cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CMP Compatibility of Partially Cured Benzocyclobutene (BCB) for a Via-First 3D IC Process

Wafer-level three dimensional (3D) IC technology offers the promise of decreasing RC delays by reducing long interconnect lines in high performance ICs. This paper focuses on a via-first 3D IC platform, which utilizes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible damascene-patterned layer of copper and Benzocyclobutene (BCB). This damascene-patterned copper/BCB serves as a redistribution layer between two fully fabricated wafer sets of ICs and offers the potential of high bonding strength and low contact resistance for inter-wafer interconnects between the wafer pair. The process would thus combine the electrical advantages of 3D technology using Cu-to-Cu bonding with the mechanical advantages of 3D technology using BCB-to-BCB bonding. In this work, partially cured BCB has been evaluated for copper damascene patterning using commercially available CMP slurries as a key process step for a via-first 3D process flow. BCB is spin-cast on 200 mm wafers and cured at temperatures ranging from 190 degrees C to 250 degrees C, providing a wide range of crosslink percentage. These films are evaluated for CMP removal rate, surface damage (surface scratching and embedded abrasives), and planarity with commercially available copper CMP slurries. Under baseline process parameters, erosion, and roughness changes are presented for single-level damascene test patterns. After wafers are bonded under controlled temperature and pressure, the bonding interface is inspected optically using glass-to-silicon bonded wafers, and the bond strength is evaluated by a razor blade test.
Effects of Age, Breast Feeding, and Household Structure on Haemophilus influenzae Type b Disease Risk and Antibody Acquisition in Alaskan Eskimos

Invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease occurs with unusually high incidence in Alaskan Eskimos. In 1983, the authors evaluated the unique susceptibility of the Yupik-speaking Eskimo population in southwest Alaska. A matched case-control design was used to assess the influence of age, breast feeding, and household composition on disease risk, with a historical cohort design to evaluate their effects on acquisition of Hib anticapsular antibody. The authors studied 103 cases with known invasive Hib disease that occurred at a mean age of 8.7 +/- 8.6 months; healthy controls were matched for age and village of residence. Living in extended families at the time of disease onset was significantly associated with Hib disease (p less than 0.04; odds ratio = 1.8; 95% confidence interval 0.87-3.25). The authors found that breast feeding was significantly less common among cases than controls (p less than 0.03; odds ratio = 0.53; 95% confidence interval 0.27-0.98). Although there was a positive correlation between age and acquired level of total anticapsular antibody (r = 0.59; p less than 0.0001), previous exposure to invasive Hib disease did not influence these levels. Household crowding and breast feeding also did not appear to affect Hib antibody acquisition.
Scenes from the suburbs: the suburb in contemporary US film and television

In Scenes from the Suburbs, cultural theorist Timotheus Vermeulen posits a compelling model of American suburbia existing between two Lefebvres: the close analysis of Martin Lefebvre and the spatia...
Selected graph design variables in four interpretation tasks: a microcomputer-based pilot study

Abstract A pilot study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of selected graph types and information coding schemes in producing quick and accurate graph interpretation. Point-plots, line graphs, bar graphs, and three-dimensional bar graphs were constructed and displayed using an IBM-PC microcomputer with colour monitor. The effectiveness of each of these graph types, as well as the coding scheme used within each (colour versus monochrome), was investigated using 32 subjects in four separate experiments involving either point–reading, point-comparison, trend-reading, or trend-comparison tasks. Dependent measures including task completion time, graph interpretation error, subjective mental workload rating, and graph preference rating were obtained. In three of the tasks, colour-coded graphs were associated with lower task completion time, lower rated mental workload, and higher rated preference than monochrome graphs. However, there were no differences in subjects' error scores between colour and monochrom...
VIDA: an environment for multidimensional image display and analysis

Since the first dynamic volumetric studies were done in the early 1980s on the dynamic spatial reconstructor (DSR), there has been a surge of interest in volumetric and dynamic imaging using a number of tomographic techniques. Knowledge gained in handling DSR image data has readily transferred to the current use of a number of other volumetric and dynamic imaging modalities including cine and spiral CT, MR, and PET. This in turn has lead to our development of a new image display and quantitation package which we have named VIDATM (volumetric image display and analysis). VIDA is written in C, runs under the UNIXTM operating system, and uses the XView toolkit to conform to the Open LookTM graphical user interface specification. A shared memory structure has been designed which allows for the manipulation of multiple volumes simultaneously. VIDA utilizes a windowing environment and allows execution of multiple processes simultaneously. Available programs include: oblique sectioning, volume rendering, region of interest analysis, interactive image segmentation/editing, algebraic image manipulation, conventional cardiac mechanics analysis, homogeneous strain analysis, tissue blood flow evaluation, etc. VIDA is a built modularly, allowing new programs to be developed and integrated easily. An emphasis has been placed upon image quantitation for the purpose of physiological evaluation.
Domesticating Cannibalism: Visual Rhetorics of Madness and Maternal Infanticide in Fifteenth-Century Italy

This article examines a miracle, credited to the Dominican saint Vincent Ferrer, in which a “demented” wife and mother butchers and partially cooks her infant son. In the decades following Vincent’s 1455 canonization, artists like Colantonio and the Erri workshop approached the macabre narrative in very different ways. Beyond this iconographic instability, this essay argues that the unsettled status of the narrative—in both text and picture—enabled its use as a malleable vessel for articulating and projecting certain social anxieties. The Erri version, the primary focus of the article, emerges as a case study in pictorial indeterminancy: saintly power is both pivotal and marginalized; social class is both highlighted and obfuscated; cannibalism is both seen and unseen. These contradictions demonstrate the contested status of the social problems represented: female madness, child-killing, cannibalism, and, in a broader sense, the inability of men to assert control over the spaces of their domestic world.
The Lifschitz singularity for the density of states on the Sierpinski gasket

We prove the existence of the density of states for the Laplacian on the infinite Sierpinski gasket. Then the Lifschitz-type singularity of the density of states is established. We also investigate the long-time asymptotics of the Brownian trajectory on the Sierpinski gasket, getting bounds similar to those in the ℝd-case.
Sotware modularization using requirements attributes

Due to the increasing complexity of today's software applications, design methodologies are of great concern to the software community. The design phase of the software lifecycle is a major factor to the success of a software system. Some studies have shown that the majority of errors detected during the testing phase are related to design. Therefore, it is very critical to assess the quality of the design. The correct top-level modularization of the software is critical to the design quality.Software modularity is not a new concept in the software engineering field; it has been a design issue since the earliest days of software development. Because the software designer cannot be expected to conceptualize a complex software application as a whole, it is usual to create a top-level design which has been decomposed into a set of modules. The degree of modularization is a subjective concept that is difficult to measure; however, coupling and cohesion are two well-known concepts that are used to characterize software modularization.In this paper we will illustrate how requirements scenarios can be clustered based on attributes identified in the scenarios. The technique uses heuristic clustering methods that cluster scenarios so that those scenarios within a cluster have a strong functional relationship with one another and weak relationships to the scenarios in other clusters. Hence, cohesion within clusters is maximized while coupling between clusters is minimized. Consequently, software modularization based on these clusters should provide a good initial design.
Partial characterization of kainic acid-induced striatal dopamine release using in vivo microdialysis.

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterize interactions between striatal kainate (KA) receptors and dopamine (DA) release using in vivo microdialysis. After insertion of a microdialysis probe and establishment of baseline DA release, each preparation was standardized with a pulse of an iso-osmotic solution of 100 mM KCl in Ringer's solution. DA release following pharmacological manipulation was compared to potassium-induced release and expressed as a percent value. In one group of animals, KA (12.5 mM in Ringer's solution) was administered via the microdialysis probe in 2, 3, 5 or 10 min pulses 30 min following standardization with potassium resulting in release of DA which was15.7 ± 3.9, 30.3 ± 11.3, 67.5 ± 15.0and92.9 ± 19.8% of potassium-induced DA release, respectively. Perfusion of CdCl 2 (0.6 mM in Ringer's solution) 30–45 min prior to a 10 min KA pulse significantly reduced KA-induced DA release compared to control values. Intrastriatal administration of kynurenate (Kyn) attenuated KA-induced DA release in a dose-dependent manner. Levels of DA metabolites in striatal perfusates were significantly reduced following KA administration. This effect was partially reversed by cadmium pretreatment but not affected by Kyn pretreatment. Findings of this study indicate that KA induces striatal DA release in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect is at least partially dependent upon activation of calcium channels. Results also indicate dose-dependent inhibition of KA-induced striatal DA release by the excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist, Kyn, suggesting that this compound interacts with striatal KA receptors and that these receptors are involved with modulating striatal DA release in vivo.
Time-restricted feeding attenuates age-related cardiac decline in Drosophila

Circadian clocks orchestrate periods of rest or activity and feeding or fasting over the course of a 24-hour day and maintain homeostasis. To assess whether a consolidated 24-hour cycle of feeding and fasting can sustain health, we explored the effect of time-restricted feeding (TRF; food access limited to daytime 12 hours every day) on neural, peripheral, and cardiovascular physiology in Drosophila melanogaster. We detected improved sleep, prevention of body weight gain, and deceleration of cardiac aging under TRF, even when caloric intake and activity were unchanged. We used temporal gene expression profiling and validation through classical genetics to identify the TCP-1 ring complex (TRiC) chaperonin, the mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, and the circadian clock as pathways mediating the benefits of TRF.
Adaptive Multimodule Routers for Multiprocessor Architectures

Recent multiprocessors such as Cray T3D support interprocessor communication using partitioned dimension-order routers (PDRs). In a PDR implementation, the routing logic and switching hardware is partitioned into multiple modules, with each module suitable for implementation as a chip. This paper proposes a method to incorporate adaptivity into such routers with simple changes to the router structure and logic. We show that with as few as two virtual channels per physical channel, adaptivity can be provided to handle nonuniform traffic in multidimensional meshes.
Editorial: We Are Indeed International

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: We Are Indeed International” for OE Vol. 33 Issue 06
A petrographic thin sectioning technique for evaluating composite materials

The development of tough high-peformance composites often employs a variety of analytical methods that correlate morphological, yield and fracture characteristics to the corresponding properties of a composite. Most of these techniques can be severely limited due to the high concentration of fibres used in high performance composites (nominally 60 wt %). Several light microscopy techniques can be used to identify relationships between morphological features and composite properties, for example fracture surface studies using reflected light microscopy, microtomed sections, cast films and etched surfaces. These techniques are limited for the following reasons: reflected light microscopy is restricted to surfaces, cast films do not necessarily reflect properties of the bulk material, microtomed sections are very difficult to produce with such a high concentration of fibres, and etched surfaces can be difficult to interpret because artefacts may be created by the use of the etchant. Petrographic thin sectioning has been used in conjunction with transmission polarized light microscopy for microstructural and deformation mechanism characterizations in a variety of polymer systems such as: identifying the failure modes in glass-filled polycarbonate and toughened nylon [1], evaluating the toughening mechanisms in rubber-toughened epoxy [2], and observing the development of the plastic zone in front of a crack tip in toughened polycarbonates and epoxy resins [3]. The technique used for preparing petrographic thin sections is described by Holik et al. [1]. This paper will focus on adaptations of this technique to facilitate the examination of high performance composites. We have adapted a transmitted light microscopy thin sectioning technique for use in studying high performance composites which overcomes several of the limitations associated with the more standard techniques. Thin sectioning of composites is extremely useful for identifying the presence of spherulites within a composite matrix and relating the effect of thermal treatment on spherulite morphology. This technique is also applicable to subsurface deformation analysis for identifying the plastic zone within a high performance
Self-fertilization in brooding hermaphroditic Caribbean corals: Evidence from molecular markers

The occurrence of self-fertilization in natural populations of hermaphroditic marine invertebrates has seldom been documented. This is in contrast to plant systems where studies of self-fertilization dominate plant mating system literature. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers were used to assess rates of natural self-fertilization in two common hermaphroditic Caribbean corals from the Florida Keys, Favia fragum and Porites astreoides. Rates of self-fertilization in the field were found to be high (34% for P. astreoides and 49% for F. fragum) indicating that selfing is an important mode of reproduction for both species. Furthermore, rates of selfing were found to be significantly heterogeneous among individuals for both species and between sites for P. astreoides; thus, both species exhibit a mixed mode of mating ranging from complete outcrossing to nearly complete selfing. These results suggest that corals and other marine invertebrates may provide a rich source of comparative data for testing evolutionary theories of selfing that have primarily been developed through studies of plant mating systems.
The significance of the lingual nerve during periodontal/implant surgery.

Background: Understanding the position of the lingual nerve is important when performing third molar extractions and periodontal and implant surgeries in the mandible. The careless management of the lingual flap can potentially cause damage to the lingual nerve. The location of the lingual nerve in the third molar region was described in the literature; however, to our knowledge, its course mesial to the third molar region was not reported. The aim of this study is to identify and measure the location of lingual nerves in relation to mandibular teeth in fresh cadaver heads.Methods: Thirty lingual nerves from 18 cadaver heads were dissected, and the vertical distance from the lingual nerve to the mid-lingual cemento-enamel junctions of mandibular molars and premolars and the position where the lingual nerve left the lingual plate and moved toward the tongue were determined. Two cadaver heads were randomly selected and exposed to cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans after the insertion of a wrought wi...
Building Sequence of Boundary Model in Layered Manufacturing

Even though building functional metal parts directly from CAD files has been the focus of many researches for many years, parts made by Layered Manufacturing (LM) have limited surface accuracy and long build time due to the sacrificial support structures. The Multi-Axis Laser Aided Manufacturing Process (LAMP) system improves build time by adding two more rotation axes to the system in order to reduce the support structures. The strategy to decompose the part model to sub-volumes or cells and the algorithm to arrange the deposition of those cells are discussed. The problems and questions of how much material should be deposited along the determined directions are also addressed in this paper.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Role of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling in Compensatory Renal Hypertrophy

Loss of functioning nephrons stimulates the growth of residual kidney tissue to augment work capacity and maintain normal renal function. This growth largely occurs by hypertrophy rather than from hyperplasia of the remaining nephrons. The signaling mechanisms that increase RNA and protein synthesis during compensatory renal hypertrophy are unknown. This study found that the remaining kidney hypertrophied 42% by 16 d after unilateral nephrectomy (UNX) in DBA/2 mice. Immunoblotting analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of the 40S ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), the two downstream effectors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The highly specific mTOR inhibitor rapamycin blocked UNX-increased phosphorylation of both rpS6 and 4E-BP1. UNX increased the content of not only 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits but also 80S monosomes and polysomes in the remaining kidney. Administration of rapamycin decreased UNX-induced polysome formation and shifted the polysome profile in the direction of monosomes and ribosomal subunits. Pretreatment of the mice with rapamycin inhibited UNX-induced hypertrophy. These studies demonstrate that activation of the mTOR signaling pathway in the remaining kidney after UNX plays an essential role in modulating RNA and protein synthesis during development of compensatory renal hypertrophy.
qPCR quantification of pathogenic guignardia citricarpa and Nonpathogenic G. Mangiferae in citrus

Abstract Citrus black spot, a major citrus disease caused by Guignardia citricarpa, was recently introduced in Florida. The nonpathogenic fungal endophyte G. mangiferae is commonly found in the same citrus tissues as G. citricarpa. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 genes were developed to detect, quantify, and distinguish between these morphologically similar organisms in environmental samples. The primer/probe sets GCITS and GMITS were more than 95% efficient in single-set reactions in complex environmental DNA samples. Detection of 10 fg of G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae DNA was possible. Pycnidiospore disruption resulted in detection of single pycnidiospores with 78 (59 to 102; 95% confidence interval [CI]) and 112 (92 to 136; 95% CI) ITS copies for G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae, respectively. Detection was from partially decomposed leaves where fruiting bodies cannot be morphologically distinguished. Temperature and wetting period have...
The interaction of oxygen with the Rh(111) surface a

Abstract The adsorption of oxygen on Rh(111) at 100 K has been studied by TDS, AES, and LEED. Oxygen adsorbs in a disordered state at 100 K and orders irreversibly into an apparent (2 × 2) surface structure upon heating to T⩾ 150 K. The kinetics of this ordering process have been measured by monitoring the intensity of the oxygen (1, 1 2 ) LEED beam as a function of time with a Faraday cup collector. The kinetic data fit a model in which the rate of ordering of oxygen atoms is proportional to the square of the concentration of disordered species due to the nature of adparticle interactions in building up an island structure. The activation energy for ordering is 13.5 ± 0.5 kcal mole . At higher temperatures, the oxygen undergoes a two-step irreversible disordering (T⩾ 280 K) and dissolution (T⩾400K) process. Formation of the high temperature disordered state is impeded at high oxygen coverages. Analysis of the oxygen thermal desorption data, assuming second order desorption kinetics, yields values of 56 ± 2 kcal/ mole and 2.5 ± 10−3 cm2 s−1 for the activation energy of desorption and the pre-exponential factor of the desorption rate coefficient, respectively, in the limit of zero coverage. At non-zero coverages the desorption data are complicated by contributions from multiple states. A value for the initial sticking probability of 0.2 was determined from Auger data at 100 K applying a mobile precursor model of adsorption.
Genetic instability in fibroblasts of patients with thyroid cancers (TC)

In cultured fibroblasts initiated from fresh tumor biopsies of 11 patients with thyroid tumors, 5 medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MCT) and 6 papillary follicular, the chromosomes are relatively unstable when compared with those from control fibroblast cultures. Tumor-derived fibroblast samples showed a mean number of cells in metaphase with chromosome abnormalities at a frequency of 9.1% and a range of 6-13%, whereas 5 controls exhibited a mean frequency of 4% and a range of 3-5%. Our results indicate that genetic instability in thyroid cancer patients is present not only in peripheral blood cultures, as reported earlier, but in their fibroblast cultures as well.
A novel glycosyl-amino acid linkage: Rabbit-muscle glycogen is covalently linked to a protein via tyrosine

Abstract A recent review summarizes our identification in rabbit-muscle glycogen of a protein that resists all attempts at removal by means that should displace non-covalently bound protein [Kennedy et al. (1985) In Membranes and Muscle (Berman, M.C., Gevers, W. and Opie, L.H. eds.) pp. 65–84, ICSU Press/IRL Press, Oxford]. Here we confirm that the glycogen is covalently bonded to the protein and report that the attachment is via a novel glycosidic linkage involving the hydroxyl group of tyrosine.
Notebook computer use on a desk, lap and lap support: Effects on posture, performance and comfort

This study quantified postures of users working on a notebook computer situated in their lap and tested the effect of using a device designed to increase the height of the notebook when placed on the lap. A motion analysis system measured head, neck and upper extremity postures of 15 adults as they worked on a notebook computer placed on a desk (DESK), the lap (LAP) and a commercially available lapdesk (LAPDESK). Compared with the DESK, the LAP increased downwards head tilt 6 degrees and wrist extension 8 degrees . Shoulder flexion and ulnar deviation decreased 13 degrees and 9 degrees , respectively. Compared with the LAP, the LAPDESK decreased downwards head tilt 4 degrees , neck flexion 2 degrees , and wrist extension 9 degrees. Users reported less discomfort and difficulty in the DESK configuration. Use of the lapdesk improved postures compared with the lap; however, all configurations resulted in high values of wrist extension, wrist deviation and downwards head tilt. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study quantifies postures of users working with a notebook computer in typical portable configurations. A better understanding of the postures assumed during notebook computer use can improve usage guidelines to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
Why Design a New City

This is a speculative position paper on a very large-scale system which may be suitable as a national goal. The paper discusses some of the pros and cons of constructing a large free-standing city in the U.S. in this decade. It then illustrates the initiation of planning using basic graphical techniques.
The camseq software system in drug design calculations

A complete conformational analysis programming package, the camseq software system, is described. Written in Fortran, camseq makes reliable conformational analyses on fairly complex molecular systems practical. Highly refined empirical potential energy functions are used in the calculations. Data analysis includes production of conformational isoenergy contour maps, ortep stereoscopic drawings, and tabular information about the local minima, camseq is several orders of magnitude faster than molecular orbital techniques. For completeness, molecular orbital calculations may be automatically performed on the local minima to obtain information on the electronic properties of the molecule.
Experimental and microstructural characterization of simultaneous creep, plasticity and phase transformation in Ti50Pd40Ni10 high-temperature shape memory alloy

Abstract The influence of viscoplastic phenomena on the transformation behavior of a Ti 50 Pd 40 Ni 10 high-temperature shape memory alloy (HTSMA) is investigated by thermomechanical testing followed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An ingot of the alloy is fabricated by vacuum arc melting and processed by hot rolling. Cylindrical specimens for compression testing are cut from the rolled bar and standard creep tests and thermally induced phase transformation tests are conducted using a custom high-temperature setup. Thin sections are prepared from the specimens before and after the thermomechanical tests and their microstructure is studied using TEM. The thermomechanical test results show that irrecoverable strains generated due to creep and transformation-induced plasticity impact the actuation performance of the HTSMA. The results from the microstructural study indicate different microstructural changes due to the two irrecoverable strains (plastic and viscoplastic) generated during the course of transformation. Both these mechanisms in turn affect the actuation behavior in different ways. The results from the thermomechanical testing and the microstructural observations indicate that the irrecoverable strain generated due to creep does not seem to affect the transformation behavior or the rate-independent irrecoverable strain (generated in part due to retained martensite).
High-frequency antiplane wave propagation in ultra-thin films with nanostructures

Ultrasonic wave propagation is one of powerful and popular methods for measuring mechanical properties of solids even at nano scales. The extraction of material constants from the measured wave data may not be accurate and reliable when waves of short wavelengths are used. The objective of this paper is to study the high-frequency antiplane wave propagation in ultra-thin films at nanoscale. A developed continuum microstructure theory will be used to capture the effect of nanostructures in ultra-thin films. This continuum theory is developed from assumed displacement fields for nanostructures. Local kinematic variables are introduced to express these local displacements and are subjected to internal continuity conditions. The accuracy of the theory is verified by comparing the results with those of the lattice model for the antiplane problem in an infinite elastic medium. Specifically, dispersion curves and corresponding displacement fields for antiplane wave propagation in the ultra-thin films are studied. The inadequacy of the conventional continuum theory is discussed.
Barrier island response to late Holocene climate events, North Carolina, USA

The Outer Banks barrier islands of North Carolina, USA, contain a geologic record of inlet activity that extends from ca. 2200 cal yr BP to the present, and can be used as a proxy for storm activity. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (26 samples) of inlet-fill and flood tide delta deposits, recognized in cores and geophysical data, provides the basis for understanding the chronology of storm impacts and comparison to other paleoclimate proxy data. OSL ages of historical inlet fill compare favorably to historical documentation of inlet activity, providing confidence in the technique. Comparison suggests that the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) were both characterized by elevated storm conditions as indicated by much greater inlet activity relative to today. Given present understanding of atmospheric circulation patterns and sea-surface temperatures during the MWP and LIA, we suggest that increased inlet activity during the MWP responded to intensified hurricane impacts, while elevated inlet activity during the LIA was in response to increased nor'easter activity. A general decrease in storminess at mid-latitudes in the North Atlantic over the last 300 yr has allowed the system to evolve into a more continuous barrier with few inlets.
Lipid Bilayer Composition Can Influence the Orientation of Proteorhodopsin in Artificial Membranes

Artificial membrane systems allow researchers to study the structure and function of membrane proteins in a matrix that approximates their natural environment and to integrate these proteins in ex vivo devices such as electronic biosensors, thin-film protein arrays, or biofuel cells. Given that most membrane proteins have vectorial functions, both functional studies and applications require effective control over protein orientation within a lipid bilayer. In this work, we explored the role of the bilayer surface charge in determining transmembrane protein orientation and functionality during formation of proteoliposomes. We reconstituted a model vectorial ion pump, proteorhodopsin, in liposomes of opposite charges and varying charge densities and determined the resultant protein orientation. Antibody-binding assay and proteolysis of proteoliposomes showed physical evidence of preferential orientation, and functional assays verified the vectorial nature of ion transport in this system. Our results indicate that the manipulation of lipid composition can indeed control orientation of an asymmetrically charged membrane protein, proteorhodopsin, in liposomes.
Increased MMP-3 and CTGF expression during lipopolysaccharide-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration

Accumulating evidence indicates that neuroinflammation contributes significantly to progressive dopaminergic (DA) neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). Altered matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) expression has been reported in several neuroinflammatory paradigms; however, its relationship to inflammation-induced DA neurotoxicity has not been explored. To this end, we investigated the temporal expression pattern of MMP-3 and one of its downstream targets, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced DA neurodegeneration. LPS was directly injected into the substantia nigra of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Lesion formation was confirmed with immunohistochemistry 48 h post-injection. MMP-3 and CTGF were measured by western blot 12, 24, and 48 h post-injection. In association with neurodegeneration, MMP-3 expression and activation was significantly increased 24 and 48 h after LPS injection. In addition, CTGF expression increased 5-fold at the 24h time point. The temporal changes in MMP-3 and CTGF expression corresponded to the neurodegenerative phase of this model, suggesting that these two proteins may participate in neuroinflammation-induced DA neurotoxicity.
GROWTH-INFLUENCING SUBSTANCES IN SEDIMENT EXTRACTS FROM A SUBTROPICAL WETLAND: INVESTIGATION USING A DIATOM BIOASSAY1

A Biological assay using Amphora coffeaeformis var. perpusilla (Grunow) Cleve and A. coffeaeformis (Agardh) Kutzing was used to investigate the changes in the properties of soluble organic carbon in sediments taken from a coastal wetland. During January to May, sediment extracts became increasingly inhibitory to diatom growth After the onset of the spring rains, the inhibitory properties of the extracts disappeared. Substances capable of promoting mixotrophic growth and heterotrophic growth were found in extracts taken in July to December. These positive responses took place at the time of mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.)leaf-fall.
Advances create opportunities: Implementing the major tenets of the new unstable angina guidelines in the emergency department

Of all the clinical syndromes with which emergency physicians must deal, chest pain of coronary cause has benefited from the most striking recent advances both in diagnostic approach (cognitive and technologic) and in therapeutic options. Chest pain evaluation and management have become important foci of research in emergency medicine, and entire units are dedicated to its clinical prosecution in emergency departments and elsewhere in the hospital. New diagnostic tools are proposed and studied on a regular basis. Antiplatelet, antithrombin, and fibrinolytic agents unknown in clinical practice as recently as 5 years ago have secured places in the emergency physician's armamentarium for treating acute coronary syndrome. Many of these diagnostic and therapeutic tools have been developed in the coronary care unit and in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Although intuitively they may also be useful outside of those settings, they have unreliably been brought to the ED for implementation and resultant appropriate prompt and early care of the coronary patient who does not meet fibrinolytic criteria. As emergency physicians seek to bring accurate chest pain risk stratification into their practice and begin to use new therapeutic agents to minimize myocardial damage before turning the patient's care over to other specialists, it is essential that they are familiar with the data supporting these approaches. In this commentary, we seek to place the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association unstable angina guidelines into the clinical context of the ED.
An inventory modeling analysis of hydrogen fueling station capacity considering an outside option

A number of issues have to be addressed in order for a hydrogen economy to become a reality, including the need to expand hydrogen infrastructure to accommodate vehicular needs. The design of a hydrogen station is a complex problem that entails the determination of numerous operating parameters including the overall hydrogen fueling station capacity. In this paper, a newsvendor formulation is selected to form the basis of capacity determination, in particular, the classical formulation with an outside option that reflects the added value that a consumer might give to hydrogen. This study demonstrates the behavior of optimal capacity decisions for hydrogen stations related to demand distribution, consumer behavior, and economics of hydrogen fuel. Moreover, through assessing the consequences of adding extra capacity for stimulating demand, this paper suggests opportunities for additional profits. The results from our study highlight the effect that consumer beliefs have on demand and optimal station size.
Perceived velocity as a function of reference mark density.

The effect on apparent visual speed of varying the density of stationary reference marks evenly distributed along the path of motion of a point of light was measured using tactile comparison motion. The sensitivity of the tactile method of measuring visual speed was supported by the finding that the tactile measures increased with each increase in physical speed of the point of light, other factors held constant. This procedure was applied in two experiments to visual displays in which the physical speed, extent of motion, and number and density of reference marks was varied. Only reference mark density, in addition to physical speed, was found to be a signficant (and robust) factor in determining perceived speed. The effect of reference mark density is explained in terms of the increasing contribution of relative motion cues to the perception of visual speed as a funciton of the average separation (or average adjacency) of the moving point from surrounding reference marks.
Evaluation of polypoid lesions in inflammatory bowel disease

This article discusses patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a group which is at increased risk for colorectal carcinoma based on extent and duration of their disease. Patients with chronic IBD (at least 8-10 years duration) should be screened with colonoscopy every 1 to 2 years with multiple jumbo biopsies every 10 cm through the entire colon. Patients with sporadic adenomas can be followed after complete polypectomy, whereas patients with adenoma-like dysplasia-associated lesion or mass (DALMs) need increased surveillance. Patients with flat dysplasia or non adenoma-like DALMs are at high risk for progression and should undergo colectomy. The patients who have indeterminate lesions can be differentiated based on the endoscopic, histologic, and molecular features of the lesion. Long-term follow-up is necessary to determine the natural history of these lesions.
DNA microarray profiling of genes differentially regulated by the histone deacetylase inhibitors vorinostat and LBH589 in colon cancer cell lines

Despite the significant progress made in colon cancer chemotherapy, advanced disease remains largely incurable and novel efficacious chemotherapies are urgently needed. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) represent a novel class of agents which have demonstrated promising preclinical activity and are undergoing clinical evaluation in colon cancer. The goal of this study was to identify genes in colon cancer cells that are differentially regulated by two clinically advanced hydroxamic acid HDACi, vorinostat and LBH589 to provide rationale for novel drug combination partners and identify a core set of HDACi-regulated genes. HCT116 and HT29 colon cancer cells were treated with LBH589 or vorinostat and growth inhibition, acetylation status and apoptosis were analyzed in response to treatment using MTS, Western blotting and flow cytometric analyses. In addition, gene expression was analyzed using the Illumina Human-6 V2 BeadChip array and Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis. Treatment with either vorinostat or LBH589 rapidly induced histone acetylation, cell cycle arrest and inhibited the growth of both HCT116 and HT29 cells. Bioinformatic analysis of the microarray profiling revealed significant similarity in the genes altered in expression following treatment with the two HDACi tested within each cell line. However, analysis of genes that were altered in expression in the HCT116 and HT29 cells revealed cell-line-specific responses to HDACi treatment. In addition a core cassette of 11 genes modulated by both vorinostat and LBH589 were identified in both colon cancer cell lines analyzed. This study identified HDACi-induced alterations in critical genes involved in nucleotide metabolism, angiogenesis, mitosis and cell survival which may represent potential intervention points for novel therapeutic combinations in colon cancer. This information will assist in the identification of novel pathways and targets that are modulated by HDACi, providing much-needed information on HDACi mechanism of action and providing rationale for novel drug combination partners. We identified a core signature of 11 genes which were modulated by both vorinostat and LBH589 in a similar manner in both cell lines. These core genes will assist in the development and validation of a common gene set which may represent a molecular signature of HDAC inhibition in colon cancer.
A two-layer framework for appearance based recognition using spatial and discriminant influences

Appearance of objects lie in high-dimensional spaces. Feature selection improves not only the efficiency of object recognition but also the recognition accuracy. In this paper, we propose a two-layer learning framework of feature selection using spatial and discriminant influences. The first layer selects a number of feature points of highest integrated influences by integrating spatial and discriminant influences, and the second layer refines the selection in terms of the discriminancy of these feature points measured by orientation histograms of their local appearances. The proposed framework can be categorized as a global appearance based recognition approach. Unlike popular projection methods, such as PCA, LDA, the proposed framework can present visual interpretability of selected features, which is desirable in bioinformatics and medicine informatics. We present two case studies: (i) embryo stage recognition and (ii) face recognition. Our case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Race and Representation: Affirmative Action

Race and Representation: Affirmative Action contains a broad, interdisciplinary selection of essays that address issues of affirmative action. Many of the essays were written by faculty members of UC Berkeley in response to the resolution of the UC Board of Regents prohibiting affirmative action. These include Robert Post's introduction, "After Bakke"; Michael Rogin's "The Two Declarations of American Independence"; David Hollinger's "Group Preferences, Cultural Diversity, and Social Democracy: Notes Toward a Theory of Affirmative Action"; Troy Duster's "Individual Fairness, Group Preferences, and the California Strategy"; J. Jorge Klor de Alva's "Is Affirmative Action a Christian Heresy?"; Judith Butler's "An Affirmative View"; Marianne Constable's "The Regents on Race and Diversity: Representations and Reflections"; Anne M. Wagner's "Warhol Paints History, or Race in America"; Barbara T. Christian's "Camouflaging Race and Gender"; Rachel F Moran's "Unrepresented"; Michael Omi and Dana Y. Takagi's "Situating Asian Americans in the Political Discourse on Affirmative Action"; and Richard Walker's "California's Collision of Race and Class." In addition, the volume contains an article by Reva Siegel on the Hopwood decision ("The Racial Rhetorics of Colorblind Constitutionalism: The Case of Hopwood v. Texas"); an article by Cass Sunstein on California's constitutional amendment prohibiting affirmative action ("Casuistry"); an article by Michel Feher on the relationship between the affirmative action debate and the recovery psychology movement ("Empowerment Hazards: Affirmative Action, Recovery Psychology, and Identity Politics"); and an article by Miranda Oshige McGowan on defining the beneficiaries of affirmative action plans ("Diversity of What?"). The volume also contains short essays assessing the affirmative action controversy by James Robert Brown, George M. Fredrickson, Amy Gutmann, Jennifer Hochschild, David L. Kirp, David Montejano, Daniel R. Ortiz, Frances Fox Piven, Chang-Lin Tien, Jeremy Waldron, Alan Wolfe, and Howard Zinn.
Effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on heart rate and nonassociative learning and retention in infant rats

Nonassociative learning and retention were assessed in terms of habituation of a heart-rate (HR) orienting response (bradycardia) to a tone in 16-day-old male and female rats prenatally exposed to cocaine and in control offspring. Offspring were derived from Sprague-Dawley dams given daily subcutaneous injections of 40 mg/kg/3 cc cocaine HCI (C40) from gestational days 8-20, pair-fed control dams given saline injections (PF), and nontreated control dams (LC). Each pup was adapted to the test apparatus for 15 min prior to being given 10 presentations of a pulsing tone, each separated by a 65-sec intertrial interval, with HR measured during a 5-sec pretone period and throughout the 10-sec tone for each trial. To assess retention, subjects were given 10 additional tone trials either 1, 2, 4, or 6 hr later. C40 male offspring displayed significantly lower basal HR following the initial 15-min isolation period than either LC or PF offspring, whereas prenatal treatment had no effect on basal HR among females. Although no differences were seen in rate of habituation, prenatal cocaine exposure was observed to affect retention of the habituated orienting response. Whereas LC and PF offspring retained habituation of the orienting response for less than 4 hr, C40 offspring exhibited no forgetting after a 4-hr interval, and showed significant loss of the habituation response only after a 6-hr interval.
An overview of Indian sedimentary basins with special focus on emerging east coast deepwater frontiers

This article will provide an overview of the current Indian petroleum exploration scenario with special focus on the east coast deepwater basins. An attempt has been made to distinguish the hydrocarbon system and play types for both rift-related and other structural styles using high-quality 2D and 3D seismic imaging information. Integrating the geologic information with state-of-the-art seismic data has generated a large portfolio of play types (e.g., channel-levee complex, lobes, synrift structural closures, and wedge-outs against basement highs) worthy of exploration.
Variations in unsaturated flow with flow direction in resin transfer molding: An experimental investigation

Abstract The dual-scale nature of fiber preforms due to the presence of large continuous gaps between fiber tows gives rise to the unsaturated flow in resin transfer molding (RTM) process which is characterized by a droop in the injection pressure history due to the delayed absorption of fiber tows (the ‘sink’ effect). In this study, we experimentally investigate the effect of change in flow direction on the unsaturated flow in three anisotropic dual-scale fiber mats. A series of 1-D mold-filling experiments involving a constant flow rate were conducted for a unidirectional woven fiber-mat, a biaxial stitched mat, and a triaxial stitched fiber-mat along with a reference single-scale random mat. In the case of the unidirectional mats, the droop in the inlet-pressure history, signifying the strength of the sink effect, is found to be strongest for flow along the micro-channels aligned with fiber tows. The droop, and hence the sink effect, is observed to weaken progressively for flow-directions at 45° and 90° to this principal direction. In the case of the biaxial and triaxial mats, the situation is more complex due to the multi-layer construction of such mats: maximum droop is found when mats are oriented at a 45° angle with respect to the fiber-mat coordinate, and it weakens in the 0° and 90° directions. The unsaturated flow effect is also quantified by measuring percentage deviation in the area under the experimental curve from that of the predicted curve. A clear correlation between the droop (through the percentage deviation) and the permeability along a flow direction in the unidirectional mats is observable, though such a relationship eludes the triaxial mat. The effect of unsaturated flow on liquid-front progress during the 1-D experiment was also studied. In contrast to the reference single-scale random mat where the observed front progress closely follow the prediction based on the single-scale physics, a small difference was observed between the observed and predicted front progress for the three dual-scale mats considered. However the difference was too small to yield any significant correlation with the flow direction.