cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anchoring the Creative Process within a Self-Regulated Learning Framework: Inspiring Assessment Methods and Future Research.

Creativity supports the advancement of all disciplines, providing both individual and societal benefits. Most individuals can demonstrate and improve their creativity; therefore, understanding the creative process is of particular interest to facilitate deliberate development of creative thinkers. Despite copious research of the creative process, the work tends to be fragmented without a unified, general theoretical foundation. Historically, creative process research has examined the steps that creative people use, while overlooking how people learn these steps and the mechanisms behind the process. This paper proposes to situate the creative process within broader theoretical framework of self-regulated learning (SRL). This merger emphasizes that the creative process can be learned and that creative process strategies may inspire general learning strategies. Further, the SRL framework provides an organizational structure that illuminates gaps in current research and provides inspiration for new measurement techniques. Current assessment methods are often unable to determine how people regulate themselves throughout the creative process, specifically how internal psychological processes, external behaviors, and explicit strategies influence the creative process; however, SRL measurement techniques, like SRL microanalysis interviews, may provide an opportunity to identify intervention casual mechanisms, extend experimental studies, provide consistent variables to compare across disciplines and studies, and help practitioners assess students’ creative process.
Albedo changes after fire as an explanation of fire‐induced rainfall suppression

Observational evidence of rainfall suppression by fire has recently been documented in African drylands, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the extent to which fire-induced changes in latent heat flux and albedo may inhibit boundary layer predisposition to convective rainfall. We use Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 reanalysis data from the Kalahari region of Southern Africa to drive a low-dimensional boundary layer growth model. We find that both increased albedo and, to a lesser extent, increased latent heat flux could result in less convective rainfall. The sensitivity to land surface feedbacks is higher earlier in the dry season and at drier sites. Finally, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer fire and albedo data, we present novel evidence that increases in albedo after fire, or brightening, are common in regions receiving less than 850 mm of precipitation annually. This supports the idea that fire-induced surface brightening is responsible for observed rainfall deficits after fire.
TAK1 Restricts Spontaneous NLRP3 Activation and Cell Death to Control Myeloid Proliferation

The NOD-like receptor (NLR)-P3 inflammasome is a global sensor of infection and stress. Elevated NLRP3 activation levels are associated with human diseases, but the mechanisms controlling NLRP3 inflammasome activation are largely unknown. Here, we show that TGF-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) is a central regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and spontaneous cell death. Absence of TAK1 in macrophages induced spontaneous activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome without requiring toll-like receptor (TLR) priming and subsequent activating signals, suggesting a distinctive role for TAK1 in maintaining NLRP3 inflammasome homeostasis. Autocrine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling in the absence of TAK1 induced spontaneous RIPK1-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation and cell death. We further showed that TAK1 suppressed homeostatic NF-κB and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation to limit spontaneous TNF production. Moreover, the spontaneous inflammation resulting from TAK1-deficient macrophages drives myeloid proliferation in mice, and was rescued by RIPK1 deficiency. Overall, these studies identify a critical role for TAK1 in maintaining NLRP3 inflammasome quiescence and preserving cellular homeostasis and survival.
Procedures in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and constitutes a health burden to the population. Comprised predominately of basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, skin cancer accounts for nearly 20,000 deaths annually. Early diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer are critical in limiting morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is generally made based on close examination and biopsy of suspicious lesions. Appropriate treatment depends on the specific histopathologic diagnosis as well as other considerations including area and size of the lesion and comorbidities of the patient. Treatment modalities include superficial therapies, such as cryotherapy or topical treatment, electrodessication and curettage, and surgical therapies including standard excision and Mohs micrographic surgery. Additionally, for more advanced disease, treatment may require a multidisciplinary approach, often with involvement of medical and radiation oncologists, and may include the use of systemic agents or radiation therapy.
The effects of IT-related attributional style in voluntary technology training

IT training is firmly established as a key condition that influences successful technology adoption, yet little is known about factors that can affect voluntary training participation. We evaluate ...
Distribution Problems in Clustering

Publisher Summary The very large growth in clustering techniques and applications is not yet supported by development of statistical theory by which the clustering results are evaluated. A number of branches of statistics are relevant to clustering, namely, discriminant analysis, eigenvector analysis, analysis of variance, multiple comparisons, density estimation, contingency tables, piecewise fitting, and regression. These are all areas where the techniques are used in evaluating clusters or where clustering operations occur. This chapter discusses a statistical problem that is encountered in deciding which of the many clusters presented by algorithms are real. There is no easy generally applicable definition of real. A data cluster is real if it corresponds to one of the population clusters. The mixture techniques, k-means, single linkage, complete linkage and other common algorithms are examined to give measures of the reality of their clusters. A reasonable significance testing procedure requires the asymptotic theory to be validated by Monte Carlo experiments.
A microenvironmental redox shift at a charged surface detected by papain activity

The relative activity of an SH-enzyme, papain, is decreased by increasing the mole ratio of oxidizing disulfide to reducing thiol in solution. The same inverse relationship applies to papain adsorbed on charged clay particles, but electrostatic interactions among the charged particles and charged disulfides and thiols significantly shift the dependence. Papain activity thus reflects the microenvironmental redox potential in the vicinity of the charged particles. The redox pairs cystine dimethylester-cysteine ethylester, dithiodiglycolic acidmercaptoacetic acid, and dithiodiglycol-mercaptoethanol were used in the assays. A special form of the Boltzmann distribution must be used to calculate mole ratios of ions of different charge near a charged interface.
The Need for a Radically New Human Science

Historically, psychologists have mistakenly assumed that a science of human behavior would take a form similar to that for the natural sciences, and have developed their theoretical conceptions and methodology based on that assumption. This mistake has been compounded by the fact that psychologists implicitly accepted an older interpretation of the natural sciences that in many respects is untenable and that has been superseded by more sophisticated conceptions. As Margolis makes clear, just what constitutes a science is a matter of dispute: Philosophers of science are far from agreement with each other concerning the nature of even the physical sciences. At the same time, evidence and argument for the idea that a human science must in some respects differ radically from the physical sciences has become increasingly persuasive. But so far this thinking has had little impact on the practice of psychology as a science. Margolis finds no systematic treatment of psychology that is not based on an inadequate extensionalism; yet, that is precisely what psychology needs. (One possible exception, not noted by Margolis, is a system of descriptive psychology developed by Peter Ossorio, although unfortunately that system has been almost totally ignored by psychologists who have not been his students [Davis, 1981; Davis & Mitchell, 1982; Ginsburg, 1980; Ossorio, 1966, 1975]).
Prescription Considerations in Modern Above-knee Prosthetics

During the past decade, many privately initiated developments in above-knee prosthetics have entered clinical practice. These devices and techniques involve socket design, the suspension mechanism, the functional components, and basic limb structure. The attributes of each are briefly described, and a rationale for prescription of these innovations is offered
Refinement operators for directed labeled graphs with applications to instance-based learning

Abstract This paper presents a collection of refinement operators for directed labeled graphs (DLGs), and a family of distance and similarity measures based on them. We build upon previous work on refinement operators for other representations such as feature terms and description logic models. Specifically, we present eight refinement operators for DLGs, which will allow for the adaptation of three similarity measures to DLGs: the anti-unification-based, S λ , the property-based, S π , and the weighted property-based, S wπ , similarities. We evaluate the resulting measures empirically, comparing them to existing similarity measures for structured data in the context of instance-based machine learning.
Retornado a las ideas fundantes de la educación para la primera infancia: el protagonismo de los niños y niñas en el siglo XXI, una tarea compleja

Es un constante desafio asegurar la calidad de la educacion en los primeros anos, por el gran reconocimiento que tiene esta etapa del desarrollo humano, lo que lleva a buscar otras formas de plantearse la labor pedagogica, recogiendo e implementando, en ocasiones, modelos educativos que han dado buenos resultados en algunas realidades, lo que no asegura el mismo efecto en los nuevos contextos donde se presentan. Particularmente, si no se cuestiona sobre el propio actuar docente, cuales son los fundamentos educativos que estan en el trasfondo de la practica que se lleva a cabo y si no se realiza un analisis en profundidad descifrando el sentido y origen de la propuesta planteada como innovadora. Actualmente, el protagonismo de los ninos y ninas vuelve a estar con fuerza en el discurso de algunas instituciones, de alli surge la necesidad de mirar las practicas pedagogicas que se estan desarrollando, puesto que es posible observar polaridades. Por un lado, en algunos establecimientos se esta “escolarizando” a los parvulos, quienes permanecen pasivos y receptores de lo que se le transmite, y al otro lado del pendulo, se presenta un protagonismo de ellos sin el real sentido, sin la mediacion oportuna para generar aprendizajes significativos. El proposito de este articulo es aportar desde una mirada critica y constructiva y ofrecer elementos que inviten a la reflexion sobre la relacion entre el hacer, el decir, el pensar y el sentir como educadoras de parvulos con la responsabilidad de instaurar el protagonismo de los ninos y ninas.
Quality improvement of clinic flow for complex genetic conditions: Using Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as a model.

BACKGROUND Genetic providers face the challenge of having adequate time to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos (hEDS) syndrome has a complex array of symptoms. An initial visit can involve approximately 60-80 min and an additional 45 min for the check-in and checkout process. We propose a model to improve clinic flow and patient satisfaction by using: (a) pre-appointment questionnaire (b) disease information sheet outlining basic management and (c) itinerary detailing the visit. METHODS New patients were given a questionnaire, an EDS information sheet, and a visit itinerary. In the end, a patient satisfaction survey was administered containing 18 questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the questionnaire, the information sheet, and their overall visit. Completed surveys were turned in to the front desk to maintain anonymity. RESULTS Based on the survey results, patient satisfaction toward the implementation of a questionnaire was overwhelmingly positive. Survey responders found that the itinerary was added to their understanding of the appointment process and that the hEDS information sheets were helpful, understandable, and appropriate in length. Respondents said that they strongly agreed or agreed with the following statements: (a) I was satisfied with the visit; (b) I now have a better understanding of my condition; (c) This visit was successful in addressing my most pressing concerns; and (d) I would recommend this clinic to others. CONCLUSION Designing a disease-centered model that implements patient-centered resources improves patient understanding and satisfaction for new hEDS patient visits. This model can be emulated in diagnosis and management of other complex genetic and nongenetic conditions.
Empirical Development of a Screening Method to Assist Mental Health Referrals in Collegiate Athletes

The conspicuous absence of validated screening measures specific to mental health symptomology in collegiate athletes has negatively affected clinical practice in this population. Therefore, this s...
Vertical Marine Snow Distribution in the Stratified Hypersaline, and Anoxic Orca Basin (Gulf of Mexico)

We present a complete description of the depth distribution of marine snow in Orca Basin (Gulf of Mexico), from sea surface through the pycnocline to within 10 m of the seafloor. Orca Basin is an intriguing location for studying marine snow because of its unique geological and hydrographic setting: the deepest ~200 m of the basin are filled with anoxic hypersaline brine. A typical deep ocean profile of marine snow distribution was observed from the sea surface to the pycnocline, namely a surface maximum in total particle number and midwater minimum. However, instead of a nepheloid (particle-rich) layer positioned near the seabed, the nepheloid layer in the Orca Basin was positioned atop the brine. Within the brine, the total particle volume increased by a factor of 2–3 while the total particle number decreased, indicating accumulation and aggregation of material in the brine. From these observations we infer increased residence time and retention of material within the brine, which agrees well with laboratory results showing a 2.2–3.5-fold reduction in settling speed of laboratory-generated marine snow below the seawater-brine interface. Similarly, dissolved organic carbon concentration in the brine correlated positively with measured colored dissolved organic matter (r 2 = 0.92, n = 15), with both variables following total particle volume inversely through the pycnocline. These data indicate the release of dissolved organic carbon concomitant with loss in total particle volume and increase in particle numbers at the brine-seawater interface, highlighting the importance of the Orca Basin as a carbon sink.
Implant Therapy in Alveolar Cleft Sites

Dental implant therapy in the non-cleft patient is familiar to most oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Understanding the differences in surgical treatment planning in the cleft patient versus the non-cleft patient is the key to highly functional and esthetic long-term outcomes. CBCT and computer-assisted planning, as well as improved technology in grafting and implant materials, result in excellent outcomes. Communication with the restorative team remains of paramount importance in planning treatment.
About Collaborative Poetry Writing

This paper describes how a poet at work in a mental hospital can help chronic patients recapture the use of language and expressiveness. Methods of collaborative poetry writing are described, as well as the rationale for the use of this approach. A variety of cases and methods are discussed.
Development and Comparison of Complementary Methods to Study Potential Skin and Inhalational Exposure to Pathogens During Personal Protective Equipment Doffing

BACKGROUND Fluorescent tracers are often used with ultraviolet lights to visibly identify healthcare worker self-contamination after doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE). This method has drawbacks, as it cannot detect pathogen-sized contaminants nor airborne contamination in subjects' breathing zones. METHODS A contamination detection/quantification method was developed using 2-µm polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs) to investigate skin contamination (via swabbing) and potential inhalational exposure (via breathing zone air sampler). Porcine skin coupons were used to estimate the PSL swabbing recovery efficiency and limit of detection (LOD). A pilot study with 5 participants compared skin contamination levels detected via the PSL vs fluorescent tracer methods, while the air sampler quantified potential inhalational exposure to PSLs during doffing. RESULTS Average PSL skin swab recovery efficiency was 40% ± 29% (LOD = 1 PSL/4 cm2 of skin). In the pilot study, all subjects had PSL and fluorescent tracer skin contamination. Two subjects had simultaneously located contamination of both types on a wrist and hand. However, for all other subjects, the PSL method enabled detection of skin contamination that was not detectable by the fluorescent tracer method. Hands/wrists were more commonly contaminated than areas of the head/face (57% vs 23% of swabs with PSL detection, respectively). One subject had PSLs detected by the breathing zone air sampler. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a well-characterized method that can be used to quantitate levels of skin and inhalational contact with simulant pathogen particles. The PSL method serves as a complement to the fluorescent tracer method to study PPE doffing self-contamination.
How useful are ferric chloride models of arterial thrombosis

The ferric chloride models of arterial thrombosis are useful tools with which to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to arterial thrombosis. Recent insights have, however, revealed the complex and multifaceted mechanism by which ferric chloride induces thrombus formation. Here, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the ferric chloride models of arterial thrombosis. Particular focus is given to the phenotypes of different knockout mice in the ferric chloride models and how these compare to other models with independent modes of initiation. Further, we discuss the relevance of the ferric chloride models to the human pathology of atherothrombotic disease.
Millimeter Wavelength Bolometers Cooled by Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration

We have constructed composite bolometers operating at temperatures near 0.1 K to detect one millimeter continuum radiation. Our most sensitive detector has a measured electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) of 7 × 10−17 W Hz−1/2, which is about three times more sensitive than previously reported. We present our experimental results, and design considerations for 0.1 K bolometers.
Instantons and Magnetic Monopoles on $R^3\times S^1$ with Arbitrary Simple Gauge Groups

We investigate Yang-Mills theories with arbitrary gauge group on $R^3\times S^1$, whose symmetry is spontaneously broken by the Wilson loop. We show that instantons are made of fundamental magnetic monopoles, each of which has a corresponding root in the extended Dynkin diagram. The number of constituent magnetic monopoles for a single instanton is the dual Coxeter number of the gauge group, which also accounts for the number of instanton zero modes. In addition, we show that there exists a novel type of the $S^1$ coordinate dependent magnetic monopole solutions in $G_2,F_4,E_8$.
Does Mobile Money Use Increase Firms'Investment? Evidence from Enterprise Surveys in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania

Private investment can be an important engine of economic growth in East African countries, which, despite recent growth rates, are still plagued with adverse economic conditions. Against this backdrop, there has been substantial penetration of mobile money, moving beyond simple person-to-person exchanges toward adoption by private firms. This study explores whether there is a relationship between firm adoption of mobile money and firm investment. Using firm-level data that are nationally representative of the private sector in three East African countries -- Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda -- a positive relationship is found between mobile money use and the probability of a firm?s purchase of fixed assets. This relationship is attributed to reduced transaction costs, increased liquidity, and increased credit worthiness associated with the use of mobile phone financial services.
Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma: A report of the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of 16 cases treated at a single institution.

e23500Background: Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DCS) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the clinicopathological features a...
The periodic steady-state solution for queues with Erlang arrivals and service and time-varying periodic transition rates

We study a queueing system with Erlang arrivals with $k$ phases and Erlang service with $m$ phases. Transition rates among phases vary periodically with time. For these systems, we derive the asymptotic periodic distribution of the level and phase as a function of time within the period. The asymptotic periodic distribution is analogous to a steady-state distribution for a system with constant rates. If the time within the period is considered part of the state, then it is a steady-state distribution. We also obtain waiting time and busy period distributions. These solutions are expressed as infinite series. We provide bounds for the error of the estimate obtained by truncating the series. Examples are provided comparing the solution of the system of ordinary differential equation with a truncated state space to these asymptotic solutions involving remarkably few terms of the infinite series.
Insight into mammary gland development and tumor prevention in a newly developed metastatic mouse model of breast cancer

The development of breast cancer has been observed due to altered regulation of mammary gland developmental processes. Thus, a better understand of the normal mammary gland development can reveal possible mechanism in how normal cells are re-programmed to become malignant cells. E2F1-4 are part of the E2F transcription factor family with varied roles in mammary development. However, little is known about the role of E2F5 in mammary gland development. A combination of scRNAseq and predictive signature tools demonstrate the presence of E2F5 in the mammary gland and showed altered activity during the various phases of mammary gland development and function. Testing the hypothesis that E2F5 regulates mammary function, we generated a mammary-specific E2F5 knockout mouse model, resulting in modest mammary gland development changes. However, after a prolonged latency the E2F5 conditional knockout mice developed highly metastatic mammary tumors with metastases in both the lung and liver. Transplantation of the tumors revealed metastases to lymph nodes that was enriched through serial transplantation. Through whole genome sequencing and RNAseq analysis we identified, and then confirmed in vivo, that Cyclin D1 was dysregulated in E2F5 conditional knockout mammary glands and tumors. Based on these findings, we propose that loss of E2F5 leads altered regulation of Cyclin D1, which facilitates the development of mammary tumors.
Interstitial Nitrides: Properties and General Characteristics

This chapter reveals the properties and general characteristics of the interstitial nitrides formed by the metals of Group IV (titanium, zirconium, and hafnium) and Group V (vanadium, niobium, and tantalum). These six nitrides are the only refractory transition-metal nitrides. They have similar properties and characteristics and, of the six, titanium nitride has the greatest importance from an application standpoint. These nitrides are produced mostly in the form of coatings or powders. Like the interstitial carbides, interstitial nitrides are essentially non-stoichiometric compounds. The density of these nitrites increases considerably with the increasing atomic number of the metal. The melting point of the nitrides is lower in every case than that of the corresponding carbides but, with the exception of niobium nitride (NbN), higher than the parent metals. The interstitial nitrides are relatively good electrical conductors, although with a resistivity slightly higher than that of the corresponding carbides and the parent metals, but still reflecting the essentially metallic character of these compounds.
Incremental Learning in SwiftFile

SwiftFile is an intelligent assistant that helps users organize their e-mail into folders. SwiftFile uses a text classifier to predict where each new message is likely to be filed by the user and provides shortcut buttons to quickly file messages into one of its predicted folders. One of the challenges faced by SwiftFile is that the user’s mail-filing habits are constantly changing — users are frequently creating, deleting and rearranging folders to meet their current filing needs. In this paper, we discuss the importance of incremental learning in SwiftFile. We present several criteria for judging how well incremental learning algorithms adapt to quickly changing data and evaluate SwiftFile’s classifier using these criteria. We find that SwiftFile’s classifier is surprisingly responsive and does not require the extensive training that is often assumed in most learning systems.
A critical assessment of benchmark comparison in planning

Recent trends in planning research have led to empirical comparison becoming commonplace. The field has started to settle into a methodology for such comparisons, which for obvious practical reasons requires running a subset of planners on a subset of problems. In this paper, we characterize the methodology and examine eight implicit assumptions about the problems, planners and metrics used in many of these comparisons. The problem assumptions are: PR1) the performance of a general purpose planner should not be penalized/biased if executed on a sampling of problems and domains, PR2) minor syntactic differences in representation do not affect performance, and PR3) problems should be solvable by STRIPS capable planners unless they require ADL. The planner assumptions are: PL1) the latest version of a planner is the best one to use, PL2) default parameter settings approximate good performance, and PL3) time cut-offs do not unduly bias outcome. The metrics assumptions are: M1) performance degrades similarly for each planner when run on degraded runtime environments (e.g., machine platform) and M2) the number of plan steps distinguishes performance. We find that most of these assumptions are not supported empirically; in particular, that planners are affected differently by these assumptions. We conclude with a call to the community to devote research resources to improving the state of the practice and especially to enhancing the available benchmark problems.
Three planets for Upsilon Andromedae

In 1997 a planet of roughly Jupiter's mass was discovered in orbit around the star Andromedae. Two more have now been identified, providing the first example of a solar system other than our own containing more than one planet.
Radiation effects on DNA synthesis in a defined chromosomal replicon.

It has recently been shown that the tumor suppressor p53 mediates a signal transduction pathway that responds to DNA damage by arresting cells in the late G[sub 1] period of the cell cycle. However, the operation of this pathway alone cannot explain the 50% reduction in the rate of DNA synthesis that occurs within 30 min of irradiation of an asynchronous cell population. The authors are using the amplified dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) domain in the methotrexate-resistance CHO cell line, CHOC 400, as a model replicon in which to study this acute radiation effect. They first show that the CHOC-400 cell line retains the classical acute-phase response but does not display the late G[sub 1] arrest that characterizes the p53-mediated checkpoint. Using a two-dimensional gel replicon-mapping method, they then show that when asynchronous cultures are irradiated with 900 cGy, initiation in the DHFR locus is completely inhibited within 30 min and does not resume for 3 to 4 h. Since initiation in this locus occurs throughout the first 2 h of the S period, this result implies the existence of a p53-independent S-phase damage-sensing pathway that functions at the level of individual origins. Results obtained with the replication inhibitor mimosine definemore » a position near the G[sub 1]/S boundary beyond which cells are unable to prevent initiation at early-firing origins in response to irradiation. This is the first direct demonstration at a defined chromosomal origin that radiation quantitatively down-regulates initiation. 42 refs., 9 figs.« less
An optimal order structure for 2-D digital filters

The model approximation as well as implementation of 2D recursive separable-in-denominator (RSD) digital filters with fixed-point arithmetic are investigated. A minimum-order structure is proposed based on the optimality condition of an error criteria due to both approximation and implementation. In order to reduce the number of multiplications for an optimal order realization, a class of second-order structures is proposed. This class of realizations presents a good compromise between low round-off noise, order reduction, number of multipliers and hardware complexity.
Size distribution of U.S. lower tail cities

Abstract Studies that analyzed the size distribution of U.S. cities have mainly focused on the upper tail and showed that these cities adhere to Zipf’s law. However, even though a large number of cities are in the lower tail, very few studies have examined the distribution of these small cities because of data limitations. We apply reverse Pareto and reverse general Pareto distributions to analyze U.S. lower tail cities. Our results show the power law behavior of lower tail U.S. cities is accurately represented by both the reverse Pareto and general Pareto.
Industrialization and Consolidation in the U.S. Food Sector: Implications for Competition and Welfare

Good sources for information on recent developments in food-market structure include Barkema, Drabenstott, and Welch; U.S. Department of Agriculture (1996b), and Rogers. My objective is not to add to this literature, but, rather, to consider what we have learned as a profession about the rapid consolidation in food processing and distribution. What are its implications for market power, economic efficiency, and the distribution of economic welfare among producers, consumers, and marketers?
A probable case of metastatic carcinoma from the late prehistoric eastern Tennessee River Valley

There are few described cases of metastatic carcinoma from the prehistoric eastern United States and none primarily differentially diagnosed from the southeast. A mature adult female exhibiting several large lytic cranial lesions suggestive of neoplastic disease was identified in a late prehistoric Mississippian Period (AD 1200–1600) context. Burial 371 is from Ledford Island, a Mouse Creek phase (AD 1400–1500) site from the Chickamauga Reservoir of southeastern Tennessee. It is the only case in this reservoir (total adult n = 843). The radiographs of the otherwise asymptomatic postcranium yielded radiolucencies in both proximal femora, both medial clavicles, the sternum, the surviving humeral metaphysis and fragmentary innominate. The locations are all consistent with metastasized carcinoma. The identity of the possible primary lesion is argumentative. Age, sex and the mixed nature of the osseous response are consistent with carcinoma of the breast but not to the exclusion of bronchogenic, thyroid, or kidney cancers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hierarchical optimization for power system control

Abstract This paper presents a practical feedback control strategy for the transient stability problem. The control configuration is hierarchical and is proposed to be installed in addition to existing machine excitation and turbine governor controls. The design proceeds in two steps. First, the local controllers associated with the subsystems are independently designed by fixing the interconnections. Then a higher hierarchical level is designed from the interconnection variables and nonlinear terms. The resulting parameter optimization problem is solved by a decentralized computational structure. The scheme is based on multilevel optimization techniques with multiple objectives given by relevant system disturbances, aggregated by means of a weighted sum. The usefulness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by its application to a power system optimization problem with practical soft constraints on the control variables.
TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP OF NEONATAL MEPIVACAINE INTOXICATION

6 Infants with mepivacaine intoxication secondary to accidental injection into the infant during paracervical and pudendal blocks were studied. All had depression at birth, tonic seizures with apnea in the first 6 hrs., and often unreactive dilated pupils. Two required respiratory support. Peak serum mepivacaine conc. were 9 to 25 μg/ml within the first 12 hrs. with a post-natal increase from cord and maternal conc. documented in 3 cases. CSF conc. was similar to simultaneous serum conc. Exchange transfusions in cases 3, 4, and 5 produced no significant changes in clinical status or serum conc., and the total removed by exchange was 3.5 mg in case 4 and 1.07 mg in case 5. Although gastric conc. on drainage reached 229 μg/ml in case 5 and 82 μg/ml in case 6, gastric lavage in case 6 recovered only 0.3 mg total. Urinary excretion under forced diuresis in cases 4, 5, and 6 produced 12.7 mg, 37.4 mg and 12.1 mg in the first 24 hrs. (80-96% of the total excreted in urine over 90 hrs). Thus, forced diuresis is the treatment of choice with gastric lavage and exchange transfusion used only when forced diuresis is contraindicated. All 5 survivors were followed, 4 for 2 to 4 yrs, and are neurologically and developmentally normal. Anticonvulsants were discontinued in all, 3 at discharge. Early recognition, seizure control, and prompt resuscitation with carefully monitored respiratory support were key. If severe perinatal hypoxia can be avoided the prognosis from intoxication per se is excellent.
Role of Arg301 in substrate orientation and catalysis in subsite 2 of D-alanine:D-alanine (D-lactate) ligase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides: a molecular docking study.

Abstract d -Alanine: d -alanine ( d -lactate) ligase (ADP) from Leuconostoc mesenteroides synthesizes the depsipeptide, d -alanyl- d -lactate, in addition to d -alanyl- d -alanine, when d -alanine and d -lactate are incubated simultaneously. The depsipeptide is responsible for the intrinsic resistance of this organism to vancomycin. The orientations of d -lactate and d -alanine in subsite 2 of the ligase that result in both nucleophile generation and subsequent attack on the electrophilic center of d -alanyl phosphate in subsite 1 are not known. A molecular docking study using AutoDock 4 suggests a role for Arg301 in determining these orientations of acceptor substrate in subsite 2 for both nucleophile generation and subsequent attack on the phosphate intermediate. With d -lactate a bifurcated H-bond from Arg301 to the R–OH of d -lactate may account for its orientation and nucleophile activation. This orientation is observed when the guanidino side chain of this residue is flexible. d -Alanine adopts an orientation that utilizes H-bonding to water 2882 and the d -alanyl phosphate in subsite 1. Both of these orientations provide mechanisms of deprotonation and place the nucleophile within 3.2 A of the electrophilic carbonyl of the d -alanyl phosphate intermediate for formation of the transition state. These results suggest that Arg301 has a dual function in a sequential reaction mechanism, i.e. substrate orientation in subsite 2 as well as stabilization of the transition state. In addition, these docking studies provide insights for inhibitor design targeted to this subsite of the ligase.
SU‐D‐144‐07: Preliminary Characterization of Microbeam Radiation Using Very High Resolution 3D Dosimetry

Purpose: Compact microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) recently became feasible through the development of carbon‐nanotube based distributed x‐ray array technology. This work investigates the feasibility of novel highresolution 3D dosimetry techniques (50μm isotropic) for the challenging task of characterizing microbeam irradiations of nominal width 300–400μm. Methods: A cylindrical PRESAGE 3D dosimeter (20mm diameter, 22mm long) was irradiated with three parallel microbeams generated by a prototype compact MRT system for small animal research developed at UNC. The carbon nanotube field emission x‐ray source array is designed to produce x‐rays up to 160 kV which are collimated to microbeam radiation through an external collimator. The entrance dose used in this study was estimated from EBT2 film to be 32 Gy. A 50μm isotropic 3D dose distribution was obtained by imaging the dosimeter in the Duke Micro Optical‐CT Scanner (DMicrOS), an in‐house, bi‐telecentric optical CT system optimized for high‐resolution optical tomography. Preliminary analysis of microbeam characteristics was performed on a ROI averaged across the central 10mm of the dosimeter. Beam width (FWHM), percent depth dose (PDD), and peak‐to‐valley dose ratio (PVDR) were measured as a function of depth along the irradiated beam paths. Results: Beam width measurements indicated that the average FWHM across all three beams remained constant (405.3μm, σ =13.2μm) between depths of 3.00–14.00mm. PDD measurements were normalized to values at 3.00mm depth (to avoid bias due to possible optical artifact at the dosimeter surface) and showed a falloff to 82.9–90.5% at 14.00mm depth. PVDR increased with depth from 6.3 at 3.00mm depth to 8.6 at 14.00mm depth. Conclusion: These preliminary results from the DMicrOS/PRESAGE 3D dosimetry system show strong potential for uniquely comprehensive verification of microbeam irradiations. Future work is required to investigate the potential of stray‐light artifacts in this extreme geometry. NIH R01CA100835
Subtilisin-catalyzed hydrolysis of peptide methyl esters

It is known that the serine protease subtilisin pos-; sesses a specifity for longer peptide amides as oppo- sed to simpler amides [1,2]. Since ester substrates of the serine protease chymotrypsin generally are hydro- lyzed much more rapidly (10 s times) [3] than amides, the subtilisin-catalyzed hydrolyses of specific peptide esters should be much more rapid than those previous- ly studied. Two substrates used here have the highest known reaction rate (k2/Ks) with subtilisin. These rates, for methyl esters, approximate the rates of the best substrates of a-chymotrypsin [4] which are more highly activated p-nitrophenyl esters. Since in the most specific substrates, the value of k2 may exceed kl (eq. 1), the value ofkcat/K m may reduce to kl. [4] kl k2 E+S~ ES'~,I~EP2 E+ P2 (1) It is evident that the pH profile ofk~ need not be identical to that of k2/K s. [5] Therefore pH profiles of the various hydrolyses were obtained. Since litera- ture data [ 1,2] concerning the peptide amides similar to the esters is in the form of relative rate data, bin- ding constants of the amides to subtilisin were ob- tained. These were measured by observing inhibition of the second-order subtilisin-catalyzed hydrolysis of Z-Gly-OnP (see later).
Frequency and distribution of binucleate cells in oral epithelium of several species of laboratory rodents

Keratinocytes in certain regions of rodent oral epithelium have a tendency to form a peculiar type of binucleate cell. The nuclei, in contrast to those in binucleate cells in most other tissues, are closely apposed with a flat interface, tetraploid and of approx. equal size. Binucleate cells were absent from the oral epithelium of several unrelated non-rodent mammalian species, but they occurred in descending order of frequency in guinea pig, rat, hamster and mouse; they were in epithelia of the lining mucosa, but absent from epithelia of the masticatory mucosa. In buccal epithelium of the rat, they constituted 2.5 per cent of the basal cells and 8.2 per cent of the lower spinous cells. This frequency was maintained in the succeeding cell layers. Regions of stimulated epithelium in zinc-deficient rats showed a four-fold increase over controls in frequency in the germinative cell layers and persistently higher frequency in succeeding layers, including in parakeratin. The mode of formation of the cells is unknown, but it was not associated with a lag in cytoplasmic division.
Testing the Power of Prayer

J. S. Heilig and Dalmen Mayer (Letters, [9 May, p. 891][1]), commenting on the profile of cardiologist Herbert Benson (W. Roush, Research News, [18 Apr., p. 357][2]), discuss earlier approaches to establish objectively the efficacy of prayer in healing but do not mention a double-blind clinical
Diversionary Incentives, Rally Effects, and Crisis Bargaining

We do not yet have strong evidence that the rally effect motivates domestically vulnerable leaders to become engaged in international conflict. We draw upon mechanism design to argue that, if anything, diversionary incentives should be associated with a greater likelihood of being the target of disputes, though the conditions under which the result obtains are restrictive. Our analysis of all dyad-months involving the United States and its rivals for the period from 1956–1996 yields suggestive evidence of the unconventional behavior anticipated by our model, while failing to find evidence of patterns anticipated by either traditional diversionary accounts or strategic conflict avoidance. These results suggest that if we are to better understand international conflict by focusing on diversionary incentives, which may not be very useful, we should focus on the behavior described by our formal model rather than that anticipated by either traditional diversionary accounts or strategic conflict avoidance.
Abstract 5536:TP53andMED12mutations in uterine smooth muscle tumors

Most uterine smooth muscle tumors can be broadly subdivided into two groups: benign leiomyoma (including variant subtypes) and leiomyosarcoma based on cytologic atypia, mitotic activity and coagulative tumor cell necrosis. A small number defies classification into unequivocally benign and unequivocally malignant categories. These tumors, classified as “atypical leiomyoma” and “STUMP” (Smooth muscle Tumors of Uncertain Malignant Potential), generally behave in a benign fashion. Although p53 overexpression, as determined by immunohistochemical staining, has been reported in the atypical group and the leiomyosarcomas, it is uncertain whether they harbor TP53 mutations. In addition, a recent study has reported mutations in the mediator complex 12 (MED12) gene in the majority of benign uterine leiomyomas. We therefore performed a mutational analysis of uterine smooth muscle tumors to determine their TP53 and MED12 mutation status, in order to better understand their molecular genetic characteristics. A total of 9 uterine conventional leiomyomas, 27 atypical leiomyomas and 12 leiomyosarcomas from 40 patients were analyzed. DNA samples were sequenced and TP53 (from exons 4 to 9) and MED12 (exon 2) mutations were analyzed. Clinico-pathological data were collected. TP53 mutations were detected in 17 (63%) of 27 atypical leiomyomas and 8 (67%) of 12 leiomyosarcomas. MED12 mutations were identified in 6 (67%) of 9 conventional leiomyomas, 7 (26%) of 27 atypical leiomyomas and 1 (8%) of 12 leiomyosarcomas. Follow-up was available in 30 patients. None of the patients with atypical leiomyoma had recurrence or died of her disease (average follow-up 23 months). Seven patients with leiomyosarcoma, 4 of whom had TP53 mutations, died of their disease (average follow-up 42 months). The preliminary findings of this study indicate that the presence of TP53 mutations in uterine smooth muscle tumors is not sufficient to drive malignant behavior. Moreover, based on the presence of a MED12 mutation in one case of leiomyosarcoma, we postulate that at least some leiomyosarcomas develop from benign leiomyomas. Future correlated molecular genetic and clinicopathologic studies with a larger number of cases and long-term follow-up information are necessary to confirm this important finding. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5536. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5536
Observation of three-body recombination in spin-polarized hydrogen

Three-body recombination in spin-polarized hydrogen has been observed. Doubly polarized hydrogen was compressed by a piston into a thin cell and the temperature and pressure were independently monitored. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range 0.3 to 0.45 K in a magnetic field of 8.0 T at densities up to 1.5 x 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/. The results are in good agreement with the theory of Kagan, Vartanyants, and Shlyapnikov.
Experimental evaluation of LED-based solar blind NLOS communication links

Experimental results are reported demonstrating non-line of sight short-range ultraviolet communication link losses, and performance of photon counting detectors, operating in the solar blind spectrum regime. We employ light emitting diodes with divergent beams, a solar blind filter, and a wide field-of-view detector. Signal and noise statistics are characterized, and receiver performance is demonstrated. The effects of transmitter and receiver elevation angles, separation distance, and path loss are included.
Riverine export of aged terrestrial organic matter to the North Atlantic Ocean

Global riverine discharge of organic matter represents a substantial source of terrestrial dissolved and particulate organic carbon to the oceans. This input from rivers is, by itself, more than large enough to account for the apparent steady-state replacement times of 4,00-6,000 yr for oceanic dissolved organic carbon. But paradoxically, terrestrial organic matter, derived from land plants, is not detected in seawater and sediments in quantities that correspond to its inputs. Here we present natural 14C and 13C data from four rivers that discharge to the western North Atlantic Ocean and find that these rivers are sources of old (14C-depleted) and young (14C-enriched) terrestrial dissolved organic carbon, and of predominantly old terrestrial particulate organic carbon. These findings contrast with limited earlier data that suggested terrestrial organic matter transported by rivers might be generally enriched in 14C from nuclear testing, and hence newly produced. We also find that much of the young dissolved organic carbon can be selectively degraded over the residence times of river and coastal waters, leaving an even older and more refractory component for oceanic export. Thus, pre-ageing and degradation may alter significantly the structure, distributions and quantities of terrestrial organic matter before its delivery to the oceans.