cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Law as a Determinant of Equity Market Development: The Experience of Transition Economies

A core part of the transition process in the former socialist countries is the creation of economic institutions that are required for a functioning market economy. The experience of the past years as well as a paradigm shift in the economic literature have brought the role of law in shaping institutions and defining rights and responsibilities of market participants to the forefront of the debate. This chapter contributes to this literature. It cautions against a simple causal relation between the enactment of good law and desired economic outcome variables. The chapter proposes that the efficacy of particular rules depends to a large extent on preexisting conditions. Moreover, different sets of rules interact with each other. In the context of stock market development, the most important sets of legal rules include shareholder property rights and investor protection, as well as stock exchange trading rules. To understand the development of stock markets in transition economies, it is important to analyze the interaction of these different rules within the given constraints of particular countries. The chapter takes the development of the Czech, Polish, and Hungarian stock exchanges as an example. It is suggested that for the development of stock markets in these countries, investor protection rules that differed considerably across countries at the outset of reforms, were more important than shareholder property rights, which were rather similar and weak across the board.
Chronic Recurrent Unilateral Pulmonary Infection: Result of Congenital Unilateral Agenesis of Pulmonary Artery

Unilateral agenesis of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a rare congenital anomaly. This report describes a 52-year-old female who gave a long history of chronic, recurrent, left-sided pulmonary infections related to UAPA. For many years, she was managed medically but the infection continued to recur. She eventually underwent left pneumonectomy and made a good recovery.
Testosterone Therapy and Prostate Cancer.

While the benefits of testosterone (T) therapy are well documented with regard to the clinical signs and symptoms of T deficiency, there is still a fear among the medical community that T therapy could be a stimulus for the emergence of prostate cancer (PCa) or promote its progression. However, the evidence shows that T appears to have limited stimulatory effects on the prostate. Several studies suggest that T stimulates the growth of prostatic neoplasia only at very low concentrations, and variations in the endogenous T levels within the physiological range or above do not appear to influence prostate growth or function, as measured by markers such as prostate-specific antigen. The recognition of the finite ability of androgens to stimulate prostate growth, called the saturation model, has led to important changes in medical practice, especially with regard to consideration of T therapy for men with a history of PCa. Recent clinical experiences with men with PCa have suggested that T therapy is not as risky as once believed. Studies regarding T administration in hypogonadal men after PCa treatment have shown no evidence of worse oncologic prognosis. Even in patients in active surveillance protocols, T has been administrated with no modification of oncologic outcomes, suggesting that T therapy is safe when correctly indicated and strictly monitored.
Mumps outbreaks in schools of Henan Province,2008-2012

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of mumps at schools in Henan Province,and to provide evidences for prevention and control strategies.Methods Descriptive epidemiology method was used to analyze the data of mumps outbreak events at schools from National Public Health Emergency Reporting System from 2008 to 2012.Results A total of 48 school mumps outbreak events and 1 226 cases with no deaths were reported accumulatively in Henan province from 2008 to 2012.School mumps outbreak events and mumps cases were mainly concentrated in Luoyang city(12 outbreak events,accounting for 25.00%; 35 mumps cases,accounting for 28.55%).Schools mumps outbreak events primarily occurred during March to May(30 cases,62.50%) and November to December(9 cases,18.75%),the incidence were 66.48% and 17.54% respectively.A total of 42 primary schools(89.58%) and 5 middle schools reported mumps outbreak,among which 17 mumps outbreak were reported on the day of the incidents,median of the report time was 4 days.Conclusion Rural primary schools have the highest incidence of the mumps outbreak.A variety of prevention and control measures,including vaccination,should be carried out during spring and autumn.Moreover,mumps screening is still need to be strengthened.
Control of workers' compensation claims and costs in the U.S. Army.

The Army Medical Department has been implementing initiatives to reduce workers' compensation claims and costs since 1983. After years of an upward trend, reductions in both costs and claims were reported for 1995 and 1996. To assess efforts at managing workers' medical care and compensation in the Army, we reviewed Department of Defense and Department of the Army documents and studied data on claims and costs. We found several programs that were launched to control claims and associated costs. None of these programs adequately addressed the absence of real-time financial incentives for reducing compensation costs, a lack of acceptable workers' compensation data collection and data management systems, and a lack of emphasis on medical case management. To sustain this trend of decreased costs and claims, the Army must focus on (1) incentives, (2) data management systems, and (3) a comprehensive plan for medically managing workers' compensation claims and costs.
Nietzsche on Internal Collapse as Nihilism

In the last chapter we saw how a way of life can collapse internally, according to Kierkegaard’s conception of despair. Nietzsche has a similar conception of how a way of life can collapse internally, thereby allowing a transition to a new way of life. Nietzsche has a variety of names for this phenomenon. In Beyond Good and Evil, he speaks of “decay” (Verfall ) and “diminishment” (Verkleinerung), whereas in the Genealogy he labels this decay “nihilism” (Nihilismus), and in later works such as Twilight of the Idols, The Anti-Christ, and Ecce Homo he settles on the word “d e cadence.” Despite this plurality of terms, I think we can find some consistent ideas about internal collapse attached to each of these terms. Nietzsche himself indicates the connection between these terms by referring to d e cadence as a matter of “decay” (Verfalls) or “diminishment” (Verkleinerung) (TI: “Socrates,” 2; TI: “Reason,” 6; TI: “Expeditions,” 37; A: 19) and by using the terms “nihilism” and “d e cadence ” synonymously in some passages ( A: 6, A: 20).
Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies

Replacing the current react-and-regulate approach to managing the complex outcomes of technological change demands new institutional arrangements for the production of knowledge and technology. Collingridge’s famous dilemma tells us that in the early stages of technology development not enough is known about potential impacts to choose the most beneficial development paths – and that once impacts do become apparent, it’s too late to shift to better paths because of technological lock-in and vested interests. The dilemma assumes a linearity of technology development: first we innovate, then we respond. This view leads to the current story of social conflict and regulatory gridlock. Yet linearity is not inherent in technology development, but rather it reflects institutional arrangements in which technology development and technology governance are largely separate activities – organizationally and temporally. These arrangements are neither inevitable nor immutable. Once technology is understood to be a product of continual choices made by humans in politically mediated settings throughout the innovation process, the governance problem can be recognized as not one of prediction and control, but rather one of awareness, openness, and course-correction. New institutional structures can be designed accordingly. At the Center for Nanotechnology in Society and the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, both at Arizona State University, we have been developing and testing theories, methods, tools, and institutional arrangements for making the implicit choice processes of research and development more explicit, inclusive and transparent. We describe the activities themselves as “Real-Time Technology Assessment” and the cumulative effects of these efforts as “Anticipatory Governance.” The goal is to improve the potential for desired social outcomes of technological advance, and reduce the likelihood of undesired outcomes.
Emerging therapies for neuropathic lysosomal storage disorders

Approximately 1 in 5000-8000 children are born annually with a lysosomal storage disease (LSD), which affects their cells' ability to break down naturally occurring substrates. Accumulation, or "storage," of undegraded substrates leads to a wide variety of clinical symptoms, and early mortality. Currently, for LSDs with central nervous system (CNS) involvement, there is no available treatment. Four methods of treatment are being explored in clinical trials and preclinical settings: enzyme replacement therapy, ex vivo gene therapy, in vivo gene therapy, and nanoparticle-based therapy. In general, each therapeutic approach has been hindered by an inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) without invasive intracranial surgeries. Also, once the treatment has entered the brain, it is difficult to ensure therapeutic levels of enzyme distributed evenly throughout the entire parenchyma. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the current standard of care for lysosomal diseases without CNS involvement. However, with the recent advent of nanoparticle-based therapy, direct targeting of either gene therapy or ERT to the brain has become plausible. Ex vivo gene therapy, in vivo gene therapy, ERT and nanoparticle-based therapies are explained, while synthesizing and analyzing their potential as clinical treatments targeted to the CNS. While difficulties in treating the entire brain remain, preclinical studies demonstrate profound therapeutic benefit in animal models and generate hope for successful translation to humans.
Interfaces between Ocean and Man

In his attempts to understand the world that he occupies, man has had two sets of questions: what? and how? Prior to recorded history and throughout nearly all of the time since then man has asked who created the universe around him. Much later, and especially during the past century, the question has been how was the universe created. To answer how requires knowledge of the subsets what and when, whose difficulty was so great that they were neglected and by default the question who long dominated. Eventually, the question why may be asked.
A Sparse Interactive Model for Matrix Completion with Side Information

Matrix completion methods can benefit from side information besides the partially observed matrix. The use of side features describing the row and column entities of a matrix has been shown to reduce the sample complexity for completing the matrix. We propose a novel sparse formulation that explicitly models the interaction between the row and column side features to approximate the matrix entries. Unlike early methods, this model does not require the low-rank condition on the model parameter matrix. We prove that when the side features can span the latent feature space of the matrix to be recovered, the number of observed entries needed for an exact recovery is $O(\log N)$ where $N$ is the size of the matrix. When the side features are corrupted latent features of the matrix with a small perturbation, our method can achieve an $\epsilon$-recovery with $O(\log N)$ sample complexity, and maintains a $\O(N^{3/2})$ rate similar to classfic methods with no side information. An efficient linearized Lagrangian algorithm is developed with a strong guarantee of convergence. Empirical results show that our approach outperforms three state-of-the-art methods both in simulations and on real world datasets.
Bicortical facet screws as a new option for posterior C2 fixation: anatomical study and clinical experience.

Purpose C2 fixation is a demanding procedure, particularly in patients with variants of C1–C2 anatomy. The inferior articular process (IAP) of the axis can be an alternative for screw placement. We report the results of a CT study of C2 IAP anatomy and we present the clinical experience of 28 patients operated with this technique.
New models and super-resolution techniques for short-range radar: Theory and experiments

Short-range millimeter (mm) wave radar imaging has significant potential for emerging applications such as handheld-based gesture recognition and vehicular situational awareness. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework for an array of monostatic elements for this purpose. We show that we must account for form factor and complexity constraints in a manner that is quite different from that of conventional radar, and introduce new models and algorithms validated by experimental results. Our main results include (a) identification of the number of degrees of freedom as a function of scene and array geometry, (b) demonstrating that grating lobes seen for the conventional point scatterer model when we employ sparse arrays can be eliminated by using spatial aggregation, using patch-based scatterer models as our dictionary, (c) optimization of patch size based on estimation-theoretic bounds, (d) super-resolution using a recently developed algorithm combining Newton methods with greedy pursuit.
Anatomical risk models for paravalvular leak and landing zone complications for balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Background Though several anatomical characteristics have been reported separately as risk factors for paravalvular leak (PVL) and landing zone (LZ) complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), multivariate risk models are needed. Methods Patients that underwent balloon-expandable TAVR with multidetector cardiac computed tomography (MDCT) sizing were studied. MDCT images were analyzed and the association between anatomical factors and ≥mild PVL, ≥moderate PVL, and LZ complications (annular rupture, requirement of new permanent pacemaker, and coronary obstruction) was determined, and subsequently competing predictive models were developed and validated. Results A total of 316 consecutive TAVR patients were included. Median age was 82.0 years (74.0–87.0) and STS score was 8.3% (5.4–10.9). Factors associated with ≥mild PVL included TAVR with Sapien/Sapien XT vs. Sapien 3 (OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.24–5.07), LVOT nontubularity (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01–1.04), LZ calcification (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.00–1.01), and low cover index (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91–0.96). Factors associated with LZ complications included LZ calcification (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.01), leaflet asymmetry (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02), and cover index (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.14). Predictive models for ≥mild PVL (AUC = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.66–0.77), ≥moderate PVL (AUC = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.65–0.84), and LZ complications (AUC = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.67–0.87) were created using procedural details and anatomical data from the MDCT. Clinical variables were not included as they were poorly correlated with the occurrence of PVL and LZ complications. For each outcome, the area under the curve (AUC) of the multivariate model was superior to the model consisting only of individual factors. Conclusions A model using procedural/anatomical characteristics derived from MDCT predicts ≥mild PVL, ≥moderate PVL, and LZ complications post-TAVR. Incorporation of anatomical risks into clinical practice may help stratify patients before TAVR. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional Problems in the Patient with a Neurological Disorder

Bowel dysfunction in patients with neurologic disorders is common. The symptoms of constipation and fecal incontinence have a tremendous impact on the quality of life of these patients. In order to successfully manage patients with neurogenic bowel dysfunction, one should take into account the unique needs and condition of each patient, along with the patient’s lifestyle, level of activity, and social goals. Dietary modification and increased activity may be supplemented by pharmacologic agents. A scheduled and individualized bowel regimen is also important, and there are new treatment modalities that can improve the bowel function of these patients, as have been outlined in this chapter. Because of the complexity of the problems and the variability of symptoms, there is no hard data in terms of recommendations for managing these patients. The ideal bowel program for each individual often is achieved by trial and error. It is clear that meticulous attention to diet, hydration, use of bulk forming agents, exercise, and the selective use of stimulants remains a crucial part of bowel management in these cases. In refractory cases, the coloproctologist may give strong consideration to an intestinal stoma after appropriate patient and family counseling—a procedure that can be met with very satisfactory results and a normal quality of life in many cases.
Interfacial adsorption of pH-responsive polymers and nanoparticles.

Using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), we model the interfacial adsorption of pH-responsive polyelectrolytes and polyelectrolyte-grafted nanoparticles (PNPs) at a planar water–oil interface. The electrostatic interactions in the presence of the dielectric discontinuity across the interface are modeled by exploiting the Groot method, which uses an iterative method to solve the Poisson equation on a uniform grid with distributed charge. We reveal the effects of the pH and salinity of the aqueous solution and the length of the polyelectrolyte on the adsorption behavior of weak polyelectrolytes. The adsorption kinetics is monitored via the trajectory of the center of mass of the polyelectrolyte in the direction normal to the interface. The residence time at the interface and the pair correlation function between the polyelectrolyte and the oil are measured to quantitatively characterize the adsorption. Similar to the weak polyelectrolytes, the influences of pH, salinity and grafted chain length on the adsorption of an individual PNP are explored. Our results show that by grafting polyelectrolytes, the interfacial behavior of the nanoparticles can be tuned by changing the pH and salinity of the solution, which is dictated by the contact angle, the pair correlation function between the particles and the oil, the desorption energy, and the particle morphology at the interface. We also observe that the electrostatic-driven variations in the interfacial activity and morphology of the PNPs are not sensitive to the length of the grafted polyelectrolytes.
Manganese Biofouling of Stainless Steel: Deposition Rates and Influence on Corrosion Processes

Corrosion potential (E{sub corr}) for 316L stainless steel coupons was monitored during 9 days in situ exposure to fresh river water. E{sub corr} increased at 300 mV day{sup {minus}1} reaching potentials of +350 mV (SCE) within 48 hours, then remained fixed at this potential. The coulometric reduction technique was used to determine rate and total abundance of cathodically active manganese biofouling during the exposure. A deposition rate of 0.57 mcoul cm{sup {minus}2} d{sup {minus}1} was measured during the initial 7 days, increasing to 3.1 mcoul cm{sup {minus}2} d{sup {minus}1} between day 7 and 9. Based on a one-electron reduction of MnO{sub 2} to MnOOH, 8.8 {micro}g cm{sup {minus}2} electroactive MnO{sub 2} was deposited during the 9 day exposure. Comparison with published data for manganese deposition in drinking water distribution systems suggests rapid biological MnO{sub 2} deposition consistent with the rapid rate of Ennoblement. Deposition rate is used to estimate the potential impact of manganese biofouling on stainless steel pitting.
History Beyond Humanity: Between ‘Big’ and ‘Deep’ History

In place of Big History (too long), Deep History (too short), and such earlier approaches as providential, progressive, deteriorationist, marxist, and sociobiological, Fernandez-Armesto proposes the problem of how acquired behaviors change. Study of non-human cultural animals—possible over a period of thirty million years—makes humans’ peculiarity apparent: we are unique not in having culture, but in encompassing more cultural divergence than other creatures. The author argues that imagination is the motor. He attempts a narrative of cultural divergence (with episodes of re-convergence, when sundered cultures established contact and exchange) to disclose the present range of ways of life and thought.
Transitioning to Kindergarten

The night before the start of my son’s kindergarten year, I could barely sleep. I experienced mixed emotions of joy and anxiety as I thought about my five-year-old beginning a new journey towards independence. Tired of the unpleasant phone calls, videos, and notes sent home from his pre-kindergarten teacher, I was relieved that “we” would have a new beginning.
Refractory Hepatic Hydrothorax: A Rare Complication of Systemic Sclerosis and Presinusoidal Portal Hypertension

We report on a rare case of refractory hepatic hydrothorax in an individual with Scleroderma/CREST syndrome and noncirrhotic portal hypertension. Portal pressure measurements revealed a normal transjugular hepatic venous portal pressure gradient, mild pulmonary hypertension, and an unremarkable liver biopsy except for mild sinusoidal dilation. Pulmonary hypertension, cardiac diastolic dysfunction, and chronic kidney disease were determined to be the causes of his refractory pleural effusions and ascites. Over the year, he underwent 50 thoracenteses and 20 paracenteses averaging 10-12 liters/week. Repeat pulmonary evaluation determined his pulmonary pressures to be normal and a secondary review of the "unremarkable" liver biopsy noted mild venous outflow obstruction and possibly Nodular Regenerative Hyperplasia (NRH). Repeat portal pressures indirectly and directly confirmed the existence of presinusoidal portal hypertension that has been associated with NRH. A transjugular intrahepatic portal systemic shunt (TIPS) was placed and he has not required thoracentesis or paracentesis over the past 18 months.
Application of quantitative and progressive exercise rehabilitation to patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent and disabling diseases in the elderly, a rapidly growing segment of the population. OA is typically treated with a combination of drugs and inactivity, with total joint arthroplasty as the final treatment alternative. This paper reviews the potential of a non-surgical intervention for patients with OA, namely exercise rehabilitation. Several types of exercise rehabilitation are considered: home exercise (HE), physical therapy (PT), cycle exercise (CE) and a new program, quantitative progressive exercise rehabilitation (QPER). The HE program demonstrated improvements in some physiological and functional variables; however, these improve­ ments were minimal. PT had a greater effect than HE on quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and endurance and functional performance; however, PT had no effect on muscle contraction speed. The QPER program improved motor unit activation, quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and endurance, contraction speed and all aspects of functional performance. In addition, QPER, although not aerobic, improved cardiorespiratory fitness and maximal workrate of V0 2. This program significantly reduced difficulty, dependency and pain (during rest, exercise and at night). It would appear that the therapy of choice would be QPER since it reduces symptoms, improves joint integrity and may lead to delays in arthroplasty. These changes could improve the quality of life of patients with OA, as well as other diseases, and reduce medical costs.
Role of multiple births in very low birth weight and infant mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants ( 30% of infant mortality due to perinatal conditions could be attributed to multiples. Multiple pregnancy is a significant public health problem.
Ethnic intermediation in contemporary Sydney

Ethnic communities adapt diverse strategies to mobilise in distinct geopolitical settings. The scholarship has done much to unpack how large, marginalised ethnic communities intermediate between th...
High-throughput phenotyping of cell-to-cell interactions in gel microdroplet pico-cultures

Microbiomes exert significant influence on our planet's ecology. Elucidating the identities of individual microbes within these communities and how they interact is a vital research imperative. Using traditional plating and culturing methods, it is impractical to assess even a small fraction of the interactions that exist within microbial communities. To address this technology gap, we integrated gel microdroplet technology with microfluidics to generate millions of microdroplet cultures (MDs) that sequester individual cells for phenotyping MDs, facilitating rapid analysis and viable recovery using flow cytometry. Herein, we describe a validated high-throughput phenotyping pipeline that elucidates cell-to-cell interactions for millions of combinations of microorganisms. Through iterative co-culturing of an algae and a pool of environmentally sourced microbes, we successfully isolated bacteria that improved algal growth.
Digest: A decoupling between size and shape in Indo-Pacific shore fishes.

To what extent has body size driven body shape disparity across fish species? Friedman et al. found that for Indo-Pacific shore fishes, body size accounts for a low fraction of variation, suggesting that there is a very weak relationship between body size and shape in this group.
A Narrative Review of Handgrip Strength and Cognitive Functioning: Bringing a New Characteristic to Muscle Memory

Background Measures of handgrip strength have not only emerged as a clinically viable screening tool for determining risk for morbidity, functional disability, and early mortality, but also for helping to identify cognitive deficits. However, the phenomena that links low handgrip strength with cognitive decline remains unclear. The role of the muscular and neural systems, and their adaptations to muscle strengthening activities over the life course, may provide important information for how age-related changes to muscle mass, strength, and neural capacity influence cognition. Moreover, disentangling how handgrip strength and cognitive function are associated may help to inform healthcare providers working with aging adults and guide targeted interventions aiming to preserve muscle and cognitive functioning. Objective To 1) highlight and summarize evidence examining the associations of handgrip strength and cognitive functioning, and 2) provide directions for future research in this area. Methods Articles from the PubMed database were searched from November 2018-May 2019. The search term algorithm, inclusion and exclusion criteria were pre-specified by investigators. Results Several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have revealed that measures of handgrip strength were associated with cognitive declines regardless of age demographics and the presence of comorbidities. Conclusion Handgrip strength can be used in clinical and epidemiological settings for helping to determine the onset and progression of cognitive impairment. Future research should continue to examine how handgrip strength and cognitive function are linked.
Safety and Efficacy of Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis:

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloons (DCB) for the treatment of femoropopliteal or infrapopliteal lesions in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI...
Pardon the Interruption: A Study of the Dark- and Bright-Side Effects of Daily Work Intrusions

Work intrusions—unexpected encounters initiated by other people that interrupt ongoing work and bring it to a temporary halt (Jett & George, 2003)—are common in today’s dynamic workplaces. Prior re...
Osteoporosis in childhood and adolescence

Abstract There has been a growing interest in pediatric and adolescent bone health over the past two decades. There is increasing recognition that the adolescent years are critical ones for bone accrual as peak bone mass is achieved during young adulthood. Gains in bone density and strength from the adolescent period ultimately influence the risk of fracture and osteoporosis throughout the life span. This chapter discusses the mechanisms by which genetic and acquired disorders of childhood can compromise the development of bone density and strength and reviews the current approach to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of bone and mineral disorders in children and adolescents.
Empirical and Rational Design of T Cell Receptor-Based Immunotherapies

The use of T cells reactive with intracellular tumor-associated or tumor-specific antigens has been a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapies in the past three decades, but the approach has been constrained by a limited understanding of the T cell receptor's (TCR) complex functions and specificities. Newer TCR and T cell-based approaches are in development, including engineered adoptive T cells with enhanced TCR affinities, TCR mimic antibodies, and T cell-redirecting bispecific agents. These new therapeutic modalities are exciting opportunities by which TCR recognition can be further exploited for therapeutic benefit. In this review we summarize the development of TCR-based therapeutic strategies and focus on balancing efficacy and potency versus specificity, and hence, possible toxicity, of these powerful therapeutic modalities.
Recommendations and guidance on the diagnosis and management of Danon disease

Introduction: Danon disease (DD) is a rare X-linked dominant cardioskeletal myopathy where phenotypic expression varies by sex. It is characterized by severe cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, and ...
An Exploration of the Fear of Attack Strategy in Chess and Its Influence on Class-A Players of Different Chess Personalities: An Exploration Using Virtual Humans

The topic of virtual humans is increasingly important in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Avirtual human can be defined as a computer simulation that mimics an actual human. Virtual humans are widely used in gaming, business, and many other domains. This paper presents an experiment that utilizes virtual chess players that simulate real players to examine the chess personalities of four chess players: a grandmaster and three class-A players. The selected grandmaster is Chigorin who is characterized by his fear of attack strategy. On the other hand, the class-A players represent three chess personalities: negligence of the center and capturing more than usual pieces, employment of traps in the opening phase, and solid openings and control of the center. To this end, the experiment represents simulations of games between Chigorin and each of the three class-A players. The errors of Chigorin and class-A players were utilized as dependent variables to measure the performance of the players. The findings reveal that although the class-A players have almost similar chess ratings, they performed differently during the simulations. Likewise, the outcomes showed that Chigorin played differently while competing against each of the class-A opponents. The results indicate that chess personalities play a significant role in predicting game outcomes between different players and it should be used as a factor along with the chess ratings.
P-079: IL10R inhibition reprograms tumor-associated macrophages and reverses drug resistance in Multiple Myeloma

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of plasma cells within the bone marrow (BM) and remains to be incurable. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major immunosuppressive component in the tumor microenvironment and display the pro-tumor M2 phenotype, supporting tumor proliferation, survival, and drug resistance. Targeting TAMs to block their pro-tumor functions represent a promising class of cancer immunotherapy. IL10 is a key immunosuppressive cytokine that leads to recruitment and development of TAMs. In this study, we investigate the role of IL10 in MM TAM development, and hypothesize that inhibition of IL10/IL10R signaling in TAMs will reprogram them for MM killing and overcome drug resistance. Methods Macrophage (MPP) polarization to M1 (CD80+) or M2 (CD163+) is determined by antibody staining and flow cytometry. In vitro and ex vivo studies were carried out in our lab’s proprietary 3D tissue-engineered BM model (3DTEBM). First, we compared TAM M2/M1 ratio as well as IL10 cytokine levels in the BM of healthy and MM subjects. To study the role of IL10 in TAM development, we co-cultured MΦ with increasing MM cells or rhIL10 in the 3DTEBM for 3 days and analyzed the resulting M2/M1 ratio. To determine the effect of IL10R inhibition, MM and MΦ co-cultures, or unsorted patient BM were treated with or without 5ug/ml α-IL10R monoclonal antibody (mAb), and TAM phenotype was analyzed after 3 days. Additionally, humanized huCD34-NCG mice were inoculated with MM cells and treated with α-IL10R mAb 3 times/week for 2 weeks; mice femurs were flushed and BM cells were analyzed for TAM phenotype. Finally, we investigated α-IL10R mAb as combination treatment with chemotherapy in MM-GFP and MΦ co-cultures; MM survival was determined by count of GFP+ cells and apoptosis was determined by Annexin/PI staining with flow cytometry. Results Compared to healthy subjects, M2/M1 ratio in MM patient TAMs were 3-fold higher, and BM IL10 level was 3.8-fold higher. Additionally, increasing MM cell ratio in co-cultures induced TAM polarization to M2, and was contributed by IL10. Importantly, α-IL10R mAb was able to reverse MM induced M2 TAM phenotype in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Moreover, the presence of TAMs resulted in significant MM proliferation and chemotherapy resistance toward lenalidomide and dexamethasone. However, combination treatment with α-IL10R mAb completely reversed the drug resistance and abrogated cancer cells in vitro, partially due to induction of apoptosis in MM cells. Conclusions In summary, we have shown that MM induced M2 polarization of TAMs in an IL-10 dependent fashion, and disruption of IL10/IL10R signaling reversed M2 phenotype in TAMs, and overcame TAM-supported drug resistance. Future studies are warranted to examine mechanism behind overcoming drug resistance as well as the effect of α-IL10R immunotherapy in vivo and in patients.
Initial synthesis and thermal characterization of hafnium polyethers

Hafnium polyethers were synthesized utilizing both the interfacial and aqueous solution techniques: Thermal properteis of the polyethers were studied by DSC and TGA analysis. The products exhibit moderate to poor low and high temperature stabilities. Degradation above 200°C occurs via an oxidative mode in air. Hafniumhaltige Polyather wurden auf folgendem Weg durch Grenzflachenpolykondensation und durch Polykondensation in Losung dargestellt: Die thermischen Eigenschaften der Polyather wurden durch Differentialthermoanalyse und thermogravimetrische Analyse untersucht. Der Abbau erfolgt oberhalb von 200°C in Luft durch Oxydation des verbliebenen Produkts.
Researching writing events: using mediated discourse analysis to explore how students write together

This article addresses how mediated discourse theory and related analytical tools can be used to explore how students write together. Considered within a sociocultural framework that conceptualises writing as involving distributed, mediated and dialogic processes of invention, this article presents an investigation of how three high school students wrote together for a collaborative project. This article presents a writing event selected from a larger study that is used to explore the ways authorship is distributed among the students, the resources that mediate their writing, the shifting social contexts they establish when writing and the relational and reflexive social positioning they enact. Mediated discourse theory and its related analytical tools are introduced for heuristic and methodological purposes for analysing how the coordination of these complexities shapes students' writing. The purpose for doing so is to gain a better understanding of how and why students write in the ways they do.
Current topics in DØ B-physics

An overview of selected topics in DO B-Physics is presented, covering relevant detector characteristics, and with emphasis on the most recent results in the B s , FCNC and rare decay programs.
The Aggregate Function API: It's Not Just for PAPERS Anymore

The concept of data parallelism is a pervasive force throughout parallel processing. Although a certain level of processing-element autonomy can help performance, the fact is that many parallele algorithms, applications, and compiler analysis techniques focus on identifying a set of data objects that can be processed using loosely synchronous parallelism. Thus, it is not surprising that a large number of communication libraries support at least a few synchronized aggregate operations on data. The Aggregate Function Application Program Interface (AFAPI) library was initially designed to be a portable high-level interface to the various types of PAPERS cluster hardware, so one would expect it to work well using this custom hardware, and it does work well. In this paper, we show that the AFAPI is also an efficient programming model for other types of parallel systems, especially shared memory multiprocessors. For many operations AFAPI can outperform threads libraries and other more traditional shared memory programming models.
Three Mile Island-2: Influence on Commercial Nuclear Power Development

The TMI-2 accident has had a tremendous impact on commercial nuclear power development. The impact, in part, has been strongly negative. In short, it has threatened its owner utility with bankruptcy and has had a depressing financial effect on all nuclear utilities; delayed the granting of licenses on plants whose construction was finished and delayed in the completion of construction of other plants; and has caused reduced availability of operating nuclear plants because of regulatory concern and safety modifications on those plants. The cost of making the necessary modifications runs in the order of $50 million for each nuclear plant causing a further financial burden on the utilities. On the positive side, safety features of the plant proved adequate to meet the goal of protecting the health of the public. I further look at the technical experience which has been, and is being gleaned, from this accident as being strongly positive, in fact, of inestimable value. The weaknesses which have been revealed have led to significant improvements in both the systems and operation of nuclear plants and the strengths which also have been revealed will make risk assessments more favorable and contribute to improved public acceptance. This paper focuses on this technical experience, summarizing the content of that experience and identifying ways in which it is being applied, further strengthening the safety, reliability, and operability of nuclear plants. Findings on radioactive releases from a severely damaged core, on equipment survivability under inimical conditions inside containment, on hydrogen releases and flammability, and on operator/control room interactions in an emergency are otherwise available only through laboratory, small scale, or simulation testing. These results are showing, on the one hand, weaknesses in operation and plant systems, but, on the other, are showing unexpected strengths in plant systems and less severe consequences than had previously been anticipated. In the long run, the net impact might well be favorable to the nuclear power industry.
A novel serine phosphorylation site detected in the N-terminal domain of estrogen receptor isolated from human breast cancer cells.

Activated estrogen receptor (ERα) plays a critical role in breast cancer development and is a major target for drug treatment. Serine phosphorylation within the N-terminal domain (NTD) contributes to ERα activation and may also cause drug resistance. Previous biochemical identification of phosphorylated ERα residues was limited to protein artificially overexpressed in transfected cell lines. We report mass spectrometric methods that have allowed the identification of a new site within the NTD of ERα isolated from cultured human breast cancer cells. Immunoprecipitation, trypsin digestion, and analysis by nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS (Q-STAR, MDS Sciex) and vMALDI-MSn (Finnigan™ LTQ™, Thermo-Electron) identified peptides containing 8 of 14 serine residues within the NTD, one being partially phosphorylated Ser-167, known but not previously reported by MS. Chymotrypsin digestion revealed other known sites at Ser-102/104/106 and 118. Tandem methods developed for the peptide containing Ser-118 and the use of hypothesis-driven experiments—i.e., the assumption that an intact phosphopeptide showing no molecular ion might yield fragment ions including loss of phosphoric acid in vMALDI-MS/MS—allowed the identification of a novel site at Ser-154. Quantitation by selected reaction monitoring demonstrated 6-fold and 2.5-fold increases in Ser-154 phosphorylation in estradiol- and EGF-treated cells, respectively, compared to controls, confirmed by immunoblotting with a novel rabbit polyclonal antibody. Thus, the protein isolation and MS strategies described here can facilitate discovery of novel phosphorylation sites within low abundance, clinically important cancer targets like ERα, and may thereby contribute to our understanding of the role of phosphorylation in the development of breast cancer.
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast: report of three cases.

BACKGROUND Metaplastic carcinoma is a rare form of breast carcinoma that often is confused with other benign and malignant entities. The diagnosis can be difficult to establish on both a clinical and conventional histopathologic basis. One report recently described clinical and mammographic features dissimilar to the authors' experience but to the authors' knowledge no other reports have been published. Therefore a review of three cases was undertaken; all patients had undergone mammography to identify and report the mammographic features of this disease, suggesting that imaging may add to the proper diagnosis of this entity. METHODS Three clinical cases in which the diagnosis of metaplastic carcinoma was confirmed and for which mammography was performed were reviewed retrospectively. Follow-up on all three patients was available. RESULTS Metaplastic carcinoma may be manifest as a well circumscribed mass or an irregular or spiculated mass. The latter always is highly suspicious for malignancy and the former incurs suspicion if it grows, although in this series the smooth mass was biopsied immediately. The spiculated masses were associated with delayed diagnosis and poorer prognosis because immunohistochemical studies were not performed on the original excisional biopsy specimens. CONCLUSIONS Although spiculated masses usually are associated with invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma, they also may represent metaplastic carcinoma and immunohistochemical studies often are required to establish this diagnosis and avoid delay in proper treatment. Well circumscribed masses representing this disease may suggest benign disease but metaplastic carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis, especially if the mass enlarges. Cancer 1998;82:1082-7. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
The global Goursat problem and scattering for nonlinear wave equations

Abstract The Goursat problem for nonlinear scalar equations on the Einstein Universe M , with finite-energy datum, has a unique global solution in the positive-energy, Sobolev-controllable case. Such equations include those of the form □ ϑ + H ′( ϑ ) = 0, where H denotes a hamiltonian that is a fourth-order polynomial, bounded below, in components of the multicomponent scalar section ϑ. In particular, the conformally invariant equation (□ + 1) ϑ + λϑ 3 = 0 ( λ ⩾ 0) is included. In the higher-dimensional analog R × S n to the Einstein Universe the same result holds under the stronger conditions on H required for Sobolev controllability. Irrespective of energy positivity, there is a unique local-in-time solution for arbitrary finite-energy Goursat datum, for all n ⩾ 3, establishing evolution from the given lightcone to any sufficiently close lightcone. These results show the existence of wave operators in the sense of scattering theory, and their continuity in the (Einstein) energy metric, for positive-energy equations of the indicated type. They also permit the comprehensive reduction of scattering theory for conformally invariant wave equations in Minkowski space M 0 to the Goursat problem in M . In particular, any solution of the equation arising from a nonnegative conformally invariant biquadratic interaction Lagrangian on multicomponent scalar sections, having finite Einstein energy at any one time, is asymptotic to solutions of the corresponding multicomponent free wave equation as the Minkowski time x 0 → ± ∞. Thus given a finite-Einstein-energy solution of the equation □ƒ + λƒ 3 = 0 on M 0 (λ ⩾ 0) there exist unique solutions ƒ ± of the free wave equation which approach ƒ in the Minkowski energy norm as x 0 → ± ∞, and every finite-Einstein-energy solution of the free wave equation is of the form ƒ + (or ƒ − ) for a unique solution ƒ of the nonlinear equation. This generalizes, in part in maximality sharp form, earlier results of Strauss for this equation.
Identification of stathmin-like proteins in plants

Abstract Stathmin-like proteins were identified in broad bean, green bean, pea, soybean, and cowpea extracts by western blotting after SDS PAGE and native isoelectric focusing (IEF). The subunit molecular mass of these proteins ranged from 14–23 kDa in leaf, root and stem tissues, but higher molecular mass forms were observed in germinated seed (cotyledon) extracts. After IEF, multiple forms of stathmin-like proteins were observed in different tissues from all plant extracts. In general, the pIs ranged from 3.5 to 5.0, although each tissue showed a unique IEF pattern of stathmin-like proteins. Stathmin-like proteins in plants appear to be similar to mammalian stathmin in size, pI, and immunological determinants.
CE/electrospray ionization-MS analysis of underivatized d/l-amino acids and several small neurotransmitters at attomole levels through the use of 18-crown-6-tetracarboxylic acid as a complexation reagent/background electrolyte.

A new capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry technique is introduced for attomole detection of primary amines (including several neurotransmitters), amino acids, and their d/l enantiomers in one run through the use of a complexation reagent while using only ∼1 nL of sample. The technique uses underivatized amino acids in conjunction with an underivatized capillary, which significantly reduces cost and analysis time. It was found that when (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (18-C-6-TCA, MW 440) was used as the background electrolyte/complexation reagent during the capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (CE/ESI-MS) analysis of underivatized amino acids, stable complexes were formed between the amino acids and the 18-C-6-TCA molecules. These complexes, which exhibited high ionization efficiencies, were detectable at attomole levels for most amino acids. The detection limits of the AA/18-C-6-TCA complexes were on the average more than 2 orders of magnitude lower ...