cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hedgehog Signaling Links Chronic Inflammation to Gastric Cancer Precursor Lesions.

Since its initial discovery in Drosophila, Hedgehog (HH) signaling has long been associated with foregut development. The mammalian genome expresses 3 HH ligands, with sonic hedgehog (SHH) levels highest in the mucosa of the embryonic foregut. More recently, interest in the pathway has shifted to improving our understanding of its role in gastrointestinal cancers. The use of reporter mice proved instrumental in our ability to probe the expression pattern of SHH ligand and the cell types responding to canonical HH signaling during homeostasis, inflammation, and neoplastic transformation. SHH is highly expressed in parietal cells and is required for these cells to produce gastric acid. Furthermore, myofibroblasts are the predominant cell type responding to HH ligand in the uninfected stomach. Chronic infection caused by Helicobacter pylori and associated inflammation induces parietal cell atrophy and the expansion of metaplastic cell types, a precursor to gastric cancer in human subjects. During Helicobacter infection in mice, canonical HH signaling is required for inflammatory cells to be recruited from the bone marrow to the stomach and for metaplastic development. Specifically, polarization of the invading myeloid cells to myeloid-derived suppressor cells requires the HH-regulated transcription factor GLI1, thereby creating a microenvironment favoring wound healing and neoplastic transformation. In mice, GLI1 mediates the phenotypic shift to gastric myeloid-derived suppressor cells by directly inducing Schlafen 4 (slfn4). However, the human homologs of SLFN4, designated SLFN5 and SLFN12L, also correlate with intestinal metaplasia and could be used as biomarkers to predict the subset of individuals who might progress to gastric cancer and benefit from treatment with HH antagonists.
Charge-integrating organic heterojunction phototransistors for wide-dynamic-range image sensors

Solution-processed phototransistors can substantially advance the performance of image sensors. Phototransistors exhibit large photoconductive gain and a sublinear responsivity to irradiance, which enables a logarithmic sensing of irradiance that is akin to the human eye and has a wider dynamic range than photodiode-based image sensors. Here, we present a novel solution-processed phototransistor composed of a heterostructure between a high-mobility organic semiconductor and an organic bulk heterojunction. The device efficiently integrates photogenerated charge during the period of a video frame then quickly discharges it, which significantly increases the signal-to-noise ratio compared with sampling photocurrent during readout. Phototransistor-based image sensors processed without photolithography on plastic substrates integrate charge with external quantum efficiencies above 100% at 100 frames per second. In addition, the sublinear responsivity to irradiance of these devices enables a wide dynamic range of 103 dB at 30 frames per second, which is competitive with state-of-the-art image sensors. A solution-processed organic phototransistor is operated at 100-frame-per-second rates with external quantum efficiencies above 100%. Dynamic range as high as 103 dB was shown for 30-frame-per-second operation.
Death Cafés: Death Doulas and Family Communication

The Death Cafe is part of the Death Positive movement, and as such, is uniquely positioned to bring the dialogue about death and dying to the public. Participants in a Death Cafe typically have two different perspectives. Some participants have not experienced death in their family and friends’ circle and wish to converse with others about their beliefs on death and dying. Others are those who have experienced death somewhere in their circle of friends and families. One of goals of the Death Cafe facilitators is to help attendees reconcile their family narratives regarding death using the broader lens of the Death Cafe. Using the insights provided by interviews from 15 Death Cafe facilitators, this manuscript discusses the role of the Death Cafe facilitators as the death doulas of family communication.
Impact of acetaminophen consumption and resistance exercise on extracellular matrix gene expression in human skeletal muscle

Acetaminophen (APAP) given during chronic exercise reduces skeletal muscle collagen and cross-linking in rats. We propose that the effect of APAP on muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) may, in part, ...
Radio Flares and the Magnetic Field Structure in Gamma-Ray Burst Outflows

The magnetic field structure in γ-ray burst (GRB) outflows is of great interest, as it can provide valuable clues that might help pin down the mechanism responsible for the acceleration and collimation of GRB jets. The most promising way of probing this magnetic field structure is through polarization measurements of the synchrotron emission from the GRB ejecta, which includes the prompt γ-ray emission and the emission from the reverse shock. Measuring polarization in γ-rays with current instruments is extremely difficult: so far there is only one claim of detection (a very high degree of linear polarization in GRB 021206), which, despite the favorable conditions, remains highly controversial and is probably not real. The emission from the reverse shock that propagates into the ejecta as it is decelerated by the ambient medium peaks in the optical on a timescale of tens of seconds (the so-called optical flash) and dominates the optical emission up to about 10 minutes after the GRB. Unfortunately, no polarization measurements of this optical emission have been made to date. However, after the reverse shock finishes crossing the shell of GRB ejecta, the shocked ejecta cools adiabatically and radiates at lower and lower frequencies. This emission peaks in the radio after about 1 day and is called the "radio flare." We use VLA data of radio flares from GRBs to constrain the polarization of this emission. We find only upper limits for both linear and circular polarization. Our best limits are for GRB 991216, for which we find 3 σ upper limits on the linear and circular polarization of 7% and 9%, respectively. These limits provide interesting constraints on existing GRB models. Specifically, our results are hard to reconcile with a predominantly ordered toroidal magnetic field in the GRB outflow together with a "structured" jet, where the energy per solid angle drops as the inverse square of the angle from the jet axis, as is expected in models in which the outflow is Poynting flux dominated.
Hemodynamics Study of Different Take-Off Angles of the Left Coronary Artery

Coronary arteries are located on the surface of the heart and supply oxygenated blood to the myocardium and other components of the heart. The two coronary arteries located above the aortic arch are the Left Coronary Artery (LCA) and Right Coronary Artery (RCA). The LCA branches into the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) and the Left Circumflex (LCx) while the RCA branches into the Right Marginal Artery (RMA) and Post Descending Artery (PDA). The coronary arteries are likened to a complex tube-like structure, and the motion of the heart cause changes in pressure, which allows proper blood circulation during the systolic and diastolic phases [1].Since it is essential to understand the physiological and hemodynamical behavior of the heart and coronary arteries, numerous studies have been conducted at different artery locations in the heart. Most of the research has focused on the branches between the LAD and LCx, with little or no attention directed towards the take-off angle the LCA makes with the aortic root. Although it has been reported that certain take-off angles of left main (LM) can be considered anomalous, findings have documented that such take off angles can make the artery prone to atherosclerosis and sudanophilia diseases [2]. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has in recent years been used to solve a wide variety of fluid flow challenges, and can be used for this study.The goal of this study is to use CFD techniques to study the hemodynamics of the different take-off angles of the left coronary artery from the aortic root. This will help identify areas in the left coronary artery that could be prone to atherosclerosis buildup.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of 3-Substituted 1H-Indoles and Tryptophan Derivatives with Vinylcyclopropanes

Vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) are known to generate 1,3-dipoles with a palladium catalyst that initially serve as nucleophiles to undergo [3 + 2] cycloadditions with electron-deficient olefins. In this report, we reverse this reactivity and drive the 1,3-dipoles to serve as electrophiles by employing 3-alkylated indoles as nucleophiles. This represents the first use of VCPs for the completely atom-economic functionalization of 3-substituted 1H-indoles and tryptophan derivatives via a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation (Pd-AAA). Excellent yields and high chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivities have been realized, providing various indolenine and indoline products. The method is amenable to gram scale and works efficiently with tryptophan derivatives that contain a diketopiperazine or diketomorpholine ring, allowing us to synthesize mollenine A in a rapid and ligand-controlled fashion. The obtained indolenine products bear an imine, an internal olefin, and a malonate motif, giving multiple sites with d...
Toward the scaling limit of the charm spectrum using domain wall and relativistic heavy quark

We have extended the earlier relativistic heavy quark (RHQ) charm calculations performed on the 243 × 64, 1/a = 1.73 GeV, RBC/UKQCD lattice ensembles to the recently generated 323 × 64, 1/a = 2.32 GeV configurations. By calculating masses of charmonium and charm-strange states on these finer lattices, and comparing them to known experimental values, the RHQ parameters are determined and meson masses of interest are predicted. We have also examined the continuum limit of the resulting masses and present a new determination of the lattice spacing for these 323 ×64 ensembles.
Many 401(k) Sponsors Suspending Matching Contributions Are Funding Defined Benefit Pension Plans

This paper presents a review by the Employee Benefit Research Institute of 251 401(k) plan sponsors that have suspended matching contributions for their approximately 4.4 million workers. The review found that those employing 50 percent of the workers also maintained an open defined benefit plan. An additional 16 percent of workers were with employers that were still obligated to fund a frozen defined benefit plan. Further, 8 percent of the workers were with an employer that had both an open and a frozen defined benefit plan that carried funding obligations. Because of the current economic conditions, many of these employers must make what are unexpected contributions to the defined benefit plan as a result of asset losses and liability growth, but they can eliminate what are discretionary matching contributions to a 401(k)-type plan. For the 50 percent of the workers in this group of 251 employers, the 401(k)-type retirement plan is an additional benefit to the open defined benefit pension plan; thus, retirement benefits are still being provided by the employer, in spite of the suspended 401(k) matching contribution. Having detailed information on these firms would allow for a more detailed analysis and firmer findings, but the information gleaned from what is available suggests that most 401(k)-type matching contribution suspensions for this group of companies are taking place at employers that also have other retirement plan obligations, specifically for a defined benefit pension. It must be noted that it is not known how many out of the universe beyond this group of 251 employers have suspended matching contributions, covering how many additional workers. The PDF for the above title, published in the June 2009 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another June 2009 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Savings Needed for Health Expenses in Retirement: An Examination of Persons Ages 55 and 65 in 2009.”
Interruption of tumor-associated platelet consumption with platelet enzyme inhibitors

Twenty dogs with naturally occurring metastatic tumors were treated with anticoagulants (Warfarin) or platelet enzyme inhibitor drugs (dipyridamole, dipyridamole plus aspirin, RA233, sulfinpyrazone, or a combination of RA233 and sulfinpyrazone) to determine if tumor-related reductions in platelet survival and concentration could be reversed. Anticoagulation was ineffective, while platelet enzyme inhibitors were able to produce improvements in platelet survival. Of the 18 dogs with metastatic tumor treated with platelet enzyme inhibitors, only 5 (28%) showed a reduction in platelet survival during the first week of observation on therapy compared to their baseline survivals. This is significantly different than the decreases in platelet survivals observed in 8 of 10 untreated dogs (80%) with metastatic tumor observed for the same interval. Furthermore, 8 of the 18 treated dogs (44%) had platelet survivals within 2 standard deviations of normal, compared to only 1 of 10 untreated dogs. Of the 8 dogs with normal platelet survivals, 6 were treated with a combination of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (RA233 or dipyridamole) and a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (sulfinpyrazone or aspirin). The combination of RA233 and sulfinpyrazone was the best drug program tested and resulted in normal platelet survivals in 63% and improved platelet counts in 75% of the animals treated. Thus, platelet enzyme inhibitors with different mechanisms of action may have a synergistic effect in reversing the abnormal platelet hemostasis found in a variety of spontaneously occurring canine neoplasms.
Troubled Pasts: News and the Collective Memory of Social Unrest, by Jill A. Edy

In the days and months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the public's approval of President Bush skyrocketed to nearly 90%, and its trust in government exceeded 60% for the first time since the mid...
Reliability of scoring respiratory disturbance indices and sleep staging.

Study Objectives: Unattended, home-based polysomnography (PSG) is increasingly used in both research and clinical settings as an alternative to traditional laboratory-based studies, although the reliability of the scoring of these studies has not been described. The purpose of this study is to describe the reliability of the PSG scoring in the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS), a multicenter study of the relation between sleep-disordered breathing measured by unattended, in-home PSG using a portable sleep monitor, and cardiovascular outcomes. Design: The reliability of SHHS scorers was evaluated based on 20 randomly selected studies per scorer, assessing both interscorer and intrascorer reliability. Results: Both inter- and intrascorer comparisons on epoch-by-epoch sleep staging showed excellent reliability (kappa statistics >0.80), with stage 1 having the greatest discrepancies in scoring and stage 3/4 being the most reliably discriminated. The arousal index (number of arousals per hour of sleep) was moderately reliable, with an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.54. The scorers were highly reliable on various respiratory disturbance indices (RDls), which incorporate an associated oxygen desaturation in the definition of respiratory events (2% to 5%) with or without the additional use of associated EEG arousal in the definition of respiratory events (ICC>0.90). When RDI was defined without considering oxygen desaturation or arousals to define respiratory events, the RDI was moderately reliable (ICC=0.74). The additional use of associated EEG arousals, but not oxygen desaturation, in defining respiratory events did little to increase the reliability of the RDI measure (ICC=0.77). Conclusions: The SHHS achieved a high degree of intrascorer and interscorer reliability for the scoring of sleep stage and RDI in unattended in-home PSG studies.
Abstract 3334: CREB is required for KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis

The aberrant constitutive activation of the transcription factor, cyclic-AMP response element- binding (CREB) protein, has been associated with poor prognosis and chemotherapeutic resistance in KRAS-mutated human cancers, one of which includes non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the role of CREB in KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis has not been fully understood. Using adenoviral delivery of Cre specifically to the mouse lung, we generated a new transgenic lung cancer mouse model driven by Kras activating mutation G12D and concomitant with Creb loss (KrasLSL-G12D/+; CrebFlox/Flox). In this study, we used this model to show that a proto-oncogenic transcription factor CREB, is required for KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis. Loss of Creb (Creb-/-) in the mice harboring Kras-mutated lung tumors significantly suppressed tumor development, and thus, dramatically prolonged mouse survival when compared to either wild (Creb+/+) or heterozygous (Creb+/-) deletion of Creb. Mechanistically, we identified a few novel CREB target gene. These data suggest that CREB is essential for KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis and that CREB could be a potential target for therapeutic treatment for individuals suffering from KRAS-mutant lung cancers. Citation Format: Jong woo Lee, Frank J. Slack, Eric J. Nestler, Roy S. Herbst, Jaseok Peter Koo. CREB is required for KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3334.
Adiponectin Regulation and Function

Adipose tissue is now recognized as an important endocrine organ, capable of secreting a large number of endocrine factors which regulate a wide variety of physiological functions. Adiponectin is one such factor, secreted in large quantities primarily from adipose tissue. Adiponectin is posttranslationally modified from a 30-kDa monomeric protein into different multimers (low molecular weight or trimer, middle molecular weight or hexamer, and high molecular weight) and secreted into the circulation. Upon binding to its receptors, AdipoR1 and R2, adiponectin initiates a series of tissue-dependent signal transduction events, including phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate (AMPK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) ligand activity. These signal transduction events are regulated by adaptor protein containing a pleckstrin homology domain, phosphotyrosine binding domain, and leucine zipper motif (APPL1), which binds directly to the intracellular regions of AdipoR1 and R2. AdipoR1 and R2 also possesses inherent ceramidase activity, resulting in a decrease in intracellular ceramide, a sphingolipid that has been implicated in insulin resistance, cell death, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Adiponectin stimulates fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle and inhibits glucose production in the liver, resulting in an improvement in whole-body energy homeostasis. Adiponectin is also a classic anti-inflammatory agent, reducing inflammation in various cell types through AdipoR1 and R2 signaling mechanisms. Adiponectin's anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties results in protection of the vasculature, heart, lung, and colon. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the discovery, protein structure, receptors, expression, regulation, and physiological functions of adiponectin. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:1031-1063, 2018.
Generalist dispersal and gene flow of an endangered keystone specialist (Dipodomys ingens)

Movement ecology and dispersal capabilities inherently drive genetic structure across landscapes. Through understanding dispersal and gene flow of giant kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ingens), conservation efforts can be focused, and we can further understand how genetic structure persists in this highly endemic small mammal. Here, we genetically identify parent–offspring and sibship relationships among 239 giant kangaroo rats using 15 microsatellites in the northern part of the species range and describe the individual genetic-spatial variation using a Moran eigenvector map (MEM). We further employ two landscape genetic analyses (isolation by resistance [IBR] and least cost paths [LCPs]) and two individual-based genetic metrics (Dps and a codominant marker distance from GenAlEx) to determine landscape factors (precipitation, slope, vegetation community, and roads) that influence gene flow. We found 19 pairs of related individuals, of which 18 were less than 250 m apart, but one sibling pair was 5.52 km apart, suggesting greater dispersal capabilities than previously noted. We found hierarchal spatial genetic structure using a MEM, with 3–4 genetically similar regions and two genetically similar subregions. Finally, we found low correlative strength between landscape features and gene flow. IBR consistently outperformed LCPs, and there was evidence that regions with 250–350 mm of precipitation and slope ≤ 5° promoted connectivity. We recommend that managers focus on habitat protection rather than corridor maintenance, with the caveat that anthropogenic factors were minimally considered in this study.
Paul McCartney in a Hurricane: Pairing If I Ever Get Out of Here and Drowned City in a Content Area Literacy course

Ashley Dallacqua and Rick Marlatt examine the challenges in linking the classroom concepts of specific Content Area Literacy and Young Adult Literature. They suggest that developing a range of pathways for readers to engage, learn, and question within their particular literacy communities enable them to appreciate and build the different ways that texts can speak to them.
Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders (PTLDs)

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are lymphoid or plasmacytic proliferations that develop in solid organ, bone marrow, or stem cell allograft recipients in a setting of immunosuppression. PTLDs’ spectrum ranges from usually EBV-driven reactive lymphoid/plasmacytic proliferations to EBV+ or EBV− monoclonal lymphomas or plasmacytic neoplasms, as well as classical Hodgkin lymphoma, indistinguishable from true B-cell/plasma cell or less often T/NK-cell lymphomas occurring in immunocompetent individuals. There are four major categories of PTLD: nondestructive, polymorphic (P-PTLD), monomorphic (M-PTLD), and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL-PTLD) PTLDs. Nondestructive PTLDs, including plasmacytic hyperplasia, infectious mononucleosis, and florid follicular hyperplasia, are characterized by some degree of architecture preservation of the involved tissue, with preservation of the nodal sinuses or tonsillar crypts, and residual or florid reactive follicles (FFH) in some cases but an absence of any diagnostic features of a malignant lymphoma of the latter three categories or other known explanations and nonspecific chronic inflammatory processes.
Experimental observations on fine sand winnowing from immobile gravel substrate

Abstract Introduction of fine sand into gravel-bed rivers has surged tremendously as a result of human activities. The ecological concerns for river habitats have called for suitable management strategies for cleaning these particles from gravel bed rivers. This paper is concerned with determining movement threshold of fine sand initially entrapped in the spaces between large immobile elements resembling a coarse riverine substrate with flow depths comparable to non-erodible element sizes. Static equilibrium condition was reached during an experimental run by maintaining a zero-supply condition for sand. It was assumed that the flow condition corresponding to this sand level was representative of critical conditions for onset of sand motion. A nonlinear regression curve was fitted between the level of the sand and associated critical shear stress. The flow field measurements using an ultrasonic Doppler rofiler delineate main features of the shallow flow over large roughness elements such as sharp velocity gradients near the crest of the immobile elements, and also a deviation of instantaneous velocity probability density function from normal distribution very close to the sand level.
Obama’s Attempted Reconstitution of the Cuban People

U.S. President Barack Obama’s March 22, 2016 address to the Cuban people in Havana, Cuba aimed at restoring communal relations between Cuba and the United States by providing a vision of a hopeful ...
Multiple-charge beam dynamics in an ion linac

An advanced facility for the production of nuclei far from stability could be based on a high-power driver accelerator providing ion beams over the full mass range from protons to uranium. A beam power of several hundred kilowatts is highly desirable for this application. At present, however, the beam power available for the heavier ions would be limited by ion source capabilities. A simple and cost-effective method to enhance the available beam current would be to accelerate multiple charge states through a superconducting ion linac. This paper presents results of numerical simulation of multiple charge state beams through a 1.3 GeV ion linac, the design of which is based on current state-of-the-art superconducting elements. The dynamics of multiple charge state beams are detailed, including the effects of possible errors in rf field parameters and misalignments of transverse focusing elements. The results indicate that operation with multiple charge state beams is not only feasible but straightforward and can increase the beam current by a factor of 3 or more.
Modeling and Control Strategy for Multiterminal Flexible DC Distribution Network with Echelon Utilization Power Battery

With the integration of distributed renewable energy to the distribution network and the development of multiterminal flexible DC transmission technology, multiterminal flexible DC distribution net...
Challenges in Robotic Liver Surgery

Over the course of the last 20 years, minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) has been gaining widespread acceptance. MILS is currently considered a good alternative to open surgery. Despite the numerous improved outcomes, MILS did not yet reach the apex of its popularity. The reasons for this delay in MILS routine adoption are partly to be found in several obstacles posed by laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). LLR is an effective approach (with all the minimally invasive advantages), but it has several hurdles/limitations. Robotic liver resection (RLR) provides multiple technological and operative advantages, and it has solved some of the LLR limitations. In this chapter, the present challenges in RLR will be described, and also we will give our additional remarks on possible future trends.
An Expert System for Alarm Diagnosis and Filtering

This paper describes an alarm processing system being developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for implementation in the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The purpose of the system is to perform two related functions, alarm diagnosis and filtering, to aid nuclear plant operators in responding to the large number of alarms typically activated during a major plant transient. The alarm diagnostician determines the root cause of a pattern or sequence of alarms and generates an explanation of the events leading to the alarm sequence. The alarm filter identifies and deemphasize those alarms which are either irrelevant to the current plant condition or contribute no significant new information.
Diaphragm muscle denervation following mid-cervical contusion injury (871.6)

Respiratory failure is one of the most important complications of cervical spinal cord injury. The level of injury critically determines the severity of the complications. We hypothesized that higher cervical contusion injuries will compromise the motor neuron pool and the descending bulbospinal projections, causing greater functional compromise than contusions at lower levels. Unilateral contusion was performed on adult rats at either the C3 or C5 levels vs. laminectomy. No deficit was seen in ventilatory and non-ventilatory behaviors as assessed by whole body plethysmography or chronic diaphragm electromyography up to 2 weeks. Contusion injuries at either level resulted in similarly sized cavity formation. Phrenic motor neuron loss differed, with C3 contusion causing a 50% loss of phrenic motor neurons, and C5 contusion only 20% loss compared to the contralateral side. The percent of NMJs that were denervated followed a segmental pattern. Following C3 contusion, ventral regions of the diaphragm displaye...
Texture-specific elemental analysis of rocks and soils with PIXL: The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry on Mars 2020

PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) is a micro-focus X-ray fluorescence instrument for examining fine scale chemical variations in rocks and soils on planetary surfaces. Selected for flight on the science payload for the proposed Mars 2020 rover, PIXL can measure elemental chemistry of tiny features observed in rocks, such as individual sand grains, veinlets, cements, concretions and crystals, using a 100 µm-diameter, high-flux X-ray beam that can be scanned across target surfaces.
Beamline Instrumentation for Future Parity-Violation Experiments

The parity-violating electron scattering community has made tremendous progress over the last twenty five years in their ability to measure tiny asymmetries of order 100 parts per billion (ppb) with beam-related corrections and systematic errors of a few ppb. Future experiments are planned for about an order of magnitude smaller asymmetries and with higher rates in the detectors. These new experiments pose new challenges for the beam instrumentation and for the strategy for setting up the beam. In this contribution to PAVI14 I discuss several of these challenges and demands, with a focus on developments at Jefferson Lab.
Deformation in wrought Mg-9Wt Pct Y

Considerable tensile-compressive yield strength anisotropy is normally associated with textured wrought magnesium alloys.1 The ease of {1012} twinning is responsible for the lower compressive yield strengths of these materials. In Mg-9 wt pct Y, however, approximately equal tensile and compressive yield strengths of about 50 ksi have been previously reported.2 This investigation was performed to study the deformation of wrought Mg-9 wt pct Y with the purpose of understanding its unusual isotropic behavior. It was found that almost no {1012} twinning occurs in this alloy, thus accounting for the absence of anisotropy. Initial plastic deformation both in tension and compression occurs almost entirely by slip, primarily on the basal plane. Subsequent deformation occurs by a combination of slip and {1121} twinning with short {1012} twins appearing only occasionally.
Gβγ acts at the C terminus of SNAP-25 to mediate presynaptic inhibition

Presynaptic inhibition mediated by G protein-coupled receptors may involve a direct interaction between G proteins and the vesicle fusion machinery. The molecular target of this pathway is unknown. We demonstrate that Gbetagamma-mediated presynaptic inhibition in lamprey central synapses occurs downstream from voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. Using presynaptic microinjections of botulinum toxins (BoNTs) during paired recordings, we find that cleavage of synaptobrevin in unprimed vesicles leads to an eventual exhaustion of synaptic transmission but does not prevent Gbetagamma-mediated inhibition. In contrast, cleavage of the C-terminal nine amino acids of the 25 kDa synaptosome-associated protein (SNAP-25) by BoNT A prevents Gbetagamma-mediated inhibition. Moreover, a peptide containing the region of SNAP-25 cleaved by BoNT A blocks the Gbetagamma inhibitory effect. Finally, removal of the last nine amino acids of the C-terminus of SNAP-25 weakens Gbetagamma interactions with soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes. Thus, the C terminus of SNAP-25, which links synaptotagmin I to the SNARE complex, may represent a target of Gbetagamma for presynaptic inhibition.
Methods for efficient use of Lagrangian relaxation for SOC soft-module floorplanning

In this paper, we present new methods to improve the performance of sequence-pair-based floorplanning algorithms for SOCs (system-on-chip) and microprocessors. Edge pruning and more accurate initial value settings significantly reduce CPU time for soft-module floorplanning of large numbers of modules using Lagrangian relaxation (LR). A floor planner, ELF-SP, which implements these methods, runs faster than published approaches, and produces better or comparable floorplans.
Export of the siderophore enterobactin in Escherichia coli: involvement of a 43 kDa membrane exporter

Summary The enterobactin system for iron transport in Escherichia coli is well characterized with the exception of the mechanism of enterobactin secretion to the extracellular environment. Escherichia coli membrane protein P43, encoded by ybdA in the chromosomal region of genes involved in enterobactin synthesis, shows strong homology to the 12transmembrane segment major facilitator superfamily of export pumps. A P43-null mutation was created and siderophore nutrition assays, performed with a panel of E. coli strains expressing one or more outer membrane receptors for enterobactin-related compounds, demonstrated that the P43 mutant was unable to secrete enterobactin efficiently. Products released from the mutant strain were identified with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), revealing that the P43 mutant secretes little, if any, enterobactin, but elevated levels of enterobactin breakdown products 2,3dihydroxybenzoylserine (DHBS) monomer, dimer, and trimer. These data establish that P43 is a critical component of the E. coli enterobactin secretion machinery and provides a rationale for the designation of the previous genetic locus ybdA as entS to reflect its relevant biological function.
Effects of halothane and other anesthetic agents on the concentrations of rat liver metabolites in vivo.

The technique of freeze-clamping has been used to study metabolic changes occurring in the livers of rats in vivo after acute or chronic exposure to halothane (2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1,-trifluoroethane), an anesthetic agent in common clinical use. For comparison similar experiments were carried out with methoxyflurane, trichlorethylene, or diethyl ether. In fed animals, exposure to halothane (1.5%, v/v) for 60 min caused glycogenolysis in the liver, with a significant decrease in tissue glycogen and increase in tissue and blood glucose concentrations. These changes were accompanied by a 50% decrease in the concentrations of 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate. The oxidation-reduction states of the NAD couple in both cytoplasm and mitochondria were unaffected by halothane. One hour after withdrawal of halothane the decrease in glycogen persisted, whereas glucose returned to normal within 30 min. On repeated exposure of animals to halothane (six successive periods of anesthesia for 60 min at 48-hr intervals) the glycogenolytic response was less marked, because of glycogen stores were not replenished between periods of anesthesia. At the end of the sixth anesthesia period the levels of 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate were 25% and 40% lower, respectively, than in the unanesthetized controls. Depletion of glycogen persisted for more than 3 days, but less than 4 weeks, after repeated exposure to halothane. None of the liver metabolite changes brought about by halothane in fed rats were found in rats fasted for 24 hr or in livers from rats adapted to a high-fat diet. Glycogenolysis was a metabolic response common to all four anesthetic agents tested. Only halothane brought about decreases in 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate concentrations: a single exposure (30 min) to trichlorethylene (1%, v/v, in O2) caused a 60% increase in 2-oxoglutarate concentration over the unanesthetized control value.
An on-line laboratory in sensation and perception

Three components of a teaching laboratory in perception are described that (1) compare several psychophysical methods for measuring visual illusions, (2) simulate experiments on dark adaptation, and (3) allow participation in auditory demonstrations or experiments. Features of special interest include: interactive use of graphics, software for simulating experiments (such as EXPER SIM, University of Michigan), and use of A/D, D/A, and TTL ports to interface special peripherals.
Conductive polymer blends prepared by in situ polymerization of pyrrole: A review

Electrically conductive polymer blends can be prepared by in situ polymerization of pyrrole within another polymer matrix. This may be accomplished using either electrochemical or chemical oxidative polymerization. This paper reviews the literature on this subject.
Total Synthesis and Stereochemical Assignment of the Salicylate Antitumor Macrolide Lobatamide C1

The total synthesis and stereochemical assignment of the potent antitumor macrolide lobatamide C is reported. The synthesis involves Cu(I)-mediated enamide formation and Na(2)CO(3)-mediated esterification of a beta-hydroxy acid and a salicylate cyanomethyl ester. Macrolactonization was accomplished using a Mitsunobu protocol. The stereochemical assignment of lobatamide C was achieved by Mosher ester analysis and comparison with prepared stereoisomers.
An Atypical Orphan Carbohydrate-NRPS Genomic Island Encodes a Novel Lytic Transglycosylase

Microbial genome sequencing platforms have produced a deluge of orphan biosynthetic pathways suspected of biosynthesizing new small molecules with pharmacological relevance. Genome synteny analysis provides an assessment of genomic island content, which is enriched in natural product gene clusters. Here we identified an atypical orphan carbohydrate-nonribosomal peptide synthetase genomic island in Photorhabdus luminescens using genome synteny analysis. Heterologous expression of the pathway led to the characterization of five oligosaccharide metabolites with lysozyme inhibitory activities. The oligosaccharides harbor a 1,6-anhydro-β-D-N-acetyl-glucosamine moiety, a rare structural feature for natural products. Gene deletion analysis and biochemical reconstruction of oligosaccharide production led to the discovery that a hypothetical protein in the pathway is a lytic transglycosylase responsible for bicyclic sugar formation. The example presented here supports the notion that targeting select genomic islands with reduced reliance on known protein homologies could enhance the discovery of new metabolic chemistry and biology.
Significant global variability in a facility-level greenhouse gas assessment of primary nickel

A cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas assessment of nickel for every major mine, smelter, and refinery worldwide reveals a high degree of variability in emissions per unit of contained metal. The difference between lowest and highest carbon-intensive producers is 70–100 fold, for each stage of production. The results suggest that using global average LCI data for nickel can seriously misrepresent the actual impacts of production.
Papetto: Crafting Embodied Co-Presence in Video Chat

In this paper, we describe Papetto, a lightweight robotic arm that moves according to face detection techniques in order to mirror facial movements such as head shaking, leaning and tilting. Using this system we examine the role of the "frame" in video chat and how embodied co-presence is defined and bounded through light-weight robotic mirroring to enable new forms of engagement in remote communication.
Linking strategic planning narratives to process-centric business models

Strategic planning and business process reengineering methods have never achieved a high level of alignment. Hence, the strategic planning effort has been sidelined as strictly a high-level management effort whose outcome rarely drives the business process implementation phase of a project. This research paper presents the foundations of a methodology that allows for the formal alignment of narrative strategic planning information with logical process modelling methods and policy oversight. It is expected that the methodology will provide greater insight and control throughout the organisational planning cycle.
Purification and characteristics of a peptide (speract) associated with eggs that stimulates spermatozoa

A peptide (speract) associated with sea urchin eggs has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The peptide is rich in glycine, does not contain arginine or lysine residues, and has a blocked or modified N-terminal amino acid. Speract dramatically stimulates sperm respiration rates and motility but requires extracellular Na+ for both effects. Li+ but not K+ is able to partially substitute for Na+. Speract also causes increases of sperm cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP concentrations. 8-Bromo-cyclic GMP reproduces the effects of speract on sperm respiration and motility, and also requires extracellular Na+ for its effects. Monensin A, an ionophore that catalyzes an electro-neutral Na+ exchange, also reproduces the effects of speract on sperm respiration and motility. Monensin requires extracellular Na+, and like speract induces a Na+-dependent, net proton efflux as well as an increased flux of 22Na+ in both directions across the cell membrane.
Multiplexed quantification of nucleic acids with large dynamic range using multivolume digital RT-PCR on a rotational SlipChip tested with HIV and Hepatitis C viral load

In this paper, we are working toward a problem of great importance to global health: determination of viral HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) loads under point-of-care and resource limited settings. While antiretroviral treatments are becoming widely available, viral load must be evaluated at regular intervals to prevent the spread of drug resistance and requires a quantitative measurement of RNA concentration over a wide dynamic range (from 50 up to 106 molecules/mL for HIV and up to 108 molecules/mL for HCV). “Digital” single molecule measurements are attractive for quantification, but the dynamic range of such systems is typically limited or requires excessive numbers of compartments. Here we designed and tested two microfluidic rotational SlipChips to perform multivolume digital RT-PCR (MV digital RT-PCR) experiments with large and tunable dynamic range. These designs were characterized using synthetic control RNA and validated with HIV viral RNA and HCV control viral RNA. The first design contained 160 wells...
Model of charge density wave elasticity

Abstract We present a simple model of the elasticity of charge density wave conductors. The model is an extension of the Frenkel-Kontorova model which introduces elasticity into the normally rigid sinusoidal potential. All of the anomalies in Young's modulus and internal friction observed experimentally as a function of dc and ac applied electric fields, including those arising from ac-dc induced electronic mode locking, are qualitatively reproduced by this model.
Tejate: Theobroma Cacao and T. bicolor in a Traditional Beverage from Oaxaca, Mexico

Although cacao is most familiar in industrialized Western societies in the form of a processed solid confection, for most of its history the seeds of Theobroma cacao have been most commonly used as ingredients in beverages. Today, in some of the more traditional communities of Mesoamerica, cacao continues to be used primarily in traditional local beverages. One such beverage is tejate, from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Tejate is a culturally and socially significant beverage, and because it is made with maize and frequently consumed in some rural households, its nutritional contribution may be meaningful. However, tejate preparation is labor intensive and this, combined with changes in the Central Valleys, is leading to changes in the persistence and geographic distribution of this important form of cacao consumption.
Strategies for the Early Recognition of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder often exists for 10 or more years without being correctly diagnosed or treated. Early-onset bipolar disorder is associated with longer treatment delay and a worse outcome than adult-onset bipolar disorder. This activity describes various risk factors for the development of bipolar disorder and discusses possible solutions to the challenges surrounding timely diagnosis.
Utility of square-wave gratings to assess perioral spatial acuity☆

Purpose: The usefulness of square-wave gratings to assess perioral spatial resolution acuity was evaluated. Materials and Methods: A psychophysical tracking procedure was used to estimate the threshold groove width for discriminating orientation (horizontal or vertical) of square-wave gratings pressed into the skin. Ten positionally matched sites on the two sides of the face of 36 right-handed, healthy young adults were studied. Commercially available gratings provided alternating ridge-and-groove stimuli with element widths from 0.35 to 3.0 mm. Results: Thirty-three of the 36 subjects could discriminate orientation at all six sites on the vermilion (threshold width averaged 1.06 mm for grooves and for ridges). Thresholds were lower on the mid-portion of the lower vermilion than on the mid-portion of the upper vermilion (P < .05). Moreover, thresholds were lower on the right side of the vermilion than on the left side (P < .02). In contrast to the vermilion, only 25 and 30 subjects could discriminate orientation on the left and right hairy upper lip, respectively; and two or fewer subjects, at each of 12 sites on the chin and cheeks. Conclusions: Clinical use of small square-wave gratings with ridge and groove widths of 3 mm or smaller is limited to the vermilion. Moreover, baseline values are needed for individual patients to minimize false-positive diagnoses of sensory impairment. The size required of coarser gratings to test other perioral sites may preclude their use for evaluation of discrete, suspect skin areas.
Fluoro-dideutero-methyl 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl ether (D2-sevoflurane) reactions on soda lime: deuterium content of deuterated sevoflurane and its volatile degradation products

Abstract The degradation of the experimental anesthetic, fluoro-dideutero-methyl 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl ether (D 2 -sevoflurane) on soda lime (Sodasorb ® ) has been compared with sevoflurane and examined in regard to product deuterium content. Similar products and rates of degradation were found between sevoflurane and D 2 -sevoflurane, and all D 2 -sevolfurane products contained the fluorodideuteromethoxy group. Four products contained a trideuteromethoxy moiety, indicating the addition of methanol derived from the fluoromethoxy carbon of D 2 -sevoflurane.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone: sequential versus conformational specificity of antiluteinizing hormone-releasing hormone sera.

The structural requirements for binding of LHRH to 11 antisera were analyzed using 21 analogs and 20 fragments of LHRH and monoiodo-[125I]LHRH. Analysis of the binding characteristics of these anti-LHRH sera permitted them to be classified as either conformational or sequential. Conformational anti-LHRH sera (group I) are highly specific antisera which did not recognize any of the numerous fragments of LHRH tested, thus requiring the entire decapeptide for binding in RIA. In contrast, sequential antisera (group II) recognized a well definable portion of the sequence of the LHRH molecule; RRi and IJ29 sera bind the 6 –9 and 7 –10 sequences of LHRH, respectively. In the case of conformational antisera, selective amino acid monosubstitutions of the LHRH molecule resulted in variable loss of binding. Furthermore, the distribution of amino acids essential to the binding site(s) was quite variable from one antiserum to another. These antisera appear to recognize a three-dimensional configuration of the LHRH mol...