cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Packaging Approaches for mm Wave and Sub-THz Communication

This paper presents challenges, opportunities and approaches for packaging at THz frequencies. The two approaches discussed here are laminate based approach and Glass Panel Embedding (GPE). Laminate based solutions provide for low cost and reasonable performance but have challenges in terms of supporting low profile. This approach can be made effective and efficient by introducing air cavities in the laminate stack up to reduce losses, provided reliability can be addressed. Currently there are challenges in precisely structured air cavity fabrication for multi-layered substrates. Glass Panel Embedding (GPE) is a promising packaging approach for THz applications owing to its excellent dimensional stability and low profile. The GPE packaging approach using multiple dies can help support cavities, heterogeneous ICs such as PA and beamformer, interconnects, integrated phased array antennas and passives along with a robust thermal solution.
Osmotic Adaptation by Na+-Dependent Transporters and ACE2: Correlation with Hemostatic Crisis in COVID-19

COVID-19 symptoms, including hypokalemia, hypoalbuminemia, ageusia, neurological dysfunctions, D-dimer production, and multi-organ microthrombosis reach beyond effects attributed to impaired angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) signaling and elevated concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II). Although both SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) and SARS-CoV-2 utilize ACE2 for host entry, distinct COVID-19 pathogenesis coincides with the acquisition of a new sequence, which is homologous to the furin cleavage site of the human epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). This review provides a comprehensive summary of the role of ACE2 in the assembly of Na+-dependent transporters of glucose, imino and neutral amino acids, as well as the functions of ENaC. Data support an osmotic adaptation mechanism in which osmotic and hemostatic instability induced by Ang II-activated ENaC is counterbalanced by an influx of organic osmolytes and Na+ through the ACE2 complex. We propose a paradigm for the two-site attack of SARS-CoV-2 leading to ENaC hyperactivation and inactivation of the ACE2 complex, which collapses cell osmolality and leads to rupture and/or necrotic death of swollen pulmonary, endothelial, and cardiac cells, thrombosis in infected and non-infected tissues, and aberrant sensory and neurological perception in COVID-19 patients. This dual mechanism employed by SARS-CoV-2 calls for combinatorial treatment strategies to address and prevent severe complications of COVID-19.
An Evaluation of the Performance of Current Morphea Subtype Classifications.

Importance Numerous classification systems for morphea subtypes exist, but none have been systematically evaluated for their ability to categorize patients with morphea into demographically and clinically coherent groups. Although some subtypes, such as linear morphea, are present across all the classification schemes, others list unique subtypes. This creates confusion among investigators and practitioners and impairs accurate categorization of patients for study and clinical evaluation. Objective To evaluate how frequently the commonly used morphea classification systems categorize patients with morphea into clinically relevant subtypes using cross-sectional analysis of 2 large patient cohorts. Design, setting, and participants This cross-sectional study comprised 944 adults and children from 2 prospective cohorts-the Morphea in Adults and Children at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, Texas), which enrolled participants from July 20, 2007, to September 21, 2018, and the National Registry for Childhood-Onset Scleroderma at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), which enrolled participants from October 23, 2002, to November 13, 2018. Main outcomes and measures Patient demographic characteristics, morphea subtype, quality-of-life measures, disease activity, and damage as measured by Localized Scleroderma Cutaneous Assessment Tool scores during initial visits. Results A total of 944 participants (444 patients with adult-onset morphea and 500 patients with pediatric-onset morphea; 741 female participants [78%]; median age at onset, 16 years [interquartile range, 8-44 years]) were included in this study. Most participants were White (723 [77%]) and had the linear (474 [50%]) or generalized subtype of morphea (244 [26%]). With the use of the previously published Padua criteria, most patients were classified to have linear morphea (474 [50%]), followed by generalized morphea (244 [26%]), plaque morphea (141 [15%]), mixed morphea (38 [4%]), and pansclerotic morphea (3 [0.3%]). Overall, the Padua criteria successfully classified 900 patients (95%) in comparison with the Peterson criteria (533 [56%]) and the European Dermatology Forum classification (487 [52%]). Conclusions and relevance In this cross-sectional study of morphea subtype classification systems, the Padua criteria performed best in classifying patients into subgroups with cohesive demographic and clinical features, supporting its widespread use. However, they have ambiguities that might lead to misclassification, particularly in terms of generalized and pansclerotic morphea and descriptors such as morphea profunda. Consensus-based approaches are needed to address these ambiguities and develop a unified classification scheme.
Sandwich Batch Normalization

We present Sandwich Batch Normalization (SaBN), a frustratingly easy improvement of Batch Normalization (BN) with only a few lines of code changes. SaBN is motivated by addressing the inherent feature distribution heterogeneity that one can be identified in many tasks, which can arise from model heterogeneity (dynamic architectures, model conditioning, etc.), or data heterogeneity (multiple input domains). A SaBN factorizes the BN affine layer into one shared sandwich affine layer, cascaded by several parallel independent affine layers. Its variants include further decomposing the normalization layer into multiple parallel ones, and extending similar ideas to instance normalization. We demonstrate the prevailing effectiveness of SaBN (as well as its variants) as a drop-in replacement in four tasks: neural architecture search (NAS), image generation, adversarial training, and style transfer. Leveraging SaBN immediately boosts two state-of-the-art weight-sharing NAS algorithms significantly on NAS-Bench-201; achieves better Inception Score and FID on CIFAR-10 and ImageNet conditional image generation with three state-of-the art GANs; substantially improves the robust and standard accuracy for adversarial defense; and produces superior arbitrary stylized results. We also provide visualizations and analysis to help understand why SaBN works. All our codes and pre-trained models will be released upon acceptance.
Afterlives of Anticolonial Dissent: Performances of Public Memory within and against the United States of América

Examining how Puerto Rican nationalist icon Lolita Lebron is celebrated through artistic performances of public memory, this essay investigates how social movement rhetorical histories are used to ...
Modular, Cascade-like Transcriptional Program of Regeneration in Stentor

The giant ciliate Stentor coeruleus is a classical model system for studying regeneration and morphogenesis at the level of a single cell. The anterior of the cell is marked by an array of cilia, known as the oral apparatus, which can be induced to shed and regenerate in a series of reproducible morphological steps, previously shown to require transcription. If a cell is cut in half, each half will regenerate an intact cell, including a new oral apparatus in the posterior half. We used RNAseq to assay the dynamic changes in Stentors transcriptome during regeneration, after both oral apparatus shedding and bisection, allowing us to identify distinct temporal waves of gene expression including kinases, RNA binding proteins, centriole biogenesis factors, and orthologs of human ciliopathy genes implicated in Meckel and Joubert syndromes. By comparing transcriptional profiles of different regeneration events in the same species, we were able to identify distinct modules of gene expression corresponding to oral apparatus regeneration, posterior holdfast regeneration, and recovery after wounding. By measuring gene expression in cells in which translation is blocked, we show that the sequential waves of gene expression involve a cascade mechanism in which later waves of expression are triggered by translation products of early-expressed genes. Among the early-expressed genes, we identified an E2F transcription factor and the conserved RNA binding protein Pumilio as potential regulators of regeneration based on the expression pattern of their predicted target genes. This work allows us to classify regeneration genes into groups based on their potential role for regeneration in distinct cell regeneration paradigms, and provides new insight into how a single cell can coordinate complex morphogenetic pathways to regenerate missing structures.
A Case Report of Cardiac Amyloidosis Highlighting the Importance of Strain Analysis

Cardiac involvement in light-chain (AL) amyloidosis has a high mortality. Once cardiac symptoms are present, it is important to make a diagnosis as there is an inverse relationship between mortality and time of diagnosis. Echocardiography is usually one of the first tests performed. But strain analysis, which can provide important clues, is not routinely performed. This is a case of AL amyloidosis presenting with heart failure in which echocardiographic strain analysis was vital for its diagnosis.
Modeling and Assessment of Atomic Precision Advanced Manufacturing (APAM) Enabled Vertical Tunneling Field Effect Transistor

The atomic precision advanced manufacturing (APAM) enabled vertical tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) presents a new opportunity in microelectronics thanks to the use of ultra-high doping and atomically abrupt doping profiles. We present modeling and assessment of the APAM TFET using TCAD Charon simulation. First, we show, through a combination of simulation and experiment, that we can achieve good control of the gated channel on top of a phosphorus layer made using APAM, an essential part of the APAM TFET. Then, we present simulation results of a preliminary APAM TFET that predict transistor-like current-voltage response despite low device performance caused by using large geometry dimensions. Future device simulations will be needed to optimize geometry and doping to guide device design for achieving superior device performance.
Stability of Multivariable Systems with Saturating Power Amplifiers

A procedure for establishing an approximation of the region of attraction for multivariable systems having saturating power-amplifiers is proposed. The systems may be unstable. Time-domain-methods are used in this paper extending results published in a recent paper. The correspondence with frequency-domain-methods and the physical interpretation is discussed. Finally the importance of an appropriate scalling of the state-variables is emphasized.
Compositional modeling for data-centric business applications

Data-centric business applications comprise an important class of distributed systems that includes on-line stores, document management systems, and patient portals. However, their complexity makes it difficult to design and implement them. We address these issues from a model-driven perspective by developing a formal, compositional, and domain-specific set of abstractions for the specification and analysis of data-centric business applications. Our technique allows us to formally analyze the specified system at design time; in particular we can analyze whether the system is resilient to abnormal conditions, i.e. that key system invariants can always be re-established.
Induction of P4502E1 by acetone in isolated rabbit hepatocytes: Role of increased protein and mRNA synthesis

Abstract The molecular mechanism(s) underlying induction of the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P4502E1 (2E1) by xenobiotics (e.g. ethanol and acetone) is controversial. Proposed mechanisms include increased rates of enzyme synthesis due to elevated 2E1 mRNA levels, enhanced translation of preexisting mRNA, or stabilization of 2E1 protein. To further assess which, if any, of these events predominates during the initial stages of 2E1 protein induction, we investigated the effects of acetone treatment on 2E1 content in cultured rabbit hepatocytes, an in vitro system that allows for precise control of the cellular mileau. Hepatocytes harvested from female rabbits and plated on plastic dishes with serum-supplemented medium were 90–100% viable for at least 48 hr in culture. Analysis of irnmunoreactive 2E1 content and aniline hydroxylase activity in microsornes isolated from hepatocytes cultured for up to 24 hr revealed that 2E1 expression was equal to that of microsomes from unplated cells and by 48 hr of culture, 2E1 levels decreased by only 35%. Moreover, microsomes isolated from cells exposed to 17 mM acetone for 24 hr exhibited a 53 and 62% increase in aniline hydroxylase activity and 2E1 content, respectively, compared to untreated cells. To explain these increases, the rate of 2E1 protein synthesis was determined in untreated cells or in cells treated with 17 mM acetone by first exposing hepatocytes to medium supplemented with 35 S-labeled methionine and cysteine ([ 35 S]Met/ Cys) and subsequently assessing radiolabel incorporation into 2E1 protein. While no difference was found between untreated and acetone-treated cells in the incorporation of [ 35 S]Met/Cys into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable microsomal proteins, immunoaffinity purification of 2E1 revealed that incorporation of 35 S-labeled amino acids specifically into 2E1 was elevated by acetone to 200% of control values. Treatment of hepatocytes with the transcriptional inhibitor, α-amanitin, markedly inhibited this acetone-mediated increase in [ 35 S]Met/Cys incorporation into 2E1. Analysis of hepatocyte RNA revealed that acetone increased 2E1 mRNA to 130 and 160% of control levels at 6 and 24 hr, respectively, and that these increases were prevented by pretreatment with α-amanitin. Our results indicate that acetone increases 2E1 protein levels in cultured rabbit hepatocytes by stimulating its rate of de nouo synthesis. Since this increase in 2E1 synthesis stems, at least in part, from the acetone-mediated enhancement of hepatocyte 2E1 mRNA content and is inhibitable by α-amanitin, transcriptional activation of the rabbit CYP2E1 gene is apparently involved in the induction of 2E1 protein by acetone.
X-tolerant signature analysis

Stochastic coding is used to design X-tolerant signature analyzers that can detect defective chips even in the presence of unknown logic values (X's). These signature analyzers can be used for built-in-self-test applications and test data compression. Application of this technique to industrial designs shows that thousands of X's can be tolerated while reducing test response data volume by 50 to 2,000 times compared to traditional scan, with practically no impact on test quality.
Three‐dimensional tomography of ionospheric variability using a dense GPS receiver array

[1] This paper investigates the localized 3D imaging of equatorial ionospheric depletions and mesoscale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MS-TIDs) with a dense ground-based GPS receiver array. A tomographic forward model is presented using dual-frequency GPS measurements from receivers in the Japanese GPS Earth Observation Network (GEONET). The application of inversion techniques to the discrete observation matrix allows a 3D electron density volume to be reconstructed from the GPS total electron content (TEC) measurements. Because the inverse problem is ill-posed and ill-conditioned, regularization functionals are used to constrain the solution in the presence of noise. To capture the abrupt height and density variations of the structures, a technique using nonconvex penalty constraints is proposed. The reconstructions have 40 to 50-km horizontal and 30-km vertical resolution. Time series of reconstructed images show the evolution and movement of ionospheric structures through the reconstruction region. The results are analyzed and compared with independent ionosonde measurements and vertical TEC (VTEC) maps constructed from the observed GPS data.
Dietary promoters and antipromoters.

Changes in human dietary habits can be correlated with changes in the incidence of certain human epithelial cancers such as cancer of the colon and stomach. From this it can be inferred that the diet may harbor chemicals that may cause cancer. It can also be similarly postulated that factors that help to prevent cancer exist in the diet. New testing techniques for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity enable one to identify a considerable number of dietary chemicals. Some of these chemicals influence carcinogenesis by reacting with initiating carcinogens. This presents the exciting possibility that certain cancerous diseases may be prevented by eliminating or binding dietary carcinogens. Although simple in concept, this approach to cancer control is hampered by a lack of carcinogenicity data for dietary carcinogens in humans, and by the logistics of such an endeavor.
Ultrafast STR Separations on Short-Channel Microfluidic Systems for Forensic Screening and Genotyping

There are situations in which it is important to quickly and positively identify an individual. Examples include suspects detained in the neighborhood of a bombing or terrorist incident, individuals detained attempting to enter or leave the country, and victims of mass disasters. Systems utilized for these purposes must be fast, portable, and easy to maintain. DNA typing methods provide the best biometric information yielding identity, kinship, and geographical origin, but they are not portable and rapid. This study details the development of a portable short-channel microfluidic device based on a modified Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer for applications in forensic genomics. The system utilizes a denaturing polymer matrix with dual-channel laser-induced fluorescence and is capable of producing a genotype in 80 sec. The device was tested for precision and resolution using an allelic ladder created from 6 short tandem repeat (STR) loci and a sex marker (amelogenin). The results demonstrated a precision of 0.09-0.21 bp over the entire size range and resolution values from 2.5 to 4.1 bp. Overall, the results demonstrate the chip provides a portable, rapid, and precise method for screening amplified short tandem repeats and human identification screening.
Beta-Decay Transition Probabilities and Magnetic Moments in the f 7 2 Shell

It is shown for the specific case of the f/sub 7/2/ shell that proper many-particle wave functions can explain much of the experimental data for magnetic moments and betadecay transitions without invoking configuration mixing. The calculations of the single-particle operators were made for all nuclei in the f/sub 7/2/ shell that have at most two particles in one of the unfilled shells and an arbitrary number of particles in the other. The wave functions used were energy eigenfunctions determined by diagonalizing the energy matrix of the residual interactions between all nucleons in the shell. (C.E.S.)
Duration and recovery of fertility in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Synopsis Duration and recovery of fertility were investigated in the course of a long‐term project concerning inbreeding depression of fitness and other traits in Japanese quail. In two trials pair matings were made in the four possible combinations between mature random bred (R) and inbred (I) males and females. Analysis of both trials was limited to (i) birds that were fertile in at least one previous hatch and (ii) matings that produced at least one fertile egg on or after the second day following removal of males. With these restrictions differences between mating types were not statistically significant. R×R matings had a longer duration and a faster recovery of fertility than the other mating types. Slower recovery of fertility in matings involving inbred birds may in part be due to reduced mating frequency, especially of inbred males. Mean duration of fertility in all data analysed was 6.3 days after removal of males from pair cages. Upon remating the first fertile egg was laid after an average of ...
From page to screen (and back): Portfolios, daedalus, and the “transitional classroom”

Abstract Many networked composition classrooms can be considered “transitional”; the focus of classes taught there is neither exclusively on print-oriented skills nor on electronic literacy skills. Students and teachers in these classrooms use electronic technologies to develop primarily print-oriented literacy skills. In the process, they learn to negotiate frequent transitions between screen and page, to shuttle back and forth between different literacy practices. Focusing on my own experiences of teaching first-year-level composition courses in a computerized environment, I outline ways in which teachers may employ a portfolio pedagogy in networked classrooms to help students develop what Cynthia Selfe (1989) called “layered literacy.”
Computing the optimal strategy to commit to

In multiagent systems, strategic settings are often analyzed under the assumption that the players choose their strategies simultaneously. However, this model is not always realistic. In many settings, one player is able to commit to a strategy before the other player makes a decision. Such models are synonymously referred to as leadership, commitment, or Stackelberg models, and optimal play in such models is often significantly different from optimal play in the model where strategies are selected simultaneously.The recent surge in interest in computing game-theoretic solutions has so far ignored leadership models (with the exception of the interest in mechanism design, where the designer is implicitly in a leadership position). In this paper, we study how to compute optimal strategies to commit to under both commitment to pure strategies and commitment to mixed strategies, in both normal-form and Bayesian games. We give both positive results (efficient algorithms) and negative results (NP-hardness results).
Electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of layered PbSe-WSe 2 materials

The first members of the series of intergrowth ${\text{PbSe-WSe}}_{2}$ compounds are investigated using first-principles electronic-structure calculations and Boltzmann transport theory. These materials are moderate band-gap semiconductors. The valence-band edges are primarily derived from PbSe-derived states while the conduction bands have mixed ${\text{PbSe-WSe}}_{2}$ character. The transport calculations show that high thermopowers are attainable at moderate to high $p$-type doping levels, consistent with good thermoelectric performance at temperatures from 300 to 1000 K.
Glucocorticoid-attenuated Response Genes Encode Intercellular Mediators, Including a New C-X-C Chemokine

A major part of the anti-inflammatory effect of glucocorticoids is attributable to their attenuation of the induction of genes whose products mediate intercellular interactions, e.g. cytokines and the inducible forms of prostaglandin synthase and nitric oxide synthase. We hypothesized that (i) there exists a class of immediate-early/primary response genes whose induction by inflammatory agents, mitogens, and other stimuli is attenuated by glucocorticoids, and (ii) the products of these glucocorticoid-attenuated response genes (GARGs) function predominantly in paracrine cell processes. We constructed a λ cDNA library from transforming growth factor β1-pretreated murine Swiss 3T3 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or serum in the presence of cycloheximide, screened 15,000 plaques by differential hybridization, and cloned 12 LPS-induced, dexamethasone-attenuated cDNAs. Seven were previously known. Six of these encode intercellular mediators (thrombospondin-1, MCSF, JE/MCP-1, MARC/fic/MCP-3, crg2/IP-10, and cyr61); one encodes a protein of unknown function (IRG2). Thus, a large majority of these GARG cDNAs encode intercellular mediators, as hypothesized. Of the five GARG cDNAs not previously known, one encodes a novel member of the CXC chemokine family, designated LIX (LPS-induced CXC chemokine). The predicted LIX protein has a 40-amino acid signal sequence and a 92-amino acid mature peptide with a distinctive COOH-terminal region. Surprisingly, segments of the 3′-untranslated regions of LIX and two other CXC chemokines have substantially greater nucleotide sequence homology than do their coding regions. These segments may perform an unknown regulatory function. The LIX message is strongly induced by LPS in fibroblasts, but not in macrophages, suggesting that LIX may participate in the recruitment of inflammatory cells by injured or infected tissue.
Inclusive proton reactions at 164 MeV

Singles proton, deuteron, triton, $^{3}\mathrm{He}$, and alpha spectra resulting from the bombardment of $^{27}\mathrm{Al}$, $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{62}\mathrm{Ni}$, and $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ targets were measured. Data were taken over the angular range 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}-150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Most of the data were taken at a bombarding energy of 164 MeV; some data were taken at 100 MeV. The ratios of fast (g30 MeV) particle yields are $p:d:t:^{3}\mathrm{He}:\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}100:10:1:1:1$. The deuteron spectra fall off more sharply with exit particle energy than do the proton spectra while tritons fall still more sharply, and the fast $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ spectra are similar in shape to the triton spectra. Fast particle angular distributions are all forward peaked with the forward peaking increasing with increasing outgoing particle energy. Angular distributions for the different particle species are quite similar and shapes of both spectral and angular distributions are rather independent of target. Proton and alpha evaporation peaks are prominent, deuterons less so, and evaporation peaks are not apparent in the triton and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ spectra.NUCLEAR REACTIONS 164, 100 MeV $p$ on $^{27}\mathrm{Al}$, $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{62}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$; measured outgoing $p$, $d$, $t$, $^{3}\mathrm{He}$, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ spectra $25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\le}150\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$.
Synthesis of anthranylaldoxime derivatives as estrogen receptor ligands and computational prediction of binding modes.

N-Me-anthranylaldoximes possess a hydrogen-bonded pseudocyclic A‘ ring in place of the typical phenolic A-ring that is characteristic of most estrogen receptor (ER) ligands. We have investigated the role played by substituents introduced into either one or both of the peripheral 3- and 4-phenyl rings in modulating ER binding affinity. An efficient synthetic strategy was employed for the preparation of differentially substituted 3- and 4-aryl derivatives that involved exploiting the different reactivity of bromo- versus chloro-aryl groups in palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings. The binding data showed that ERα affinity could be improved by a single p-OH group in the 4-phenyl ring, whereas the same substitution on the 3-phenyl ring caused a dramatic reduction of ERβ affinity. The most ERα-selective compound was the one with two p-OH groups on both phenyl substituents. To rationalize these results, ligand docking followed by molecular mechanics Poisson−Boltzmann/surface area (MM-PBSA) studies were carried ou...
Relationship between sugar utilization and the action of cycloheximide on diverse fungi.

CYCLOHEXIMIDE (‘Actidione’, Upjohn) is an antibiotic which inhibits growth of protozoa1, mammalian cells2 and many fungi3. It has been proposed that cells having strong aerobic fermentative capability are especially sensitive to this antibiotic4. In the present work, oxygen consumption and aerobic carbon dioxide evolution by 17 fungi grown in glucose medium was measured by standard manometric techniques5. Drug sensitivity was determined by the tube-dilution method. No correlation was found between respiratory quotient and susceptibility to cycloheximide (Table 1). Respiration and fermentation of glucose by Saccharomyces pastorianus were not inhibited appreciably by 2 µgm. cycloheximide/ml. although 0.5 µgm./ml. halted growth. Cells of S. pastorianus fermented maltose when cultivated in maltose medium, but not when cultivated in glucose medium. Fermentation by maltose-adapted cells was not retarded significantly by 2 µgm. antibiotic/ml. but the inductive process was suppressed completely (Table 2). Cells exposed to the drug were still viable at the end of the experiment. Cycloheximide does not inhibit significantly activity of glycolytic enzymes but does prevent new enzyme synthesis. Protein or nucleic acid synthesis, therefore, seems to be one vulnerable site of cycloheximide action6.
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Minichromosome Maintenance-binding Protein (MCM-BP) Antagonizes MCM Helicase

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex, a replicative helicase, is a heterohexamer essential for DNA duplication and genome stability. We identified Schizosaccharomyces pombe mcb1+ (Mcm-binding protein 1), an apparent orthologue of the human MCM-binding protein that associates with a subset of MCM complex proteins. mcb1+ is an essential gene. Deletion of mcb1+ caused cell cycle arrest after several generations with a cdc phenotype and disrupted nuclear structure. Mcb1 is an abundant protein, constitutively present across the cell cycle. It is widely distributed in cytoplasm and nucleoplasm and bound to chromatin. Co-immunoprecipitation suggested that Mcb1 interacts robustly with Mcm3–7 but not Mcm2. Overproduction of Mcb1 disrupted the association of Mcm2 with other MCM proteins, resulting in inhibition of DNA replication, DNA damage, and activation of the checkpoint kinase Chk1. Thus, Mcb1 appears to antagonize the function of MCM helicase.
EXTENDED DEPENDENCY ANALYSIS OF LARGE SYSTEMS∗ Part II: Static Analysis

This paper continues the investigation started in Part I, describing the extension of Dependency Analysis by the use of heuristic methods. The extended methods are capable of detecting and analyzing the structure of large systems containing hundreds or thousands of variables. The methods in this Part discover “static” relations, that is, relations in which the time dimension is immaterial and causality is not imputed. In the analysis of static relations, complications arise which do not appear in the analysis of dynamic relations, and these are described and appropriate heuristics for dealing with them are proposed. The methods are illustrated by a 100-variable example. The results of many tests with large systems are discussed, showing the method to be nearly free of errors. It is argued on theoretical grounds that the method may actually become less prone to error as the size and complexity of the system increases
Two words to improve physician-patient communication: What else?

The medical interview is the physician's initial and perhaps most important diagnostic procedure, but physicians vary in their abilities and skills in physician-patient communication. Information gathering, relationship building, and patient education are the 3 essential functions of the medical interview. A physician-centered interview using a biomedical model can impede disclosure of problems and concerns. A patient-centered approach can facilitate patient disclosure of problems and enhance physician-patient communication. This, in turn, can improve health outcomes, patient compliance, and patient satisfaction and may decrease malpractice claims. Physicians can improve their communication skills through continuing education and practice.
Chromosomal rearrangements and gene expression in CHO cells: mapping of alleles for eight enzyme loci on CHO chromosomes Z3, Z4, Z5, and Z7.

Analysis of CHO electrophoretic mobility shift mutants for six enzyme loci (LDHA, GAA, IDH2, ME1, PGM3, and MPI) that have been previously mapped to Chinese hamster chromosomes 3 and 4 indicated that each of these loci, with the exception of IDH2, are functionally dizygous in CHO. Segregation analysis of CHO × mouse somatic cell hybrids allowed regional gene mapping assignments for a total of eight Chinese hamster chromosome 3-or 4-derived marker loci (the above six, plus APRT and PKM2) to CHO chromosomes Z3, Z4, Z5, and Z7. For seven of these enzyme loci (all but IDH2), two alleles are expressed in CHO cells, each segregating with a different Z-group chromosome. These gene mapping assignments confirm genetically that CHO chromosomes Z3, Z4, Z5, and Z7 are, in fact, derived from Chinese hamster chromosomes 3 and 4, and provide insight into the effects of chromosomal rearrangements on gene expression and hemizygosity in CHO cells.
"SHARP!" Lurking Incoherence in a Television Portrayal of an Older Adult

This article examined an intergenerational interaction from a popular television show in two ways. First, a detailed textual analysis illustrated (a) the salience of age in the interaction, (b) (counter-) stereotypical elements of the older adults’ portrayal, (c) intergenerational connections achieved within the interaction, and (d) the use of age stereotypes in the script’s humorous punch line. The punch line featured the previously alert older adult showing signs of confusion—here termed lurking incoherence. Second, an experimental study showed that the punch line of the clip influenced specific evaluations of the older person in the show, but did not influence general attitudes towards older adults. It was also shown that individuals with more positive general attitudes towards older adults evaluated the older character particularly negatively when they were exposed to the punch line. The ways in which viewers actively process media portrayals of intergroup communication are discussed.
Effects of aspect ratio on wave velocities in fractured rocks

We present recent results on the effect of crack/pore aspect ratio on seismic wave velocities. Our comparative studies of experimental and theoretical investigations show that the crack/pore aspect ratio may be an important reservoir parameter in fractured and porous rocks. For low-porosity rock, the effect of aspect ratio on velocities at low effective pressure is greater than that of porosity. We found that the change of wave velocities with effective pressure may well be modeled by an extented Biot’s theory with the following relationship between aspect ratio and effective pressure: + where is effective pressure, is the initial aspect ratio at zero effective pressure, is the terminal aspect ratio, and is a constant for a given rock. We determine these model parameters for 4 rocks: granite, limestones (Bedford and Leuders), sandstone, having porosities from 0.65% to 21.7%. Variations in velocity with differential pressure correspond with aspect ratio changes from 0.0015 to 0.125. In low-porosity Casco granite, Vp increases with pressure from 3.3 km/s to 6.4 km/s and is associated with more than an 80 fold increase in aspect ratio from 0.0015 to 0.125. The Bedford limestone is populated with fractures and cracks of aspect ratio 0.0085; the Leuders limestone has an average aspect ratio of 0.03. Gulf Coast sandstone has an average aspect ratio of about 0.05. The model results can be used for high-resolution forward modeling and inversion of reservoir properties and to estimate in situ porosity, fluid content, and pore pressure from seismic data.
Enstatite ceramics: a multicomponent system via sol-gel

Submicrometre particles with enstatite stoichiometry were prepared by flame-aerosol technique, using a solution of magnesium ethoxide and TEOS in ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. The solution was run through an aerosol generator with a nozzle that delivered the aerosol stream into a highly focused burner. This produced unagglomerated, 300–600 A spherical particles, with a surface area of 108 m2/g. The powder consists of an amorphous (siliceous) phase + forsterite + periclase. Pure enstatite monoliths made by dispersing, casting and gelling these powders were sintered with various atmospheres and thermal histories. A reducing atmosphere results in transient viscous flow, which is the key to effective densification. Samples could be sintered at temperatures as low as 1075°C without cracking due to volume changes. After processing at 1075°C, the microstructure consists of interlocking 0.5 μm grains of ortho-, proto-, and clinoenstatite whereas 1100°C processing gives protoenstatite grains 1–2 μm in size. Fracture toughness for these enstatite monoliths averages 4.2 MPa m1/2.
The impact of migration on the nonmetropolitan population age structure, 1960-1990

In this paper we examine the short-run impact of migration on the age composition of nonmetropolitan areas. Changes in age structure can have important consequences at the local level, and the influence of migration is particularly notable because it is highly age-graded, with different migration patterns found in various types of nonmetropolitan communities. Here we compare the impact of migration on age structures in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas across the last three decades. Within nonmetropolitan areas we also compare counties with colleges, commuting counties, agricultural counties and retirement counties. We conclude that several factors influence the impact of migration on age structure. Impacts will be greater in smaller than in larger population groups, and in areas that specialize in economic functions that impinge on a particular age group. But in general, migration adds young people to metropolitan areas and older people to nonmetropolitan areas. Differential impacts may be lessened in periods, such as 1970–80, when substantial population redistribution was underway. Nevertheless, prior and present fertility and mortality trends, and the cumulative history of migration well exceed the impact of migration on age in any ten-year interval.
Comment on “Snowball Earth on trial”

In his report of the Snowball Earth 2006 conference in Ascona, Switzerland, coconvenor Philip A. Allen described the ‘original pillars’ of the hypothesis as having “been discarded” [Allen, 2006]. From my reading of the hypothesis [Kirschvink, 1992a, 1992b; J.L. Kirschvink, personal communication, 1989], the original pillars are the following. Each is more strongly supported now than when the hypothesis was first proposed.
Chlorhexidine‐Induced Changes to Human Gingival Fibroblast Collagen and Non‐Collagen Protein Production

Background: Chlorhexidine (CHX) has been used extensively as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of periodontal disease. It is well known that chlorhexidine is toxic to bacteria, but recent evidence has suggested that chlorhexidine may also have deleterious effects on gingival fibroblast proliferation as well as collagen and non-collagen protein production in cell culture. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chlorhexidine on gingival fibroblast proliferation as well as collagen and non-collagen protein production in cell culture. Methods: Human gingival fibroblasts were incubated in MEM containing chlorhexidine concentrations ranging from 1 µM to 1300 µM at 37°C for 1, 5, or 15 minutes. Control cells received an equal volume of MEM without chlorhexidine for similar times at 37°C. Following incubation, the media were removed, cells washed twice with MEM supplemented with 10% FBS, and fibroblasts in treatment and control groups were allowed to recover in the same media for 24 hours. R...
The use of bismuth as an electron stain for nucleic acids.

Evidence is presented to show that bismuth combines in vitro with the phosphate of nucleic acids in a manner similar to its reaction with inorganic phosphate. When tested under similar conditions, protein exhibited no attraction for bismuth. The results of the in vitro experiments, which are of interest within themselves, may be indirectly applicable to in vivo staining. Dividing cells of onion root tips were fixed in OsO4, stained with bismuth, and examined in the electron microscope. The electron opacity of cell structures known to contain nucleic acids was enhanced by bismuth, while organelles known to lack appreciable quantities of DNA or RNA showed little, if any, change. Bismuth is particularly effective as a stain for the chromatin material during interphase and for the chromosomes during division.
Near-UV and blue wavelength excitable Mg0.6Ca2.16Mo0.2W0.8O6: Eu0.123+/Na0.12+ high efficiency red phosphors

Abstract Red phosphors with narrow emission around 615 nm (with FWHM~5–10 nm) having chemical compositions of A0.6Ca2.16Mo0.2W0.8O6: Eu0.123+/Na0.12+ (A=Mg, Sr) have been found to exhibit the highest luminescence amongst the molybdate–tungstate family when excited by sources in the 380–420 nm wavelength range. Thus they are most suitable for enhancing color rendering index and lowering color temperature in phosphor converted white LEDs (pc-WLEDs) with near-UV/blue LED excitation sources. The excitation band edge in the near UV/blue wavelength in the reported phosphor has been attributed to the coordination environment of the transition metal ion (Mo6+, W6+) and host crystal structure. Furthermore the quantum efficiency of the phosphors has been enhanced by adjusting activator concentration, suitable compositional alloying using substitutional alkaline earth metal cations and charge compensation mechanisms.
Risk factors for operative mortality in elderly patients undergoing internal mammary artery grafting

From January 1986 through June 1992, 512 elderly patients (70 years and older) underwent internal mammary artery grafting (IMAG). The operative mortality in these patients was 7.62% (39 of 512), which was significantly higher than that (1.97% [60 of 3,047]; p < 0.0001) in younger patients (under 70 years old). To investigate the risk factors in the elderly, the data from the 512 patients were evaluated by univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression. Of 53 variables analyzed, nine preoperative variables (age, smoking history, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, New York Heart Association functional class, ejection fraction, left main artery disease, stenosis of the left anterior descending artery, and reoperation), three intraoperative variables (emergency operation, bilateral IMAG, and right IMAG), and nine postoperative variables were significantly associated with the higher mortality (p < 0.05). In particular, the operative mortality was significantly higher in the patients undergoing right IMAG (21.62% [8 of 37]) than that in patients only undergoing left IMAG (6.53% [31 of 475]; p < 0.004). The significant preoperative and intraoperative variables and the variables that have a tendency for correlation (p < 0.2) to mortality were included in a stepwise multiple logistic regression. The regression analysis demonstrated that right IMAG, reoperation, history of myocardial infarction, age, left main artery disease, history of smoking, and postoperative complications are the risk factors for the elderly undergoing IMAG. Therefore, particular care should be taken in those patients scheduled to undergo IMAG. The role of right IMAG in the elderly should be further clarified before universal acceptance of the technique in these patients.
Ultrasonic behavior of polymer blends

During the last few years, improvements in control strategies became a necessity, with controls being targeted on material properties. The ever-increasing demand for polymer blends spells the need for in-line instrumentation capable of monitoring blend properties such as morphology. Since ultrasonics have proved to be sensitive to properties of multiphase materials, their performance for discriminating blend morphology was explored here. In-line and off-line (static, with no flow) ultrasonic measurements were made on different blends of polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP) for various viscosity ratios, and over the entire range of composition. Blends were compounded on a ZSK-30 Werner & Pfleiderer intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruder. In-line ultrasonic measurements were performed on both single-screw and twin-screw extruders. Ultrasonic properties (velocity and attenuation) were found to vary approximately linearly with composition. Mixing rules were evaluated for the description of ultrasonic behavior. For the attenuation measurements, the positive deviations from these rules were found significant. The additional attenuation was attributed to scattering generated by the presence of the minor phase inclusions
Ability of ELISA and a toxin neutralization assay to detect changes in immunogenicity of a recombinant Bacillus anthracis protective antigen vaccine upon storage.

We examined the capability of a mouse immunogenicity assay to detect improper storage of a recombinant protective antigen (rPA)-based anthrax vaccine formulated with an aluminum adjuvant, using ELISA and a toxin neutralization assay (TNA) to measure the antibody response to rPA. The vaccine was stored at 4 °C, room temperature (RT) or 37 °C for one, four and eight weeks and used for immunization, along with freshly prepared vaccine. Results showed that, contrary to ELISA, TNA is suitable to detect a loss of immunogenicity of the rPA vaccine following its exposure to RT for a period of eight weeks and to 37 °C for a period as short as 1 week.
Maximizing continuous barrier coverage in energy harvesting sensor networks

The lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has been studied extensively. Lifetime is application specific, and long lifetime is desirable in general. In barrier coverage, it is desirable to have a large number of barriers active as well. Energy harvesting is an active research area in WSNs. In this paper we study the barrier coverage problem in energy harvesting WSNs. We develop an algorithm that finds a repeating sleep/wakeup schedule that can provide the continuous operation of the maximum number of barriers in an energy harvesting WSN.
A generalization of the Mader-Helgason inversion formulas for Radon transforms

Abstract. In 1927, Philomena Mader derived elegant inversion formulas for the hyperplane Radon transform on Rn. These formulas differ from the original ones by Radon and seem to be forgotten. We generalize Mader’s formulas to totally geodesic Radon transforms in any dimension on arbitrary constant curvature space. Another new interesting inversion formula for the k-plane transform was presented in the recent book “Integral geometry and Radon transform” by S. Helgason. We extend this formula to arbitrary constant curvature space. The paper combines tools of integral geometry and complex analysis.
Econometric Theory and Methods , by Russell Davidson and James G. MacKinnon, Oxford University Press, 2004

Teaching graduate econometrics means covering three different kinds of subject matter: a grounding in the theory of econometrics, a long laundry list of available econometric techniques, and an introduction to the fact that the practice of linking models and data is every bit as untidy as mathematical statistics is neat. I assign Econometric Theory and Methods (ETM) as a primary text in our first Ph.D. econometrics course. ETM is in charge of getting the students their theoretical grounding. I also assign Greene's excellent Econometric Analysis (2003) for its coverage of a long list of techniques. My laptop, EViews, and I, together with a whole lot of real data, are responsible for being untidy.