cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of several metal ions on misincorporation during transcription.

Abstract By use of poly(dA-dT) as template and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, several metal ions were tested for their effect on the efficiency of transcription and on the misincorporation of CMP into the poly(rA-rU) product. In the presence of 10 mM MgCl2, Mn2+ has a stimulatory effect on the transcription, Co2+ has very little effect on the reaction, Cu2+ and Zn2+ are strongly inhibitory, and Cd2+ and Ni2+ are less inhibitory. The background misincorporation of CMP in the presence of MgCl2 is about 1 nucleotide per 2000 correct nucleotides incorporated and is independent of Mg2+ concentration. Zn2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Li+, Na+, and K+--all nonmutagenic and noncarcinogenic--do not increase misincorporation. Mn2+ causes a concentration-dependent threefold increase in the misincorporation that can be slightly reversed at higher MgCl2 concentrations. Cd2+ causes a dramatic increase in the misincorporation with increasing CdCl2 concentration that can be substantially overcome by higher concentrations of Mg2+. Cu2+ also increases the misincorporation, Ni2+ slightly increases it, and Co2+ does not increase it at all. Several control experiments indicate that the misincorporation of CMP is dependent on the template-directed synthesis of poly(rA-rU). Nearest-neighbor analysis indicates that CMP is incorporated in place of UMP into the poly(rA-rU) product. The increase in misincorporation appears to be related both to the "hard-soft" character of the metal ions and to their carcinogenic potential.
New extrasolar planet candidates detected

NASA's Kepler mission to search for habitable planets outside of our solar system has discovered hundreds of additional extrasolar planet candidates, and it could be that Earth-sized planets are fairly common in the Milky Way galaxy. Those are some of the headlines from a 7 January briefing at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Long Beach, Calif.
Funding Opportunities in Knowledge Translation: Review of the AHRQ's “Translating Research into Practice” Initiatives, Competing Funding Agencies, and Strategies for Success

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality actively funds and conducts research to improve health care for all Americans. This article is intended to provide a brief overview of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality activities in knowledge translation and to accompany the presentation given on May 15, 2007, to the Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference, "Knowledge Translation in Emergency Medicine: Establishing a Research Agenda and Guide Map for Evidence Uptake."
Animating the City: Street Art, Blu and the Poetics of Visual Encounter

Street artist Blu creates remarkable wall-painted animations, in which he depicts cartoon figures cavorting along, around and through actual urban surfaces. Through this activity, his film Muto (20...
Equity Trading Capacity Revisited: Growth, Fragmentation and Fluidity

Equity futures and options have been traded for a quarter of a century on organized exchanges; a well-developed and rapidly growing over the counter (OTC) market exists for swaps and options with competitive market-making by global investment and commercial banks. The trading of portfolios of stocks is low-cost and growing — now regularly representing 30–40% of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) share volume — facilitated by the ability to hedge equity risk using derivatives. In the short span of just five years, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become prominent hybrid vehicles used for both trading and investment purposes by individual, institutional, and hedge fund investors. (ETF $ volume traded now represents just 30% of the NYSE volume compared to 9% five years ago.) In this article, we explore some trends and issues in cross-product equity market capacity.
On the Use of Plasmonic Nanoparticle Pairs As a Plasmon Ruler: The Dependence of the Near-Field Dipole Plasmon Coupling on Nanoparticle Size and Shape †

The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectral band of a gold or silver nanoparticle is observed to shift as a result of the near-field plasmonic field of another nanoparticle. The dependence of the observed shift on the interparticle distance is used as a ruler in biological systems and gave rise to a plasmonic ruler equation in which the fractional shift in the dipole resonance is found to decrease near exponentially with the interparticle separation in units of the particle size. The exponential decay length constant was observed to be consistent among a small range of nanoparticle sizes, shapes, and types of metal. The equation was derived from the observed results on disks and spherical nanoparticles and confirmed using results on a DNA conjugated nanosphere system. The aim of the present paper is to use electron beam lithography and DDA calculations to examine the constancy of the exponential decay length value in the plasmonic ruler equation on particle size and shape of a number of particles including nanoparticles of different symmetry and orientations. The results suggest that the exponent is almost independent of the size of the nanoparticle but very sensitive to the shape. A discussion of the nanoparticles most suitable for different applications in biological systems and a comparison of the plasmonic ruler with Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is mentioned.
Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of alkenyl bromides with potassium alkyltrifluoroborates

Abstract The Suzuki–Miyaura-type cross-coupling reaction of potassium alkyltrifluoroborates with various alkenyl bromides in the presence of 10 mol % of PdCl 2 (dppf)·CH 2 Cl 2 and 3.0 equiv of Cs 2 CO 3 in aqueous toluene at 80 °C provided the desired compounds in 63–95% yields. A variety of functional groups in the potassium alkyltrifluoroborates were tolerated under the basic conditions.
Beneficial effects of propylene and polyethylene glycol and saline in the treatment of perennial rhinitis

Although propylene-and-polyethylene-glycol and saline have been used in clinical studies as placebos, their possible therapeutic role as wetting agents in the treatment of perennial rhinitis was investigated. Clinical and laboratory response to these agents was measured in eighteen patients during a 2-week baseline period and with 4 weeks of active treatment in a double blind randomized study. After 2 and 4 weeks there was a significant improvement compared to baseline in nasal function (P less than 0.05) and blockage index (P less than 0.01) combining both groups, with no difference between treatments. Patients had less sneezing at 2 and 4 weeks (P less than 0.01), and less stuffiness at 4 weeks (P less than 0.01). There was a significant correlation between improvement in blockage index and nasal biopsies when both were judged independently of the other. This study has demonstrated that wetting agents offer both subjective and objective improvement in the treatment of perennial rhinitis and merit consideration prior to (or along with) other agents with known systemic side effects.
Efficient self-seeding of a pulsed Ti3+:Al2O3 laser.

We describe the design considerations and operating characteristics of a compact, widely tunable, narrow-linewidth, megawatt-class pulsed laser system based on Ti3+:Al2O3 (Ti:sapphire) pumped by the second harmonic of a 1.06?µm Nd:YAG laser. The system delivers 10 mJ in a 5-ns near-transform-limited single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) pulse with a threshold of 20 mJ and a slope efficiency greater than 40%. By the technique of self-seeding, in which a portion of the gain medium’s spontaneous fluorescence is coupled back to the laser cavity, SLM operation may be obtained across the entire gain profile of Ti:sapphire with a minimum number of optical components and without external seeding.
The effects of antecedent substance abuse on the development of first-episode psychotic mania

We examined associations of antecedent drug and alcohol abuse with age of onset of bipolar disorder and the time to hospitalization in a sample of 59 patients presenting with their first episode of psychotic mania. Patients with first-episode manic or mixed bipolar disorder with psychotic features were recruited from consecutive hospitalizations and evaluated using structured diagnostic instruments. Antecedent alcohol abuse was present in 12 patients (20%), and antecedent drug abuse in 19 (32%). Antecedent alcohol abuse was associated with a later age of onset of the bipolar disorder, although antecedent drug abuse was not associated with age of onset. Patients with antecedent drug or alcohol abuse required hospitalization sooner than those without. These preliminary findings suggest that patients with bipolar disorder and antecedent alcohol abuse may have a later onset of their affective illness, perhaps representing a subgroup of patients in whom previous alcohol abuse is necessary to precipitate an affective episode. Regardless, the presence of antecedent substance abuse leads to more rapid hospitalization in these patients. Our results should be considered preliminary, given the small sample size and the post-hoc design of the study. Additional prospective studies of patients with new onset bipolar disorder and antecedent substance abuse syndromes are needed to further clarify the complex relationships between substance abuse and bipolar disorder.
Regulation of succinyl-CoA-:3-oxoacid CoA-transferase in developing rat brain: responsiveness associated with prenatal but not postnatal hyperketonemia

Activities of ketone body-metabolizing enzymes in rat brain rise 3- to 5-fold during the suckling period, then fall more than 50% after weaning. Our purpose was to determine the mechanism of the developmental changes in activity of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase in rat brain and to study its regulation by dietary modification. Purified rat brain 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase was used to generate specific antibody. Immunotitrations of the enzyme from brains of 4-, 24-, and 90-day-old rats indicated that changes in 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase activity during development are due to changes in content of the enzyme protein. Pulse-labeling studies showed that changes in enzyme specific activity reflected changes in its relative rate of synthesis, which increased 2.5-fold between the nineteenth day of gestation and the third postnatal day, remained at this high level until the twelfth postnatal day, and declined thereafter, returning by Day 38 to the level observed in utero. The enzyme is apparently degraded very slowly during early postnatal life. Fetal hyperketonemia induced by feeding pregnant rats a high-fat diet was associated with an increase in the relative rate of synthesis of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase in brains of 19-day-old fetuses and newborn rats and with an increase in the specific activity of the enzyme at birth. To examine the role of postnatal hyperketonemia in the development of the enzyme in brains of suckling rats, neonates received intragastric cannulas and were fed, for up to 13 days, a modified milk formula low in fat. Postnatal hyperketonemia was abolished but cerebral 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase specific activity on Days 10 and 17 was not significantly affected. Thus, the physiological hyperketonemia caused by the high fat content of rat milk is not required for the normal development of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase in rat brain.
Clinical management of persistent and/or recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism.

Persistent or recurrent hypercalcemia following operation for benign hyperparathyroidism (HPT) remains a surgical challenge. From 1978 to 1984 at the Mayo Clinic, 157 patients underwent reexploration. This included 110 cervical, 38 combined cervical and mediastinal, and 9 mediastinal explorations. A total of 197 previous operations (range 1–5) had been performed, including 136 patients for sporadic disease, 14 for multiple endocrine neoplasia, and 7 for familial HPT. Preoperative localizing studies were employed in 137 patients (87%), Cervical ultrasonography had an accuracy of 76% (sensitivity, 82%; positive predictive value, 81%), while mediastinal computed tomography was accurate in 76% (sensitivity, 57%; positive predictive value, 80%). Arteriography, venography, and venous sampling were not used. Guided by high-resolution, small parts ultrasonography, fine-needle aspiration biopsy confirmed localization of parathyroid tissue in 3 patients. Successful resolution of hypercalcemia occurred in 139 patients (89%) with a mean follow-up of 22 months. There were no operative deaths; 12 patients (8%) had temporary neuropraxia of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, 6 patients (4%) suffered permanent unilateral paralysis, and 20 (13%) became permanently hypoparathyroid. Two of 4 hypoparathyroid patients who were autotransplanted with cryopreserved parathyroid tissue have become eucalcemic. The results indicate that the disease site is usually in the neck, that noninvasive localizing techniques have superseded arteriography and venous sampling, and that reoperative parathyroid surgery can be performed with rare mortality and acceptable morbidity. Although these refinements have led to improved success, reoperative parathyroid surgery should not be performed by the occasional parathyroid surgeon.
Neurogenesis in the vomeronasal epithelium of adult garter snakes: 3. Use of H3‐thymidine autoradiography to trace the genesis and migration of bipolar neurons

Use of 3H-thymidine autoradiography and unilateral vomeronasal (VN) axotomy has permitted us to demonstrate directly the existence of VN stem cells in the adult garter snake and to trace continuous bipolar neuron development and migration in the normal VN and deafferentated VN epithelium in the same animal. The vomeronasal epithelium and olfactory epithelium of adult garter snakes are both capable of incorporating 3H-thymidine. In the sensory epithelium of the vomeronasal organ, 3H-thymidine-labeled cells were initially restricted to the base of the undifferentiated cell layer in animals surviving 1 day following 3H-thymidine injection. With increasing survival time, labeled cells progressively migrated vertically within the receptor cell column toward the apex of the bipolar neuron layer. In both the normal and denervated VN epithelium, labeled cells were observed through the 56 days of postoperative survival. In the normal epithelium, labeled cells were always located within the matrix of the intact receptor cell columns. However, labeled cells of the denervated epithelium were always located at the apical front of the newly formed cell mass following depletion of the original neuronal cell population. In addition, at postoperative days 28 and 56, labeled cells of the denervated VN epithelium achieved neuronal differentiation and maturation bymore » migrating much farther away from the base of the receptor cell column than the labeled cells on the normal, unoperated contralateral side. This study directly demonstrates that basal cells initially incorporating 3H-thymidine are indeed stem cells of the VN epithelium in adult garter snakes.« less
Parameter estimation in biofilter systems

The purpose of this research is to estimate the unknown parameters of a mathematical model of the biodegradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a gas phase trickle-bed biofilter, using experimental results from a two-reactor pilot-scale system treating the VOC diethyl ether. The model considers a dynamic three-phase system, (biofilm, water, and gas), nonuniform bacterial population, and one limiting substrate. The nonlinear parameter estimation was done in two stages: estimates of the steady-state model parameters were obtained first, and then, these values were used in the estimation of the remaining parameters. Experimentally obtained biofilter performance curves and batch tests were used for the estimation of the steady-state parameters: maximum rate of substrate utilization (μmXf/Y), Monod constant (Ks), and biofilm/water diffusivity ratio for ether, rd. Dynamic biofilter performance data were used to obtain the estimates of the six remaining parameters: yield coefficient (Y). maximum grow...
Life Change Events and Coping Behaviors in Families of Children With Cancer

This study investigated life change events and coping behaviors in families of children with cancer compared with those who have physically healthy children. The sample consisted of 21 families with a child with cancer and 17 families with physically healthy children. All the children in the study were 6 to 12 years of age. Parents from each group completed items from the Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes and the Family Crisis Oriented Evaluation Scales. These tools evaluate stressful life change events experienced by families within a 12-month period and coping behaviors used by families during difficult situations. Families with a child who has cancer experienced significantly more stressful life change events (t = 2.15, P = 0.04) than those with physically healthy children. There were no significant differences (t = 0.23, P = 0.82) in the coping behaviors that were used by the two groups. The results provided a clearer understanding of stressful life change events that impact families with a child with cancer.
On-road PHEV power management with hierarchical strategies in vehicular networks

In plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the power management system coordinates powertrain operations to achieve high energy efficiency. Conventional PHEV power management systems work in either an online or offline mode. Most online systems are based on some pre-set power balancing strategies without utilizing the driving cycle or route information. Offline management strategies solved from historical driving cycles are not optimal for real specific driving routes. With the rapid development of vehicular networks and proliferation of smartphones, real-time traffic information can be collected by smartphones from a vehicular network so as to facilitate online PHEV power management. This paper proposes an on-road PHEV power management cyber-physical system (CPS) with 2-level hierarchical optimizations to minimize the fuel consumption of a trip. The high-level online stochastic optimization generates a battery energy budget for each road at runtime according to the traffic prediction and trip information. The low-level powertrain policies are solved offline from historical driving cycles. During driving, the high-level battery energy budgets and low-level policies are combined to get the optimal power decisions according to current driving states. Simulation results show that the proposed method significantly outperforms other three methods in fuel savings.
A general robot path planning algorithm

An approach to robot path planning is presented which can be applied to any holonomically constrained mechanical system. The resulting path is composed of an n-dimensional web of stepwise movements along free edges of hypercubes. The main computational function required for the algorithm is the calculation of free intervals for the configuration variables, starting from some initial position. The algorithm is shown to find a path if one exists, and a bound on the level of the search graph required for convergence is presented. The maximum number of computations required for convergence of the algorithm is shown to depend on the amount of free space surrounding the obstacle-free path. >
If an Arctic Ocean treaty is not the solution, what is the alternative?

Many analysts argue that responding effectively to the transformative changes occurring in the Arctic will require the creation of an Arctic Ocean treaty or even a more comprehensive treaty covering the whole Arctic. This article explores this line of thinking critically. In doing so, it addresses three distinct but related questions: 1) Is there a need for an Arctic Ocean framework agreement? 2) Where should we focus our attention along the integration-fragmentation spectrum? 3) Would it help to make arrangements for Arctic governance legally binding? The conclusion is that the case for spending political capital on an effort to negotiate the terms of an Arctic Ocean treaty is weak. But this need not be regarded as a cause for pessimism. A more multidimensional Arctic governance complex is emerging and is likely to continue to develop during the coming years.
Double-RESURF 700 V n-channel LDMOS with best-in-class on-resistance

This paper presents a double-RESURF lateral double-diffused MOS (LDMOS) transistor with a specific on-resistance of lower than 200 m/spl Omega/-cm/sup 2/ while maintaining a breakdown voltage of over 750 V for use in the cost-effective high voltage integrated circuit (HVIC) chip. The proposed double-RESURF high voltage device is monolithically integrated with low voltage analog/logic control circuitry, and is 100% backwards-compatible to ON Semiconductor's existing single-RESURF technology. Double-RESURF is a very complicated process to implement, and requires a well-designed device layout with complete charge balance among all the critical layers. This paper will demonstrate a painstaking optimization of key process and device geometrical parameters to maximize the benefits of the double-RESURF phenomenon in order to achieve the lowest on-resistance possible with the desired breakdown voltage.
Elastic Properties of Hafnium and Zirconium Oxides Stabilized with Praseodymium or Terbium Oxide

Elastic moduli of polycrystalline HfO2 and ZrO2 stabilized with 33 mol% Praseodymium oxide or terbium oxide were studied as functions of porosity and temperature. Thermal expansion was measured to 1200°C for each composition. The modulus-vs-porosity and thermal expansion curves were typical; however, modulus-vs-temperature relations were abnormally steep below 400°C, a phe nomenon observed previously for stabilized HfO2 compositions. All compositions exhibited obvious stoichiometric changes resulting from oxidation-reduction annealing, but only the Tb4O7-stabilized ZrO2 showed any significant effect of oxidation state on the modulus values; this effect was very pronounced.
Attachment in the context of high-risk conditions

The role of attachment in interaction with other relationships and conditions was investigated in relation to children's later psychosocial development (at ages 6 and 9). Thirty-nine unipolar depressed mothers, 24 bipolar mothers, and 32 normal control mothers and their children were studied. The network of conditions defining early experience included, in addition to attachment, maternal psychopathology, marital discord, other disordered relationships in the family, and recent losses of significant persons. Patterns of mother-child interaction were also examined. Assessments of children's problems were based on psychiatric evaluations of depressive affect, anxiety, and disruptive-oppositional behavior.The findings support the conclusion that attachment enters into development in interaction with other relationships and conditions. Maternal psychopathology, in particular, in interaction with the attachment relationship, is linked to later developmental outcomes. The importance of considering mother-child interactional and dispositional characteristics is indicated. The early attachment relationship together with the ways in which the mother's depression is expressed with her child, and the child's style of coping with the mother's functioning establish patterns of behavior that influence the child's vulnerability to later problems. Multiple pathways of transmission of affective problems are discussed.
More Geosat altimeter data available

Two new data sets from the U.S. Navy's Geodetic Satellite (Geosat) have been produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Ocean Service. Both were derived principally from classified data collected during the 18-month geodetic mission (April 1985–September 1986). Designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Geosat radar altimeter measured global sea level with a precision of 3 cm. The first data set consists of approximately 44-million crossover differences (sea-level differences at ground track intersections). These include the initial 18-month period and the first year of the subsequent exact repeat mission, enabling computation of the continuous 30-month sea level time series spanning the two missions. Thirty-six 6250-bpi magnetic tapes organized in 18 ocean regions document the Geosat crossover differences.
Chemical Integration and Contamination Control In Hard Disk Drive Manufacturing

As we approach the turn of the century, the demand for storage is rapidly increasing, fueled by multimedia and its associated applications. Hard disk drive (HDD) manufacturers continue to respond by chasing the areal density curve to provide higher capacity and higher performance disk drives. The required technology changes are expected to aggravate performance and reliability problems, such as stiction, associated with organic contamination; thermal asperities, associated with particulate contamination; and corrosion, associated with ionic contamination. Anticipation and proactive resolution of chemical integration and contamination control problems are key to the successful development and manufacturing of advanced HDDs. In this paper, types and sources of contamination that can impact HDD performance are described; various contamination-related problems are reviewed; and a methodology by which successful chemical integration in the hard disk drive business can be accomplished is outlined.
Expression-Level Parallelism for Distributed Spice Circuit Simulation

Distributed system-level simulation among coordinated, heterogeneous simulators requires communication and synchrony to preserve event causality. Once achieved, multiple coordinated, distributed instances of a single simulator not originally written for internal parallelism can be used to conduct the expression-level parallel execution of a model partitioned into subsystems, such that each subsystem is assigned to an individual simulator. Using a Kahn Process Network simulation back plane for coordination, and a custom Xspice TCP/IP socket device for interfacing, expression-level distributed simulation was applied to observe a decrease of up to 1/52 times the transient analysis time of the same circuit in a single Ngspice instance, without modifying the Ngspice kernel or host execution environment. Up to 128 independent Ngspice instances were coordinated in parallel with this method, with a selectable tradeoff in speed versus accuracy.
Atrial fibrillation complicating the course of degenerative mitral regurgitation: Determinants and long-term outcome

Abstract Objectives The study was done to define the incidence, determinants and prognostic implications of onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) during follow-up of mitral regurgitation (MR) initially in sinus rhythm. Background The rates and clinical implications of AF in MR are undefined. Methods We analyzed the occurrence of AF under conservative management in two populations of patients with degenerative MR in sinus rhythm at diagnosis: 1) 360 patients (65 ± 13 years, 74% men) with MR due to flail leaflets; and 2) 89 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota (67 ± 17 years, 56% men) with grade 3 or 4 MR due to simple mitral valve prolapse (MVP) diagnosed echocardiographically. Results In patients with MR due to flail leaflets, AF rates at 5 and 10 years were 18 ± 3% and 48 ± 6%, respectively, and the linearized rate was 5.0 ± 0.7% per year. Development of AF during follow-up was independently associated with high risk of cardiac death or heart failure (adjusted risk ratio 2.23, p = 0.025). The AF rate at 10 years was higher in patients ≥65 years (75 ± 10% vs. 24 ± 6%, p 0.50) and predictors of AF (age and LA dimension, both p Conclusions In patients with degenerative MR in sinus rhythm at diagnosis, the incidence of AF occurring under conservative management is high and similar whether the cause of MR is flail leaflet or simple MVP. After onset of AF, an increased cardiac mortality and morbidity are both observed under conservative management. The risk of AF increases with advancing age and larger LA dimension. These data suggest that the clinical management of MR should take into account the high incidence, excess risk, and predictors of AF.
Cross-modal Informational Masking of Lipreading by Babble

Whereas the energetic and informational masking effects of unintelligible babble on auditory speech recognition are well established, the present study is the first to investigate its effects on visual speech recognition. Young and older adults performed two lipreading tasks while simultaneously experiencing either quiet, speech-shaped noise, or 6-talker background babble. Both words at the end of uninformative carrier sentences and key words in everyday sentences were harder to lipread in the presence of babble than in the presence of speech-shaped noise or quiet. Contrary to the inhibitory deficit hypothesis of cognitive aging, babble had equivalent effects on young and older adults. In a follow-up experiment, neither the babble nor the speech-shaped noise stimuli interfered with performance of a face-processing task, indicating that babble selectively interferes with visual speech recognition and not with visual perception tasks per se. The present results demonstrate that babble can produce cross-modal informational masking and suggest a breakdown in audiovisual scene analysis, either because of obligatory monitoring of even uninformative speech sounds or because of obligatory efforts to integrate speech sounds even with uncorrelated mouth movements.
Family Caregiving at the End-of-Life: Current Status and Future Directions

Family caregiving has been widely studied throughout the life course, but there has been relatively little attention paid in the caregiving literature to the special problems of caregivers at the end-of-life. Families providing care at the end-of-life face unique challenges and rewards. The care that they provide can be a precious gift for a loved one facing death, and can be among the most rewarding experiences of life. End-of-life care can also be extremely stressful and associated with great difficulties not only while providing care, but also during the ensuing bereavement.
U. S. Army Support of Scientific Activities in Astronautics

U.S. Army Support of Scientific Activities in Astronautics. A brief review is given of the scientific support given by the United States Army to the advancement of astronautics. The United States Army, from the beginning of rocketry in the United States, has used facilities, man power, and programs to advance the developments necessary for realization of space flight, including provisioning missiles for astrophysic experiments, long range communications and instrumentation essential to extraterrestrial flight. A description of some specific areas of support is given together with some of the results obtained.
Photon and Matter Interaction

Recently the approach of the Feynman parametrization of the wave equation for the obtaining of the photon propagator has been noted as a parametrization much similar to a derivation of the wave equation as a 4D 1p thermodynamics derived diffusion-Schroedinger equation. The 5D equation analogous to a diffusion equation and its thermal Matsubara type Green's function which is rigorously analytically continued to the causal outgoing wave Green's function and quantum propagator. This allows us to describe nonequilibrium quantum transport in optoelectronic and optical mechanical devices analogously to nonequilibrium electronic quantum transport, deriving 5D NEGF nonequilibrium Green's functions of the photon nonequilibrium interacting transport analogous to our 3D 1p Schroedinger quantum mechanical NEGF of electronic device physics.
Measuring protocol strength with security goals

Flaws in published standards for security protocols are found regularly, often after systems implementing those standards have been deployed. Because of deployment constraints and disagreements among stakeholders, different fixes may be proposed and debated. In this process, security improvements must be balanced with issues of functionality and compatibility. This paper provides a family of rigorous metrics for protocol security improvements. These metrics are sets of first-order formulas in a goal language $$\mathcal {GL}(\varPi )$$GL(ź) associated with a protocol $$\varPi $$ź. The semantics of $$\mathcal {GL}(\varPi )$$GL(ź) is compatible with many ways to analyze protocols, and some metrics in this family are supported by many protocol analysis tools. Other metrics are supported by our Cryptographic Protocol Shapes Analyzer cpsa. This family of metrics refines several "hierarchies" of security goals in the literature. Our metrics are applicable even when, to mitigate a flaw, participants must enforce policies that constrain protocol execution. We recommend that protocols submitted to standards groups characterize their goals using formulas in $$\mathcal {GL}(\varPi )$$GL(ź), and that discussions comparing alternative protocol refinements measure their security in these terms.
Abstract 4799: Promoter methylation of leukemia inhibitory factor receptor gene in colorectal carcinoma

Aberrant methylation of gene promoters and corresponding loss of gene expression plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. An IL-6-type cytokine receptor, leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), is a component of cell-surface receptor complexes for multifunctional cytokines such as LIF. Herein, we report that LIFR is methylated in human colon cancer. LIFR promoter was methylated in primary tumor tissues with high frequency (65%, 52/80). Quantitative methylation-specific PCR (TaqMan-MSP) demonstrated differential promoter methylation of LIFR in primary colorectal cancer tissues as compared to normal colon tissues (5%, 4/80). LIFR methylation was not detectable in 13 normal colon mucosa samples obtained from patients without cancer. The mRNA expression of LIFR was significantly down-regulated in colon cancer tissues as compared to corresponding normal tissues. A strong expression of LIFR protein was observed in all non-malignant normal and adjacent normal colon mucosa tissues whereas down-regulated LIFR protein expression was observed in primary tumors. These results implicate that cancer-specific methylation and a specific decrease of LIFR expression are a common inactivation event in colon cancer development. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4799. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4799
Synthesis of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Rigid Rods with a Built-In Dipole

Three Zn(II) tetraphenylporphyrins (ZnTPP) were synthesized to study the influence of a molecular dipole on the energy level alignment of a chromophore bound to a metal oxide semiconductor: ZnTPP-PE(DA)-IpaOMe (1), ZnTPP-PE-IpaOMe (2), and ZnTPP-PE(AD)-IpaOMe (3). Each contained a rigid-rod linker made of a p-phenylene ethynylene (PE) moiety terminated with the methyl ester of an isophthalic acid unit (Ipa). Porphyrins 1 and 3 contained an intramolecular dipole in the central phenyl ring, which was built by introducing electron donor (D, NMe2) and acceptor (A, NO2) substituents in para position to each other. In 1 and 3, the relative position of the D and A substituents, and therefore the dipole direction, was reversed. Porphyrin 2, without substituents in the linker, was synthesized for a comparison. The structures of precursors to 1 and 3 and the structure of 1 were determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. Solution UV–vis and steady-state fluorescence spectra of 1–3 were identical to each other and ...
Type-Specific Anti-M Precipitins in Rheumatic and Non-Rheumatic Patients With Hemolytic Streptococcal Infections

SummaryThe development of type-specific anti-M precipitins was studied in 2 groups of patients suffering from hemolytic streptococcal infections. Most of the patients in group I, none of whom developed rheumatic fever, showed relatively strong type-specific reactions in their serum by the 4th or 5th week after the onset of infection. The members of group II all developed rheumatic fever; some had similar strong antibodies early; but most rheumatic patients from whom hemolytic streptococci were obtained in significant numbers did not show strong anti-M precipitins until distinctly later than was the rule for the non-rheumatic group.
Support for comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent access to condoms and contraception in South Carolina

A telephone survey was administered to residents of a historically conservative southern state to assess resident's level of support for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools and support for the availability of condoms and contraception to reduce unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Data were obtained from 841 residents and findings revealed that the majority of residents: (a) support CSE, (b) support access to birth control, and (c) support the availability of condoms. Data were analyzed to determine characteristics of those in support of these prevention strategies so that data could inform key stakeholders, policy makers and health promotion strategies.
Factors and Outcomes Associated with MRCP Use prior to ERCP in Patients at High Risk for Choledocholithiasis.

Background. Consensus guidelines recommend that patients at high risk for choledocholithiasis undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) without additional imaging. This study evaluates factors and outcomes associated with performing magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) prior to ERCP among patients at high risk for choledocholithiasis. Methods. An institutional administrative database was searched using diagnosis codes for choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, and acute pancreatitis and procedure codes for MRCP and ERCP. Patients categorized as high risk for choledocholithiasis were evaluated. Results. 224 patients classified as high risk, of whom 176 (79%) underwent ERCP only, while 48 (21%) underwent MRCP prior to ERCP. Patients undergoing MRCP experienced longer time to ERCP (72 hours versus 35 hours, ), longer length of stay (8 days versus 6 days, ), higher hospital charges (23,488 versus 19,260, ), and higher radiology charges (3,385 versus 1,711, ). The presence of common bile duct stone(s) on ultrasound was the only independent factor associated with less use of MRCP (OR 0.09, ). Conclusions. MRCP use prior to ERCP in patients at high risk for choledocholithiasis is common and associated with greater length of hospital stay, higher radiology charges, and a trend towards higher hospital charges.
Test report of the first case of human infection with the H7N9 avian influenza, Ganzhou City

Objective The infection of avian influenza H7N9 in Ganzhou City was monitored to judge the epidemic and provide evidence for formulating control measures. Methods The suspected influenza samples from the national influenza sentinel monitoring hospital were tested by PCR for different types of nucleic acid fragments. Results One positive sample of H7N9 virus nucleic acid fragment was detected in the daily monitoring samples. Conclusion The first case of H7N9 was detected by the daily monitoring in Ganzhou.
Abstract A36: A systematic network-based approach to prioritizing lncRNA drivers in cancers

Introduction: Decades of efforts have been made to have a better understanding about the human genome, which encodes ~20,000 protein-coding genes as well as an astounding number of transcriptionally active noncoding RNAs. Among these noncoding RNAs, long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been increasingly recognized to play essential roles in tumorigenesis, representing a new focus in cancer research. Analogous to the identification of protein-coding cancer driver genes, it is a crucial task in cancer research to identify lncRNA drivers and elucidate their functions in various cancer types. Methods: We first downloaded TCGA RNA-seq BAM files (>60TB) across 20 cancer types from the UCSC Cancer Genomic Hub (CGHub) and quantified the lncRNA expression based on GENCODE lncRNA annotation. To identify lncRNA drivers, we focused on identifying the functional relevant lncRNA-protein pairs through their expression profiling data. To prevent acquiring more false positives from conventional correlation analysis, we applied the context likelihood of relatedness (CLR) algorithm on evaluating co-expressed lncRNA and protein pairs based on RNA-seq and reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) data. In addition, to further increase the clinical relevance of the potential lncRNA drivers, we conducted survival analysis and tumor/normal differential analysis to boost the prediction power of our systematic computational approach. Results: In this study, we integrated lncRNA expression, protein expression and patient survival data to nominate lncRNA drivers in 20 cancers. Among ~4 million lncRNA-protein pairs, we have identified 9 lncRNA drivers and 16 potential lncRNA-protein interaction pairs linked with them. To validate our findings, we selected 3 lncRNAs with high confidence and performed knockdown experiments in multiple cell lines, in which 2 lncRNAs (TMPO-AS1 and HCP5) showed functional relevance with protein-coding genes MSH6 and LCK respectively. Both of the pairs have the same direction of correlations (positive or negative) as we predicted. Our results indicate that the identified lncRNAs may functionally interact with their protein partners identified by our network-based approach, which will further provide the molecular foundation for investigating cancer mechanisms, identifying prognostic lncRNA markers and characterizing additional therapeutic targets. Citation Format: Jun Li, Zhicheng Zhou, Han Liang. A systematic network-based approach to prioritizing lncRNA drivers in cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer: Mechanisms to Medicines ; 2015 Dec 4-7; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A36.
Ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) modulators: a patent review

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSK) are a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases that are downstream effectors of MEK1/2-ERK1/2. Increased RSK activation is implicated in the etiology of multiple pathologies, including numerous types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, liver and lung fibrosis, and infections.Areas covered: The review summarizes the patent and scientific literature on small molecule modulators of RSK and their potential use as therapeutics. The patents were identified using World Intellectual Property Organization and United States Patent and Trademark Office databases. The compounds described are predominantly RSK inhibitors, but a RSK activator is also described. The majority of the inhibitors are not RSK-specific.Expert opinion: Based on the overwhelming evidence that RSK is involved in a number of diseases that have high mortalities it seems surprising that there are no RSK modulators that have pharmacokinetic properties suitable for in vivo use. MEK1/2 inhibitors are i...
Emotions in Adaptive Computer Technologies for Adults Improving Reading

In the United States, more than 15 % of adults are struggling with low literacy skills. Adults who struggle with reading are a heterogeneous group with an extremely varied set of skills and experiences. Difficult circumstances often dictate their ability to attend classes regularly thus leading to problems in their ability to engage with and retain learning strategies. The Center for the Study of Adult Literacy (CSAL) has designed an adaptive, web-based instructional tutor that could meet the struggling adult learners' needs for individualized instruction and emotional support. Each CSAL AutoTutor lesson utilizes two computerized agents (a peer agent and a tutor agent) in a trialogue conversation with the adult learner. These agents give the learner guidance, support, and a narrative through which to view each lesson. The agents also allow the adult learner the opportunity to interact and collaborate in a range of scenarios. Texts and examples have been carefully selected for multiple difficulty levels. Based on performance, learners are given easier passages and increased feedback to provide the learner with additional support through moments of confusion. More challenging material with decreased amounts of feedback is provided to learners who are succeeding with the strategies in order to negate boredom and improve motivation.
A low-power IoT framework: From sensors to the cloud

With today's technology humanity is continuously approaching a time where a vast majority of our electronic devices will be interconnected, or networked, commonly known as the Internet of Things (IoT). This project proposes an IoT-based wireless sensor network with configurable nodes with multiple sensors, also known as transducers. The nodes can collect data from the surrounding environment, and present it on the cloud for universal accessibility by the users. With this system, users can easily access and analyze various data, such as temperature, humidity, motion detection, illuminance, CO gas, air quality, etc. and take necessary actions upon that information. The feasibility of proposed IoT transducer framework has been verified through real-time hardware implementation.
Edge task force on head and neck cancer outcomes a systematic review of Outcome Measures for Temporomandibular-related Dysfunction

Background: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) often experience significant postoperative limitations in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) function, facial pain, reduced nutritional intake, speech impairments, and compromised activities of daily living due to side effects of cancer treatment. Physical therapists treating these individuals must use valid and reliable patientreported outcome measures to quantify change related to physical therapy intervention for the TMJ. Purpose: As part of the activities of the Oncology Section EDGE Task Force on Head and Neck Cancer Outcomes, we report evidence-based recommendations for patient-reported outcome measures for individuals with HNC-related temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Methods: A systematic literature review of TMD-related patient-reported outcome measures that are clinically feasible and relevant to the HNC patient population was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model. Recommendations are based on the quality of psychometric properties, clinical utility, and previous use in HNC-related research. Twenty-two outcome measures were selected for review; 4 received a rating of 3, “recommended” for use in the HNC population. Conclusions: A variety of outcome measures have been reported in the literature for individuals with HNC-related TMD. Four measures, the Graded Chronic Pain Scale, 8 and 20-item Jaw Functional Limitation Scale and TMD Pain Screener, are recommended for clinical use by the researchers on this task force although it is important to note psychometric properties specific to the HNC population are lacking. Systematic Review Registration Number: PROSPERO CRD42013004898
SAFETY OF PERFLUTREN-BASED ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC CONTRAST AGENT ADMINISTRATION IN THE SETTING OF A PATENT FORAMEN OVALE (PFO): A MULTICENTER STUDY CONDUCTED IN TERTIARY CARE CENTERS BASED IN THE NEW YORK/CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREAS

Background: PFO's are prevalent in the population. Guidelines recommend use of echo contrast (EC) in pts with poor acoustic windows (approx. 20% pts). However, EC has been contraindicated in pts with intracardiac R-L shunting. Thus, there is limited information regarding safety of EC in pts with PFO