cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Iron-Doped Apatite Nanoparticles on Viral Infection Examined in Bacterial Versus Algal Systems

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated that each year, two million people in the United States become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, of which, approximately 23000 die as a direct result of these infections. Phage therapy, or the treatment of bacterial infection by specific, antagonistic viruses, provides one alternative to traditional antibiotics. Bacteriophages, or phages, are bacteria-specific viruses that possess biological traits that allow for not only the removal of bacterial infection, but also the evasion of bacterial resistance, which renders antibiotics ineffective. Previous research has shown the addition of iron-doped apatite nanoparticles (IDANPs) to bacteria prior to phage exposure results in increased bacterial plaques in vitro . Coupled with the biocompatible nature of apatite, these results provide promise for future use of IDANPs as adjuvants to phage therapy along with anti-bacterial applications yet to be explored. Although IDANP enhancement of phage infection has been replicated many times in gram-positive and gram-negative prokaryotic hosts as well as with the utilization of both RNA and DNA viruses, the specific mechanisms involved remain elusive. To further understand increased phage infections in a prokaryotic system, and to evaluate the safety of IDANPs as a treatment used in a eukaryotic system, we have replicated plaque assay experiments in an algal system using Chlorella variabilis NC64A and its virus, Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1). Statistical modeling was used to evaluate alteration in numbers of plaques observed after viral introduction in IDANP-exposed versus non-IDANP-exposed bacterial and algal cell cultures. While IDANPs synthesized between 25°C–45°C and doped with 30% iron have been shown to influence dramatic increases in phage-induced bacterial death, experiments replicated in an algal system indicated viral infections do not increase when C. variabilis cells are pre-exposed to IDANPs. It is essential to potential use of IDANPs as an antibacterial adjuvant that IDANPs do not increase viral infection of eukaryotic host cells during treatment.
Trends in Treatment and Mortality for Mesenteric Ischemia in the United States from 2000 to 2012.

Background It is unknown whether increased endovascular treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia has led to decreases in open surgery, acute mesenteric ischemia, or overall mortality. The present study evaluates the trends in endovascular and open treatment over time for chronic and acute mesenteric ischemia. Methods We identified patients with chronic or acute mesenteric ischemia in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and Center for Disease Control and Prevention database from 2000 to 2012. Trends in revascularization, mortality, and total deaths were evaluated over time. Data were adjusted to account for population growth. Results There were 14,810 revascularizations for chronic mesenteric ischemia (10,453 endovascular and 4,358 open) and 11,294 revascularizations for acute mesenteric ischemia (4,983 endovascular and 6,311 open). Endovascular treatment increased for both chronic (0.6–4.5/million, P Conclusions Population mortality from acute mesenteric ischemia declined from 2000 to 2012, correlated with dramatic increases in endovascular intervention for chronic mesenteric ischemia, and in spite of a stable rate of embolization. However, open surgery for both chronic and acute ischemia remained stable.
The Impact of Phosphorylation on Electron Capture Dissociation of Proteins: A Top-Down Perspective

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) is well suited for the characterization of phosphoproteins, with which labile phosphate groups are generally preserved during the fragmentation process. However, the impact of phosphorylation on ECD fragmentation of intact proteins remains unclear. Here, we have performed a systematic investigation of the phosphorylation effect on ECD of intact proteins by comparing the ECD cleavages of mono-phosphorylated α-casein, multi-phosphorylated β-casein, and immunoaffinity-purified phosphorylated cardiac troponin I with those of their unphosphorylated counterparts, respectively. In contrast to phosphopeptides, phosphorylation has significantly reduced deleterious effects on the fragmentation of intact proteins during ECD. On a global scale, the fragmentation patterns are highly comparable between unphosphorylated and phosphorylated precursors under the same ECD conditions, despite a slight decrease in the number of fragment ions observed for the phosphorylated forms. On a local scale, single phosphorylation of intact proteins imposes minimal effects on fragmentation near the phosphorylation sites, but multiple phosphorylations in close proximity result in a significant reduction of ECD bond cleavages.
Impact geologists, beware!

Impact geologists have long assumed that shock metamorphic features, such as planar fractures and Planar Deformation Features (PDFs) in quartz are reliable indicators of an extraterrestrial impact. A new paper by Chen et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073843) now shows that such features might arise in terrestrial lightning strikes, thus raising the bar for identification of impact sites.
Declines in Connected Language Are Associated with Very Early Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention

Changes to everyday spoken language ("connected language") are evident in persons with AD dementia, yet little is known about when these changes are first detectable on the continuum of cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to determine if participants with very early, subclinical memory declines were also showing declines in connected language. We analyzed connected language samples obtained from a simple picture description task at two time points in 264 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP). In parallel, participants were classified as either "Cognitively Healthy" or "Early Mild Cognitive Impairment" based on longitudinal neuropsychological test performance. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyze language parameters that were extracted from the connected language samples using automated feature extraction. Participants with eMCI status declined faster in features of speech fluency and semantic content than those who were cognitively stable. Measures of lexical diversity and grammatical complexity were not associated with eMCI status in this group. These findings provide novel insights about the relationship between cognitive decline and everyday language, using a quick, inexpensive, and performance-based method.
Using Religion to Protect Transgender Employees From Discrimination

Whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against transgender employees is uncertain. Federal appellate courts either disagree or are undecided on this issue, and the last two presidential administrations have taken conflicting positions as well. Disagreement centers on whether Title VII’s proscription against discrimination “because of . . . sex” is broad enough to encompass transgender discrimination. Some courts define sex narrowly to mean only one’s biological sex assigned at birth, whereas others construe it more expansively to include gender identity. After decades of silence, the Supreme Court has agreed to take a first look at this issue during its 2019-2020 term. This Article assesses whether Title VII’s protections can be extended to transgender employees without wading into the debate over the statutory meaning of sex, by instead analogizing transgenderism to religious conversion. A few district courts, the EEOC, and most recently the Sixth Circuit have made this argument, reasoning that because discrimination against an employee who converts from one religion to another constitutes discrimination “because of . . . religion,” discrimination against an employee who transitions from one sex to the other must likewise constitute discrimination “because of . . . sex.” This Article scrutinizes this analogy, questioning whether sex and religion are comparable protected traits, whether transgenderism and religious conversion are comparable processes, and whether Title VII actually prohibits discrimination against religious converts. The conversion analogy not only holds up to this scrutiny but emerges stronger as a result. It thus offers a path forward to protect transgender employees from discrimination that sidesteps the thorny issues about the meaning of sex that have plagued transgender discrimination jurisprudence in the past.
Adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase activity in normal and leukemic human lymphocytes

Adenylate cyclase (AC) and guanylate cyclase (GC) activities were studied in normal B-enriched and T-enriched lymphocytes, in lymphocytes of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and in lymphocytes of adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). AC activity was greater in normal B than T lymphocytes (215 pmole/min/mg protein versus 80 pmole in the membrane-enriched fraction) and i both increased greatly after stimulation with isoproterenol and more so with prostaglandins E and F2 alpha. In leukemic lymphocytes, AC showed depressed activity (20 pmole in ALL cells and 55 pmole in CLL cells) and was less sensitive to hormonal stimulation: this loss of sensitivity occurred to a greater extent in ALL than in CLL lymphocytes. GC activity was greater in normal T than B cells (in membrane-enriched fraction: 10.2 pmole versus 5.3 pmole). It increased little with isoproterenol and prostaglandins stimulation, and much more with sodium azide and dehydroascorbic acid stimulation. GC activity was increased in both types of leukemic lymphocytes (23 pmole for ALL cells and 18 pmole for CLL cells) and was insensitive to stimulation. Possible derangement of cyclase and cyclic nucleotide regulation in leukemic cells is suggested.
Cluster Load Estimation for Stateless Schedulers in Datacenters

In probe-based distributed schedulers, little information is known about the state of the cluster. As a result, there is uncertainty about the underlying resource demand and usage. To efficiently leverage cloud datacenters' resources while maintaining the expected performance, one must address the question of how to achieve a good and accurate estimation of the cluster utilization in a stateless manner. We propose a scalable and efficient algorithm to estimate cluster load with a predetermined margin of error and confidence level. This algorithm can be used by cloud service providers to improve resource management systems and to estimate resource utilization. Due to its simplicity, the algorithm can be used in probe-based schedulers such as Sparrow, Tarcil, Piper, and Hawk.
‘Instruct Her What She Has to Do’: Education, Social Mobility, and Success

For Shakespeare, education is a means of achieving social advancement and mobility. In both The Taming of the Shrew and Henry V, we see examples of success when an educative program transforms Katherina and Katherine into domesticated English wives. What we also see is how that transformation benefits not only the women but, more importantly, their male teachers. Through their wives’ public performances of their educations, Petruchio and Henry receive acclaim by exhibiting masculine achievement. Substitute class for gender and we see that universities that tout diversity as a means of advancing their first-generation students not only hope for their students to benefit but, equally important, strive to gain public praise for their recruiting and admissions efforts.
Nuclear transcriptional changes in hypothalamus of Pomc enhancer knockout mice after excessive alcohol drinking

Persistent alterations of proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) and mu-opioid receptor (Oprm1) activity and stress responses after alcohol are critically involved in vulnerability to alcohol dependency. Gene transcriptional regulation altered by alcohol may play important roles. Mice with genome-wide deletion of neuronal Pomc enhancer1 (nPE1-/- ), had hypothalamic-specific partial reductions of beta-endorphin and displayed lower alcohol consumption, compared to wildtype littermates (nPE1+/+ ). We used RNA-Seq to measure steady-state nuclear mRNA transcripts of opioid and stress genes in hypothalamus of nPE1+/+ and nPE1-/- mice after 1-day acute withdrawal from chronic excessive alcohol drinking or after water. nPE1-/- had lower basal Pomc and Pdyn (prodynorphin) levels compared to nPE1+/+ , coupled with increased basal Oprm1 and Oprk1 (kappa-opioid receptor) levels, and low alcohol drinking increased Pomc and Pdyn to the basal levels of nPE1+/+ in the water group, without significant effects on Oprm1 and Oprk1. In nPE1+/+ , excessive alcohol intake increased Pomc and Oprm1, with no effect on Pdyn or Oprk1. For stress genes, nPE1-/- had lowered basal Oxt (oxytocin) and Avp (arginine vasopressin) that were restored by low alcohol intake to basal levels of nPE1+/+ . In nPE1+/+ , excessive alcohol intake decreased Oxt and Avpi1 (AVP-induced protein1). Functionally examining the effect of pharmacological blockade of mu-opioid receptor, we found that naltrexone reduced excessive alcohol intake in nPE1+/+ , but not nPE1-/- . Our results provide evidence relevant to the transcriptional profiling of the critical genes in mouse hypothalamus: enhanced opioid and reduced stress gene transcripts after acute withdrawal from excessive alcohol may contribute to altered reward and stress responses.
Information Seeking and Grief in Bereaved Emerging Adults: A Test of the Theory of Motivated Information Management

ABSTRACTThe death of a family member is a stressful event that can threaten familial cohesion. Communication can help families cope, but its effectiveness is dependent on context. Family communicat...
CO2-brine relative permeability and capillary pressure of Tuscaloosa sandstone: Effect of anisotropy

Abstract Relative permeability and capillary pressure are known as essential properties that have substantial impacts on the accuracy of reservoir simulations. The effect of small-scale heterogeneity and lamination in the rock structure is often ignored during the measurement of capillary pressure and relative permeability curves in core samples. This study highlights the remarkable impact of anisotropy on the multiphase flow properties of stratified formations. A series of steady-state CO2-brine drainage and imbibition tests are conducted at reservoir conditions in horizontal and vertical core samples of the Tuscaloosa sandstone from the Cranfield CO2 injection site in Mississippi. The relative permeability curves represent an anisotropic behavior influenced by the heterogeneous and laminated structure of realistic rock samples. The CO2 saturation profiles during drainage and imbibition cycles indicate that the phase distribution in the pore space is controlled by core-scale heterogeneity in the porosity distribution among the laminations that causes capillary pressure inhomogeneity. Using the saturation profile during the imbibition cycle, the trapping characteristic of the horizontal and vertical rock samples are compared and we found that the capillary trapping is less likely in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the centrifuge-measured capillary pressure demonstrates distinctive characteristics for horizontal and vertical core samples. Since the flooding experiments are performed under capillary controlled flow, the capillary pressure contrast in the laminated structure of the rock strongly affects the relative permeability. The presented results can potentially improve the accuracy of the large-scale simulations for the CO2 post-injection period, in which the vertical displacement has an important role in the plume migration.
Reconstitution of the host holobiont acutely increases bone growth of the gnotobiotic rat

The effect of microbiota on skeletal growth in adolescence has not been studied. Here, we present for the first time, an accelerated longitudinal and radial bone growth in response to short-term exposure of young germ-free rats to newly established gut microbiota. Seven-week-old germ-free male rats were colonized with microbiota through co-housing with conventional rats of the same sex and age. Changes in bone mass and structure were analyzed 10 days following the onset of colonization and revealed unprecedented acceleration of bone accrual, increased bone tissue mineral density, improved proliferation and hypertrophy of growth plate chondrocytes, and bone lengthening. The observed changes in bone status were paralleled with a dramatic increase in cecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids and increased hepatic Igf-1 expression implicating an involvement of the somatotropic axis. Our studies demonstrate that gut microbiota can deliver powerful signals to the skeleton and accelerate bone expansion resembling adolescent growth spurt.
Underwater Ultrasonic Wireless Power Transfer:A Battery-less Platform for the Internet of Underwater Things

The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is a promising approach to future military, scientific, and commercial applications at sea. Powering of electronic devices in deep water still remains one of the main challenges, since these systems are typically powered by batteries that need to be replaced or recharged through expensive and difficult operations. This article presents the design of the first battery-less underwater sensor node that can be wirelessly recharged through ultrasonic waves from longer distances than allowed by current technologies. First, the architecture of an underwater platform capable of extracting electrical energy from ultrasonic waves is introduced. We then illustrate how to interface this system with an underwater digital communication unit. We discuss the design of a prototype where the storage unit is realized with a batch of supercapacitors. We show through experiments that the harvested energy is sufficient to provide the sensor node with the power necessary to perform a sensing operation and power a modem for ultrasonic communications. We evaluate the system power transfer efficiency. Given the reduced attenuation of ultrasonic waves in water, we were able to show that our approach can cover longer distances with less transmission power. Last, we evaluate the operating efficiency.
Ferronostics: Measuring Tumoral Ferrous Iron with PET to Predict Sensitivity to Iron-Targeted Cancer Therapies.

Background: Although cancer has been known for decades to harbor an insatiable appetite for iron, only recently has the chemistry emerged to exploit this altered state therapeutically, by targeting the expanded cytosolic ‘labile’ iron pool (LIP), of the cancer cell. The state of the art include therapies that react with the LIP to produce cytotoxic radical species (in some cases also releasing drug payloads), and molecules that exacerbate LIP-induced oxidative stress to trigger “ferroptosis”. Effectively implementing LIP targeted therapies in patients will require biomarkers to identify those tumors with the most elevated LIP, and thus most likely to succumb to LIP targeted interventions. Toward this goal, we tested herein whether tumor uptake of the novel LIP sensing radiotracer 18F-TRX aligns with tumor sensitivity to LIP targeted therapies. Methods:18F-TRX uptake was assessed in vivo among ten subcutaneous and orthotopic human xenograft models. Glioma and renal cell carcinoma were prioritized as these tumors have the highest relative expression levels of STEAP3, the oxidoreductase that reduces ferric iron to the ferrous oxidation state, in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia. The antitumor effects of the LIP activated prodrug TRX-CBI, which releases the DNA alkylator cyclopropylbenzindoline (CBI), were compared in mice bearing U251 or PC3 xenografts, tumors with high and intermediate levels of 18F-TRX uptake, respectively. Results:18F-TRX showed a wide range of tumor accumulation. An antitumor assessment study showed that the growth of U251 xenografts, the model with the highest 18F-TRX uptake, was potently inhibited by TRX-CBI. Moreover, the antitumor effects against U251 were significantly greater than those observed for PC3 tumors, consistent with the relative 18F-TRX determined LIP levels in tumors prior to therapy. Lastly, a dosimetry study showed that the estimated effective human doses for adult males and females were comparable to those of other 18F-based imaging probes. Conclusion: We report the first evidence that tumor sensitivity to a LIP targeted therapy can be predicted with a molecular imaging tool. More generally, these data bring a new dimension to the nuclear theranostic model by showing a requirement for imaging to quantify in situ the concentration of a metastable bioanalyte toward predicting tumor drug sensitivity.
Using Work System Theory, Facets of Work, and Dimensions of Smartness to Characterize Applications and Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

This paper presents an approach for describing and characterizing algorithms that are discussed as though they embody artificial intelligence. After identifying key assumptions related to algorithms and summarizing work system theory (WST), this paper uses a hypothetical example to introduce aspects of WST and two additional ideas, facets of work and dimensions of smartness in devices and systems. Next, it applies those ideas to aspects of five AI-related examples presented by entrepreneurs and researchers at an MIT AI conference in July 2020. Those examples were selected because they illustrated many AI-related issues. This paper’s contribution is a new approach for characterizing real world applications and impacts of almost any system that uses algorithms or is associated with artificial intelligence.
Fast Stochastic Model Predictive Control of Unstable Dynamical Systems

Abstract Fast stochastic model predictive control (FSMPC) is a multivariable control algorithm that explicitly takes constraints and probabilistic parametric uncertainties into account while having low online computational cost for dynamical systems of high state dimension. This article extends FSMPC to be applicable to model uncertainty descriptions that include unstable dynamical systems. The proposed control structure, which embeds output feedback into past FSMPC formulations, is illustrated in a numerical example. Two different options for designing the embedded output feedback are compared and discussed.
The Role of Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy in the Management of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

Purpose/objective(s) Management of HCC without surgical resection or transplantation is poorly defined with no standard. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy (HIGRT), is an evolving, non-invasive, therapeutic option for patients with HCC delivering ablative doses with modest toxicity. Materials/methods We retrospectively identified all patients with unresectable, non-metastatic HCC treated with SBRT/HIGRT who presented to our University and Veterans Affairs (VA) radiation oncology departments from 2013 to 2019. Primary study endpoints included freedom from local progression, progression free survival, overall survival, and treatment-related toxicity. Results 149 patients were included in our analysis with median delivered radiation dose of 50 Gy in 5 fractions. This included a total of 172 treatment courses, as 21 patients received more than one course (19 patients received 2 courses; 2 patients received 3 courses). Twenty-two of the re-treatment courses were to previously unirradiated lesions, while one course was delivered to a previously treated lesion exhibiting local progression. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of patients were Child-Pugh A and 89% had a baseline ALBI grade of 1-2 prior to treatment. A majority of patients (59%) had a single lesion with a median size of 2.70 cm (Q1 2.00, Q3 3.95). Fifty-seven percent (57%) of patients received a biologically effective dose (BEDα/β = 10) of at least 75 Gy and 48% of patients had undergone prior liver-directed therapy. All patients completed their intended treatment course with 1 patient (0.7%) experiencing Grade 3+ acute and 4 patients (2.6%) experiencing Grade 3+ late toxicities. Fifteen treatment courses (8.7%) resulted in non-classical radiation-induced liver disease (RILD), defined as an increase of 2 or more points in Child-Pugh score following radiation. With median follow up of 40 months, median overall survival was 25 months (95% CI 18-30 months). The 2-year freedom from local progression was 75% (95% CI 65-83%) overall, 64% (95% CI 48-77%) among patients who received BED ≤75 Gy and 86% (95% CI 72-93%) among those who received BED > 75 Gy. Median progression free survival was not reached. During the study period, 8.1% of patients developed regional nodal progression and 18.8% developed distant metastatic disease (42.9% osseous, 50.0% lung, 46.4% soft tissue/peritoneal/other involvement; multiple patients with more than one site of metastatic involvement). Conclusion SBRT/HIGRT results in high rates of local control with minimal treatment related toxicities. Randomized, prospective trials should seek to establish SBRT/HIGRT as a standard local therapeutic option for patients with unresectable, non-metastatic HCC.
Testing Bell's inequality with one-party weak measurements

Bell's theorem is one of the most profound scientific discoveries ever made, namely the one which establishes a departure of the nondeterministic quantum mechanical predictions from our local realistic view of the world. In essence, based on Einstein's locality conditions, the theorem settles an experimentally verifiable constraint (Bell's inequality) on the statistical correlations between the observables of spatially separated pairs of entangled particles. Here, based on the notion of sequential weak measurements, we propose a framework to test Bell's inequality in a bipartite system with only local operations made by one of the parties. This novel scenario represents a great simplification of the problem, in the sense that only one of the particles of an entangled pair is required to be manipulated and detected. The importance of the use of pointer states endowed with orbital angular momentum in the present case is also demonstrated .
In-Situ Site Knowledge System [Mars technology program]

In support of the transition from human-based in-situ mission operations to automated smart operations, the mission simulation and instrument modeling group at JPL has been developing a progressive in-situ automation framework. The In-Situ Site Knowledge System (ISSKS) presented in this paper is the first phase of the automation framework, which addresses flexible virtual site construction, instrument-generic measurement simulation, and intelligent operation service agents. The ISSKS is developed in three tiers. The first tier is composed of site property modeling and synthesis, for construction of a virtual in-situ environment. The second tier is composed of sensor system models and mobility platform models, for simulating in-situ exploration and science data products. The third tier is the operation interface, supporting the mobility platform simulation clients with surface interaction and operation planning activity clients with the observed site phenomena. The ISSKS currently supports several research tasks under the Mars technology program including the Smart Landing Systems, the Advanced EDL (Entry, Descent, and Landing), and the Rover technology.
QE(/spl lambda/,V/sub F/) and I(V/sub F/) measurements on single and triple-junction a-Si:H solar cells

QE(/spl lambda/, V/sub F/) and I(V/sub F/) were measured on a-Si:H single and triple-junction junctions with an integrated instrumentation system that has been previously reported by the author (1996). The goal of the investigations is to develop techniques for characterizing cells under power-generating conditions that may be useful in understanding cell operation and optimizing cell designs. The measurements suggest that photodegradation, and the associated defect states, play on important role in QE(/spl lambda/, V/sub F/) under dark and light bias conditions as V/sub F/ approaches the maximum power point.
An evaluation of common cervical lesions

Abstract While there are no conclusions to be drawn from this discussion, certain points may be restated thus: 1. There is need for re-evaluation of the common cervical disorders. 2. There is evidence to warrant the belief that a cervical erosion is in the nature of a physiologic manifestation of the endocervium due probably to hormonal stimulation and not necessarily a pathologic entity. 3. A cause and effect relationship or even a predisposing kinship between commonly recognized cervical disorders and cancer is by no means consistent nor proved (leucoplakia excepted). 4. Justification for the radical therapy characterizing the present seramble for cervical prophylaxis needs to be more clearly established.
SARC: sequential prefetching in adaptive replacement cache

Sequentiality of reference is an ubiquitous access pattern dating back at least to Multics. Sequential workloads lend themselves to highly accurate prediction and prefetching. In spite of the simplicity of the workload, design and analysis of a good sequential prefetching algorithm and associated cache replacement policy turns out to be surprisingly intricate. As first contribution, we uncover and remedy an anomaly (akin to famous Belady's anomaly) that plagues sequential prefetching when integrated with caching. Typical workloads contain a mix of sequential and random streams. As second contribution, we design a self-tuning, low overhead, simple to implement, locally adaptive, novel cache management policy SARC that dynamically and adaptively partitions the cache space amongst sequential and random streams so as to reduce the read misses. As third contribution, we implemented SARC along with two popular state-of-the-art LRU variants on hardware for IBM's flagship storage controller Shark. On Shark hardware with 8 GB cache and 16 RAID-5 arrays that is serving a workload akin to Storage Performance Council's widely adopted SPC-1 benchmark, SARC consistently and dramatically outperforms the two LRU variants shifting the throughput-response time curve to the right and thus fundamentally increasing the capacity of the system. As anecdotal evidence, at the peak throughput, SARC has average response time of 5.18ms as compared to 33.35ms and 8.92ms for the two LRU variants.
How the choice of experimental organism matters: epistemological reflections on an aspect of biological practice.

En biologie, le choix de l'organisme etudie et les techniques utilisees ont un impact serieux sur l'evaluation et sur l'evolution des travaux de recherche. Quelle est l'importance de l'echec d'un tel choix?
Photolysis of dansyl amino acids and dansyl peptides.

Abstract Dansyl amino acids and dansyl peptides have been shown to undergo ready photolysis. The major photolysis products identified from neutral or basic solution were dansylic acid, the corresponding amino acid or peptide, and ammonia. In acidic solutions, the yield of amino acid and/or peptide was good while that of ammonia was low or negligible. The highest quantum yields attained for cleavage of the sulfonamide bond were seen in acid. Dansyltryptophan and dansylated peptides containing tryptophan were cleaved at slower rates and generally with less specificity than other derivatives examined. The rate of photolysis at a given light flux was dependent on acid concentration; the process may be a hydrolysis of the derivative in an excited state.
Subcutaneous malignant melanoma of the scalp surgical flap after brain irradiation for anaplastic astrocytoma.

To the Editor:We report a case of a 35-year-old man, operated on forsubtotal resection of a left fronto-parietal anaplasticastrocytoma (WHO III), and readmitted to our departmentfour years later for a left forehead tumefaction present inthe previous surgical ﬂap which had appeared two monthspreviously (Fig. 1a).Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered four weeks after sur-gery by use of conformal 3D-RT. Immobilization of thepatient was achieved by use of a thermoplastic mask(‘‘Uni-Frame’’). Image-fusion with MRI scan was per-formed to contour the clinical target volume (CTV). CTV1,deﬁned on T1-weighted MRI scans, included surgicalcavity contrast enhancement plus 2.5 cm margin; CTV2,deﬁned on T2-weighted MRI scans, included CTV1 plusoedema zone. Planning target volumes (PTV1-2) wereobtained by adding a 5 mm margin to CTV1-2. Treatmentplanning was carried out with the Eclipse (‘‘Varia’’). Totaldose to CTV1 was 5940 cGy; that to CTV2 was 3960 cGy;the daily dose was 180 cGy. The dose absorbed by the skinlayers was estimated to be approximately 70–80% of theentire dose.MRI follow-up performed yearly after surgery revealedthe stability of the known deep fronto-parietal residualtumour, without areas of contrast enhancement. Neithermacroscopic nor radiologic skin alteration occurred aftertreatment.A CT scan at the last admission revealed a subcutaneousmass, invading beneath the bone ﬂap and dural layer(Fig. 1d).The patient underwent surgical intervention, and acauliﬂower mass tightly adherent to subcutaneous tissue,reaching the dural plane through a previous burr hole, wasfound. The lesion was excised, the bone ﬂap removed, anda Lyodura patch substituted.On histopathological and immunohistochemical exami-nation the lesion appeared to be composed of large andatypical epithelioid cells, with moderate to severe nuclearpleomorphism and prominent nucleoli (Fig. 2a). The cellswere predominantly arranged in solid nests. The prolifer-ative index (Ki67) was more than 70% (Fig. 2b).The immunohistochemistry showed positivity for S-100(Fig. 2c) and vimentin (Fig. 2d) and negativity for cyto-keratins (CAM 5.2), desmin, melan A, HMB-45 andGFAP.According to this characterization, despite the absenceof some speciﬁc features of melanocytic differentiation, forexample melan-A and HMB-45, and of epithelial differ-entiation, for example cytokeratins (CAM 5.2), diagnosiswas plausibly consistent with amelanotic malignant mela-noma (MM).Molecular analysis also showed the presence of tyrosi-nase and melan A mRNA genes in the samples. All theseﬁndings, in addition to the morphological and immuno-histochemical data, conﬁrmed the diagnosis.Hence, an accurate skin survey was performed, but nosuspect mole was found either on the forehead or
The Cognitive and Interpersonal Costs of Video

As advances in communication technology proliferate, organizations are rapidly incorporating new communication media into their environment. Unfortunately, not much is known about the effect of communication technologies on the processing of interpersonal information. Interactive communication media that place more cognitive demands on interactants may impoverish the process of impression formation. Today's video, because of the additional information conveyed and problems with signal quality, may reduce systematic processing of information and interfere with the impression-formation process. Three studies explore the relationship between communication media, cognitive load, and impression formation. Study 1 establishes that interacting over an audio-video system requires more cognitive load than does interacting over audio only. Study 2 replicates work by Ford and Kruglanski (1995) that finds that people's impressions are more biased toward a primed trait under high cognitive load. Study 3 assesses the i...
Studying cell dynamics and function with CLASS microscopy

Confocal light absorption and scattering spectroscopic (CLASS) microscopy is a novel optical technique for observing submicron intracellular structures in living cells. It allows monitoring nondestructively cell function and cell dynamics in vivo and in real time. CLASS microscopy, having accuracy well beyond the diffraction limit, does not require cell fixation as the electron microscopy. In addition, it provides not only size information but also information about the biochemical and physical properties of the cell. CLASS microscopy can also visualize multiple compartments inside of living cell without employing exogenous molecular markers which are required by fluorescence microscopy and which can affect normal cell functioning. Recently we improved our CLASS microscope by utilizing the full power output of the supercontinuum laser and used it to study apoptosis in live cells.
Survey of learners' knowledge structures: Rationales, methods and instruments

How human beings organize knowledge and to what extent individuals' organizational structures overlap are important research questions in cognitive science (Lakoff, 1987) as well as in information science (Ingwersen, 1992). Effective IR principles can be derived from the understanding of human knowledge organizational structures. This project explores a field study design to observe learners' organization of concepts of a subject domain during a course of learning. The purpose of the study is two-fold: (1) to investigate how learners build and organize concepts learned along the process and (2) to design data collection methods and instruments. The project is carried out in two introductory information science courses as two studies. The ultimate goal is also two-fold: (1) to facilitate learning in introductory courses by adopting metacognitive tools and (2) to advance information retrieval by incorporating effective knowledge structures into IR systems.
Group Decision-Making Models for Sequential Tasks

The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) and related drift-diffusion model (DDM) are optimal for choosing between two hypotheses using the minimal (average) number of samples and relevant for modeling the decision-making process in human observers. This work extends these models to group decision making. Previous works have focused almost exclusively on group accuracy; here, we explicitly address group decision time. First, we derive explicit solutions for the error rate and probability distribution function of decision times for a group of independent, (possibly) nonidentical decision makers using one of three simple rules: Race, Majority Total, and Majority First. We illustrate our solutions with a group of $N$ i.i.d. decision makers who each make an individual decision using the SPRT-based DDM, then compare the performance of each group rule under different constraints. We then generalize these group rules to the $\eta$-Total and $\eta$-First schemes, to demonstrate the flexibility and power of our approach in characterizing the performance of a group, given the performance of its individual members.
The Political Thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Women's Rights and the American Political Traditions

Acknowledgments 1 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Multiple Traditions 2 Seneca Falls and Beyond: Attacking the Cult of Domesticity with Equality and Inalienable Rights3 The 1850s: Married Women's Property Rights, Divorce, and Temperance 4 Gatherings of Unsexed Women: Separate Spheres and Women's Rights 5 The Civil War Years: Breaking Down Boundaries Between Public and Private6 The Postwar Years: Reconstruction and Positivism7 The Postwar Years: The New Departure, the Alliance with Labor, and the Critique of Marriage8 Not the Word of God But the Work of Men: Cady Stanton's Critique of Religion 9 "In the Long Weary March, Each One Walks Alone": Evolution and Anglo-Saxonism at Century's End 10 Multiple Feminisms and Multiple Traditions: Elizabeth Cady Stanton in American Political Thought Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
Alkyl-CoA Disulfides as Inhibitors and Mechanistic Probes for FabH Enzymes

Summary The first step of the reaction catalyzed by the homodimeric FabH from a dissociated fatty acid synthase is acyl transfer from acyl-CoA to an active site cysteine. We report that C 1 to C 10 alkyl-CoA disulfides irreversibly inhibit Escherichia coli FabH (ecFabH) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis FabH with relative efficiencies that reflect these enzymes' differential acyl-group specificity. Crystallographic and kinetic studies with MeSSCoA show rapid inhibition of one monomer of ecFabH through formation of a methyl disulfide conjugate with this cysteine. Reaction of the second subunit with either MeSSCoA or acetyl-CoA is much slower. In the presence of malonyl-ACP, the acylation rate of the second subunit is restored to that of the native ecFabH. These observations suggest a catalytic model in which a structurally disordered apo-ecFabH dimer orders on binding either the first substrate, acetyl-CoA, or the inhibitor MeSSCoA, and is restored to a disordered state on binding of malonyl-ACP.
Defining Factors of Successful University-Community Collaborations: An Exploration of One Healthy Marriage Project

This study explored university-community collaborations by examining the workings of 1 healthy marriage initiative. An ethnographic case study research strategy was used to study the process of this initiative, specifically looking at how participants worked through and overcame traditional university-community collaboration challenges. Data consist of qualitative interviews with key initiative collaborators. Findings are organized into a model that offers a new way of looking at university-community collaborations in light of challenge points to be addressed and either resolved or unresolved. The model provides implications for other collaborative efforts and outreach scholarship.
Statistical models for controlled release microcapsules: rationale and theory

The kinetics of release (or uptake) of material by a single microcapsule has been modelled. The model does not require concentric spherical shell geometry. The microcapsule wall is modelled separately as a lumped linear resistance to mass transport, the character of which is independent of conditions inside or outside of the capsule. The essential features of the model were developed by Aris [1] for describing diffusion through the pore structure of a catalyst particle. The model for single capsules has been incorporated into a statistical model for the kinetics of release (or uptake) of material from populations of microcapsules and related devices. Specific application is shown to populations of controlled release microcapsules where the individuals (1) release at constant rate during their lifetimes; and (2) release at an exponential rate (ae-bt). The model allows the individual capsules of a capsule population to differ in release kinetics, but in a given population the individual microcapsules areassumed to have kinetics of the same functional form. This functional form may be other than “constant rate” or “exponential rate”. The statistical model is applicable to populations of devices other than microcapsules.
Mirtazapine vs. placebo in posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot trial.

Abstract Background Based on an earlier pilot study, as well as a theoretical consideration of its mechanism of action, we undertook a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of mirtazapine in posttraumatic stress disorder. Methods Twenty-nine patients were randomized to receive drug up to 45 mg/day or placebo double-blind on a 2:1 ratio for 8 weeks, with data being available for analysis in 26. Primary outcome measures comprised the Short Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT) Global Improvement item and total score. Secondary measures comprised the Davidson Trauma Scale, Structured Interview for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Adverse events were also measured. Results On the Short Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview Global Improvement measure, rates of response were 64.7% and 20.0% for mirtazapine and placebo. Treatment effects in favor of mirtazapine were noted on the Short Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview global, Structured Interview for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale anxiety subscale scores. The drug was well tolerated. Conclusions Mirtazapine was more effective than placebo on some measures in posttraumatic stress disorder and general anxiety symptoms.
A method for staining 3T3 cell nuclei with propidium iodide in hypotonic solution.

A modification of the propidium-iodide hypotonic sodium citrate method has been developed specifically for high-resolution staining of mouse 3T3 cell nuclei for analysis by flow cytometry. The method employs a brief treatment of cells at 37°C with Triton X-100 and RNAse in the presence of propidium iodide in hypotonic sodium citrate, followed by restoration to isotonicity with NaCl. The average CV obtained for the G1 peak was 3.5%, and the samples were stable for 1–2 weeks at 4°C. Compared to this technique, previously described propidium iodide-staining methods gave poor resolution with 3T3 cells.
Electron Cryo-Microscopic Study of the Type 1 IP3R

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) play important roles in a battery of cellular activities. Structural study of the receptors is therefore very important for understanding how they are gated by their natural ligands and are modulated by their intracellular partners. In past several years, multiple groups have generated very disparate reconstructions of the type 1 IP3R since the first low-resolution cryoEM structure was published (Jiang, et al EMBO J. 2002). Striking structural variations have been reported for receptors in different detergents and for receptors prepared from native and sf9 cells by the same research groups, suggesting that the biochemical preparations of the receptors have significant variations and that the heterogeneity in the samples could be a limiting factor in reaching accordant results. To help resolve such discrepancies, we are conducting single particle reconstruction of the type 1 IP3Rs from both native tissues and heterogeneous expression systems. We worked out conditions that maintained the stability and biochemical homogeneity of the purified receptors, and introduced site-specific mutations and prepared accessory binding partners to facilitate the mapping of specific locations in the 3D reconstruction. We are currently collecting datasets from the receptors in different conditions in order to examine the consistency among the reconstructed structures.
SU-E-T-495: Proton Therapy for CNS Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor in Children under Three

Purpose: Investigate the possible benefits of treating patients younger than three years of age with central nervous system(CNS) atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) with proton therapy, both double scattering (DS) and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), over intensity modulated photon therapy (IMRT). Method and Materials:CNS AT/RT is a rare, aggressive embryonal tumor with an incidence approaching 20% in children under the age of three with CNSmalignancies. Data from five patients with a mean age of 1.0 years recently treated in our clinic were used for this study. The average time between diagnosis and radiation therapy was three months. DS, IMPT, and IMRTtreatment plans were generated for each patient, ensuring proper coverage of the target (98% of PTV receives 98% dose) for each modality. Special consideration of margin selection for the proton plans was used. Dose heterogeneity in the target, conformality to target, dose to critical structures, dose to normal brain, and integral dose were examined. Results: Preliminary data indicates that given full target coverage, DS has the smallest dose heterogeneity within the target and IMRT the largest. Conformality for IMPT was largest and DS lowest for the most part, however, since larger margins were utilized for proton planning more investigation is required. On average, the dose to critical structures, normal brain, and integral dose was smallest for IMPT, followed by DS, and largest for IMRT. Conclusion: Preliminary data indicates that dose to critical structures, integral dose, and the dose to normal brain is reduced with proton therapy; therefore implying merit in this modality. This dose sparing is crucial because of the high sensitivity of normal tissues for very young patients.