cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of metal contacts and effect of annealing in high performance 2D WSe2 field-effect transistors

Abstract Among the two dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), tungsten diselenide (WSe2) have recently attracted much attention owing to its potential in CMOS technology, optoelectronics and high-speed device applications. One of the most challenging aspect in designing high performance devices is the metal-semiconductor interface. In this context, the potential of 2D materials even grows bigger because of their dangling-bond-free surface which leads to excellent interface quality. Additionally, the role of the contact metals also becomes very important as it explicitly determines the charge transport, carrier mobility, switching speed etc. In this work, WSe2 based field-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated using different metal contacts such as Au (ϕm ∼ 5.47 eV) with Ti as adhesion layer, Mo (ϕm ∼ 4.53 eV) and Al (ϕm ∼ 4.08 eV). It was found that the charge transport properties in WSe2 changed from p-type (Au), then to ambipolar (Mo) and finally to n-type (Al) as work functions of the metals changed from high to low. Moreover, the effect of post-fabrication annealing was also studied, and it was found that the mobility increased up to ∼625 cm2/V-s, ∼410 cm2/V-s, and ∼366 cm2/V-s, for Au/Ti/WSe2, Mo/WSe2 and Al/WSe2 FETs respectively as a result of annealing. Finally, the interface properties were analyzed by determining the interface state densities D i t in the metal-2D WSe2 junctions and the values of D i t were found to decrease by an order of magnitude post-annealing treatment such as ∼4.65 × 1012 cm2 eV−1 for Au/Ti/WSe2, 1.08 × 1013 cm2 eV−1 for Mo/WSe2 and 2.28 × 1012 cm2 eV−1 for Al/WSe2 junctions. Our work shows the tunable charge transport properties in 2D WSe2 which is highly desirable for CMOS digital logic applications and the influence of annealing in improving the transport and interface state properties in 2D WSe2 FETs.
Overcoming Security Vulnerabilities in Deep Learning--based Indoor Localization Frameworks on Mobile Devices

Indoor localization is an emerging application domain for the navigation and tracking of people and assets. Ubiquitously available Wi-Fi signals have enabled low-cost fingerprinting-based localization solutions. Further, the rapid growth in mobile hardware capability now allows high-accuracy deep learning--based frameworks to be executed locally on mobile devices in an energy-efficient manner. However, existing deep learning--based indoor localization solutions are vulnerable to access point (AP) attacks. This article presents an analysis into the vulnerability of a convolutional neural network--based indoor localization solution to AP security compromises. Based on this analysis, we propose a novel methodology to maintain indoor localization accuracy, even in the presence of AP attacks. The proposed secured neural network framework (S-CNNLOC) is validated across a benchmark suite of paths and is found to deliver up to 10× more resiliency to malicious AP attacks compared to its unsecured counterpart.
AP-S Distinguished Lecturer Program for 2011-2012

The full abstracts of the Distinguished Lecturers' talks as well as the biographies of the Distinguished Lecturers appeared in the April 2011 issue of this Magazine, with an update in the April 2012 issue. An updated listing of this material may also be found on the AP-S Web site by vis iting http://www.ieeeaps.org/distlectureres.html.
Therapeutic Targeting of 15-PGDH in Murine Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Abstract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease characterized by interstitial remodeling and pulmonary dysfunction. The etiology of IPF is not completely understood but involves pathologic inflammation and subsequent failure to resolve fibrosis in response to epithelial injury. Therapeutic strategies for IPF are limited to anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents, which are only partially effective. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) disrupts TGFβ signaling and suppresses myofibroblast differentiation, however practical strategies to raise tissue PGE2 during IPF have been limited. We previously described the discovery of a small molecule, (+)SW033291, that binds with high affinity to the PGE2-degrading enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) and increases PGE2 levels. Here we evaluated pulmonary 15-PGDH expression and activity and tested whether pharmacologic 15-PGDH inhibition (PGDHi) is protective in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced IPF. Long-term PGDHi was well-tolerated, reduced the severity of pulmonary fibrotic lesions and extracellular matrix remodeling, and improved pulmonary function in bleomycin-treated mice. Moreover, PGDHi attenuated both acute inflammation and weight loss, and decreased mortality. Endothelial cells and macrophages are likely targets as these cell types highly expressed 15-PGDH. In conclusion, PGDHi ameliorates inflammatory pathology and fibrosis in murine IPF, and may have clinical utility to treat human disease. Article summary In IPF, lung epithelial injury leads to local inflammation and fibrosis, which impairs pulmonary function. Inhibition of 15-PGDH using a well-tolerated small molecule attenuates inflammation and prevents pulmonary fibrosis and dysfunction in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced IPF.
Application of proper generalized decomposition to multigroup neutron diffusion eigenvalue calculations

Abstract In this paper, proper generalized decomposition (PGD) is utilized to reduce the computational burden of evaluating multigroup neutron diffusion eigenvalue problems. PGD is a reduced order modeling technique that seeks a separated representation to a multi-dimensional variable. In this application, each multigroup flux is sought as a finite sum of separable one-dimensional functions. This representation can significantly reduce the burden of evaluating multi-dimensional linear systems. Therefore, we use PGD to evaluate the linear systems within the power iteration process of the eigenvalue problem. In this paper, we discuss our implementation of PGD to these eigenvalue systems including a derivation of PGD operators for multigroup neutron diffusion problems with standard power iteration and power iteration accelerated with adaptive Wielandt shift. To illustrate PGD’s effectiveness, we apply our implementation to eigenvalue problems ranging from homogeneous to highly heterogeneous geometries with one-,two-, and four-group material properties. With comparison to full-order model evaluation with MOOSE, we find that the effectiveness of PGD is problem dependent. PGD always out performs the full-order model with close to homogeneous problems, but performs more poorly with more realistic reactor problems.
A Comparison of two Multilingual Meeting Systems

Multilingual meeting software is still somewhat rare, but at least three systems can provide support to large groups in multiple languages. This paper compares two (Microsoft Live Translator and an academic system called Polyglot). Results show there were no significant differences between the two in terms of perceived translation accuracy, usefulness, ease of use, and design quality. However, Polyglot provides support for more languages (103 versus 66). These and other results are discussed along with directions for future research.
Ciliary Body Seeding after Pars Plana Transvitreal Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Choroidal Melanoma.

Purpose To report ciliary body seeding 20 years after pars plana transvitreal fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of choroidal melanoma. Case report 67-year-old man with choroidal melanoma in left eye was previously managed with pars plana FNAB using a 25-gauge needle followed by plaque radiotherapy. Twenty years later, choroidal melanoma was regressed but there was a small flat focus of scleral pigment 3.0mm from the limbus at the FNAB site. Ultrasound biomicroscopy showed a contiguous ciliary body mass measuring 3.1mm in thickness. Tumor seeding in the anterior chamber angle was noted inferiorly. These findings suggested melanoma recurrence along the needle tract. Treatment was performed with Iodine-125 radioactive plaque covering entire anterior segment and ciliary body recurrence. The tumor regressed to 2.2mm over one year. Conclusion Pars plana transvitreal FNAB of choroidal melanoma resulted in needle tract seeding in ciliary body and episcleral region 20 years later.
Complex Spectral Mapping for Single- and Multi-Channel Speech Enhancement and Robust ASR

This study proposes a complex spectral mapping approach for single- and multi-channel speech enhancement, where deep neural networks (DNNs) are used to predict the real and imaginary (RI) components of the direct-path signal from noisy and reverberant ones. The proposed system contains two DNNs. The first one performs single-channel complex spectral mapping. The estimated complex spectra are used to compute a minimum variance distortion-less response (MVDR) beamformer. The RI components of beamforming results, which encode spatial information, are then combined with the RI components of the mixture to train the second DNN for multi-channel complex spectral mapping. With estimated complex spectra, we also propose a novel method of time-varying beamforming. State-of-the-Art performance is obtained on the speech enhancement and recognition tasks of the CHiME-4 corpus. More specifically, our system obtains 6.82%, 3.19% and 1.99% word error rates (WER) respectively on the single-, two-, and six-microphone tasks of CHiME-4, significantly surpassing the current best results of 9.15%, 3.91% and 2.24% WER.
Survivor-Centered Practice and Survivor Empowerment: Evidence From A Research-Practitioner Partnership

In the domestic violence field, a survivor-centered approach to services is a shared ideal, but there is little empirical work demonstrating its importance. This study filled that gap, focusing on a key outcome-safety-related empowerment. We gathered data from 177 intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors seeking community-based services, and after one session with an advocate, results revealed a significant change in two of three subscales of the Measure of Victim Empowerment Related to Safety (MOVERS) measure: Internal Tools and Expectations of Support. There was no change in Trade-Offs (pursuing safety causing new problems). More survivor-defined practice predicted greater changes in empowerment, over and above severity of violence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and demographics.
Inpatient Palliative Care Use in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Temporal Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes.

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the negative impact of PAH on quality of life and survival, data on use of specialty palliative care services (PCS) is scarce. Research Question We sought to evaluate the inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH. Study Design and Methods Using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, 30,495 admissions with a primary diagnosis of PAH were identified from 2001 through 2017. The primary outcome of interest was temporal trends and predictors of inpatient PCS use in patients with PAH. Results The inpatient use of PCS was low (2.2%), but increased during the study period from 0.5% in 2001 to 7.6% in 2017, with a significant increase starting in 2009. White race, private insurance, higher socioeconomic status, hospital-specific factors, higher comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index), cardiac and noncardiac organ failure, and use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and noninvasive mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of increased PCS use. PCS use was associated with a higher prevalence of do-not-resuscitate status, a longer length of stay, higher hospitalization costs, and increased in-hospital mortality with less frequent discharges to home, likely because these patients were also sicker (higher comorbidity index and illness acuity). Interpretation The inpatient use of PCS in patients with PAH is low, but has been increasing over recent years. Despite increased PCS use over time, patient- and hospital-specific disparities in PCS use continue. Further studies evaluating these disparities and the role of PCS in the comprehensive care of PAH patients are warranted.
Multidisciplinary Management of Cancer During Pregnancy

Cancer during pregnancy is relatively rare but is increasing in frequency in countries in which the maternal child-bearing age continues to rise. The complexities of medical decision making are underscored by the need to weigh the potential benefits of any intervention for the mother against the risks to the fetus. A majority of diagnostic evaluations can be performed safely in the setting of pregnancy and should not be delayed. Noninvasive prenatal testing that shows discordance with fetal karyotype can be a clue to an underlying maternal malignancy. After diagnosis, a multidisciplinary team should formulate a care plan for both the mother and the fetus. Key topics for discussion should include the mother's prognosis, standard treatment plan, and predictions of how modifications for a continuing pregnancy will affect the treatment plan and overall prognosis. In the context of this knowledge, frank discussions about pregnancy termination should be addressed with the patient, if appropriate. Selection of a plan for oncologic management in the case of a pregnant woman is based on the type of cancer, the tumor biology, and the tumor stage. Additional complexities for pregnant patients are typically related to the gestational age of the fetus, the dynamic physiologic changes of pregnancy, and the limited safety data for administration of most anticancer therapies during pregnancy. In this article, we summarize data related to different classes of anticancer therapies as well as considerations for the management of selected cancers. Finally, we provide some key principles that should be considered in the management of patients with cancer during pregnancy.
Validation of a survey for measuring scientists' attitudes toward data reuse

Abstract This study investigated the validity of a survey measuring scientists' attitudes toward data reuse. Rasch analysis was used to examine the psychometric properties of the survey. Structural...
Sea Level Rise Will Drive Divergent Sediment Transport Patterns on Fore Reefs and Reef Flats, Potentially Causing Erosion on Atoll Islands

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 125 (2020): e2019JF005446, doi: 10.1029/2019JF005446.
Inclusive Pedagogy in the Academic Writing Classroom: Cultivating Communities of Belonging

This practice-oriented article considers two questions: What does higher education research tell us about student conceptions and experiences with inclusivity? What are the implications of this research for academic writing classrooms and curricula? I first review key themes and findings from research on the nature of social inclusion in higher education, including interviews conducted with undergraduates at my institution. I then consider how academic writing scholars have (and have not) taken up the concept of inclusivity within our policies, curricula, and instruction. Finally, I identify four areas we can focus on as a way to deepen our commitment to inclusive pedagogy: building community, inviting lived experience, preparing students for discomfort, and talking openly about equity. I conclude with examples of how I am working toward those goals in my own teaching practice.
Precoding for Multi-user MIMO Interference Channel: A Signal Set Separation Problem

We consider precoder designs in K-user MIMO interference channel when finite signal constellations are employed at the transmitters. Recognizing that the interferences seen at each receiver form a set of discrete points around the desired signal, the precoders are designed such that the separations between the signal sets are maximized at every receiver. Several precoder designs are proposed based on how the distances between the signal sets are defined. The considered distance metrics aim to directly minimize the average bit error rates. At low and high SNR regions, the resulting precoders may be either solved in a closed form or computed efficiently using nearest-neighbor search algorithms. Our simulation results show significant improvements in terms of bit-error-rate performance and receive diversity over a wide range of SNRs and number of users as compared to several conventional algorithms.
Biomedical Vocabulary Alignment at Scale in the UMLS Metathesaurus

With 214 source vocabularies, the construction and maintenance process of the UMLS (Unified Medical Language System) Metathesaurus terminology integration system is costly, time-consuming, and error-prone as it primarily relies on (1) lexical and semantic processing for suggesting groupings of synonymous terms, and (2) the expertise of UMLS editors for curating these synonymy predictions. This paper aims to improve the UMLS Metathesaurus construction process by developing a novel supervised learning approach for improving the task of suggesting synonymous pairs that can scale to the size and diversity of the UMLS source vocabularies. We evaluate this deep learning (DL) approach against a rule-based approach (RBA) that approximates the current UMLS Metathesaurus construction process. The key to the generalizability of our approach is the use of various degrees of lexical similarity in negative pairs during the training process. Our initial experiments demonstrate the strong performance across multiple datasets of our DL approach in terms of recall (91-92%), precision (88-99%), and F1 score (89-95%). Our DL approach largely outperforms the RBA method in recall (+23%), precision (+2.4%), and F1 score (+14.1%). This novel approach has great potential for improving the UMLS Metathesaurus construction process by providing better synonymy suggestions to the UMLS editors.
519-P: Unmet Communication Needs and Barriers of Black and African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes

T2D is disproportionately prevalent among Black and African Americans (BAAs) and is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among BAAs. T2D care is improved by patient-centered communication and Shared Decision Making (SDM). However, culturally sensitive T2D communication and SDM tools that focus on patient’s communication preferences, needs, and racial and cultural background that shape the interaction with a provider and influence treatment follow-up, are missing. The purpose of this formative study was to identify communication preferences, barriers, and needs of BAAs with T2D. Interviews were conducted with 32 BAAs with T2D served at a safety-net hospital located in a poor urban area. The sample included 17 women (53.1%), ages 31 to 81 years (58.9, SD=11.9), with a range of glycemic control (HbA1c: M=9, SD=2.7, range 6 to 14). A third (N=11) were prescribed oral medication and insulin, another third (N=11) were on oral medication only. A majority of participants (n=18, 56.3%) identified paternalistic communication, mistrust in the provider, and communication mismatch as barriers to T2D care. Receiving information about managing T2D in real-life situations (n=18, 56.3%) and patient-clinician collaboration in T2D decision-making (n=23, 72%) were the preferred communication strategies. A majority of participants stated expression of empathy, concern, and compassion by providers (n=22, 68.8%) and informal, open and direct communication (n=31, 96.9%) are needed to improve the quality of T2D care among BAAs. We identified several communication barriers and needs of BAAs with T2D with their providers, which interrupt their T2D management and treatment follow-up. There is an urgent need to improve patient-provider communication by developing culturally-sensitive communication support tools to address the communication needs and preferences of BAAs to improve SDM and the quality of diabetes care. Disclosure Y. Zisman-ilani: None. D. J. Rubin: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca. L. A. Siminoff: None. M. L. Savoy: None. A. Paranjape: None. J. Liu: None. R. A. Jacob: None. H. M. Gardiner: None. S. B. Bass: None. V. M. Montori: None.
Ethical Dilemmas in Managed Care for the Practitioner

Those who believe in the cycles of history must be struck by the dramatic upheavals at both the beginning and end of this concluding century that have characterized American medicine. Some particular historical analogies are also in order. The beginning of the twentieth century saw the evolution from the Dark Ages of American medicine as the Flexner Report set needed standards for education and training. By the 1950s, the age of technology, like the Renaissance and later Age of Faith, led to an exuberance of discoveries, treatments and hope that seemed unbounded. But now, as a new century dawns, the Reformation is with us in the form of cost awareness and containment and shows no hope of abating now, or in the near future (Boisaubin, 1994, pp. 1–2).
Pharmacotherapy for Aphasia

There are no currently approved drug therapies to assist in the recovery from aphasia. However, there is suggestive evidence from the animal literature that behavioral training, coupled with pharmacotherapy, can enhance recovery from motor stroke. Most of the pharmacologic interventions used in these studies involved sympathomimetic drugs, although other mechanisms were used as well, such enhancement in cholinergic signaling. A number of studies have been performed using human patients with aphasia. These studies are also suggestive of enhancement in recovery when sympathomimetic drugs are used in conjunction with speech and language therapy. There are also data to support cholinesterase inhibitors memantine and piracetam. In addition, other drugs, such as barbiturates, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants, may slow recovery. Although more work is needed, these studies, which are critically reviewed herein, suggest that thoughtful use of pharmacologic agents in conjunction with speech and language therapy can enhance recovery from aphasic stroke.
Distributional Ethics and Social Work Education.

Abstract The outcome of social work intervention is often some rearrangement of valuable resources—money, services, power, status—in a family, neighborhood, or community. However, this redistributional effect of social work intervention and the related ethical implications have been largely unexplicated. This paper discusses the nature of distributional questions, examines three alternative approaches to the ethics of distribution—1) classical utilitarianism, 2) intuitionism, and 3) Rawls' “Theory of Justice”—and reviews the criticisms of each. The paper concludes that elements of each of these approaches can apply to social work education and practice and can help guide practitioners to higher levels of ethical consciousness.
WHAT EFFECT DOES E-LEARNING HAVE ON THE STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE?

The landscape for Higher Education, within the UK, is changing and educational institutions are evolving in order to respond to new challenges. Budgets have been reduced which has resulted in colleges and universities having to re-look at the way their programmes are being delivered.E-learning has become a means of empowering and engaging learners, and enabling the teacher to become an active innovator of new practices and techniques (JISC, 2011). The rationale for this project was to establish whether recently implemented e-learning technology into a traditional course had an effect on the learner experience in terms of motivation, retention and achievement.This empirical research was conducted within a University Centre in a large Further Education College in the North of England and involved twenty new learners enrolled on the new Assessor Award. A variety of research methods were used such as questionnaires (pre and post), focus groups, semi-structured interviews, retention and achievement figures. This small-scale research project aimed to gain insight into learners’ perceptions of learning on-line, and to provide evidence of whether technology affected their learning experience, by evaluating their learning journey.It was found that e-learning had a mainly positive effect on student learning and both retention and achievement targets were exceeded. It was also found that in order for effective on-line courses to be developed, teachers must be given time and training to meet both the needs of their college and learners.
Role of Anorectal Manometry in Clinical Practice

Physiologic assessment of the anorectum and pelvic floor by anorectal manometry and balloon expulsion testing provides important insights into the pathologic processes underlying defecatory disorders and guides treatment, specifically the use of biofeedback for the treatment of dyssynergic defecation and the identification of possible structural abnormalities of the pelvic floor. While symptoms and digital rectal examination may suggest pelvic floor dysfunction to the clinician, only pelvic floor testing provides definitive diagnoses of these often treatable abnormalities. The use of anorectal manometry in clinical practice is currently limited by substantial variation in performance of the test and interpretation of the results, but anorectal manometry with the addition of balloon expulsion test to improve specificity provides the best current modality for the diagnosis of dyssynergic defecation. With the introduction of high-resolution and three-dimensional, high-definition probes, our ability to characterize the structure and function of the anorectum has never been better, though further research is still needed to improve our ability to diagnose pelvic floor dysfunction and refer appropriate patients to treatment. In areas where the availability of anorectal manometry (ARM) is limited, a thorough digital rectal exam performed by an experienced clinician plus the balloon expulsion test alone may identify appropriate patients to refer for additional testing. This review describes the appropriate indications for and appropriate performance of anorectal manometry in clinical practice with an eye toward the diagnosis of dyssynergic defecation in patients with chronic constipation, fecal incontinence, and chronic proctalgia.
Searching for Non-English Web Content: An Empirical Study of the Spanish Business Intelligence Portal

As non-English-speaking online populations grow rapidly, there are increasing needs to support searching for non-English Web content. Prior research has assumed English to be the primary language for Web searching, but this is not the case for many non-English-speaking regions. For example, Latin America will have the fastest growing population in the coming decades but existing Spanish search engines lack search, browse, and analysis capabilities. In this paper, we have proposed a language-independent approach to supporting non-English Web searching. Based on the approach, we have developed the Spanish Business Intelligence Portal (SBizPort) to support searching, browsing, summarization, categorization, and visualization of Web information. Results from an empirical study involving Spanish subjects show that the portal achieved significantly better user ratings on information quality, cross-regional search capability, and overall satisfaction than the benchmark search portal. This study thus contributes to human-computer interaction research on non-English Web searching.
Advanced event scheduling methodology

Simulation event graphs (SEGs) are a graphical representation one of the three major simulation world views, event scheduling. This paper describes four advanced modeling techniques that allow the simulation practitioner to gather a great deal of information at relatively little development and/or processing effort beyond that of developing the simulation model.
Transmembrane Orientation of the Glycoproteins in Normal Human Erythrocytes

Abstract The major glycoprotein and two minor glycoproteins are labeled with the lactoperoxidase system on the outside in both intact normal human erythrocytes and resealed erythrocyte membrane vesicles. These same proteins are also labeled when lactoperoxidase is sealed inside the resealed erythrocyte membrane vesicles. It is concluded that all three glycoproteins penetrate the membrane of the normal human erythrocyte.
The mechanics of flycasting: The flyline

In order to propel a fishing fly through the air toward the distant quarry, a rather massive line, to which the fly is attached, is cast. As the cast line rolls out, the fly actually accelerates horizontally and seems to defy physical law. The phenomenon is modeled simplistically to determine the magnitude of this effect. In the absence of air drag, the fly can accelerate to increase its velocity by an order of magnitude. Air friction dramatically decreases the effect, but some fly acceleration is still predicted. By tapering the flyline in various ways, the fly velocity history can be significantly modified, and some tapers are predicted to perform better than others.
The cytoarchitectonic boundaries of the monocular and binocular areas of the rat primary visual cortex.

We describe the cytoarchitectonic characteristics of the monocular (Oc1M) and the binocular (Oc1B) areas of the rat visual cortex and their boundaries in Nissl-stained sections. This formulation, which draws upon the computer image analysis of these areas by Zilles et al. (J. Comp. Neurol., 226 (1984) 391–402), can aid in the delineation of Oc1M from Oc1B in quantitative studies requiring a volumetric analysis of both subfields.
Algebraic Characterization of Reversible Logic Gates

Reversible logic plays an important role in quantum computing. This paper investigates the universality and composition power of various known and new reversible gates. We present the algebraic characterization of selected new families of Boolean reversible gates. Some theoretical results on the relation between reversible w*w gates and the corresponding symmetric group are derived. Different combinations of reversible gate classes are proven to generate the entire class of reversible w*w gates.
Insights Into Alloislets From Successful Autoislet Transplantation in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis

Human autoislet transplantation first began and was shown to be successful at the University of Minnesota in 1980.1Recipients of autoislet transplantation were people who had never had autoimmune diabetes but who had chronic, painful, unrelenting pancreatitis and normoglycemia. These were often young women with anatomical anomalies of the pancreatic duct. Each patient's pancreas was removed to relieve chronic pain and submitted to collagenase digestion to free up its islets. Then the islets were injected into a vein that emptied into the hepatic portal circulation. Wahoff et al (1995) proposed that 74% of recipients could be insulin-independent for longer than 2 years if at least 300,000 islets were autotransplanted in each patient.2 Extensive metabolic testing has been performed in autoislet recipients to better understand the physiologic mechanisms of their successes. An early study demonstrated that insulin and glucagon secretion in response to intravenous arginine appeared first in the hepatic vein3(Figure 1). The study also showed that insulin secretory responses to intravenous glucose were intact, and that the timing and the biphasic nature of insulin release was normal; however, because the number of islets autotransplanted was lower than the number of islets in a normal, healthy pancreas (≈1,000,000), the recipients' amount of insulin secretion was quantitatively less than that observed in sex, age, and body mass index-matched control subjects. A close correlation between the number of islets transplanted and the amount of insulin secreted in response to glucose and to arginine has been reported.4 Figure 1. Insulin and glucagon levels detected in the hepatic vein, portal vein, and splenic artery before and …
Nucleophosmin/B23, a Nuclear PI(3,4,5)P3 Receptor, Mediates the Antiapoptotic Actions of NGF by Inhibiting CAD

Summary Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P 3 ] is an essential second messenger implicated in various cellular processes. Cytoplasmic PI(3,4,5)P 3 has been well characterized, but little is known about the physiological role of nuclear PI(3,4,5)P 3 . Here, we describe a nuclear PI(3,4,5)P 3 receptor, nucleophosmin (NPM)/B23, that mediates the antiapoptotic effects of NGF by inhibiting DNA fragmentation activity of c aspase- a ctivated D Nase (CAD). Employing PI(3,4,5)P 3 column and NGF-treated PC12 nuclear extracts, we identified B23 as a nuclear PI(3,4,5)P 3 binding protein. Purification from nuclear extract demonstrates that B23 contributes to DNA fragmentation inhibitory activity. Depletion of B23 from nuclear extracts or knockdown B23 in PC12 cells abolishes NGF-provoked protective effect, whereas overexpression of B23 in PC12 cells prevents apoptosis. Further, hydrolyzing PI(3,4,5)P 3 with PTEN or SHIP abrogates its antiapoptotic activity. Moreover, B23 mutants that can not associate with PI(3,4,5)P 3 fail to prevent DNA fragmentation. Thus, the nuclear B23-PI(3,4,5)P 3 complex regulates the antiapoptotic activity of NGF in the nucleus.
Beam brightness from a relativistic, field-emission diode with a velvet covered cathode

Abstract The beam emittance and brightness from a mildly relativistic (200–400 kV) high current density (0.5–3.5 kA/cm 2 ) planar, field emission diode provided with a velvet covered cathode have been studied experimentally as a function of the applied electric field (100–600 kV/cm). Transverse beam spreading has been measured using a conventional pinhole arrangement followed by a fluorescent screen and open shutter camera. Good turn-on, and a high normalized beam brightness ( B n ⋍ 300 kA/cm 2 rad 2 ) have been observed. The results are compared with those obtained with a graphite cathode.
Activation-Induced Expression of Human Programmed Death-1 Gene in T-Lymphocytes

The Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) gene is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of genes. Murine PD-1 mRNA expression has been shown to correlate with activation-induced apoptosis in a mouse T-cell hybridoma cell line and in murine thymocytes. Here we report that expression of the human homolog, hPD-1, seems to correlate with activation of T lymphocytes rather than apoptosis. We observed a time-dependent upregulation of hPD-1 mRNA and protein levels in Jurkat cells during phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, TPA)-induced differentiation. Human PD-1 protein was also induced during lectin-stimulated activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Additionally, TPA stimulation of Jurkat cells induces tyrosine phosphorylation of hPD-1, putatively on its cytoplasmic tail signal transduction motif. These data suggest a role for hPD-1 during activation and differentiation of T-lymphocytes.
Stability of electrical properties of nitrogen-rich, silicon-rich, and stoichiometric silicon nitride films

Metal‐nitride‐silicon capacitors were used to explore the stability of the electrical properties of silicon nitride films of various stoichiometries. Silicon‐rich silicon nitride films were found to display a large and symmetric hysteresis loop in the capacitance‐voltage curve, a large flat‐band voltage shift approximately symmetric with respect to the polarity of the voltage under bias temperature stress, and a current density‐voltage characteristic which is approximately symmetric with respect to polarity. It is argued that in these silicon‐rich silicon nitride films the dominant defects are silicon dangling bonds which can trap either electrons or holes. A different class of behavior was observed, however, for nitrogen‐rich silicon nitride films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. These films have a much smaller and asymmetric hysteresis loop in the capacitance‐voltage curve, an asymmetric flat‐band voltage shift under bias temperature stress, and an asymmetric current density‐volta...
Vertical distribution of atmospheric ozone.

ON February 25, March 4, March 16 and April 18, 1950, sounding-balloon flights were carried out for the spectrographic determination of the vertical distribution of ozone in the lower stratosphere.
Variance function estimation by replicate analysis and generalized least squares: A Monte Carlo comparison

Abstract The two methods normally used to estimate variance functions from data — replicate analysis and residuals analysis (via generalized least squares, GLS) — are compared quantitatively through Monte Carlo simulations on simple models having a linear response function (RF) and two different two-parameter variance functions (VFs) — the power model and a components of variance model. The computations emphasize the small numbers of total data points (~ 25) practicable in many data analysis applications, under moderately strong heteroscedasticity (variance range a factor of ~ 100). Results are obtained for weighted LS fitting of replicate-based variance estimates ( s i 2 ) and squared residuals ( r ij 2 ), and unweighted LS fitting of their logarithms. For residuals analysis, the effects of the studentization correction are examined. The computations cover the accuracy and precision of estimation of both the VF and the RF, and the reliability of prediction of their standard errors. The results show that the s i 2 and r ij 2 analyses are best, with an efficiency edge for the latter that is much smaller than predicted in the asymptotic limit. The logarithmic methods give significantly biased estimates of the VF, worst for ln( r ij 2 ) analysis. However, all methods yield at most 5% loss in precision in the estimation of the RF, and
Control of enzymatic browning in apple with ascorbic acid derivatives, polyphenol oxidase inhibitors, and complexing agents

Novel browning inhibitors were evaluated in raw apple juice and on the cut surface of apple plugs, using quantitative measurements of color changes during storage to assess treatment effectiveness. Ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AAP) and -triphosphate (AATP) showed promise for cut surfaces but were ineffective in juice. Ascorbic acid-6-fatty acid esters showed anti-browning activity in juice. Cinnamate and benzoate inhibited browning in juice but induced browning when applied to cut surfaces. Combinations of β-cyclodextrin with ascorbic acid (AA), AAP or ascorbyl palmitate were effective in juice but not on cut surfaces. Combinations of AA with an acidic polyphosphate were highly effective with both juice and cut surfaces.
Endocrinopathy in POEMS Syndrome: The Mayo Clinic Experience

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and characteristics of endocrinopathies at diagnosis of POEMS ( p olyneuropathy, o rganomegaly, e ndocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 1, 1960, through June 30, 2006, we identified 170 patients with POEMS syndrome in the Mayo Clinic dysproteinemia database. We abstracted information about endocrine abnormalities from their medical records. RESULTS Of the 170 patients with POEMS syndrome during the entire study period, the 64 patients seen after 2000 had more complete endocrine evaluations; of these 64 patients, 54 (84%) had a recognized endocrinopathy (38 men; median age, 50 years; interquartile range, 43-59 years). Hypogonadism was the most common endocrine abnormality; 26 (79%) of 33 men had subnormal total testosterone levels, and 10 men had gynecomastia. Among the 35 patients with measured prolactin levels, 7 men and 3 women had elevated levels. Hypothyroidism was noted in 17 men and 11 women. Abnormalities in glucose metabolism were present in 24 (48%) of 50 patients; 16 patients had impaired fasting glucose levels, and 8 were diagnosed as having diabetes. Adrenal insufficiency (defined by an abnormal response of cortisol to stimulation with standard high-dose [250 μg] synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone) was noted in 6 of 9 patients tested. Fourteen (27%) of 51 patients tested had hypocalcemia. Twenty-nine (54%) of 54 patients had evidence of multiple endocrinopathies in the 4 major endocrine axes (gonadal, thyroid, glucose, and adrenal). CONCLUSION The high prevalence of endocrinopathy in our study, to our knowledge the largest published series of POEMS cases, calls for a thorough endocrine investigation in patients presenting with this syndrome.
Importance of Breath Size in Calibrating the Respiratory Inductive Plethysmograph

The usual method of calibrating the respiratory inductive plethysmograph (RIP) is to have the subject breathe over a rather narrow volume range, either resting tidal volume or into a bag containing a fixed larger volume, in both the standing and supine positions. During a previous study in our laboratory using the REP to quantify ventilation during sleep in young and elderly adults, we began to observe that the accuracy of the RIP measurements could be improved if we calibrated using a wider range of tidal volumes which encompassed the smaller breath sizes we were measuring during sleep. We therefore decided to investigate whether the size of the breaths used for calibrating the REP was indeed important in improving the accuracy of the device. Eight healthy, nonsmoking young adult men participated in the study. Three sets of calibration factors for the REP were determined based on low (300 to 500 ml), normal (500 to 800 ml) and high tidal volume (over 800 ml) breaths. Each of these sets of calibration factors were then used to validate three different sets of supine tidal volumes (low, normal, high). For all volumes tested, the REP values most closely approximated the spirometric volumes when the calibration breaths and validation breaths were of the same size.
The thrombin receptor mediates functional activity‐dependent neuromuscular synapse reduction via protein kinase C activation in vitro

Abstract Activity-dependent selective reduction of synaptic efficacy is expressed in an in vitro system involving mouse spinal cord and muscle cells. Thrombin or electrical stimulation of the innervating axons induces a decrease in neuromuscular synapse strength, and a specific thrombin inhibitor, hirudin, blocks the electrically evoked down-regulation of synapse effectiveness. We further demonstrate that a thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP), SFLLRNPNDKYEPF, produces a decrement of synapse strength. Both TRAP and electrically evoked synapse decrement are prevented by the specific protein kinase C blocker calphostin C, and the TRAP-evoked synapse decrement is unaffected by a specific protein kinase A blocker, H-89. Thus, we propose that muscle activity, thrombin release, and thrombin receptor and PKC activation are initial steps in the process of the activity-dependent synapse reduction expressed in our system.
Folk diseases among urban Mexican-Americans. Etiology, symptoms, and treatment.

Acculturation and assimilation of persons of L Mexican origin in the Southwest has been slowed by various social mechanisms of the larger society which tend to keep these people separate, and by a tendency on their part to separate themselves from the larger community by living inbarrios. One result of this sociocultural isolation is the preservation of many folk beliefs of Spanish and Hispanic-American origins. Most important among these from a medical point of view are the prescientific concepts of health and disease and the related practices. Prominent among the disease concepts aremal ojo(evil eye),empacho(surfeit),susto(magical fright),caida de mollera(fallen fontanelle), andmal puesto(hex). Gillin1gives a detailed account ofsustoin Guatemalan natives and draws parallels between folk and scientific (psychiatric) therapeutics. The existence of the first three concepts among Spanish-speaking Americans has been described by Saunders.2Clark's work
Marketing aspects of consumer purchasing behavior and customer satisfaction aboard the Royal Viking Queen.

This article is the result of onboard marketing research performed for Royal Viking Line aboard the Royal Viking Queen during the summer of 1993. Via focus groups, attributes of customer purchasing behavior and customer satisfaction are examined. The findings conclude that Royal Viking Line patrons are pleased with their cruise experience.
Red blood cell insulin receptors in health and disease.

Abstract Contents: Structure and characteristics of erythrocyte insulin receptor. Red blood cell age and insulin receptors. Insulin receptors in human disease states. Obesity. Chronic renal failure. Acanthosis nigricans. Miscellaneous disease states. Insulin receptors in children. Insulin receptors in women during pregnancy. Insulin binding and other hormones. Comparison of biosynthetic insulin, pancreatic human insulin and porcine insulin binding to erythrocytes. Effect of exercise on insulin binding to red blood cells of normal human volunteers. Miscellaneous insulin binding studies. Insulin internalization and degradation. Insulin and erythrocyte metabolism. Summary and conclusion.
CIDA's Programming in Zambia and Zimbabwe: A Retrospective Look Through the “Lens” of Human Resources Development

ABSTRACT This paper presents a review of the origins of the human resources development policies and activities of the Canadian International Development Agency. It then explores these policies through two cases studies of Canadian bilateral aid, in Zimbabwe and Zambia, between 1991 and 1993.
Tiny core or thin layer as a perturbation in scattering by a single-layered sphere

Analytic expressions for scattering by a single-layered sphere when either the core is tiny or the shell thickness is small are presented within the framework of a perturbative approach. In this approach, the contribution of the core or the shell (each acting as a perturbation) to the scattering is separated out, thus facilitating a deeper insight into the nature of its effect. This is illustrated by the application of the analytic expressions to the well-known practical case of absorption of visible light by water droplets contaminated with graphitic carbon (soot) in the atmosphere.
The Expanded Very Large Array: goals, progress, and plans

The Expanded Very Large Array project has the top-level goal of enhancing the performance of the Very Large Array by an order of magnitude or more in all areas: sensitivity, frequency coverge, spectral resolution, and spatial resolution. The project is being implemented in two, overlapping phases: Phase I, which began in 2000 and will finish by 2012 addresses all new capabilities except spatial resolution, and Phase II, which will improve tenfold the spatial resolution, and which is planned to begin in 2006, and finish by 2013. Progress in Phase I is very good, with first light and first fringes having been achieved, and tests of the new hardware and software now underway. A proposal for funding Phase II has now been delivered to the National Science Foundation. A critical component of the project is the new correlator, being designed and built by the Canadian Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics at the DRAO in Penticton, BC Canada. This new advanced correlator will be delivered beginning in late 2008. First shared-risk science with the early portions of the correlator will be done in late 2007.