cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transepiphyseal extension of osteosarcoma: Incidence, mechanism, and implications

Forty-five cases of osteosarcoma were studied for transepiphyseal spread of the lesion because of the current interest in local resection and chemotherapy as treatment of this disease. In 17 cases, the epiphyseal plate had closed and all 17 had transepiphyseal extension of the tumor. In 28 cases, the epiphyseal plate was open; 21 showed growth or microscopic evidence of transepiphyseal extension of the lesion. The most common method of extension was directly through the epiphyseal plate along vascular channels, or less commonly, about the epiphyseal plate beneath the perichondrium and into the epiphysis along the epiphyeal vascular channels. The majority of these extensions were not detectable by either conventional radiography or radioisotope scanning. Local resection with preservation of the epiphysis will, in all likelihood, leave residual disease despite the oft-quoted statement that an open epiphyseal plate is a biologic barrier to the extension of bone tumors.
Reversible gastroparesis in patients with hypopituitary disease

ABSTRACT: A 72-year-old woman with chronic fatigue, malaise, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting was treated unsuccessfully for gastroparesis for more than 2 years. Clinical and biochemical features of hypopituitary disease and symptoms of a nonsecreting pituitary tumor had been overlooked and became apparent only after the differential diagnosis of hyponatremia was considered. Transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary tumor and appropriate 1-thyroxine and hydrocortisone replacement returned her gastric emptying time to normal and relieved her symptoms. Primary and secondary deficits of 1-thy- roxine and Cortisol should be considered when making a possible diagnosis of gastroparesis.
Blood vessel tissue prestress modeling for vascular fluid-structure interaction simulation

In this paper we present a new strategy for obtaining blood vessel tissue prestress for use in fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of vascular blood flow. The method consists of a simple iterative procedure and is applicable to a large class of vascular geometries. The formulation of the solid problem is modified to account for the tissue prestress by employing an additive decomposition of the second Piola-Kirchhoff stress tensor. Computational results using patient-specific models of cerebral aneurysms indicate that tissue prestress plays an important role in predicting hemodynamic quantities of interest in vascular FSI simulations.
Hypersegregation in U.S. metropolitan areas: black and Hispanic segregation along five dimensions.

Residential segregation has traditionally been measured by using the index of dissimilarity and, more recently, the P* exposure index. These indices, however, measure only two of five potential dimensions of segregation and, by themselves, understate the degree of black segregation in U.S. society. Compared with Hispanics, not only are blacks more segregated on any single dimension of residential segregation, they are also likely to be segregated on all five dimensions simultaneously, which never occurs for Hispanics. Moreover, in a significant subset of large urban areas, blacks experience extreme segregation on all dimensions, a pattern we call hypersegregation. This finding is upheld and reinforced by a multivariate analysis. We conclude that blacks occupy a unique and distinctly disadvantaged position in the U.S. urban environment.
Training Community Health Workers About Cancer Clinical Trials

Innovative projects to reduce disparities in cancer treatment and research include partnerships between academic and community cancer centers, patient navigation programs and strategies to promote community awareness, education and engagement. A 4 h training program about cancer clinical trials was developed through a needs assessment and in collaboration with community health workers who served as consultants and a larger advisory board comprised of community health workers, educators and clinical trialists. This program was delivered first as a collaboration between a phsycian who is experienced in the conduct of clinical research and two community health workers, and subsequently by the community health workers alone. We report on four workshops attended by a total of 61 community health workers recruited from Boston-area hospitals, community health centers and outreach programs. Support for and knowledge of clinical trials was measured in a pretest and post-test, which also included a satisfaction rating. Participants had a range of prior experience with clinical trials in the context of their personal and professional experience. Mean accuracy of knowledge about clinical trials increased from 72 to 84%, support for clinical trials improved considerably, and satisfaction with the training experience was high. Knowledge gaps and low levels of support for cancer clinical trials among community health workers can be improved with a short training program delivered by other community health workers. Further research is needed to identify the impact of this training on accrual to cancer clinical trials.
Dysfunction of brain kynurenic acid metabolism in Huntington's disease: focus on kynurenine aminotransferases

The levels of the neuroprotective excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA) have been previously shown to be reduced in several regions of the brain of Huntington's disease (HD) patients. Thus, KYNA has been speculatively linked to the pathogenesis of HD. We have examined KYNA levels and the activity of its two biosynthetic enzymes (kynurenine aminotransferases (KAT) I and II) in 12 regions of brains from late-stage HD patients and control donors (n = 17 each). KYNA levels were measured in the original tissue homogenate. Using [3H]kynurenine as the substrate, enzyme activities were determined in dialyzed tissue homogenates. KYNA levels in the caudate nucleus decreased from 733 +/- 95 in controls to 401 +/- 62 fmol/mg tissue in HD (p < 0.01). The activity of both enzymes was highest in cortical areas (e.g. control frontal cortex: KAT I: 148 +/- 18 fmol/mg tissue/h; KAT II: 25 +/- 2 fmol/mg tissue/h). The activities of both KAT I and KAT II, when expressed per mg original weight, showed significant decreases (48-55%) in the HD putamen (p < 0.01). Trends toward lower enzyme activities and KYNA concentrations were detected in other brain areas as well. Kinetic analyses, performed in putamen and cerebellum, showed an approximately 3-fold increase in Km values for both KAT I and KAT II in the putamen only. Vmax values remained unchanged in the HD brain. These findings indicate a selective impairment in KYNA biosynthesis in the neostriatum of HD patients, possibly due to the loss of (an) endogenous KAT activator(s).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The inhibitory potency of SCH 23390 and raclopride on licking for sucrose increases across brief-access tests.

There is extensive pharmacological and microdialysis evidence that central dopamine mechanisms are important for the mediation of the rewarding and reinforcing functions of sweet taste. One aspect of the pharmacological evidence for dopaminergic mediation of sweet reward is unclear. That is the positive interactive effect of ingestive experience and DA antagonist treatment reported by Wise and his colleagues in 1978 [1]. They showed that the inhibitory potency of pimozide increased over repetitive tests of saccharin (0.1%) ingestion. When pimozide was given before 8 daily, 10-minute tests in rats licking [2] or lever pressing [3] for 32% sucrose, however, the inhibitory effect of pimozide did not increase across tests. To reinvestigate the problem, we used a computer-assisted, repetitive, brief-access technique [4, 5] in which 10 male, non-deprived, Sprague Dawley rats licked 0.5 M sucrose for 60 s in four trials with a 30-second intertrial interval. Thirty minutes before the first trial, each rat received an ip injection of the D1 antagonist SCH 23390, the D2/3 antagonist raclopride, or vehicle. SCH 23390 and raclopride decreased licking significantly, their inhibitory effects increased significantly within and across the 4 trials, and the temporal pattern of their inhibitory effects on latencies, and on cumulative and total licks was different. Thus we confirm an increase of the inhibitory potency of DA antagonists across ingestive tests and show for the first time that the interaction differs between D1 and D2/3 antagonists.
Relationship between microstructural extremum and fracture path in a cast Al-Si-Mg alloy

Fracture related mechanical properties of materials (ductility, toughness, etc.) depend on microstructure. Materials science literature contains large number of contributions where attempts have been made to relate the average properties of microstructure (for example, average particle size, average grain size, etc.) to the mechanical properties such as ductility, toughness, etc. However, the fracture related material properties are often sensitive to the fracture path, and the relevant fracture path does not always sample the average microstructure of the material. Rather, the fracture path often senses and goes through the microstructural extrema. In such cases, the mechanical properties are governed by the extrema in the microstructural attributes, rather than the averages. It is the purpose of this contribution to illustrate an extreme case of such behavior exhibited by cast Al-Si-Mg based A356 alloy, where the fracture path of tensile test specimens primarily goes through largest 1% Si particles. The present observations provide some insights into the reasons for wide variations in the ductility of cast A356 alloy specimens having the same chemistry and the same average microstructure.
An Improved DEAE‐Cellulose Filter Assay for Colchicine Binding Protein (During Mouse Brain Development)

A DEAE-cellulose filter assay for colchicine binding protein (CBP) has been modified to include 1 M-sucrose in the incubation medium (single-point assay). Due to the much greater stability of colchicine binding capacity under the conditions described, multiple time-point assays (time-decay method) were not necessary for accurate determination of CBP in brain samples, as shown by the agreement of results obtained using the two methods to measure CBP in C129F1 hybrid mouse brains at different stages of development. In this study, the highest concentrations of CBP (millimoles of colchicine bound per milligram of total protein) were observed in the 160,000 g supernatant and pellet of newborn-brain homogenate. The CBP concentrations in these two fractions were approximately twice those observed in the earliest stage measured (13.5 days gestation) and in the 11-month-old adult. However, CBP concentration, in terms of millimoles of colchicine bound per gram of brain wet weight, reached a maximum at the end of the 1st week after birth. Between 17.5 days gestation and the end of the 1st postnatal week, more CBP accumulated in the pellet fraction than in the supernatant.
Brazil's Experiment with Corporate Governance

The adoption of special listing segments by the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange in the year 2000 was an important step forward for the Brazilian equity market. Bovespa's introduction of the Novo Mercado and its Special Corporate Governance Levels 1 and 2 provided concrete, standardized certification of corporate commitments to higher governance standards that could be readily observed and verified by all market participants. What evidence do we have that this experiment in corporate governance has been a success? One indication is the performance of the Brazilian stock market itself, along with its ability to attract foreign investors. From 2002 to mid-2008, the market capitalization of Bovespa companies increased by over 700%, while average daily volume grew almost tenfold. And as of June 2008, international investors represented 37% of total value, up from 26% in 2002. What's more, the growth in the three differentiated governance segments has been even more remarkable. Starting with 15 companies in 2001, the special governance segments had a total of 161 listings by early 2009. And by the end of 2008, the companies listed in the three differentiated segments accounted for more than 60% of Bovespa's total market capitalization and 73% of all trades. Perhaps even more telling, over 70% of the Brazilian IPOs issued between 2001 and 2008 were placed in the special governance segments. In this article, the authors summarize the findings of their study of the reaction of stock prices to the announcement by 31 Brazilian companies of their intent to list on one of the special governance exchanges. Their analysis showed that the companies choosing to list in these segments experienced an increase in both the value and the liquidity of their shares. In light of this evidence, such corporate decisions can be seen as functioning as publicly verifiable signals of commitment to greater transparency and investor protection. And the fact that the listing requirements of the special segments are stricter than those of Brazilian securities legislation means that stock exchanges—and the companies that choose to list on them— effectively have the option to initiate or lead investor protection reforms, as opposed to just complying with them. Thus, in countries where governance legislation is weak and the progress of reform is slow, stock markets can play a key role in helping companies differentiate themselves through exchange-defined governance codes.
Accuracy, security, and processing time comparisons of biometric fingerprint recognition system using digital and optical enhancements

Fingerprint recognition is one of the most commonly used forms of biometrics and has been widely used in daily life due to its feasibility, distinctiveness, permanence, accuracy, reliability, and acceptability. Besides cost, issues related to accuracy, security, and processing time in practical biometric recognition systems represent the most critical factors that makes these systems widely acceptable. Accurate and secure biometric systems often require sophisticated enhancement and encoding techniques that burdens the overall processing time of the system. In this paper we present a comparison between common digital and optical enhancementencoding techniques with respect to their accuracy, security and processing time, when applied to biometric fingerprint systems.
Predicting Power for Longitudinal Studies with Attrition

Power analyses play an integral role in designing biomedical studies and are customary in biomedical research proposals, for example, submitted to federal regulatory and medical research agencies. An underpowered study potentially leads to inconclusive inferences and consequently misspends valuable time and financial resources allocated to the study. The occurrence of attrition or dropout further increases the risk of conducting an underpowered study. In some applications, it is desirable to provide additional assurance against insufficient statistical power by producing conservative power predictions. We propose two new methods for predicting power when expecting attrition, and both methods employ a simple probability model for the number of dropouts. One approach allows conservative power predictions that reduce the chance of underpowering studies. The second procedure gives the minimum mean squared error predictor of conditional power, given dependence on a random number of unobserved values or dropouts. We illustrate our methods for predicting power using a longitudinal study of depression. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Möbius Aromaticity in [12]Annulene: Cis−Trans Isomerization via Twist-Coupled Bond Shifting

Density functional and coupled cluster calculations show that facile thermal configuration change in [12]annulene occurs via a twist-coupled bond-shifting mechanism. The transition state for this process is highly aromatic with Mobius topology. At the CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//BH&HLYP/6-311+G** level, the isomerization of tri-trans-[12]annulene 1a (CTCTCT) to its di-trans isomer 2 (CCCTCT) via such a mechanism has a barrier of 18.0 kcal/mol, in good agreement with earlier experiments. Two other aromatic Mobius bond-shifting transition states were located that result in configuration change for other [12]annulene conformers. This mechanism contrasts sharply with diradical configuration change for acyclic polyenes and with planar bond-shifting mechanisms generally assumed for annulenes. This constitutes evidence that neutral Mobius aromatic annulenes play a role in the dynamic processes of neutral [4n]annulenes.
Teaming measurements of the coefficient of friction and of contact resistance as a tool for the investigation of sliding interfaces

Abstract A new apparatus is described which measures the momentary co-efficient of friction and the interfacial electrical resistance of a sample sliding in a rotating hoop under the combined action of friction and gravity. The apparatus is housed under a bell-jar and thus can be used in various ambient atmospheres or vacuum. Preliminary measurements made on a brass sample and on a Ag-graphite sample (75 wt.% Ag), sliding on α-brass, are discussed in terms of the surface film resistivity and number of contact spots as a function of normal force.
Novel nanocrystals as a platinum-delivery vehicle for chemotherapy.

Evaluation of: Gao J, Liang G, Zhang B et al.: FePt@CoS2Yolk-shell nanocrystals as a potent agent to kill HeLa cells. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129(5), 1428–1433 (2007) [1]. Here, a recent paper describing the synthesis and cytotoxicity of Pt-containing yolk-shell nanocrystals is evaluated. The authors synthesized FePt nanocrystals and encapsulated them in CoS2 shells. Cervical cancer cells (HeLa) were then exposed to these nanoparticles and examined for cell viability. The nanocrystals exhibited cytotoxicity at Pt concentrations lower than that of the well-established organoplatinum chemotherapy drug, cisplatin. The nanocrystal synthesis, the potential of these nanocrystals for chemotherapy and the implications of this study on the future development of a new class of ‘nanochemotherapeutics’ are discussed.
A 30 x 5 Microelectronic Commutator

A 30 x 5 microelectronic commutator was designed and constructed for multiplexing sensor signals into an IRIG telemetry format. Logic control and selection are provided by 23 Texas Instruments solid circuits, signal transmission is via diode gates, and power conversion is internal. Dissipation is 1 watt, weight less than 6 ounces, and dimensions are 3 x 2 x 0.9 cubic inches. A complete series of tests was completed for application to the launch and orbit environments of space vehicles.
Processing and Properties of SiC/MoSi2-SiC Composites Fabricated by Melt Infiltration

Hi-Nicalon SiC fiber reinforced MoSi2-SiC matrix composites (SiC/MoSi2-SiC) have been fabricated by the melt infiltration approach. The composite consists of approximately 60 vol%, 2-D woven BN/SiC coated Hi-Nicalon SiC fibers and approximately 40 vol% MoSi2-SiC matrix. The room temperature tensile properties and thermal conductivity of the SiC/MoSi2-SiC composites were measured and compared with those of the melt infiltrated SiC/SiC composites. The influence oi fiber architecture on tensile properties was also evaluated. Results indicate that the primary modulus, stress corresponding to deviation from linearity, and transverse thermal conductivity values for the SiC/MoSi2-SiC composites are significantly lower than those for the SiC/SiC composites. Microcracking of the matrix due to the large difference in thermal expansion between MoSi2 and SiC appears to be the reason for the lower matrix dominated properties of SiC/MoSi2-SiC composites.
Writing caliban: Anticolonial appropriations of the tempest

(1993). Writing caliban: Anticolonial appropriations of the tempest. Current Writing: Text and Reception in Southern Africa: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 80-99.
Occupational therapy service use among people aging with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE. We examined the use of occupational therapy services in a sample of people aging with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHOD. A total of 1,282 people with MS, ages 45 to 90, participated in telephone interviews to identify unmet health-related service needs. Occupational therapy was 1 of 22 services examined. Proportional odds models were used to examine factors associated with how recently services were used. RESULTS. Four hundred eighty-four participants (38.2%) had used occupational therapy services at some point since their diagnosis; 211 had used these services in the year before the interview. Recent users identified occupational therapy services as important to health and well-being. Satisfaction with services was high. Greater activity limitations and living in an urban or suburban area were associated with more recent use of occupational therapy services. CONCLUSION. The results raise questions about what constitutes appropriate levels of occupational therapy service use and how to ensure that these levels are achieved.
K-39 quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors for organic potassium complexes and diatomic molecules.

Solid-state potassium-39 NMR spectra of two potassium complexes of crown-ether-based organic ligands (1-KI and 2) have been acquired at 11.75 and 21.1 T and interpreted to provide information on the 39 K quadrupolar and chemical shift tensors. The analyses reveal a large potassium chemical shift tensor span of 75 ± 20 ppm for 1·KI. This appears to be the first such measurement for potassium in an organic complex, thereby suggesting the utility of potassium chemical shift tensors for characterizing organic and biomolecular K+ binding environments. Compound 2 exhibits a cation-π interaction between K + and a phenyl group, and therefore, the 39 K NMR tensors obtained for this compound must be partly representative of this interaction. Analyses of potassium-39 spin-rotation data for gaseous 39 K 19 F and 39 K 35 Cl available from molecular beam experiments performed by Cederberg and co-workers reveal the largest potassium CS tensor spans known to date, 84.39 and 141 ppm, respectively. Collectively, the results obtained highlight the potential of ultrahigh-field potassium-39 solid-state NMR spectroscopy and, in particular, the wide range of the anisotropy of the potassium CS tensor when organic and diatomic systems are considered.
Genetics of P-Element Transposition Into Drosophila melanogaster Centric Heterochromatin

Heterochromatin is a major component of higher eukaryotic genomes, but progress in understanding the molecular structure and composition of heterochromatin has lagged behind the production of relatively complete euchromatic genome sequences. The introduction of single-copy molecular-genetic entry points can greatly facilitate structure and sequence analysis of heterochromatic regions that are rich in repeated DNA. In this study, we report the isolation of 502 new P-element insertions into Drosophila melanogaster centric heterochromatin, generated in nine different genetic screens that relied on mosaic silencing (position-effect variegation, or PEV) of the yellow gene present in the transposon. The highest frequencies of recovery of variegating insertions were observed when centric insertions were used as the source for mobilization. We propose that the increased recovery of variegating insertions from heterochromatic starting sites may result from the physical proximity of different heterochromatic regions in germline nuclei or from the association of mobilizing elements with heterochromatin proteins. High frequencies of variegating insertions were also recovered when a potent suppressor of PEV (an extra Y chromosome) was present in both the mobilization and selection generations, presumably due to the effects of chromatin structure on P-element mobilization, insertion, and phenotypic selection. Finally, fewer variegating insertions were recovered after mobilization in females, in comparison to males, which may reflect differences in heterochromatin structure in the female and male germlines. FISH localization of a subset of the insertions confirmed that 98% of the variegating lines contain heterochromatic insertions and that these schemes produce a broader distribution of insertion sites. The results of these schemes have identified the most efficient methods for generating centric heterochromatin P insertions. In addition, the large collection of insertions produced by these screens provides molecular-genetic entry points for mapping, sequencing, and functional analysis of Drosophila heterochromatin.
On the Optimality of a Dominant Unit of Account

We develop a theory that gives rise to an endogenous unit of account. Agents enter into non-contingent contracts with a variety of business partners. Trade unfolds sequentially and is subject to random matching. By using a unified unit of account, agents can lower their exposure to relative price risk, avoid costly default, and create more total surplus. We discuss the use of a unified unit of account in intertemporal trade and the robustness of a unit of account when there is aggregate price-level uncertainty.
Conquering computational challenges of omics data and post-ENCODE paradigms

A report on the 21st Annual International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) and 12th European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB), held in Berlin, Germany, July 21-23, 2013.
Sp1 and p73 activate PUMA following serum starvation.

p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) plays an essential role in p53-dependent apoptosis following DNA damage. PUMA also mediates apoptosis independent of p53. In this study, we investigated the role and mechanism of PUMA induction in response to serum starvation in p53-deficient cancer cells. Following serum starvation, the binding of Sp1 to the PUMA promoter significantly increased, whereas inhibition of Sp1 completely abrogated PUMA induction. p73 was found to be upregulated by serum starvation and mediate PUMA induction through the p53-binding sites in the PUMA promoter. Sp1 and p73β appeared to cooperatively activate PUMA transcription, which is inhibited by the phosphoinsitide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. Furthermore, knockdown of PUMA suppressed serum starvation-induced apoptosis in leukemia cells. Our results suggest that transcription factors Sp1 and p73 mediate p53-independent induction of PUMA following serum starvation to trigger apoptosis in human cancer cells.
The tyranny of adenosine recognition among RNA aptamers to coenzyme A

Background: Understanding the diversity of interactions between RNA aptamers and nucleotide cofactors promises both to facilitate the design of new RNA enzymes that utilize these cofactors and to constrain models of RNA World evolution. In previous work, we isolated six pools of high affinity RNA aptamers to coenzyme A (CoA), the principle cofactor in biological acyltransfer reactions. Interpretation of the evolutionary significance of those results was made difficult by the fact that the affinity resin attachment strongly influenced the outcome of those selections. Here we describe the selection of four new pools isolated on a disulfide-linked CoA affinity matrix to minimize context-dependent recognition imposed by the attachment to the solid support. Results: The four new aptamer libraries show no sequence or structural relation to a previously dominant CoA-binding species, even though they were isolated from the same initial random libraries. Recognition appears to be limited to the adenosine portion of the CoA – in particular the Hoogsteen edge – for most isolates surveyed, even when a counter selection was employed to remove such RNAs. Two of the recovered isolates are eluted with intact CoA more efficiently than with AMP alone suggesting a possible pantotheine interaction. However, a detailed examination of recognition specificity revealed that the 3' phosphate of CoA, and not the pantotheine arm, determined recognition by these two isolates. Conclusion: Most aptamers that have been targeted towards cofactors containing adenosine recognize only the adenosine portion of the cofactor. They do not distinguish substituents on the 5' carbon, even when those substituents have offered hydrogen bonding opportunities and the selection conditions discouraged adenosine recognition. Beyond hydrogen bonding, additional factors that guide the selection towards adenosine recognition include aromatic stacking interactions and relatively few rotational degrees of freedom. In the present work, a sterically accessible, disulfide-linked CoA affinity resin afforded the selection of a more diverse aptamer collection then previous work with a N6 linked CoA resin.
Preparation of High Seebeck Coefficient Calcium Cobaltate Thermoelectric Powders

Thermoelectric calcium cobalt oxide (Ca1.24Co1.62O3.86) with high Seebeck coefficient was prepared by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) followed by a short post treatment process. Synthesized samples were analyzed by XRD for their phase purity for samples prepared from different reactants mixtures. A final element model of SHS of calcium cobalt oxide was developed to study the temperature history and reaction rate change during the synthesis. This model can be used to predict reaction temperatures for various initial conditions.
Scalability of the Cedar system

Cedar is a hierarchical shared-memory multiprocessor consisting of four clusters of vector processors connected to a 32-bank word-interleaved shared memory via two unidirectional multistage shuffle-exchange networks. Cedar scalability is studied via simulation and measurement. The simulation methodology is verified by comparing simulated performance with that of the real machine. The performance scalability of the interconnection networks and memory modules which compose Cedar's shared memory system is then examined in detail. The system is shown to be basically scalable in performance, but not perfectly so. A "brute force" approach to increasing scalability, doubling the clock speed of the memory subsystem, is shown to be only moderately effective at improving scalability. Finally, by limiting traffic in the network, the scalability of the system is increased significantly at very little cost. >
Balanced Symmetric Functions Over ${\hbox{GF}}(p)$

Under mild conditions on n, p, we give a lower bound on the number of n-variable balanced symmetric polynomials over finite fields GF(p), where p is a prime number. The existence of nonlinear balanced symmetric polynomials is an immediate corollary of this bound. Furthermore, we prove that X(2t, 2t+1lscr-1) are balanced and conjecture that these are the only balanced symmetric polynomials over GF(2), where X(d, n) = Sigma1lesi 1 <i 2 <hellip<i d lesnxi 1xi 2hellipxi d.
Observations of rising tune during the injection instability of the IPNS RCS proton bunch

In the rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS), a single proton bunch (h=1) is accelerated from 50 MeV to 450 MeV in approximately 14.2 ms. The bunch experiences an instability shortly after injection (<1 ms). During the first millisecond, the beam is bunched but little acceleration takes place; therefore this period is similar to a storage ring mode of operation. Natural vertical oscillations (assumed to be tune lines) show the vertical tune to be rising toward the bare tune value, suggesting neutralization of space charge and a reduction of its detuning effects. Neutralization time near injection ranges from 250 mus - 500 mus, depending on the background gas pressure. Oscillations move from the LSB to the USB before disappearing. Tune measurements made with a recently installed ferrite- magnet pinger system show the horizontal chromaticity to be positive early but approaching zero later in the cycle; on the other hand, the vertical chromaticity is negative throughout the cycle. During pinger studies near injection, two vertical lines are observed. Neutralization of the beam space charge implies the generation of plasma in the beam volume early in the cycle which may then dissipate as the time-varying electric fields of the beam become stronger.
Tunneling Responses of Mole Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) to the Entomopathogenic Fungus, Beauveria bassiana

Abstract Greenhouse studies of mole cricket tunneling architecture were conducted with adult southern, Scapteriscus borellii Giglio-Tos and tawny, Scapteriscus vicinus Scudder, mole crickets exposed to Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. Three different strains of B. bassiana as well as the commercially available insecticide Talstar (bifenthrin) were evaluated for avoidance behaviors by examining tunneling characteristics. Each treated container was inspected 24 h after treatment for specific tunneling behaviors in association with the presence of a control agent and the cricket’s response to the conidia or chemical. One of the B. bassiana strains tested, DB-2, caused changes in mole cricket behavior, including significantly less new surface tunneling, fewer vertical tunnels descending into the soil, less tunneling along the perimeter of the containers, and significantly more occurrences of the crickets remaining in an area that reduced exposure to the conidia. Two of the other treatments, strain 10-2...
Understanding Innovation in Student Design Projects

Over the past few years, academic institutions have become aware of the importance of innovation in education, as well as its broader role in strengthening the economy. Creativity and innovative thinking are not easily taught in the classroom, but they can be developed through practice and experience. Evaluating innovation as part of product design courses has thus become very important to increase the probability of students becoming innovators in the real world. Innovation tournaments provide universities with an opportunity to develop innovative design thinking in students while they gain practical experience. Understanding design innovation at a deeper level in the context of student design projects is critical to develop realistic perspectives among students. Determining the appropriate dimensions for understanding and measuring innovation is the main objective of this paper. Toward that objective, we conducted initial experiments in conjunction with an innovation award to develop and assess innovation metrics. The results reveal several dimensions of innovation: differentiability, creativity, need satisfaction, and probability of commercial success emerged as key dimensions. This research also assesses the perception of innovation, contrasting the perceptions of judges from industry with the views of academically oriented judges.
65.2: Advanced Laser Module with Intra Frame Operating Color Management for Mobile Projection

We report on an intra image frame approach for controlling output power and mixed color of RGB lasers. Lasers, laser driving and laser control electronics as well as beam shaping and beam combination optics are components of a miniaturized module which is intended to be utilized in flying spot approach based mobile projectors. Key advantage of the introduced module concept is color stability across the whole image and the disappearance of flickering calibration lines at the top or at the bottom of the projected image.
Technical Note-Numerical Investigation of Optimal Parallel Redundancy in Series Systems

This note presents a numerical investigation of various techniques reported in the branch-and-bound literature applied to the specific problem of optimal redundancy allocation. It compares two common backtracking strategies, deep and broad search, along with a zero-one versus direct problem formulation. Also reported are some highly successful modifications exploiting the specific problem structure.
Distinguishing the tremor of Parkinson's disease from essential tremor: finger displacement.

Although, the tremor of Parkinson's disease (PD) usually, but not always, differs from essential tremor (ET), there is no simple bedside test to distinguish PD from ET. We believe we have made such an observation. We studied 50 consecutive tremor-dominant PD patients (mean age: 63.4 years; mean disease duration: 4.9 years) and 35 consecutive ET patients (mean age: 64.1 years; mean disease duration: 12.5 years). Among PD patients, 31 had a bilateral tremor and among ET patients, 29 patients had a bilateral tremor. Patients sat opposite the examiner and pointed both index fingers at the examiner's index fingers. Then they closed their eyes. Within 15 s, one or rarely both of the patient's index fingers moved, was displaced, either upward or laterally. Finger displacement occurred only with bilateral simultaneous pointing with the patient's eyes closed.All the tremor-dominant PD patients exhibited displacement of an index finger. In 46 patients, it occurred on the side of dominant tremor, in 4, it occurred b...
Pain Assessment in Children with Cognitive Impairment: An Exploration of Self-Report Skills

Prior to surgery, 47 children (ages 8 to 17) with borderline to profound cognitive impairment were administered tasks to evaluate their understanding of the concepts of magnitude and ordinal position and their abilities to use a 0 to 5 numerical scale to rate pain levels in schematic faces. Of the 111 children (ages 4 to 14) without cognitive impairment, were administered the same tasks. Nurses conducting preoperative evaluations predicted whether children would understand the numerical scale. Fifty percent (n = 3) of children with borderline and 35% (n = 7) of children with mild cognitive impairment (and all children 8 years and older nonimpaired) correctly used the scale. Half of the children with cognitive impairment demonstrated skills (magnitude and ordinal position) that may allow them to use simpler pain rating methods. Nurses overestimated the abilities of cognitively impaired children (and younger children without cognitive impairment) to use the rating scale.
Hominid–Carnivore Coevolution and Invasion of the Predatory Guild

Coevolution is defined as reciprocal selective pressures that operate to make the evolution of one taxon partially dependent on the evolution another. This process often involves multiple species exploiting shared limiting resources. In classic coevolutionary models, populations of sympatric species are seen to diverge in one or more morphological, ecological, or behavioral traits to effect more even partitioning of resources and reduce levels of interspecific competition. Character displacement and resource partitioning are thought to be central not only to how species coexist on limited resources, but also to how species invade new resource niches. Hominid invasion of the predatory guild at least 2 my ago would have brought them into contact with a range of new selective pressures including competition with a number of large-bodied predators. This study explores resource partitioning between hominids and other Plio-Pleistocene large-bodied predators through analyses of predator food transport strategies. The anatomical content (head/limb MNE) of hominid transported faunal assemblages at Bed I Olduvai and FxJj 50 (Koobi Fora), when compared to modern predator control cases, suggests that Plio-Pleistocene hominids practiced food transport strategies intermediate between those of top predators such as wolves and those of confrontational scavengers such as spotted hyaenas. Plio-Pleistocene hominid food transport strategies do not resemble those of nonconfrontational scavengers such as brown and striped hyenas. The highly regular patterns differentiating bone assemblages accumulated by top predators, hominids, and confrontational and nonconfrontational scavengers suggest that hominid invasion of the predatory guild involved resource partitioning potentially based on some form of character displacement.
Separate and synergistic effect of progesterone and estradiol on induction of annexin 2 and its interaction protein p11 in pregnant sheep myometrium

To search for myometrial candidate genes regulated by progesterone, we isolated annexin 2 cDNA by subtractive hybridization and cloning. We also examined the effect of estradiol and/or progesterone, individually or combined, on expressions of annexin 2 and its ligand protein, p11 in pregnant sheep intrauterine tissues. Annexin 2 is a Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipid-binding protein which interacts with p11 to form a bivalent heterotetramer. The heterotetramer was indicated in the production of prostaglandins through the regulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and arachidonic acid release. Thus, annexin 2 and p11 could be the important players in Ca(2+) signaling and prostaglandin production in uterine smooth muscles. Twenty-two ewes were treated with vehicle (n = 6), or 5 mg estradiol administered intramuscularly twice a day for 2 days (n = 6), or 100 mg progesterone administered intramuscularly twice a day for 14 days (n = 5), or estradiol plus progesterone with 100 mg progesterone administered intramuscularly twice a day for 10 days (n = 5) and then with vehicle for 2 days followed by estradiol for 2 days (5 mg administered intramuscularly twice a day). At 121 days of gestation age (dGA), endometrium, myometrium, placenta, and cervix were obtained under halothane anesthesia. Subtractive hybridization was used to isolate differentially expressed mRNAs from myometrial tissues treated with progesterone, which was confirmed by western blot at protein level. Annexin 2 and p11 interaction was validated by immunoprecipitation and their expressions in intrauterine tissues were determined by western blot analysis. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. A cDNA clone from myometrial-subtracted library representing differentially expressed mRNA in the pregnant sheep myometrium with progesterone treatment was identified as annexin 2 by sequence analysis and BLASTN search. Annexin 2 was present in both cytosolic and membrane-associated fractions of intrauterine tissues. In contrast, p11 was detectable only in myometrial cytosolic fraction. Both annexin 2 and p11 significantly increased in myometrial cytosolic fraction after progesterone or progesterone plus estradiol treatment. Furthermore, estradiol and progesterone combined had a more profound effect on induction of annexin 2 than progesterone alone. Annexin 2 was immunoprecipitated specifically by p11 antibody from the myometrium. This study indicates that progesterone may play an important role in the control of myometrial contractility by modifying protein expression associated with Ca2+ and prostaglandin signaling systems during pregnancy. Enhanced expression of myometrial annexin 2 in progesterone plus estradiol group supports our hypothesis that estrogen's stimulation is optimized by progesterone's priming in the pregnant sheep uterus.
The oxen Gene of Drosophila Encodes a Homolog of Subunit 9 of Yeast Ubiquinol-Cytochrome c Oxidoreductase Complex: Evidence for Modulation of Gene Expression in Response to Mitochondrial Activity

A P-element insertion in the oxen gene, ox(1), has been isolated in a search for modifiers of white gene expression. The mutation preferentially exerts a negative dosage effect upon the expression of three genes encoding ABC transporters involved in pigment precursor transport, white, brown, and scarlet. A precise excision of the P element reverts the mutant phenotype. Five different transcription units were identified around the insertion site. To distinguish a transcript responsible for the mutant phenotype, a set of deletions within the oxen region was generated. Analysis of gene expression within the oxen region in the case of deletions as well as generation of transgenic flies allowed us to identify the transcript responsible for oxen function. It encodes a 6.6-kD homolog of mitochondrial ubiquinol cytochrome c oxidoreductase (QCR9), subunit 9 of the bc(1) complex in yeast. In addition to white, brown, and scarlet, oxen regulates the expression of three of seven tested genes. Thus, our data provide additional evidence for a cellular response to changes in mitochondrial function. The oxen mutation provides a model for the genetic analysis in multicellular organisms of the effect of mitochondrial activity on nuclear gene expression.
Insect Resistance Management for Transgenic Bt Cotton

IRM programs for Bt cotton must have a strong science- based framework because the underlying questions are scientific in nature; but scientific considerations must be balanced with an understanding of grower economics, and of how these economics affect behavior. In addition, there must be a recognition that all of these factors vary among crops and across geographic regions, and that IRM plans must vary accordingly. Only this can achieve what all stakeholders in this technology want – a lasting, effective IRM strategy. Looking forward, it is heartening that no instances of field-failures attributable to resistance evolution to Bt cotton have yet been observed. However, in the future, the number of countries adopting Bt cotton will continue to increase, and the diversity of Bt cotton products will also increase. This will require (and facilitate) more diversity in IRM approaches. Overall, IRM for Bt crops has been a success story, but significant scientific and logistical challenges will continue to arise, demanding ongoing investment and innovation.
China’s Regional Headquarters Legislation: Regional Legislative Competition for Multinational Corporations from Point to Surface

As China continues to grow in importance on the international business stage, multinational corporations and seeking a regional presence centered in China will need to determine where to set up regional headquarters. Since 1999, many regions have wooed these multinational corporations at an ever-increasing pace with a variety of incentives, each in their own flavor. This article traces the legislative competition among China’s regions for multinational corporations, concluding with asking which region will ultimately win out with the best companies.
Vitamin E in fortified cow milk uniquely enriches human plasma lipoproteins.

BACKGROUND Milk fat may contribute to atherogenesis in humans. OBJECTIVE We sought to offset the atherogenic potential of milk fat by adding polyunsaturated fat and vitamin E to milk. DESIGN We measured plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and tocopherol and LDL oxidation in normolipemic adults. In experiment 1 (n = 48), we compared delivery of 100 mg all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/d in capsules, skim milk, and 1%-fat milks containing soybean oil, milk fat, or both (1:1). In experiment 2 (n = 24), we compared delivery of natural (RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) and synthetic (all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) vitamin E in milk with delivery of all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate in orange juice (200 mg/d in each group). In experiment 3 (n = 7), we compared delivery of 30 mg all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/d in milks with and without added vitamins A and D. RESULTS Enrichment of milk fat with soybean oil did not alter plasma lipoproteins. Microdispersion of vitamin E in milks increased the molar ratio of plasma tocopherol to cholesterol by >2-fold compared with the molar ratio after consuming vitamin E capsules, whereas the molar ratios were comparable after ingestion of orange juice and capsules. Synthetic and natural vitamin E performed comparably. The enhanced plasma vitamin E:cholesterol attributed to milk increased protection of LDL against oxidation. Vitamins A and D did not affect vitamin E delivery by milk. CONCLUSIONS Milk augments vitamin E transport by human lipoproteins at intakes of 100-200 but not 30 mg/d. This augmentation is independent of the presence and type of fat in milk, its vitamin A and D contents, and whether the vitamin E is natural or synthetic.