cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Floorplan Driven High Level Synthesis for Crosstalk Noise Minimization in Macro-cell Based Designs

In DSM regime, due to higher interconnect densities, the coupling noise between adjacent signals is aggravated and can lead to many timing violations. In traditional high-level synthesis (HLS), due to lack detailed physical details, it is difficult to accurately estimate crosstalk. Crosstalk minimization is typically done during routing, which makes it computationally expensive to be used within an iterative design flow. In this paper, we propose a floorplan driven highlevel synthesis framework for minimizing crosstalk in a bus-based architecture. The proposed framework employs a Simulated Annealing engine to simultaneously explore HLS (scheduling, allocation, and binding) and floorplan (module swap, module move, and module rotate) subspaces. The effect of a high-level decision is evaluated by updating the floorplan and identifying crosstalk prone buses (i.e., those buses exceeding Lcrit). The primary goal is to minimize the number of crosstalk violations with minimum area and latency overheads. We have validated the approach by synthesizing netlists down to layout-level using Cadence-SOC encounter followed by detailed crosstalk noise analysis using Cadence Celtic. Experimental results for three DSP benchmarks (DCT, EWF, and FFT) demonstrate that the proposed approach can reduce crosstalk violations by as much as 96% (in 180 nm technology node) with an average reduction of 75% over the designs synthesized with traditional sequential flow.
Depression in assisted living: results from a four-state study.

Objective Assisted living is a rapidly-growing sector of long-term care, but little research has been done on depression in this setting. Using data from a large sample of assisted-living residents, the authors sought to 1) describe the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms; 2) identify resident characteristics associated with depression; and 3) examine the relationship between depression and the rate of nursing home placement and mortality. Methods A group of 2,078 residents age 65 and older were enrolled from 193 assisted-living facilities across four states (Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina). Residents were classified as depressed if their score on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) exceeded 7. Results Using this criterion, 13% were depressed, and only 18% of those were on antidepressants. Over one-third of residents had symptoms of depression, such as anxious expression, rumination, or worrying, and 25% displayed sad voice, sad expression, or tearfulness. Depression was significantly associated with medical comorbidity, social withdrawal, psychosis, agitation, and length of residence in the facility. Depressed residents were discharged to nursing homes at 1.5 times the rate of nondepressed residents. Rates of mortality were also higher for depressed residents, but only those with severe depression (CSDD >12) had a statistically significant increased rate of death. Conclusion The mission of assisted living is to help older adults retain autonomy, privacy, and quality of life in a personalized environment. Greater effort should be made to detect and treat depression in this setting, both to reduce suffering and prolong the resident's ability to remain in their preferred environment.
Informed consent and subject motivation to participate in a large, population-based genomics study: the Marshfield Clinic Personalized Medicine Research Project.

Background: The objective of this study was to measure subject perspective and reaction to participation in the Personalized Medicine Research Project (PMRP) and to identify factors predicting understanding of the study elements. Method: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to 1,593 subjects (10% sample). The questionnaire had three sections: section A consisted of 21 factual questions; section B consisted of 14 questions to assess the level of understanding about the PMRP concepts, and section C asked about the purpose of the PMRP. Results: The mean age of the 924 survey respondents was 52 years (SD = 16.9), with a range of 18–95 years. The majority of participants were female (n = 561, 61%). The percent of total correct responses for section A was significantly higher for females compared with males (males: 58.4% and females: 60.4%, t test = –2.18, p = 0.03) and age was significantly inversely related to percent of correct responses (β coefficient = –0.122, p Conclusion: Future community consultation efforts should highlight areas of lower understanding. In addition, research coordinators may need to take more time informing males and older individuals about project details so that they are making truly informed decisions about study participation.
Analyzing on the Drug Resistance of 283 Staphylococcus Strains Isolated from Blood Culture in Children During 2009-2010

Objective: To study the drug resistance rates of 283 staphylococcus strains isolated from blood culture in children during 2009.06-2010.12.
The kinetics of intermediate processes in the photolysis of bovine rhodopsin I. A re-examination of the decay of bovine lumirhodopsin497

Abstract The kinetics of the thermal decay of bovine lumirhodopsin 497 has been studied in rod discs and in digitonin micelle suspensions. A comparative treatment of the rate data in digitonin micelles as a single first-order process and as several simultaneous first-order processes appeared to account for the widely different kinetic activation parameters previously reported for this reaction. The best fit of the rate data, however, was to an essentially second-order scheme conveniently pictured in terms of a Michaelis-Menten enzymatic process involving complex formation between the chromophospholipid and the backbone protein. The fact that the reaction is considerably faster in the rod-disc membrane than in the digitonin micelle points to a significant difference in the essential lipoprotein configuration in the two states.
Decomposition of inflow and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) effects with dual-echo spiral gradient-recalled echo (GRE) fMRI.

Image contrast with gradient-recalled echo sequences (GRE) used for fMRI can have both blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and inflow components, and the latter is often undesirable. A dual-echo technique can be used to differentiate these mechanisms, because modulation of signal from inflow is common to both echoes, whereas susceptibility and diffusion-related signal losses are larger in the second echo. An efficient dual-echo interleaved spiral sequence was developed for use with a conventional scanner. It uses a k-space trajectory that spirals out from the origin while the first echo is collected, then spirals back in while collecting the second echo. Decomposition of the data provides separate images of the inflow and T 2 * -weighted components. Results demonstrate the decomposition with phantom experiments and with photic stimulation in normal volunteers.
Characterization of leaching reactions involving metal sulfides in wastes and concentrates utilizing electron microscopy and microanalysis techniques

Abstract Sulfide wastes and concentrates (FeS 2 , CuFeS 2 , ZnS, PbS, MoS 2 , etc.) can be a potential source of metal values through leaching. Certain environmental problems can also arise in the treatment or disposal of such wastes. The leaching reactions can be accelerated by bacteria as well as by electrochemical reactions in mixed sulfide systems where particle contact occurs. These reactions are impaired and complicated by intermediate product formation. The reaction modes and bacterial activity can be monitored and observed by electron microscopy and x-ray microanalysis. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction have been utilized to characterize systems involving FeS 2 and CuFeS 2 and mixed systems involving FeS 2 /CuFeS 2 . Iron hydroxide and jarosite formation, as well as sulfur layer and sulfur crystal formation, have been observed and related to electrokinetic measurements. Examples of leaching in pyrite removal from coal and the treatment of chalcopyrite wastes for copper recovery are examined, and the role of bacteria illustrated by direct observations of sulfide surface corrosion and product formation. The differences in leaching due to ferric sulfate formation and direct bacterial catalysis is examined, and the use of FeS 2 in concentrate systems to accelerate reaction rates by galvanic conversion is demonstrated quantitatively.
The N terminus of phosducin is involved in binding of beta gamma subunits of G protein.

Abstract Phosducin is a soluble phosphoprotein found in retinal photoreceptor cells and in the pineal gland. It binds to the beta gamma subunits of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) (G beta gamma) and may regulate G-protein function. In this study, the ability of specific regions of phosducin to bind G beta gamma was characterized. A series of deletion mutants were made in bovine phosducin. They were tested in cotransfection assays for their ability to inhibit G beta gamma-mediated phospholipase C beta 2 isoform activation. Overexpression of the N-terminal half of phosducin showed inhibition, whereas overexpression of the C-terminal half did not. The first 63 amino acid residues were required for inhibition. A tryptophan-to-valine substitution at residue 29, which is part of a well conserved 11-amino acid sequence, severely impaired phosducin inhibitory function. Glutathione S-transferase-phosducin fusion proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli to study phosducin-G beta gamma interaction in vitro. The N-terminal 63-amino acid fragment was able to bind to G beta gamma. In contrast, the C-terminal half failed to bind to G beta gamma. The substitution mutants showed little or no binding. Furthermore, direct measurements of interaction between G beta gamma and fragments of phosducin, using surface plasmon resonance technology, confirmed the assignment of binding activity to the 63-amino acid fragment and the importance of the tryptophan residue.
Calibration and validation of an oral fluid-based sensitive/less-sensitive assay to distinguish recent from established HIV-1 infections

Sensitive/less-sensitive (S/LS) serum-based serologic methods have been developed to measure human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence by distinguishing recent from established infections. Such methods require venipuncture. The goal of this study was to develop an alternative to serum-based S/LS testing using oral fluid (OF) as the testing medium. Serum/OF pairs were collected from 342 patients attending 15 Adolescent Trials Network (ATN) clinical sites. The sera were tested with the use of the dilutional Vironostika (DV; Biomerieux, Durham, NC) S/LS assay (DV(SOD=1.0)) as the reference against which an OF LS assay was calibrated using 40 of the OF pairs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses pinpointed the OF LS test parameters that maximized concordance with the serum-based DV. Validation of the calibrated OF LS included testing of the remaining 302 serum/OF pairs. During calibration the maximum concordance with the DV was 95.2% and 89.5% for 21 recent and 19 established samples, respectively, at a 1:50 OF sample dilution and an optical density (OD) cutoff of 0.280. When applied to the validation sample set (N=302), the concordance was 73.6% for the recent samples and 89.6% for the established samples. The OF LS assay showed a good concordance with the serum-based reference S/LS assay. It presents an alternative to invasive specimen collection, and has the potential for increasing test compliance in young subjects. However, because of the uncertainty of the performance characteristics of the serum-based S/LS assay with which it was compared, further validation of the OF LS using seroconversion sample pairs is needed.
Impaired phagocytosis by the mononuclear phagocytic system in sapphire mink affected with Aleutian disease.

AbstractThe phagocytic function of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) in normal sapphire mink and in sapphire mink affected with experimental Aleutian disease was compared. Clearance from blood of carbon particles or ′251-labeledm icroaggregated human serum albumin, and subsequent measurement of radioactivity in phagocytic organs indicated profound MPS blockade in mink affected with advanced Aleutian disease. In contrast, MPS activity in mink in the early stage of the disease was comparable to that of normal mink. It is suggested that the MPS blockade may be responsible for some pathologic changes in Aleutian disease.
Tougher rules for mercury and other toxics

A new rule on mercury and air toxics standards, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 21 December, will reduce emissions of heavy metals and acid gases from power plants. The rule, which gives existing sources of pollution up to 4 years to comply with the new standards, will affect about 1400 existing “units,” including 1100 coal-fired units and 300 oilfired units, at about 600 power plants. EPA notes that more than half of all coal-fired plants already deploy pollution-control technologies. Power plants are the largest U.S. source of several pollutants—accounting for about 50% of mercury emissions and 77% of acid gas emissions—and emit the largest amounts of arsenic and other toxics, according to EPA.
Oxidatively truncated docosahexaenoate phospholipids: total synthesis, generation, and Peptide adduction chemistry

The recent immunological detection of extraordinarily high levels of carboxyethylpyrrole (CEP) modifications of proteins from the retinas of individuals with age-related macular degeneration provided presumptive evidence for the involvement of docosahexaenoate-derived oxidatively truncated phospholipids in retinal pathology. To facilitate the in vivo detection and characterization of the chemistry and biological activities of these postulated naturally occurring molecules, a family of oxidatively truncated phospholipids was prepared by total syntheses. Their formation in oxidation reactions of a docosahexaenoate ester of 2-lysophosphatidylcholine (DHA-PC) was also demonstrated. Free radical-induced oxidative cleavage of DHA-PC promoted by myeloperoxidase or copper ions generates similar mixtures of these phospholipids. The most abundant products were 1-palmitoyl-2-succinoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (4.7%) and 2-(6-carboxy-4-oxohex-5-enoyl)-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (1.7%). Both of these oxidatively truncated phospholipids are homologues of biologically active arachidonate-derived phospholipids. A minor product from DHA-PC, 2-(4-hydroxy-7-oxohept-5-enoyl)-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (0.4% yield), reacted with the epsilon-amino group of a peptide lysyl residue to produce a CEP derivative in 0.7% yield. These observations support the previous conclusion, based on immunological evidence, that CEPs are generated by the reaction of an oxidatively truncated phospholipid with proteins in the retina and further indicate that CEP protein modifications probably represent only a tiny fraction of the products generated upon oxidative damage of DHA-PC in photoreceptor disk membranes.
HOMOLOGOUS IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES OF OCULAR LENS : II. BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Lenses of rabbits with high titers of homologous lens antibodies showed no lesions, even after repeated paracentesis of the anterior chamber in a number of such animals. In these instances, lens antibodies were shown to be present in both the primary and secondary aqueous humors. A small group of rabbits with high homologous anti-lens antibody titers were successfully bred. These had been immunized with adult rabbit lens pools in Freund's adjuvants, and had high antibody levels throughout pregnancy. No significant congenital lens lesions were found when these 18 young from 3 litters were compared with the 17 young from 3 litters of mothers who had no detectable anti-lens antibody through gestation. The latter group of does had received the equivalent doses of homologous lens in saline. Patients with cataract did not show demonstrable anti-lens antibodies in their serum when tested by the agar precipitin technic against cataractous human lens homogenates.
O6-Methylguanine methyltransferase increases before S phase in normal human cells but does not increase in hypermutable Bloom's syndrome cells

The regulation of the O6-methylguanine methyltransferase was examined during cell proliferation in hypermutable Bloom's syndrome fibroblasts and normal human skin fibroblasts. During synchronous growth following serum stimulation normal human cells enhanced methyltransferase activity 2.4-fold in the absence of exogenous damage as a normal regulatory event during the cell cycle. Methyltransferase activity was increased prior to the induction of DNA replication and of DNA polymerase and was diminished when each replicative activity was maximal. In contrast, although methyltransferase levels in quiescent cells are equivalent, hypermutable Bloom's syndrome cells did not increase methyltransferase at any interval in the cell cycle.
Consumers limit the abundance and dynamics of a perennial shrub with a seed bank.

Abstract: For nearly 30 years, ecologists have argued that predators of seeds and seedlings seldom have population‐level effects on plants with persistent seed banks and density‐dependent seedling survival. We parameterized stage‐based population models that incorporated density dependence and seed dormancy with data from a 5.5‐year experiment that quantified how granivorous mice and herbivorous voles influence bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) demography. We asked how seed dormancy and density‐dependent seedling survival mediate the impacts of these consumers in dune and grassland habitats. In dune habitat, mice reduced analytical λ (the intrinsic rate of population growth) by 39%, the equilibrium number of aboveground plants by 90%, and the seed bank by 98%; voles had minimal effects. In adjacent grasslands, mice had minimal effects, but seedling herbivory by voles reduced analytical λ by 15% and reduced both the equilibrium number of aboveground plants and dormant seeds by 63%. A bootstrap analysis demons...
Animal Studies Concerning the Cariogenicity of Dry Breakfast Cereals

Four studies were performed in rats and hamsters concerning the cariogenicity of cereals and the role of sucrose in that process. The findings indicate that sucrose content per se does not necessarily reflect the cariogenic potential. Presweetened cereals were more conducive to the formation of smooth surface caries in the hamster than were non-presweetened cereals while no major differences between the cereals were observed in occlusal caries in rats.
MIGRATION OF PLASTICIZERS FROM POLYVINYLCHLORIDE PACKAGING FILMS TO MEAT

The migration of plasticizers used in polyvinylchloride films was investigated. Meat and meat/fat mixtures were covered with film placed between glass plates and stored at 4 ± 0.5°C. At predetermined storage times, samples were extracted, extracts saponified, and alcoholic constituent of plasticizer determined by gas chromatography. In, the case of di (2-ethvlhexyl) adipate. UP to 23.5 mg/dm2 migrated to the high fat meat. The migration to iower fat contents meat Gas proportionally lower.
Evaluation of Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles from Different Grain Sources as Dietary Protein for Hybrid Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (♀) × Oreochromis aureus (♂)

The effects of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from different sources on growth performance, hematology, and immunity of hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis aureus, were evaluated. Sex-reversed, all-male hybrid tilapia (3.72 ± 0.08 g initial weight) were fed diets in which 30% of protein in the control diet, supplied by a combination of soybean meal (SBM) and corn meal (CM) (SBM : CM ratio = 1.8), was replaced by wheat DDGS (WtDDGS), sorghum DDGS (SDDGS), whiskey DDGS (WkDDGS), or one of three corn DDGS (CDDGS 1–3) sources (control and six experimental diets) for 10 wk. Tilapia were stocked at 30 fish per aquaria (three aquaria per diet). Growth of tilapia fed diets containing DDGS sources was similar to or better than the control diet, and no nutritional deficiencies were observed. Tilapia fed the CDDGS 2 and 3 sources showed superior weight gain. Improved growth appeared to be caused by an increase in feed intake and not due to improvements in dietary nutritional value. Hematology and immunity were not affected by DDGS source. It is concluded that DDGS from all the sources examined can be included in the diet of juvenile hybrid tilapia at about 30% as a replacement of one-third protein from SBM-CM mixture without adverse effects.
Understanding relations between fuzzy logic and evidential reasoning methods

The world around us is very uncertain and unpredictable. No bivalent logic (also called Boolean or binary logic or law of excluded middle) can possibly solve real world problems without over simplification. Many approximate reasoning (also called multi-valued, or continuous or fuzzy logic) methods have been proposed and applied to the real world problems. These methods differ in the way they represent uncertainty and handle uncertainty in the real world problems. In this paper we study, compare and understand relations between fuzzy logic and evidential reasoning methods for application to data fusion problem in transportation engineering. >
The variability of currents in the Yucatan Channel: Analysis of results from a numerical ocean model

a near-surface maximum (4-year) mean of around 1.5 m s � 1 and SD � 0.4 m s � 1 . Three (return) outflow regions are identified, one in the upper layer (thickness � 600 m) on the eastern third of the Channel, with mean near the surface of about 0.2 m s � 1 and SD � 0.14 m s � 1 , and two deep outflow cores, along the western and eastern slopes of the Channel, with (Mean, SD) � (0.17, 0.05) and (0.09, 0.07) m s � 1 , respectively. The total modeled Channel transport varies from 16 to 34 Sv (1 Sverdrup = 10 6 m 3 s � 1 ) with a mean around 25 Sv. The above velocity and transport values agree quite well with observations by Maul et al. [1985], Ochoa et al. [2001], and Sheinbaum et al. [2002]. The deep return transport below 800 m was found to correlate with changes in the Loop Current extension area, in agreement with the observational analysis by Bunge et al. [2002]. The EOF mode#1 of the along-channel currents contains 50% of the total energy. It is surface-trapped, is 180� out of phase across the channel, and correlates well (correlation coefficient g � 0.8) with the cross-channel vacillations of the LC frontal position. The EOF mode#2 contains 18% of the energy, and its structure mimics that of the mean flow: dominated by two vertically more coherent regions that are 180� out of phase across the Channel. The mode is dominated by two periods, approximately 11 months and 2 months respectively, and correlates (g � 0.7) with the upper-channel inflow transport. The third and fourth modes, together, account for 18% of the total energy. Their combined time series correlates (g � 0.66) with the deep current over the sill, and is dominated by fluctuations with a period � 205 days coincident with the dominant low-frequency fluctuations inherent in Maul et al.’s [1985] sill measurement. Thus the dominant mode of flow fluctuations in the Yucatan Channel is caused by LC cross-frontal movements which may not be directly related to LC eddy-sheddings, while higher modes correspond to transport fluctuations that affect eddy-sheddings, and to bottom-trapped current fluctuations, the cause of which has yet to be fully uncovered. INDEX TERMS: 4255 Oceanography: General: Numerical modeling; 4512 Oceanography: Physical: Currents; 4520 Oceanography: Physical: Eddies and mesoscale processes;
Using national dietary data to measure dietary changes.

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate that dietary datasets from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, a US population survey, allow comparisons with national data and provide food composition datasets that can be used to generate similar dietary data. DESIGN Two studies are described: the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (Delta NIRI), which used a 24-hour recall, and a Department of Defense Military Nutrition Research Task, which used 3-day dietary records. Both studies used the same food composition tables. SETTING Rural Lower Mississippi Delta and an Army post. SUBJECTS Four hundred and nine residents (adults and children) from the rural Delta region of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and 74 career soldiers from the Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas. RESULTS The Delta NIRI study found that fruit and vegetable consumption for these rural residents was lower than that found nationally. Additionally, the quality of vegetable servings is of concern since a large percentage came from french fries and potato chips. In the Sergeants Major Academy study, the national survey food composition tables allowed for easy analysis of intake data and comparisons with dietary recommendations. CONCLUSIONS Strategies similar to those used for the Delta NIRI and Military Nutrition Research Task can be used widely, allowing comparisons of 'defined populations' with nationally distributed data. Additionally, measurement of dietary change is more efficient when the same protocol is used subsequently to collect more data, a method similar to that used by the US Department of Agriculture to describe food consumption patterns from one survey to another.
Dual Inhibitory Mechanisms for Definition of Receptive Field Characteristics in a Cat Striate Cortex

In single cells of the cat striate cortex, lateral inhibition across orientation and/or spatial frequency is found to enhance pre-existing biases. A contrast-dependent but spatially non-selective inhibitory component is also found. Stimulation with ascending and descending contrasts reveals the latter as a response hysteresis that is sensitive, powerful and rapid, suggesting that it is active in day-to-day vision. Both forms of inhibition are not recurrent but are rather network properties. These findings suggest two fundamental inhibitory mechanisms: a global mechanism that limits dynamic range and creates spatial selectivity through thresholding and a local mechanism that specifically refines spatial filter properties. Analysis of burst patterns in spike trains demonstrates that these two mechanisms have unique physiological origins.
Preliminary survey of aquatic oligochaetes in Eastern Tamil Nadu, India

A random survey of aquatic Oligochaeta was conducted in Chennai, Villupuram, Dindugal, Thiruvallur, and Sivagangai districts of Tamil Nadu from November 2010 to March 2012. Thirteen taxa were identified from a total of 644 aquatic oligochaetes examined from various qualitative samples of aquatic vegetation and sediments. Chennai district had 3 families: Naididae, Pristinidae and Tubificidae along with a polychaete. The naidids were most diverse with 5 species: Branchiodrilus semperi , Aulophorus furcatus , Dero digitata , Dero indica and Dero zeylanica, the pristinids were represented by Pristina brevichaeta and Pristina jenkinae and the tubificids by 2 species, Branchiura sowerbyi and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri . The nine aquatic oligochaetes collected from Chennai were already reported from this region. Two naidids, Branchiodrilus semperi and D. indica, along with the tubificid Branchiura sowerbyi, were collected from Villupuram district and they constitute the first reports for that district. Limnodrilus udekemianus from Kodaikanal, Dindugal district constitutes the first report for that region of Tamil Nadu. Megadriles belonging to the family Octochaetidae ( Dichogaster bolaui ?) and unidentified Megascolecidae collected from Thiruvallur and Sivaganga districts respectively were found to occur in aquatic habitats.
Ground water monitoring using smart sensors

Groundwater resources are the principal source of drinking water for about 50 percent of the United States population. Groundwater resources in Nebraska are under increasing stress as there is a rapid growth in their usage. Water managers need more timely and accurate data to assess ground-water conditions to manage adverse situations such as drought and loss of pumpage in agriculture and domestic water supply. Currently groundwater researchers use stand-alone data logging equipment which is labor intensive and the method is not easily scalable if the number of logging locations increases. Commercially available real-time data monitoring solutions are either prohibitively costly or highly inflexible. In this paper, we present a design for a groundwater monitoring system based on a network of wirelessly-linked pressure sensors. The proposed solution will enable groundwater researchers and decision makers to have quick access to the groundwater data with less effort and cost. Though our design is initially meant for groundwater monitoring, it can be easily adapted to other fields of environmental monitoring
MONOAMINE OXIDASE (EC 1.4.3.4): ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTIPLE FORMS OF THE BRAIN ENZYME

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) in crude mitochondrial preparations from rat brain was solubilized, and different MAO-active fractions were separated by agarose columns and by Sephadex electrophoresis. Any combination of these techniques yielded at least three fractions possessing MAO activity as measured by assays using radioactive serotonin and benzylamine as substrates. The molecular weight of one of the MAO forms was found to be approximately 400,000 daltons while another was at least 1.5 × 106 daltons. The crude mitochondria1 MAO was inhibited by [14C]-labelled pargyline and then solubilized and the radioactivity of the soluble and particulate MAO was compared to the enzyme activity found in the soluble and particulate fractions. Our studies suggest that appreciable MAO activity is lost upon solubilization and that the conformation of MAO may be altered.
The Martin Kernel for Unbounded Domains

The unbounded domains under consideration include the parabolic-type regions and shrinking one-sided horns that have appeared in the literature. We show the Martin boundary at ∞ is a singleton and we determine the growth of the corresponding Martin kernel. For a parabolic-type region expanding at a power law rate, the growth is subexponential and for a horn shrinking at a power law rate it is superexponential.
Partitioning of rare earth elements between CaSiO3 perovskite and coexisting phases: constraints on the formation of CaSiO3 inclusions in diamonds

Minerals with CaSiO3 composition were found as inclusions in diamonds, and are considered to be originally of perovskite structure. To constrain their genesis and consequently the extent of circulation of mantle material, rare earth element (REE) partitioning between CaSiO3 perovskite and coexisting majoritic garnet (20 GPa, 1520°C) or MgSiO3 perovskite (25 GPa, 1600°C) was determined by combining the technologies of high-pressure synthesis and trace-element analysis using ion probe. It is consistent with previous experiments and confirms that CaSiO3 perovskite is the main REE depository, especially of the light-REE. KCe(CaPv/Gt) is ∼1900, and decreases gradually to 18.5 of KYb(CaPv/Gt). For CaPv/MgPv, it decreases gradually from 57.7 of KCe to about 10 of KYb. Estimated REE concentrations in the source lithology of the CaSiO3 inclusions according to these partitioning coefficients, either peridotitic or eclogitic paragenesis, show strong enrichment in light-REE (e.g. Cen 18–163), very different from normal mantle peridotite and subducted oceanic crust. It is proposed that interaction with carbonatic melt in the deep mantle may have played an important role in the formation of these CaSiO3 inclusions in diamonds, as well as in their ascending transportation.
Using social network analysis to examine the decision-making process on new vaccine introduction in Nigeria.

The decision-making process to introduce new vaccines into national immunization programmes is often complex involving many stakeholders who provide technical information mobilize finance implement programmes and garner political support. Stakeholders may have different levels of interest knowledge and motivations to introduce new vaccines. Lack of consensus on the priority public health value or feasibility of adding a new vaccine can delay policy decisions. Efforts to support country-level decision-making have largely focused on establishing global policies and equipping policy makers with the information to support decision-making on new vaccine introduction (NVI). Less attention has been given to understanding the interactions of policy actors and how the distribution of influence affects the policy process and decision-making. Social network analysis (SNA) is a social science technique concerned with explaining social phenomena using the structural and relational features of the network of actors involved. This approach can be used to identify how information is exchanged and who is included or excluded from the process. For this SNA of vaccine decision-making in Nigeria we interviewed federal and state-level government officials officers of bilateral and multilateral partner organizations and other stakeholders such as health providers and the media. Using data culled from those interviews we performed an SNA in order to map formal and informal relationships and the distribution of influence among vaccine decision-makers as well as to explore linkages and pathways to stakeholders who can influence critical decisions in the policy process. Our findings indicate a relatively robust engagement of key stakeholders in Nigeria. We hypothesized that economic stakeholders and implementers would be important to ensure sustainable financing and strengthen programme implementation but some economic and implementation stakeholders did not appear centrally on the map; this may suggest a need to strengthen the decision-making processes by engaging these stakeholders more centrally and earlier.
Protein surface analysis for function annotation in high-throughput structural genomics pipeline

Structural genomics (SG) initiatives are expanding the universe of protein fold space by rapidly determining structures of proteins that were intentionally selected on the basis of low sequence similarity to proteins of known structure. Often these proteins have no associated biochemical or cellular functions. The SG success has resulted in an accelerated deposition of novel structures. In some cases the structural bioinformatics analysis applied to these novel structures has provided specific functional assignment. However, this approach has also uncovered limitations in the functional analysis of uncharacterized proteins using traditional sequence and backbone structure methodologies. A novel method, named pvSOAR (pocket and void Surface of Amino Acid Residues), of comparing the protein surfaces of geometrically defined pockets and voids was developed. pvSOAR was able to detect previously unrecognized and novel functional relationships between surface features of proteins. In this study, pvSOAR is applied to several structural genomics proteins. We examined the surfaces of YecM, BioH, and RpiB from Escherichia coli as well as the CBS domains from inosine-5′-monosphate dehydrogenase from Streptococcus pyogenes, conserved hypothetical protein Ta549 from Thermoplasm acidophilum, and CBS domain protein mt1622 from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum with the goal to infer information about their biochemical function.
Axillofemoral bypass: A tool with a limited role *

Axillofemoral bypass (AXB) was performed on 100 patients who had claudication (19), pain at rest (42), gangrene or ulcer (22), aortic sepsis (14), or unresectable abdominal aneurysm (3). Unilateral (27 grafts), double unilateral (1), or axillobifemoral (72) grafts with Dacron (58), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (28), ring-supported Dacron or PTFE (12), or other material (2) were performed by 13 surgeons. Eight patients died within 30 days and three major amputations were necessary. Fifty-two (57%) of the 92 survivors had a total of 92 graft complications during a mean follow-up period of 21.5 months. Thirty-two patients underwent 57 reoperations of various types, incurring an additional three deaths and three amputations. Sixty (65%) of the original 92 survivors of AXB avoided reoperation. The 89 patients who survived the original and repeat procedures were followed up through the end of 1984 (62 patients), to late death (23), or to late graft removal (4), whichever occurred first. At these end points, 83 of the 89 (93%) patients had patent grafts. The graft patency rate of the original 100 AXBs by life table was 54% at 36 months; but with reoperation, it was 72%. Among those patients who left the hospital after AXB, the survival rate at 36 months was 69%. Statistically insignificant trends toward improved early patency were noted with bilateral femoral anastomoses, total iliac occlusion, and less severe ischemia. AXB provided safe palliation of severe arterial disease, with overall graft patency exceeding postoperative patient survival according to life-table analysis. However, the safety of AXB was tempered by frequent complications and the necessity for many reoperations to provide maximum efficacy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
High-Resolution Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis of the St. Peter Sandstone and Glenwood Formation (Middle Ordovician), Michigan Basin, U.S.A.

The Middle Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone and Glenwood Formation (Ancell Group) represent a significant target for gas exploration at the base of the Tippecanoe sequence in the Michigan basin. Core and well log data show that the St. Peter-Glenwood interval contains numerous carbonate units that provide the basis for both regional correlation and subdivision of the section into at least 20 high-frequency sequences. The temporal resolution afforded by these sequences allows a detailed analysis of sediment partitioning as the basin evolved. The spatial distribution of the basal sequences illustrates the pronounced east-to-west onlap of the Wisconsin arch. An abrupt increase in sequence thickness upsection indicates that a major episode of basin-centered subsidence began during middle St. Peter deposition and continued through the deposition of the Glenwood Formation. The upper sequences show a significant beveling of the Glenwood Formation and the top of the St. Peter Sandstone in the north, south, and southeast areas of the basin prior to deposition of the overlying Black River carbonates. Although eustatic sea level changes were undoubtedly operating at several scales, the facies distribution of this mixed clastic/carbonate system also documents significant changes of local and regional tectonics.
Tissue is the issue-sarcoidosis following ABVD chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma: a case report

Thirty two year old Caucasian female presented 2 months post partum with fevers, cough and shortness of breath. CT scan of the chest to rule out pulmonary embolism revealed mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Biopsy of the nodes revealed classic Hodgkin's lymphoma and she received ABVD chemotherapy. She was in remission as confirmed by a PET/CT scan. Five months later she had another PET/CT scan which showed areas of hypermetabolism indicating a possible relapse. Biopsy revealed sarcoidosis. She received steroids and 18 months later remained in clinical remission. This rare case of sarcoid following classic Hodgkin's lymphoma illustrates that clinical presentation, physical exam, lab investigations and even PET/CT scans may not be able to discriminate between Hodgkin's lymphoma and sarcoidosis. Tissue biopsy and pathological diagnosis remain the gold standard.
Simultaneous L p -stabilization and internal stabilization of linear systems subject to input saturation—state feedback case

Abstract We consider the problem of simultaneous finite gain L p -stabilization and internal stabilization of linear systems subject to input saturation via linear static state feedback. We show that bounded input finite-gain L p -stabilization and local asymptotic stabilization can always be achieved simultaneously no matter where the poles of the open-loop system are, and the locations of these poles play a role only when bounded input finite gain L p -stabilization and global or semi-global stabilization are required simultaneously.
Practical-Aspects of Regional-Planning — the Milwaukee Experience

After the second world war, significant social and economic changes took place in Wisconsin, predominantly in the southeastern part of the State including the City of Milwaukee, which is the eleventh largest city in the United States. Among the changes there are the unprecedented population increase, growing industrial activities, concentration of population in urban areas, intensive use of natural resources, development of an intricate and dense network of highways for mass automotive transportation, and a major shift in socio-economic objectives brought about by increasing environmental concern. These factors have resulted in the emergence of many area-wide problems of enormous complexities. Earlier approaches to find a solution to each individual problem resulted in further fragmentation and brought about new problems and more confusion.
Beyond remission: rationale and design of the Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine for Two Years (PREVENT) Study.

Abstract Recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and disabling illness, but few studies have addressed long-term antidepressant treatment of recurrent MDD (ie, beyond 1 year of maintenance therapy) or compared the efficacy and safety of different antidepressant classes in this population. This article describes the rationale and design of a unique multi-phase trial in patients with recurrent MDD. The Prevention of Recurrent Episodes of Depression with Venlafaxine for Two Years (PREVENT) study is a large double-blind, randomized, multi-center trial designed to assess the long-term efficacy of venlafaxine extended release (ER) in the prevention of depressive recurrence. Approximately 1,100 adult outpatients with MDD and a history of >or=3 lifetime episodes (with at least two occurring in the past 5 years) were randomized to 10 weeks of acute-phase treatment with either venlafaxine ER 75-300 mg/day or fluoxetine 20-60 mg/day, followed by 6 months of continuation-phase treatment for patients experiencing a satisfactory therapeutic response or remission during the acute phase. Responders and remitters to continuation phase treatment were then entered into a 2-year maintenance phase study, in which those receiving venlafaxine ER were re-randomized to either venlafaxine ER or placebo at the start of two 12-month maintenance periods. Those taking fluoxetine during the acute and continuation phases continued to receive double-blind treatment with fluoxetine. This study will address several unanswered questions about the long-term treatment of recurrent MDD, such as whether extended maintenance treatment (ie, up to 2 years) lessens the risk for developing future depressive episodes; whether fluoxetine and venlafaxine ER are effective for both short- and long-term treatment of MDD; whether rates of tachyphylaxis differ between antidepressant classes; and whether the likelihood of depressive recurrence differs according to the time point when treatment is discontinued.
Toward Social-Emotional Virtual Humans

Emotive virtual agents are seen to be a valuable tool in various research domains, including human studies, training, entertainment, and medicine. However, systems that primarily focus on social-emotional agents are largely domain-focused, or require ample customization to make them usable. The importance of agents that display social emotions and behaviors is underscored by the use of social strategies such as favors and ledgers in negotiation contexts, as well as in other domains. A set of core design principles for the next generation of virtual agents is proposed that will result in more robust and varied virtual agents. This early-stage extended abstract serves to illustrate the core principles and continuing research efforts regarding social virtual agents.
A pragmatist vocation for International Relations: The (global) public and its problems:

The turns to pragmatism and practice theory in recent years are indicative of a fragmented discipline searching for the ends of International Relations theory. While diverse and contested, both bri...
In-situ Atomic-Resolution Study of La1-xSrxCoO3 Using Z-contrast Imaging and EELS

The perovskite oxide LaCoO3 has been studied over the last few decades primarily due to its two transitions, namely the transition from a nonmagnetic insulating state to semiconducting one at 80 K and the transition from semiconducting state to metallic phase above 500 K. While the transition at 80 K is believed to be due to a change in the Co 3+ -ion spin state from a low spin (t 6 2g e 0 g S=0) to an intermediate spin (t 5 2g e 1 g S=1), the high-temperature transition stems from a change in the Co 3+ -ion spin-state from the intermediate spin (t 5 2g e 1 g S=1) to the high spin (t 4 2g e 2 g S=2). Previously, it has been shown that epitaxially LaCoO3 films grown on various substrate materials (LaAlO3 or (LaAlO3)(Sr2AlTaO6) substrates) exhibit a ferromagnetic ordering transition at temperatures close to 80 K, which suggests that the biaxial strain induced from the substrate in the LaCoO3 film stabilizes the intermediate Co 3+ -ion spin state at low temperature[1]. On the other hand, tuning the ferromagnetism of LaCoO3 can be achieved at various temperatures by doping bulk sample with smaller atoms, such as Sr. As Sr doping increases the spin polarons which are caused by substituting divalent Sr 2+ ions for trivalent La +3 ions merge and form short-range FM clusters since the neighboring mixed-valance Co ions interact ferromagnatically via double exchange mechanism [2].
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TAKOTSUBO CARDIOMYOPATHY: A NEW JERSEY STATEWIDE STUDY

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) was first reported in 1991 but it was largely unrecognized until the late 1990s. An International Classification of Diseases Code was assigned in 2005. Our aim was to define the epidemiology of TC based on Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS, a
Temperature-dependent internal photoemission probe for band parameters

The temperature-dependent characteristic of band offsets at the heterojunction interface was studied by an internal photoemission (IPE) method. In contrast to the traditional Fowler method independent of the temperature ($T$), this method takes into account carrier thermalization and carrier/dopant-induced band-renormalization and band-tailing effects, and thus measures the band-offset parameter at different temperatures. Despite intensive studies in the past few decades, the $T$ dependence of this key band parameter is still not well understood. Re-examining a $p$-type doped GaAs emitter/undoped Al${}_{x}$Ga${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$As barrier heterojunction system disclosed its previously ignored $T$ dependency in the valence-band offset, with a variation up to $\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{-}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ eV/K in order to accommodate the difference in the $T$-dependent band gaps between GaAs and AlGaAs. Through determining the Fermi energy level (${E}_{f}$), IPE is able to distinguish the impurity (IB) and valence bands (VB) of extrinsic semiconductors. One important example is to determine ${E}_{f}$ of dilute magnetic semiconductors such as GaMnAs, and to understand whether it is in the IB or VB.
Marten and Hawk Harass Snowshoe Hare

The incidents recorded here were witnessed in person on the White River National Forest, Garfield County, Colorado, at about 7:30 am, October 15, 1956. This date was the opening of the regular big-game season, and I was hunting elk at the time of observation. The timber type was Engelmann spruce-alpine fir, at an elevation of about 10,500 feet. The spruce stand had been killed by the Engelmann spruce beetle about 1948. A few inches of soft snow covered the ground. At the time of the observation I was sitting at the edge of a small, irregularly …