cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating oliceridine as a treatment option for moderate to severe acute post-operative pain in adults.

INTRODUCTION Despite the advances in regional anesthesia and non-opioid systemic analgesia, opioids remain the primary rescue analgesic for moderate to severe pain. However, the risks and side effects of opioid medications are well documented. Oliceridine is a novel opioid receptor agonist which is thought to have less risk of adverse events, such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and respiratory depression. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors discuss the limitations of the current opioid and non-opioid analgesic options. They also review the pharmacokinetics of oliceridine, its analgesic efficacy, and risk of adverse events; and its added clinical value in managing moderate to severe pain. EXPERT OPINION Despite the advances in regional anesthesia and multimodal systemic analgesia, opioid free analgesia is only feasible in selected procedures and patients. Oliceridine is effective in the management of moderate to severe pain and appears to be associated with lower risk of nausea and vomiting. The risk of sedation and respiratory depression associated with oliceridine will require further study. The availability of an opioid agonist with a better side effect profile could potentially change the current paradigm of opioid avoidance in postoperative pain management.
Clinical decision support systems with team-based care on type 2 diabetes improvement for Medicaid patients: A quality improvement project.

Abstract Background The prevalence of clinical inertia, the failure of appropriate treatment intensification in diabetes treatment, is a well-documented worldwide phenomenon. This project addresses the problem of clinical inertia through three interrelated activities, clinical decision support (CDSS), team-based care, and patient engagement in diabetes management. Objectives The purpose of this research is to provide analysis under the State-University Partnership Learning Network regarding the impact of an electronic decision support tool combined with team-based care workflow on provider decision-making and patient outcomes for the treatment of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (diabetes) among patients receiving Kentucky Medicaid. The objectives of this study are to 1) assess clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes in the Medicaid population with team-based care using CDSS, 2) evaluate physicians' and pharmacists’ experience on CDSS. Methods This is a quality improvement project using a mixed-method - longitudinal and control group comparison of outcomes based upon clinical measures and online surveys of providers and pharmacists involved in this project. Results Patients treated by providers who changed the treatment regimen to one that either fully or partially followed the recommendation of the CDSS tool had a statistically significant reduction in HbA1c with an average initial HbA1c of 10.1 and the final HbA1c of 8. The online survey of physicians shows that more than 80% of physicians agree the use of CDSS will support improved patient outcomes. The use of a team-based care approach that includes pharmacists in implementing treatment changes was broadly supported by both physicians and pharmacists. Conclusion CDSS combined with team-based care can be effective in reducing HbA1c to targeted therapeutic levels. The use of CDSS provides a way to efficiently assess more than 160 potential frontline drugs and properly accelerate treatment. Consistent with the research literature, the inclusion of pharmacists can play a key role in team-based care to assess treatment alternatives and provide for improvement in outcomes and patient adherence for diabetes. The user surveys show both physicians and pharmacists have a positive attitude toward CDSS.
The Archaeological Water Separation Machine in Fire Investigation

Archaeologists use water separation to improve the recovery of small items from prehistoric sites. These small items have proven to be an important part of the archaeological record. A simple experiment shows that the water separation machine might also be used to improve the recovery of small evidence at the fire scene. Four samples from three residential structure fires have been cycled through a modified Shell Mound Archaeological Project (SMAP) water separation machine and a variety of small items have been recovered.
Introducing Preferences into Commitment Protocols

Commitment protocols enable flexibility in agent interactions by utilizing the semantics of commitments to develop succinct declarative specifications for protocols that allow a large number of executions. As a consequence, commitment protocols enable agents to accommodate varying local policies and respond to exceptions. A consequent weakness of such protocols is that commitment protocols thus fail to distinguish between possible executions that are normal and those that may be allowed but are not ideal. This paper develops an approach for specifying preferencesamong executions that are allowed by a protocol. It captures sets of executions via a simple language and gives them a denotational characterization based on branching-time models. It shows how to incorporate the specifications into rulesets, thereby giving the specifications a natural operational characterization. The rulesets embed into a recent practical framework for protocols called OWL-P. The paper shows that the operational and denotational characterizations coincide.
Individual differences in error monitoring in healthy adults: psychological symptoms and antisocial personality characteristics

Recent studies have investigated the relationship between psychological symptoms and personality traits and error monitoring measured by error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) event-related potential (ERP) components, yet there remains a paucity of studies examining the collective simultaneous effects of psychological symptoms and personality traits on error monitoring. This present study, therefore, examined whether measures of hyperactivity-impulsivity, depression, anxiety and antisocial personality characteristics could collectively account for significant interindividual variability of both ERN and Pe amplitudes, in 29 healthy adults with no known disorders, ages 18-30 years. The bivariate zero-order correlation analyses found that only the anxiety measure was significantly related to both ERN and Pe amplitudes. However, multiple regression analyses that included all four characteristic measures while controlling for number of segments in the ERP average revealed that both depression and antisocial personality characteristics were significant predictors for the ERN amplitudes whereas antisocial personality was the only significant predictor for the Pe amplitude. These findings suggest that psychological symptoms and personality traits are associated with individual variations in error monitoring in healthy adults, and future studies should consider these variables when comparing group difference in error monitoring between adults with and without disabilities.
The Structure and Complexity of Sports Elimination Numbers

Identifying the teams that are already eliminated from contention for first place of a sports league, is a classic problem that has been widely used to illustrate the application of linear programming and network flow. In the classic setting each game is played between two teams and the first place goes to the team with the greatest total wins. Recently, two papers [W], [AEHO] detailed a surprising structural fact in the classic setting: At any point in the season, there is a computable threshold W such that for any team i , i is eliminated (has no chance to win or tie for first place) if and only if i cannot win W or more games. They used this threshold to speed up the identification of eliminated teams. In both papers the proofs of the existence of a threshold are tied to the computational methods used to find it.
Mechanical wounding of potato tubers induces replication of potato virus S

Abstract The replication of potato virus S in potato tuber tissue was induced by wounding. An acidic 32kDa polypeptide accumulated in the polysome fraction of tubers upon wounding, concomitant with a transient increase in translational activity which is an integral component of the tuber wound response. We isolated and identified this polypeptide as the potato virus S coat protein. Immunoblot analyses indicated that the coat protein increased 2- to 20-fold in tubers within 4h of wounding. Northern blot analyses showed a parallel increase in potato virus S genomic RNA during the same time frame. Both potato virus S RNA and coat protein were barely detectable in tubers before wounding. By contrast, the significant amounts of coat protein detected in leaf and stem did not increase further upon wounding or treatment with abscisic acid or methyl jasmonate. The 32kDa polypeptide was not detected in seed tubers certified as virus-free. The observation that potato virus X and potato virus Y were also induced 5- to 10-fold within 4h of wounding led us to conclude that the induction of potato virus S in tubers resulted from the transient release from dormancy and general stimulation of tuber metabolism that occurs upon wounding. Wound-induction of potato virus S, potato virus X and potato virus Y may have implications on potato field practices or provide greater sensitivity in immunological screening of seed tubers for viruses.
Changing Incentives in a Multi-task Environment: Evidence from a Top-Tier Business School

This study focuses on changes in incentives at the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration in the early 1990s to redirect effort from academic research to classroom teaching. We find a substantial and almost immediate jump in teaching ratings following the changes in incentives. Longer-run learning and turnover effects are present. Evidence also suggests that research output fell. This case illustrates the power of organizational incentives to redirect effort in a multi-task environment, even in the presence of apparent human-capital constraints.
On-chip digital calibration for automatic input impedance boosting during biopotential measurements

An On-chip digital calibration system is presented to adaptively improve the input impedance of analog front-ends in biopotential measurement systems. The calibration unit controls two 8-bit capacitor banks to generate a negative capacitance and to significantly increase the input impedance of an instrumentation amplifier to above 500MΩ. An oscillation detection scheme protects the system from instability. Simulation results endorse that the calibration scheme is reliable in the presence of process variations. The calibration logic unit was designed, laid out and simulated in 130nm CMOS technology with a 1.2V supply. It consumes 1.2 µW of power and 0.062 mm2 of chip area.
Markov localization using correlation

Localization is one of the most important capabilities for autonomous mobile agents. Markov Localization (ML), applied to dense range images, has proven to be an effective technique. But its computational and storage requirements put a large burden on robot systems, and make it difficult to update the map dynamically. In this paper we introduce a new technique, based on correlation of a sensor scan with the map, that is several orders of magnitude more efficient than ML. CBML (correlation-based ML) permits video-rate localization using dense range scans, dynamic map updates, and a more precise error model than ML. In this paper we present the basic method of CBML, and validate its efficiency and correctness in a series of experiments on an implemented mobile robot base.
Imprecise multicast routing for scalable information distribution

Typically, multicast data distribution uses rendezvous points (PIM, CBT), multicast distribution tree building protocols, and multicast forwarding. Whereas the first two approaches have been extensively studied, scaling multicast forwarding state without increasing forwarding complexity has not been addressed in detail. Having a scalable strategy for aggregation of multicast forwarding state is essential for inter-domain multicast which could have any number of concurrent multicast groups, especially in applications such as event notification and web cache invalidation mechanisms. We first present the essential characteristics of a scalable multicast routing mechanism. We then introduce and analyze, according to these metrics, a scalable aggregation mechanism for multicast-based update and change distribution based on imprecise (too generous) aggregation. Our mechanism is simple to implement, requires no additional information about the groups, and allows important savings in routing table size and routing protocol overhead, at a minimal expense in additional network and end-system traffic.
The roles of MAD1 , MAD2 and MAD3 in meiotic progression and the segregation of nonexchange chromosomes

Errors in meiotic chromosome segregation are the leading cause of spontaneous abortions and birth defects1. In humans, chromosomes that fail to experience crossovers (or exchanges) are error-prone, more likely than exchange chromosomes to mis-segregate in meiosis. We used a yeast model to investigate the mechanisms that partition nonexchange chromosomes. These studies showed that the spindle checkpoint genes MAD1, MAD2 and MAD3 have different roles. We identified a new meiotic role for MAD3; though dispensable for the segregation of exchange chromosomes, it is essential for the segregation of nonexchange chromosomes. This function of Mad3p could also be carried out by human BubR1. MAD1 and MAD2 act in a surveillance mechanism that mediates a metaphase delay in response to nonexchange chromosomes, whereas MAD3 acts as a crucial meiotic timer, mediating a prophase delay in every meiosis. These findings suggest plausible models for the basis of errant meiotic segregation in humans.
Maximizing the in vivo efficiency of gene transfer by means of nonviral polymeric gene delivery vehicles.

We have screened many synthetic and natural polymers for their ability to facilitate gene delivery in vivo into subcutaneous tissue. We postulated that gene delivery polymeric vehicles could control the chemical and biological stability of plasmid as well as their colloidal and surface properties, and this may lead to enhanced gene delivery in vivo. The screening was based on reporter gene (luciferase) expression using a plasmid containing the cytomegalovirus promoter. The control of charge density of resulting particles was achieved by selecting different ratios of polymer to plasmid mass as well as polymer chemistry. As opposed to in vitro observations, only polymers that lead to negatively charged particles exhibited an in vivo activity, in opposite to in vitro case. Such polymers exhibited relatively low positive charge chemistry (or neutral charge). The most potent polymeric vehicles were members of a Tetronic polymer series (synthetic polyethylene-polypropylene block copolymers; BASF, Mount Olive, NJ) or from a noncharged polyvinylpyrrolidine formulation. Plasmid dose response and time relationships were established for some polymers. Results were applied to the redesign of particles for biolistic (gene gun) plasmid gene delivery.
Effect of age and caloric restriction on bleomycin-chelatable and nonheme iron in different tissues of C57BL/6 mice

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the widely observed age-associated increase in the amounts of macromolecular oxidative damage is due to an elevation in the availability of redox-active iron, that is believed to catalyze the scission of H2O2 to generate the highly reactive hydroxyl radical. Concentrations of bleomycin-chelatable iron and nonheme iron were measured in various tissues and different regions of the brain of mice fed on ad libitum (AL) or a calorically restricted (to 60% of AL) diet at different ages. The concentrations of these two pools of iron varied markedly as a function of tissue, age, and caloric intake. There was no consistent ratio between the amounts of nonheme and the bleomycin-chelatable iron pools across these conditions. Nonheme iron concentration increased with age in the liver, kidney, heart, striatum, hippocampus, midbrain and cerebellum of AL animals, whereas bleomycin-chelatable iron increased significantly with age only in the liver. Amounts of both nonheme and bleomycin-chelatable iron remained unaltered during aging in the cerebral cortex and hindbrain of AL mice. Caloric restriction had no effect on iron concentration in the brain or heart, but caused a marked increase in the concentration of both bleomycin-chelatable and nonheme iron in the liver and the kidney. The results do not support the hypothesis that accumulation of oxidative damage with age, or its attenuation by CR, are associated with corresponding variations in redox-active iron.
DECISION SUPPORT FOR OIL SPILL RESPONSE CONFIGURATION PLANNING

ABSTRACT We have developed a prototype oil spill response configuration system to help U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) planners determine the appropriate response equipment and personnel for major spills. Advanced artificial intelligence planning techniques, as well as other software tools, have been applied to spill trajectory modeling, plan evaluation, and map display. We have successfully demonstrated the initial prototype system to various USCG personnel at the regional and national levels on a specific major spill scenario from the San Francisco Bay area.
Calcium, asparagine and cAMP are required for ornithine decarboxylase activation in intact Chinese hamster ovary cells

Abstract Asparagine specifically activated ornithine decarboxylase activity 5–7 fold by 7–8 h in confluent cultures maintained with a salts/glucose medium. When dibutyryl cAMP was added with asparagine, a 40–50 fold stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity was produced. Ornithine decarboxylase activation in the salts/glucose medium was not sensitive to actinomycin D. Omission of Ca ++ and Mg ++ from the medium abolished the ability of asparagine and/or dibutyryl cAMP to stimulate enzyme activity. Calcium was essential for the asparagine and dibutyryl cAMP mediated stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity.
Flexible Neural Representations of Value in the Primate Brain

The amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are often thought of as components of a neural circuit that assigns affective significance--or value--to sensory stimuli so as to anticipate future events and adjust behavioral and physiological responses. Much recent work has been aimed at understanding the distinct contributions of the amygdala and OFC to these processes, but a detailed understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying learning about value remains lacking. To gain insight into these processes, we have focused initially on characterizing the neural signals of the primate amygdala, and more recently of the primate OFC, during appetitive and aversive reinforcement learning procedures. We have employed a classical conditioning procedure whereby monkeys form associations between visual stimuli and rewards or aversive stimuli. After learning these initial associations, we reverse the stimulus-reinforcement contingencies, and monkeys learn these new associations. We have discovered that separate populations of neurons in the amygdala represent the positive and negative value of conditioned visual stimuli. This representation of value updates rapidly upon image value reversal, as fast as monkeys learn, often within a single trial. We suggest that representations of value in the amygdala may change through multiple interrelated mechanisms: some that arise from fairly simple Hebbian processes, and others that may involve gated inputs from other brain areas, such as the OFC.
The soluble extracellular domain of EphB4 (sEphB4) antagonizes EphB4-EphrinB2 interaction, modulates angiogenesis, and inhibits tumor growth

The receptor tyrosine kinase EphB4 and its ligand EphrinB2 play a crucial role in vascular development during embryogenesis. The soluble monomeric derivative of the extracellular domain of EphB4 (sEphB4) was designed as an antagonist of EphB4/EphrinB2 signaling. sEphB4 blocks activation of EphB4 and EphrinB2; suppresses endothelial cell migration, adhesion, and tube formation in vitro; and inhibits the angiogenic effects of various growth factors (VEGF and bFGF) in vivo. sEphB4 also inhibits tumor growth in murine tumor xenograft models. sEphB4 is thus a therapeutic candidate for vascular proliferative diseases and cancer.
The missing linkage: what pharmacogenetic associations are left to find in CYP3A?

Importance of the field: An enormous amount of drugs and endogenous substrates are metabolized by the enzymes encoded in the CYP3A gene cluster, making variation at this locus of utmost importance in the field of pharmacogenetics. However, the identification of genetic variation that contributes to the wide phenotypic variability at this locus has been elusive. While dozens of studies have investigated the effects of coding variants, none have found the definitive answer to what variant or variants explain the distribution of enzyme activity and clinical effects seen with the drug metabolized by these genes.Areas covered in this review: This review highlights the recent pharmacogenetic work at the CYP3A locus, in particular studies on known functional variants in CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. In addition, common pharmacogenetic strategies as well as considerations specific to the CYP3A locus are discussed.What the reader will gain: The reader will gain a greater understanding of the complexities involved in studying...
Does prolactin play a role in skin biology and pathology

Despite its extensive repertoire of biological activities, which include the growth- and osmoregulation of epithelial tissues as well as immunoregulatory properties, the potential significance of the pituitary hormone prolactin (PRL) for human skin biology and pathology has yet to be fully appreciated. In this essay, the hypothesis is presented that PRL acts as a neuroendocrine modulator of skin epithelial cell proliferation and of the skin immune system by forming a 'prolactin-circuit' between the central nervous system and the skin. Binding to specific skin receptors, modulation of cytokine release in the skin, and stimulation of somatomedin release by mesenchymal cells are among the suggested pathways by which PRL could affect epithelial cell growth in the skin. Potential feedback signals, arising from the skin and modifying pituitary PRL release, are briefly outlined. Centering on the role of PRL in both psoriasis and hair growth as models for studying the proposed PRL-skin connection, clinical and experimental evidence in support of this theory is discussed in the context of a 'neuroimmune-dermatological' perspective.
Characterization of newly established human osteosarcoma cell line, LM-1.

The characteristics of Cell Line LM-1, established from a human osteosarcoma, have been studied extensively. The cell produced both bone-specific and placental-like alkaline phosphatases when treated with hydrocortisone 21-phosphate; they had specific membrane antigens that reacted with sera from osteosarcoma patients. Injection of LM-1 cells into newborn hamsters treated with antilymphocyte serum produced nodular tumors. The characteristics of LM-1 suggest that this tumor cell line has unique features that may be useful in a variety of studies of human and animal osteosarcoma.
Does the history of food energy units suggest a solution to "Calorie confusion"?

The Calorie (kcal) of present U.S. food labels is similar to the original French definition of 1825. The original published source (now available on the internet) defined the Calorie as the quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water from 0 to 1°C. The Calorie originated in studies concerning fuel efficiency for the steam engine and had entered dictionaries by 1840. It was the only energy unit in English dictionaries available to W.O. Atwater in 1887 for his popular articles on food and tables of food composition. Therefore, the Calorie became the preferred unit of potential energy in nutrition science and dietetics, but was displaced when the joule, g-calorie and kcal were introduced. This article will explain the context in which Nicolas Clement-Desormes defined the original Calorie and the depth of his collaboration with Sadi Carnot. It will review the history of other energy units and show how the original Calorie was usurped during the period of international standardization. As a result, no form of the Calorie is recognized as an SI unit. It is untenable to continue to use the same word for different thermal units (g-calorie and kg-calorie) and to use different words for the same unit (Calorie and kcal). The only valid use of the Calorie is in common speech and public nutrition education. To avoid ongoing confusion, scientists should complete the transition to the joule and cease using kcal in any context.
Tracking Single Kinesin Molecules in the Cytoplasm of Mammalian Cells

Understanding dynamic cellular processes requires precise knowledge of the distribution, transport, and interactions of individual molecules in living cells. Despite recent progress in in vivo imaging, it has not been possible to express and directly track single molecules in the cytoplasm of live cells. Here, we overcome these limitations by combining fluorescent protein-labeling with high resolution total internal reflection fluorescence microcopy, using the molecular motor Kinesin-1 as model system. First, we engineered a three-tandem monomeric Citrine tag for genetic labeling of individual molecules and expressed this motor in COS cells. Detailed analysis of the quantized photobleaching behavior of individual fluorescent spots demonstrates that we are indeed detecting single proteins in the cytoplasm of live cells. Tracking the movement of individual cytoplasmic molecules reveals that individual Kinesin-1 motors in vivo move with an average speed of 0.78 ± 0.11 μm/s and display an average run length of 1.17 ± 0.38 μm, which agrees well with in vitro measurements. Thus, Kinesin-1's speed and processivity are not upregulated or hindered by macromolecular crowding. Second, we demonstrate that standard deviation maps of the fluorescence intensity computed from single molecule image sequences can be used to reveal important physiological information about infrequent cellular events in the noisy fluorescence background of live cells. Finally, we show that tandem fluorescent protein tags enable single-molecule, in vitro analyses of extracted, mammalian-expressed proteins. Thus, by combining direct genetic labeling and single molecule imaging in vivo, our work establishes an important new biophysical method for observing single molecules expressed and localized in the mammalian cytoplasm.
Experimental study of non-linear transient motion confinement in a system of coupled beams

Abstract An experimental study of non-linear confinement of transient motions in a flexible structure consisting of two weakly coupled cantilever beams with active grounding non-linearities has been carried out. The experimental fixture and the control methodology used for implementing the active non-linearities are discussed in detail. It has been found that the system with active non-linearities possesses motion confinement properties, that is, transient motions originating at one of the beams become spatially confined mainly to the directly excited beam, with small amounts of vibrational energy “leaking” to the unexcited one. As the damped motion decays the non-linear effects diminish and the motion confinement phenomenon becomes less evident. The experimental results are in agreement with analytical predictions. The implementation of non-linear motion confinement in vibration and shock isolation designs of repetitive systems is discussed.
Intramolecular "Hydroiminiumation and -amidiniumation" of Alkenes: A Convenient, Flexible, and Scalable Route to Cyclic Iminium and Imidazolinium Salts

Addition of a stoichiometric amount of HCl to alkenylaldimines, -formamidines, and -amidines results in the protonation of the sp2-nitrogen atom. The resulting alkenylaldiminium, -formamidinium, and -amidinium salts can be isolated and fully characterized, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Heating solutions of these salts induces ring closure cleanly and regioselectively via formal “exo” addition of the nitrogen−hydrogen bond to the pendent carbon−carbon double bond, affording the corresponding cyclic aldiminium, dihydroisoquinolinium, and imidazolinium salts. Of special interest, novel 4,4-disubstituted imidazolinium salts are accessible via this synthetic route. Similarly, addition of phosgene to alkenyl ureas and alkenyl amides, followed by gentle heating, cleanly affords C-chloro imidazolinium, and cyclic C-chloro iminium salts, respectively. Treatment of the latter with tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium allows for the preparation of the first transition-metal complex bearing a c...
Optimal design of a dual-oxide nano-CMOS universal level converter for multi-Vdd SoCs

Multiple supply voltage based (V dd ) Systems on Chip (SoCs) allow designers to implement large, complex systems for diverse applications. However, the need for level conversion imposes penalties and often results in non-optimal SoCs. Thus, the level converters are overhead for the circuits in which they are being used. If power consumption of the level converters continues to grow, then they will fail to serve the very purpose for which they were built. This paper proposes the power (leakage)-delay optimization of a DC to DC universal voltage level converter (ULC) using a dual-T ox (dual-oxide CMOS or DOXCMOS) technique and exploiting transistor geometry. The proposed ULC is a novel circuit proposed here for the first time and performs level-up, level-down conversion, or blocking of the input signal, based on the requirements. The paper further proposes a novel design methodology accompanied by an optimization algorithm for the parasitic-aware power-delay optimization of the ULC circuit. The entire design has been implemented in 90 nm CMOS up to layout, including DRC/LVS and parasitic (RC) re-simulation, and was subjected to process variation of 10 process parameters. The optimal ULC with 20 transistors yields power savings of 87.5 %, delay improvement of 87.3 % and area savings of 21 % over the baseline design. It is a robust design performing a stable voltage level conversion for voltages as low as 0.6 V (50 % of V dd ) and loads varying from 10 to 200 fF.
Methyltrioxorhenium Encapsulated in Zeolite Y: Tunable Olefin Metathesis Catalyst

Methyltrioxorhenium (MTO) was encapsulated in different forms of zeolite Y having a range of acidity levels. EXAFS and vibrational studies show that at room temperature, the complex maintains its i...
Compiler optimizations for asynchronous systolic array programs

A programmable systolic array of high-performance cells is an attractive computation engine if it attains the same utilization of dedicated arrays of simple cells. However, typical implementation techniques used in high-performance processors, such as pipelining and parallel functional units, further complicate the already difficult task of systolic algorithm design. This paper shows that high-performance systolic arrays can be used effectively by presenting the machine to the user as an array of conventional processors communicating asynchronously. This abstraction allows the user to focus on the higher level problem of partitioning a computation across cells in the array. Efficient fine-grain parallelism can be achieved by code motion of communication operations made possible by the asynchronous communication model. This asynchronous communication model is recommended even for programming algorithms on systolic arrays without dynamic flow control between cells.The ideas presented in the paper have been validated in the compiler for the Warp machine [4]. The compiler has been in use in various application areas including robot navigation, low-level vision, signal processing and scientific programming. Near-optimal code has been generated for many published systolic algorithms.
The impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on the earnings–returns relation

This study investigates the impact of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the value relevance of financial reports in 13 European countries by comparing the earnings–returns relation pre- and post-IFRS mandatory adoption in 2005. It shows that the financial reporting convergence enhances the contemporaneous association between earnings and returns, consistent with investors' expecting net information quality benefits from the IFRS adoption. While the reduction of price leading return effects documented in Ali and Hwang (2000) is more pronounced for a country with less discrepancy between local generally accepted accounting principles and IFRS, the legal system and aggregate earnings management within that country do not significantly deteriorate the positive value-relevance reaction to mandatory IFRS adoption in Europe.
Specific discontinuities in Leishmania tarentolae minicircles map within universally conserved sequence blocks.

Specific discontinuities remaining in the daughter strands of newly synthesized minicircles from Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma equiperdum have been shown to lie within conserved sequence block (CSBs) present in minicircles from all species of trypanosomes. The presence of ribonucleotides at the 5′ ends of the L-strand in both cases suggests that the conserved sequences may constitute a replication origin. However, specific discontinuities have only been mapped in organisms having unusually homogeneous populations of minicircles. The specific nicks in minicircles from the heterogeneous population present in Leishmania tarentolae have now been mapped to predicted sites within the CSBs. These results are consistent with a universal mechanism of minicircle replication dictated by a conserve sequence motif present both in minicircles having a high degree of sequence heterogeneity as well as in relatively homogeneous populations.
Quasilinear cellular automata

Abstract Simulating a cellular automaton (CA) for t time-steps into the future requires t 2 serial computation steps or t parallel ones. However, certain CAs based on an Abelian group, such as addition mod 2, are termed linear because they obey a principle of superposition. This allows them to be predicted efficiently, in serial time O( t ) (Robinson, 1987) or O(log t ) in parallel. In this paper, we generalize this by looking at CAs with a variety of algebraic structures, including quasigroups, non-Abelian groups, Steiner systems, and other structures. We show that in many cases, an efficient algorithm exists even though these CAs are not linear in the previous sense; we term them quasilinear . We find examples which can be predicted in serial time proportional to t , t log t , t log 2 t and t α for α t , log t log log t and log 2 t . We also discuss what algebraic properties are required or implied by the existence of scaling relations and principles of superposition, and exhibit several novel “vector-valued” CAs.
Use of epithelial cell cultures for studies on the mechanism of transformation by chemical carcinogens

Evidence is reviewed for and against four major theories of chemical carcinogenesis. The development of several normal and transformed epithelial cell lines which should be useful for the analysis of this problem is described. The detection of RNA viral particles in cells transformed with chemical carcinogens is a recurrent finding in studies from our own and other laboratories, but the significance of these particles in terms of the mechanism of chemical carcinogenesis remains to be determined. Finally, we have described the first mutants of chemically transformed epithelial cells which are temperature sensitive in the maintenance of the transformed phenotype. These mutants should be particularly useful for detecting the critical biochemical changes that distinguish a chemically induced tumor cell from its normal counterpart.
Modeling human epilepsies in mice

Two categories of mouse models of human epilepsy are now contributing to the experimental analysis of inherited seizure disorders. The first type includes homologous genetic models arrived at in the classic way; the genes from human inherited epilepsy syndromes are cloned, and mice are recreated with functionally identical mutations. The second category involves the reverse strategy: mutating single genes in mice and determining whether the newly created nervous system develops epilepsy. These "gene-forward" models define specific candidate genes that can then be tested for possible involvement in human epilepsies. Spontaneous mutation of genes in mice and other species is also a source for candidate genes. As each of these genes and their physiologic functions is defined, the focus can shift to (a) fully characterizing the clinical epilepsy phenotype, (b) tracing the steps in the molecular pathogenesis of the disorder, and (c) pinpointing molecular targets for early intervention. Along with providing a unique opportunity to understand the mechanisms of inherited epileptogenesis, the mouse models serve as ideal biological test systems to search for novel therapeutic strategies.
Accretion centers: A generalization of branch weight centroids

Abstract An ordered n-tuple (vi1,vi2,…,vin) is called a sequential labelling of graph G if {vi1,vi2,…,vin} = V(G) and the subgraph induced by {vi1,vi2,…, vij} is connected for 1≤j≤n. Let σ(v;G) denote the number of sequential labellings of G with vi1=v. Vertex v is defined to be an accretion center of G if σ is maximized at v. This is shown to generalize the concept of a branch weight centroid of a tree since a vertex in a tree is an accretion center if and only if it is a centroid vertex. It is not, however, a generalization of the concept of a median since for a general graph an accretion center is not necessarily a vertex of minimum distance. A method for computing σ(v;G) based upon edge contractions is described.
The End Times of Cold War Ecology

Hamblin demonstrates the major role that prospects of a third world war played in shaping the study and diplomacy of global environmental change.
Expression of a C-reactive protein neoantigen (neo-CRP) in inflamed rabbit liver and muscle

Abstract We have reported that human C-reactive protein (huCRP) can exist in two antigenically distinct forms which are observed as the native, pentameric, phosphorylcholine (PC)-binding CRP (“native-huCRP antigen”), and as a conformationally and physico-chemically distinct free huCRP subunit (“neo-huCRP antigen”), respectively. We have demonstrated that forms of huCRP which preferentially express neo-huCRP antigenicity are naturally present on the surface of both normal human peripheral blood B lymphocytes and lymphocytes with natural killer cell activity. We have also reported that forms of huCRP expressing the neo-huCRP antigen have potent in vitro activities in platelet, polymorphonuclear leukocyte, and monocyte assays. In this study, we demonstrate a rabbit-CRP (raCRP) neoantigen can be expressed when isolated PC-binding raCRP is modified in analogy to huCRP. This “neo-raCRP” is cross-reactive with the neo-huCRP antigen and occurs naturally in acute phase but not normal rabbit liver and muscle. The relative distribution and localization of both antigens were comparable in tissue sections taken at 24 and 48 hr postinflammation elicited with typhoid vaccine. These data support the concept that CRP molecules expressing a structure and antigenicity which are distinct from native, pentagonal CRP do occur in vivo, and that such molecules accumulate at tissue sites of inflammation and necrosis.
Elasticity of hcp nonmagnetic Fe under pressure

First-principles total-energy calculations of structural and elastic properties of hcp nonmagnetic Fe have been made using the augmented-plane-wave plus local orbital method with the generalized gradient approximation. The equilibrium state, including both the volume and aspect ratio $c/a,$ at a given pressure $p$ is found from the minimum of the Gibbs free energy $G$ with respect to the lattice constants $a$ and $c.$ Abrupt structure is found in $c/a$ below 1000 kbar as a function of $p,$ which agrees with experiment. The elastic constants ${c}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ are found from second strain derivatives of $G.$ Particular attention is paid to two corrections to the ${c}_{\mathrm{ij}},$ which are evaluated in new ways\char22{}a pressure correction required when the ${c}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ are evaluated from the energy rather than $G$ and a correction for internal relaxation of the second basis atom in the unit cell. Results are compared with previous first-principles calculations of the ${c}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ as functions of pressure.
Application of Aerosondes to high‐resolution observations of sea surface temperature over Barrow Canyon

[1] Continuous observation of sea surface temperature (SST) were obtained for a period of 27 hours over Barrow Canyon on 20–21 September 2002 using a small robotic aircraft called the Aerosonde. These observations demonstrated significant spatial and temporal variations in the SST at scales that would be very difficult to measure using mooring and satellite observations. Over a region of 25 km2, SST values varied from 1–6°C. A sharp SST front with a temperature gradient of 3°C was observed over the northwestern shelf of Barrow Canyon, which moved northward during the observation period. Relatively cold water was transported from the southwest into the region. Current speeds were estimated using the time series of observations. This analysis demonstrates new technology for oceanographic observations and supports previous evidence that the flow through Barrow Canyon has a strongly sheared flow into the Arctic Ocean.
C. elegans Nucleostemin Is Required for Larval Growth and Germline Stem Cell Division

The nucleolus has shown to be integral for many processes related to cell growth and proliferation. Stem cells in particular are likely to depend upon nucleolus-based processes to remain in a proliferative state. A highly conserved nucleolar factor named nucleostemin is proposed to be a critical link between nucleolar function and stem-cell–specific processes. Currently, it is unclear whether nucleostemin modulates proliferation by affecting ribosome biogenesis or by another nucleolus-based activity that is specific to stem cells and/or highly proliferating cells. Here, we investigate nucleostemin (nst-1) in the nematode C. elegans, which enables us to examine nst-1 function during both proliferation and differentiation in vivo. Like mammalian nucleostemin, the NST-1 protein is localized to the nucleolus and the nucleoplasm; however, its expression is found in both differentiated and proliferating cells. Global loss of C. elegans nucleostemin (nst-1) leads to a larval arrest phenotype due to a growth defect in the soma, while loss of nst-1 specifically in the germ line causes germline stem cells to undergo a cell cycle arrest. nst-1 mutants exhibit reduced levels of rRNAs, suggesting defects in ribosome biogenesis. However, NST-1 is generally not present in regions of the nucleolus where rRNA transcription and processing occurs, so this reduction is likely secondary to a different defect in ribosome biogenesis. Transgenic studies indicate that NST-1 requires its N-terminal domain for stable expression and both its G1 GTPase and intermediate domains for proper germ line function. Our data support a role for C. elegans nucleostemin in cell growth and proliferation by promoting ribosome biogenesis.
Histoplasmosis: the otolaryngologist's perspective.

Within the upper aerodigestive tract, histoplasmosis often mimics carcinoma, making prompt and accurate diagnosis imperative. More severe and potentially lethal infections with Histoplasma capsulatum are now being seen as the numbers of patients at the extremes of age, as well as those with compromised immune systems, increase. We reviewed the cases of 115 hospitalized patients with disseminated histoplasmosis. Of these, 9 patients were identified with otolaryngologic manifestations : 4 were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 1 was diabetic, and 3 were renal transplant patients. Sites of involvement included the larynx (in 2 cases) and the oral cavity and oral pharynx (in 7 cases). Eight of the 9 patients had a positive biopsy result ; the other, a positive culture. Treatment with amphotericin B was generally effective, while the use of newer azole antifungal agents were less effective. As the number of immunocompromised patients continues to increase in modern clinical practice, histoplasmosis will undoubtedly be encountered more frequently in the head and neck area.
Correlated, Precision Measurements of θ_{23} and $δ$ using only the Electron Neutrino Appearance Experiments

Precision measurement of the leptonic $CP$ violating phase $\ensuremath{\delta}$ will suffer from the, then surviving, large uncertainty of ${sin﻿}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$ of 10--20% in the experimentally interesting region near maximal mixing of ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$. We advocate a new method for determination of both ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}$ at the same time using only the ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}$ and ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}$ appearance channels and show that ${sin﻿}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$ can be determined automatically with much higher accuracy, approximately a factor of six, than $\mathrm{sin}﻿\ensuremath{\delta}$. In this method, we identify a new degeneracy for the simultaneous determination of ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}$, the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{23}$ intrinsic degeneracy, which must be resolved in order to achieve precision measurement of these two parameters. Spectral information around the vacuum oscillation maxima is shown to be the best way to resolve this degeneracy.
Public–Private Partnerships in Transportation Policy: The Case of Advanced Traveler Information Systems

Abstract Increasing roadway usage has made achieving public transportation goals more challenging. Federal legislation has recognized that advanced technology, creating systems deployed by public-private partnerships (PPPs), can help meet these goals. Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) represent efforts to provide travelers with information about real-time traffic conditions so that they can make informed decisions about travel plans. Five model ATIS PPPs found in varying US metropolitan areas are proposed, each reflecting different roles and responsibilities of public and private partners. Actual experience is assessed, noting that ATIS PPPs often must evolve from one model to another to maximize effectiveness.
Entropy, related thermodynamic properties, and structure of methylisocyanate

Abstract The entropy and related thermodynamic properties of methylisocyanate, CH3NCO, have been determined by isothermal calorimetry. The entropy in the ideal gas state at 298.15 K and 1 atmosphere is S m o = 284.3 ± 0.6 J/K · mol. Other thermodynamic properties determined include: the heat capacity from 15 to 300 K, the temperature of fusion (Tfus = 178.461 ± 0.024 K), the enthalpy of fusion (ΔHfus = 7455.2 ± 14.0 J/mol), the enthalpy of vaporization at 298.15 K (ΔHvap = 28768 ± 54 J/mol), and the vapor pressure from fusion to 300 K. Using statistical thermodynamics, the entropy in this same state has been calculated for various assumed structures for methylisocyante which have been proposed based on several spectroscopic and ab initio results. Comparisons between the experimental and calculated entropy have led to the following conclusions concerning historical differences among problematic structural properties: (1) The CNC/CNO angles can have the paired values of 140/180° or 135/173° respectively. It is not possible to distinguish between the two by this thermodynamic analysis. (2) The methyl group functions as a free rotor or near free rotor against the NCO rigid frame. The barrier to internal rotation is less than 2100 J/mol. (3) The CNC vibrational bending frequency is consistent with the more recently observed assignments at 165 and 172 cm−1 with some degree of anharmonicity or with a pure harmonic at about 158 cm−1.