cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of age on the failure properties of human meniscus: High-speed strain mapping of tissue tears.

Abstract The knee meniscus is a soft fibrous tissue with a high incidence of injury in older populations. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of age on the failure behavior of human knee meniscus when applying uniaxial tensile loads parallel or perpendicular to the primary circumferential fiber orientation. Two age groups were tested: under 40 and over 65 years old. We paired high-speed video with digital image correlation to quantify for the first time the planar strains occurring in the tear region at precise time points, including at ultimate tensile stress, when the tissue begins losing load-bearing capacity. On average, older meniscus specimens loaded parallel to the fiber axis had approximately one-third less ultimate tensile strain and absorbed 60% less energy to failure within the tear region than younger specimens (p
Predictors of hepatitis C treatment outcomes in a harm reduction-focused primary care program in New York City

The social determinants of health that influence steps in the entire Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) treatment cascade must be identified to achieve HCV elimination goals. This project aimed to evaluate the association of these factors with HCV treatment completion and return for sustained virologic response (SVR) testing. We used retrospective cohort data from our primary care-based HCV treatment program that provides comprehensive harm reduction care to those who use or formerly used drugs. Among persons who began direct-acting antiviral HCV treatment between December 2014 and March 2018, we identified two outcomes: HCV treatment completion and return for SVR assessment 12 weeks after treatment end. Several predictors were ascertained including sociodemographic information, substance use, psychiatric symptoms and history, housing instability, and HCV treatment regimen. We then evaluated associations between predictors and outcomes using univariate and multivariable statistical methods. From a cohort of 329 patients treated in an urban primary care center, multivariable analysis identified housing instability as a single significant predictor for HCV treatment completion (odds ratio [OR]: 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.1–0.9). Among patients completing treatment, 226 (75%) returned for SVR assessment; the sole predictor of this outcome was Medicaid as primary insurance (compared to other insurances; OR 0.3; 0.1–0.7). Innovative strategies to help unstably housed persons complete HCV treatment are urgently needed in order to reach HCV elimination targets. Educational and motivational strategies should be developed to promote individuals with Medicaid in particular to return for SVR viral load testing, a critical post-treatment component of the HCV treatment cascade. Trial registration Not applicable.
Cross-talk Between Clocks: Regulation of Cell Division Cycles by Circadian Oscillators

The achlorophyllous ZC mutant of the unicell Euplena gracilis exhibits a circadian rhythm of cell division in constant darkness (DD). Mitosis occurs during a restricted part of the circadian cycle, corresponding to the dark intervals in LD: 12,12.
Use of cortisone in the prevention of erythroblastosis in infants of Rh-sensitized mothers.

Abstract 1. 1. Forty-five Rh-negative isoimmunized pregnant women, 40 of whom had previously produced babies affected by erythroblastosis, were studied and given cortisone in the last trimester of pregnancy in an attempt to improve fetal survival. 2. 2. Under meticulous control and selection of patients, the drug was well tolerated by both mother and baby. There was one major reaction in a mother, none in any infant. All reactions were reversible. 3. 3. There were 37 live babies, 8 stillbirths and 5 neonatal deaths. Five liveborn babies were Rh negative. 4. 4. The over-all fetal mortality rate was 28.8 per cent, corrected to 15.5 per cent if 2 preventable deaths and 4 instances of inadequate therapy are deleted. 5. 5. The women studied represent a pregnant population of approximately 15,000 pregnant women. 6. 6. Cortisone did not improve the fetal survival in the group studied.
Nucleotide sequence analysis of DNA. II. Complete nucleotide sequence of the cohesive ends of bacteriophage lambda DNA.

Abstract At the ends of bacteriophage λ DNA, the 5′-terminated strands are 12 nucleotides longer than the 3′-terminated strands. The complete sequence of deoxynucleotides in both the protruding 5′-terminated single strands of λ DNA has been determined by partial repair and by complete repair followed by sequencing of isolated oligonucleotides. Starting from the 5′-end of the left-hand cohesive end, the 12 nucleotides are in the sequence dpGpGpGpCpGpGpCpGpApCpCpT. The sequence from the right-hand cohesive end is exactly complementary to that from the left-hand end.
In-Reactor Experiments on the Cooling of Fast Reactor Debris

First-of-a-kind fission-heated experiments utilizing uranium oxide particles in liquid sodium have been performed to assess the nature of the passive heat transfer between fast reactor fuel debris and overlying coolant. The experiments were designed to simulate the situation following a core disruptive accident in which molten core material is quenched, fragmented, and is dispersed as beds of decay-heated particulate within the reactor vessel. In two of the experiments, threshold dryout of the fuel particulate was produced. During several runs, dryout was maintained for long periods (approx. 1 h) with only modest temperature increases, demonstrating that while bed dryout may be a necessary condition for remelting of the fuel, it is not always a sufficient condition.
Clustering short gene expression profiles

The unsupervised clustering analysis of data from temporal or dose-response experiments is one of the most important and challenging tasks of microarray data anlysis. Here we present an extension of CAGED (Cluster Analysis of Gene Expression Dynamics, one of the most commonly used programs) to identify similar gene expression patterns measured in either short time-course or dose-response microarray experiments. Compared to the initial version of CAGED, in which gene expression temporal profiles are modeled by autoregressive equations, this new method uses polynomial models to incorporate time/dosage information into the model, and objective priors to include information about background noise in gene expression data. In its current formulation, CAGED results may change according to the parametrization. In this new formulation, we make the results invariant to reparametrization by using proper prior distributions on the model parameters. We compare the results obtained by our approach with those generated by STEM to show that our method can identify the correct number of clusters and allocate gene expression profiles to the correct clusters in simulated data, and produce more meaningful Gene Ontology enriched clusters in data from real microarray experiments.
THE 2013 LAWRENCE R. KLEIN LECTURE: BEHAVIORAL AND DESCRIPTIVE FORMS OF CHOICE MODELS†

Empirical work on choice models, especially on relatively new topics or data sets, often starts with descriptive, or what is colloquially referred to as 'reduced form,' results. Our descriptive form formalizes this process. It is derived from the underlying behavioral model, has an interpretation in terms of fit, and can sometimes be used to quantify biases in agents' expectations. We consider estimators for the descriptive form of discrete choice models with interacting agents that take account of approximation errors as well as unobservable sources of endogeneity. We conclude with an investigation of descriptive forms for two-period entry models
Jozef Keulartz and Gilbert Leistra (eds): Legitimacy in European Nature Conservation Policy: Case Studies in Multilevel Governance

In Legitimacy in European Nature Conservation Policy: Case Studies in Multilevel Governance, the numerous expert contributors—25 in total—examine issues of governance and legitimacy via exploring various European case studies. There are nine case studies examined, with the first two focusing on species protection, the next four concentrating on particular protected areas, and the final three examining the implementation of Natura 2000 at the national level. Additionally, each case study is followed by a commentary provided by another expert. In some cases the commentaries suggest weaknesses in the case study discussion. In others they provide additional ideas and concepts to consider while coming to terms with the arguments in the case studies. I found the text to be straightforward, the discussions of policy issues to be informative, and the examinations of legitimacy production to be revealing. This text is accessible to novices of EU nature conservation policy as well as to experts in the field. Engelen, Keulartz, and Leistra introduce the purpose of the book as seeking to explore if and how approaches to creation and implementation of nature conservation policies have changed over time in the EU as a whole and at the various levels of governance—including the local, regional, national, and transnational (at least at the EU level). The text revolves around Natura 2000 and the legislation coming before and after its adoption, such as the Birds and Habitat Directives. Through the generation and implementation of nature conservation policies, the aim of Natura 2000 has been to create an EU-wide system of conservation areas to, ideally, protect species and land and to improve the natural environment. The authors consider the creation of a network via Natura 2000 to be ‘‘one of the most ambitious supranational initiatives for nature conservation worldwide and [it] forms the cornerstone of the EU nature conservation policies’’
Synchronization and gait adaptation in evolving hexapod robots

In this paper we present a distributed control architecture for a simulated hexapod robot with twelve degrees of freedom consisting of six homogeneous neural modules controlling the six corresponding legs that only have access to local sensory information and that coordinate by exchanging signals that diffuse in space like gaseous neuro-trasmitters The free parameters of the neural modules are evolved and are selected on the basis of the distance travelled by the robot Obtained results indicate how the six neural controllers are able to coordinate so to produce an effective walking behaviour and to adapt on the fly by selecting the gait that is most appropriate to the current robot/environmental circumstances The analysis of the evolved neural controllers indicates that the six neural controllers synchronize and converge on an appropriate gait on the basis of extremely simple control mechanisms and that the effects of the physical interaction with the environment are exploited to coordinate and to converge on a tripod or tetrapod gait on the basis of the current circumstances.
Effect of bovine casein and its hydrolysates on hardening in protein dough model systems during storage

Abstract In recent years, high protein food bars (HPFB) are a rapidly growing market. One major problem for commercial HPFB is that they become harder over time without moisture loss, making the product unacceptable to consumers. In this study, the effect of bovine casein and its hydrolysates on bar hardening during storage was studied. Five formulations of protein dough model systems were prepared from five commercial spray-dried dairy protein powders. According to our results, moisture migration should be the decisive factor of bar hardening in the moisture nonequilibrium systems during storage. Furthermore, disulfide-induced protein/peptide aggregation could also cause bar hardening. The substitution of a portion of whey protein isolates with either intact casein or hydrolyzed casein proteins could effectively reduce bar hardening during storage. In addition, the effect of the degree of hydrolysis on selected physicochemical properties (moisture sorption and glass transition) and bar hardening was also investigated.
A water and sediment budget for the lower Mississippi–Atchafalaya River in flood years 2008–2010: Implications for sediment discharge to the oceans and coastal restoration in Louisiana

Summary The Mississippi is the largest riverine system in North America and one of the most engineered rivers in the world. The challenges of studying the Mississippi River are due to its complex sediment–water dynamics and the multi (and often competing) uses for its resources. Flood control and navigation are primary factors that control how the river is managed. A third factor is the use of river resources, namely water and sediment, for nourishing the degrading coastal wetlands of the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. As such, these factors must be fully considered and coordinated while investigating and developing techniques to harness the sediment resources of the River for coastal restoration. This paper presents a detailed suspended sediment budget analysis for the lowermost Mississippi and Atchafalaya River systems for the flood years of 2008, 2009, and 2010. Data were derived mainly from Federal and State of Louisiana measurements of water discharge and suspended sediment load at (1) monitoring stations along the river channel and (2) boat-based measurements made during specific project studies at natural passes and man-made channel diversions. The present study was focused on flood years 2008–2010 to (1) minimize the influence on the budgets of a historical decline in sediment loads carried by the river as observed by previous investigators and (2) take advantage of recent improvements in the monitoring network. The results show that both the Mississippi and Atchafalaya distributary pathways were efficient at sequestering suspended sediments, particularly the larger (sand) size fraction. Approximately 44% of the total Mississippi + Red River suspended load (80% of the sand) reaching Old River Control structures split between the distributaries was sequestered upstream of the Gulf of Mexico by overbank storage and channel bed aggradation. Increases in bed aggradation in the Mississippi distributary are linked to a loss of stream power associated with man-made and natural exits upstream of the Gulf of Mexico. This further decreased the water and suspended sediment load reaching the deep water Gulf distributary exits in FY08–10 to 46% (water), 19% (total suspended load), and 1.4% (suspended sand). These patterns of sediment storage and delivery have major implications for channel dredging and river sediment diversions planned for Louisiana coastal restoration.
Transient Analysis of Symmetrical Networks by the Method of Symmetrical Components

The canonical equations of a general, linear, bilateral symmetrical network of n meshes on which are impressed arbitrary mesh voltages are subjected to a Laplacian transformation. The transformed equations are then subjected to a symmetrical component transformation. By the use of these transformations the transient behavior of an n mesh symmetrical network subject to impressed arbitrary voltages and initial currents and charges is readily obtained. The solution of the usual determinantal equation is avoided.
Response of Broiler Breeder Females to Feed Restriction Below Recommended Levels. 3.Characterizing the Onset of Sexual Maturity

The objective of this study was to characterize how the physical attributes associated with sexual maturity would be affected by feed allocation as female broiler breeders passed through the pullet-layer transition period. Treatments consisted of five feeding programs, or body weight goals, during the period of 0 to 20 wk of age. Those were 8% above breeder standard, standard (primary breeder recommended body weights), and 8, 16, and 24% below standard. The characteristics measured included body and fat pad weights, pubic spread, comb development, head score (comb and wattle appearance), shank length, total plasma lipid concentration, ovary weight, oviduct weight, bursa of Fabricius weight, and age at sexual maturity. The generalized effect of increased severity of the feed restriction programs was to delay the birds' development without altering their ultimate physiological values. The exceptions to this were relative body weight and shank length after maturity, which were reduced in the most severely restricted birds. Measurements of pubic spread and comb growth and subjective scores of head appearance would be useful and easily obtained information when estimating the progression of a flock toward sexual maturity.
Determination of Glutathione and ATP in Ganglia and Individual Neurons of Aplysia californica

The levels of two gamma-glutamyl cycle substrates, glutathione and ATP, were determined in single identified nerve cell bodies from the CNS of Aplysia californica. The glutathione content of single cells averaged 30 +/- 4.9 mumol/g protein. Glutathione levels were similar in identified cholinergic, serotonergic, and histaminergic cells, as well as in neurons whose transmitters are not yet identified. The abdominal rostral white cells, which are enriched in glycine, a component amino acid of glutathione, did not possess distinctively higher glutathione concentrations. The ATP content of single Aplysia nerve cell bodies averaged 15.0 +/- 1.5 mumol/g protein. Despite the vast chemical, anatomical, and functional heterogeneity between Aplysia central neurons, no cells were found that contained unusually high or low ATP levels.
Television and cultural politics in Mexico: Some notes on Televisa, the state, and transnational culture

The Mexican state's recent adoption of neoliberal policies has accentuated the mass media's role in construction of Mexico's national culture. The focus of this article is the shift of the locus of ideological influences from a function of the state to the domain of the culture industries. Specifically, the article examines how the private television conglomerate Televisa's power and prestige have grown while a shifting marketplace, rapid technological change, and political discord have caused the government largely to abandon its role as caretaker of Mexican culture identity. As the government has become increasingly unstable, Televisa—privately owned, largely free of government control, and adept at negotiating the global market—has emerged as one of the more stable institutions in Mexico and as the unlikely, but central, force in defining national culture. These political and economic processes have converged to reshape the contours of national culture, and frame possibilities for the reinterpretation ...
Partial characterization of a low molecular weight fragment derived from human plasminogen

Abstract Two degradation products of human plasminogen from fresh plasma have been partially purified and characterized. One has a molecular weight of 50,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and can be activated by streptokinase to a fibrinolytically active enzyme which incorporates diisopropylflouorophosphate (DFP) while the other was found to have a molecular weight of 44,000. These fragments were invariably found when plasminogen was isolated from plasma utilizing affinity chromatography in the absence of proteolytic inhibitors. The fragmentation of plasminogen was markedly reduced when DFP was used during the purification of plasminogen and was associated with a diminution in the amount of plasmin that contaminated the plasminogen. Our findings suggest that procedures for the isolation of plasminogen should routinely include the addition of inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes to the starting plasma as well as buffers employed in subsequent chromatographic steps.
Real-time detection of ambient aerosols using photothermal interferometry : Folded Jamin interferometer

Work in our laboratory has been directed at the development of a new class of instrumentation that can directly measure ambient aerosolabsorption through photothermalinterferometry. The hallmark of this approach is its ability to directly measureaerosolabsorption without interference from aerosol scattering since the signal originates from the thermal dissipation of the spectrally absorbed energy. While the principle of the photothermal technique for the detection of aerosols was demonstrated in the mid-1980s, this interferometric technique remains a laboratory technique largely due to sensitivity to mechanical vibrations and other environmental factors that result in unwanted signal interference and commensurate reduction in detection sensitivity. In order to realize its application outside the laboratory, a folded Jamin interferometer design has replaced both the traditional Mach-Zehnder and unfolded Jamin configurations. The folded Jamin affords many advantages, which include high degree of common mode noise rejection, insensitivity to rotation and translation of optical components, inherent double pass configuration, and compact size. In this article, we report on the performance of this optical configuration and present representative data for both absorbing and nonabsorbing aerosols.
Review on Molecular and Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone in Cancer

Thymoquinone (TQ) is the predominant bioactive constituent present in black seed oil (Nigella sativa) and has been tested for its efficacy against cancer. Here, we summarize the literature about TQ's molecular mechanism of action and its ability to induce apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth in preclinical models. TQ has anti-inflammatory effects, and it inhibits tumor cell proliferation through modulation of apoptosis signaling, inhibition of angiogenesis, and cell cycle arrest. Chemosensitization by TQ is mostly limited to in vitro studies, and it has potential in therapeutic strategy for cancer. The results favor efficacy and enhancement of therapeutic benefit against tumor cells resistant to therapy based on cellular targets that are molecular determinants for cancer cell survival and progression. There have been attempts to synthesize novel analogs of TQ directed toward superior effects in killing tumor cells with more enhanced chemosensitizing potential than parent TQ compound. Based on published reports, we believe that further in-depth studies are warranted including investigation of its bioavailability and Phase I toxicity profiling in human subjects. The results from such studies will be instrumental in advancing this field in support of initiating clinical trials for testing the effects of this ancient agent in cancer therapy.
Cyclic loading in knee ligament injuries

The effect of cyclic loading on knee ligaments was studied both in vivo and in vitro. The compliance of the medial collateral ligaments of athletes participating in hockey, basketball, soccer, and downhill skiing was determined by using a specially built machine. Tests were conducted before and after participation in the various sports. Most subjects tested showed an increased compliance after their respective sporting activities. This observation was confirmed in the laboratory by imparting cyclic loading to 10 people under controlled conditions. The in vitro studies were conducted on the medial collateral ligaments of rats. These were tested to determine the effect of cyclic loading on the strength and stiffness of the ligaments. Results show a clear relationship between decreased stiffness or softening and a reduction in strength of the ligament. The amount of softening was related to the cyclic stress in the ligament.
Gluon quasiparticles and the Polyakov loop

Abstract A synthesis of Polyakov loop models of the deconfinement transition and quasiparticle models of gluon plasma thermodynamics leads to a class of models in which gluon quasiparticles move in a non-trivial Polyakov loop background. These models are successful candidates for explaining both critical behavior and the equation of state for the SU(3) gauge theory at temperatures above the deconfinement temperature Tc. Polyakov loops effects are most important at intermediate temperatures from Tc up to roughly 2.5Tc, while quasiparticle mass effects provide the dominant correction to blackbody behavior at higher temperatures.
40 year retrospective of fundamental mechanisms

Fundamental mechanisms of laser induced damage (LID) have been one of the most controversial topics during the forty years of the Boulder Damage Symposium (Ref. 1.) LID is fundamentally a very nonlinear process and sensitive to a variety of parameters including wavelength, pulse width, spot size, focal conditions, material band gap, thermal-mechanical prosperities, and component design considerations. The complex interplay of many of these parameters and sample to sample materials variations combine to make detailed, first principle, models very problematic at best. The phenomenon of self-focusing, the multi spatial and temporal mode structure of most lasers, and the fact that samples are 'consumed' in testing complicate experiential results. This paper presents a retrospective of the work presented at this meeting.
Further results on throughput optimization using adaptive PHY/MAC/APP layer techniques

Cross-layer design breaks away from traditional wireless network design where each layer of the protocol stack is optimized independently. We develop a cross-layer design framework that judiciously combines adaptive modulation at the physical (PHY) layer, packet length adaptation strategy at the medium access control (MAC) layer, and source rate adaptation at the application (APP) layer in order to maximize the user throughput over a myriad of fading environments. Specifically, optimization equations for each of the design variables are derived in closed-form and an efficient (i.e., reduced search space) algorithm for the joint triplet-parameter optimization is also presented. The impact of restricting the design parameters (to a limited number of feasible values) on the throughput performance is also investigated. Numerical results reveal that it is sufficient to adapt the symbol rate alone in the low mean signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime while joint-optimization of both packet length and constellation size parameters is required in better channel conditions, to achieve the maximum throughput in a myriad of wireless fading environments.
Prolonged Extrication as a Risk Factor for Pneumonia in Trauma Patients Involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident

PURPOSE: Pneumonia occurs in up to a third of trauma patients with multisystem injuries. Although risk factors for pneumonia have been explored in motor vehicle accident (MVA) victims, the effect of prolonged extrication is unknown.METHODS: In this single-center study we retrospectively reviewed the charts of all adult trauma victims who had activation of the emergency department (ED) trauma protocol. Patients who had been treated at another facility prior to arrival in our ED were excluded from the study. Abstracted variables included demographics, comorbid illnesses, trauma-related factors, microbiology data, and outcome measures. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with the development of microbiologically-confirmed pneumonia.RESULTS: The study cohort included 1,523 consecutive MVA trauma patients of whom 243 (15.9%) developed microbiologically-confirmed pneumonia. There were 457 deaths (30.0%). Although univariate analysis confirmed several previously described pneumonia risk factors (lower Glasgow Coma Score [GCS], higher injury severity score [ISS], administration of blood products, acute alcohol intoxication, field airway), others were not significantly associated with pneumonia (age, obesity, immunosuppression). Multivariate logistic regression modeling identified variables independently associated with pneumonia in MVA victims including: reduced GCS (RR 1.05, p Language: en
A filtering technique to compensate for detector response in converging-beam SPECT reconstruction

A nonstationary filtering technique was developed to compensate for spatially variant detector response in fan- and cone-beam SPECT. First the frequency-distance relation for fan- and cone-beam geometries was derived from their parallel-beam counterpart, and then used to compute the Fourier transform of the detector response that was used as the MTF of a Metz filter. The filter was applied to the blurred data before reconstruction. The unique feature of the derived MTF is that it depends on source location, so the filtering is spatially variant. Results of evaluation studies demonstrate that the ratio between the tangential and radial FWHMS of the reconstructed point response function obtained from the authors' filtering technique is closer to one and varies less with source location as compared to the ratio obtained without compensation or using Metz filtering with a stationary detector response. This improvement is mainly because the tangential FWHM is increased to match the radial FWHM better. With a higher order of Metz filter, both tangential and radial FWHMS are slightly smaller but their ratio deviates more from one compared to those of lower orders. In conclusion, the authors' filtering technique provides an effective means to compensate for detector response mainly in terms of reducing anisotropy of the point response function.
Radiosurgery for benign intradural spinal tumors.

OBJECTIVE: The role of stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of intracranial benign tumors is well established. There is less experience and more controversy regarding its use for benign tumors of the spine. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of radiosurgery as part of the treatment paradigm of selected benign tumors of the spine. METHODS: Seventy-three benign intradural extramedullary spinal tumors were treated with a radiosurgery technique and prospectively evaluated. Patient ages ranged from 18 to 85 years (mean age, 44 yr); the follow-up period was 8 to 71 months (median, 37 mo). Lesion location included 43 cervical, five thoracic, 19 lumbar, and six sacral. Tumor histology included neurofibroma (25 cases), schwannoma (35 cases), and meningioma (13 cases). Twenty-one cases were associated with neurofibromatosis Type 1, and nine patients had neurofibromatosis Type 2. Nineteen tumors (26%) had previously undergone open surgical resection, and six tumors (8%) had previously been treated with conventional external beam irradiation techniques. RESULTS: Similar radiation doses were prescribed for all three histopathologies. The maximum intratumoral dose was 1500 to 2500 cGy (mean, 2164 Gy). Tumor volume ranged from 0.3 to 93.4 cm 3 (mean, 10.5 cm 3 ; median, 4.11 cm 3 ). Radiosurgery was used for the treatment of postsurgical radiographic progression in 18 cases; it was used as the primary treatment modality in 14 cases; it was used for treatment of radiographic tumor progression in nine cases; and it was used for the treatment of postsurgical residual tumor in two cases. Long-term pain improvement occurred in 22 out of 30 cases (73%). Long-term radiographic tumor control was demonstrated in all cases. Three patients experienced new symptoms attributed to radiation-induced spinal cord toxicity 5 to 13 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Single fraction radiosurgery was found to be clinically effective for the treatment of benign extramedullary spinal neoplasms. Although surgical extirpation remains the primary treatment option for most benign spinal tumors, radiosurgery was demonstrated to have short-term clinical benefits for the treatment of such lesions. The long-term efficacy of spinal radiosurgery for such tumors will be determined with longer follow-up periods. Its role in patients with neurofibromatosis will also be further defined with greater clinical experience.
Cyr61 Is Overexpressed in Gliomas and Involved in Integrin-Linked Kinase-Mediated Akt and β-Catenin-TCF/Lef Signaling Pathways

Cyr61 is a member of the CCN family of growth factors; these proteins are secreted and can act as ligands of distinct integrins. We show that Cyr61 can enhance tumorigenicity of glioma cells acting through activated integrin-linked kinase (ILK) to stimulate beta-catenin-TCF/Lef and Akt signaling pathways. Overexpression of Cyr61 occurred in highly tumorigenic glioma cell lines and in 68% of the most malignant glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors. Forced expression of Cyr61 in U343 glioma cells accelerated their growth in liquid culture, enhanced their anchorage-independent proliferation in soft agar, and significantly increased their ability to form large, vascularized tumors in nude mice. Overexpression of Cyr61 in the U343 cells led to the up-regulation of distinct integrins, including beta1 and alphanubeta3, which have been shown to interact with Cyr61 and ILK. The activity of ILK was increased dramatically in these cells. Overexpression of Cyr61 also resulted in the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and accumulation and nuclear translocation of beta-catenin, leading to activation of the beta-catenin-TCF/Lef-1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, forced expression of Cyr61 in the glioma cells activated phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase pathway, resulting in prominent phosphorylation of Akt and the antiapoptotic protein Bad. Cyr61 appears to stimulate several signaling pathways in the development of gliomas.
Statistical potential for assessment and prediction of protein structures

Protein structures in the Protein Data Bank provide a wealth of data about the interactions that determine the native states of proteins. Using the probability theory, we derive an atomic distance-dependent statistical potential from a sample of native structures that does not depend on any adjustable parameters (Discrete Optimized Protein Energy, or DOPE). DOPE is based on an improved reference state that corresponds to noninteracting atoms in a homogeneous sphere with the radius dependent on a sample native structure; it thus accounts for the finite and spherical shape of the native structures. The DOPE potential was extracted from a nonredundant set of 1472 crystallographic structures. We tested DOPE and five other scoring functions by the detection of the native state among six multiple target decoy sets, the correlation between the score and model error, and the identification of the most accurate non-native structure in the decoy set. For all decoy sets, DOPE is the best performing function in terms of all criteria, except for a tie in one criterion for one decoy set. To facilitate its use in various applications, such as model assessment, loop modeling, and fitting into cryo-electron microscopy mass density maps combined with comparative protein structure modeling, DOPE was incorporated into the modeling package MODELLER-8.
Inhibition of offspring response to HEL-CFA by administration of anti-HEL MAB to the mother is not related to the predominant idiotype, IdXE, or specificity of the MAB.

In the neonatal suckling mouse, the antibody response to HEL-CFA can be inhibited by administration of certain anti-HEL monoclonal antibodies to the mother. The murine primary response to hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL), which can be elicited in A/J mice as early as 7 days of age, is characterized by a predominant specificity that includes the 3 N-terminal amino acids of HEL (TIP-dependence) and by a predominant idiotype, IdXE. A panel of murine IgG1 anti-HEL mAbs was administered to the suckling offspring via the mother. These mAbs were not equivalent in their effects on the offspring. Only two of six IgG1 mAbs, 2F4/2E5 (IdXE-positive, TIP-dependent) and 2D1 (IdXE-negative, TIP-independent), consistently induced suppression of the response of A/J offspring when immunized at 16-20 days of age with HEL-CFA. Suppression averaged 71% for 2F4/2E5 and 74% for 2D1 and was always statistically significant (P less than .05) when 275 micrograms mAb was administered IP to the mother within 24 hr postpartum. Since 2D1 is IdXE-negative and TIP-independent, neither of these properties appears to be crucial for suppression. Differences in transfer of the mAbs from the mother to the offspring or differences in catabolism of the mAbs in the offspring were not detected. When various characteristics of the mAbs such as affinity, idiotypy, and fine specificity were considered, there was no single factor which determined suppression. One of the two mAbs that suppressed the offspring response, 2D1, is idiotypically highly connected in the anti-HEL mAb panel. This observation suggests that idiotypic interactions in the developing neonatal repertoire with subsequent perturbation of T and B cell repertoire development may be an area for future investigation.
Computational complexity of test generation for ETG PLAs

In a wide sense, easy test generation (ETG) circuits can be considered as design for testability (DFT) circuits. However most of the DFT techniques presented so far in the literature are attempts to ease test application. Major disadvantages with these DFT techniques are degradation of circuit performance, and often the requirement of a long and continuous test mode. However, an ETG circuit attempts to make test generation easier without any significant degradation of circuit performance, and the test mode can be divided into pieces to fit the requirement of real-time systems. The paper presents two important types of PLA design techniques which reduce the computational complexity for test generation. An O(n) ETG PLA is defined, and a sufficient condition for O(n2) ETG PLAs is also obtained. It is shown that the easily testable PLAs introduced by Bozorgui-Nesbat and McCluskey are O(n2) ETG PLAs.
IMPLICATIONS OF INVOLVEMENT OF SMALL BOWEL IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS.

In a series of 99 patients operated upon for ulcerative colitis, 29 had ileal involvement. X-ray examination is not of great diagnostic value.
Personalization management systems

Personalization management systems represent one of the most promising advances in IT and are experiencing widespread adoption in application areas such as customer relationship management, e-commerce interaction and intimacy, and employee development and training. Personalization is concerned with building a closer relationship and understanding the needs of individuals or groups of customers, whether on the Internet or not. IDC Corp. forecasts a 212% annual average growth in personalization applications over the next decade. This minitrack includes all aspects of the personalization management systems life cycle, including technologies and development. This would include the conceptualization of personalization management systems and their associated constructs, proposed designs and infrastructures, empirical validation of personalization models, and case studies illustrating personalization success and failures. Some key topics include (1) building customer relationships, (2) gathering and analyzing transaction data, and (3) customer/employee education and learning systems.
Aromaticity: A new Multilinear Approach

Six equations obtained by multiple regression analysis were developed to characterize aromaticity of alternant and nonalternant hydrocarbons. Three equations are applicable to alternant systems, three to nonalternant systems. The quantities used in the equations are the various experimental and theoretical (HMO and SCF-MO) data reflecting aromatic behavior of delocalized π–electron systems. The aromaticity index, AI, is given as a numerical value and the equations can be used to predict aromaticity of various compounds on a quantitative basis.
Input Trade and the Location of Production

Stanley Engerman has been a presence in the Department of Economics at the University of Rochester for over 37 years. He was an early and eminent participant in the Cliometric Revolution that swept throughout the economichistory profession in the 1960’s and 1970’s. We doubt that anyone could have anticipated the “gathering storm” that greeted the publication of Time on the Cross, co-authored with Robert Fogel in 1974. Since that time Stan has become the world’s leading authority on slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as an important contributor to a set of issues ranging from the 19th century American iron industry to the economics of British imperialism. His own human capital, as extensive as we know it to be, is complemented by capital of the physical variety: an enormous library of research material spilling over into bookshelves and floors in several offices in Rochester and attracting a yearly stream of itinerant scholars anxious to pick his books as well as his brains. In this short note, we intend to honor Stan by applying the tools of international trade theory to illustrate several episodes in the development of industries, both in the United States and in world markets. A colleague of Stan’s at Rochester, Lionel McKenzie, once commented that, in 19th century Britain, Lancashire would have been unlikely to produce cotton cloth if the cotton had to be grown in England (McKenzie, 1954). This remark expresses in utter brevity the importance to production and trading patterns of the domain of tradability of raw materials or intermediate products. For example, it is difficult to envisage the patterns of production (and trade) in modern-day Japan should it be denied access to world supplies of oil, coal, and iron ore, local production of each of these items being negligible. Transport costs as well as man-made impediments to trade are mainly responsible for variations in the degree of access countries possess to the inputs available in the markets of other countries. Simple competitive generalequilibrium models of production, of the type intensively utilized in the theory of international trade, can usefully be harnessed to shed light on several episodes in 19th century American economic history in which the nature of trading possibilities for raw materials heavily influenced the extent to which local American production of final commodities could withstand the pressures in world markets without the aid of protective devices. The simplest model setting in which to investigate the importance of trade in raw materials is a Ricardian model, augmented by the necessity of using a produced input in addition to labor in at least one commodity. Denote the pair of final commodities by X and Y, where in order to produce Y a certain quantity of intermediate good, Z, is required. The competitive profit conditions for the two final commodities are shown in equation (1):
TENSILE YIELD IN POLY(CHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE) AND POLY(VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE)

Uniaxial tension tests to the yield point were performed on poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene) (PCTFE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) from room temperature to near the melting point at a strain rate of 2 min−1. At room temperature and at least two elevated temperatures, measurements were also made at strain rates from 0.02 to 8 min−1. The properties of these polymers were found to be similar to those of other semicrystalline polymers. In the absence of other transitions, yield energy was found to be a linear function of temperature extrapolating to zero near the melting temperature. The ratio of thermal to mechanical energy to produce yielding is smaller than for glassy polymers. Yield stress is a linear function of log strain rate. The ratio of yield stress to (initial) Young's modulus is about 0.03 at room temperature for both polymers. Yield stress is a linear function of unstrained volume. Yield strain, elastic, and plastic strain all initially increase with temperature, but PCTFE shows a decrease with temperature starting at about 100°C, thus behaving like a glassy amorphous polymer in this region.
Silk as a biomaterial

Silks are fibrous proteins with remarkable mechanical properties produced in fiber form by silkworms and spiders. Silk fibers in the form of sutures have been used for centuries. Recently regenerated silk solutions have been used to form a variety of biomaterials, such as gels, sponges and films, for medical applications. Silks can be chemically modified through amino acid side chains to alter surface properties or to immobilize cellular growth factors. Molecular engineering of silk sequences has been used to modify silks with specific features, such as cell recognition or mineralization. The degradability of silk biomaterials can be related to the mode of processing and the corresponding content of β-sheet crystallinity. Several primary cells and cell lines have been successfully grown on different silk biomaterials to demonstrate a range of biological outcomes. Silk biomaterials are biocompatible when studied in vitro and in vivo. Silk scaffolds have been successfully used in wound healing and in tissue engineering of bone, cartilage, tendon and ligament tissues.
A practical focus on leadership in management − for research, education and management development

Purpose – To provide an explanation of an approach to education and development for leadership in organizations, as distinct from education about leadership.Design/methodology/approach – The paper refers to leadership in private as well as public organizations and organizational units, to all types of managers including those of non‐supervisory functions affecting stakeholders, and even to personal affairs. It suggests a decision‐assisting model based on the issues that should be considered in decisions pertaining to matters involving leadership roles. It is based on three foundations: comparison of decision‐making practices involving leadership aspects of management with decision making in other professional fields; analysis of the actual and potential impact of leadership and motivation theories on leadership decisions; and responsibilities involved in effectively applying leadership to management activities in all fields.Findings – The paper reports on the informal research process that resulted in the...
The WRAT-3 Reading Subtest as a Measure of Premorbid Intelligence Among Persons With Brain Injury

Objective: To examine whether the Wide Range Achievement Test–3 (WRAT-3) Reading subtest (S. Jastak & G. S. Wilkenson, 1984; G. S. Wilkinson, 1993) measures premorbid intelligence in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Sixty individuals (63% male, 78% Caucasian, mean age 38 years) tested during acute rehabilitation hospitalization following TBI and 1 year later. Results: Slight (4.4 points) increase in WRAT-3 Reading scores was observed but with greater, although nonsignificant (p .12), increase for those with greater injury severity. Conclusions: The WRAT-3 Reading subtest is a better hold test for individuals who sustain mild TBI.
Science, libertinage et clandestinité à l'aube des Lumières: Le transformisme de Telliamed

Benoit de Maillet's anonymously circulated manuscript, titled the Telliamed, ou Entretiens d’ un philosophe indien avec un missionnaire francois sur la diminuation de la mer, encapsulated much of t...
Cognitive Workload and Learning Assessment During the Implementation of a Next-Generation Air Traffic Control Technology Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Neuroimaging technologies, such as functional near- infrared spectroscopy (fNIR), could provide performance metrics directly from brain-based measures to assess safety and perfor- mance of operators in high-risk fields. In this paper, we objectively and subjectively examine the cognitive workload of air traffic con- trol specialists utilizing a next-generation conflict resolution ad- visory. Credible differences were observed between continuously increasing workload levels that were induced by increasing the number of aircraft under control. In higher aircraft counts, a pos- sible saturation in brain activity was realized in the fNIR data. A learning effect was also analyzed across a three-day/nine-session training period. The difference between Day 1 and Day 2 was cred- ible, while there was a noncredible difference between Day 2 and Day 3. The results presented in this paper indicate some advantages in objective measures of cognitive workload assessment with fNIR cortical imaging over the subjective workload assessment keypad.