cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Analog Model Template Library: Simplifying Chip-Level, Mixed-Signal Design Verification

Real number models, which are computationally efficient analog functional models, are now indispensable in verifying complex mixed-signal systems on chip (SoCs); yet, creating and validating these models remain difficult. To remove this problem, we created a framework for building analog functional model templates. Each template covers a class of circuits (e.g., oscillators or amplifiers) and can generate functional models for any implementation of this circuit class, regardless of pin configurations, circuit topologies, and process technologies/corners. This ability to cover many implementations with one template allows one to create a “standard model template” library that covers all the basic analog building blocks used in mixed-signal SoCs. Like a digital standard cell library, this template library only contains the low-level building blocks. Models for more complex systems, such as a phase-locked loop, are constructed using a number of these models. Our template library also contains validation routines for each of the models, measuring the key performance parameters of the modeled function. These routines can also be used to drive the circuit-level implementation of this function, making it easy to update the parameters of the functional models to match their circuit implementations. We demonstrate the utility of our template library on several mixed-signal IPs integrated into an SoC. Using the proposed framework, designers can easily generate a working model of an analog functional block in a second and thus construct a complete mixed-signal IP model for the design exploration in less than a couple of hours, while it typically needs a few days when the models are manually written. The regeneration of the models to reflect the behaviors of real implementations can be seamlessly done in less half a day from the same template library. In addition to the vast improvement in model creation speed, the generated model from the template library is less error-prone by archiving designer’s experience from previous mistakes to the template library.
The transport equation in the scaling invariant Besov or Essén–Janson–Peng–Xiao space

Abstract This paper addresses a well-posedness of the weak solution to the transport equation (describing how a scalar quantity is transported in a space) with an initial data in the scaling invariant Besov or Essen–Janson–Peng–Xiao space via the boundedness of the left and right compositions acting on each space.
Where's Houdini when you Need Him? Breaking Out of the U.S. Educational Reform Straightjacket to Reclaim our Democracy:

Currently, educational reform has been narrowly defined to mean a combination of essentialism and market forces, thereby removing from our national dialogue other philosophical traditions, each hav...
Acute Leukemias in Adults

Abstract Acute leukemia is the result of a series of mutational events occurring in an early hematopoietic precursor that prevents the progeny of that precursor from maturing normally but allows them to proliferate in an uncontrolled fashion. The result is the rapid expansion of an immature population of myeloid (in acute myeloid leukemia [AML]) or lymphoid (in acute lymphocytic leukemia [ALL]) cells that replace the normal bone marrow, leading to the loss of production of normal red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Eventually, the leukemic cells escape from the marrow into the bloodstream and accumulate in lymph nodes, the spleen, and normal organs. If untreated, acute leukemia is usually fatal within a few months. However, with modern therapies, survival after diagnosis can be markedly prolonged, and many patients can be cured. The classification of acute leukemia is based on cytogenetic and mutational analysis of leukemic blasts. AML is composed of four basic subtypes, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), favorable-risk AML, intermediate-risk AML, and adverse-risk AML. APL can be cured in more than 75% of cases using a combination of all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide. Favorable risk AML is cured in more than 50% of cases using cytarabine- and anthracycline-containing drug combinations. Chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers the best chance for cure for patients with intermediate- and adverse-risk AML. ALL includes high-risk and standard-risk ALL as well as the unique subgroups of Ph+ ALL and mature B-cell ALL. Intermediate-risk ALL is generally treated with multiagent combination chemotherapy induction, consolidation, and maintenance. Allogeneic HCT is generally recommended as consolation for patients with high-risk disease. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are added to standard chemotherapy for Ph+ ALL, and anti–B-cell monoclonal antibodies are included in the treatment of mature B-cell ALL.
Climate geopoetics (the earth is a composted poem)

This article begins with a climate poem and ends with a climate poem. In between, I explore what it means to do climate geopoetics. The first section addresses recent literary work that engages wit...
Talc and mesothelioma: mineral fiber analysis of 65 cases with clinicopathological correlation

Malignant mesothelioma is strongly associated with prior asbestos exposure. Recently there has been interest in the role of talc exposure in the pathogenesis of mesothelioma. We have analyzed lung ...
Ontology-Based Radiology Teaching File Summarization, Coverage, and Integration

Radiology teaching file repositories contain a large amount of information about patient health and radiologist interpretation of medical findings. Although valuable for radiology education, the use of teaching file repositories has been hindered by the ability to perform advanced searches on these repositories given the unstructured format of the data and the sparseness of the different repositories. Our term coverage analysis of two major medical ontologies, Radiology Lexicon (RadLex) and Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), and two teaching file repositories, Medical Imaging Resource Community (MIRC) and MyPacs, showed that both ontologies combined cover 56.3% of terms in the MIRC and only 17.9% of terms in MyPacs. Furthermore, the overlap between the two ontologies (i.e., terms included by both the RadLex and UMLS SNOMED CT) was a mere 5.6% for the MIRC and 2% for the RadLex. Clustering the content of the teaching file repositories showed that they focus on different diagnostic areas within radiology. The MIRC teaching file covers mostly pediatric cases; a few cases are female patients with heart-, chest-, and bone-related diseases. The MyPacs contains a range of different diseases with no focus on a particular disease category, gender, or age group. MyPacs also provides a wide variety of cases related to the neck, face, heart, chest, and breast. These findings provide valuable insights on what new cases should be added or how existent cases may be integrated to provide more comprehensive data repositories. Similarly, the low-term coverage by the ontologies shows the need to expand ontologies with new terminology such as new terms learned from these teaching file repositories and validated by experts. While our methodology to organize and index data using clustering approaches and medical ontologies is applied to teaching file repositories, it can be applied to any other medical clinical data.
The evidence and feasibility of using pulse oximetry for the management of childhood pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries: a clinical review

The use of pulse oximetry (POx) for the diagnosis and management of childhood pneumonia has been of interest in recent years. In order to effectively employ POx to manage childhood pneumonia in LMICs, we aim to answer the following five questions through a literature review. These five questions are: 1) Which clinical signs are reliable to detect hypoxia? 2) What is the prevalence of hypoxia among those diagnosed with pneumonia? 3) Does the detection of hypoxia among clinical pneumonia patients improve survival? 4) How reliable are current POx devices in the field? and 5) What are the problems in introducing POx in the field? We searched three keywords-IMCI, childhood pneumonia and pulse oximetry, with the PubMed search engine and extracted 119 articles and book chapters. Each article was reviewed to answer above five questions. The literature review indicates that none of the clinical signs reliably detect hypoxia in children. The prevalence of hypoxia among pneumonia varied based on the study. 17-32% of patients without a diagnosis of pneumonia presented with hypoxia. There are currently no randomized trials available to demonstrate the benefit of pulse oximetry in childhood pneumonia survival. Various devices and probes are used in different studies and there are still technical and logistical issues related to POx device use in the field to manage childhood pneumonia in LMICs. There are numerous barriers to train healthcare workers in all levels. We need affordable, reliable, easy to use pulse oximetry for childhood pneumonia management.
Disease in Theory and Practice

At the heart of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)-government debate was a conflict over the science of HIV. Concerned by the Mbeki government’s reluctance to accept mainstream HIV science, the TAC directed its advocacy efforts towards educating affected communities about the science of HIV and anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment. Far from being confined to the era of Mbeki’s presidency, these efforts are ongoing and underpin TAC’s HIV treatment literacy programme in South Africa. An example of TAC’s efforts in this regard can be found in a recent (2012) issue of their Equal Treatment magazine, which focuses on the science of HIV, presenting ‘easy guides to HIV testing, prevention and ARV treatment’ and a diagrammatic explanation of the ‘HIV life cycle’ (TAC authors, 2012, pp. 1, 16–17). This latter explanation of HIV science presents the starting point for this chapter. It offers a useful provocation to unearth some of the sedimented binary oppositions mobilised in the South African HIV debate (and in much contemporary work in the field of HIV). Refracting the science of HIV through the lens of feminist science studies, I argue that HIV, in its dynamic relations with individual (human) bodies reveals the tenuousness of traditional ontological distinctions between the human/non-human, subject/object and self/other.
Aldosterone Synthase Structure With Cushing Disease Drug LCI699 Highlights Avenues for Selective CYP11B Drug Design.

Primary aldosteronism, the major form of secondary hypertension, develops due to excess steroid hormone aldosterone produced by aldosterone synthase, also known as cytochrome P450 11B2. CYP11B2 is 93% identical to cortisol-producing CYP11B1, which makes it difficult to design selective drugs. LCI699 (Osilodrostat, Isturisa) was initially developed as a CYP11B2 inhibitor but due to poor selectivity was recently repurposed as the first Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for CYP11B1-mediated Cushing disease. Thus, there is still no effective therapeutic option targeting CYP11B2 for primary aldosteronism. Using a structure/function approach, aspects of LCI699 interaction with CYP11B2 were examined to facilitate the design of more selective inhibitors. LCI699 effectively binds and inhibits CYP11B2. To determine the structural basis for this interaction, X-ray crystallography was used to solve the structure of CYP11B2 bound to LCI699. LCI699 binds in the active site with its imidazole nitrogen coordinating the heme iron. LCI699 binding was compared with that of its analog fadrozole to both CYP11B enzymes. Comparison with the CYP11B1 structure reveals distinct CYP11B active site architectures which can be exploited to directed drug design. Exploiting structural differences between the CYP11B enzymes will promote the design of therapeutics for the treatment of primary aldosteronism targeting CYP11B2 while reducing undesirable side effects due to off-target CYP11B1 inhibition.
Triquetral Fractures Overview

The triquetrum is the second most commonly fractured carpal bone, comprising 15–18% of all carpal bone fractures. This review summarizes the current knowledge of triquetral fractures, including the anatomy and pathophysiology, evaluation and diagnosis, treatment and management, post-treatment outcomes, and complications. Triquetral fractures are frequently caused by impaction of the ulnar wrist after a fall on an outstretched hand or by avulsion of attached ligaments. There are three main types of triquetral fractures: dorsal cortical fractures, triquetral body fractures, and volar cortical fractures. Dorsal cortical fractures are the most common and are usually benign, while volar cortical fractures are the least common and can be problematic. Nonsurgical management is indicated for most triquetral fractures, which usually results in good outcomes. Surgical treatment is indicated for fractures with significant displacement or evidence of instability. Complications of triquetral fractures include non-union, triangular fibrocartilage complex injury, and pisotriquetral arthritis. While less common than scaphoid fractures, triquetral fractures should remain in the differential diagnosis for patients with ulnar-sided wrist pain after falling on an outstretched hand. Most triquetral fractures can be treated with immobilization, though they should be thoroughly evaluated due to their potential to result in instability, loss of motion, and arthrosis. Further research is needed to determine the best method of surgical treatment.
Atg8ylation as a general membrane stress and remodeling response

The yeast Atg8 protein and its paralogs in mammals, mammalian Atg8s (mAtg8s), have been primarily appreciated for their participation in autophagy. However, lipidated mAtg8s, including the most frequently used autophagosomal membrane marker LC3B, are found on cellular membranes other than autophagosomes. Here we put forward a hypothesis that the lipidation of mAtg8s, termed 'Atg8ylation', is a general membrane stress and remodeling response analogous to the role that ubiquitylation plays in tagging proteins. Ubiquitin and mAtg8s are related in sequence and structure, and the lipidation of mAtg8s occurs on its C-terminal glycine, akin to the C-terminal glycine of ubiquitin. Conceptually, we propose that mAtg8s and Atg8ylation are to membranes what ubiquitin and ubiquitylation are to proteins, and that, like ubiquitylation, Atg8ylation has a multitude of downstream effector outputs, one of which is autophagy.
Electromagnetic Response from Acoustic Resonance in Indium Antimonide

This study investigates internal electric fields in an indium antimonide (InSb) crystal generated from acoustically driven band gap modulation. A standing acoustic wave is mechanically excited in the crystal and modulates the band gap. The resulting dynamic electric fields and corresponding magnetic fields constitute a pressure-induced electromagnetic response. The mode of resonance, dimensions and physical characteristics considered in this study are of similar scale to those described in [1] - [5] .
Stem Cells and Progenitor Cells in Cardiovascular Disease

Few topics in cardiovascular research have generated as much promise and controversy as that of using stem cells or progenitor cells to improve cardiovascular function. The first section of this chapter will discuss general principles of stem and progenitor cell biology and therapy. The second section will illustrate these principles with specific stem and progenitor cell types used or proposed for use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Stem cell and progenitor cell therapy function in two ways in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. First, cell therapy is used to improve myocardial function by forming new myocardial tissue or modifying injured tissue in a process known as myocardial regeneration. Second, cell therapy is used to expand the coronary vasculature via vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, or arteriogenesis; the inclusive term angiogenesis will be used for this review.
The Inverse Monodromy Transform is a Canonical Transformation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the inverse monodromy transform, explaining how it is a canonical transformation. The Inverse Monodromy Transform (IMT) parallels the Inverse Scattering Transform (IST). The finite dimensional solution manifold for these flows is not necessarily compact, not a torus, and so the KAM theorem does not directly apply. The potential connection between a possible preservation of the solution manifold and the preservation of the Painleve property is an intriguing one. Now the contours are the same as those used in the integral definitions of Airy functions.
Laser transmitter development for NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar

The Global Ecosystems Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar, to be installed aboard the International Space Station in early 2018, will use 3 NASA laser transmitters to produce 14 parallel tracks of 25 m footprints on the Earth's surface. A global set of systematic canopy measurements will be derived, the most important of which are vegetation canopy top heights and the vertical distribution of canopy structure. Every digitized laser pulse waveform will provide 3-D biomass information for the duration of the mission. A total of 5 GEDI-HOMER lasers are to be built (1 ETU + 3 Flight + 1 spare) in-house at NASA-GSFC, and is based on a well-studied architecture, developed over several years in the Lasers and Electro-Optics Branch.
Carbenes in Polymer Synthesis

The sections in this article are Introduction to Carbenes Carbenes as Structural Components of Macromolecules Carbenes as Monomers for Polymerizations (Type 1) NHCs as Monomers for Polymerizations (Type 1) Carbenes as Polymer Side Groups (Type 2) Carbene-Based Polymerization Catalysts NHCs as Ring-Opening Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) NHCs as Group-Transfer Catalysts (Type 3) NHCs as Condensation Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) Carbenes as Ligands for Metal-Based Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) Carbenes in Olefin Metathesis Catalysts (Type 3) Carbenes in Addition Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) Carbenes in Condensation Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) Carbenes in Free Radical and Ring-Opening Polymerization Catalysts (Type 3) Polymerization Catalysts Derived from NHCs (Type 3) Conclusions Keywords: carbene; polymer; metathesis; organometallic; catalysis; imidazolium
Introduction to LabVIEW two-part exercise

At the University of San Diego, we wanted to introduce all electrical engineering (EE) students to LabVlEW without adding additional courses. In fall 2001, juniors in electronics performed an "introduction to LabVlEW" exercise designed by two EE juniors. Students performing the exercise obtained the amplitude frequency response of an RC circuit using a manually controlled function generator and a computer-controlled oscilloscope. During summer 2002, two EE seniors improved the LabVlEW program to include measurement of phase, work with a computer-controlled function generator, and have more readable code. In fall 2002, juniors in electronics performed a two-week introduction to LabVlEW. The first week was the same as in fall 2001. In the second week, the two programmers delivered a presentation focusing on the benefits of LabVlEW, a comparison of LabVlEW and other programming languages, and a discussion and demonstration of their enhanced program. Finally, the juniors wrote a simple LabVlEW program.
Automatic, Accurate Surface Model Inference for Dental CAD/Cam

Dental CAD/CAM offers the prospects of drastically reducing the time to provide service to patients, with no compromise on quality. Given the state-of-the-art in sensing, design, and machining, an attractive approach is to have a technician generate a restorative design in wax, which can then be milled by a machine in porcelain or titanium. The difficulty stems from the inherent outlier noise in the measurement phase. Traditional techniques remove noise at the cost of smoothing, degrading discontinuities such as anatomical lines which require accuracy up to 5 to 10 Μm to avoid artifacts. This paper presents an efficient method for the automatic and accurate data validation and 3-D shape inference from noisy digital dental measurements. The input consists of 3-D points with spurious samples, as obtained from a variety of sources such as a laser scanner or a stylus probe. The system produces faithful smooth surface approximations while preserving critical curve features such as grooves and preparation lines. To this end, we introduce the Tensor Voting technique, which efficiently ignores noise, infers smooth structures, and preserves underlying discontinuities. This method is non-iterative, does not require initial guess, and degrades gracefully with spurious noise, missing and erroneous data. We show results on real and complex data.
Muscle cyclo-oxygenase-2 pathway contributes to the exaggerated muscle mechanoreflex in rats with congestive heart failure

Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes are responsible for the formation from arachidonic acid of prostaglandins, among other metabolites. Prior studies have suggested that inhibition of the COX pathway attenuates the responses of sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure during static muscle contraction. Static muscle contraction activates the exercise pressor reflex, which in turn increases sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure. Also, COX products contribute to exaggeration of the exercise pressor reflex in heart failure (HF). This dysfunction of the exercise pressor reflex has previously been shown to be mediated primarily by muscle mechanoreflex overactivity. It is well known that COX-1 and COX-2 are two isoforms of the enzyme that lead to formation of these important biological mediators involved in the muscle reflex. Thus, in the present study, we determined whether the COX-1 and/or COX-2 pathway contribute(s) to the augmented mechanoreflex activity in HF. First, Western blot analysis was employed to examine protein expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in skeletal muscle tissue of control rats and rats with HF induced by myocardial infarction. Our data show that there is no significant difference in COX-1 expression in both experimental groups. However, COX-2 displays significant overexpression in rats with HF compared with control rats (optical density 1.06 ± 0.05 in control and 1.6 ± 0.05 in HF, P 0.05 versus control group) after 1.0 mg kg−1 of FR-122047. Accordingly, the results obtained from this study support our hypothesis that heightened COX-2 expression within the hindlimb muscles contributes to the exaggerated muscle mechanoreflex in congestive HF.
Sensitivity of the magnetic properties of the ZnCr 2 O 4 and MgCr 2 O 4 spinels to nonstoichiometry

We report that small amounts of metal atom nonstoichiometry are possible in the ZnCr${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$ and MgCr${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$ spinels. The nonstoichiometry, though less than 2%, significantly impacts ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ and the nature of the magnetic correlations above ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$. The ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ spinel is particularly sensitive. While stoichiometric ZnCr${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$ displays antiferromagnetic short-range correlations in the susceptibility above ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$, ferromagnetic correlations are observed in nonstoichiometric, hole-doped ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$. The ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ spinels are less profoundly affected by non-stoichiometry, though significant changes are also observed. We contrast the magnetic properties of ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{1+x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ ($x$ $=$ 0, 0.02, 0.04) with those of materials with the equivalent amounts of isovalent nonmagnetic Ga${}^{3+}$ substituted on the Cr${}^{3+}$ site to separate the effects of static site disorder and hole doping.
Relating inferred HNO3 flux values to the denitrification of the 1999–2000 Arctic vortex

[1] Extensive populations of large HNO3-containing particles were observed in situ in the 1999–2000 Arctic winter vortex. Assuming nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) composition, the associated values of instantaneous gravitational flux of HNO3 are between 1·108 and 5·1010 molec cm−3 km day−1 and are the largest ever derived from in situ measurements. The relationship between these observed populations and observed denitrification in the 1999–2000 Arctic vortex is developed using constraints of NAT formation and sedimentation. This analysis of the 1999–2000 winter provides a useful guide to interpreting future observations of polar stratospheric clouds and denitrification in the polar regions.
Quantitative nutritional studies with water-soluble, chemically defined diets. IX. Further studies on d-glucosamine-containing diets

Abstract The effect of incorporating d -glucosamine at various levels into the water-soluble, chemically defined diet No. 26 fed ad libitum to rats has been compared with that observed earlier under the same conditions when the inferior diet No. 3 was employed. As before, a linear graphical relationship between growth and food intake was observed which, by extrapolation, permitted a calculation of the average daily requirement of food for the maintenance of body weight over the entire course of the experiment. On the superior diet, No. 26, there was ( a ) a slightly higher maintenance requirement, and ( b ) appreciably less depression in the growth rate at equal levels of glucosamine, than on diet No. 3. No toxic symptoms were evident, and it is apparent that the dietary glucosamine simply exerts a self-limiting effect on food intake. Force-feeding of diet No. 26 containing 8 and 12% of glucosamine to rats bearing the transplanted Walker tumor resulted in no symptoms of toxicity nor any effect upon tumor or carcass growth. Observations on the cyclic daily weight fluctuations of animals ingesting soluble diets as compared with Purina Chow are described.
Algebraic integers on the unit circle

Abstract By computing the rank of the group of unimodular units in a given number field, we provide a simple proof of the classification of the number fields containing algebraic integers of modulus 1 that are not roots of unity.
In vivo estrogenic action of nonylphenol in immature female rats.

Alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APES) are widely used as components of detergents, paints, herbicides, insecticides and many other formulated products. Recent studies with effluent of sewage-treatment works in England led to the identification of a class of compounds, the alkylphenols, as having estrogenic properties (White et al. 1994, Jobling et al. 1995). Approximately 80 % of APES are nonylphenol polyethoxylates and 20 % , octaphenol polyethoxylates. It is estimated that 60% of APES end up in the aquatic environment as nonylphenol (NP) and octaphenol. Nonylphenol was first reported to have estrogenic action based on its induction of proliferation and up-regulation of the progesterone receptor in human estrogen-sensitive breast tumor cells (Soto et al. 1991, White et al. 1994). A majority of these studies involved in vitro systems with few reports on whole animals. In rainbow trout, administration of nonylphenol was shown to up-regulate vitellogenin expression (Ren et al. 1995). In higher vertebrates, except for the reported increase in mitotic index in endometrial epithelium of ovariectomized female rats (Soto et al. 1991), the in vivo effects of nonylphenol are not known.
Effects of flow induced orientation of ferromagnetic particles on relative magnetic permeability of injection molded composites

Composite samples consisting of ferromagnetic asymmetric particles incorporated into a polyolefin binder were injection molded using custom designed molds which produced preferential fiber orientations. The relative magnetic permeability values of the composites were measured as a function of the filler volume fraction, injection rate, gate diameter, temperature, aspect ratio of the fibers, and fiber orientation. Fiber orientation was affected by the molding conditions and controlled the relative magnetic permeability of the composites. The degree of fiber orientation was significantly affected by the size of the opening (gate) to the mold, or by the mold geometry going from an edge-gated cylindrical to a center-gated disk cavity. Relative permeability values of the composites were observed to increase when the fiber orientation and the applied field were parallel to one another. For instance, highly aligned composite samples exhibited up to 30% greater relative permeability values compared to those samples which exhibit fiber orientation distributions approaching a random distribution. To our knowledge this is the first study that provides data linking the fiber orientation distribution functions of ferromagnetic asymmetric particles to the relative magnetic permeability values of injection molded composites.
Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Up-Regulation of Human α1(I) Collagen Is Mediated by Sp1 and Smad2 Transacting Factors

Hepatic fibrosis results from excessive deposition of type I collagen. The roles of Smads in mediating the effect of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) on activation of the α1(I) collagen promoter were determined. Smads bind in association with Sp1 to the CC(GG)-rich TGFβ1 responsive element of the promoter that lacks the classical Smad recognition element, and enhance binding of Sp1. In transfection experiments, TGFβ1 activated a proximal promoter, but not promoters mutated at sites that prevented Sp1 binding. Sp1 alone or the combination of Smad2 and Smad4 activated the promoter in transfected human LX-2 stellate cells. Sp1 or Smad2 knockdowns with siRNAs prevented the effect of TGFβ1 in enhancing the promoter. In conclusion, this study shows that Smads bind in association with Sp1 to the CC(GG)-rich TGFβ1 responsive element of the human α1(I) collagen promoter that lacks the classical Smad recognition element, thus enhancing the binding of Sp1 and in this manner activating the collagen promoter.
Neuropathological changes in essential tremor: 33 cases compared with 21 controls

Despite its being one of the most commonly observed neurological disorders, neuropathological studies of essential tremor (ET) are rare. There have been surprisingly few autopsy studies and even fewer case-control comparisons. The primary objective was to describe and quantify the pathological changes in 33 ET and 21 control brains. A secondary objective was to correlate clinical and pathological features. We examined autopsy tissue from the Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository. Eight (24.2%) of the 33 ET brains had Lewy bodies in the brainstem, mainly in the locus ceruleus. However, the majority of ET brains (25/33, 75.8%) had no Lewy bodies, but had pathological changes in the cerebellum. The mean number of Purkinje cells per 100× field was reduced in ET cases without Lewy bodies (6.6 ± 2.4 versus 9.6 ± 3.4, P < 0.01), and there were ∼7× more Purkinje cell torpedoes per section (12.6 ± 7.9 versus 1.7 ± 1.4, P < 0.001) compared to controls. ET cases without Lewy bodies also had degeneration of the dentate nucleus (two cases). Other findings in ET cases were Purkinje cell heterotopias and dendrite swellings. Lewy body ET cases were older than ET cases without Lewy bodies. Several trends were observed in ET cases without Lewy bodies, including a younger age of onset of tremor and higher proportions with gait difficulty and family history of ET. The pathological changes of ET seem to be heterogeneous and degenerative. The majority have cerebellar changes without Lewy bodies; a smaller proportion has brainstem Lewy bodies. The clinical differences between cases with versus without Lewy bodies require additional study.
Examination of hypochlorous acid-induced damage to cytosine residues in a CpG dinucleotide in DNA.

Inflammation-mediated, neutrophil-derived hypochlorous acid can damage DNA and result in the chlorination damage products 5-chlorocytosine and 5-chlorouracil as well as the oxidation damage products 5-hydroxycytosine and 5-hydroxyuracil. While 5-chlorocytosine could potentially perturb epigenetic signals if formed at a CpG dinucleotide, the remaining products are miscoding and could result in transition mutations. In this article, we have investigated the reaction of hypochlorous acid with an oligonucleotide site-specifically enriched with 15N to probe the reactivity of cytosine at CpG. These experiments demonstrate directly the formation of 5-chlorocytosine at a CpG dinucleotide in duplex DNA. We observe that chlorination relative to oxidation damage is greater at CpG by a factor of approximately two, whereas similar amounts of 5-chlorocytosine and 5-hydroxycytosine are formed at two non-CpG sites examined. The relative amounts of deamination of the cytosine to uracil derivatives are similar at CpG and n...
Institutional Variations in the Management of Patients With Acute Appendicitis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate institutional differences in preoperative workup, operative approach, complications, and cost in patients with acute appendicitis. A retrospective chart review was performed of all adults operated on for acute appendicitis from June 1999 to November 2000 at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) and Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC). Variables compared included age, race, sex, duration of symptoms, type of symptoms, results of radiographic evaluation, time from emergency room to operating room, operative approach (open vs. laparoscopic), operative time, length of hospital stay, pathologic findings, and complications. Statistical analysis was performed by means of Fisher's exact test. A total of 154 appendectomies were performed for acute appendicitis at UNMH and 165 at SUMC. Statistically significant differences were found at UNMH vs. SUMC in time from emergency room to operating room (9.1 hours vs. 13.7 hours; P<0.001), operative approach (48% laparoscopic vs. 29% open; P<0.001), and negative appendectomy rate (13% vs. 4.8%; P<0.001). There were no differences in the perforation rate or other complications. Cost analysis showed that $56,744 more was spent at UNMH for the additional negative appendectomy operations, whereas $99,842 more was spent at SUMC for the additional CT scans. Institutional differences in the management of patients with acute appendicitis can result in significant differences in cost without clinically significant differences in outcome. The use of clinical examination and laparoscopy as diagnostic modalities instead of CT scanning resulted in a more cost-effective approach.
Cell invasion, motility, and proliferation level estimate (CIMPLE) maps derived from serial diffusion MR images in recurrent glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab

Microscopic invasion of tumor cells and undetected tumor proliferation is the primary reason for a dismal prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Identification and quantification of spatially localized brain regions undergoing high rates of cell migration and proliferation is critical for improving patient survival; however, there are currently no non-invasive imaging biomarkers for estimating proliferation and migration rates of human gliomas in vivo. To accomplish this, we developed CIMPLE (cell invasion, motility, and proliferation level estimates) image maps using serial diffusion MRI scans and a solution to a glioma growth model equation. CIMPLE represent a novel method of quantifying the level of aggressive malignant behavior. In the current pilot study, we demonstrate the utility of CIMPLE maps to predict progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in 26 recurrent glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab from our Neuro-Oncology database. Voxel-wise estimates of cell proliferation rate predicted spatial regions of contrast enhancement in 35% of patients. A linear correlation was found between the mean proliferation rate and progression-free survival (PFS; P < 0.0001) as well as overall survival (OS; P = 0.0093). Similarly, the mean proliferation rate was able to stratify patients with early and late PFS as well as OS.
Teacher-Administrator Conflict: Can It Be Resolved?

Here's a description of a workshop de signed to resolve teacher-administrator conflict. The approach used and some out comes are discussed.
Neutron activation analysis: Criterion method for evaluation of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements in infants

Total body neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to examine the elemental composition of 22 piglets in the weight range 0.7 kg to 3.4 kg. The accuracy of the NAA technique, compared to direct chemical carcass analysis, established it as an equivalent chemical criterion (reference) method. The body composition of 14 human infant cadavers was also examined by NAA and by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The DXA-derived lean, fat, and bone compartments were compared with an NAA chemical model of composition. Each of the three compartments was significantly correlated (r=0.85–0.95,p<0.001) for the two independent assays, although there were substantial differences for the estimated size of the compartments for individual infants.
Solitary Idiopathic Choroiditis: Findings on Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography in 10 Cases

Objective To describe the imaging characteristics of solitary idiopathic choroiditis (SIC). Design Retrospective, observational case series. Participants Ten eyes in 10 patients with SIC. Methods Review of chart, fundus photography, ultrasonography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), infrared reflectance (IR) imaging, and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI OCT). Main Outcome Measures Scleral, choroidal, and retinal features of SIC as analyzed by EDI OCT. Results The mean age at diagnosis was 47 years (range, 7–76 years). There were 4 male patients and 6 female patients. The mean best-corrected visual acuity was 20/25 (range, 20/20–20/150). The SIC lesions were postequatorial (n = 10), with a mean basal diameter of 2.6 mm (range, 1.0–4.0 mm), yellow hue (n = 10), and surrounding orange halo (n = 6). Ultrasonography revealed acoustic solidity (n = 10) with a mean thickness of 1.7 mm (range, 1.4–2.1 mm), FAF disclosed hyperautofluorescence (n = 9), and IR imaging displayed hyperreflectivity (n = 9). On EDI OCT, all 10 lesions were dome shaped with a smooth surface and arose with a gentle slope from the sclera. A more abruptly elevated volcanic configuration was seen in 2 lesions. The overlying choroid was thinned (mean thickness, 32 μm; range, 0–52 μm). The lesions were moderately reflective with an optically bright anterior band and deep shadowing (n = 8). The posterior margin of the lesion could be ascertained in only 1 case. By EDI OCT, the mean diameter was 2942 μm (range, 1887–3809 μm). In no case was there disturbance of the inner retina or subretinal fluid. Conclusions Solitary idiopathic choroiditis generally displays ultrasonographic solidity, hyperautofluorescence, and hyperreflectivity on IR imaging. On EDI OCT, the dome-shaped lesion arises from the sclera, outer choroid, or both and the overlying choroidal vasculature is thinned. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Non-normalizable functions: A new method to generate metamorphic malware

To successfully identify the metamorphic viruses oriented from the same base, anti-virus software has adopted the code normalization technique to transform the variations to a more uniform signature representation. Current code normalization technique focuses on the simplification of the arithmetical or logical operators. In this paper, we introduce a new technique of generating metamorphic viruses by embedding complicated manipulation functions that cannot be normalized into the malicious executables. Using encryption/decryption functions as an example, we present this evasion strategy that malware writers could employ in the future. We demonstrate the strategy's effectiveness in evading detection by current anti-virus technologies. We also discuss the potential mitigation mechanisms.
A new structural motif for photoinitiated electron collection: Ru,Rh bimetallics providing insight into H2 production via photocatalysis of water reduction by Ru,Rh,Ru supramolecules

Ru,Rh,Ru complexes are photocatalysts for the reduction of H2O to H2via a Rh(I) intermediate. The herein reported Ru,Rh bimetallics undergo PEC but do not catalyze the reduction of H2O, establishing intact supramolecules are photoactive in the Ru,Rh,Ru systems. The Ru,Rh(I) photoproduct dimerizes via Rh–Rh bond formation, deactivating the Rh(I) center sterically prohibited in the Ru,Rh,Ru trimetallic systems.
Bringing All Lidar Data Together: Investigations of Spatially Coincident Terrestrial, Airborne, and Satellite Lidar Data for Deriving Vegetation Structure Metrics

This study aims to compare forest structure metrics obtained by processing data from spatially coincident discrete-return airborne lidar, ICESat waveforms, and a ground-based laser scanner. Results are significant for scaling up and calibration purposes.
Using integer sets for data-parallel program analysis and optimization

In this paper, we describe our experience with using an abstract integer-set framework to develop the Rice dHPF compiler, a compiler for High Performance Fortran. We present simple, yet general formulations of the major computation partitioning and communication analysis tasks as well as a number of important optimizations in terms of abstract operations on sets of integer tuples. This approach has made it possible to implement a comprehensive collection of advanced optimizations in dHPF, and to do so in the context of a more general computation partitioning model than previous compilers. One potential limitation of the approach is that the underlying class of integer set problems is fundamentally unable to represent HPF data distributions on a symbolic number of processors. We describe how we extend the approach to compile codes for a symbolic number of processors, without requiring any changes to the set formulations for the above optimizations. We show experimentally that the set representation is not a dominant factor in compile times on both small and large codes. Finally, we present preliminary performance measurements to show that the generated code achieves good speedups for a few benchmarks. Overall, we believe we are the first to demonstrate by implementation experience that it is practical to build a compiler for HPF using a general and powerful integer-set framework.
Stringent 3Q.1R composition of the SNARE 0-layer can be bypassed for fusion by compensatory SNARE mutation or by lipid bilayer modification.

Abstract SNARE proteins form bundles of four α-helical SNARE domains with conserved polar amino acids, 3Q and 1R, at the “0-layer” of the bundle. Previous studies have confirmed the importance of 3Q·1R for fusion but have not shown whether it regulates SNARE complex assembly or the downstream functions of assembled SNAREs. Yeast vacuole fusion requires regulatory lipids (ergosterol, phosphoinositides, and diacylglycerol), the Rab Ypt7p, the Rab-effector complex HOPS, and 4 SNAREs: the Q-SNAREs Vti1p, Vam3p, and Vam7p and the R-SNARE Nyv1p. We now report that alterations in the 0-layer Gln or Arg residues of Vam7p or Nyv1p, respectively, strongly inhibit fusion. Vacuoles with wild-type Nyv1p show exquisite discrimination for the wild-type Vam7p over Vam7Q283R, yet Vam7Q283R is preferred by vacuoles with Nyv1R191Q. Rotation of the position of the arginine in the 0-layer increases the Km for Vam7p but does not affect the maximal rate of fusion. Vam7Q283R forms stable 2Q·2R complexes that do not promote fusion. However, fusion is restored by the lipophilic amphiphile chlorpromazine or by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122, perturbants of the lipid phase of the membrane. Thus, SNARE function as regulated by the 0-layer is intimately coupled to the lipids, which must rearrange for fusion.
Heterogeneous Cooperative Localization for Social Networks

Location-aware techniques has become a hot research topic with great value in commercial and military applications. Cooperative localization, which utilizes multiple sensors in portable devices to estimate locations of the mobile users in the social networks, is one of the most promising solution for the indoor geo-location. Traditional cooperative localization methods are based on ranging techniques, they are highly dependent on the distance interpreted from the received signal strength (RSS) or time of arrival from anchors. However, a precise ranging procedure demands high performance hardware which would increase the cost to the current mobile platform. In this paper, we describes four ranging-free probabilistic cooperative localization algorithms: centroid scheme, nearest neighbor scheme, kernel scheme and AP density scheme to improve the accuracy for the indoor geo-location using current mobile devices. Since the GPS sensor embedded in the smart phone is able to provide accurate location information in the outdoor area, those mobile nodes can be used as calibrated anchors. The position of the indoor mobile node can be estimated by exchanging locations and RSSs from shared wireless access points information between the target node and anchor nodes. An empirical evaluation of the system is given to demonstrate the feasibility of these cooperative localization algorithms by reporting the results in a real-world environments, e.g. suburban area and city downtown. Moreover, we compared our results with the WiFi positioning system made by Skyhook Wireless to validate the accuracy of the proposed algorithms. Meanwhile, a Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to evaluate the performance of the cooperative algorithms under different scenarios. Results show that given the same scenario setting, the AP density scheme and kernel scheme outperform than other schemes.
Influence of compaction from wheel traffic and tillage on arbuscular mycorrhizae infection and nutrient uptake by Zea mays

Interactive effects of seven years of compaction due to wheel traffic and tillage on root density, formation of arbuscular mycorrhizae, above-ground biomass, nutrient uptake and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) were measured on a coastal plain soil in eastern Alabama, USA. Tillage and soil compaction treatments initiated in 1987 were: 1) soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (C,CT), 2) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (NC,CT), 3) soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (C,NT), and, 4) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (NC,NT). The study was arranged as a split plot design with compaction from wheel traffic as main plots and tillage as subplots. The experiment had four replications. In May (49 days after planting) and June, (79 days after planting), root biomass and root biomass infected with arbuscular mycorrhizae was higher in treatments that received the NC,NT treatment than the other three treatments. In June and July (109 days after planting), corn plants that received C,CT treatment had less above-ground biomass, root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than the other three treatments. Within compacted treatments, plants that received no-tillage had greater root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae in May and June than plants that received conventional tillage. Corn plants in no-tillage treatments had higher root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than those in conventional tillage. After 7 years of treatment on a sandy Southeastern soil, the interactive effects of tillage and compaction from wheel traffic reduced root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae but did not affect plant nutrient concentration and yield. ei]J H Graham