cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biochemical and Ultrastructural Evidence for the Double Role of Phagocytosis in Molluscs: Defense and Nutrition

Haeckel (1862) was the pioneer in reporting that the hemolymph cells of molluscs are capable of phagocytosis. Since that initial report, a number of individuals have demonstrated the phagocytosis of nonself materials by molluscan cells (see Feng, 1967; Cheng, 1967; for reviews).
Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording – Next Generation Mass Storage Technology.

Magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs) store over 90% of the world’s digital data enabling the internet and economical access to data to power everything from social media to self-driving cars. Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is being developed as the next recording system for HDDs. HAMR will bring profound changes to the HDD components and architecture, incorporating laser diodes in an innovative plasmonic light delivery system into the recording heads, and novel nano-magnetic materials and layer architectures in the recording media [1]. Seagate demonstrated the promise of HAMR with a 1 -2 Tb/in2 areal density demonstration [2, 3] and the subsequent demonstration of a fully functional drive with more than 1000 write power-on hours [4, 5]. The significant progresses have been enabled by breakthroughs in media and head technology together with drive integration. With continuing development efforts in reliability and data density HAMR will serve the demand for economical hard disk drive storage solutions for the world’s ever growing data. As announced in a recent blog, Seagate is now shipping HAMR units to select customers for integration tests, and will start shipping commercial HAMR products to key customers by the end of 2018 [6]. This paper will cover the key enablers for HAMR technology to support both high areal density and linear density, which will be critical for bringing a new “S” curve for the magnetic recording industry. It will also be discussed about the challenges and breakthroughs in fundamental magnetic properties for the recording layer and near field optical transducers, to support the extension of HAMR to around 4-5 Tbit/in2.
Phenanthro[9,10-d]triazole and imidazole derivatives: high triplet energy host materials for blue phosphorescent organic light emitting devices

A class of wide bandgap host materials is introduced as an alternative to carbazole-based hosts to enhance the efficiency and transport properties of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). We have synthesized and investigate the photophysical and electrochemical properties of a series of phenanthrene derivatives incorporating fused triazole or imidazole rings. The resulting phenanthro[9,10-d]triazoles and phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazoles are suitable host materials for blue phosphors due to their high triplet energies and conductivities. Incorporation of bulky substituent groups leads to retention of the high triplet energies in the solid state. The most promising materials are incorporated in blue phosphorescent OLEDs that achieve external quantum efficiencies >20%.
A Reconfigurable Passive Voltage Multiplier for Wireless Mobile IoT Applications

Battery-less wireless systems generate their supply voltage from the incoming RF signal, and need to deal with the problem of generating sufficient voltage level required by their various blocks from weak input signals, while maintaining high efficiency. The presented voltage multiplier (VM) seeks to maximize the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by changing the RF-to-DC converter topology in the VM based on the incoming signal. Besides topology, the number of stages in the VM can change for the desired output dc voltage from the varying RF input signal. A prototype is fabricated in 0.35- $\mu \text{m}$ standard CMOS process, operating at 13.56 MHz with a 2 $\text{k}\Omega $ load. The core element in the VM yields a peak PCE of 76% with the cross-coupled topology at low input power, while the hybrid topology provides 70% PCE at higher input power. This reconfigurable VM can be used in RFID or Internet-of-Things (IoT) mobile applications to regulate power against changes in the distance between the power source and the target.
Mdig promotes oncogenic gene expression through antagonizing repressive histone methylation markers

The mineral dust-induced gene (mdig) is overexpressed in a number of human cancers, suggesting critical roles of this gene played on the pathogenesis of cancers. Unlike several other JmjC-domain containing proteins that exhibit histone demethylase activity, it remains enigmatic whether mdig is involved in the demethylation processes of the histone proteins. Methods: To provide direct evidence suggesting contribution of mdig to the demethylation of histone proteins, we recently examined the histone methylation profiles in human bronchial epithelial cells as well as two cancer cell lines with mdig knockout through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Results: Global histone methylation analysis revealed a pronounced increase of the repressive histone trimethylation in three different cell types with mdig depletion, including trimethylation of lysines 9 and 27 on histone H3 (H3K9me3, H3K27me3) and trimethylation of lysine 20 of histone H4 (H4K20me3). Importantly, data from both ChIP-seq and RNA-seq suggested that genetic disruption of mdig enriches repressive histone trimethylation and inhibits expression of target genes in the oncogenic pathways of cell growth, stemness of the cells, tissue fibrosis, and cell motility. Conclusion: Taken together, our study provides the first insight into the molecular effects of mdig as an antagonist for repressive histone methylation markers and suggests that targeting mdig may represent a new area to explore in cancer therapy.
Commentary: Ecology momentary assessment as a tool for understanding dynamic patterns in child and adolescent health and development – reflections on Russell and Gajos (2020)

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has served as a methodological tool across subdisciplines in psychology, shedding light on family, personality, and affective processes, and physical and mental health. In their review, Russell and Gajos demonstrate how EMA can overcome several limitations of traditional methods in developmental psychopathology to answer questions about mental and behavioral health in youth. They also provide thoughtful future directions on integrating sensor technology, advancing modeling techniques for temporally dense data, and employing EMA for delivering interventions. This commentary similarly advocates for the use of EMA but extends Russell and Gajos's review by emphasizing EMA's utility for understanding and revealing dynamic changes and processes along micro timescales that have relevance for youth's health and development. We discuss how EMA can be especially fruitful for advancing theory and practice when administered in bursts and when combined with traditional assessments and longer-term longitudinal designs. Because such studies are resource-intensive, we also consider how extant EMA studies can be leveraged and subjected to meta- and mega-analytic techniques to inform theories and future EMA designs. We conclude that EMA is a promising tool for elucidating dynamic fluctuations in experiences and intra- and interpersonal processes that contribute to child and adolescent development and risk.
The impact of football on student–athletes with education-impacting disabilities

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of football on student–athletes with education-impacting disabilities. Nine football student–athletes diagnosed with education-impacting ...
Taxes and the Use of Subjectivity in Executive Bonus Plans

In this study, I examine whether taxes influence the design of executive compensation incentives. Recently, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) removed the requirement that bonus plans be tied to objective and verifiable performance measures for the bonus to be tax deductible. A potential consequence of this removal is that firms will begin to rely more heavily on subjectivity and discretion in their bonus arrangements. I find an increase, post-TCJA, in both the number of and the weight applied to performance measures with discretionary criteria. In cross-sectional analyses, I further connect my findings to taxes and find that the effect I document is concentrated among firms with a greater sensitivity to the loss of a tax deduction from the TCJA. Overall, the results suggest that the recent tax reform influenced the design of executive bonus plans by facilitating the inclusion of additional subjective performance measures.
Faith Based Approaches to Ecological Harmony and Environmental Protection

The failure to recognize and establish legal environmental rights and norms is perilous for the health of the planet and its populations. Using another source of obligations, such as faith-based approaches for ecological harmony and environmental protection, can work to realign delicate ecosystem balances. This article considers ancient and medieval sources from the teachings of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Daoism, Shintoism, Sikhism, and others to provide new directions for existing environmental challenges.
Brain-computer interface for hands-free teleoperation of construction robots

Abstract Recently, the use of collaborative robots has started to emerge at construction sites. Such incorporation into these human-dominated environments can raise safety concerns as most robots are not fully automated and require some sort of control mechanism. Conventional control systems may fall short under specific situations in which workers require robotic assistance but cannot use their hands to control the robot. Brain-computer interface (BCI) can offer such hands-free controllability, a non-muscular communicative channel that can establish an interpretive pathway between humans and robots. This paper proposes a BCI-based system to remotely control a robot by continuously capturing workers' brainwaves acquired from a wearable electroencephalogram (EEG) device and interpreting them into robotic commands with 90% accuracy. The findings revealed the proposed system holds promise for enhancing robot control in hazardous operations where the ability of the worker to physically direct the robot is limited, such as underwater and space construction.
Exhibiting America: The Smithsonian’s National History Museum, 1881–2018

Exhibiting America explores the varied ways that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History – under different names over the years – conveyed the story of America to millions of annual visitors in its first 137 years. While NMAH's size and prominent location in the nation’s capital have usually meant its leaders aspired to grand visions, often the realities of exhibition development have tempered and reshaped its exhibitions in unexpected and provocative ways. Exhibiting America takes readers through five distinct eras, describing and analyzing the museum’s major exhibitions. To mark the start of a new era for the museum, Allison and Peterson offer reflections on trends and continuing challenges for the National Museum of American History.
High-resolution sodium imaging using anatomical and sparsity constraints for denoising and recovery of novel features.

Purpose To develop and evaluate a novel method for reconstruction of high-quality sodium MR images from noisy, limited k-space data. Theory and methods A novel reconstruction method was developed for reconstruction of high-quality sodium images from noisy, limited k-space data. This method is based on a novel image model that contains a motion-compensated generalized series model and a sparse model. The motion-compensated generalized series model enables effective use of anatomical information from a proton image for denoising and resolution enhancement of sodium data, whereas the sparse model enables high-resolution reconstruction of sodium-dependent novel features. The underlying model estimation problems were solved efficiently using convex optimization algorithms. Results The proposed method has been evaluated using both simulation and experimental data obtained from phantoms, healthy human volunteers, and tumor patients. Results showed a substantial improvement in spatial resolution and SNR over state-of-the-art reconstruction methods, including compressed sensing and anatomically constrained reconstruction methods. Quantitative tissue sodium concentration maps were obtained from both healthy volunteers and brain tumor patients. These tissue sodium concentration maps showed improved lesion fidelity and allowed accurate interrogation of small targets. Conclusion A new method has been developed to obtain high-resolution sodium images with good SNR at 3 T. The proposed method makes effective use of anatomical prior information for denoising, while using a sparse model synergistically to recover sodium-dependent novel features. Experimental results have been obtained to demonstrate the feasibility of achieving high-quality tissue sodium concentration maps and their potential for improved detection of spatially heterogeneous responses of tumor to treatment.
Should Self-Driving Cars Mimic Human Driving Behaviors?

Recent studies illustrate that people have negative attitudes towards utilizing autonomous systems due to lack of trust. Moreover, research shows a human-centered approach in autonomy is perceived as more trustworthy by users. In this paper, we scrutinize whether passengers expect self-driving cars (SDC) to mimic their personal driving behaviors or if they hold different expectations of how a SDC should drive. We developed a survey with 46 questions that asked 352 participants about their personal driving behaviors such as speed, lane changing, distance from a car in front, acceleration and deceleration, passing vehicles, etc. We further asked the same questions about their expectations of a SDC performing these tasks. Interestingly, we observed that most people prefer a SDC that drives like a less aggressive version of their own driving behaviors. Participants who reported they trust or somewhat trust AI, autonomous technologies, and SDCs expected a car with behaviors similar to their personal driving behaviors. We also found that the expectation of a SDC’s level of attenuated aggressiveness witnessed among all other participants was relative to their personal driving behavior aggressiveness. For instance, male drivers showed to be more aggressive drivers than female drivers, and therefore, their expectations for a SDC was slightly more aggressive. These findings can be useful in developing certain profiles or settings for SDCs, and overall they can help in designing a SDC that is perceived as trustworthy by passengers.
Solving Dynamical Systems Using Windows of Sliding Subproblems.

Phenomena that change over time are abundant in nature. Dynamical systems, composed of differential equations, are used to model them. In some cases, analytical solutions exist that provide an exact description of the system’s behavior. Otherwise we use numerical approximations: we discretize the original problem over time, where each state of the system at any discrete time moment depends on previous/subsequent states. This process may yield large systems of equations. Efficient tools exist to solve dynamical systems, but might not be well suited for certain types of problems. For example, Runge-Kutta-based solution techniques do not easily handle parameters’ uncertainty, although inherent to real world measurements. If the problem has multiple solutions, such methods usually provide only one. When they cannot find a solution, it is not know whether none exists or it failed to find one. Interval methods, on the other hand, provide guaranteed numerical computations. If a solution exists, it will be found. Interval methods for dynamical systems fall into two main categories: step-based methods (fast but too conservative with overestimation for large systems) and constraint-solving techniques (better at controlling overestimation but usually much slower). In this article, we propose an approach that “slices” large systems into smaller, overlapping ones that are solved using constraint-solving techniques. Our goal is to reduce the computation time and control overestimation, at the expense of solving multiple smaller problems instead of a larger one. We share promising preliminary experimental results.
ETV2 regulates PARP-1 binding protein to induce ER stress-mediated cell death in tuberin-deficient cells

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare progressive disease, characterized by mutations in the tuberous sclerosis complex genes (Tsc1 or Tsc2), and hyperactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). The effectiveness of mTORC1 inhibitors is limited by their lack of cytotoxic effects. Here, we report that E26 transformation specific (ETS) Variant Transcription Factor 2 (ETV2) is a critical regulator of Tsc2–deficient cell survival. Nuclear localization of ETV2 in Tsc2–deficient cells is mTORC1–independent and is enhanced by spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibition. In the nucleus, ETV2 transcriptionally regulates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 binding protein (PARPBP), a coregulator of transcription, mRNA and protein expression. Silencing of ETV2 or PARPBP in Tsc2–deficient cells induced ER-stress and increased cell death in vitro and in vivo. We also found ETV2 expression in human cells with loss of heterozygosity for TSC2 lending support to the translational relevance of our findings. In conclusion, we report a novel signaling axis unique to Syk-inhibition is mTORC1–independent and promotes a cytocidal response in Tsc2–deficient cells, and therefore, maybe a potential alternative therapeutic target in LAM.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein and human myometrial cells: action and regulation

Abstract Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP), like parathyroid hormone (PTH), acts on myometrial smooth muscle to cause relaxation, and PTH-rP expression has been demonstrated in the myometrium of pregnant and estrogen-treated nonpregnant rats and in human myometrium, leiomyomata and separated myometrial smooth muscle cells in culture. PTH-rP may facilitate the myometrial quiescence characteristic of the first 95% of normal pregnancy and uterine vasorelaxation. This study was conducted to explore further the function and regulation of expression of PTH-rP in human myometrium. Treatment of myometrial smooth muscle cells with analogs of PTH-rP caused an increase the intracellular levels of cAMP and treatment of myometrial cells with forskolin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP caused an increase in the levels of PTH-rP mRNAs. Tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) and okadaic acid caused a striking increase in the levels of PTH-rP mRNAs, much greater than that evoked by forskolin, dibutyryl cAMP, or transforming growth factor- β (TGF- β ). These findings are supportive of the conclusion that myometrial cells respond to PTH-rP with activation of adenylyl cyclase and that PTH-rP gene expression may be modulated by way of a number of distinct intracellular signaling pathways.
Simulation of Lithium-Ion Battery Performance in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

n this study, three batteries were designed and these designs were evaluated in a hybrid vehicle simulation program. The battery designs were based on laboratory tests of 18650 cells for which a Lumped Parameter Battery Model was employed to correlate the cell impedance data. The three battery designs were each tested on three driving cycles, the Federal Urban Driving Schedule, the Highway Fuel Economy Test, and a special cycle developed to test the full power of the vehicle. The results of these simulation tests showed that the battery impedances were low for much of the time because the discharging and charging currents are not maintained at high levels for long periods of time on these cycles. For these conditions, the rates of heat generation in the batteries that were calculated by the simulation programs were low and may not be a serious problem.
Influence of chlorine on etched sidewalls in chemically assisted ion beam etching with SU-8 as mask

A thin layer of SU-8 submicron pattern produced by holographic lithography is used as the dry etch mask in a chemically assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE) system. The effect of the chlorine gas flow rate on etched sidewalls is investigated; by matching the lateral etch rate and the deposition rate, etching selectivity of up to 7:1 is achieved, rendering smooth vertical sidewalls and damage-free upper portions for the etched structure.
Responding to a policy mandate to collaborate: structuring collaboration in the collaborative forest landscape restoration program

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) aims to expand the pace and scale of forest restoration on national forests in the United States. The program requires candidate projects to develop landscape-scale forest restoration proposals through a collaborative process and continue to collaborate throughout planning, implementation, and monitoring. Our comparative case analysis of the initial selected projects examines how existing collaborative groups draw on past experience of collaboration and the requirements of a new mandate to shape collaborative structures as they undertake CFLRP work. While mandating collaboration appears contrary to what is often defined as an informal and emergent process, mandates can encourage stakeholder engagement and renew commitment to overcome past conflict. Our findings also suggest that a collaborative mandate can lead to increased attention and scrutiny, prompting adjustments to collaborative process and structure. As such, mandating collaboration creates dynamic tensions between past experience and new requirements for collaborative practice.
How and Why to Begin Teaching with Cases

"It's so daunting. I have to listen to the students - just figuring out what I want to say is hard enough. The loss of control doesn't feel right. I just don't know how to begin teaching with cases." Words like these are spoken regularly both by newly-minted Ph.D.s, by veteran lecturers, and anyone confronting the prospect of teaching by the discussion method, using case studies. Experienced case teachers make it seem easy; the problem is how to get started. This column offers some advice of my own, as well as suggestions from a panel of contributors.
Antibody protects against lethal infection with the neurally spreading reovirus type 3 (Dearing).

Abstract The mammalian reoviruses have provided a valuable model for studying the pathogenesis of viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS). We have used this model to study the effect of antibody on disease produced by the neurally spreading reovirus type 3 (Dearing) (T3). Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies protect mice from fatal infection with T3 after either footpad or intracerebral virus challenge. Protection occurs with monoclonal antibodies directed against the viral cell attachment protein sigma 1, and with polyclonal antisera without T3 sigma 1 binding activity. In vivo protection occurs with both neutralizing and nonneutralizing monoclonal antibodies. Antibody-mediated protection does not require serum complement and, under specific circumstances, can occur via Fc-independent mechanisms. Antibody can protect mice when transferred up to 5 days after intracerebral challenge and up to 7 days after footpad challenge, times when high titers of virus are present in the CNS. Thus, antibody mediated protection against this neurally spreading virus does not require neutralizing antibody or serum complement and occurs even in the face of established CNS infection.
Experimental Manipulations of Self-Affirmation: A Systematic Review.

The objective of this systematic review of studies using self-affirmation manipulations was to identify research gaps and provide information to guide future research. We describe study characteristics, categories of manipulations, and report effects on various dependent variables. Our search strategies yielded 47 eligible articles (69 studies). Manipulations varied by affirmation domain (values or personal characteristics), attainment (participant- or investigator-identified), and procedure (scale, essay, feedback, etc.). Most dependent variables were cognitive. Strong effects of self-affirmation were found for attitudes and persuasion/bias, but future work is needed for variables with mixed results including risk cognitions, intentions, and behavior. Suggestions and considerations for future research involving self-affirmation manipulations are discussed.
How Consumers View Hospital Advertising

This paper examines consumer attitudes toward hospital advertising. The results do not support recent findings in other professional fields that consumers are favorably disposed toward this marketing activity. From a demographic perspective, there were differences in attitudes based on gender, age, and education. Income levels had no significant relationship with attitudes. However, consistent results were found on the relative proportion of consumers who were able to recall hospital advertisements. Mostly, they recalled hospital ads seen on TV and newspapers.
Relationship between monocular and binocular depth cues for judgements of spatial information and spatial instrument design

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of monoscopic and stereoscopic depth cues for spatial instrument design. Ten volunteer subjects judged the depth and altitude separation between two computer-generated objects located above a ground plane using either a stereoscopic or perspective display. The depth cues manipulated in the study were shadows, a texture gradient, droplines from the cubes to the ground plane, and the presence or absence of binocular disparity. The results indicated that depth judgements were significantly improved with the addition of both monocular and perspective depth cues while judgements of altitude were not. Furthermore, the addition of droplines to the display had the most significant effect on the accuracy of depth judgements, while the addition of a texture gradient on the horizontal grid plane had the least effect. It was also shown that the addition of shadows improved the accuracy of depth judgements but only slightly more than the addition of texture. When droplines were present, the addition of shadows did not add to depth perception nor did the addition of a texture gradient help depth perception if droplines were not present. Finally, stereoscopic viewing did not provide enhanced performance over perspective displays but did aid subjects in making more consistent spatial judgements regardless of the location of the target cube relative to the reference cube. Implications of the results for the design of spatial displays are discussed.
Comparison and interconversion of the two most common frequency-to-mass calibration functions for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

In a perfect three-dimensional axial quadrupolar electrostatic potential field, Ledford et al. showed that the frequency-to-mass calibration relation m/z = AL/v + BL/v2is valid for ions of any mass-to-charge ratio, m/z < (m/z)critical = eB02a2/4Vtrapα, in which v is the “reduced” (observed) ion cyclotron frequency, e is the electronic (elementary) charge, z is the number of elementary charges per ion, B0 is magnetic field induction, a is a characteristic trap dimension, vtrap is the potential applied to each trap endcap, α is a constant determined by the trap geometrical configuration, and AL and BL are constants that are determined by fitting experimental ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) frequencies for ions of at least two known masses in a Fourier transform ICR (FT-ICR) mass spectrum. In the further limit that m/z ≪ (m/z)critical, Francl et al. obtained a different frequency-to-mass relation m/z = AF/(BF+ v). Here, we rederive both frequency-to-mass relations to derive a simple conversion between ALand BL, versus AFand BF(e.g. for comparing calibrated FT-ICR mass spectral data from different vendors). For accurate mass measurement, the conversion introduces a small error (a few parts per billion) that can usually be neglected. More important, by applying both calibration equations to the same experimental time-domain data, we find that mass accuracy resulting from the two calibration functions (or their interconversion) is indistinguishable, because Ledford et al.’s validity criterion, m/z < 0.001 (m/z)critical, is generally satisfied for modern high-field instruments with optimized cell geometry. Interestingly, a small difference may result when different forms of the same calibration function are employed, presumably due to different roundoff errors in the calculation.
Peer Reviewed: Forced-Flow Techniques in Planar Chromatography

Planar chromatography complements HPLC and, for certain separations, is the technique of choice
Monte Carlo simulation of simple models for thin film growth by MBE

Abstract We report an extensive Monte Carlo study of film growth by molecular beam epitaxy. A solid-on-solid model is used on L × L substrate sizes, with periodic boundary conditions. Both deposition and diffusion occur simultaneously; several elementary rules for activated atom hopping are used with only simple interactions between nearest neighbor sites allowed. These rules include preferential or random new-site selection as well as mechanisms which allow or prohibit hopping up step edges. The interfacial width and the kinematic reflection high energy electron diffraction intensity are measured to characterize the roughness of the growing film, and pictures of the surface structure are generated to provide visual information. We find that the hopping rules that initially produce small and irregularly shaped two-dimensional clusters result in better layer-by-layer growth whereas rules that result in “smooth” surfaces at early times by producing large compact clusters, become very rough when grown for long times due to islanding. The increase in roughness of the surface over a limited range of deposition time is consistent with that observed in some experiments; however, when atoms are allowed to hop either up or down at step edges, the model suffers from strong crossover behavior and finite-size effects for certain growth conditions, implying the existence of such effects in real systems. At very late times the interfacial width for three of the hopping rules has a logarithmic dependence on time and substrate sizes indicating a behavior similar to the Edwards-Wilkinson model, and from the dynamic scaling analysis of the long-time results we obtain the dynamic exponent of z = 1.61. When all allowed diffusion events are random we find a power law increase of the interfacial width with time, suggesting that the model is in a different universality class.
Reversible cobalt ion binding to imidazole-modified nanopipettes

In this report, we demonstrate that quartz nanopipettes modified with an imidazole-terminated silane respond to metal ions (Co(2+)) in solution. The response of nanopipettes is evaluated through examination of the ion current rectification ratio. When nanopipettes are cycled between solutions of different pH, adsorbed Co(2+) can be released from the nanopipette surface, to regenerate binding sites of the nanopipette. These results demonstrate that rectification-based sensing strategies for nanopore sensors can benefit from selection of recognition elements with intermediate binding affinities, such that reversible responses can be attained.
Possible hyperendorphinergic pathophysiology of the rett syndrome

Abstract The Rett syndrome is a postnatal developmental and neurological disorder seen only in girls. Many of the symptoms of this disorder, such as microcephaly, stereotypy, respiratory disturbances and seizures, are analogous to the effects of the administration of β-endorphin or other opioids in animals. Preliminary reports of elevated β-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in the cerebrospinal fluid of girls with the Rett syndrome, as well as improvement in some of their symptoms during the administration of the opioid antagonist naltrexone, are suggestive of endorhinergic hyperactivity. Thus, the pathophysiology of the Rett syndrome might involve excessive stimulation of opioid receptors in the central nervous system by β-endorphin or other endogenous opioids.
IS AN EMPTY LEFT HEMISCROTUM AND HYPERTROPHIED RIGHT DESCENDED TESTIS PREDICTIVE OF PERINATAL TORSION

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determine whether the finding of a nonpalpable left testis and hypertrophied(2 cc or greater) right testis is predictive of an atrophic (perinatal torsion) left testis.Materials and Methods: Prospectively, all boys with a nonpalpable left testis and hypertrophied right testis seen between May 2000 and May 2002 were included in the study. Testicular measurement was performed preoperatively with an orchidometer. In 19 of 22 boys size was also confirmed intraoperatively. Surgical exploration was done initially through a scrotal incision. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in boys in whom intrascrotal tissue that was consistent with a “nubbin” was not found. All tissue removed was submitted for histological evaluation.Results: In 19 of 22 boys tissue was found in the left hemiscrotum that was clinically consistent with a scrotal nubbin, and histological confirmation was absolute in 18. In 1 patient a hollow oval mass attached to a cord extending to the external inguinal ring was found wi...
Inverse changes in erythroid cell volume and number regulate the hematocrit in newborn genetically hypertensive rats.

Abstract Erythrocytosis and microcytosis have been described in strains of genetically hypertensive rats and in essentially hypertensive humans. Published discussion of these phenomena has centered around their relationship to observed alterations in ionic transport and the pathogenesis of hypertension. In presenting data for another strain of spontaneously hypertensive rats in which these findings are exhibited, we note that erythroid cell size decreases concurrently with the increase in cell numbers so that the hematocrit and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration remain constant. Data from the literature support the hypothesis that erythroid cell size is inversely proportional to cell count in a large number of species. Erythrocytosis, as it develops in the neonatal rat, is a consequence of the marked immaturity of this species at birth. Erythrocytosis in the spontaneously hypertensive rat is not due to a difference in the affinity of its hemoglobin for oxygen or to significant tissue anorexia. Microcytosis in the spontaneously hypertensive rat is the consequence of a continuation of the linear volume decrease with age of its erythroid cells seen in the normotensive animals and may be accounted for by the production of smaller cells with concomitant regulation of individual cell volume.
Chronology of postglacial pollen profiles in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.A.)

Abstract Composite pollen profiles from many peat sections in the Pacific Northwest showing Postglacial forest sequences are correlated in Table I with radiocarbonated pumice and ash. The “thermal interval” is shown from 8,800 to 4,400 years ago. A bibliography is added of papers by the author which are relevant to this subject.
Determination of mono-, di-, and triglycerides by molecular distillation and thin-layer chromatography.

Analysis of mixtures of mono-, di-, and triglycerides by molecular distillation and thin-layer chromatography is described. Mono- and diglycerides undergo appreciable acyl migration through the effect of heat during molecular distillation. Nevertheless this technique may be used for the quantitative analysis of mixtures of mono-, di-, and triglycerides, provided there are no substances present which catalyze, disproportionation. Thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analysis of mono-, di-, and triglycerides is fast and simple and can be carried out on a micro-scale with a high degree of accuracy and precision. It also is extremely sensitive, permitting the quantitative estimation of as little as 0.1% of a single component in a mixture.
Constructive Comprehension Abilities Exhibited by Language-Disordered Children

Constructive comprehension abilities were compared in a group of 12 language-disordered children (second graders) and two groups of children acquiring language normally (12 second graders matched t...
Induction of apoptosis via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by a K vitamin analog in rat hepatocytes.

Abstract Background/Aims : Compound 5 (Cpd 5), a vitamin K analog, inhibits rat hepatocyte DNA synthesis and hepatoma cell growth. The aim of this study was to determine if the inhibitory effect of Cpd 5 on cell growth was related to apoptosis. Methods : Isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured with Cpd 5, and mitogen-activated signaling pathway and apoptosis pathway were investigated using Western blot analysis. Results : When rat hepatocytes were cultured with Cpd 5 for 48 h, apoptosis was evident, which included characteristic morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, and the activation of caspase 3 (CPP 32)-like protease. Examination of upstream events of apoptosis pathway showed that the expression of Bax was induced and bcl-2 was inhibited by Cpd 5 treatment. Concomitant with the induction of apoptosis, Cpd 5 activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. PD 98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor, and glutathione, an anti-thiol-oxidant, not only blocked Cpd 5-induced ERK phosphorylation, but also antagonized the activation of CPP-32, the altered Bcl-2/Bax expression, and DNA fragmentation. Conclusions : The data suggest that the ERK signaling pathway may be involved in the regulation of rat hepatocyte apoptosis induced by Cpd 5.
Characterization and Cardinality of Universal Functions

Necessary and sufficient conditions that a Boolean function be universal, are established. It is demonstrated that most functions are in fact universal; thus, almost any function is a candidate for building the combinational logic of all computers.
“Yes We Can”: How Online Viewership, Blog Discussion, Campaign Statements, and Mainstream Media Coverage Produced a Viral Video Phenomenon

ABSTRACT “Viral videos”—online video clips that gain widespread popularity when they are passed from person to person via e-mail, instant messages, and media-sharing Web sites—can exert a strong influence on election campaigns. Unfortunately, there has been almost no systematic empirical research on the factors that lead viral videos to spread across the Internet and permeate into the dominant political discourse. This article provides an initial assessment of the complex relationships that drive viral political videos by examining the interplay between audience size, blog discussion, campaign statements, and mainstream media coverage of the most popular online political video of the 2008 campaign—will.i.am's “Yes We Can” music video. Using vector autoregression, I find strong evidence that the relationship between these variables is complex and multidirectional. More specifically, I argue that bloggers and members of the Obama campaign played crucial roles in convincing people to watch the video and in a...
Potential biomedical and commercial applications of cold hibernated elastic memory (CHEM) self-deployable foam structures

A cold hibernated elastic memory (CHEM) foam structure is one of the most recent results of the quest for simple, reliable and low-cost expandable space structures. The CHEM technology utilizes shape memory polymers in open cellular (foam) structure or sandwich structures made of shape memory polymer foam cores and polymeric composite skins. It takes advantage of the polymer’s heat activated shape memory in addition to the foam’s elastic recovery to deploy a compacted structure. The glass transition temperature Tg is tailored to rigidize the structure in the fully deployed configuration. Previous experimental and analytical results were very encouraging and indicated that the CHEM foam technology can perform robustly in space as well as in the Earth environment. CHEM structures are described here and their major advantages are identified over other expandable/deployable structures. Although the space community is the original major beneficiary, a number of potential applications are also anticipated for the “earth environment”. CHEM developers strongly believe that this technology has great promise for a host of commercial and bio-medical applications. Some of these potential and already investigated CHEM applications are described in this paper.
The Actin-Binding Protein Capulet Genetically Interacts with the Microtubule Motor Kinesin to Maintain Neuronal Dendrite Homeostasis

Background Neurons require precise cytoskeletal regulation within neurites, containing microtubule tracks for cargo transport in axons and dendrites or within synapses containing organized actin. Due to the unique architecture and specialized function of neurons, neurons are particularly susceptible to perturbation of the cytoskeleton. Numerous actin-binding proteins help maintain proper cytoskeletal regulation. Methodology/Principal Findings From a Drosophila forward genetic screen, we identified a mutation in capulet-encoding a conserved actin-binding protein-that causes abnormal aggregates of actin within dendrites. Through interaction studies, we demonstrate that simultaneous genetic inactivation of capulet and kinesin heavy chain, a microtubule motor protein, produces elongate cofilin-actin rods within dendrites but not axons. These rods resemble actin-rich structures induced in both mammalian neurodegenerative and Drosophila Alzheimer's models, but have not previously been identified by loss of function mutations in vivo. We further demonstrate that mitochondria, which are transported by Kinesin, have impaired distribution along dendrites in a capulet mutant. While Capulet and Cofilin may biochemically cooperate in certain circumstances, in neuronal dendrites they genetically antagonize each other. Conclusions/Significance The present study is the first molecularly defined loss of function demonstration of actin-cofilin rods in vivo. This study suggests that simultaneous, seemingly minor perturbations in neuronal dendrites can synergize producing severe abnormalities affecting actin, microtubules and mitochondria/energy availability in dendrites. Additionally, as >90% of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's cases are sporadic this study suggests mechanisms by which multiple mutations together may contribute to neurodegeneration instead of reliance on single mutations to produce disease.
The missing clause method and its application to the satisfiability problem

There is a decision problem from the discipline of Boolean logic which has assumed a significant position in the theoretical study of computer science. Indeed, it is the paradigm of an entire class of challenging problems, grouped together and given the name "NP-Complete". This problem is usually referred to at the Boolean Satisfiability Problem or SAT for short. This paper presents an interesting method which shows some promise in the analysis of the Satisfiability Problem and attempts to characterize the instances of the problem to which the method can be applied in polynomial time. For a more detailed discussion of the theoretical importance of the Satisfiability Problem and its relation to the class called "NP-Complete", the reader should consult references [1,2].
ATP mediates rapid reversal of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activation in visual receptor membranes

Weak or strong lights will activate visual receptor rod disk membrane (RDM) cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) in the presence of GTP cofactor. A similarly activated GTPase can exhaust small amounts of initially present GTP to deactivate the PDE. However, further additions of GTP reactivate PDE without more light, and deactivation by simple GTP depletion takes minutes or more, even at GTP concentrations 100 to 1,000 times lower than physiological levels. A more rapid deactivation mechanism must exist if modulation of cytoplasmic cyclic GMP by light is to play a role on the time scale (seconds) of events in vision. We report here that ATP is essential to such rapid control and that its presence permits multiple cycles of activation-deactivation. The complete control mechanism seems to involve gamma phosphate transfer from both ATP and GTP.
Technology and privacy in the academic library

Adoption of technology in academic libraries sets up circumstances for collection of personal patron information and records of patron information seeking behaviour not possible in the pre‐digital library. Even if collected unintentionally, this information may then be seized by law enforcement officials for criminal investigations. Passage of the USA PATRIOT Act has lowered the standards for obtaining search warrants that had previously been set by American legal precedent. This article describes potential situations where patron privacy can be endangered by the presence of information technology and how librarians can protect patron information and prepare patrons for safe information seeking in the online world.
Z dependence of electron scattering by single atoms into annular dark-field detectors.

A simple parameterization is presented for the elastic electron scattering cross sections from single atoms into the annular dark-field (ADF) detector of a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The dependence on atomic number, Z, and inner reciprocal radius of the annular detector, q(0), of the cross section σ(Z,q(0)) is expressed by the empirical relation [see formula in text] where A(q(0)) is the cross section for hydrogen (Z = 1), and the detector is assumed to have a large outer reciprocal radius. Using electron elastic scattering factors determined from relativistic Hartree-Fock simulations of the atomic electron charge density, values of the exponent n(Z,q(0)) are tabulated as a function of Z and q(0), for STEM probe sizes of 1.0 and 2.0 A. Comparison with recently published experimental data for single-atom scattering [Krivanek et al. (2010). Nature 464, 571-574] suggests that experimentally measured exponent values are systematically lower than the values predicted for elastic scattering from low-Z atoms. It is proposed that this discrepancy arises from the inelastic scattering contribution to the ADF signal. A simple expression is proposed that corrects the exponent n(Z,q(0)) for inelastic scattering into the annular detector.