cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An in vitro co-culture model of esophageal cells identifies ascorbic acid as a modulator of cell competition

The evolutionary dynamics between interacting heterogeneous cell types are fundamental properties of neoplastic progression but can be difficult to measure and quantify. Cancers are heterogeneous mixtures of mutant clones but the direct effect of interactions between these clones is rarely documented. The implicit goal of most preventive interventions is to bias competition in favor of normal cells over neoplastic cells. However, this is rarely explicitly tested. Here we have developed a cell culture competition model to allow for direct observation of the effect of chemopreventive or therapeutic agents on two interacting cell types. We have examined competition between normal and Barrett's esophagus cell lines, in the hopes of identifying a system that could screen for potential chemopreventive agents. One fluorescently-labeled normal squamous esophageal cell line (EPC2-hTERT) was grown in competition with one of four Barrett's esophagus cell lines (CP-A, CP-B, CP-C, CP-D) under varying conditions and the outcome of competition measured over 14 days by flow cytometry. We demonstrate that ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can help squamous cells outcompete Barrett's cells in this system. We are also able to show that ascorbic acid's boost to the relative fitness of squamous cells was increased in most cases by mimicking the pH conditions of gastrointestinal reflux in the lower esophagus. This model is able to integrate differential fitness effects on various cell types, allowing us to simultaneously capture effects on interacting cell types without having to perform separate experiments. This model system may be used to screen for new classes of cancer prevention agents designed to modulate the competition between normal and neoplastic cells.
The colibactin warhead crosslinks DNA

Genotoxic small molecules from the bacterial colibactin pathway — a gut-associated non-ribosomal peptide synthetase–polyketide synthase hybrid gene cluster linked to colorectal cancer — have remained elusive due to their instability. Now, one of these, the colibactin warhead, an unprecedented substituted spirobicyclic structure, has been characterized and shown to crosslink duplex DNA in vitro.
Efficient and scalable expansion of human pluripotent stem cells under clinically compliant settings: a view in 2013

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for revolutionizing regenerative medicine for their potential applications in disease modeling, drug discovery, and cellular therapy. Many their applications require robust and scalable expansion of hPSCs, even under settings compliant to good clinical practices. Rapid evolution of media and substrates provided safer and more defined culture conditions for long-term expansion of undifferentiated hPSCs in either adhesion or suspension. With well-designed automatic systems or fully controlled bioreactors, production of a clinically relevant quantity of hPSCs could be achieved in the near future. The goal is to find a scalable, xeno-free, chemically defined, and economic culture system for clinical-grade expansion of hPSCs that complies the requirements of current good manufacturing practices. This review provides an updated overview of the current development and challenges on the way to accomplish this goal, including discussions on basic principles for bioprocess design, serum-free media, extracellular matric or synthesized substrate, microcarrier- or cell aggregate-based suspension culture, and scalability and practicality of equipment.
Education and technology used to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes mellitus type II

© 2014 Dudley et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress.com/permissions.php
Mitigation of Autoignition Due to Premixing in a Hypervelocity Flow Using Active Wall Cooling

Preinjection of fuel on the forebody of an airbreathing vehicle is a proposed method to gain access to hypervelocity flight Mach numbers. However, this creates the possibility of autoignition either near the wall or in the core of the flow, thereby consuming fuel prematurely as well as increasing the amount of pressure drag on the vehicle. The computational fluid dynamics code VULCAN was used to conduct three dimensional simulations of the reacting flow in the vicinity of hydrogen injectors on a flat plate at conditions relevant to a Mach 12 notional flight vehicle forebody to determine the location where autoignition occurs. Active wall cooling strategies were formulated and simulated in response to regions of autoignition. It was found that tangential film cooling using hydrogen or helium were both able to nearly or completely eliminate wall autoignition in the flow domain of interest.
The use of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition ot prepare device quality Ga(AsP) strained layer superlattices

Strained-layer superlattices (SLS’s), which consist of thin (<300 A) alternating layers of Ga(AsP) and GaAs or GaP, have been prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction of the SLS’s indicate that the layers are coherently strained and dislocation free. The mismatch between these very thin layers is totally accommodated by strain for misfits of one percent or less. The layer thickness for the binaries and the ternary is controlled by the TMG flow while the solid composition for the ternary is determined by the arsine/phosphine ratio. The solid composition for a fixed arsine/phosphine ratio is a function of temperature and arsine partial pressure. Uniformly doped SLS’s have properties similar to the ternary of the same composition. A photodiode has been prepared from a GaAs0.2P0.8/ GaP SLS with a leakage current of 155 × 10-6 A/cm2 at -5V and a quantum efficiency of 40% at 420 nm.
The relative dipole strengths of the 00°1 → 10°0 and 00°1 → 02°0 laser transitions in CS2 and CO2

Abstract The relative dipole strengths of the 00°1–10°0 and 00°1–02°0 transitions in the CS 2 and CO 2 molecules are considered from the viewpoint of a simple anharmonic model in which both cubic and quartic normal-coordinate force constants are admitted. Terms in the dipole-moment expansion up to cubic in the normal coordinates are also taken into account. It is predicted that the dipole strength of the 00°1–02°0 transition in CS 2 is about one eighth that of the 00°1–10°0 transition and that the former should be observable in a CS 2 laser.
History Museums and Social Cohesion: Building Identity, Bridging Communities, and Addressing Difficult Issues

Museums have the capacity to enhance social cohesion, which is the product of a trusting, connected community. History museums and historic sites, in particular, can serve communities by stimulating dialogue on difficult issues, accurately representing all the people of a nation, and creating forums for discussion among groups with disparate opinions. History museums promote social cohesion by solidifying the identities of their audiences—as members of communities, ethnic groups, nations, and the world. This article combines extensive research with firsthand experience in history museums to accurately portray the ways different museums affect social cohesion. It looks first at what social cohesion is, and the ways in which both civil society and educational organizations contribute to it. It makes the argument that museums share attributes of both civil society and educational organizations. This article then addresses the different ways museums contribute to defining identity, bridging community divides,...
Silica-merrihueite/roedderite-bearing chondrules and clasts in ordinary chondrites: New occurrences and possible origin

Merrihueite (K,Na)2(Fe,Mg)5Si12O30 (na less than 0.5, fe greater than 0.5, where na = Na/(Na + K), fe = Fe/(Fe + Mg) in atomic ratio) is a rare mineral described only in several chondrules and irregularly-shaped fragments in the Mezo-Madaras L3 chondrite (Dodd et al., 1965; Wood and Holmberg, 1994). Roedderite (Na,K)2(Mg,Fe)5Si12O30 (na greater than 0.5, fe less than 0.5) has been found only in enstatite chondrites and in the reduced, subchondritic silicate inclusions in IAB irons (Fuchs, 1966; Rambaldi et al., 1984; Olsen, 1967). We described silica-roedderite-bearing clasts in L/LL3.5 ALHA77011 and LL3.7 ALHA77278, a silica-roedderite-bearing chondrule in L3 Mezo-Madaras, and a silica-merrihueite-bearing chondrule in L/LL3.5 ALHA77115. The findings of merrihueite and roedderite in ALHA77011, ALHA77115, ALHA77278 and Mezo-Madaras fill the compositional gap betweeen previously described roedderite in enstatite chondrites and silicate inclusions in IAB irons and merrihueite in Mezo-Madaras, suggesting that there is a complete solid solution of roedderite and merrihueite in meteorites. We infer that the silica- and merrihueite/roedderite-bearing chondrules and clasts experienced a complex formational history including: (a) fractional condensation in the solar nebular that produced Si-rich and Al-poor precursors, (b) melting of fractionated nebular solids resulting in the formation of silica-pyroxene chondrules, (c) in some cases, fragmentation in the nebula or on a parent body, (d) reaction of silica with alkali-rich gas that formed merrihueite/roedderite on a parent body, (e) formation of fayalitic olivine and feerosilite-rich pyroxene due to reaction of silica with oxidized Fe on a parent body, and (f) minor thermal metamorphism, possibly generated by impacts.
Classroom Emotional Support Predicts Differences in Preschool Children's Cortisol and Alpha-amylase Levels

Accumulating evidence suggests children enrolled in full-time child care often display afternoon elevations of the hormone cortisol, which is an indicator of stress. Recent advances in immunoassays allow for measurement of activity in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the autonomic sympathetic nervous system from saliva, and measurement of both systems provides a more complete understanding of activity in the stress response system. This study is the first to examine both cortisol and alpha-amylase in children attending child care and focuses on the influences of specific indicators of classroom process quality. A diverse sample of 63 preschool children nested in 14 classrooms of varying quality participated in this study; child salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase were collected at six times over 2 days. Results indicate that children in classrooms with higher Emotional Support displayed a greater decline in cortisol from morning to afternoon. Further, children in classrooms with higher Emotional Support exhibited lower total alpha-amylase output while attending child care. Implications for professional development for early childhood teachers and measurement of classroom quality are discussed.
Determination of the lumped heat-transfer and reactivity coefficients of a research reactor

Abstract This work presents a method of determining the lumped heat-transfer coefficient and the temperature coefficients of reactivity of a nuclear reactor. No knowledge of the component temperatures is required. The method is thus particularly attractive in systems where temperatures cannot be monitored, or where uncertainties in temperature variations can produce large errors in experimental menults. A mathematical model is developed for the reactor, which is assumed to consist of lumped fuel, moderator, and reflector regions. Simplified forms of this model are also developed: a two-region model for fuel and moderator, and a one-region model for fuel only. The equations for these models are expressed as functions of the feedback response of the reactor. The high frequency feedback response is normally a function of only the fuel temperature coefficient of reactivity and the heat-transfer capability from the fuel. The experimental high frequency response characteristic can thus be applied to the one-region mathematical model to determine the fuel reactivity coefficient and the heat-transfer capability. In a similar manner, the experimental medium frequency response of the reactor can permit a determination of the fuel and moderator feedback coefficients, and the low frequency response the determination of the reflector coefficients. The model was applied to a swimming pool reactor, with the frequency response measured with a pile oscillator over the frequency range 0·03 to 150 rad./sec. Excellent agreement was obtained between the mathematical model and the experimental response over the entire frequency range.
Preface and Overview

PART I: OVERVIEW Americans have long recognized that psychoactive drugs can create serious hazards for users and others. Yet some see the nation's principal drug problem not as the drugs themselves but rather prohibition and its enforcement. America's highly punitive version of prohibition is intrusive, divisive, and expensive and leaves the United States with a drug problem that is worse than that of any other wealthy nation. Notwithstanding a very substantial investment of resources and of public authority and rhetoric in drug control, there is little sign of major remission in America's drug problems. It is not surprising then that some advocate a repeal of the prohibition of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Legalization has been a politically weak but intellectually powerful influence in American life for the last decade. Its criticism of the current regime has a great deal of truth in it. The most conspicuous harms of drugs currently are those caused by prohibition, namely crime, disorder, corruption, and the diseases related to injecting with dirty needles. From that critique, the legalizers conclude that elimination of prohibition is essential. They assert that legalization would reduce disease, crime, and human suffering. Arrayed against them, but with a curiously weak representation in the academic and intellectual community, are all the forces of political power. Few basic American policy doctrines are more fervently and frequently affirmed by the President and major politicians of both parties than that the nation must continue to enforce toughly prohibitions of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana as the principal means for reducing their use.
Reflection of a spherical wave from a plane surface

Abstract A simple approach to the reflection of a spherical sound wave from a locally reacting plane surface is developed. The theory is based on a generalization of the method of images, and expresses the reflected wave as a series in terms of the reciprocal of distance from the image source. Although no general proof that this form for the reflected wave satisfies the surface boundary condition to all orders is available, it has been shown that the first five terms of this solution does satisfy the boundary condition, and agrees with the existing exact solutions for this type of reflection.
Re: Gomez-Cerezo et al.--Pancreatic ascites: study of therapeutic options by analysis of case reports and case series between the years 1975 and 2000.

Re: Gomez-Cerezo et al. —pancreatic ascites: study of therapeutic options by analysis of case reports and case series between the years 1975 and 2000
Quantum excitations in time-dependent backgrounds

We give a technique for calculating the occupation number of quantum fields in time-dependent backgrounds by using the relation between one-dimensional quantum oscillators and two-dimensional classical oscillators. We illustrate our method by giving closed analytical results for the time-dependent spectrum of occupation numbers during gravitational collapse in any number of dimensions.
A Commentary on Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research in South Korea

Dr. Woo-Suk Hwang and his colleagues in South Korea have achieved tremendous breakthroughs in the field of stem cell research, particularly with their use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). T...
Web-Based Instruction and Community College Faculty Workload

Faculty workload is based on the amount of time spent on teaching, research, and service. The workload varies according to institutional focus, teaching field, type of course, course level, and instructional format. Compared with traditional face-to-face courses, online courses require a disproportionate investment of time and effort by faculty, necessitating special consideration when calculating faculty workload. The authors examine the workload for faculty teaching online courses in community colleges, specifically, the number of online classes taught per semester, class sizes for online courses, incentives for online instructors and how the workload for online instructors is calculated. Results indicate inconsistent practices within and between institutions; the workload for online instructors based on class sizes is less than, equal to, or more than that of faculty teaching face-to-face courses. Further investigations into common practices at other institutions and dialogue between administrators and...
The reference frame of figure-ground assignment

Figure-ground assignment involves determining which visual regions are foreground figures and which are backgrounds. Although figure-ground processes provide important inputs to high-level vision, little is known about the reference frame in which the figure’s features and parts are defined. Computational approaches have suggested a retinally based, viewer-centered reference frame for figure-ground assignment, but figural assignment could also be computed on the basis of environmental regularities in an environmental reference frame. The present research used a newly discovered cue, lower region, to examine the reference frame of figure-ground assignment. Possible reference frames were misaligned by changing the orientation of viewers by having them tilt their heads (Experiments 1 and 2) or turn them upside down (Experiment 3). The results of these experiments indicated that figure-ground perception followed the orientation of the viewer, suggesting a viewer-centered reference frame for figure-ground assignment.
Inhibition of arc-like fragments and immature forms of vaccinia virus by methisazone.

SummaryHeLa and HEp 2 cells were infected with vaccinia virus for 1 hr and then treated with methisazone in a concentration of 40 μM. Electron microscopic observations of the cells were carried out 6 and 9 hr after infection. In controls without methisazone, arc-like fragments of virus and immature virions were found at 6 hr after infection. After 9 hr, in addition to fragments and immature forms, there were numerous clusters of mature viral particles. In cells treated with methisazone, fragments, immature forms, and mature virions were not found. These observations indicate that the antiviral action of methisazone occurs at a stage preceding visible viral fragments or particles.
A rapid titrimetric assay of phenobarbital elixir

The official assay of Phenobarbital Elixir was found to give high results due to chloroform-soluble resins contained therein. Potentiometric titration with alkali also gave erroneous results. A titrimetric procedure was developed whereby the elixir could be titrated directly with silver nitrate, using a silver, silver-silver chloride electrode system. Results by this method were accurate and reproducible.
Making connections between global production networks for used goods and the realm of production: a case study on e‐waste governance

Recent scholarship on waste within economic geography and global production network (GPN) studies has identified several unique characteristics of networks for used goods vis-a-vis ‘traditional’ GPN studies focused on production, exchange and consumption. However, in un-bracketing GPNs to include analysis of post-consumption activity, identifying how the distinct moments of production, exchange, consumption and disposal/recycling are related becomes a crucial task. Towards this end, I present a case study on the governance of e-waste networks that draws upon discussions of performativity and Hudson's cultural political economy approach to GPNs. In my analysis, I demonstrate how multiple factors, such as ideological differences over how to handle e-waste, the non-standardized nature of used goods, as well as production factors such as design choices and planned obsolescence, all shape and disrupt efforts to standardize and coordinate resource recovery and hazard mitigation in the post-consumption phase of electronic goods. Such analysis moves past the novelty of GPNs for used goods toward a more integrated understanding of GPNs as a whole.
A Self-Defining Game for One Player: On the Nature of Creativity and the Possibility of Creative Computer Programs

The AARON program has been generating original artworks for almost 30 years, but is denied by its own author to be creative. The author characterizes creativity as a directed movement towards an illdefined but strongly felt end-state for the individual's work as a whole, not as a characteristic of any single work and profoundly knowledge-based in the sense of externalizing the individual's internal worldmodel and system of belief. He suggests that a creative program would be one that was able to modify the belief-based criteria that inform the rule-base in which expert knowledge is represented, not one that is able simply to modify the rule-base itself.
A cluster of basic repeats in the dystrophin rod domain binds F-actin through an electrostatic interaction

The dystrophin rod domain is composed of 24 spectrin-like repeats and was thought to act mainly as a flexible spacer between the amino-terminal actin binding domain and carboxyl-terminal membrane-associated domains. We previously demonstrated that a fragment of the dystrophin rod domain also binds F-actin. However, the nature and extent of rod domain association with F-actin is presently unclear. To begin addressing these questions, we characterized two recombinant proteins representing adjacent regions of the dystrophin rod. DYS1416 (amino acids 1416-1880) bound F-actin with a Kd of 14.2 +/- 5.2 microM and a stoichiometry of 1 mol:mol of actin. However, DYS1030 (amino acids 1030-1494) failed to bind F-actin, suggesting that not all rod domain repeats are capable of binding F-actin. Interestingly, DYS1416 corresponds to a unique region of the dystrophin rod rich in basic amino acids, whereas DYS1030 is composed mainly of acidic repeats. This observation suggested that DYS1416 may interact with acidic actin filaments through an electrostatic interaction. Supporting this hypothesis, actin binding by DYS1416 was dramatically inhibited by increasing ionic strength. We suggest that electrostatic interactions between basic spectrin-like repeats and actin filaments may contribute to the actin binding activity of other members of the actin cross-linking protein family.
Ab initio studies of methyllithium clusters

Ab initio self‐consistent field calculations with STO‐3, 4‐31, and 6‐31G basis sets are performed on methyllithium monomer dimer, trimer, and pentamer. The calculations provide data on binding energies and optimum geometries of various structures as well as indicate the formation of a lithium bond (between tetramers) similar to hydrogen bonds. Several tetrameric structures were investigated including one of D2d symmetry (resembling the ethyllithium tetramer) which is of possible importance in lithium exchange reactions.
Massive-scalar absorption by extremal p-branes

Abstract We study the absorption probability of minimally-coupled massive scalars by extremal p -branes. In particular, we find that the massive scalar wave equation under the self-dual string background has the same form as the massless scalar wave equation under the dyonic string background. Thus it can be cast into the form of a modified Mathieu equation and solved exactly. Another example that we can solve exactly is that of the D =4 two-charge black hole with equal charges, for which we obtain the closed-form absorption probability. We also obtain the leading-order absorption probabilities for D3-, M2- and M5-branes.
FDTD Modeling of Nonperfectly Conducting Metallic Thin Film Gratings

Electromagnetic fields in and near metallic corrugated surfaces can be numerically modeled by a variety of methods with different degrees of completeness and complexity. The finite difference-time domain (FDTD) technique is a good modeling approach to this problem because the full vector Maxwell’s equations are solved directly on a mesh that coincides with the specified problem geometry. In order to consider more closely the situation where an optically thin layer of a metal such as gold has been applied to the surface of the grating, we have added several enhancements1,2 to the standard FDTD approach3,4.
The effect of instructional stimulation on the frequency of repetitions, interjections, and words spoken during the spontaneous speech of four stutterers

The effect of instruction on repetitions, interjections, and words spoken during the spontaneous speech of four stutterers was investigated. Experiment I involved instructional stimulation regarding repetitions; Experiment II involved ins instructional stimulation regarding repetitions; Experiment II involved instructional stimulation concerning interjections. Both experiments were divided into three 18-min segments regarded as initial, instructional, and final segments, respectively. Two subjects served in each experiment. In Experiment I, introduction of instructions to “try not to repeat” was associated with no statistically significant change in the frequency of repetitions or words spoken. In Experiment II, introduction of instructions to “try not to interject” was associated with a significant decrease in frequency of interjections and words spoken for both subjects. Multiple Linear Regression analysis demonstrated that the experimental effects were not the result of one behavior's dependent relationship with another behavior. Knowledge of the frequency of one behavior could not generally be used for prediction of the frequency of another behavior. The differences in effect of instructions on the three behaviors measured, along with the results demonstrating the independence of these behaviors, emphasized the need for the molecular analysis and differential treatment of behaviors traditionally regarded as stuttering.
High-dose intravenous melphalan with autologous stem cell transplantation in AL amyloidosis-associated end-stage renal disease.

High-dose intravenous melphalan with autologous stem cell transplantation in AL amyloidosis-associated end-stage renal disease. Background The development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is common among patients with amyloid light-chain AL amyloidosis-associated renal disease and survival of these patients is poor. High-dose intravenous melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation induce remission of the plasma cell dyscrasia in a significant proportion of patients with AL amyloidosis. The efficacy and tolerability of such treatment for patients with AL amyloidosis-associated ESRD are unknown. Methods Between June 1994 and June 2000, 15 patients with AL amyloidosis-associated ESRD were treated with intravenous melphalan (70 to 200 mg/m 2 ) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Clinical and laboratory data were prospectively collected prior to treatment, during the peritransplant period, and at 3 months, 12 months, and annually thereafter. Treatment outcomes and toxicities were compared with 180 non-ESRD patients treated during the study period. Results Eight of 15 patients (53%) had a hematologic complete response following treatment. Two patients (13%) died during the peritransplant period. Transfusion requirements were greater and there was a trend toward increased severity of mucositis in the ESRD patients compared with the non-ESRD patients. Median survival for the ESRD patients with a hematologic complete response was 4.5 years. Five patients with hematologic complete response have either undergone or are awaiting renal transplantation. Conclusion High-dose intravenous melphalan with stem cell transplantation is an effective treatment in selected patients with AL amyloidosis-associated ESRD. Although the toxicity profile is greater in ESRD patients, the treatment offers the possibility of successful renal transplantation if hematologic remission is achieved. This treatment should be considered for patients with AL amyloidosis-associated ESRD.
Metabolic and Transcriptional Reprogramming in Developing Soybean (Glycine max) Embryos

Soybean (Glycine max) seeds are an important source of seed storage compounds, including protein, oil, and sugar used for food, feed, chemical, and biofuel production. We assessed detailed temporal transcriptional and metabolic changes in developing soybean embryos to gain a systems biology view of developmental and metabolic changes and to identify potential targets for metabolic engineering. Two major developmental and metabolic transitions were captured enabling identification of potential metabolic engineering targets specific to seed filling and to desiccation. The first transition involved a switch between different types of metabolism in dividing and elongating cells. The second transition involved the onset of maturation and desiccation tolerance during seed filling and a switch from photoheterotrophic to heterotrophic metabolism. Clustering analyses of metabolite and transcript data revealed clusters of functionally related metabolites and transcripts active in these different developmental and metabolic programs. The gene clusters provide a resource to generate predictions about the associations and interactions of unknown regulators with their targets based on “guilt-by-association” relationships. The inferred regulators also represent potential targets for future metabolic engineering of relevant pathways and steps in central carbon and nitrogen metabolism in soybean embryos and drought and desiccation tolerance in plants.
Molecular dynamics simulations of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization: Matrix–analyte interactions

Abstract There is synergy between matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To understand analyte ejection from the matrix, MD simulations have been employed. Prior calculations show that the ejected analyte molecules remain solvated by the matrix molecules in the ablated plume. In contrast, the experimental data show free analyte ions. The main idea of this work is that analyte molecule ejection may depend on the microscopic details of analyte interaction with the matrix. Intermolecular matrix–analyte interactions have been studied by focusing on 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB; matrix) and amino acids (AA; analyte) using Chemistry at HARvard Molecular Mechanics (CHARMM) force field. A series of AA molecules have been studied to analyze the DHB–AA interaction. A relative scale of AA molecule affinity towards DHB has been developed.
A framework for generalized reference image reconstruction methods including HYPR-LR, PR-FOCUSS, and k-t FOCUSS

Purpose: To investigate the relationships among highly constrained back projection (HYPR)-LR, projection reconstruction focal underdetermined system solver (PR-FOCUSS), and k-t FOCUSS by showing how each method relates to a generalized reference image reconstruction method. That is, the generalized series model employs a fixed reference image and multiplicative corrections—that model is extended here to consider reference images more broadly, both in image space and in transform spaces (x-t and x-f spaces), and that can evolve with iteration. Materials and Methods: Theoretical relationships between the methods were derived. Computer simulations were done to compare HYPR-LR to one iteration of PR-FOCUSS. The generalized reference approaches applied in the x-t or x-f domain were compared using computer simulation, five cardiac cine imaging datasets, and six myocardial perfusion datasets. Results: PR-FOCUSS and HYPR-LR gave comparable errors, with PR-FOCUSS slightly outperforming HYPR-LR. The baseline image is important to the performance of k-t FOCUSS and x-t FOCUSS, as demonstrated by results from cardiac cine imaging. For cardiac perfusion reconstructions with the use of a temporal average image as the baseline image, k-t FOCUSS gave lower errors than x-t FOCUSS. Conclusion: HYPR-LR and PR-FOCUSS are closely related: both work for radial sampling and use reference images in the x-t domain; HYPR-LR is an approximate implementation of the generalized reference framework, while PR-FOCUSS is a conjugate gradient implementation of the generalized reference framework. The superiority of generalized reference approaches applied in the x-t or x-f domain was sensitive to the characteristics of the acquired data and to the baseline image used. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the disturbance due to a spherical distortional pulse in an elastic medium

Theoretical expressions are derived for the displacement, velocity and stress in the time domain induced by an axially symmetric shearing stress applied at the inner surface of a spherical cavity in a hornogeneous, isotropic, elastic medium of infinite extent. Theoretical seismograms are computed for a step source and for three sources with exponential decay in time. A satisfactory time-dependence of the source can be obtained by combining the step source with one or more exponentially decaying sources.
Arborizations of Single Corticofugal Axons in the Feline Cuneate Nucleus Stained by Iontophoretic Injection of Horseradish Peroxidase

Terminal aborizations and synaptic boutons of cortical afferents to the cuneate nucleus were examined by light and electromicroscopy following intra-axonal staining with HRP. Two populations of afferents are described: (1) direct corticocuneate fibers, and (2) fibers destined for the spinal cord which issue collateral branches to the cuneate nucleus. Corticocuneate terminals primarily contact fine dendrites located in the ventral parts of the nucleus. These results are discussed in relation to previous anatomical findings and to new concepts of cuneate nucleus organization.
Performance evaluation of an axially viewed horizontal inductively coupled plasma for optical emission spectrometry

Abstract A performance evaluation of a horizontal axially viewed inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for optical emission spectrometry is presented. The main contribution of this work is the elucidation of the sources of analytical performance differences using practical diagnostics in the comparison of axial and conventional radial viewing of the ICP. Figures of merit such as detection limit, background equivalent concentration, precision, and dynamic range are compared for both viewing arrangements. The detection limit improvements with axial viewing, known from previous work in the literature, are shown to be understood in the context of the signal-to-background-ratio relative-standard-deviation-of-the-background (SBR-RSDB) theory. The usefulness of the SBR-RSDB approach as a diagnostic tool for understanding the detection limit improvement and identifying performance differences is demonstrated. This approach can be further utilized for quality control and quality assurance of instrument performance and detection limit results. Other characteristic differences between axial and radial viewing are presented including matrix effects on line signals and the magnitudes of spectral interferences from OH bands. An overall improvement factor of five in detection power was observed when using axial viewing compared with radial viewing.
Viscous flow and crystallization of a metallic glass

Abstract The isothermal viscosity of a metallic glass, Fe 40 Ni 40 P 14 B 6 , increases over a large span of time. When the glass is crystallized, the viscosity increases still more rapidly than in the glassy state resulting in s-shaped viscosity-time curves. The viscosity at constant heating rate decreases rapidly with temperature, but it suddenly increases upon crystallization.
Three-dimensional microscopy toward in Vivo cellular imaging using NMR tomography

Recent advances in NMR microscopy are discussed on the basis of the fundamental physical parameters and experimental parameters obtained recently. We consider the fundamental resolution limit due to molecular diffusion and experimental bandwidth and the practical resolution limit arising from signal-to-noise ratio and line-broadening factor. Several microscope imaging pulse sequences are presented and applied to elucidate cellular imaging such as the cell lineage patterns in Xenopus laevis embryos. Both basic resolution studies and some applications of the NMR microscopy to the cellular imaging are discussed. Experimental results obtained with a 7.0-T NMR microscopy system developed at the University of California, Irvine, are presented.
Effects of Similarity Metrics on Document Clustering

Document clustering or unsupervised document classification is an automated process of grouping documents with similar content. A typical technique uses a similarity function to compare documents. In the literature, many similarity functions such as dot product or cosine measures are proposed for the comparison operator. In these papers, we evaluate the effects of many similarity functions on k-mean clustering algorithm. Based on our analysis, we conclude that Chi-Square works best for the document collection with efficiency around 80 % followed by Canberra and Euclidean distances with 70 %. The results also indicate that the distance metrics like Bray-Curtis, Variational and Trigonometric function didn’t produce good results.
A Simple Micro Assay of Prolyl Hydroxylase Applicable to Skin Punch Biopsy Specimens

A method is described for the assay of prolyl hydroxylase. The method is rapid, avoids the use of vacuum distillation equipment and can be applied to small tissue samples such as skin biopsies.
Al2O3 collection and sizing from solid rocket motor plumes

A unique dart system has been designed and built to collect aluminum oxide particles from the plumes of large-scale solid rocket motors, such as the Space Shuttle redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM). The capability of this system to collect clean samples from both the vertically fired modified NASA (MNASA) (18.3% scaled version of the RSRM) motors and the horizontally fired RSRM motor has been demonstrated. The particle mass-averaged diameters d& measured from the samples for the different motors, ranged from 8 to 11 fun and were independent of the dart collection surface and the elapsed time during motor burn. The measured d& results agreed well with those calculated using the industry standard Hermsen's correlation within the standard deviation of the correlation. For each of the samples analyzed from both MNASA and RSRM motors, the distribution of the cumulative mass fraction of the plume oxide particles as a function of the particle diameter was best described by a monomodal log-normal distribution with a standard deviation between 0.13-0.17. This distribution agreed well with the theoretical prediction by Salita using the one-dimensional three phase code for the RSRM motor at the nozzle exit plane; this seems to confirm that droplet collision-coalescence removes most of the smoke mass from the plume flowfield.
Ifosfamide-induced neurotoxicity reversal with continuous veno-venous hemodialysis. A case report

Ifosfamide is an alkylating agent used to treat different types of malignancies including lymphomas, sarcomas and germinal cell tumors. Symptoms of ifosfamide neurotoxicity can range from mild confusion, dizziness and hallucination to overt encephalopathy. Various treatment options like methylene blue, albumin infusion and rarely hemodialysis have been used to treat ifosfamide neurotoxicity. We hereby report a case of a patient with relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma who received methylene blue after experiencing acute renal failure and encephalopathy due to ifosfamide with no improvement. The prompt use of hemodialysis in this case has led to reversal of both renal failure and neurotoxicity.
Divergent dispersion behavior of ssDNA fragments during microchip electrophoresis in pDMA and LPA entangled polymer networks

Resolution of DNA fragments separated by electrophoresis in polymer solutions (“matrices”) is determined by both the spacing between peaks and the width of the peaks. Prior research on the development of high-performance separation matrices has been focused primarily on optimizing DNA mobility and matrix selectivity, and gave less attention to peak broadening. Quantitative data are rare for peak broadening in systems in which high electric field strengths are used (> 150 V/cm), which is surprising since capillary and microchip-based systems commonly run at these field strengths. Here, we report results for a study of band broadening behavior for ssDNA fragments on a glass microfluidic chip, for electric field strengths up to 320 V/cm. We compare dispersion coefficients obtained in a poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (pDMA) separation matrix that was developed for chip-based DNA sequencing with a commercially available linear polyacrylamide (LPA) matrix commonly used in capillaries. Much larger DNA dispersion coefficients were measured in the LPA matrix as compared to the pDMA matrix, and the dependences of dispersion coefficient on DNA size and electric field strength were found to differ quite starkly in the two matrices. These observations lead us to propose that DNA migration mechanisms differ substantially in our custom pDMA matrix compared to the commercially available LPA matrix. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of developing optimal matrices for specific separation (microchip or capillary) platforms.
Surplus Killing of White-Tailed Deer by Wolves in Northcentral Minnesota

During winters (November–May) of 1990–1991 to 1995–1996, I investigated factors that may predispose white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) to surplus and excessive killing by gray wolves ( Canis lupus ). Each year, 22–75 female deer were monitored with radiotelemetry (total = 172). Forty-one deer with radiocollars were killed by wolves; annual mortality rate in November–May ranged from 3.3% (1992–1993) to 22.7% (1995–1996). Surplus and excessive killing of deer by wolves was observed only during winter 1995–1996 (11 of 17 deer investigated). There was no difference in the number of days elapsed (3–4) between estimated dates of death and ground examination of the kill site during winters of 1990–1991 to 1994–1995 versus 1995–1996; median ages of wolf-killed deer were similar (9.8 versus 7.8 years). Median marrow fat in femurs was lower during winter 1995–1996 (8.0%) than during winters when surplus and excessive killing did not occur (84.1%). Winter 1995–1996 was historically severe with mean weekly snow depths ≥70 cm from late January to mid-March and ≥60 cm through early April. Evidence indicates that nutrition and extreme deterioration of condition of deer is the major link between winter severity (penetrability and depth of snow) and excessive killing by wolves, which may be predicted when snow depth exceeds 70 cm for 4–8 weeks.
Survival by the fittest: hospital-level variation in quality of resuscitation care.

Despite several advances in resuscitation care over the last decade, in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) remains common and is linked to poor survival. Approximately 200 000 hospitalized patients suffer IHCA and undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the United States annually, with fewer than 20%
Pioneer: verifying code integrity and enforcing untampered code execution on legacy systems

We propose a primitive, called Pioneer, as a first step towards verifiable code execution on untrusted legacy hosts. Pioneer does not require any hardware support such as secure co-processors or CPU-architecture extensions. We implement Pioneer on an Intel Pentium IV Xeon processor. Pioneer can be used as a basic building block to build security systems. We demonstrate this by building a kernel rootkit detector.
The Complexities of Human Behavior: Recent Instances of Alleged Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

QUID PRO QUO SEXUAL HARASSMENT, ONE OF THREE TYPES OF SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT, ENTAILS SUPERVISORS MAKING SEXUAL ADVANCES OR DEMANDS FOR SEXUAL FAVORS ON THEIR SUBORDINATES. A FIVE- ELEMENT TEST USUALLY IS APPLIED TO DETERMINE WHETHER QUID PRO QUO HARASSMENT AS PROHIBITED BY TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 HAS OCCURRED. THREE OF THOSE FIVE ELEMENTS PRESENT MAJOR HURDLES FOR LITIGANTS. BURDEN-OF-PROOF REQUIREMENTS PRESENT ADDITIONAL MAJOR CHALLENGES. DESPITE THESE PROBLEMS, PLAINTIFFS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND CAN WIN SUBSTANTIAL REMEDIES. SEVERAL DIFFERENCES, HOWEVER, EXIST AMONG THE FEDERAL CIRCUITS, AND THESE PROBLEMS NEED TO BE RESOLVED BY THE SUPREME COURT AND/ OR CONGRESS. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BY BECOMING AWARE OF THE LEGAL PROVISIONS ASSOCIATION WITH QPQ SEXUAL HARASSMENT, CAN TAKE STEPS TO AVOID THE OCCURRENCE OF SUCH HARASSMENT AND THEREBY AVOID BEING SUED BY THEIR WORKERS.
Partial tetrasomy 9 in a liveborn infant

An unusual rearrangement of chromosome 9 was identified in a male infant with multiple congenital malformations. The rearrangement appeared as a fusion of two number 9 chromosomes with similar long-arm breakpoints. Since the infant also possessed two normal 9's, the presence of the additional chromosome resulted in partial tetrasomy: 47,XY, + tdic(9;9)(q22;q22). Clinical and autopsy examinations revealed many features reminiscent of trisomy 13. The tdic was functionally monocentric, although some evidence of activity at the second centromere was observed. Both parents had normal karyotypes, and C-banding demonstrated that at least one of the 9h regions on the tdic was likely to be of maternal origin.
Real-Time Twitter Sentiment toward Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays

Thanksgiving and Christmas are two major holidays in the United States. Many people use social media to stay connected with their families and friends, including sharing their holiday experiences. This study utilized a stream of millions of tweets on Twitter to explore how people feel about these two holidays through real-time sentiment analysis. With help of Twitter Streaming API, we discovered the patterns of sentiment changes by hour before and after the two holidays in 2011, thus providing a unique peek into the celebration of these holidays that could not be accomplished with traditional methods. Our analysis suggested that in 2011 people had higher sentiment toward Christmas than Thanksgiving on average. The sentiment reached its maximum on the Thanksgiving Day and on The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, highlighting stronger zeal for Christmas than Thanksgiving, while remained a stable and lower sentiment before and after the holidays. Typically there was a peak of sentiment toward Thanksgiving and Christmas in the morning of each day around 9:00am (EST). On the Thanksgiving Day the number of tweets on shopping increased rapidly and monotonically to its maximum as time approaching the midnight when people thinking of shopping on the Black Friday, but unexpectedly the sentiment toward shopping dropped quickly and monotonically, displaying the exact opposite trend. We also investigated the shopping distraction on the theme of these two holidays. It was found that there were more people talking about thankfulness than shopping during the Thanksgiving season, but more people talking about shopping than Jesus during the Christmas season.