociation to the non-fluorescent form despite the presence of serum. Extract broth stippressed development of non-fluorescent variants even on rapid transfer. Dissociation of the fluorescent type to the non-fluorescent occurred in decreasing order in infusion broth, serum infusion broth, nutrient broth and serum nutrient broth when cultures were stored at 31°C.
Measurement by x-ray diffraction methods of the layer compressional elastic constant B in the lyotropic smectic-A (L alpha ) phase of the lecithin-water system.

A high-resolution synchrotron x-ray study of oriented, supported, hydrated dilauryl phosphatidylcholine in the lyotropic ${L}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ (smectic-A or ``fluid'') phase shows that thermal fluctuations give rise to algebraic decay of positional order in stacking of the bimolecular lamellae, the so-called ``Landau-Peierls'' state. For planar monocrystalline samples of thickness 10--20 \ensuremath{\mu}m, the exponents derived from intensity profiles are in accord with harmonic theory. When combined with previous measurements of the splay elastic constant K in this lyotropic system, the exponents indicate a bulk compressional elastic constant B=(1.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{8}$ erg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$, consistent in magnitude with values measured in thermotropic liquid crystals. Samples of thickness \ensuremath{\sim}1--2 \ensuremath{\mu}m show anomalous behavior in the wings of the longitudinal intensity profiles, but are not in accord with harmonic theory, suggesting that surface effects partially quench the thermal fluctuations. Grandjean terraces on sample surfaces produce striking refractive effects at low Bragg angles.
Tests on multiple correlation coefficient and multiple partial correlation coefficient

Abstract Let X1(1 × 1), X2(1 × p2), and X3(1 × p3) be three sets of random variables distributed jointly as a normal distribution. Let ϱ1.23 and ϱ1.2 be the multiple correlation coefficients between X1 and (X2, X3) and between X1 and X2, respectively. Invariant tests for the following four testing problems are considered: ϱ1.23 = 0 vs ϱ1.23 > 0, ϱ1.23 = 0, vs ϱ1.23 > 0, ϱ1.23 = ϱ1.2 vs ϱ1.23 > ϱ1.2, ϱ1.2 = 0 vs ϱ1.2 > 0. The joint distribution of the sample multiple correlation coefficients R1.23 and R1.2 is derived.
Krysŝtufek, B., and V. Voharlík. 2005. Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus. Rodentia I: Sciuridae, Dipodidae, Gliridae, Arvicolinae. Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, Koper, Slovenia, 292 pp. ISBN 961-6033-60-3, price (paper), approx. $30. Available from University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia; e-mail: annales@zrs-kp.si

B. Krysŝtufek, V. Voharlik. 2005. Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus. Rodentia I: Sciuridae, Dipodidae, Gliridae, Arvicolinae. Zgodovinsko drustvo za južno Primorsko, Koper, Slovenia, 292 pp. ISBN 961-6033-60-3, price (paper), approx. $30. Available from University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre Koper, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia; e-mail: annales@zrs-kp.si. This book is the 2nd volume in a series on the mammals of Turkey and Cyprus. The book covers, as the title implies, species within 4 rodent families. Although this piece is complete and stands on its own, I cannot avoid writing a few words on the 1st volume of the series, Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus: Introduction, Checklist, Insectivora (Kryŝtufek and Voharlik 2001). The 1st volume is a “must have” piece in the series, because it covers not only the former order Insectivora, but it also contains an overview on geography and climate of various regions of Turkey and Cyprus. Additionally, with a checklist of mammals in Turkey and Cyprus, the book sets the foundation for all subsequent volumes. More than 200 pages of Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus . Rodentia I is filled with detailed descriptions …
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer: Endoscopic Outcomes, Rectal Toxicity, and Quality of Life

controls were seen only for Hormone Bother (pZ0.02) and all Sexual domains (p 70, Gleason 8-10, post-PT year >5. None of the other Summary scores showed clinically significant differences regardless of PT subset. Conclusions: Men treated with PT for PCa had similar QOL scores compared to controls except in Sexual domains and in Hormone-Bother sub-domain. Clinically significant differences were primarily seen in sexual domains and related to HT use, older age, higher Gleason sum, and longer interval from treatment. No difference was seen in Bowel or Urinary QOL compared to men without PCa. Author Disclosure: A.K. Lee: None. L.B. Levy: None. C.J. Rossi: None. D.A. Bush: None. S. Choi: None. N.P. Mendenhall: None. Q.N. Nguyen: None. S. Keole: L. Stock Options; ProCure. A.L. Zietman: None. J.D. Slater: None.
Comments on the nonpharmaceutical interventions in New York City and Chicago during the 1918 flu pandemic

This commentary was originally published in CIDRAP News and it is here reported almost verbatim to allow divulgation through open access. The Editorial summarizes John Barry's concerns about the value of accurate historical reporting and its implications in public policy determination. This short abstract was written by the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Translational Medicine to introduce the Editorial.
On the Number of Faces of Certain Transportation Polytopes

Define the transportation polytope Tn, mto be a polytope of non-negative n×m matrices with row sums equal to m and column sums equal ton . We present a new recurrence relation for the numbers fkof the k -dimensional faces for the transportation polytope Tn, n+1. This gives an efficient algorithm for computing the numbers fk, which solves the problem known to be computationally hard in a general case.
Border Conflicts Between George Bush and Vicente Fox: Continued As Well as Unresolved Disputes, 2000–2006

This study examines the clash between US President George Bush and his counterpart, President Vicente Fox of Mexico. Disputes have taken place since antiquity in what is now the southwestern region of the United States. Indigenous peoples fought European colonizers until the Mexican and US republics emerged. Then, as now, migration, revolution, water access, drugs, and economic exploitation became prominent. From 2000 to 2006, these issues became more prominent than ever as Fox and Bush struggled to control the border between both countries.
Assessing coordination overhead in control of robot teams

Conventional models of multirobot control assume independent robots and tasks. This allows an additive model in which the operator controls robots sequentially neglecting each until its performance deteriorates sufficiently to require new operator input. This paper presents a model and experiment intended to extend the neglect tolerance model to situations in which robots must cooperate to perform dependent tasks. In the experiment operators controlled 2 robot teams to perform a box pushing task under high cooperation demand (teleoperation), moderate demand (waypoint control/heterogeneous robots), and low demand (waypoint control/homogeneous robots) conditions. Measured demand and performance were consistent with the model's predictions.
Housing Market Bust and Farmland Values: Identifying the Changing Influence of Proximity to Urban Centers

This article estimates the impact of the 2007–2008 residential housing market bust on farmland values, using parcel-level farmland sales data from 2001–2010 for a 50-county region under urbanization pressure in western Ohio. Hedonic model estimates reveal that farmland was not immune to the residential housing bust; the portion of farmland value attributable to proximity to urban areas was almost cut in half shortly after the bust in 2009–2010. Nonetheless, total farmland prices remained relatively stable in the 2000s, likely due to increased demand for agricultural commodities. Our results are robust to different assumptions about the structure of the unobserved spatial correlation.
The origin of terrestrial heat flow

Summary A theory of the origin of the Earth's heat which agrees with all observations is presented. The radiogenic heat production from the decay of U and Th was computed from their abundances in ordinary chondrites from which the Earth accreted and from the abundance of potassium in the mantle plus crust. The total radiogenic heat production is 1.14 × 1013 W. Because U and Th are incompatible in the silicates, they have migrated upward into the continental rocks. The sediments eroded from the continents are returned to the continents on subducting oceanic slabs. Therefore, about 90 per cent of U and Th are concentrated in the continents. This is confirmed by a worldwide survey of helium in the oceans which found only 5 per cent of the helium that should have been there, had the heat come from radioactive decay. Subtracting the radiogenic heat production of 1.14 × 1013 W from the total heat loss of 4.2x1013 W, yields 3.06 × 1013 W to be supplied by the non-radioactive sources in the mantle. It is proposed that non-radiogenic heat originates from secular cooling and from the release of gravitational potential energy by the absorption of FeO from the mantle into the core. This reaction has been produced in the laser-heated diamond anvil cell at temperatures and pressures of the core-mantle boundary layer. As the molten iron extracts most of the FeO out of the perovskite of the mantle, a light residue consisting of an iron-depleted perovskite and stishovite, a form of silica, rises in the form of plumes and megaliths generating heat by viscous friction. If the oxygen now present in the core got there by this process, 1027 g of FeO have descended into the core, generating energy at an average rate of twice the present rate of loss of non-radiogenic heat. Adding the contribution of secular cooling, an average rate of non-radiogenic heat production of 1014 W could have been sustained for the last 4.6 billion yr.
P 2 E-DWT: A parallel and pipelined efficient VLSI architecture of 2-D Discrete Wavelet Transform

Discrete Wavelet Transforms has surpassed its counterparts due to its attractive properties, and hence been adopted by image processing algorithms. However, with the emergence of real-time resource constrained embedded imaging platforms, DWT manifests as a bottleneck. This article presents a hardware implementation for 2-D DWT. An area-efficient, parallel and pipelined architecture is proposed with a modified image scan coupled with “multiplier-free” multiplications. Through simulations and implementation, the proposed scheme proves to be a fast, area and power efficient solution for DWT.
Constrained hierarchical modeling of degradation data in tissue-engineered scaffold fabrication

ABSTRACTIn tissue-engineered scaffold fabrication, the degradation of scaffolds is a critical issue because it needs to match with the rate of new tissue formation in the human body. However, scaffold degradation is a very complicated process, making degradation regulation a challenging task. To provide a scientific understanding on the degradation of scaffolds, we propose a novel constrained hierarchical model (CHM) for the degradation data. The proposed model has two levels, with the first level characterizing scaffold degradation profiles and the second level characterizing the effect of process parameters on the degradation. Moreover, it can incorporate expert knowledge in the modeling through meaningful constraints, leading to insightful inference on scaffold degradation. Bayesian methods are used for parameter estimation and model comparison. In the case study, the proposed method is illustrated and compared with existing methods using data from a novel tissue-engineered scaffold fabrication process...
Horace, Odes i 12 yet again: A Rejoinder *

Professor Dunston gives my loosely expressed reference to Horatian scholars the treatment it deserved (above, 56). I ought perhaps to have said ‘scholars whose authority carries great weight with me’ and hoped to show that I was not merely advocating in this respect an eccentric view of my own. In view of what he goes on to say, I hope it will not seem arrogant if I now say that Horace has been a favourite author with me for forty years and that the kind of structure I advocated does seem to me to be an element in his art. In a work of art such a structure must be self-evident, if it is real: otherwise it is likely to be something imposed on the artist by scholars or critics.
Demonstration of benefits from an optimization approach to the economic analysis of natural pine stands in Central Mexico.

Abstract A whole-stand/diameter-function growth-and-yield prediction model based on the three-parameter Weibull probability density function was developed for Pinus hartwegii Lindl. The model was incorporated with a Dynamic Programming algorithm to compute optimal thinning schedules. The algorithm optimizes timing, intensity and type of thinning for different rotation ages. It was used to perform an economic analysis of some silvicultural practices and to explore the economic implications of the production system and legal restrictions of forestry in the central region of Mexico. Results showed that the efficiency of forest production in the region would be improved by allowing stumpage producers to market larger trees to lumber and plywood manufacturers.
Packaging of MEMS for Integrated RF Circuit Verifications

This paper provides development of MEMS switches and packaging of MEMS to test radio frequency circuits used in wireless products such as cell phones and network routers. We discuss fabrication of MEMS using low voltage magnetic materials and their configurations to achieve the optimum switch to test RF low noise amplifiers. We have accomplished a very unique methodology to test low noise amplifiers using built-in sellf-test technique and our MEMS switches are proposed to achieve the verification of low noise amplifiers. Furthermore, we have used MEMS switches that we developed to perform self calibration to correct for the parametric variations and faults within the deep submicron CMOS circuits. We also discuss packaging of MEMS and low noise amplifier using 3D TSV technology.