cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase 2 trial of induction gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and cetuximab followed by selective capecitabine-based chemoradiation in patients with borderline resectable or unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Purpose To evaluate, in a phase 2 study, the safety and efficacy of induction gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and cetuximab followed by selective capecitabine-based chemoradiation in patients with borderline resectable or unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (BRPC or LAPC, respectively). Methods and Materials Patients received gemcitabine and oxaliplatin chemotherapy repeated every 14 days for 6 cycles, combined with weekly cetuximab. Patients were then restaged; “downstaged” patients with resectable disease underwent attempted resection. Remaining patients were treated with chemoradiation consisting of intensity modulated radiation therapy (54 Gy) and concurrent capecitabine; patients with borderline resectable disease or better at restaging underwent attempted resection. Results A total of 39 patients were enrolled, of whom 37 were evaluable. Protocol treatment was generally well tolerated. Median follow-up for all patients was 11.9 months. Overall, 29.7% of patients underwent R0 surgical resection (69.2% of patients with BRPC; 8.3% of patients with LAPC). Overall 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) was 62%, and median PFS was 10.4 months. Median overall survival (OS) was 11.8 months. In patients with LAPC, median OS was 9.3 months; in patients with BRPC, median OS was 24.1 months. In the group of patients who underwent R0 resection (all of which were R0 resections), median survival had not yet been reached at the time of analysis. Conclusions This regimen was well tolerated in patients with BRPC or LAPC, and almost one-third of patients underwent R0 resection. Although OS for the entire cohort was comparable to that in historical controls, PFS and OS in patients with BRPC and/or who underwent R0 resection was markedly improved.
Rapid triggering of vocalizations following social interactions

Summary Social interactions are multifaceted, composed of interlinked sensory-motor behaviors. The individual significance of each of these correlated components cannot be established without observing the full behavior. Recently, Wesson [1] concluded that rats display their submissive status by lowering sniff rate following face-to-face encounters with a dominant conspecific. How rats can perceive such changes in sniff rate is unclear. We recorded sniffing and vocal production of rats during social interactions. Face-to-face encounters with a dominant rat immediately elicited 22 kHz alarm calls in the submissive. The large drop in sniff rate observed in submissive rats was caused by the prolonged exhalations needed to produce these calls. We propose that, while submissive rats do lower sniffing rates around face-to-face encounters, dominant rats need not directly perceive this change, but may instead attend to the salient 22 kHz alarm calls.
Teams as technology: applying theory and research to model macrocognition processes in teams

Macrocognition in teams involves the cognitive and collaborative processes by which teams integrate their members’ knowledge into useful solutions. Macrocognition demonstrates one way teams are a technology to enhance performance and outperform individuals. We use combinations-of-contributions theory and the ideal group model of signal detection theory to further understand macrocognition and model the potential impact of macrocognition. Although not consistently beneficial, transactive knowledge systems, stimulated cognition and information sharing are presented as representations of macrocognition. A thought experiment based on macrocognitive processes and the ideal group model illustrates the consequences of structures for distributing critical evidence among team members. Results show the value of redundancy in evidence distribution as well as indicate that macrocognition in teams can include processes that result in performance decrements. Macrocognition demonstrates how collaborative cognitive proce...
The Role of Waveguide Coupling on the Sensitivity of a Coupled Resonator Optical Waveguide Gyroscope

We analyze the affect that the waveguide-resonator coupling, κe, has on the transmission and sensitivity of an optical gyroscope consisting of N evanescently coupled mircroring resonators. Rotation sensitivities are maximized as both κe→0 and κe→1.
Effect of outcome valence on positive and negative patterning in human causal reasoning

The importance of configural cues and whether a situation involves beneficent or maleficent outcomes was investigated in two experiments on human causal reasoning, based on experienced causal information. Participants learned positive and negative patterning discriminations involving either beneficent or maleficent outcomes in a health-reasoning task and in a social-reasoning task. With maleficent outcomes, positive patterning was consistently easier to learn than negative patterning, a positive patterning advantage that is predicted by current associative theories and commonly taken as evidence for configural cues. However, with beneficent outcomes, the two discrimination tasks were not significantly different in ease of learning, a result not predicted by current theories. The reliable positive patterning effect found with maleficent outcomes broadens the range of conditions in which the effect can be shown in causal reasoning. The novel effect of outcome valence poses an interesting theoretical challenge for attempts to account for the relation between learning about individual cues and combinations of those cues.
Offsetting the radiative benefit of ocean iron fertilization by enhancing N2O emissions

[1] Ocean iron fertilization is being considered as a strategy for mitigating the buildup of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. Assessment of this strategy requires consideration of its unintended consequences, such as an enhancement of ocean N2O emissions. This feedback could offset the radiative benefit from the atmospheric CO2 reduction significantly, because N2O is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2 itself. Our model results show that the magnitude of this offsetting effect is substantial, but is highly dependent on the location and duration of fertilization. We find the largest offsets (of the order of 100%) when fertilization is undertaken in the tropics, particularly when it is of limited duration and size. Smaller, but still substantial effects are found when fertilization is undertaken elsewhere and over longer periods. These results suggest that any assessment of ocean fertilization as a mitigating option is incomplete without consideration of the N2O feedback.
Intershell Coupling in Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

The interaction and load transfer between multiple shells of a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) is the subject of intense research by both analysts and experimentalists. Observations of both lubricated sliding and adhesion between the shells of the MWNT have been observed. While the atomic interactions due to simple separation have been successfully modeled by the Lennard-Jones interaction potential for graphene structures, modeling of the shearing deformation mode has been problematic. In the present work, the authors utilize two approaches in continuum mechanics to examine the shearing transfer between shells in a MWNT subjected to extensional and torsional loading wherein the load is transferred through the outer most shell to interior shells. The first approach follows the earlier developments of the authors wherein imperfect bonding between the shells is governed by a shearing transfer efficiency that varies between perfect bonding and frictionless sliding. The second approach utilizes a classical shear lag model to study the shearing transfer between the shells. A comparison between the shear lag and shear transfer models shows the equivalence of the two approaches for two-shell MWNT and numerical solutions are presented for the shear lag model for multiple layers beyond two. Agreement between the two models for multi-shells is demonstrated by varying an adjustable parameter that depends solely on the MWNT geometry. The simplicity of the shear transfer model as compared to the shear lag model constitutes an important advantage. The fundamental discrepancy between the two models lies in the fact that length dependence is inherent to the shear lag analysis, while according to the shear transfer model, stress transfer does not depend explicitly on length.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The Effect of Nitric Oxide Release Rates on the Oxidation of Human Low Density Lipoprotein

1-Substituted diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolates, a class of nitric oxide (⋅NO) donor compounds that spontaneously release⋅NO at different rates, were used to investigate the effect of⋅NO release rate upon the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL). All donor compounds conferred an inhibitory effect upon the oxidation of LDL; however, the effect exhibited a biphasic dependence upon the rate of ⋅NO release. The ⋅NO release rate that maximally inhibited oxidation was dependent upon the rate of oxidation. When LDL was rapidly oxidized by copper(II) sulfate, a faster release rate was more effective. In contrast, when LDL was oxidized slowly by 2,2′-azobis-2-amidinopropane hydrochloride, a slower release rate was most effective. This biphasic relationship between ⋅NO release rate and the duration of inhibition was also demonstrated when LDL oxidation was initiated with 5-amino-3-(4-morpholinyl)-1,2,3-oxadiazolium, a peroxynitrite generator. We conclude that the antioxidant ability of ⋅NO is dependent not only upon the rate of its release from ⋅NO donors, but also upon the rate of oxidation. This conclusion is supported by a kinetic model of LDL oxidation in the presence of ⋅NO.
Isolation of sugar and antibiotic mutants in Chlorella vulgaris with a new replica plating technique

Abstract A new replica plating technique has been described to isolate physiological and biochemical mutants in the unicellular alga, Chlorella. In one operation, 115 different cultures can be inoculated. A pure culture of Chlorella was raised from a single cell which was treated with ethyl methanesulfonate at its LD50 value to induce mutations. After a prolonged treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), 0.87–39.4% mutants were isolated on media with different sugar and antibiotic contents. This technique can be effectively used for isolating physiological and biochemical mutants in other unicellular organisms and also for higher plant cells.
Clinical Steps to Predictable Color Management in Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry

The shade matching of a restoration is the critical final step in aesthetic restorative dentistry once morphology and occlusion are addressed. This article describes a seven-step approach to successful shade matching: patient and tooth evaluation, image capture and shade analysis, communication, interpretation, fabrication, verification, and placement of restoration. A step-by-step protocol to shade matching is comprehensively outlined through a case study using a combination of technology-based instrumentation, conventional techniques, and reference photography.
Cytoarchitectonic delineation of the ventral lateral thalamic region in the monkey.

Abstract The cytoarchitecture of the ventral lateral region of the primate thalamus has been appraised in the frontal, parasagittal and horizontal planes. A morphologically distinct region, possessing a sparse and diffuse distribution of large and small neurons is identified. The region includes several nuclei previously separately named by Olszewski 45 . These are nuclei VPLo, VLc, X, VLps, and some cellular extensions into the VLo nucleus. The whole zone is continuous, and it is shown that no clear separation exists between any of the previously identified sub-nuclei. Connectional grounds are given for suggesting that this region should be considered as a common cerebellar relay nucleus to motor cortex. Morphological criteria for distinguishing the cellsparse nucleus from adjacent nuclei are given. These cytological criteria provide a basis for the experimental analysis of cortical and subcortical connectivity of the ventral lateral thalamic region. Close attention was paid to the border between the VPLo nucleus and the VPLc nucleus. VPLc is separated from VPLo by a clear border, and no transitional zone can be detected in the parasagittal or horizontal planes. Previous ambiguities in the delineation of the VPLo-VPLc border probably stem from analysis in the frontal plane, in which the border is not clear.
Differential Expression of Oncogenicity and Nopaline Synthesis in Intact Leaves Derived from Crown Gall Teratomas of Tobacco

The results reported in the present study demonstrate that oncogenicity and nopaline synthesis are differentially expressed under conditions in which the neoplastic state is persistently suppressed in crown gall teratoma tissues of tobacco. While an active and continued synthesis of nopaline occurs in cells present in intact teratoma-derived leaves, the reexpression of oncogenicity depends on the development of new cell divisions. It is suggested that these new cell divisions are required either (a) to reestablish positive feedback control mechanisms upon which the development of a capacity for autonomous growth of these plant tumour tissues appears to depend, or (b) to establish the pattern of metabolism concerned with cell growth and division which is then maintained in the plant tumour cells by positive feedback control mechanisms.
Party Responsibility and Loyalty: New Rules in the Democratic Party

D URING THE PERIOD 1953-1956, the leadership of the Democratic Party grappled with the problem of resolving the "loyalty oath" issue arising out of the previous national convention. The compromise which evolved resulted in the adoption of new rules by th Democratic National Convention of 1956. This study purports to analyze these rules and to assess their implications for the relationship between national and state Democratic parties within the matrix of national committee, national convention and the electoral college.
In Search of an Invisible Culture in David Plante’s American Ghosts and Robert Cormier’s Fade

David Plante’s American Ghosts (2005) and Robert Cormier’s Fade (1988), autobiographical narratives about growing up in southern New England in French Catholic neighborhoods called Little Canadas, both employ the trope of invisibility to convey the ethnic community’s lack of presence, agency, or permanence within an englobing American culture that progressively erodes the foundations of its cultural otherness. Both texts hinge upon cultural erasure. In Plante’s memoir, in which he seeks to gain access to his cultural past, his childhood self is haunted by the ghosts of his Indian forebears and his adult self, by the ghosts of his parish. These supernatural beings who shuttle between absence and presence signal the loss of cultural memory and identity that assimilation engenders. Cormier’s novel chronicles the effects of invisibility on three “faders” representing first-, second-, and third-generation French Canadians in New England. A metaphor for the progressive loss of ancestral heritage in the adopted ...
Effect of surface chemical and structural heterogeneity of copper-based MOF/graphite oxide composites on the adsorption of ammonia

Abstract Two graphite oxides (GOs), obtained by oxidation of graphites of different origins, were used as composite components with copper-based metal–organic frameworks, MOFs. Such composites were tested for ammonia adsorption at room temperature, in dry and moist conditions. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, adsorption of nitrogen, and thermal analysis. Generally, the ammonia adsorption capacities of the composites were found to be lower than those calculated for the physical mixture of their components. An involvement of NH 3 adsorption sites of MOF in a composite formation was found to be a major factor, lowering the adsorption capacity of a composite in dry conditions. The composites with the smaller amount of GO were found to be better adsorbents of ammonia in the absence of moisture than those, with the higher amount of GO. The adsorption of ammonia in moist conditions resulted in a collapse of MOF structure, accompanied by the release of active groups. These groups contributed to the enhanced adsorption of ammonia via acid–base reactions. Thus, in the presence of moisture, the composites with the higher amounts of GO, and the ones, containing more carboxylic groups than epoxy groups in GO, were found to be the best performing samples.
On Models for Reliability Prediction

The paper presents a review and commentary on various mathematical models which have been proposed and used for analytical prediction of reliability. Attention is given to the physical interpretation of some of the mathematical postulates on which particular models are built. A rough classification of models for long-term life quality analyses as distinct from short-term success at any instant predictions are made. Based on the considerations presented, a summary commentary is made on the present status of reliability prediction theories.
Targeted deletion of Sost distal enhancer increases bone formation and bone mass

The Wnt antagonist Sost has emerged as a key regulator of bone homeostasis through the modulation of Lrp4/5/6 Wnt coreceptors. In humans, lack of Sclerostin causes sclerosteosis and van Buchem (VB) disease, two generalized skeletal hyperostosis disorders that result from hyperactive Wnt signaling. Unlike sclerosteosis, VB patients lack SOST coding mutations but carry a homozygous 52 kb noncoding deletion that is essential for the transcriptional activation of SOST in bone. We recently identified a putative bone enhancer, ECR5, in the VB deletion region, and showed that the transcriptional activity of ECR5 is controlled by Mef2C transcription factor in vitro. Here we report that mice lacking ECR5 or Mef2C through Col1-Cre osteoblast/osteocyte-specific ablation result in high bone mass (HBM) due to elevated bone formation rates. We conclude that the absence of the Sost-specific long-range regulatory element ECR5 causes VB disease in rodents, and that Mef2C is the main transcription factor responsible for ECR5-dependent Sost transcriptional activation in the adult skeleton.
Connection between the stable-particle model and the integrally charged quark model

Hadron multiplets have been previously constructed from the three stable particles p, e and νe. Here we show that by regrouping the basic particles properly we can obtain a one-to-one correspondence with the integrally charged Han-Nambu « quarks » with « colour », thus providing a new realization of hadron flavor groups and multiplets.
The fate of p,p'-DDT [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane] in the dogfish, Squalus acanthias☆☆☆

1. 1. Ring labeled 14C-p, p'-DDT was administered via the caudal vein or artery or by stomach tube to Squalus acanthias; tissue distribution and excretion of total radioactivity was followed with time. 2. 2. The liver, which contains about 60 per cent lipid, was found to sequester the drug quantitatively. 3. 3. No radioactivity was found in the gill effluate or urine over a 48-hr period. 4. 4. The drug appears to be well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of the dogfish. 5. 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the drug may be bound to and transported by the plasma lipoproteins. 6. 6. Preliminary studies showed that there is a marked toxicity, of a delayed type, following injection of 5 mg/kg of p, p'-DDT.
A comparison of copper vapor and flashlamp pumped dye lasers in the treatment of facial telangiectasia.

METHODS. Twelve adult patients with bilateral facial telangiectasias were treated with two yellow light lasers. A section of each involved area was treated with a copper vapor laser and a similar section in the same patient was treated with the flashlamp pumped dye laser. RESULTS. Both lasers provided satisfactory clearance at 2 and 6 weeks. Treatment was not painless with either laser; however, no patient needed local or general anesthesia. The time taken to treat equivalent areas was similar for both lasers. Postoperative swelling was greater with the flashlamp pumped dye laser than with the copper vapor laser and the time required for healing was longer with the flashlamp pumped dye laser. CONCLUSION. The larger purpuric macules produced postoperatively by the flashlamp pumped dye laser were less cosmetically acceptable to patients when compared with the thin linear crusting produced by the copper vapor laser. Scarring or textural changes were not seen with either laser.
Mechanism of intrinsic factor action in the gastrectomized rat.

Summary and Conclusion1. In experiments with gastrectomized rats: (a) The probable species specificity of rat intrinsic factor was demonstrated by the failure of a highly purified preparation of hog intrinsic factor to increase the absorption of Co60-B12. (b) In consonance with previous observations in pernicious anemia, acidification (pH 1.85) of a mixture of Co60-B12 and homogenized rat stomach inhibited the absorption of Co60-B12. (c) In contrast to previous observations in pernicious anemia, separate serial administration of Co60-B12 and rat gastric juice failed to show that rat intrinsic factor was more effective in promoting the absorption of Co60-B12 when it preceded than when it followed the Co60-B12. Indeed, no certain effect of rat intrinsic factor was detected whether it preceded or followed the Co60-B12 by as short an interval as 30 minutes. 2. In experiments with paired isolated loops of small bowel with intact blood supply created in previously gastrectomized rats: (a) The radioactivity of t...
The menstrual cycle and components of human female sexual behaviour

Abstract In non-human primates, gonadal hormones alter attractivity and proceptivity to produce maximal sexual interaction around ovulation. A review of the relevant literature for humans revealed little comparable data. Hormonal correlations with human sexual behaviour have been difficult to demonstrate, and the most prominent peak of conscious sexual desire appears to occur in the mid-follicular rather than the ovulatory phase. There is evidence, however, for a mid-cycle peak in female sexual initiation. We suggest that the notion of non-cyclicity in humans may result from a lack of research concentration on separate components of sexual receptivity and on socio-environmental factors that may interact with hormonal influences.
Temperature-Sensitive Nonfusing Myoblast Variant and Spontaneous Revertant: Isolation and Characterization

A stable, temperature-sensitive, nonfusing variant of the L6 rat myoblast cell line has been isolated following mild EMS-induced mutagenesis. At the permissive temperature (37° C), the growth characteristics and developmental pattern of the tsA1 variant are essentially identical to those of the parental L6D0 line at either 37° C or 40° C. At the nonpermissive temperature (40° C), the tsA1 variant grows normally but does not align, fuse, or synthesize detectable amounts of β-tropomyosin or myosin LC2. A peptide corresponding to myosin LClemb is barely detectable. The temperature-sensitive period spans the interval from 4 to 72 h postplating with a midpoint at approximately 40 h. Under standard culture conditions, commitment to terminal differentiation occurs between days 3 and 4, and alignment and fusion begin on days 4 and 5, respectively. Thus, the temperature-sensitive event occurs very early in the L6 developmental program. A spontaneous revertant of the temperature-sensitive phenotype (tsA1[R3]) exhibits recovery of the capacities to align, fuse, and synthesize the repertoire of muscle-specific proteins, suggesting that a single pleiotropic mutation in the tsA1 variant may regulate several stages in L6 myogenesis.
September 11: Meaning in Fragments

September 11 raises a broader issue about the roles of theology in public life, especially in relation to acts of violence. This essay proposes that the theologian has particular responsibility for the interpretive frameworks and narratives within which public discussion situates acts of violence, and it illustrates this proposal through brief comments on the concept of "the fragment" in recent theology.
Transmission electron microscopy investigation of an ordered metastable phase in Zr-N alloys

Supersaturated hcp f-Zr(N) alloys containing 22-28 at.% N were prepared by nitriding sheets of Zr in an atmosphere of high-purity N 2 , followed by homogenization under high-purity Ar gas. Quenching and isothermal ageing of the alloys for various times between 500 and 650°C resulted in precipitation of a metastable phase, rather than the equilibrium phase ZrN. This investigation focused on determining the structure, orientation relationship, habit plane, morphology, growth kinetics and atomic growth mechanism of this non-equilibrium precipitate using transmission electron microscopy imaging and diffraction techniques, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron-energy-loss spectroscopy and various simulation programs. The precipitate, which was arbitrarily designated the  phase, has a monoclinic Bravais lattice. Its lattice parameters are a = 0.32 nm, b = 0.60 nm, c = 0.56 nm, f= g= 90° and n= 121.5°. Its orientation relationship with the fmatrix is $$ (0001)_\alpha /\mskip-2/ (020)_\xi\qu...
Human plasma high density apolipoprotein A-I: effect of protein-protein interactions on the spontaneous formation of a lipid-protein recombinant.

Abstract The effect of the self-association of apolipoprotein A-I on the dynamics of lipid-protein complex formation was studied. Treatment of self-associated apolipoprotein A-I with guanidine hydrochloride initially resulted in dissociation of the oligomers into monomers and subsequent denaturation of the monomers. The association of monomeric and oligomeric apolipoprotein A-I with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine resulted in identical lipid-protein recombinants as determined by chemical analysis and gel-filtration column elution profiles. Denaturation of a recombinant with guanidine hydrochloride indicated that the protein is more stable in a lipid-protein recombinant than as an oligomer; however, self-association does decrease the rate of lipidprotein recombinant formation. Because apolipoprotein A-I is more stable when it is associated with lipid, we conclude that the association of this protein with a variety of lipids is subject to kinetic control.
Comparative study of ethanol levels in blood versus bone marrow, vitreous humor, bile and urine

Post-mortem ethanol levels in blood were compared to corresponding levels in rib bone marrow, vitreous humor, urine and bile. In forensic toxicology, a good correlation between blood and a tissue or body fluid is needed to estimate a blood alcohol concentration when blood is unavailable or contaminated. In this study, direct injection and headspace gas-chromatographic techniques were employed to quantitate the ethanol concentrations. Comparable findings by these two techniques showed a reproducibility of results. When the determined bone marrow ethanol levels were corrected for the lipid fraction, a consistent correlation could be established between ethanol levels in blood and bone marrow. The relationship (linearity and ratio range) between ethanol levels in blood and corrected levels in bone marrow was better than that between blood and vitreous humor, bile or urine. This study showed that blood ethanol levels can be predicted by extrapolating the corrected rib bone marrow ethanol level.
Policy Analysis and Verification by Graph Transformation Tools

Policies are used to control the behavior of large-scale systems. After policies are designed and before policies are implemented, it should be possible to analyze the policies and verify that they behave as expected. Graph transformations provide a good method to carry out the analysis and verification because of the intuitive representation of policies and the mature theory. Here, we show how graph transformations can simulate PONDER policies and use the graph tools AGG and GROOVE to do the static and dynamic analysis.
ANTIBODY PREVALENCE OF EIGHT RUMINANT INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CALIFORNIA MULE AND BLACK-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS HEMIONUS)

We tested 276 sera from 18 free-ranging black-tailed and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herds in California (USA) collected from 1987 to 1991 in five biogeographical habitat types, for antibodies against eight infectious disease agents. Overall antibody prevalence was 56% for Anaplasma marginale, 31% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 16% for bluetongue virus serotype 17, 15% for epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, 7% for Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii, respectively, and 0% for bovine leukosis virus and caprine arthritis/encephalitis virus, respectively. Antibodies against Lyme borreliosis and anaplasmosis were found in deer throughout California, but antibodies against bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease were most prevalent in deer from southern California.
Experimental study of the effect of specimen size on the JR resistance curve of ductile materials

Abstract The effect of specimen size on the onset of crack growth ( J i ) and the initial slope of the J R curve ( d J d a ) was studied experimentally using three-point bend (TPB) specimens and side-grooved TPB specimens of different sizes. The results showed that J i was not affected greatly by specimen size when the requirement for specimen size in the ASTM specification E813 was met, but the d J d a was affected in some degree by the specimen size. It is therefore considered necessary to use larger specimens or side-grooved specimens to measure the J R curve when using the J R -curve-based method of evaluating the stability of crack growth.
Customer preference discontinuities: a trigger for radical technological change

What factors cause a mature industry to re-enter a period of technological turbulence? This paper addresses this question by developing a model of technological evolution that incorporates both technological trajectories and a new concept: preference trajectories, which are cycles of incremental and discontinuous change in preferences. Preference discontinuities turn out to play an important role in triggering technological transitions in an industry. I illustrate the model with an historical study of the typesetter industry, which underwent three major technological transitions, each of which was driven by preference discontinuities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of carotid infusion of thiopental on learned behavior and EEG in goats

Abstract In the goat, blood from the carotid arteries supplies the entire brain anterior to the medullary region. Both common carotid arteries of adult female goats were exteriorized in loops so that flexible polyethylene catheters could be inserted easily. The goats were trained to make continuous operant responses in a visual discrimination task and while they were responding unilateral intracarotid infusions were made. Responses were recorded before, during, and after infusions, along with the EEG obtained through cortical implanted electrodes. Infusions of thiopental in concentrations from 0.025% to 0.1% were bracketed by infusions of 0.9% NaCl. Infusions of NaCl had only a transient behavioral effect and none on the EEG. The higher concentrations of thiopental caused slowing or cessation of responding often, but not always, accompanied by EEG changes characteristic of light barbiturate anesthesia. No increase in response errors occurred.
An improved prompt gamma neutron activation analysis facility using a focused diffracted neutron beam

Abstract The performance of the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) facility at the MIT Research Reactor has been improved by a series of modifications. These modifications have increased the flux by a factor of three at the sample position to 1.7 × 107 n/cm2 s, and have increased the sensitivity, on average, by a factor of 2.5. The background for many samples of interest is dominated by unavoidable neutron interactions that occur in or near the sample. Other background components comprise only 20% of the total background count rate. The implementation of fast electronics has helped to keep dead time reasonable, in spite of the increased count rates. The PGNAA facility at the MIT Research Reactor continues to serve as a major analytical tool for quantifying 10B in biological samples for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) research. The sensitivity for boron-10 in water is 18 750 cps/mg. The sensitivity for pure elements suitable for PGNAA analysis is reported. Possible further improvements are discussed.
Wavelets defined over finite fields and the discrete wavelet transform

We describe the general finite field wavelet transform, which operates on vectors of length pk for p a prime, k >= 0. This transform allows one to choose not only the analyzing wavelet, but the wavelet `machine' by which a tight frame is produced from the analyzing wavelet. We discuss an implementation of the transform, which uses an algorithm that reveals the multiresolution character of the transform. Finally, its applications to denoising and cryptography are discussed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Trends in antihypertensive drug prescription patterns among ambulatory stroke patients in the United States, 2000-2009.

Background Although the ambulatory setting is recognized as the best arena for optimizing antihypertensive drug treatment after a stroke, little is known about recent office-based antihypertensive drug treatment patterns in the United States. We assessed national trends in antihypertensive treatment for stroke patients in office-based medical practice. Methods Data from the 2000-2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys were analyzed comprising outpatient visits to physicians in office-based practice by patients aged 40 years or older with a diagnosis of stroke (weighted estimate=46,317,269). The main outcome measure was visits with a prescription of antihypertensive medication(s). Results The proportion of total visits that included a prescription of antihypertensive medication was 35.6% in 2000-2002, 29.5% in 2003-2005, and 49.3% in 2006-2009 ( P = .002); 50.9% were primary care physician (PCP) visits versus 26.2% neurologist visits ( P P = .014). Age-adjusted logistic regression analyses confirmed a higher prescription rate of 2 or more agent classes in 2006-2009 versus 2000-2002 (2.96; 95% CI, 1.40-6.24). There were no significant differences in agent class type or number between neurologists versus PCPs. Conclusions Over the last decade, there was a significant rise in the use of antihypertensive drugs and combination of agent classes for patients aged 40 years or older seen in an ambulatory setting with a diagnosis of stroke. PCPs were more likely than neurologists to prescribe these agents.
Atomic response to strong laser pulses

We formulate a semiclassical model for the collective response of an atom to a strong laser pulse and use it to study the behavior of the valence shell of xenon. We find that, in a monochromatic wave, a fraction of the shell ionizes rapidly and the rest is driven coherently. The energy distributions of the emitted electrons show reasonable agreement with experimental distributions that are generated via single-particle ionization, indicating that the spectra are independent of the ionization dynamics. The remaining part of the shell is driven coherently and expands with time, thus exerting minimal effect on the core. We also analyze the effects of pulse shape, pulse duration, and the ponderomotive potential. In particular, we present results for femtosecond pulses.
Efficient method to attach enzymes to monodispersive iron nanoparticles

One of the major concerns in environmental, biomedical and other applications of enzyme is their short life time restricting its use outside the cell. An effective way to increase the stability and longevity of enzymes from hours to days is to combine them with nanoparticles. With this aim, two different catabolic enzymes-trypsin and peroxidase were attached to the uniform magnetic iron nanoparticles. Uniform magnetic iron nanoparticles were produced from novel cluster deposition technique. The sizes of the nanoparticles deposited on petri dish were ~20 nm in diameter. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) were then attached to the enzymes separately and horseradish peroxide activity (HRP) was measured. The results were compared with the commercially available MNP of size diameter ~100 nm. Our study indicates that attached HRP activity of enzymeatic attached to MNP prepared in our lab was compariable and economical in comparison to commercially available nanoparticles.
Endoscopic mucosal resection for Barrett’s esophagus-related neoplasia

Evaluation of: Lopes CV, Hela M, Pesenti C et al. Circumferential endoscopic resection of Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia or early adenocarcinoma. Surg. Endosc. 21(5), 820–824 (2007).High-grade dysplasia may progress to esophageal adenocarcinoma in 16–32% of patients. Esophagectomy is the definitive therapy; however, the procedure has a mortality rate of 3–12% and 29–56% of patients develop at least one serious postoperative complication. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for high-grade dysplasia or early carcinoma has been proposed for selected patients. With conventional EMR, Barrett’s epithelium is left behind, invasive lesions may be missed due to sampling error and long-term outcomes remain unknown. A recent study reports a mean follow-up of 31.6 months in patients treated with circumferential EMR. Allowing multiple sessions of EMR and repeat EMR for recurrence, the study reports a 90% success rate. EMR changed the initial biopsy diagnosis in 34% of patients. Another trial of EMR recen...
The Science of Social Work and Its Relationship to Social Work Practice

As John Brekke has observed, social work does not use the word “science” to define itself, suggesting a need to articulate a science of social work. This article discusses the science of social wor...
Acetone-Linked Peptides: A Convergent Approach for Peptide Macrocyclization and Labeling.

Macrocyclization is a broadly applied approach for overcoming the intrinsically disordered nature of linear peptides. Herein, it is shown that dichloroacetone (DCA) enhances helical secondary structures when introduced between peptide nucleophiles, such as thiols, to yield an acetone-linked bridge (ACE). Aside from stabilizing helical structures, the ketone moiety embedded in the linker can be modified with diverse molecular tags by oxime ligation. Insights into the structure of the tether were obtained through co-crystallization of a constrained S-peptide in complex with RNAse S. The scope of the acetone-linked peptides was further explored through the generation of N-terminus to side chain macrocycles and a new approach for generating fused macrocycles (bicycles). Together, these studies suggest that acetone linking is generally applicable to peptide macrocycles with a specific utility in the synthesis of stabilized helices that incorporate functional tags.
Increased phosphofructokinase content during chronic hypoxia in cultured skeletal muscle (L8) cells.

Abstract Chronic hypoxia results in increased measured activity of all of the glycolytic enzymes and is associated with an increase in glycolytic capacity. Phosphofructokinase, a rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme, was measured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions to determine the relationship between increased activity and enzyme content. Monoclonal antibodies were used to isolate pure enzyme in rat skeletal muscle cells (L8) cultured hypoxically ( P O 2 = 14 torr) and normoxically ( P O 2 = 142 torr). Phosphofructokinase content per cell in cultures maintained under chronic (96 h) hypoxic conditions was twice that of cells cultured under normoxic conditions (0.0675±0.008 (S.E.) and 0.0345±0.003 μ g enzyme protein/μg DNA, P μ g DNA). The specific activity (units/mg enzyme protein) of phosphofructokinase in the hypoxic (296±32) versus the normoxic (290±15) cultures was not significantly different, indicating that the increased activity was accounted for by an increase in enzyme content. Glycolytic rate appears to be regulated at the level of enzyme content.
The Middle Interhemispheric Variant of Holoprosencephaly

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The middle interhemispheric variant of holoprosencephaly (MIH) is a rare malformation in which the cerebral hemispheres fail to divide in the posterior frontal and parietal regions. We herein describe the structural abnormalities of the brain in a large group of patients with MIH, compare these features with those of classic holoprosencephaly (HPE), and propose a developmental mechanism, based on current knowledge of developmental neurogenetics, by which MIH develops. METHODS: Brain images obtained in 21 patients with MIH (MR images in 16 patients and high-quality X-ray CT scans in five patients) were retrospectively reviewed to classify cerebral abnormalities. The cerebral parenchyma, hypothalami, caudate nuclei, lentiform nuclei, thalami, and mesencephalon were examined for the degree of midline separation (cleavage) of the two hemispheres. The orbits, olfactory apparati, and presence or absence of a dorsal cyst were also assessed. RESULTS: In all patients, by definition, midportions of the cerebral hemispheres were continuous across the midline, with an intervening interhemispheric fissure. The sylvian fissures were abnormally connected across the midline over the vertex in 18 (86%) of 21 patients. Two patients had relatively normal-appearing sylvian fissures; one had unilateral absence of a sylvian fissure owing to substantial subcortical heterotopia. Heterotopic gray matter or dysplastic cerebral cortex was also seen in 18 (86%) of 21 patients. MIH differed from classic HPE as follows. 1) In all subjects, the midline third ventricle separated the hypothalamus and lentiform nuclei. 2) The caudate nuclei were separated by the cerebral ventricles in 17 (89%) of the 17 patients in whom they could be assessed. 3) The most commonly affected basal nucleus was the thalamus (non-cleavage in seven [33%] of 21 cases, abnormal alignment in 1 [5%]). 4) Three (18%) of the 16 patients in whom the mesencephalon could be assessed showed some degree of mesencephalic non-cleavage. 5) No patients had hypotelorism (four had hypertelorism, the remainder manifested normal intraocular distances). Dorsal cysts were present in five (25%) of the 20 patients in whom they could be assessed (dorsal cysts could not be assessed after shunt surgery), and as in classic HPE, were associated with severe thalamic non-cleavage in three of these five patients. CONCLUSION: MIH appears to cause non-cleavage of midline structures in a completely different pattern than does classic HPE. In MIH, impaired induction or expression of genetic factors appears to influence the embryonic roof plate, whereas in classic HPE, induction or expression of the embryonic floor plate seems to be affected.
Parcel manipulation and dynamics with a distributed actuator array: the virtual vehicle

We are developing a materials handling system where many small simple actuators cooperate to transport and to manipulate large objects in the plane. A discrete set of cells, each comprising two actuators, are fixed in a planar array. By coordinating the actuators in the cells on which an object rests, an object can be transported and manipulated. In essence, this system is an improvement over traditional conveyor systems in that objects can be re-oriented, as well as conveyed. Such an array provides flexible materials handling in which many objects independently can be manipulated and transported at the same time. The array is coordinated in a distributed manner where each cell has its own controller and each controller communicates with its neighbors. Towards the goal of motion planning, in this paper we consider the dynamics of parcel transport and manipulation. The parcel dynamics are based on an exact discrete representation of the system, unlike other methods where a continuity assumption is made. Two types of contact models are considered.
Cyclic 3', 5'-AMP relay in dictyostelium discoideum. IV. Recovery of the cAMP signaling response after adaptation to cAMP

In dictyoselium discoideum, an increase in extracellular cAMP activates adenylate cyclase, leading to an increase in intracellular cAMP and the rate of cAMP secretion. Cells adapt to any constant cAMP stimulus after several minutes, but still respond to an increase in the concentration of the stimulus. We have now characterized the decay of adaptation (deadaptation) after the removal of cAMP stimuli. Levels of adaptation were established by the perfusion of [(3)H]adenosine-labeled amoebae with a defined cAMP stimulus. After a variable recovery period, the magnitude of the signaling response to a second stimulus was measured; its attenuation was taken as a measure of residual adaption to the first stimulus. The level of adaptation established by the first stimulus depended on both its magnitude and duration. Deadaptation began as soon as the first stimulus was removed. The magnitude of the response to the second stimulus increased with the recovery time in a first-order fashion, with a t(1/2)=3-4 min for stimuli of 10(-8) M to 10(-5) M cAMP. Responses to test stimuli, although reduced in magnitude, had an accelerated time-course when they closely followed a prior response that had not completely subsided. This effect is called priming; we believe it reveals a reversible, rate-limiting step that modulates the onset and termination of the signaling responses of amoebae that have not recently responded to a cAMP stimulus. We have suggested that the cAMP signaling response is controlled by two antagonistic cellular processes, excitation and adaptation. The data reported here imply that both the rate of rise in the adaptation process and the final level reached depend on the occupancy of cAMP surface receptors and that the decay of adaptation when external cAMP is removed proceeds with first-order kinetics.