cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological activity in the repopulating rat spermatocyte after the withdrawal of gossypol treatment: II. The activity for the synthesis of cellular and nuclear basic proteins.

Abstract The synthesis of cellular and nuclear basic proteins in the first generation of the repopulated pachytene spermatocyte (RPS) and the control pachytene spermatocyte (CPS) was studied by the incorporation of 3 H-arginine into proteins. After pretreatment with gossypol for various lengths of time, the synthetic activity for cellular protein in the RPS was slightly inhibited. In comparison to CPS, on the other hand, the inhibition ranged from 12% to 26% (for gossypol pretreatment from 3 to 12 weeks, respectively). However, the synthetic activity for nuclear basic protein in the RPS was drastically reduced in comparison to that of the CPS. The reduction ranged from 46% to 61% in RPS after receiving gossypol pretreatment for 3 to 12 weeks, respectively. Gel electrophoretic separation of the basic protein extracted from the pachytene cell indicated that the major basic proteins are nucleosomal linker and core proteins, i.e., histone H 1 , H 2A,B , H 3 , and H 4 , and with a lesser amount of sperm-specific BP and X 1 proteins. After gossypol treatment in the RPS, the synthesis of sperm-specific proteins (BP and X 1 ) and core histones (H 2A and H 4 ) became drastically reduced. Finally, the effect of gossypol on the ratio of nuclear basic protein to DNA in RPS and the direct correlation of this ratio to nucleosomal spacing and chromatin structure are discussed.
The causes and consequences of Beslan

Abstract Gerard Toal has written a very important work placing the terrorist attack in Beslan into a geopolitical context. Toal's analysis emphasizes two themes, the need to place Beslan in a political context and the parallels between the Russian government's reaction to the attack and the Bush administration's reaction to the September 11 attacks. In this response, I seek to make these two themes more explicit and also to focus on one area that is somewhat neglected in Toal's analysis: namely, the factors that made the terrorist attack in Beslan possible. In doing so, I turn away from focusing exclusively on geopolitics by bringing in some of the socio-economic and ideological factors that made the North Caucasus ripe for the explosion of terrorist attacks that occurred in the first half of this decade. I also show how changes in government policies eventually brought about the decline of large-scale terrorist attacks in the region. In doing so, I hope to make the point that any analysis of a spectacular terrorist attack such as Beslan has to take into account not just geopolitics, but also the socio-economic conditions that made it possible and the government policies that allowed it to happen.
Estimates of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Complications Caveat Emptor

Appropriate selection of patients for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy requires knowledge of the beneficial effects and adverse consequences of such therapy. Although the randomized clinical trial is the sine qua non for establishing the benefits and exposing the adverse effects of interventions, subjects recruited for ICD trials may not represent the eligible population.1 Moreover, improved treatments of the underlying disorders and comorbid conditions and advances in equipment and implantation techniques could alter the balance of benefits and risks so that information from older clinical trials cannot be assumed to reflect current practice. In this issue of Circulation , Peterson and colleagues provide one of the first peer-reviewed studies using the National ICD Registry (NICDR) to examine gender-related differences in ICD implantation complication rates.2 Two preliminary reports have shown that patients in the NICDR differ significantly from those recruited into 2 of the primary prevention ICD trials that provided the evidence base for current practice guidelines and reimbursement policies of the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.3,4 Article p 1078 Participation is voluntary for most registries. Registries that include hospitals that agree to time- and labor-intensive data recording requirements and external scrutiny cannot be expected to represent hospitals that do not. The NICDR is part compulsory and part voluntary. Participation in the NICDR is required to receive reimbursement for primary prevention ICDs in Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services beneficiaries; however, about 75% of hospitals have elected to enroll all ICD patients in the NICDR.5 As of June 2008, data from 1448 hospitals totaling >270 373 implants had been entered in the NICDR. The report by Peterson et al2 is based on 204 700 unique patients accrued between January 2006 and December 2007 from 1224 hospitals. After exclusion of patients with a previous ICD implantation, the …
Optimal control problems that test for envelope contacts

Systems are studied whose state vector x is governed by the usual set of first-order differential equations. When the extremals x(t) that originate at a fixed point inn-dimensional state-variable space are stopped at a fixed final time, the locus of their endpoints defines a hypersurface called the wavefront. The well-known adjoint vector is normal to the wavefront. The principal point of this paper is that a second wavefront normal can be constructed from the δx(t) vectors that are available if the test for Jacobi conjugate points is performed. Verifying that the two normals are almost collinear shows that the errors due to computer truncation and numerical integration are negligible. This check is particularly useful when using the finite-difference approximation δx(t) ≃xi(t) − xj(t), where xi(t) and xj(t) are close but nonneighboring extremals. This approximation can simplify considerably the analysis and computation required for a conjugate-point test, particularly if the extremals have corners.
Bulk observers in nonfactorizable geometries

We consider five-dimensional nonfactorizable geometries where the transverse dimension is bounded and the remaining (parallel) dimensions are not. We study the construction of effective theories at distances much longer than the transverse size. An observer unable to resolve the transverse direction can only measure distances along the parallel dimensions, but the nonfactorizable geometry makes the length of a curve along the parallel dimension sensitive to where on the transverse direction the curve lies. We show that long geodesics that differ in their end points only by shifts along the transverse direction all have the same length to within the observer's resolution. We argue that this is the correct notion of distance in the effective theory for a bulk observer. This allows us to present a consistent interpretation of what is measured by observers that live either on a brane or in the bulk.
Broad-search algorithms for finding triple-and quadruple-satellite-aided captures at Jupiter from 2020 to 2080

Multiple-satellite-aided capture is a \(\Delta V\)-efficient technique for capturing a spacecraft into orbit at Jupiter. However, finding the times when the Galilean moons of Jupiter align such that three or four of them can be encountered in a single pass is difficult using standard astrodynamics algorithms such as Lambert’s problem. In this paper, we present simple but powerful techniques that simplify the dynamics and geometry of the Galilean satellites so that many of these triple- and quadruple-satellite-aided capture sequences can be found quickly over an extended 60-year time period from 2020 to 2080. The techniques find many low-fidelity trajectories that could be used as initial guesses for future high-fidelity optimization. Results indicate the existence of approximately 3,100 unique triple-satellite-aided capture trajectories and 6 unique quadruple-satellite-aided capture trajectories during the 60-year time period. The entire search takes less than one minute of computational time.
A STEP-based object-oriented product model for process planning

This paper presents an object-oriented approach to the definition of a product model for use in supporting the task of computer-aided process planning (CAPP). The product model is based on the STEP application protocol, AP 224. The object class hierarchies used in the implementation of the product model are presented, as well as, an example to demonstrate the application of the model.
Acquisition, processing of myoelectrics signals and Support-Vector Machine for movement characterization of hand-arm segment

The electrical engineering has been contributed with medical science to improve the knowledge and the practical applications in disabled ones life. In general, these researches aim to restore mobility and freedom to the disabled. This paper intends to develop a system that uses Surface Electromyography and Support-Vector Machines (SVM) for the characterization of specific movements of a human arm enabling the future integration in rehabilitation systems. At first, myoelectric signals are obtained in the arm muscles of a volunteer by means of surface electrodes attached to an Electromyography. The signal is acquired using a virtual model as pattern demonstrating to the volunteer the hand-arm movements which are to be replicated by the subject. The system acquires the myoelectric signals as the volunteer reproduces the visualized movements on a screen. After this, these signals are processed to extract their characteristics. Some of them (such as RMS, standard deviation, variance, mean, kurtosis, skewness) are the input data in the Support-Vector Machine. The output data is a valid or invalid movement recognition. At the end of the process the nine different movements reached an average hit rate of 79.4%.
Partial wave dispersion relations for photon-nucleon scattering and nucleon-antinucleon production by photons

Partial wave dispersion relations for the processes γ Open image in new window →→γ+ Open image in new window and γ+γ→ Open image in new window + Open image in new window to the ordere2 are derived with the help of the Mandelstam representation. The angular momentum decomposition for both processes is carried out and the analytic properties of the partial wave amplitudes are determined. The absorptive parts of these amplitudes along part of the physical branch cuts are calculated by means of the unitarity condition. For γ+ Open image in new window →γ+ Open image in new window the resulting expressions involve amplitudes for single pion photoproduction; for γ+γ→ Open image in new window + Open image in new window they involve theT=0s-wave pion-pion phase shift and the total cross-section for the process γ+π→π+π. The discontinuities along the unphysical branch cuts are calculated by means of crossing symmetry and of analytic continuation through Legendre polynomials. The limits of convergence of the Legendre expansions are discussed and reasons for the importance of the two-pion exchange contribution in photon-nucleon scattering are presented.
Grooming elicited by intracerebroventricular bombesin and eledoisim in the mouse

Abstract The behavioral effects of centrally administered bombesin and eledolsin were investigated in the mouse. Both peptides produced syndromes of compulsive stereotyped grooming. Manipulations known to affect other forms of grooming were ineffective in modifying the above syndromes. The findings argue for novel subtypes of peptide mediated grooming.
Risk factors for upper tract recurrence in patients undergoing long-term surveillance for stage ta bladder cancer.

Purpose: While the evidence is clear that patients with carcinoma in situ or high grade T1 TCC of the bladder are at higher risk for developing UUT tumors, the role of imaging the UUT in patients with Ta tumors remains controversial. We hypothesized that the number and frequency of recurrences in patients with Ta disease would allow us to identify a population who should undergo routine UUT surveillance.Materials and Methods: We reviewed our database of 375 patients who underwent resection of a stage Ta TCC between 1975 and 1995. Median followup was 6 years. Patients were stratified according to the presence of an UUT occurrence, rate and timing of superficial recurrences, and grade of the initial bladder tumor.Results: Among the 375 patients 50% had no bladder recurrence, 25% had 1 tumor, 15% had 2 tumors, and 10% had 3 or more tumors. Average time between tumors was 17 months. UUT tumor developed in 13 patients (3.4%) at an average of 22 months after their initial bladder tumor. A high risk group consis...
Impact of Obesity on Outcomes in Breast Reconstruction: Analysis of 15,937 Patients from the ACS-NSQIP Datasets

Background Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States (US) affecting more than 33% of adults. We aimed to use the World Health Organization (WHO) obesity stratification scheme to assess the overall risk of obese patients undergoing breast reconstruction using the ACS-NSQIP database from 2005 to 2010. Study Design We reviewed the 2005 to 2010 ACS-NSQIP databases identifying encounters for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes including either implant-based reconstruction (immediate, delayed, and tissue expander) or autologous reconstruction (pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous [pTRAM], free TRAM, and latissimus dorsi flap with or without implant). Patients were classified and compared based on WHO obesity criteria: nonobese (body mass index [BMI] = 20 to 29.9 kg/m 2 ), class I (BMI = 30 to 34.9 kg/m 2 ), class II (BMI = 35 to 39.9 kg/m 2 ), and class III (BMI > 40 kg/m 2 ). Results During the study period 15,937 breast reconstructions were performed. The majority of reconstructions were immediate reconstructions (85.0%) and implant-based (79.1%). The incidence of obesity was 27.1%, with 16.3% defined as class I obese, 6.9% defined as class II obese, and 4.0% defined as class III obese. The WHO-classified obese patients tended to have a progressively higher incidence of comorbid conditions, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status (p Conclusions This study characterized the effect of progressive obesity on the incidence of surgical and medical complications after breast reconstruction using a large, prospective multicenter dataset. Increasing obesity is associated with increased perioperative morbidity. Data derived from this cohort study can be used to risk-stratify patients, enhance risk counseling, and advocate for institutional reimbursement in obese patients undergoing breast reconstruction.
Biogeochemical changes and mercury methylation beneath an in-situ sediment cap.

In-situ capping has shown promise as a management strategy for contaminated aquatic sediments, however, little is known about how mercury methylation in underlying sediments will be affected. Chang...
An XAS study of the binding of copper(II), zinc(II), chromium(III) and chromium(VI) to hops biomass

Abstract Due to the increasing concentrations of heavy metals in potable water and industrial wastewater governmental agencies have created stricter regulations for the treatment of metal contaminated waste. However, current technologies are both expensive and time consuming to use for water and waste treatment. As an alternative to the current technologies, phytofiltration has been proposed, but to make phytofiltration effective the process must be further studied to better understand the metal–biomass chemical interactions. This current study on the use of hops biomass to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the binding mechanism of heavy metals to hops biomass. The XAS studies showed that copper(II), zinc(II) and chromium(III) remained in the same oxidation state as when they were reacted with the hops biomass. However, the reaction of chromium(VI) with the hops biomass resulted in the reduction of chromium(VI) to chromium(III). Analysis of the XAS spectra showed that copper(II) bound to the hops biomass with a molecular geometry of copper(II) acetate; zinc(II) bound to the hops biomass with a molecular geometry of zinc(II) gluconate; and chromium(VI) bound to the biomass with the geometry of chromium(III) acetate. In addition, the XAS studies showed that the nearest neighboring atom of all the bound metal ions was an oxygen atom.
Function and Regulation of the Mammalian Copper-transporting ATPases: Insights from Biochemical and Cell Biological Approaches

Copper is an essential trace element that plays a very important role in cell physiology. In humans, disruption of normal copper homeostasis leads to severe disorders, such as Menkes disease and Wilson's disease. Recent genetic, cell biological, and biochemical studies have begun to dissect the molecular mechanisms involved in transmembrane transport and intracellular distribution of copper in mammalian cells. In this review, we summarize the advances that have been made in understanding of structure, function, and regulation of the key human copper transporters, the Menkes disease and Wilson's disease proteins.
Fabrication and Testing of a PZT Strain Sensor for Soil Applications

Development of economical and compact strain sensors is crucial for efficient and precise dynamic measurement of strain magnitudes in soils. This paper deals with the design and fabrication of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) strain sensor for soil mechanics applications. Initially, the sensor design parameters such as the diameter (1.35 cm) and thickness (300 μm) of the PZT diaphragm were designed using finite-element modeling and analysis. The theoretically obtained finite-element solutions for voltage and displacement of the PZT diaphragm were confirmed empirically. The fabrication process for the strain sensor is discussed in detail along with the design for specific test benches to test the electrical and mechanical characteristics at different stages of fabrication of the strain sensors. Maximum displacement achieved by the diaphragm was found to be 250 μm, yielding a voltage magnitude of 7.3 mV. The magnitude of voltage produced for a diaphragm displacement of 250 μm was empirically determined and was found to be 6.6 mV. The sensor was then packaged in polydimethylsiloxane and calibrated against unpackaged sensor, for the voltage generated for corresponding load forces (89-539 kPa) applied to the sensor. Finally, the packaged strain sensor was tested in three different soil substrates and the voltage magnitudes produced for corresponding load forces applied on top of the substrate were compared.
Instrinsic value of higher education

Aims to counter the arguments that higher education has become too expensive and is not worthwhile. Points out that higher education cannot be evaluated in purely monetary terms. Discusses the cost of higher education to the student and the nation or state; the value of higher education; and the approximate payback of higher education for the individual or the state.
Fluorometric determination of EDTA and EGTA using terbium-salicylate complex.

A method for determining EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) based on a highly fluorescent terbium-EDTA-salicylic acid complex formation was developed. EDTA from as low as a few picomoles to as high as several nanomoles can be determined in a microtiter plate in 10-20 min. Ethyleneglycol-bis(2-aminoethoxy)-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) also can be determined by the same method, but its sensitivity is ca. 14-fold lower. Interestingly, diethylenetriamine tetraacetic acid did not form fluorescent complex with terbium under the same conditions.
Television News and Issue Salience A Reexamination of the Agenda-Setting Hypothesis

This article tests the agenda-setting hypothesis with regard to national television news in 1974 and 1976. The results indicate a modest degree of overlap between news coverage and viewer perceptio...
N1-sterically hindered 2H-imidazol-2-one angiotensin II receptor antagonists: the synthesis of [3H]-SC-54628 and [3H[-SC-54629

Abstract Radiolabeled 2H-imidazol-2-one angiotensin II AT 1 receptor antagonists [ 3 H]-SC-54628 and [ 3 H]-SC-54629 have been synthesized from CBZ-gylcine. These radioligands have nominally four tritium atoms incorporated into the butyl group at the 4-position of the 2H-imidazol-2-ones.
The effect of crystallite size distribution on the specific activity of supported catalysts

Abstract When the size of supported metal crystallites is dispersed about its average value the observed (average) specific activity depends on the shape of the size distribution. It is shown that information about the standard deviation of the size distribution enables an estimate of the difference between the observed specific activity and that of crystallites of the average size. A procedure is developed for determining the exact specific activity-size dependence from information about the crystallite size distribution and the corresponding average specific activity.
Institutional Changes and Development of the Fishing Industry in a Japanese Island Community

The main focus of this study is placed on an analytical assessment of technological and institutional changes centering around the development of local fishing industry in the 1960's at Katsumoto-ura community, Iki Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The technological change involved wide acceptance of innovative elements which have direct bearing upor modernization of fishing technique for local fishermer and fishing operations of the community as a whole. The impact of technological change has ultimate affected the marine ecology of this island. The institutional change, on the other hand, is concerned with development of a local fishing cooperative and its wider socio-economic implications, which resulted in an expansion of multi-functional activities affecting not only the technological sphere but other facets of local fishing industry as well. Contrary to much cited and readily observable technological change, which often leads to a notion of monistic technological determinism, this study is oriented...
Measuring Feminist Consciousness

The concept of group consciousness has proven useful in the analysis of political and social groups, and has clear utility in the study of feminism. Although sophisticated measures of feminist consciousness have been proposed to enable scholars to operationalize the concept in the American National Election Studies, these measures have problems with continuity, or have conceptual problems. This paper proposes a measure that can be used in all American National Election Studies since the rise of the feminist movement, and provides data that suggest the measure has external validity.
The relationship between critical speed and the respiratory compensation point: Coincidence or equivalence

It has previously been suggested that the respiratory compensation point (RCP) and critical speed (CS) parameters are equivalent and, therefore, like CS, RCP demarcates the boundary between the heavy- and severe-intensity domains. However, these findings are equivocal and therefore must be interpreted cautiously. Thus, we examined the relationship between CS and RCP across a wide range of subject fitness levels, in an attempt to determine if CS and RCP are equivalent. Forty men and 30 women (age: 23.2 ± 2.5 year, height: 174 ± 10 cm, body mass: 74.1 ± 15.7 kg) completed an incremental and four constant-speed protocols on a treadmill. RCP was determined as the point at which the minute ventilation increased disproportionately to CO2 production and the end-tidal CO2 partial pressure began to decrease. CS was determined from the constant-speed protocols using the linearized 1·time(-1) model. CS and RCP, expressed as speed or metabolic rate, were not significantly different (11.7 ± 2.3 km·h(-1) vs. 11.5 ± 2.3 km·h(-1), p = 0.208; 2.88 ± 0.80 l·min(-1) vs. 2.83 ± 0.72 l·min(-1), p = 0.293) and were significantly correlated (r(2) = 0.52, p < 0.0001; r(2) = 0.74, p < 0.0001, respectively). However, there was a high degree of variability between the parameters. The findings of the current study indicate that, while on average CS and RCP were not different, the high degree of variability between these parameters does not permit accurate estimation of one from the other variable and suggests that these parameters may not be physiologically equivalent.
Peers' Perceptions of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders What Are Students Thinking?

Peers play a prominent role in defining acceptable behavior. Research on children's perceptions of emotional and behavioral difficulties is analyzed in this article. Virtually all studies concur that peers hold negative views of externalizing behavior problems. Younger students are able to differentiate aggression from other behaviors by the first grade, whereas social withdrawal is recognized later. Based on the implications of these and other findings, professionals need to target peer-identified behavioral and social skill goals and develop programming aimed at normalization to improve acceptance in integrated settings.
A unified methodology for power supply noise reduction in modern microarchitecture design

In this paper, we present a novel design methodology to combat the ever-aggravating high frequency power supply noise (di/dt) in modern microprocessors. Our methodology integrates microarchitectural profiling for noise-aware floorplanning, dynamic runtime noise control to prevent unsustainable noise emergencies, as well as decap allocation; all to produce a design for the average-case current consumption scenario. The dynamic controller contributes a microarchitectural technique to eliminate occurences of the worst-case noise scenario thus our method focuses on average-case noise behavior.
Genomics of CpG Methylation in Developing and Developed Zebrafish

DNA methylation is a dynamic process through which specific chromatin modifications can be stably transmitted from parent to daughter cells. A large body of work has suggested that DNA methylation influences gene expression by silencing gene promoters. However, these conclusions were drawn from data focused mostly on promoter regions. Regarding the entire genome, it is unclear how methylation and gene transcription patterns are related during vertebrate development. To identify the genome-wide distribution of CpG methylation, we created series of high-resolution methylome maps of Danio rerio embryos during development and in mature, differentiated tissues. We found that embryonic and terminal tissues have unique methylation signatures in CpG islands and repetitive sequences. Fully differentiated tissues have increased CpG and LTR methylation and decreased SINE methylation relative to embryonic tissues. Unsupervised clustering analyses reveal that the embryonic and terminal tissues can be classified solely by their methylation patterning. Novel analyses also identify a previously undescribed genome-wide exon methylation signature. We also compared whole genome methylation with genome-wide mRNA expression levels using publicly available RNA-seq datasets. These comparisons revealed previously unrecognized relationships between gene expression, alternative splicing, and exon methylation. Surprisingly, we found that exonic methylation is a better predictor of mRNA expression level than promoter methylation. We also found that transcriptionally skipped exons have significantly less methylation than retained exons. Our integrative analyses reveal highly complex interplay between gene expression, alternative splicing, development, and methylation patterning in zebrafish.
Optimal Marketing Strategies for a Customer Data Intermediary

Abstract Advances in data collection and storage technologies have given rise to the customer data intermediary (CDI), a firm that collects customer data to offer customer-specific marketing services to marketers. With widespread adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) and one-to-one (1:1) marketing, the demand for such services continues to grow. Extant empirical research using customer data for CRM and 1:1 marketing tends to have an engineering emphasis and focuses on developing analysis techniques to implement CRM and 1:1 marketing optimally (i.e., the technology for the CDI). In contrast, this article focuses on marketing strategy issues that the intermediary faces, given the availability of the technology to implement such services. Specifically, the authors develop an empirical framework to evaluate the optimal customer (exclusive/nonexclusive), product (quality or accuracy of the 1:1 customization), and pricing strategy for a CDI. They illustrate the framework for one type of CDI—a 1:1 c...
Translation Initiation Factor 2γ Mutant Alters Start Codon Selection Independent of Met-tRNA Binding

Selection of the AUG start codon for translation in eukaryotes is governed by codon-anticodon interactions between the initiator Met-tRNA(i)(Met) and the mRNA. Translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2) binds Met-tRNA(i)(Met) to the 40S ribosomal subunit, and previous studies identified Sui(-) mutations in eIF2 that enhanced initiation from a noncanonical UUG codon, presumably by impairing Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding. Consistently, an eIF2gamma-N135D GTP-binding domain mutation impairs Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding and causes a Sui(-) phenotype. Intragenic A208V and A382V suppressor mutations restore Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding affinity and cell growth; however, only A208V suppresses the Sui(-) phenotype associated with the eIF2gamma-N135D mutation. An eIF2gamma-A219T mutation impairs Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding but unexpectedly enhances the fidelity of initiation, suppressing the Sui(-) phenotype associated with the eIF2gamma-N135D,A382V mutant. Overexpression of eIF1, which is thought to monitor codon-anticodon interactions during translation initiation, likewise suppresses the Sui(-) phenotype of the eIF2gamma mutants. We propose that structural alterations in eIF2gamma subtly alter the conformation of Met-tRNA(i)(Met) on the 40S subunit and thereby affect the fidelity of start codon recognition independent of Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding affinity.
The Effect of Delay in Fixation, Different Fixatives, and Duration of Fixation in Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Results in Breast Carcinoma

Accurate determination of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status in breast carcinoma is essential. Preanalytic variation may contribute to discordant results. Recently, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAP) made recommendations to normalize fixation for breast biomarkers. To evaluate this, a 4-cm invasive lobular carcinoma was processed according to ASCO/CAP guidelines. The remainder was stored fresh at 4°C for 4 days and cut into biopsy-sized pieces. Each was fixed in 10% formalin, Pen-Fix (Richard-Allan Scientific, Kalamazoo, MI), Bouin solution, Sakura Molecular Fixative (Sakura Tissue-Tek Xpress, Torrance, CA), zinc formalin, or 15% formaldehyde for times ranging between 1 and 168 hours. Immunohistochemical studies for ER and PR were performed and interpreted. After 4 days at 4°C, all samples showed no degradation or ER/PR staining differences, except 2 Bouin-fixed samples, in comparison with the patient's sample processed according to ASCO/CAP guidelines. In our study, the preanalytic variables of fixative type, fixation time, and 4 days of ischemic time did not affect immunohistochemical accuracy for ER/PR.
Digital architecture for an ultra-wideband radio receiver

The paper presents analysis of a digital ultra-wideband (UWB) radio receiver operating in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz band. Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) bit precision is analyzed on two types of UWB signals - OFDM UWB and pulsed UWB - all in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and a narrowband interferer in the channel. The paper shows how probability of error and the bit resolution of the ADC can be scaled depending on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), and the type of UWB signal. It also includes considerations on timing recovery for pulsed UWB.
Instruction set design and optimizations for address computation in DSP architectures

In this paper we investigate the problem of code generation for address computation for DSP processors. This work is divided into four parts. First, we propose a branch instruction design which can guarantee minimum overhead for programs that make use of implicit indirect addressing. Second, we give a formulation and propose a solution for the problem of allocating address registers (ARs) for array accesses within loop constructs. Third, we describe retargetable approaches for auto-increment (decrement) optimizations of pointer variables, and loop induction variables. Finally, we use a graph coloring technique to allocate physical ARs to the virtual ARs used in the previous phases. The results show that the combination of the above techniques considerably improves the final code quality for benchmark DSP programs.
Demonstration of Tight Optical Integration (TOI) algorithm using field data

Recently a biologically inspired algorithm, called tight optical integration (TOI), was developed for tightly integrating optical sensor with GPS. The algorithm involves the integration of a standard camera along with GPS range (pseudorange or carrier phase) measurements to form position estimates. Initial simulations showed that TOI is capable of providing a position solution with an insufficient number of GPS satellites and a visible ldquomarkerrdquo at a known location, with an inertial unit to provide attitude information. This paper demonstrates how a marker is selected from a picture frame and tracked among consecutive frames. TOI has the potential to navigate with one known marker and two or three GPS satellites. In this work attitude information is derived from the GPS velocity estimates assuming zero roll for a terrestrial vehicle. Additionally, the same TOI algorithm can auto-locate unknown features when the position of the marker is not available, and navigate by these features when location is lost. The TOI algorithm is unique because it relies only on GPS range measurements and the pixel data from a camera. No ranging sources such as radar or LIDAR are required. It has particular application to scenarios involving a reduced constellation; such a reduced constellation may be due either to an urban canyon or a denied signal environment.
Climatic influences on net ecosystem CO2 exchange during the transition from wintertime carbon source to springtime carbon sink in a high-elevation, subalpine forest

The transition between wintertime net carbon loss and springtime net carbon assimilation has an important role in controlling the annual rate of carbon uptake in coniferous forest ecosystems. We studied the contributions of springtime carbon assimilation to the total annual rate of carbon uptake and the processes involved in the winter-to-spring transition across a range of scales from ecosystem CO2 fluxes to chloroplast photochemistry in a coniferous, subalpine forest. We observed numerous initiations and reversals in the recovery of photosynthetic CO2 uptake during the initial phase of springtime recovery in response to the passage of alternating warm- and cold-weather systems. Full recovery of ecosystem carbon uptake, whereby the 24-h cumulative sum of NEE (NEEdaily) was consistently negative, did not occur until 3–4 weeks after the first signs of photosynthetic recovery. A key event that preceded full recovery was the occurrence of isothermality in the vertical profile of snow temperature across the snow pack; thus, providing consistent daytime percolation of melted snow water through the snow pack. Interannual variation in the cumulative annual NEE (NEEannual) was mostly explained by variation in NEE during the snow-melt period (NEEsnow-melt), not variation in NEE during the snow-free part of the growing season (NEEsnow-free). NEEsnow-melt was highest in those years when the snow melt occurred later in the spring, leading us to conclude that in this ecosystem, years with earlier springs are characterized by lower rates of NEEannual, a conclusion that contrasts with those from past studies in deciduous forest ecosystems. Using studies on isolated branches we showed that the recovery of photosynthesis occurred through a series of coordinated physiological and biochemical events. Increasing air temperatures initiated recovery through the upregulation of PSII electron transport caused in part by disengagement of thermal energy dissipation by the carotenoid, zeaxanthin. The availability of liquid water permitted a slightly slower recovery phase involving increased stomatal conductance. The most rate-limiting step in the recovery process was an increase in the capacity for the needles to use intercellular CO2, presumably due to slow recovery of Rubisco activity. Interspecific differences were observed in the timing of photosynthetic recovery for the dominant tree species. The results of our study provide (1) a context for springtime CO2 uptake within the broader perspective of the annual carbon budget in this subalpine forest, and (2) a mechanistic explanation across a range of scales for the coupling between springtime climate and the carbon cycle of high-elevation coniferous forest ecosystems.
On an improved design approach for C-testable orthogonal iterative arrays

An improved version of the C-testability approach for orthogonal iterative arrays presented by H. Elhuni et al. (see ibid., vol.CAD-5, p.573-81, 1986) is described. C-testability is defined by those criteria which characterize the complexity of the testing process as independent of the dimensions of the array and of the erroneous states of the cells. The proposed approach is based on a cellular automata characterization under single faulty assumption. This characterization analyzes the state transition table of a basic cell and adds new states to it. These states are used to reproduce internally to the array the test input and propagate the faulty state to the output pins of a chip. This process is analyzed exhaustively. The characteristics of the additional states are presented. The conditions of C-testability are fully proved. Complexity of the testing process (number of test vectors) is discussed. It is proved that the proposed approach has a lower complexity than that of Elhuni et al. >
DiaSumm: flexible summarization of spontaneous dialogues in unrestricted domains

In this paper, we present a summarization system for spontaneous dialogues which consists of a novel multi-stage architecture. It is specifically aimed at addressing issues related to the nature of the texts being spoken vs. written and being dialogical vs. monological. The system is embedded in a graphical user interface and was developed and tested on transcripts of recorded telephone conversations in English and Spanish (CALLHOME).
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Gene Expression Profiles Predict Poor Outcome in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

We aimed to identify peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expression profiles predictive of poor outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by performing microarray experiments of PBMCs in discovery and replication cohorts of IPF patients. Microarray analyses identified 52 genes associated with transplant-free survival (TFS) in the discovery cohort. Clustering the microarray samples of the replication cohort using the 52-gene outcome-predictive signature distinguished two patient groups with significant differences in TFS. We studied the pathways associated with TFS in each independent microarray cohort and identified decreased expression of “The costimulatory signal during T cell activation” Biocarta pathway and, in particular, the genes CD28, ICOS, LCK, and ITK, results confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A proportional hazards model, including the qRT-PCR expression of CD28, ICOS, LCK, and ITK along with patient’s age, gender, and percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 78.5% at 2.4 months for death and lung transplant prediction in the replication cohort. To evaluate the potential cellular source of CD28, ICOS, LCK, and ITK expression, we analyzed and found significant correlation of these genes with the PBMC percentage of CD4+CD28+ T cells in the replication cohort. Our results suggest that CD28, ICOS, LCK, and ITK are potential outcome biomarkers in IPF and should be further evaluated for patient prioritization for lung transplantation and stratification in drug studies.
A flexible design flow for software IP binding in commodity FPGA

Software intellectual property (SWIP) is a critical component of increasingly complex FPGA based system on chip (SOC) designs. As a result, developers want to ensure that their SWIP sources are protected from being exposed to an unauthorized party and are restricted to run only on a trusted FPGA platform. This paper proposes a novel design flow for protecting SWIP by binding it to a specific FPGA platform. We accomplish this by leveraging the qualities of a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) and a tight integration of hardware and software security features. A prototype implementation demonstrates our design flow to successfully protect a SWIP by encryption using a 128 bit FPGA-unique key extracted from a PUF.
Using a Classification System to Probe the Meaning of Dual Licensure in General and Special Education

The alignment of the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the transparency of low achievement of students who have disabilities under the testing mandates of NCLB have converged to create substantial renewed interest and activity in collaborative programs of teacher education—a term used to describe program redesign that brings together teacher preparation for general and special education to improve education not only for students who have disabilities but also for all students who struggle. Such preservice efforts (often referred to as “dual certification” or “dual licensure”) are not only proliferating at a rapid pace, they are proceeding in the absence of analytic frameworks to consider collaborative teacher education more critically, to create a common discourse around this trend, to capture variations in collaborative teacher education, to clarify its multiple meanings, and to uncover assumptions under which ...
AN OCCUPANCY MODELING APPROACH TO EVALUATING A PALM SPRINGS GROUND SQUIRREL HABITAT MODEL

Abstract Conservation efforts often use habitat models as surrogates for empirical data on the distribution or population size of target species as well as to predict the efficacy of proposed conservation and management actions. Such a model was used to evaluate preserves for the Palm Springs ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus chlorus) under a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan in the Sonoran Desert of southern California. The habitat model was developed from expert opinion and data from nonprobability-based sample surveys for ground squirrels. We evaluated the model and tested the underlying assumptions about the ground squirrel's habitat affinities, estimated the occupancy rates and detection probabilities of ground squirrels in modeled habitat, quantified the total area of the proposed preserves occupied by ground squirrels, and tested a priori hypotheses about how occupancy differed among vegetation and substrate types. Occupancy rate varied with vegetation and substrate types and, by repeated...
Skp Trimer Formation Is Insensitive to Salts in the Physiological Range.

Biogenesis of the Gram-negative outer membrane involves the chaperone seventeen kilodalton protein (Skp). A Skp trimer is currently thought to bind its unfolded outer membrane protein (uOMP) substrates. Using sedimentation equilibrium, we discovered that Skp is not an obligate trimer under physiological conditions and that Na+, Cl–, Mg2+, and PO43– ions are not linked to Skp trimerization. These findings suggest that electrostatics play a negligible role in Skp assembly. Our results demonstrate that Skp monomers are populated at biologically relevant concentrations, which raises the idea that kinetic formation of Skp–uOMP complexes likely involves Skp monomer assembly around its substrate. In addition, van’t Hoff analysis of Skp self-association does not support a previously proposed coupled folding and trimerization of Skp.
Data Exploration at the Exascale

In situ processing i.e., coupling visualization routines to a simulation code to generate images in real-time is predicted to be the dominant form for visualization on upcoming supercomputers. Unfortunately, traditional in situ techniques are largely incongruent with exploratory visualization, which is an important activity to enable understanding of simulation data. In response, a new paradigm is emerging: data is transformed and massively reduced in situ and then the resulting form is explored post hoc. The fundamental tension in this approach is between the extent of the data reduction and the loss in integrity in the resulting data. However, new opportunities, in terms of increased access to data, may blunt this tension and allow for both sufficient data reduction and also more accurate analysis. With this paper, we describe the trends behind "data exploration at the exascale" and also summarize some recent results that confirmed that this new paradigm can produce superior results compared to the traditional one.
Mid-Infrared (MIR) and Near-Infrared (NIR) Detection of Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-2 IIIB on Barley-Based Artificial Inoculum.

The amount of Rhizoctonia solani in the soil and how much must be present to cause disease in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is relatively unknown. This is mostly because of the usually low inoculum densities found naturally in soil and the low sensitivity of traditional serial dilution assays. We investigated the usefulness of Fourier transform mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic properties in identifying the artificial colonization of barley grains with R. solani AG 2-2 IIIB and in detecting R. solani populations in plant tissues and inoculants. The objectives of this study were to compare the ability of traditional plating assays to NIR and MIR spectroscopies to identify R. solani in different-size fractions of colonized ground barley (used as an artificial inoculum) and to differentiate colonized from non-inoculated barley. We found that NIR and MIR spectroscopies were sensitive in resolving different barley particle sizes, with particles that were 2.0 mm) of the ground barley. This colonization was confirmed using traditional plating assays. Comparisons with the spectra from pure fungal cultures and non-inoculated barley suggest that the MIR spectrum of colonized barley is different because of the consumption of C substrates by the fungus rather than because of the presence of fungal bands in the spectra of the colonized samples. We found that MIR was better than NIR spectroscopy in differentiating the colonized from the control samples.
Genetics and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

While there are some similarities with adult hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), pediatric HCM has many differences. Although sarcomere protein mutations affecting only the heart explain the majority of pediatric HCM, many young pediatric patients have HCM as part of a larger syndrome, neuromuscular disease, or metabolic disorder. Current HCM genetic testing panels are useful to identify a mutation in some affected children; however, the yield for pediatric patients is lower than that for adults. The yield improves when the panel of genes involved in the RASopathies is also included. Future genetic testing strategies may rely more on whole-exome sequencing as a reflex after negative panel results or even as an initial first step. Furthermore, while there is currently no known intervention that prevents the development of HCM in mutation-positive individuals, various pharmacologic and molecular treatment strategies are now focused on efforts to correct the underlying genetic defect.