cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stock market reactions to US hotel firms' strategic alliances.

Despite the extensive research on strategic alliances in the mainstream management literature and the hospitality industry's long history of strategic alliances, research on strategic alliances in the hospitality industry has been lacking, especially research focusing on the relationship between strategic alliances and firm performance. Given this limited coverage, the current study empirically examines Chathoth and Olsen's (2003) conceptual framework of hospitality strategic alliances: moving from joint ventures, a traditional form of alliance, to collaborative alliances, such as the competitor-alliance, a newer form. The paper investigates strategic alliances in which US public hotel companies engaged during 2000-2008 and finds that collaborative alliances were more common in the hotel industry than joint ventures. The paper also investigates, through an event study methodology, how the stock market perceives the hotel alliances as they evolve from joint ventures to collaborative alliances. The authors find that the stock market perceives joint ventures positively. In the case of collaborative alliances, the market reacts positively after the initial announcement, though negatively prior to the announcement.
Comparative Studies of Human Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) and Tryptophan Dioxygenase (TDO)

The majority of our dietary Tryptophan (L-Trp) is oxidized to NAD via the the kynurenine pathway. The first and rate-limiting step of the pathway, the conversion of L-Try to N-formyl kynurenine, is catalyzed by two heme-based dioxygenases, tryptophan dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Although the two enzymes catalyze the same chemical reaction and exhibit high structural similarity, they perform distinct physiological functions: TDO is a hepatic enzyme that is linked to Trp homeostasis, while IDO is an ubiquitous enzyme that is involved in a variety of important immune related conditions, such as fetal tolerance and cancer immune escape. Recently, IDO has attracted a great deal of attention owing to its potential as a therapeutic target for cancer. Despite of intense reserach, the dioxygenase reaction mechanisms of IDO and TDO are poorly understood. Our recent spectroscopic and kinetic studies indicate that the two reactions follow the same ferryl-based two-step mechanism, challenging the general conception that the two atoms of dioxygen are inserted into the substrate simultaneoiusly. In this work, the structural differences between IDO and TDO are systematically evaluated. The implication of the data on the functional differences between the two enzymes will be discussed.
Data Security in Computer Networks: Guest Editor's Introduction

Security in networks differs in several aspects from security in a centralized computer system. This is because (1) the switching nodes and concentrators are distributed physically and cannot be considered secure, and (2) the network protocols, if not properly designed, can be used by an intruder to gain access to the network data or have it misrouted. This special issue describes many developments in the above-mentioned aspects of data security in networks. The first article surveys digital signatures. Both private-key and public-key encryption techniques can be used to generate digital signatures. Since an unauthorized party can counterfeit public keys or use private keys that have been compromised, the use of public-key encryption alone does not ensure secrecy or a correct digital signature. The next article discusses the protection of public keys and signature keys. A protocol is a set of rules to be followed by users to ensure orderly communication. The next work describes several issues in protocol design and implementation. The importance of arbitrators in the design of secure protocols is explained and some implementations are described. An application of the RSA digital signature to electronic mail is described in the last article.
Filtering and control performance bounds with implications on asymptotic separation

A bound is derived on the accuracy in causally estimating a Gaussian process from nonlinear observations. Both additive Gaussian noise and Poisson observations are included. The bound is used to study the control of a stochastic linear dynamical system with nonlinear observations of either type and an average quadratic cost. An asymptotic Separation Theorem is established showing that a linear feedback control law, involving a state estimate, is asymptotically optimum as the accuracy of the state estimate approaches the bound.
Effects of supercritical extraction on the plasticization of poly(vinyl butyral) and dioctyl phthalate films

Abstract Supercritical extraction of organic phases from films containing poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) binder and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) plasticizer was performed with CO 2 and C 2 H 4 at 35–75 °C and 10–40 MPa for cycle times of 3 h. For films containing 60:40 wt.% PVB:DOP, extraction efficiencies near 50% were observed with either fluid at 75 °C and 40 MPa, which suggests nearly complete removal of the plasticizer. The degree of plasticization of the PVB+DOP films before and after supercritical extraction was characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry. For films containing 60:40 wt.% PVB:DOP, no thermal transitions were observed from −15 to 110 °C before supercritical extraction, whereas multiple thermal transitions were seen after supercritical extraction. The glass transition temperatures, T g , of the films after extraction were between 24 and 45 °C, as compared to the T g ∼72.5 °C for the as-received PVB.
Electronic circuit model for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is being investigated as an alternate power source for various applications like transportation and emergency power supplies. The paper presents a novel circuit model for a PEM fuel cell that can be used to design and analyze fuel cell power systems. The PSPICE-based model uses bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and LC elements available in the PSPICE library with some modification. The model includes the phenomena like activation polarization, ohmic polarization, and mass transport effect present in a PEM fuel cell. The static and dynamic characteristics obtained through simulation are compared with experimental results obtained on a commercial fuel cell module.
Blood-borne metastases following operation for lung carcinoma.

Summary A survey of 292 cases of lung carcinoma treated by operation was made to ascertain the role of operation in the vascular dissemination of this disease. 30·9 per cent. developed blood-borne metastases after resection. A study of the time of onset of these metastases showed an increase in incidence between six and twelve months after operation at a time when the incidence would be expected to fall if pre-operative dissemination was responsible. It is concluded that this is compatible with the thesis that operation may increase the dissemination of blood-borne metastases, but it provides no statistical proff.
Bioavailability of Sedimentary Contaminants Subject to Deposit-Feeder Digestion

Contaminants in sediments are less available than their concentrations might imply, but measures of this availability have been generally lacking. Sediments ingested by benthic animals can be expected to undergo a unique chemical environment controlled by the digestive chemistry of the organism. We measured solubilization of sedimentary contaminantsCu, Pb, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)by digestive fluids extracted from marine invertebrates. Bioavailability of these contaminants, thus measured, is a small fraction of total contaminant loadingtypically 1−10%. The amounts of metals solubilized by digestive fluids were orders of magnitude greater than would be predicted from water−solid partitioning with clean seawater, although they correlated well with solubilization by seawater. Digestive fluids from two different animal species solubilized different amounts of metals, indicating that bioavailability varies among species even under constant mode of uptake. High concentrations of solubilizing a...
A method for conversational topic recommendation to appropriate user group

As intimacy in human relationships is getting reduced, social problems increase, and a number of people feel cut off. To support making friends and activating communication, we propose a topic recommendation method for conversation to an appropriate user group. Although previous methods have an issue where many of persons may not enjoy conversation by the topic recommendation method, our proposed method can provide the topics which are preferred by more persons for their conversation, and more persons can enjoy their conversation. The method utilizes the similarities in all combination between topic and a user preference. The topic preference vector which is formed by user as the element and the similarity as the value is constructed for each topic, and the topics are clustered by using the topic preference vectors, based on the similarities. Then, the user groups are extracted from the topic clusters, and the corresponding topics are recommended to the user groups. For the proposed method, the effectiveness of user group construction, the completeness of the user preference extraction and the appropriateness of topic selection are investigated by conducting an simple experiment. As the result, we confirmed the user group construction can help to have more enjoyable conversation, and although the user preference extraction was not enough, the topics offered by the proposed method and along with a category are appropriate for the known persons and the unknown persons, respectively.
Amino Acid Profile of Manioc Leaf Protein in Relation to Nutritive Value

Leaves of 20 cultivars of manioc (Manihot escutenta) from Jamaica and Brazil were analyzed for 18 amino acids. The essential amino acid profile indicated a definite deficiency in methionine only, while the high lysine value suggests that this protein might be a useful supplement to certain cereal diets. Rats rejected diets coataining the lyophilized uncooked leaf at protein levels as low as 10%, but this rejection was apparently not related to the cyanide content of manioc leaf.
A theoretical study of trivalent lanthanide ion microsolvation in water clusters from first principles

Abstract Although metal ion–water clusters M m + (H 2 O) n have been widely studied for many singly charged metal ions, thermodynamic and structural studies of di- or trivalent metal ion–water clusters remain relatively rare. We have investigated the structural and thermodynamic properties of Ln 3+ (H 2 O) n clusters (Ln 3+ = Nd 3+ , Eu 3+ , Er 3+ and Yb 3+ ) by means of Monte Carlo simulations using newly-developed, polarizable model potentials parameterized on the basis of ab initio calculations for small clusters. We report total cluster enthalpies and stepwise cluster binding enthalpies predicted by our simulations. Our results also indicate that Ln 3+ ions exhibit a well-defined interior solvation shell structure. At small cluster sizes ( n = 6–12), the first-shell coordination numbers are close to 6 or 7, whereas convergence towards bulk-like coordination numbers seems to be achieved at cluster size n ≥ 24. In contrast, convergence of the thermodynamic properties towards bulk values only occurs at much larger cluster sizes, n ≥ 64.
Notes on the Theorizing of Global Environmental Politics

Although global environmental politics (GEP), like other areas of international relations, should be theorized, no single unified theory of GEP is in the offing, nor should be. Nevertheless, assuming that the ultimate societal goal is ecological and social sustainability, at least three elements are necessary in that theorizing: starting points, metaphors, and normative content. The primary starting points for GEP include concern for irreversible diminution of the earth's life support systems, the consequences of ever-increasing throughput of material and energy, and the injustices of uneven distribution. Inappropriate metaphors of the environment include the machine and the laboratory; appropriate ones include spaceship earth and a watershed. Appropriate norms include ecological capping and zero waste. Finally, the theorizing effort needs to be explicit about the questions being asked. Are they about environmental improvement or sustainability? Are they about easing the environmental burdens of the power...
Bacterial Growth Rates above 90°C in Yellowstone Hot Springs

Growth rates of bacteria living in boiling springs have been measured by determining rate of increase in cell numbers on microscope slides immersed in the springs. Distinction between growth and passive attachment was made with ultraviolet radiation. In all cases, slides irradiated at intervals had significantly fewer bacteria than controls. Estimated generation times ranged from 2 to 7 hours, values which are comparable to those of aquatic bacteria living in less extreme environments.
Nutrition and aflatoxin carcinogenesis.

ALTHOUGH malnutrition and aflatoxins coexist in many areas of the world where there is a high incidence of liver disease and hepatocarcinoma, animal experiments so far have not precisely duplicated the disease syndrome and the morphological picture observed in man1–8. We have examined interactions between nutritionally induced liver disease and experimental aflatoxin carcinogenesis and found that diets marginal in lipotropes result in remarkable differences in the response of rats to aflatoxin. This work was suggested by observations that diets low in protein had variable effects7,9 on aflatoxin toxicity and carcinogenicity. Furthermore, dietary lipotropes, expecially methionine and vitamin B12, may be critically low in many areas where liver carcinoma and mycotoxins coexist, and so we considered marginal lipotropes to be of more practical significance than low protein per se in the overall evaluation of interactions between nutrition and aflatoxin and their relation to carcinogenesis.
Induction of protective immunity against rabies by immunization with rabies virus ribonucleoprotein

Abstract We have studied the ability of rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) to induce a protective immune response in animals against lethal challenge with rabies and rabies-related lyssa viruses. Liposomes containing either RNP or the glycoprotein (G protein) of a variant virus with multiple alterations in the G antigenic structure conferred no or poor protection, respectively, against lethal intracerebral challenge with rabies virus. By contrast, liposomes containing RNP and the variant G protein induced a good protective response, comparable to that achieved with inactivated virus vaccine against intracerebral challenge. Moreover, mice or raccoons immunized with RNP alone resisted lethal peripheral challenge with homologous or heterologous virus strains. These results indicate that the RNP of rabies virus plays a crucial role in induction of protective immunity.
Technology in nursing scholarship: use of citation reference managers.

ABSTRACT: Nurses, especially those in academia, feel the pressure to publish but have a limited time to write. One of the more time-consuming and frustrating tasks of research, and subsequent publications, is the collection and organization of accurate citations of sources of information. The purpose of this article is to discuss three types of citation reference managers (personal bibliographic software) and how their use can provide consistency and accuracy in recording all the information needed for the research and writing process. The advantages and disadvantages of three software programs, EndNote, Reference Manager, and ProCite, are discussed. These three software products have a variety of options that can be used in personal data management to assist researchers in becoming published authors.
Comments on stellar boundary cooling and the reality of supermetallicity

The paper discusses the 'super-metal-rich' (SMR) stars and reexamines Peterson's analysis of the SMR prototype mu Leo (1978) with regard to a postulated error in continuum error. Model atmospheres are used to compute theoretical equivalent widths and to explore the sensitivity of these widths to metallicity, temperature, surface gravity, and microturbulence. It is shown that Peterson's results are sensitive to continuum placement, and that her data does not indicate that the temperature gradient is steeper in mu Leo than in normal giants. It is concluded that the SMR stars are very metal rich and are also somewhat boundary cooled, possibly due to high metallicity.
Applying Reflection Tomography in the Postmigration Domain to Multifold Ground-Penetrating Radar Data

Acquisition and processing of multifold ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data enable detailed measurements of lateral velocity variability. The velocities constrain interpretation of subsurface materials and lead to significant improvement in image accuracy when coupled with prestack depth migration (PSDM). Reflection tomography in the postmigration domain was introduced in the early 1990s for velocity estimation in seismic reflection. This robust, accurate method is directly applicable in multifold GPR imaging. At a contaminated waste facility within the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site in Washington, the method is used to identify significant lateral and vertical velocity heterogeneity associated with infilled waste pits. Using both the PSDM images and velocity models in interpretation, a paleochannel system that underlies the site and likely forms contaminant migration pathways is identified.
Managerial Theory and Technical Writing: Get a Job

We may discover the basis for a humanistic rhetoric of technical writing by examining managerial theories of human behavior. Complaints about the deficiencies of writers and their work correspond remarkably to complaints about the deficiencies of employees and their work. And both sets of complaints may actually be related to the traditional Theory X of human behavior, held by managers and teachers of writing. An alternative managerial theory proposed by Douglas McGregor, Theory Y, suggests ways to encourage an individual's initiative and to satisfy the organization's goals simultaneously. Since technical writing weds the worlds of writing and working, this managerial theory can provide a sound basis for a rhetorical theory that encourages a writer's initiative and satisfies the goals of writing simultaneously. The letter of application for employment illustrates how Theory Y works.
The deformation physics of nanocrystalline metals: Experiments, analysis, and computations

This article presents a review of the principal mechanisms responsible for the plastic deformation of nanocrystalline metals. As the concentration of grain boundaries increases, with a decrease in grain size there is a gradual shift in the relative importance of the deformation mechanisms away from the ones operating in the conventional polycrystalline domain. This is predicted by molecular dynamics simulations that indicate a preponderance of dislocation emission/annihilation at grain boundaries and grain-boundary sliding when grain sizes are in the range 20–50 nm. Experiments show, in general, a saturation in work hardening at low strains, which is indicative of a steady-state dislocation density. This saturation is accompanied by an increased tendency toward shear localization, which is supportive of dislocation generation and annihilation at grain boundaries. Dislocation analyses recently proposed corroborate the computational predictions and provide a rational foundation for understanding the mechanical response.
Dialogue and dialectics in managing organizational change: The case of a mission‐based transformation

This paper extends our understanding of dialogue‐based organizational change through an application of dialectical methodology. Through explicating the dialectical oppositions as they occur throughout a change process, four main functions of dialectics were found central to managing “healthy” organizational change dialogue. First, dialectics are central to framing the meaning of a change process. Second, dialectics are important in interpreting the perspectives that constituents bring to a change. Third, dialectics are useful in generating issues and questions for dialogue that addresses those dialectics. Fourth, dialectics enable learning when they provide constructive feedback to an organization on its change needs. The implications for both dialectical methodology and organizational change are explored.
Pre-Hispanic Political Change and the Role of Maize in the Central Andes of Peru

While archeologists have the capacity to track changing food use in the archeological record, they have not tended to use food systems in the study of social and political change. To do so, an awareness must be gained of the meanings of foods, which then can illuminate the strategic use of a particular food in the creation of relationships of dependence and prestige. Archeological evidence from the central Andes of Peru indicates that the role of maize changed between A.D. 500 and 1500, shifting from a culinary item, simply prepared by boiling, to a more complex symbolic food, transformed through grinding and brewing into beer, with elaborated political meanings. This change in maize processing and consumption occurred at a time of heightened political and social tensions. We propose that the shift in maize use reflected and participated in new political dynamics, demonstrating how foodways can inform archeologists about past social and political systems.
Effects of dry matter concentration and ammonia treatment of alfalfa silage on digestion and metabolism by heifers.

Alfalfa was harvested as second-cutting regrowth herbage, ensiled either at low DM (direct-cut) or high DM (wilted), untreated or treated with .82 or .66% anhydrous NH3 (percentage of DM), respectively, and offered to four Holstein heifers. Silages low in DM had more gross energy and more NDF in DM than silages high in DM. Ammonia treatment increased total, soluble, rumen-insoluble, and NH3 N fractions in treated silages compared with those fractions in untreated silages. Ammonia treatment of low DM silage reduced digestible energy intake but increased intake of high DM silage. Digestibility of DM was lower by heifers fed low than high DM silages, but hemicellulose digestibility was higher. Tissue N retention was lower by heifers fed low than high DM silage. Dry matter and cell solubles digestibilities decreased for NH3-treated silages compared with digestibilities for untreated silages. Digested DM contained more digested NDF and cellulose for NH3-treated silages compared with untreated silages. Retained N was higher for heifers fed NH3-treated alfalfa than untreated alfalfa, particularly for the low DM silages. Wilting alfalfa was more effective in improving nutrient use by heifers than treatment with NH3, which improved preservation of plant protein through ensiling.
Oil Sands Contaminants: Editor’s Response

The article by Weinhold (2011) offered an overview of potential environmental and health issues related to oil sands operations and was never intended to be nor presented solely as a recapitulation of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) report (Gosselin et al. 2010). Instead, it presented a discussion of the environmental health information in that report as well as the related significant source documents it reviewed. The information presented by Weinhold (2011) went beyond the conclusions in the RSC report in order to highlight the data used to reach those conclusions. It also provided information from a number of other sources, which at times conflicted with the RSC’s conclusions even as it agreed with details in the report. Both the RSC report and other reports document a range of health and environmental concerns in the Alberta oil sands operations area and beyond. Weinhold’s article (2011) reflected that evidence and included numerous qualifying statements stipulating that many unknowns remain. The fledgling evidence, combined with major gaps in existing environmental health science and the fact that very little of the expected oil sands development has occurred, suggest that significant additional adverse effects cannot be ruled out as development expands. Given these facts, it would have been irresponsible journalism for Weinhold to have given oil sands operations an essentially clean bill of health. The photograph on p. A130 of Weinhold’s article (2011) speaks to the reality that many citizens of Fort Chipewyan continue to be concerned about the possible effects of oil sands activity on their health and are uncertain about why community members are dying from what appear to the survivors to be unusual causes. Although Hrudey may feel this concern is misplaced or unfounded, that opinion does not reflect the feelings of those who live in Fort Chipewyan. The Alberta government’s assertion that more extensive health studies are warranted (Chen 2009) and stated intention to actively pursue such studies (Weinhold 2011) suggest adverse health effects are at least plausible.
Ion-induced ultrastructural transformations in isolated mitochondria. The energized uptake of calcium.

The energized uptake of low levels of Ca2+ in the presence and absence of phosphate by isolated rat liver mitochondria, and the perturbation effected by this activity on ultrastructural and metabolic parameters of mitochondria have been investigated. In the presence of phosphate, low levels of Ca2+ are taken up by mitochondria and result in various degrees of ultrastructural expansion of the inner mitochondrial compartment. This indicates that low levels of Ca2+ in the presence of phosphate, are accumulated in an osmotically active form into the water phase of the inner compartment. The first clearly observable quantitative increase in the volume of the inner compartment occurs after the accumulation of 100 nmoles Ca2+/mg protein. An accumulation of 150–200 nmoles Ca2+/mg protein, which is equivalent to the osmolar concentration of endogenous K+, is required to effect a doubling of the volume of the inner compartment. This degree of osmotic perturbation occurs as mitochondria transform from a condensed to an orthodox conformation. The osmotically induced orthodox conformation differs from the mechanochemically induced orthodox conformation previously described, in that its development is concomitant with a marked decrease in acceptor control and oxidative phosphorylation efficiency and it fails to transform to a condensed conformation in response to addition of ADP. In the absence of added phosphate, a maximum of 190 nmoles Ca2+/mg protein was found to be taken up by mitochondria (state 6). Ca2+ is apparently bound under state 6 conditions since the uptake does not effect an ultrastructural expansion of the inner compartment. Phosphate added after state 6 Ca2+ binding, however, results in an immediate ultrastructural expansion of the inner compartment. The addition of phosphate to mitochondria in the absence of exogenous Ca2- fails to effect an osmotic ultrastructural transformation. Under state 6 conditions, the binding of between 40 and 190 nmoles Ca2+/mg protein results in the formation of dense matrix inclusions which appear to be composed of tightly packed, concentrically oriented membranes. Under conditions in which the bound Ca2+ is subsequently released, there is a concomitant loss in the density of these matrix inclusions, leaving behind morphologically distinct membrane whorls in the mitochondrial matrix.
The response and symmetry properties of a cylinder wake subjected to localized surface excitation

Symmetric and antisymmetric periodic disturbances introduced directly into the boundary layer on a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number are shown by experiment to be capable of modifying the vortex formation process and changing the vortex shedding frequency. Spectral measurements have shown that the antisymmetric vortex shedding mode is strongly coupled to the symmetric first harmonic mode. When symmetric excitation is applied, three different shapes of the mean velocity profiles can be identified as the forcing amplitude is increased. At low forcing amplitudes nonlinear interaction between the forcing field and the natural wake oscillator produces sum and difference modes. Symmetric forcing with intermediate-amplitude disturbances suppresses the natural shedding frequency, and the dominant vortex shedding energy appears as a sinuous mode at half the excitation frequency. At high symmetric forcing amplitudes a threshold is reached, above which the large-scale vortices do not form. The symmetries of the combination modes follow two simple rules based on the symmetries of the interacting modes. The symmetry rules provide an explanation for the fundamental difference in wake structure that occurs between symmetric forcing and antisymmetric forcing.
NCL: a common language for achieving rule-based interoperability among heterogeneous systems

For achieving interoperability among heterogeneous computing systems, the Object Management Group (OMG) has adapted the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and the use of an Interface Definition Language (IDL) for specifying object properties and operations which encapsulate the data and programs of heterogeneous systems. This paper describes a common language which is an enhancement of IDL to include: 1) the semantic richness of EXPRESS, an information modeling language adapted by the ISO/STEP community for achieving product model and data exchange; and 2) the extensibility features and knowledge rule specification offered by the Object-oriented Semantic Association Model (OSAM*). This common language, named the NIIIP Common Language (NCL), is a part of the R&D effort of a project entitled the National Industrial Information Infrastructure Protocols (NIIIP). The design of NCL is standards-based, incorporating the semantic features of the two standard languages, IDL and EXPRESS, and conforming to their syntaxes as much as possible. It is an extensible language which supports the addition of new class, constraint, and association types to the language and its underlying object model in order to satisfy the diverse modeling needs of virtual enterprises. The language also contains a high-level rule specification component. Rules in NCL can be used for defining and enforcing integrity and security constraints, government or enterprise policies and regulations, and other types of semantic constraints that are local or global to heterogeneous systems. In this paper, we shall show how such a modeling language and its supporting KBMS functions can be used to achieve rule-based interoperability in an active heterogeneous system as an enhancement to OMG's CORBA.
Parameningeal rhabdomyosarcomas-accomplishment of the IRS

( arameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma is a subgroup of rhabomyosarcoma that arises from locations adjacent to the ase of skull, namely the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, paraasal sinuses, middle ear, infratemporal fossa, pterygopaltine fossa, and parapharyngeal areas. From these primary ites, the tumor has the potential to invade the meninges and ther intracranial structures by extension through one of the oramina or the bone of the skull base itself. Tumors at these ocations are generally not amenable to a complete surgical xcision. For these reasons, parameningeal rhabdomyosaroma has a worse prognosis than rhabdomyosarcoma from ther head-and-neck locations. In the first Intergroup Rhabomyosarcoma Study (IRS), the 3-year relapse-free survival ate for patients with parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma as 46% as compared to 91% for those with orbital primaies and 75% for those with nonparameningeal head-andeck primaries (1). A subsequent analysis showed that at iagnosis, the risk factors for meningeal involvement were ntracranial extension of tumor, bony erosion of the cranial ase, and cranial nerve palsy. In patients presenting with ne or more of these risk factors, the reasons for meningeal ailure were thought to be either inadequate radiation therpy or delayed radiation therapy. Therefore, the importance f radiation therapy was recognized in those days, and the reatment protocol was modified in 1977 to begin on Day 0 adiation therapy to either the whole brain or the entire euroaxis and the primary site for high-risk patients. An mproved 3-year relapse-free survival of 57% was found in hese patients as compared to those in IRS-I study (2). owever, clinical researchers in Europe had a treatment hilosophy different from that of the IRS. For example, the rench investigators did not use radiation therapy for young hildren who attained a complete response after chemotherpy if they were considered not to have a high risk of eningeal impingement. An international workshop was rganized by the International Society of Pediatric Oncolgy (SIOP) in the mid 1990s to perform a retrospective nalysis of children with nonmetastatic parameningeal rhabomyosarcoma treated by one of the four major cooperative
P16 Hydrogen sulfide stimulates colorectal cancer-associated fibroblast proliferation and migration

Cells in the stromal microenvironment facilitate colorectal cancer progression and “co-evolve” with the malignant epithelial cells. It is well established that the tumor stroma contributes to the growth and metastatic spread of colorectal cancer. We have recently reported that colorectal cancer cells (CRC) express high levels of cystathionine-β-synthetase (CBS) and produce high amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) when compared to the normal adjacent colonic epithelium. However, the effects of CRC-derived H2S on CRC-associated fibroblast (CAF) activity are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether H2S stimulates CAF proliferation and/or migration. Human CAFs from CRC were collected under an IRB-approved protocol and cultured. The xCELLigence system was used to assess cell proliferation for 144 h. For migration assays, 10[5] CAFs were suspended in serum-free media containing 0.1% BSA and added to 8 μm pore Transwell chambers. Cells were allowed to migrate toward the bottom chamber containing tumor cell conditioned media (CM) either with or without the slow-release H2S donor GYY4137. Migrated cells were quantified by visual counting. The results showed that GYY4137 (30 μM–3 mM) significantly increased CAF proliferation. Moreover, GYY4137 (1 mM) enhanced the migration of CAFs toward tumor-conditioned medium. Thus, the data demonstrate that H2S enhances CAF cell proliferation and migration in vitro. We hypothesize that cancer cell-derived H2S may play a role in promoting CAF proliferation and this effect may be part of a complex system of reciprocal interactions between fibroblasts and cancer cells important for tumor progression and spread.
Non-Line-of-Sight Indoor Localization of Micro Air Vehicles Using First-Arrival Sound

This paper presents a technique and its system that localizes a rotary-wing Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) in indoor environments even under Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. The technique is based on the system with the MAV having a wireless microphone and a ground station having multiple microphones. The technique identifies the location of the MAV in two-dimensional space by measuring the Time-of-Arrival (ToA) of acoustic signals caused by the rotation of blades at the MAV. The technique then applies an iterative algorithm that corrects the NLoS errors and computes the true ToA based on maps of known indoor environments in a computationally inexpensive manner. To suppress noise in the received signals and thus improve the robustness of ToA estimation, the generalized cross-correlation with phase transform and a bandpass filter is derived and applied. The performance of the proposed technique was examined experimentally by its comparison with three existing ToA-based localization techniques. Experimental re...
Modeling of exciton diffusion in amorphous organic thin films.

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy of amorphous organic thin films of aluminum tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) show emission spectra that redshift with time following excitation by ultrafast laser pulses. Based on reports of similar phenomena in other materials, we attribute this effect to the exciton diffusion between energetically dissimilar molecules by means of F\"orster transfer. In analyzing results at 295, 180, 75, and 35 K, we show that existing theoretical treatments of exciton diffusion require two modifications to self-consistently fit our data: one must include spatial disorder in the model, and the energy dependence of F\"orster transfer must be calculated using the donor-acceptor spectral overlap, instead of a Boltzman distribution. Monte Carlo simulations utilizing these changes yield results that are self-consistent with the observed spectral shifts.
Optimization of Azoles as Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Agents Guided by Free-Energy Calculations

Efficient optimization of an inactive 2-anilinyl-5-benzyloxadiazole core has been guided by free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations to provide potent non-nucleoside inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (NNRTIs). An FEP “chlorine scan” was performed to identify the most promising sites for substitution of aryl hydrogens. This yielded NNRTIs 8 and 10 with activities (EC50) of 820 and 310 nM for protection of human T-cells from infection by wild-type HIV-1. FEP calculations for additional substituent modifications and change of the core heterocycle readily led to oxazoles 28 and 29, which were confirmed as highly potent anti-HIV agents with activities in the 10−20 nM range. The designed compounds were also monitored for possession of desirable pharmacological properties by use of additional computational tools. Overall, the trends predicted by the FEP calculations were well borne out by the assay results. FEP-guided lead optimization is confirmed as a valuable tool for m...
Concurrent antiplatelet and fibrinolytic therapy.

In patients who have myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation, rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque leads to platelet adhesion, activation, and aggregation, with subsequent vessel occlusion due to thrombus formation. In these circumstances, the most effective pharmacologic reperfusion regimen is concurrent fibrinolytic therapy and platelet inhibition. The marked benefit of such a combination was first established in the Second International Study of Infarct Survival, in which 35-day mortality among patients with suspected myocardial infarction was 13.2 percent for those receiving neither streptokinase nor aspirin, approximately 10.5 percent for those given one or the other, and 8.0 percent for those receiving both . . .
A Neural Correlate of Consciousness Related to Repression

In previous research Libet (1966) discovered that a critical time period for neural activation is necessary in order for a stimulus to become conscious. This necessary time period varies from subject to subject. In this current study, six subjects for whom the time for neural activation of consciousness had been previously determined were administered a battery of psychological tests on the basis of which ratings were made of degree of repressiveness. As hypothesized, repressive subjects had a longer critical time period for neural activation of consciousness, suggesting the possibility that this neurophysiological time factor is a necessary condition for the development of repression.
Augmentation of cyclic AMP content induced by lysophosphatidyl choline in rabbit hearts.

The accumulation of both lysophosphoglycerides and cyclic AMP in ischaemic myocardium has been associated with electrophysiological deterioration of the heart. Although the increase in concentration of cyclic AMP is mediated in part by adrenergic stimulation, some of the increase occurs despite β-adrenergic blockade. Thus, we considered the possibility that lysophosphoglycerides may contribute to the increases in myocardial cyclic AMP in ischaemic zones by stimulating adenylate cyclase. Accordingly, we examined the effects of albumin-bound lysophosphatidyl choline in concentrations simulating those in extracts of ischaemic myocardium on adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase activities in rabbit and cat myocardial broken cell preparations and on cyclic AMP content of isolated perfused rabbit hearts. Lysophosphatidyl choline (0.4 to 1.2 mmol·litre−1) augmented basal activity of adenylate cyclase by approximately 30% in broken cell preparations without affecting phosphodiesterase activity. Lysophosphatidyl choline (1 and 2 mmol·litre−1) did not alter isoprenaline-stimulated activity but reduced fluoride-stimulated activity by 31 and 39% of values obtained in the absence of lysophosphatidyl choline. In isolated perfused hearts from normal rabbits and those pretreated with reserpine to deplete the heart of catecholamines, lysophosphatidyl choline (2 mmol·litre−1) augmented the concentration of cyclic AMP from 4.6 ± 0.3 to 11.4 ± 1.3 pmol·mg protein−1 (P <0.005) and from 4.9 ± .4 to 8.0 ± .4 pmol·mg protein−1 (P <0.005) respectively. Thus, accumulation of lysophosphatidyl choline during ischaemia could contribute to the transiently increased concentration of cyclic AMP seen typically in ischaemic myocardium.
Replating of bioreactor expanded human bone marrow results in extended growth of primitive and mature cells

The capability to expand human bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM MNC) in high density perfusion culture chambers (bioreactors) has recently been developed. In these bioreactors, total cell colony-forming unitgranulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM), and long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) numbers increase significantly over a 14-day period. However, cell growth ceases after the 14-day period, possibly due to cell density limitations. Because of the remaining presence of early cells, it should be feasible to replate the cells and obtain continued expansion. In this study, we demonstrate that bioreactors generate cells, which upon replating into secondary bioreactors, lead to continued cell, CFU-GM, and LTC-IC8 (measured after 8 weeks of secondary culture) expansion. A two-stage protocol, involving the replating of cells on days 9 to 12 of culture into new bioreactors at the original seeding density, yielded greater than 50-fold cell expansion from BM MNC in 25 days. CFU-GM were expanded 11- to 12-fold and LTC-IC8 numbers increased 6.3-fold over the same 25-day period. The addition of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) had no significant effect on total cells, CFU-GM, or LTC-IC5 in this system. We conclude that two-stage bioreactor cultures are capable of supporting extended growth of human BM MNC, CFU-GM, and LTC-IC8. The continued expansion of these primitive cells in the second stage of culture suggests that primitive cells with significant proliferative potential were generated in this system, and previous data on LTC-IC5 expansion has now been extended to LTC-IC8 expansion. Further optimization of culture conditions is likely to improve on the results obtained here, thus making perfusion bioreactor culture correspondingly more attractive for expanding BM MNC for BM transplantation.
Supervoltage orbital radiotherapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy.

ABSTRACT Patients with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy have been treated by selective orbital irradiation using a well-collimated, high-energy, x-ray beam generated by a linear accelerator. Severity of involvement and response to therapy was judged by a numerical scoring procedure and by clinical assessment. Of 23 patients treated, 15 (65%) experienced an excellent or good response, which occurred soon after the start of radiotherapy. No patient was made worse by treatment. A favorable response to orbital irradiation was observed even in some patients who had previously responded poorly to systemic corticosteroid therapy. Severe visual acuity loss or elevated intraocular pressure were not considered to be contraindications to radiation treatment. Severe asymmetrical extra-ocular paresis was not relieved following treatment, even though other concomitant manifestations of ophthalmopathy improved. Anatomic, physiologic and immunologic concepts concerning the pathogenesis of the eye lesions constitute the rati...
Dynamical behavior of strong magnetic fields in the solar convection zone

Magnetic buoyancy is thought to play an important role in the dynamical behavior of the Sun's magnetic field in the convection zone. Magnetic buoyancy is commonly thought to cause inescapable rapid loss of toroidal flux from much of the convection zone, thereby suppressing effective operation of a solar dynamo. This paper re-examines the detailed character of magnetic buoyancy, especially as it is influenced by the magnetic field's effect on heat transport and temperature gradients in the convection zone. It is suggested that suppression of convective heat transport across strong magnetic flux tubes can alter the temperature within the tubes and can subdue, or even reverse, the effect of magnetic buoyancy.
The relationship of bionts and taphonomic processes in molluscan taphofacies formation on the continental shelf and slope: eight-year trends: Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas

The Shelf and Slope Experimental Taphonomy Initiative (SSETI) deployed a suite of molluscan species in environments covering a range of depths and sediment types in the Bahamas and on the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf and upper slope for 8 years. Taphonomic state rarely correlated with the distribution of biont guilds among environments. The preservable and nonpreservable biont guilds were also routinely orthogonal. Several coincidences of taphonomic trait and biont guild occurred, including green discoloration that consistently co-occurred with boring algae and bacterial films associated with the development of chalkiness and a soft shell surface. Environments of preservation (EOPs) of disparate taphonomic signature and biont guild complement occur in similar sediment types and environments with similar rates of burial. A paucity of biont coverage is no more a reliable indicator of rapid burial than is a limited degree of shell degradation. The suggestion that preservable bionts might protect shells from taphonomic processes is not well supported. Certain EOP groups are delineated from others most readily by a combination of biont guild and taphonomic trait. Thus, biont guilds augment taphonomic analysis in differentiating EOPs. Shell preservational state, including taphonomic signature and biont coverage, is influenced in a complex way by environment. The analysis confirms an expectation that the diversity of EOPs should be greater in shallow water. Clustering of EOPs reveals that visually distinctive environments may be taphonomically and biotically similar. Visually similar environments may be quite disparate in taphonomic state and biont complement. EOPs grouped by similarity in taphonomic signature and biont coverage very likely define geographically widespread biological and taphonomic regimes, which, however, are everywhere restricted locally in areal dimension.
Coding sequence and expression patterns of mouse chordin and mapping of the cognate mouse chrd and human CHRD genes.

Chordin is a key developmental protein that dorsalizes early vertebrate embryonic tissues by binding to ventralizing TGF-β-like bone morphogenetic proteins and sequestering them in latent complexes. Here we report the first characterization of mammalian chordin. The full-length cDNA sequence for mouse chordin is given, and RNA blot analysis shows the murine chordin gene Chrd to be expressed at relatively high levels in 7-day postcoitum mouse embryos and at much decreased levels at later developmental times and in adult tissues. These results imply a major role for chordin during gastrulation of the mammalian embryo. Nevertheless, both murine and human chordin genes are shown to be expressed at readily detectable levels in several fetal and adult tissues, most notably liver and cerebellum, suggesting additional roles in organogenesis and homeostasis. Chrd was mapped to mouse chromosome 16 using interspecific crosses, and the cognate human gene CHRD was localized to human chromosome 3q27 by radiation hybrid mapping.