cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia in patients without chronic biliary disease: analysis of liver explants with alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatitis C infection, and noncirrhotic liver diseases.

BACKGROUND: Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN) represents a spectrum of proliferative and/or cytologically atypical lesions of the large intrahepatic bile ducts. BilIN is believed to be a major pathway leading to the development of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) through a dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Recently, a large interobserver agreement study in patients with hepatolithiasis, choledochal cysts, and primary sclerosing cholangitis proposed diagnostic criteria for 3 categories of BilIN based on increasing grades of nuclear atypia and loss of nuclear polarity: BilIN-1, BilIN-2, and BilIN-3. BilIN has not been systematically studied as a potential precursor lesion in patients with nonbiliary liver disease, despite the epidemiologic association between intrahepatic CCA, hepatitis C infection (HCV), and alcohol (EtOH) consumption. METHODS: We submitted 12 paraffin blocks targeted to the large intrahepatic and hilar ducts in each of 244 explanted livers with EtOH cirrhosis (n = 94), HCV cirrhosis (n = 44), EtOH + HCV (n = 26), and noncirrhotic controls (eg, livers removed for metabolic disorders, massive hepatic necrosis) (n = 80), and classified all bile duct profiles as normal/reactive, metaplastic, or BilIN-1, -2, or -3 (flat or papillary). RESULTS: Livers transplanted for EtOH and EtOH + HCV cirrhosis had the highest prevalence of BilIN, greater numbers of ducts with BilIN, and a shift toward higher grades of BilIN as compared with HCV alone and with noncirrhotics. In EtOH, the highest grades of BilIN were 0 = 3%, BilIN-1 = 35%, BilIN-2 = 57%, BilIN-3 = 4%; in EtOH + HCV: 4%, 38%, 54%, 4%; in HCV: 18%, 55%, 20%, 7%; and in noncirrhotics: 45%, 39%, 16%, 0%, respectively. In both univariate and multivariate analysis, EtOH (P < .001), EtOH + HCV (P < .001), and HCV cirrhosis (P < .001) were all significant predictors of BilIN grade. Multifocal BilIN (≥10 ducts) was present in 91% of EtOH, 92% of EtOH + HCV, and 61% of HCV cirrhosis, as compared with only 34% of noncirrhotics (P values of <.0001, <.001, and .002, respectively, in both univariate and multivariate analysis). Papillary or micropapillary architecture of BilIN was also more common in EtOH (47%) than in EtOH + HCV (19%), HCV (23%), or noncirrhotics (17%) (P < .001 in both univariate and multivariate analysis). BilIN-3 occurred only in the setting of cirrhosis (8 of 164 cirrhotic livers, 5%) and was associated with CCA (2 cases) or mixed hepatocellular/CCA (1 case) elsewhere in the liver. CONCLUSIONS: In aggregate, these findings provide morphologic support for the epidemiologic role of alcohol and HCV in the development of CCA. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Evaluating the performance of clinical dietitians

Abstract The purpose of this study were to describe how clinical managers evaluate the performance of clinical dietitians and to examine managers' opinions about performance appraisal. Managers from 55 acute-care hospitals in seven midwestern states responded to a telephone survey about their appraisal of the performance of clinical dietitians. Most of the clinical managers had developed criteria with written standards for evaluating performance. Respondents evaluated the dietitians once a year and relied primarily on chart audits, other work samples, and critical incidents to judge performance. Managers in 32 of the hospitals asked their subordinates to complete a self-appraisal, and almost all of the managers negotiated with the dietitians to identify goals for professional improvement. Respondents' reasons for conducting performance appraisals were indicative of a participative management style. During the interviews, many clinical managers requested help in improving their performance appraisal systems, which suggests a need for additional training in conducting performance appraisals. The findings indicate that most clinical managers were following recommended guidelines for conducting performance appraisals.
Persistent Multiple Jets and PV Staircase

Abstract The persistence of multiple jets is investigated with a quasigeostrophic, two-layer, β-plane channel model. Linearly unstable normal modes are found to be capable of qualitatively describing the eddy fluxes of the nonlinear model. For a persistent double jet (PDJ) state, the most unstable normal mode has its largest amplitude located between the two jets, with a downshear tilt that acts to keep the jets separated. The opposite tilt occurs for a double jet state that is intermittent. An analysis of these normal modes, which utilized the concept of counterpropagating Rossby waves (CRWs), suggests that the downshear tilt in the interjet region hinges on the presence of critical latitudes only in the lower layer. This conclusion in turn suggests that the initial generation of the persistent jets requires L/Cgy < r−1, where L is the distance between the wave source (jet) and sink (interjet), Cgy is the meridional group velocity, and r is the linear damping rate. Similar CRW analysis for a conventional...
Precise alignment of optical fibers using a microfabricated silicon device

A mechanical splice has been developed that aligns optical fibers with precision approaching fusion splices. This novel device was made using bulk silicon microfabrication processes and can be cost effectively manufactured. The basic concept can be applied to fiber arrays and active devices.
High charge-capacity polymer electrodes comprising alkali lignin from the Kraft process

Advances in materials chemistry are necessary for low-cost energy storage to support energy generation from renewable sources and electric transportation. Renewable biopolymers, such as sodium lignosulfate (SLS), have attracted interest for electrodes when mixed with conducting polymers due to their higher charge-capacity and natural abundance. The availability of SLS is limited and will continue to decrease, while alkali lignin (AL), which accounts for 98% of lignin from paper-pulping, exhibits poor solubility in acidic electrolytes used for electropolymerization of conducting polymers. Here, we utilize organic acid solvents to overcome processing limitations in order to synthesize electrodes comprising polypyrrole (PPy) and SLS. Compared to PPy/SLS, electrodes containing PPy/AL exhibit an increase in capacitance from 312 F g−1 to 444 F g−1, and a decrease in relaxation time constant from 1.7 to 1 s. Furthermore, we showed that the electrochemical performance of PPy/AL electrodes could be further increased by incorporating AL with higher phenolic content that is obtained from an elevated-temperature, pH-driven fractionation process.
Failure mechanisms of dense vertically-cracked thermal barrier coatings

Abstract Failure lives and failure mechanisms of samples coated with dense vertically-cracked (DVC) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were studied in cyclic furnace tests using 1-h cycles at three different temperatures: 1100 °C, 1121 °C and 1151 °C. Average failure life at 1100 °C cycles was six times longer than at 1151 °C. At all the three temperatures in the 1-h cycle tests, progressive cracking of the TBC near and parallel to the interface with the bond coat was observed beginning typically at 25% of the expected failure life. The measured density of such cracks increased almost linearly with cycles. Strains imposed on the TBC by progressive distortion of the bond coat (rumpling) are believed to be primarily responsible for the observed cracking with a secondary role played by the formation of chromia in the bond coat.
Theory of Magnetic Hyperfine and Zeeman Interactions for Hund's Case (b), Applied to the c Π u 3 State of H 2

The theory of hyperfine interactions in a homonuclear diatomic molecule is re-examined for Hund's coupling case (b). Diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements among $J$, the fine-structure levels, are explicitly given for an arbitrary electronic state and spin. Expressions for the Zeeman interactions at small magnetic fields are derived, when $J$ is no longer a good quantum number. This theory is applied to the $c^{3}\ensuremath{\Pi}_{u}(1s2p)$ state of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, and the previous discrepancy between theoretical and experimental ${g}_{F}$ values is resolved.
Rectus Fascial Wrap: Early Results of a Modification of the Rectus Fascial Sling

We describe an operation that increases bladder neck resistance in patients with urinary incontinence. It is a modification of the rectus fascial sling that was designed as an adjunct to augmentation cystoplasty and is used in association with clean intermittent catheterization. The operation is performed by circumferentially wrapping a rectus fascial defatted free graft around the bladder neck and suturing it to appose the bladder neck. The procedure was done in 17 patients, including 10 with myelodysplasia, 3 with sacral lipoma, 3 with bladder exstrophy and 1 with nonneurogenic neurogenic bladder. Leak point pressure improved in patients in whom it was measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Complications developed in 5 patients, including difficulty with catheterization in 2, ventral hernia at the graft harvest site in 1, bladder calculus in 1 and detrusor hyperreflexia in 1. Early results with the bladder fascial wrap indicate that it has the ability to improve continence in patients with a dysfunctional bladder neck who have undergone augmentation.
Flow cytometric study of hybridoma cell culture: correlation between cell surface fluorescence and IgG production rate.

Abstract Flow cytometry was applied to measure the fluorescence of IgG molecules on hybridoma cell surface stained with FITC-conjugated anti-mouse IgG F(ab′)2. Using light scattering to exclude the dead cell population from the analysis, the surface fluorescence intensity allows for the differentiation between producing and nonproducing cells. A linear correlation has been found between the intensity of mean surface fluorescence of the cell population and the specific antibody production rate.
Partial inclusion and biculturalism of African Americans

Purpose – More than 40 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African Americans experienced partial inclusion in corporate America and to a certain extent have had to maintain a bicultural identity to function. This article aims to provide insight into the lived experience of African Americans in corporate America to illustrate the experience and effect of partial inclusion and biculturalism.Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the lived experience of partial inclusion and biculturalism, phenomenological interviews were conducted with a small number of African Americans who work or worked in corporate America.Findings – As a result of partial inclusion, the participants often did not engage in social interaction to the same extent as their colleagues which resulted in them having less information, less access to social networks, and less of a sense of belonging in the organization. Consequently, they often felt less connected to the organization and had to work harder to comp...
A search for an atmosphere enveloping Saturn's rings

Spectrograms of Saturn's brighter satellites taken near superior conjunction and when the Earth lay nearly in the ring plane might be expected to show the absorption spectrum of a possible ring atmosphere. Observations on two nights gave negative results, which we have used to set an upper limit of ≈ 100 atoms/cm3 on the density of neutral Na vapor surrounding the ring.
Shape-dependent control of cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis: switching between attractors in cell regulatory networks.

Development of characteristic tissue patterns requires that individual cells be switched locally between different phenotypes or "fates;" while one cell may proliferate, its neighbors may differentiate or die. Recent studies have revealed that local switching between these different gene programs is controlled through interplay between soluble growth factors, insoluble extracellular matrix molecules, and mechanical forces which produce cell shape distortion. Although the precise molecular basis remains unknown, shape-dependent control of cell growth and function appears to be mediated by tension-dependent changes in the actin cytoskeleton. However, the question remains: how can a generalized physical stimulus, such as cell distortion, activate the same set of genes and signaling proteins that are triggered by molecules which bind to specific cell surface receptors. In this article, we use computer simulations based on dynamic Boolean networks to show that the different cell fates that a particular cell can exhibit may represent a preprogrammed set of common end programs or "attractors" which self-organize within the cell's regulatory networks. In this type of dynamic network model of information processing, generalized stimuli (e.g., mechanical forces) and specific molecular cues elicit signals which follow different trajectories, but eventually converge onto one of a small set of common end programs (growth, quiescence, differentiation, apoptosis, etc.). In other words, if cells use this type of information processing system, then control of cell function would involve selection of preexisting (latent) behavioral modes of the cell, rather than instruction by specific binding molecules. Importantly, the results of the computer simulation closely mimic experimental data obtained with living endothelial cells. The major implication of this finding is that current methods used for analysis of cell function that rely on characterization of linear signaling pathways or clusters of genes with common activity profiles may overlook the most critical features of cellular information processing which normally determine how signal specificity is established and maintained in living cells. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
Predicting individual differences in low-income children's executive control from early to middle childhood

The present longitudinal study tested the roles of early childhood executive control (EC) as well as exposure to poverty-related adversity at family and school levels as key predictors of low-income children's EC in elementary school (n = 391). Findings suggest that children's EC difficulties in preschool and lower family income from early to middle childhood are robust predictors of later EC difficulties as rated by teachers in 2nd and 3rd grades. Findings also suggest enrollment in unsafe elementary schools is significantly predictive of higher levels of teacher-rated EC difficulty, but only for those children who showed initially elevated levels of EC difficulty in early childhood. Implications for scientific models of cognitive development and poverty-related adversity are discussed.
Facility layout objective functions and robust layouts

In this paper we examine the adjacency-based, distance-based, and weighted-criteria facility layout objective functions in an attempt to relate them to actual layout costs, which are typically dependent on material handling costs. As a result of this examination, we develop an objective function based on a basic material handling cost structure. We then show that this objective function is a generalization of the traditional weighted objective. Since specifying weights may not be an exact process, we explore the impact of imperfect weighting-value information on solution quality. In the process, we illustrate with test problems from the literature that robust solutions—good solutions as measured by more than one set of weights—can be found with a simple procedure we call the robust layout method. This leads us to our general conclusion that using imperfect weighting-value information while we generate the layouts is better than using complete weighting-value information only after we generate the layouts.
High-Risk Prostate Cancer in the Modern Era: Does a Single Standard of Care Exist?

There are more randomized trials addressing the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer than for any other localized risk group. There are, however, no comparative efficacy trials among the major treatment modalities. Most randomized trials examine various combinations and permutations of external beam radiation therapy and endocrine therapy. Because of this abundance of data, most practitioners cite some dose/volume of external beam radiation therapy plus endocrine therapy of some duration as the standard of care for high-risk prostate cancer. The lack of comparative efficacy trials among the major modalities is an uncomfortable fact that undermines any attempt to name a single standard of care for localized prostate cancer, let alone high-risk prostate cancer, at the present time. There are many factors that have contributed to this void in the literature. Some are surely political, but there are some definable, biological matters that can be objectively handled with future research efforts. Probably the 3 major problems are these: (1) the difficulty in overcoming patient and practitioner biases against randomization of therapy; (2) the relatively small numbers of patients that constitute the “high-risk” group (currently approximately 20% of newly diagnosed localized cases), along with the very heterogeneous behavior of this group (1); and (3) the stage migration that has occurred over the period in which many clinical trials were executed (2). The first of the hurdles enumerated above explains the nearcomplete absence of comparative efficacy trials among modalities. The heterogeneity of the high-risk population at any one point in time, coupled with the changing nature of high-risk prostate cancer over time due to stage migration, gave rise to well-planned trials within a modality that yielded results with narrow applicability because the outcome event rate was far lower than expected, or in some instances the treatment modality (eg, 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy) had become obsolete by the time the trial had been completed. Had this been appreciated a priori, one suspects that many trials would have been designed differently (as
Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ waves in saponin-permeabilized rat ventricular myocytes

1. We carried out confocal Ca2+ imaging in myocytes permeabilized with saponin in 'internal' solutions containing: MgATP, EGTA and fluo-3 potassium salt. 2. Permeabilized myocytes exhibited spontaneous Ca2+ sparks and waves similar to those observed in intact myocytes loaded with fluo-3 AM. 3. In the presence of 'low' [EGTA] (0.05 mM), Ca2+ waves arose regularly, even at relatively low [Ca2+] (50-100 nM, free). Increasing [EGTA] resulted in decreased frequency and propagation velocity of Ca2+ waves. Propagating waves were completely abolished at [EGTA] > 0.3 mM. 4. The frequency of sparks increased as a function of [Ca2+] (50-400 nM range) with no sign of a high affinity Ca2+-dependent inactivation process. 5. The rate of occurrence of Ca2+ sparks was increased by calmodulin and cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose (cADPR).
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Properties of 2,3-Diphenyl-1,3-thiaza-4-one Heterocycles

Synthetic and spectroscopic data ( 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, IR, UV/Vis) for a series of six 2,3-diphenyl-1,3-thiaza-4-one heterocycles which differ in ring size and substitution is reported. The results show that there are significant differences in spectroscopic signals common to all six compounds. Distinctions can be made among the compounds using the IR absorbance of the C4 carbonyl and the 1 H NMR signal at C2, and to a lesser extent the 13 C NMR signal at C4 and the UV/Vis spectrum. {The equation can be found in the PDF file}.
Identification and Multiplicity of Double Vowels in Cochlear Implant Users

Purpose The present study examined cochlear implant (CI) users' perception of vowels presented concurrently (i.e., double vowels) to further our understanding of auditory grouping in electric heari...
Enhanced vascular reactivity and Ca2+ entry with low-salt diet: effect of obesity.

Abstract —Salt moderation is often recommended as a nonpharmacological therapy for hypertension, particularly in overweight individuals; however, the effects of low dietary salt on the Ca2+-dependent mechanisms of vasoconstriction are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low salt diet on vascular reactivity and Ca2+ mobilization mechanisms and the modulation of these effects with obesity. Active stress and 45Ca2+ influx were measured in deendothelialized aortic strips isolated from lean (3.74 kg) and obese (5.51 kg) female rabbits on a normal (0.75%) or low (0.23%) salt (sodium chloride) diet for 18 weeks. Both phenylephrine (Phe, 10−5 mol/L) and membrane depolarization by 96 mmol/L KCl caused extracellular Ca2+–dependent increases in active stress and 45Ca2+ influx. In lean rabbits, the Phe- and KCl-induced stress and Ca2+ influx were significantly greater with the low-salt versus the normal-salt diet. The Phe-induced Ca2+ influx–stress relationship was significantly greater than that induced by KCl with low-salt diet. In obese rabbits on a normal-salt diet, the Phe- and KCl-induced stress and Ca2+ influx were significantly less than that in lean rabbits but the Ca2+ influx-stress relationship was not significantly altered. Feeding the obese rabbits a low-salt diet was associated not only with significant increases in Phe- and KCl-induced active stress and Ca2+ influx but also with significant enhancement in the Ca2+ influx-stress relationship. In Ca2+-free (2 mmol/L EGTA) Krebs solution, stimulation of intracellular Ca2+ release by Phe or caffeine (25 mmol/L) caused a transient contraction that was not significantly different in all groups of rabbits. Thus, with normal salt intake, obesity is associated with a reduction in Ca2+ entry and vascular reactivity. Low-salt diet is associated with an increase in Ca2+ entry and vascular reactivity in both obese and lean rabbits. The enhancement of the Ca2+ influx-stress relationship with low-salt diet, particularly in the obese rabbits, suggests activation of other contractile mechanisms in addition to Ca2+ entry.
Factors to be considered in placing handicapped children in regular classes

Abstract In light of recent legislation, school psychologists, administrators, and teachers are required to decide if handicapped pupils' educational needs can be met in regular classrooms. This paper examines information that may be used to derive this placement decision and proposes decision-making guidelines to be considered.
Simple discrimination reversals in the domestic horse (Equus caballus): Effect of discriminative stimulus modality on learning to learn

Abstract The cognitive capacity of an organism, relative to that of other species, can be assessed by using a relative measure of learning. One such measure is the ability of an organism to learn about the reversal of a discrimination. The present study compared the performance of two groups of horses on a simple discrimination reversal task when the only difference between the groups was the modality of the relevant cue. For the visual group (absence or presence of a light), the spatial position was irrelevant. For the spatial group, a spatial cue (left/right) was available and the visual cue was irrelevant. Horses in the spatial group learned the original discrimination and six reversals; they also showed evidence of learning to learn. Horses in the visual group did not reach criterion during the study. As a result, there was no evidence of learning to learn.
SRAdb: query and use public next-generation sequencing data from within R

Background: The Sequence Read Archive (SRA) is the largest public repository of sequencing data from the next generation of sequencing platforms including Illumina (Genome Analyzer, HiSeq, MiSeq, .etc), Roche 454 GS System, Applied Biosystems SOLiD System, Helicos Heliscope, PacBio RS, and others. Results: SRAdb is an attempt to make queries of the metadata associated with SRA submission, study, sample, experiment and run more robust and precise, and make access to sequencing data in the SRA easier. We have parsed all the SRA metadata into a SQLite database that is routinely updated and can be easily distributed. The SRAdb R/Bioconductor package then utilizes this SQLite database for querying and accessing metadata. Full text search functionality makes querying metadata very flexible and powerful. Fastq files associated with query results can be downloaded easily for local analysis. The package also includes an interface from R to a popular genome browser, the Integrated Genomics Viewer. Conclusions: SRAdb Bioconductor package provides a convenient and integrated framework to query and access SRA metadata quickly and powerfully from within R.
Gender Differences in Stress Generation: Examination of Interpersonal Predictors

Researchers have consistently found that women are twice as likely to be depressed as men (as reviewed in Nolen-Hoeksema & Hilt, 2009). One possible mechanism for this relationship is that women experience more interpersonal stressful life events for which they played a part in their occurrence, a process called stress generation (Hammen, 2003). The present study investigated two interpersonal predictors of depression—neediness and co-rumination—as mediators of the relationship between gender and stress generation. It was hypothesized that women would report higher levels of neediness and co-rumination, which would in turn predict the greater occurrence of interpersonal stress generation. Baseline levels of neediness and co-rumination were assessed in a sample of college students (N = 364), and depressive symptoms and frequency of dependent interpersonal stressors were assessed weekly for 8 weeks. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze gender differences and mediation models predicting stress ge...
Developmental dyslexia and word retrieval deficits

Abstract Developmental dyslexics, selected on the basis of very slow naming rates on the Rapid Automatic Naming Tasks (RAN), were compared to normal readers on oral language, picture categorization, and reading tasks. Findings indicated that the dyslexics' word retrieval deficits were one symptom of a more generalized, however subtle, oral language deficit which involved both receptive and expressive oral language functioning. The dyslexics' word retrieval problem also seemed chiefly related to language processing and not to deficits in semantic memory as there were no significant differences between dyslexics and controls on a nonverbal semantic memory task (picture categorization). In naming and identifying printed words, the dyslexics appeared to rely considerably upon the “indirect” or “assembly-of-phonology” route; they were slower in naming irregularly spelled words compared to regularly spelled words and on a lexical decision task, the dyslexics were slower in making negative decisions for “pseudohomophones” (e.g., “braik”) than for other matched nonwords. Results are discussed in terms of the logogen model with some consideration of a developmental model as well.
The role of complex carbohydrate catabolism in the pathogenesis of invasive streptococci

Historically, the study of bacterial catabolism of complex carbohydrates has contributed to understanding basic bacterial physiology. Recently, however, genome-wide screens of streptococcal pathogenesis have identified genes encoding proteins involved in complex carbohydrate catabolism as participating in pathogen infectivity. Subsequent studies have focused on specific mechanisms by which carbohydrate utilization proteins might contribute to the ability of streptococci to colonize and infect the host. Moreover, transcriptome and biochemical analyses have uncovered novel regulatory pathways by which streptococci link environmental carbohydrate availability to virulence factor production. Herein we review new insights into the role of complex carbohydrates in streptococcal host-pathogen interaction.
Unifying the Semantics of Conjunction

The pluractional markers discussed in the last chapter seem to function as something like plurality markers on verbs. Accordingly, we have treated pluractional verbs as applying to groups of events, more-or-less as we treated plural noun phrases as denoting groups of individuals. (Of course in the case of pluractionals there were a number of complications, due to the altemation between temporal, spatial, and participant-based readings, and other factors; but the basic idea of pluractional verbs as applying to groups of events was maintained.) We don’t seem to have pluractional affixes in English. Does this mean we have no means of talking about groups of events?
STEM Education and Sexual Minority Youth: Examining Math and Science Coursetaking Patterns among High School Students

Sexual minority students such as those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, as well as those identifying with emerging self-labels (e.g., queer) face a host of risk factors in high school that can potentially compromise educational excellence, particularly in rigorous academic disciplines. The current study advances the area of diversity within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by empirically exploring the question: Is there a gap in STEM education participation based on sexual minority status? After reviewing the relevant research, we employed hierarchical linear modeling to explore advanced math and science coursetaking patterns among a nationally representative sample of students from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results of this initial exploratory study suggest that advanced math and science course-taking does not vary significantly based on sexual minority status once a host of individual and school factors are included. The null findings advance the discussion of equity and excellence in STEM education as it relates to vulnerable populations. The article ends with a discussion of limitations and directions for future research.
Production of low-cost solar-grade silicon by reduction of SiF 4 gas with sodium: Technical and industrial developmental status

To meet increasing demand for electrical power using solar photovoltaics, millions of tons of solar-grade silicon costing 4 gas—an exothermic, fast, and complete reaction. SRI International routinely uses reactors that can produce at rates >20 metric tons per year (mty), and has licensed the technology to several companies. The Si product is completely separated from the by-product NaF by leaching or melt separation. With the direct use of industrially available Na, B and P levels in the Si product are 100 Ω·cm when purified reactants were used. The purity, electronic parameters, and solar cell efficiency of 15% indicate that this silicon is of solar grade and can be a key contributor in developing solar power markets.
A low-area and low-latency network on chip

With the rapid increase of processing elements (PEs) on a single chip, the communication network poses a major limiting factor for both performance and power consumption in future SoCs. This paper presents a low-area and low-latency wormhole-switching network on chip (NoC). By introducing a new PE-router organization, our design not only reduces the total number of routers for a given number of PEs, but also offers much more routing flexibility compared to existing mesh-based solutions. In our network, each router is shared by four PEs and each general PE has access to four directly-connected routers in addition to the NEWS (North, East, West, South) connections between neighboring PEs. By sharing routers among PEs, the network reduces the average hop count for packets thereby reducing the latency and improving the throughput of the network. Experimental results show that the proposed network reduces the network latency by up to 50.3% for an SoC with 64 PEs. The network saturation point is extended by up to approximately 100%.
An FPGA-based bunch-to-bunch feedback system at the Advanced Photon Source

The advanced photon source storage ring has several bunch fill patterns for user operation. The hybrids fill pattern consists of a single bunch with a charge of 16 mA and a bunch train of 56 bunches. Both horizontal and vertical instabilities are observed. Currently chromaticity correction is the only method available to overcome the instability. Beam lifetime and injection efficiency suffer because of high sextupole currents. A bunch-to-bunch feedback system is designed to overcome beam instability and reduce the required chromaticity correction. The feedback system is based on an FPGA DSP processor. The signal filtering algorithm is based on the time-domain-least-square (TDLF) method developed at SPring-8. We have just completed the integration of the system. We report the system design and some test results.
Characterization of the α-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a key control point in lipooligosaccharride biosynthesis

The biosynthesis of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) in Neisseria meningitidis has a control point that regulates the extension of the alpha-chain on heptose (I) of the LOS. The gene that encodes the protein responsible for this control had been identified elsewhere, but the enzyme encoded by the gene was not characterized. We have now shown that this same control mechanism operates in the related species, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, using a gene knockout and subsequent characterization of the LOS species produced. We also cloned and expressed the enzyme from both of these pathogens. Using a synthetic acceptor substrate, we have shown unequivocally that the enzyme is an alpha-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. Experiments with both the core oligosaccharide and the synthetic acceptors suggests that the addition of the alpha-1,2-N-acetylglucosamine moiety on the heptose (II) residue precedes the addition of the ethanolamine phosphate at the O3 position on this heptose (II), and that in the absence of the alpha-1,2-N-acetylglucosamine moiety leads to the addition of an extra ethanolamine phosphate on the heptose (II) residue. Our data do not support the hypothesis that ethanolamine phosphate at O3 of heptose (II) is added and is then required for the addition of the N-acetylglucosamine at O2 by the LgtK enzyme. This enzyme represents a control point in the biosynthesis of the LOS of this pathogen and is a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Savoring the taste of home: the pervasiveness of lead poisoning from ceramic and its implications in transnational care packages.

The Mexican State has known for decades that its rural ceramic producing communities have had to increase the lead content of their glaze in response to lower grade fuel supplies for their adobe kilns. This has resulted in increased Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) among their poorer populations who not only produce the ceramic but also depend on it as their primary source of cookware. Lead is a subtle crippler that produces many health maladies that mimic those resulting from poverty. The close correlation has allowed lead toxicity to be obscured and the state to defer or minimize its role in prevention and treatment. This same ceramic ware is used to produce foodstuffs that are sent to families across the globe as gifts from home and appears to be the greatest source of lead toxicity among Mexican migrant communities in California. This research reviews an interdisciplinary applied anthropology project that integrated the three communities who formed the triadic sphere of ceramic production, ceramic use, and food consumption across two nations to address the problem of lead in their lives from a local level.
Using Adaptive Downsampling to Compare Time Series with Warping

Dynamic time warping (DTW) is widely used in many practical domains to compare time series with warping (i.e., signals where similar activity may not be perfectly aligned by sample number). In this paper, we explore different ways to improve upon the efficiency and accuracy of the basic DTW algorithm. Central to our work is the concept of adaptive down sampling using trace segmentation. We describe how the size of the data being compared can be reduced substantially with limited loss of information by down sampling slowly changing parts of the signals much more than rapidly changing regions. We propose two novel measures based on the notion of adaptive down sampling: trace profile comparison (TPC), which compares the reduced representations obtained by adaptive down sampling using a weighting scheme that assesses the relative importance of changes in amplitude and timing, and piecewise linear DTW (PLDTW), which compares piecewise linear segments of the reduced signals using a modified dynamic programming algorithm and cost function. When evaluated on the UCR Time Series dataset, TPC provided an improvement in runtime over the basic DTW algorithm and recent optimizations to it, while PLDTW improved the accuracy of DTW for classification in different datasets.
Linking MedDRA®-Coded Clinical Phenotypes to Biological Mechanisms by the Ontology of Adverse Events: A Pilot Study on Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

A translational bioinformatics challenge exists in connecting population and individual clinical phenotypes in various formats to biological mechanisms. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA®) is the default dictionary for adverse event (AE) reporting in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). The ontology of adverse events (OAE) represents AEs as pathological processes occurring after drug exposures. The aim of this work was to establish a semantic framework to link biological mechanisms to phenotypes of AEs by combining OAE with MedDRA® in FAERS data analysis. We investigated the AEs associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting tyrosine kinases. The five selected TKIs/mAbs (i.e., dasatinib, imatinib, lapatinib, cetuximab, and trastuzumab) are known to induce impaired ventricular function (non-QT) cardiotoxicity. Statistical analysis of FAERS data identified 1053 distinct MedDRA® terms significantly associated with TKIs/mAbs, where 884 did not have corresponding OAE terms. We manually annotated these terms, added them to OAE by the standard OAE development strategy, and mapped them to MedDRA®. The data integration to provide insights into molecular mechanisms of drug-associated AEs was performed by including linkages in OAE for all related AE terms to MedDRA® and the existing ontologies, including the human phenotype ontology (HP), Uber anatomy ontology (UBERON), and gene ontology (GO). Sixteen AEs were shared by all five TKIs/mAbs, and each of 17 cardiotoxicity AEs was associated with at least one TKI/mAb. As an example, we analyzed “cardiac failure” using the relations established in OAE with other ontologies and demonstrated that one of the biological processes associated with cardiac failure maps to the genes associated with heart contraction. By expanding the existing OAE ontological design, our TKI use case demonstrated that the combination of OAE and MedDRA® provides a semantic framework to link clinical phenotypes of adverse drug events to biological mechanisms.
Ion-exchange chromatography of oxytocin, arginine-vasopressin, and lysine-vasopressin.

SummaryOxytocin, lysine-vasopressin, and arginine-vasopressin can be chromatographed on ion exchange resin IRC-50 (XE-64). Complete separation of the three hormones was achieved by passage through a column buffered at pH 6.95 with 0.2 M phosphate buffer; under these conditions lysine-vasopressin and arginine-vasopressin emerged at 40 and 70 effluent ml respectively, while oxytocin passed through without retardation. At pH 6.00, with 0.2 M phosphate buffer as the eluting agent, oxytocin, synthetic oxytocin, and a mixture of natural and synthetic oxytocin chromatographed as a single substance.
Efficacy and economics of selected systemic insecticides for control of Phoracantha semipunctata (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a new pest in North America

A eucalyptus longhorned borer (ELHB), Phoracantha semipunctata (F.), was first found infesting eucalyptus trees in southern California late in 1984. Studies were conducted in summer and fall 1986 and winter and spring 1987 on woodlot (WL) and windbreak (WB) settings to determine the efficacy and economics of soil- and trunk-injected systemic insecticides for managing this pest. None of the materials investigated (acephate, carbofuran, disulfoton, and oxydemeton-methyl) provided acceptable control. In addition, the relatively high application costs per tree (1986, $7.74 WL and 11.09 WB; 1987, $6.03 WL and $7.63 WB) render this approach impractical. Therefore, cultural and biological tactics must be used for short- and long-term ELHB management.
The influence of environmental factors and physiological stage on flight patterns of mosquitoes taken in the vehicle aspirator and truck, suction, bait and New Jersey light traps.

Trap collections were made at 2 localities in Indian River County, Florida to determine the effect of illumination levels, wind velocity, temperature, humidity and characteristics of the trap site upon mosquito collectionsmade at regular intervals during the night. Collectionswere further examined to ascertain the proportion of each collection bloodfed, the egg stage constitution and parity level. All 9 species collected were crepuscular and were 2–4 times more active on nights the moon was shining. Unlike the other sampling methods, collections in the New Jersey light trap were larger in the morning twilight period than during the evening period. Collections were reduced to 1/3 by winds between 0.45–0.89 meters per second (mps) compared with <0.45 mps and to 1/2 by temperatures of 16°-18°C compared with 19°-21°C. Only Culex nigripalpus and Aedes vexans showed a response to higher humidity levels. Bait traps were more effectivein a host depauperate area and light traps were more effective beneath a forest canopy. Blood-fed mosquitoes were most abundant in vehicle-aspirator collections taken during daylight hours and in truck collections at dawn; attractant traps took very few. In all traps, the bulk of all mosquito populations was in egg stage II. While this stage comprised almost the entire contents of attractant-trap collections, the vehicle aspirator and truck trap took considerable numbers of advanced egg stages. Females in stages I, III, IV and V were most poorly represented in bait-trap collections. Gravid females of Aedes taeniorhynchus and Culex nigripalpus were highly crepuscular, flying at both twilight periods; gravid females of Psorophora conflnnis, Aedes sollicitans and Anopheles crucians flew primarily in the evening. Gravid females were even more responsive to moonlight than younger females. No effect of parity upon mosquito behavior was found.
The Communication and Diffusion of NIPF Management Strategies

Personal contact is more ef- fective than targeted mailings or mass media in transmitting specific NIPF man- agement advice, and in gaining adoption of that advice by NIPF owners, based on a survey of 220 NIPF owners in northern Lower Michigan. Interpersonal influence by friends, neighbors, and relatives was equally important as contact with profes- szonal foresters as a source of NIPF man- agement advice. Peer influence was a sig- mficant source of advice about timber man- agement and timber harvesting. This advice had about as much effect on adop- tion as advice given by private sector for- esters, and a greater effect than advice gven by state or federal forestry profes- sionals. These findings suggest that in- vestment in communications strategies should emphasize programs of targeted personal contact. However, recognizing the importance of lay peer influence implies that foresters should contact opinion leaders in the community first, and gain their approval so that informal influence among friends and neighbors of NIPF will be as positive as possible.
Design and Realization of Error Compensation for Gas Network Based on ArcGIS

The module can reads and writes city gas network of personal AO database with special engine,and carries out Error Compensation with good precision.With no limitation to the scale and structure of gas network,this module is released in a way of DLL,and can be integrated into AO based GIS platform seamlessly.
Investigation of Vascular Plant Resources in Shimen National Forest Park of Guangzhou

The status of plants in Shimen National Forest Park of Guangzhou was investigated.According to the investigation,a total of 1 096 species belonging to 599 genera,181 families of plants were found in Shimen National Forest Park.Among them,10 species were national key protected plants,9 species were rare and endangered plants,717 medicinal plants,377 ornamental plants,176 timber plants,106 fiber plants,101 oil-bearing plants,83 fruit plants,72 tannic plants,66 poisonous plants,56 fodder plants,52 aromatic plants,43 pesticide plants,41potherb plants,32 beverage plants,31 starchiness plants,23 dye plants,18 honey source plants.Some suggestions about how to protect and utilize the plant resource of the park were put forward in this paper.
138 THE MULTITARGETED RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITOR ABT-869 INDUCES APOPTOSIS IN BAF3 CELLS EXPRESSING THE FLT3 INTERNAL TANDEM DUPLICATION MUTATION.

Purpose of Study Constitutive activation of the FMS-tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) receptor has been identified as the most frequent genetic abnormality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and also confers a poor prognosis. FLT3 receptor signaling is deregulated due to internal tandem duplications (ITD) in the juxtamembrane domain or point mutations in the activation loop of the kinase domain (TKD. ABT-869 is a novel multitargeted small-molecule inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases in the type III subfamily that includes FLT3, c-FMS, c-KIT, and all VEGF and PDGF receptors. ABT-869 inhibits the growth of a human myeloid leukemia cell line MV-411 that expresses the FLT3-ITD mutation both in vitro and in vivo. To determine the effects of ABT-869 on other mutant FLT3-expressing cell lines, we treated murine lymphoid BaF3 cells stably expressing FLT3-ITD or FLT3-D835V and wild-type Baf3 cells at varying concentrations of the drug. Methods The viability of BaF3 cells treated with ABT-869 at concentrations ranging from 1 pM to 10 μM was determined using trypan-blue exclusion method. The effect of ABT-869 on apoptosis was examined using annexin V-FITC or propidium iodide staining and FACs analysis. The effect of ABT-869 on subcutaneous tumors in SCID mice was examined by injecting 5 × 106 of FLT3-ITD, FLT3-D835V, or wild-type cells (n = 15/group). Tumor growth was measured by vernier caliper. Three weeks after inoculation, mice received daily oral doses of vehicle or ABT-869 (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg). Results ABT-869 inhibited the growth of FLT3-ITD-expressing cells at an IC50 of 10 nM and of FLT3-D835V cells at an IC50 of 100 nM. Growth of wild-type BaF3 cells was inhibited by ABT-869 at an IC50 of 10 μM. Apoptosis was observed in BaF3 cells expressing FLT3-ITD 24 hours after ABT-869 treatment at a concentration of 10 nM but not in BaF3-D835V or wild-type cells. Preliminary in vivo data suggest that ABT-869 induced significant tumor regression in FLT3-ITD-injected mice and increased survival. ABT-869 did not significantly affect tumor growth or survival in FLT3-D835V or wild-type injected mice. Conclusions Baf3 cells expressing the FLT3-ITD are more susceptible to the proapoptotic effects of ABT-869 compared to cells expressing the D835V mutation or wild-type cells. Our results suggest that ABT-869 may be effective in AML patients who have blasts harboring the FLT3-ITD mutation.