cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Young’s Modulus and Size-Dependent Mechanical Quality Factor of Nanoelectromechanical Germanium Nanowire Resonators

Germanium cantilever nanoelectromechanical resonators were fabricated using chemically grown nanowires with diameters ranging from 50 to 140 nm. Single nanowires were mechanically positioned at the edge of a copper transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid and then pinned to the grid with local platinum deposition. Oscillating cantilevers were induced into electromechanical resonance with an applied AC voltage, and the frequency response of the vibrational amplitude was measured. From this data, the Young’s modulus of the nanowires was determined to be insensitive to diameter in this size range with an average value of 106 GPa (with 95% confidence limits of ±19 GPa), which is on par with the literature values for bulk Ge (100−150 GPa). The mechanical quality factors (Q) of the nanowire cantilevers were also measured and found to decrease with decreasing diameter. The data indicate that energy dissipation from the oscillating cantilevers occurs predominantly via surface losses, which increase in magnitud...
ErbB2 is essential in the prevention of dilated cardiomyopathy

Amplification of the gene encoding the ErbB2 (Her2/neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for the progression of several forms of breast cancer. In a large-scale clinical trial, treatment with Herceptin (trastuzumab), a humanized blocking antibody against ErbB2, led to marked improvement in survival. However, cardiomyopathy was uncovered as a mitigating side effect, thereby suggesting an important role for ErbB2 signaling as a modifier of human heart failure. To investigate the physiological role of ErbB2 signaling in the adult heart, we generated mice with a ventricular-restricted deletion of Erbb2. These ErbB2-deficient conditional mutant mice were viable and displayed no overt phenotype. However, physiological analysis revealed the onset of multiple independent parameters of dilated cardiomyopathy, including chamber dilation, wall thinning and decreased contractility. Additionally, cardiomyocytes isolated from these conditional mutants were more susceptible to anthracycline toxicity. ErbB2 signaling in cardiomyocytes is therefore essential for the prevention of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches’ Past – Euan Cameron

Book reviewed: Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Churches’ Past, Euan Cameron, Blackwell Publishing 2005 (0-631-21523-9), xii + 292 pp., hb/pb £50.00/£15.99
Objective functional improvement in chronic airway obstruction.

Eighteen patients with reversible airway disease judged by an improvement in maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) of 30 percent or more six months after entry into a comprehensive, standardized care program for chronic airway obstruction were compared to similar individuals not equally improved. Patients with chronic airway obstruction with a wheezing type onset who also demonstrated recurrent bouts of wheezing or congestion and those with a relatively short duration of disease with a small but definite response to inhaled bronchodilator are candidates for a trial of corticosteroid therapy guided by physiologic tests to measure objective functional improvement. The 18 improved patients had a statistically significant improvement in vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, resting pO2, resting oxygen saturation, and a marked improvement in exercise tolerance.
Hypnosis in the treatment of depression: research and theory.

The literature contains several case reports demonstrating the successful use of hypnosis in nonpsychotic, unipolar depression; controlled studies however are lacking. In an attempt to substantiate theoretically the anecdotal literature on hypnotic treatments of depression, we advance the following theory: hypnotic treatment can be viewed as both an antianxiety technique and as a facilitator of restructuring nihilistic cognitions in depression. Hypnosis, both theoretically and anecdotally, appears to facilitate the process of cognitive therapy. The importance of moderate to high hypnotic ability of patients is commented on, and the need for controlled clinical trials is noted.
Neutron Vibrational Spectroscopy of the H5O2+ Ion and Its Deuterated Analog in Phosphotungstic Acid Hexahydrate

Heteropolyacid hydrates of the general form H 3 PM 12 O 40 . n H 2 O are of interest to researchers in areas such as proton conductivity and catalysis. The water molecules in these hydrated acids reside in the interstitial volume between the large Keggin anions and can, under certain conditions, complex with the acidic protons to form stable cations such as the “dioxonium” ion (H 5 O 2 + ). We have used incoherent inelastic neutron scattering (IINS) measurements of dodecatungstophosphoric acid hexahydrate (H 3 PW 12 O 40 · 6H 2 O) to obtain the vibrational density of states spectrum of H 5 O 2 + stabilized by the PW 12 O 40 3− Keggin anions. Spectra were measure for fully hydrogenated and fully deuterated ions in order to determine the relative merit of previous assignments of the normal mode vibrations.
Micromachined quartz resonator based infrared detector array

Abstract We report the fabrication and performance of a micromachined Y -cut quartz resonator based thermal infrared detector array. 1 mm diameter and 18 μm thick (90 MHz) inverted mesa configuration quartz resonator arrays with excellent resonance characteristics have been fabricated by RIE etching of quartz. Temperature sensitivity of 7.2 kHz/K was experimentally measured. Infrared calibration tests on the resonator array even without the use of infrared absorbers gave a responsivity of 14.3 MHz/W and an NEP of 326 nW. In this first report on the performance of the Y -cut quartz resonator infrared thermal detector array, the response time measurements were found to be limited by the slow measurement time of the impedance scans and the undesired heating of the quartz substrate. Most importantly, this initial work demonstrates the possibility of realizing infrared detector arrays for room temperature thermal imaging applications that can rival current state of the art in the field.
Process Matters: Conflict and Cooperation in Sequential Government-Dissident Interactions

Competing hypotheses on the relationship between government and dissident behavior emerge from both formal and empirical models. Yet, the current literature lacks a comprehensive theoretical account of such contradictory effects. This study develops a theory to account for a large number of competing hypotheses within a single framework. The theory explains various government and dissident tactical choices over the course of an internal political struggle by focusing on leaders, their motivations, and the link between their motivations and actions. The theory gives rise to a process model of sequential government-dissident interactions that is used to test several implied hypotheses. Empirical sequential time-series models of government and dissident behavior find support for most of the theory's implied hypotheses in Israel (1979–2002) and Afghanistan (1990–99).
Generalized Statistical Mechanics

In this paper, a start is made toward the development of a statistical mechanics that will be suited to the treatment of dynamic changes in thermodynamic systems and which, at the same time, will be in the appropriate form for a relativistically invariant theory. The formal device consists of making the time coordinate one of the canonical variables. As a result, stationary ensembles no longer occupy a privileged position among all conceivable Gibbs ensembles, and it becomes necessary to redefine and to reformulate most statistical and thermodynamic concepts. This has been done with the concept of a canonical ensemble, with entropy, temperature, heat flux, and performance of work. With a suitable definition of the entropy of an individual system, a new formulation of the $H$-theorem is provided, which in turn leads to a formulation of the Second Law.
EC5S ubiquitin complex is recruited by KSHV latent antigen LANA for degradation of the VHL and p53 tumor suppressors.

Cellular protein degradation pathways can be utilized by viruses to establish an environment that favors their propagation. Here we report that the Kaposi's sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-encoded latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) directly functions as a component of the EC5S ubiquitin complex targeting the tumor suppressors von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and p53 for degradation. We have characterized a suppressor of cytokine signaling box-like motif within LANA composed of an Elongin B and C box and a Cullin box, which is spatially located at its amino and carboxyl termini. This motif is necessary for LANA interaction with the Cul5–Elongin BC complex, to promote polyubiquitylation of cellular substrates VHL and p53 in vitro via its amino- and carboxyl-terminal binding domain, respectively. In transfected cells as well as KSHV-infected B lymphoma cells, LANA expression stimulates degradation of VHL and p53. Additionally, specific RNA interference–mediated LANA knockdown stabilized VHL and p53 in primary effusion lymphoma cells. Thus, manipulation of tumor suppressors by LANA potentially provides a favorable environment for progression of KSHV-infected tumor cells.
Activation of transcription factors activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-κB by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; dioxin), the prototype agonist of the aromatic hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor, is a potent tumor promoter as well as a complete liver carcinogen that produces an oxidative stress response in rodents and in cultured cell lines. It has been proposed that TCDD promotes neoplastic transformation through oxidative signal transduction pathways, which results in activation of immediate-early response transcription factors. To set the stage for a test of this hypothesis, we evaluated the effect of TCDD treatment on the activation of several transcription factors, including those in the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) families, which are activated by changes in the redox state of cells. In an extension of prior results, we found that TCDD treatment produced a sustained overexpression of AP-1 for at least 72 hr in wild-type mouse hepatoma Hepa-1 cells, but not in the Ah receptor-deficient derivative c35 or in cytochrome P450-1A1 (CYP1A1)-negative c37 cells. In addition, TCDD treatment caused a significant increase in the DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB, but not in the activities of the other transcription factors tested. AP-1 and NF-kappaB activation were blocked by the thiol antioxidant N-acetylcysteine and by nordihydroguaiaretic acid, an antioxidant and lipooxygenase inhibitor and an inhibitor of the epoxygenase activity of CYP1A1, and did not take place in c35, c37, or in Ah nuclear translator-deficient c4 cells. Hence, sustained activation of these two transcription factors by TCDD is likely to result from a CYP1A1-dependent and Ah receptor complex-dependent oxidative signal. Electrophoretic mobility supershift analyses with specific antibodies showed that most of the increase in NF-kappaB binding activity could be accounted for by increases in p50/p50 complexes. Since these complexes are known to repress NF-kappaB-dependent gene transcription, our results delineate a second molecular mechanism, in addition to the recently found block of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated p50/p65 activation, that may be responsible for the immunosuppresive effects of TCDD.
Effects of stimulation rate and attribute cuing on event-related potentials during selective auditory attention.

Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from subjects who attended selectively to a sequence of tones of one frequency and ignored a comparable sequence of tones having a different frequency and spatial origin. In one condition the tones consisted of randomized sequences of brief tone pips while in a second condition the tones were brief increments in intensity (pedestals) of continuous tones at the two frequencies. The tone pips and pedestals were delivered at comparable interstimulus intervals (ISIs), which were short (250–550 ms) in some runs and long (1250–2750 ms) in others. For both classes of stimuli, the subject's task was to detect occasional “target” tones of a slightly shorter duration than the more frequent “standard” tones. Stimuli of the attended frequency elicited a broad negative ERP component (Nd) relative to the unattended tone ERPs. The Nd wave had a considerably shorter onset latency and was smaller in overall amplitude at the faster rate of stimulation. However, the Nd wave did not differ in latency or amplitude between the tone pip and pedestal conditions at corresponding ISIs, suggesting that a high rate of information delivery is a more important factor in accelerating Nd onset than is the continuous reinforcement of the sensory cues that define the two classes of input.
Shuttle-tethered subsatellite system stability with a flexible massive tether

The effect of the in-plane transverse vibrations of a massive, flexible tether on the stability of the Shuttle-tethered subsatellite system about the deployed local vertical orientation is examined analytically and numerically. Within the linear range, the out-of-orbit plane (roll) equation is decoupled from the in-plane swing and extension/ contraction modes and has the form of a Mathieu equation. An application of the Floquet theorem shows that parametric instability can result for specific ratios of the tether wave frequency to the orbital rate. In addition, a forced resonance can be further superimposed due to the rotating atmosphere, especially for high-inclination orbits. The divergent time constant can be as small as several orbits for short tether lengths where the subsatellite mass is much less than the tether mass.
A 280 mW, 0.07% THD+N class-D audio amplifier using a frequency-domain quantizer

Pulse density modulation (PDM) based class-D amplifiers can reduce non-linearity and tonal content due to carrier signal in pulse width modulation based amplifiers. However, their low-voltage analog implementations also require a linear loop filter and a quantizer. A PDM based class-D audio amplifier using a frequency-domain quantization is presented. The digital intensive frequency-domain approach achieves high linearity under low supply regimes. An analog comparator and a single-bit quantizer are replaced with a current controlled oscillator (ICO) based frequency discriminator. By using the ICO as a phase integrator, a third-order noise shaping is achieved using only two analog integrators. A single-loop, single-bit, class-D audio amplifier is presented with an H-bridge switching power stage, which is designed and fabricated on a 0.18 μm CMOS process with 6 layers of metal achieving a total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of 0.065% and a peak power efficiency of 80% while driving a 4-? loudspeaker load. The amplifier can deliver the output power of 280 mW.
Ultrastructure of neurosecretory cells in the frontal ganglion of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta(L).

Abstract Ultrastructural evidence is presented to indicate the synthesis, storage, and packaging of neurosecretory material in the frontal ganglion of Mandaca sera. Two morphologically distinct stages in the development of NSG were observed in the NSC. The immature granule contains granular electron dense material and arises from dilations of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. In diapause pupae the immature granules accumulate, whereas in developing larvae and pupae, they fuse with the proximal face of the Golgi apparatus. The mature granule contains opaque electron dense material and is seen in close association with the distal cisternae of the Golgi apparatus in developing pupae and larvae. The mature granules presumably contain the material from the immature granules which has been chemically altered and condensed by the Golgi apparatus and probably represent the mature NSG. The second process in neurosecretory cells of developing larvae is cyclic and the various stages are described. A comparison of neurosecretion in photoperiodically induced diapause and developing (non-diapause) larvae and pupae is presented.
Dialectical Decision Theory: A Meta-Theory of Decision-Making

This paper presents a meta-logic of decision theory. It utilizes a dialectical formulation [Churchman, C. W. 1966. Hegelian inquiring systems. Internal Working Paper 49, Space Sciences Laboratory, Social Sciences Project, University of California, Berkeley, September; Mason, R. O. 1969. A dialectical approach to strategic planning. Management Sci.158, April B-403--B-414; Mitroff, I. I. 1971. A communication model of dialectical inquiring systems---A strategy for strategic planning. Management Sci.1710, June B-634--648.] as a prescriptive methodology for minimizing statistical decision errors of the third kind; i.e., the error of solving the “wrong” decision problem when one should have solved the “right” problem. The dialectical formulation is chosen because it is the only existent methodological form which both utilizes conflict over value issues in a productive fashion and ensures a minimal sense of completeness in the decision-space of possible problem choice [Mitroff, I. I. On the general problem of building a generalized model of general models in preparation.]. The result is the development of a meta-theory of decision-making. It is argued that the concept of a Dialectical Inquiring System [Mitroff, I. I. 1971. A communication model of dialectical inquiring systems---A strategy for strategic planning. Management Sci.1710, June B-634--648; Mitroff, I. I. On the general problem of building a generalized model of general models in preparation.] is to our meta-theory of decision-making as the concept of a lottery [Pratt, J. W., H. Raiffa, R. Schlaifer. The foundations of decision under uncertainty: An elementary exposition. J. Amer. Stat. Assoc.59 353--375.] is to the ordinary theory of decision-making.
Predicted and unpredicted cross-reactions of an acetylphosphogalactan of Sporobolomyces yeast. II.

The teichoic acid of streptococcal Group N, with end groups of galactose phosphate, had been shown to cross-react with antipneumococcal sera of types VI, XIV, XVI, and XXVII. End groups of D-galactose-1-phosphate in the phosphogalactans of Sporobolomyces yeasts made it predictable that these galactans would precipitate the same antipneumococcal sera and also antisera to streptococcal Group N. The predictions were verified, and other unpredicted reactions were found. Precipitation of much of the antibody in an antipneumoccal type XVIII horse serum was shown to be due to O-acetyl-D-galactose residues in the phosphogalactan, in accord with earlier information that an O-acetyl sugar was a principal determinant of S XVIII. The new results identify this sugar as D-galactose. Since it is linked 1,3- in S XVIII, the O-acetyl group in the Sporobolomyces galactan is probably also on a 1,3-linked residue. Another major cross-reaction in anti- S. paratyphi A serum characterizes the galactose residues in the "O" polysaccharide of the bacillus as members of the D-series probably linked in tandem 1,6-, 1,6-; 1,6-, 1,3-; 1,3-, 1,6-; or 1,3-, 1,3-. Reactions of periodate-oxidized-reduced products confirm the conclusions stated above. Quantitative data are given.
Site-directed mutagenesis of two trans-regulatory genes (tat-III,trs) of HIV-1

Point mutations were introduced into the overlapping trans-regulatory genes (tat-III and trs) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and the mutants were evaluated for virus expression. The results showed that tat-III has a positive transacting role and is required for transcriptional activation. A chain terminating mutation early in the trs gene resulted in an increase in transcription of viral messenger RNA as measured by nuclear transcription experiments, but only one major species of viral messenger RNA (1.8 kilobases) was detected, and little or no viral structural proteins were made. Thus, the trs gene product is essential for expression of virus structural proteins but, at the same time, may have a negative trans-regulatory role in transcription. Cotransfection of the point mutant proviruses defective in tat or trs with each other or with a complementary DNA clone containing tat and trs sequences restored the normal transcription pattern and subsequent virus production.
Analyses of spontaneous and induced mutations of the tobacco mosaic virus.

Various types of analyses of the existing data on spontaneous and X-ray induced mutations of the tobacco mosaic virus to the aucuba variant are discussed on the basis of the known phytopathological, biochemical and biophysical facts. It is concluded that if virus protein is the X-ray absorbing medium through which the mutation is induced 3% of the total virus protein would be involved in this primary process. If nucleic acid were the medium through which the ionizing energy must be absorbed in order to induce the mutation, 25% of the amount of this acid existing in the virus would be needed. The analysis shows also the complete insignificance of the naturally occurring ionizing radiations for the process of spontaneous mutation of the virus.
Surviving Troubled Times: Five Best Practices for Training Solutions.

Although executives in the current economic downturn have often downsized human resource, training, and performance improvement staff, five strategies can help training and performance improvement professionals survive these trying times: (1) align efforts with business goals, (2) use training to address skill gaps, (3) craft job-focused objectives, (4) create sound training, and (5) collaborate with others to promote transfer to the job.
Breathing as exercise: the cardiovascular response to weaning from mechanical ventilation.

It is axiomatic that exercise increases oxygen (O2) demand if within the bounds of cardiovascular reserve, results in a proportional increase in whole body oxygen consumption (VO2). Exersice physiologists have long known that it does not really matter what form of exercise is performed, VO2 will increase in response to all forms of exercise, although the degree to which the incresed VO2 demand is met by increasing cardiac output and O2 extraction varies with conditioning and underlying diease[1]. Interestingly, the type of excercise also influecnes the efficiency and of the performance, defined as the ratio of external work performed to VO2.[2].
Performance analysis of orthogonal signaling over fast fading channels

This paper analyzes the performance of a system consisting of a central base transmitter transmitting to a group of mobiles with on-off orthogonal modulation over a fast fading channel. Because the channel is changing across the symbol interval, inter-code interference appears at the output of each user's matched filter. The cumulative distribution function at one user's matched filter output is derived. From this distribution, a metric is introduced to evaluate which pairs of codes lead to the most severe inter-code interference for a particular fading spectrum.
Monte carlo characterization of a pulsed laser-wakefield driven monochromatic X-ray source

The Diocles laser at the University of Nebraska presents the possibility of producing a tunable, monochromatic X-ray source that has obvious applications in nuclear material detection. The pulsed and directional nature of this X-ray source makes traditional spectroscopy techniques for characterizing this source challenging. The large number of X-rays arriving at the detector in a short period of time would result in a high degree of pulse pileup, making the individual X-ray energy indistinguishable. In the technique presented in this paper, a series of attenuator materials will be placed in the path of the X-rays and the integral detector response will be measured. A series of detector response measurements with different attenuators will allow determination of the incident X-ray energy by using unfolding techniques.
Global oceanic chlorofluorocarbon inventory

[1] Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) dissolve in the oceans, but the total quantity and spatial distribution in the oceans was not previously known. The first estimate of the global oceanic CFC-11 uptake using field measurements is calculated from WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment) CFC-11 concentrations. Here we find the total oceanic uptake of 5.5 (±1.2) × 108 moles was about 1% of total emissions through 1994. Eighty-two percent of the CFC-11 inventory is in the upper 1000 meters. The CFC inventory distribution implies that the dominant physical air-sea exchange of gases on decadal time scales occurs due to a combination of high gas solubility in cold high latitude waters and effectiveness of the wind-driven circulation. The global inventory provides a benchmark for models simulating climate change.
Atrophic gastritis and the risk of incident colorectal cancer

Previous studies evaluating whether risk factors for gastric cancer are also associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) have shown inconsistent results. We prospectively examined the association of atrophic gastritis, a pre-malignant condition for gastric cancer and long-term sequelae common to many exposure factors, and the risk of incident CRC. A total of 20,928 Finnish male smokers, aged 50–69, who were participants in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC) had serum pepsinogen I (SPGI) levels measured. Participants with low SPGI levels (<25 μg/l; n = 1,665) were invited for gastroscopy. Of these, 1,059 (63.6%) participants underwent gastroscopy and atrophic gastritis was histologically confirmed in 1,006 (95.0%) participants. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the risk of incident CRC. During a mean follow-up of 11.3 years (236,258 person-years), 425 incident CRCs were diagnosed. The incidence rates were 1.82, 1.48, and 1.82 per 1,000 person-years of follow-up for participants with normal SPGI (≥25 μg/l), low SPGI, and histologically confirmed atrophic gastritis, respectively. Compared to subjects with normal SPGI, there was no increased risk of CRC among subjects with low SPGI (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.47–1.05) and among those with histologically confirmed atrophic gastritis (Adjusted HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.55–1.34). Atrophic gastritis is not associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer among male smokers.
Regulation of intracellular signaling cascades by GNRH pulse frequency in the rat pituitary: roles for CaMK II, ERK, and JNK activation

Pulsatile GnRH (GNRH) differentially regulates LH and FSH subunit genes, with faster frequencies favoring Lhb transcription and slower favoring Fshb. Various intracellular pathways mediate the effects of GNRH, including CaMK II (CAMK2), ERK, and JNK. We examined whether activation of these pathways is regulated by GNRH pulse frequency in vivo. GNRH-deficient rats received GNRH pulses (25 ng i.v. every 30 or 240 min for 8 h, vehicle to controls). Pituitaries were collected 5 min after the last pulse, bisected, and one half processed for RNA (to measure beta subunit primary transcripts [PTs]) and the other for protein. Phosphorylated CAMK2 (phospho-CAMK2), ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/3 [MAPK1/3], also known as p42 ERK2 and p44 ERK1, respectively), and JNK (MAPK8/9, also known as p46 JNK1 and p54 JNK2, respectively) were determined by Western blotting. The 30-min pulses maximally stimulated Lhb PT (8-fold), whereas 240 min was optimal for Fshb PT (3-fold increase). Both GNRH pulse frequencies increased phospho-CAMK2 4-fold. Activation of MAPK1/3 was stimulated by both 30- and 240-min pulses, but phosphorylation of MAPK3 was significantly greater following slower GNRH pulses (240 min: 4-fold, 30 min: 2-fold). MAPK8/9 activation was unchanged by pulsatile GNRH in this paradigm, but as previous results showed that GNRH-induced activation of MAPK8/9 is delayed, 5 min after GNRH may not be optimal to observe MAPK8/9 activation. These data show that CAMK2 is activated by GNRH, but not in a frequency-dependant manner, whereas MAPK3 is maximally stimulated by slow-frequency GNRH pulses. Thus, the ERK response to slow pulse frequency is part of the mechanisms mediating Fhb transcriptional responses to GNRH.
Comparative efficacies of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin against experimental Salmonella typhimurium infection in mice

Azithromycin was compared with ciprofloxacin for the treatment of established intracellular infection with Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 in CF-1 mice. For studies of mortality, mice received five times the LD50 of organisms intraperitoneally and were given drugs intragastrically once daily for seven days. For studies of in-vivo antibacterial activity, splenic viable counts were measured in mice that had received 0.5 times the intraperitoneal LD50 and had been given drugs for three days. The MICs of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin, respectively, against LT-2 were 4.0 and 0.03 mg/L. The 50% protective doses of the drugs required to prevent mortality were azithromycin 24.7 mg/kg/day, and ciprofloxacin 30.2 mg/kg/day. Treatment with azithromycin and ciprofloxacin in doses of 25 and 100 mg/kg/day resulted in reduction of mean log10 cfu per spleen. Splenic concentrations of azithromycin up to 8 h after treatment exceeded its MIC against the LT-2 strain, whereas serum levels were less than the MIC. These results indicated that azithromycin given orally once daily was as effective as ciprofloxacin against established murine Salmonella infection and that the efficacy of azithromycin correlated with adequate tissue concentrations of antibiotic.
Bacillus anthracis sin Locus and Regulation of Secreted Proteases

Bacillus anthracis shares many regulatory loci with the nonpathogenic Bacillus species Bacillus subtilis. One such locus is sinIR, which in B. subtilis controls sporulation, biofilm formation, motility, and competency. As B. anthracis is not known to be motile, to be naturally competent, or to readily form biofilms, we hypothesized that the B. anthracis sinIR regulon is distinct from that of B. subtilis. A genome-wide expression microarray analysis of B. anthracis parental and sinR mutant strains indicated limited convergence of the B. anthracis and B. subtilis SinR regulons. The B. anthracis regulon includes homologues of some B. subtilis SinR-regulated genes, including the signal peptidase gene sipW near the sinIR locus and the sporulation gene spoIIE. The B. anthracis SinR protein also negatively regulates transcription of genes adjacent to the sinIR locus that are unique to the Bacillus cereus group species. These include calY and inhA1, structural genes for the metalloproteases camelysin and immune inhibitor A1 (InhA1), which have been suggested to be associated with virulence in B. cereus and B. anthracis, respectively. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed direct binding of B. anthracis SinR to promoter DNA from strongly regulated genes, such as calY and sipW, but not to the weakly regulated inhA1 gene. Assessment of camelysin and InhA1 levels in culture supernates from sinR-, inhA1-, and calY-null mutants showed that the concentration of InhA1 in the culture supernatant is inversely proportional to the concentration of camelysin. Our data are consistent with a model in which InhA1 protease levels are controlled at the transcriptional level by SinR and at the posttranslational level by camelysin.
Distributed Tracking with consensus on noisy time-varying graphs with incomplete data

In this paper we address the problem of distributed tracking with consensus on a time-varying graph with incomplete data and noisy communication links. We develop a distributed and collaborative tracking with consensus algorithm by combining distributed Kaiman filtering with consensus updates to handle a time-varying network topology in which not every node has local observations to generate own local tracking estimates. We introduce the concepts of active node set and connectivity graph to characterize such a network, and by merging these two, an effective network graph is obtained. Simulation results and performance analysis of the proposed algorithm are given and compared with that of distributed local Kaiman filtering with centralized fusion.
Wrangler: Predictable and Faster Jobs using Fewer Resources

Straggler tasks continue to be a major hurdle in achieving faster completion of data intensive applications running on modern data-processing frameworks. Existing straggler mitigation techniques are inefficient due to their reactive and replicative nature -- they rely on a wait-speculate-re-execute mechanism, thus leading to delayed straggler detection and inefficient resource utilization. Existing proactive techniques also over-utilize resources due to replication. Existing modeling-based approaches are hard to rely on for production-level adoption due to modeling errors. We present Wrangler, a system that proactively avoids situations that cause stragglers. Wrangler automatically learns to predict such situations using a statistical learning technique based on cluster resource utilization counters. Furthermore, Wrangler introduces a notion of a confidence measure with these predictions to overcome the modeling error problems; this confidence measure is then exploited to achieve a reliable task scheduling. In particular, by using these predictions to balance delay in task scheduling against the potential for idling of resources, Wrangler achieves a speed up in the overall job completion time. For production-level workloads from Facebook and Cloudera's customers, Wrangler improves the 99th percentile job completion time by up to 61% as compared to speculative execution, a widely used straggler mitigation technique. Moreover, Wrangler achieves this speed-up while significantly improving the resource consumption (by up to 55%).
Bringing Machine Learning and Compositional Semantics Together

Computational semantics has long been considered a field divided between logical and statistical approaches, but this divide is rapidly eroding with the development of statistical models that learn compositional semantic theories from corpora and databases. This review presents a simple discriminative learning framework for defining such models and relating them to logical theories. Within this framework, we discuss the task of learning to map utterances to logical forms (semantic parsing) and the task of learning from denotations with logical forms as latent variables. We also consider models that use distributed (e.g., vector) representations rather than logical ones, showing that these can be considered part of the same overall framework for understanding meaning and structural complexity.
Adaptation of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex to head movements in rotating frames of reference

Head movements in a rotating frame of reference are commonly encountered, but their long term effects on the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) are not well understood. To study this, monkeys were oscillated about a naso-occipital (roll) axis for several hours while rotating about a spatial vertical axis (roll-while-rotating, RWR). This induced oscillations in roll and pitch eye velocity and continuous horizontal (yaw) nystagmus. For several hours thereafter, simple roll in darkness induced horizontal nystagmus and pitch and roll oscillations. The rising and falling time constants of the horizontal velocity indicated that the nystagmus arose in velocity storage. The continuous nystagmus was correlated with a phase shift of vertical eye velocity from 90° to 0° re head position. As the phases reverted toward pre-adaptive values, the horizontal velocity declined. Similar yaw nystagmus and pitch and roll velocities were produced by oscillation in roll after adaptation with roll and horizontal optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), but not after adaptation with pitch-while-rotating (PWR). Findings were explained by a model that shifted the roll orientation vector of velocity storage toward the pitch axis during adaptation with RWR and Roll & OKN. This shift produced modulation in vertical eye velocity in the post adaptive state, which was approximately in phase with roll head position, generating horizontal nystagmus. Similar orientation changes to prolonged exposure to complex motion environments may be responsible for producing post-stimulus motion sickness and/or mal de debarquement.
Apolipoprotein A-I Deficiency Results in Markedly Increased Atherosclerosis in Mice Lacking the LDL Receptor

Objective— An inverse and independent association between plasma levels of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and coronary heart disease in humans is well established. ApoA-I is the primary protein component of HDL and is thought to play an important role in mediating several of the atheroprotective effects of HDL. However, studies of the effects of apoA-I deficiency on the development of atherosclerosis in mice have not been definitive. We examined the effects of apoA-I deficiency on plasma lipids and atherosclerosis in LDL receptor-deficient mice fed a chow diet for up to 22 months. Methods and Results— Both apoA-I-deficient (apoA-I −/− )/LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR −/− ) and LDLR −/− mice had a similar moderate elevation of non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C). Unlike previous studies of apoA-I deficiency in which the HDL-C levels were extremely low, the apoA-I −/− /LDLR −/− mice in this study had substantial levels of HDL-C that were similar to wild-type mice. Despite similar levels of non-HDL-C and substantial levels of HDL-C, apoA-I −/− /LDLR −/− mice develop significantly more atherosclerosis (up to a 5-fold increase) and oxidant stress (39% increase) than LDLR −/− mice. Conclusions— These results demonstrate that despite normal levels of HDL-C, apoA-I deficiency is associated with a significant loss of protection from the formation of atherosclerosis in LDLR −/− mice fed a chow diet.
A novel behavioral intervention in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus improves glycemic control: preliminary results from a pilot randomized control trial.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot-test an innovative behavioral intervention in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) incorporating structured care of a pet to improve glycemic control. Methods Twenty-eight adolescents with A1C > 8.5% (69 mmol/mol) were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (care of a Betta splendens pet fish) or the control group (usual care). Adolescents in the intervention group were given instructions to associate daily and weekly fish care duties with diabetes self-management tasks, including blood glucose testing and parent-adolescent communication. Results After 3 months, the participants in the intervention group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in A1C level (-0.5%) compared with their peers in the control group, who had an increase in A1C level (0.8%) (P = .04). The younger adolescents (10-13 years of age) demonstrated a greater response to the intervention, which was statistically significant (-1.5% vs 0.6%, P = .04), compared with the older adolescents (14-17 years of age). Conclusions Structured care of a pet fish can improve glycemic control in adolescents with T1DM, likely by providing cues to perform diabetes self-management behaviors.
Space vector PWM for a direct matrix converter based open-end winding ac drives with enhanced capabilities

This paper introduces a space vector PWM technique for a direct matrix converter based three-phase open-end winding ac machine drive. With the proposed PWM technique, the following simultaneous capabilities of the open-end winding drive system are achieved: 1) Machine phase voltage up to 1.5 times the input phase voltage in the linear modulation, 2) Controllable grid power factor, and 3) Elimination of the high-frequency common-mode voltage at the machine terminals. Elimination of the high-frequency common-mode voltage results in elimination of the high-frequency bearing current and reduced conducted EMI. The proposed modulation scheme is implemented on a dSPACE and FPGA based control platform. Experimental results on a hardware prototype verify the abovementioned capabilities of the drive system.
Geometrisches über die Nullstellen von Polynomen

Es seien z 1, z 2, ..., z n beliebige, im Endlichen gelegene Punkte der komplexen Zahlenebene und m 1, m 2, ..., m n nichtnegative Massen mit der Summe 1, die bzw. in z 1 , z 2, ..., z n angebracht sind. Der Schwerpunkt ζ dieser Massenbelegung wird durch jede lineare Transformation der komplexen Ebene, die den unendlich fernen Punkt in sich uberfuhrt, mittransformiert. D. h.: wird in dem Bild z v ′ von z v wieder die Masse m v konzentriert, so ist der Schwerpunkt ζ′ dieser neuen Massenbelegung identisch mit dem Bild von ζ.
Functional deficiencies in chimeric antigen receptor T cells from geriatric donors (VAC7P.1035)

Age-related immune dysfunction poses unique and poorly defined challenges to the use of cancer immunotherapy in geriatric patients. We sought to test our hypothesis that CAR-T from geriatric patients (gCAR-T, n=3, >65 years) are functionally impaired relative to CAR-T from younger patients (yCAR-T, n=3, 18-45 years). Donor T cells were genetically modified to express CAR specific for carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), presently in use in our phase I trials. Untransduced and CAR-T cells were expanded ex vivo with IL2 (3000IU/ml) or IL15 (5ng/ml) for 20 days. A trend towards higher transduction efficiencies (35.2% yCAR-T vs 24.9% gCAR-T, p=0.09) and cell expansions of 2.5 fold, (p=0.01, two-tailed t-test) were observed in yCAR-T cells for both treatments as compared to gCAR-T. yCAR-T contained higher proportions of CD4 effector cells (EC) (64.3+7.6%,p=0.003), CD4 effector memory (EM) cells (43.2+6.8%,p=0.002) and CD8 effector memory cells (EM) (16.5+3.6%,p=0.002). In accordance with higher numbers of CD4 and CD8 TEM, yCAR-T demonstrated higher levels of (1.3-fold over gCAR-T, p=0.03) CEA specific cytotoxicity compared to gCAR-T, with maximum cytotoxicity observed in IL15 treated yCAR-T cells. Enhanced tumor killing by yCAR-T correlated with increased levels of perforin (1.3+0.1 ng/ml,p=0.01) and granzymeB (0.4+0.03 ng/ml, p=0.02). Our pilot study suggests gCAR-T demonstrate age-related deficiencies that may impact production and anti-tumor efficacy.
In vivo Electrochemistry

Electrochemical methods of analysis have seen wide application as in vivo biosensors. Several features of electroanalytical methods have enhanced their utility in these applications. Electrochemical techniques show sufficient sensitivity and selectivity that in many instances they can be used directly to measure chemical activity. In addition, the probes can be miniaturized so the measurements cause minimum trauma to the tissue.
The Right to Doubt in Ancient Chinese Thought

The late Professor Carl Becker of Cornell University once told me that he had on the door of his office this quotation from the Confucian Analects (论语): “Hui gives me no assistance. There is nothing that I say which does not please him.”
Decay of Ge 7 5 m 32 (49 sec), Ge 7 7 m 32 (52 sec), and Ge 77 32 (12 hr)

The investigations herein described have been carried out by using a scintillation coincidence spectrometer and 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} focusing magnetic spectrographs. Sources are prepared by the activation of both normal germanium and the enriched isotopes thereof in the Argonne reactor (CP-3\ensuremath{'}). Three of the neutron-induced activities of germanium are studied.
Correlations between right ventricular function and increased 18F-fluorodeoxyglycose uptake of the right ventricle in patients with pulmonary hypertension in fasting and glucose loading conditions

Purpose: This study was designed to measure glucose uptake of Right Ventricle (RV) in PH patients by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglycose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in fasting and glucose condition, and attempted to investigate the correlations between FDG uptake and right ventricular function as well as hemodynamics. Methods: Thirty eight patients with PH were observed prospectively. 18F-FDG PET scanning was performed in fasting and glucose loading conditions in all the patients, and the standardized uptake value (SUV) of RV was measured after corrected for partial volume effect. The ratio of RV to Left Ventricle (LV) SUV (RV/LV-SUV) was calculated. Right heart catheterization, echocardiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) were performed in all patients within 1 week. Results: RVSUV and LVSUV were higher in glucose loading than in fasting condition. RVSUV and RV/LVSUV in fasting condition showed significant relations with right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) derived from CMR (r=-0.341, P=0.036 and r=-0.345, P=0.034), and in glucose loading condition (r=-0.362, P=0.028 and r=-0.512, P=0.001). RV/LVSUV in glucose loading condition also correlated significantly with TAPSE (r=-0.347, P=0.035), IVA (r=-0.417, P=0.011) and RVFAC (r=-0.326, P=0.049). Conclusions: The glucose uptake of right ventricle increases with right ventricular systolic function decrease in PH patients, which is more significant in glucose loading than in fasting condition.
Analyzing the Ethical Decision Making of Sales Professionals

This study examines the relative influences of corporate ethics codes, Machiavellianism, and gender on various components of sales professionals' decision making in ethical situations. The results from a mail survey of American Marketing Association members suggest that the ethical climate of an organization influences a salesperson's perceptions of an ethical problem and his/her perceptions of alternative courses of action. The most ethically sensitive salespeople were found to be more agreeable with both punitive and non-punitive types of remedial actions and less agreeable with a no-action alternative. The results also revealed a negative relationship between Machiavellianism and deontological norms.
Evaluation of substation primary equipment intellectualization based on TOPSIS

A method to evaluate the intellectualization retrofitting level of substation primary equipment is presented according to the intellectualization scheme of substation primary equipment.After the wide investigation of intellectualization retrofitting conditions in East China and Central China,a multi-objective optimization evaluation model is established and the TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method is introduced,which,as a practical example,is applied to comprehensively evaluate the intellectualization retrofitting level of primary equipment for different regional substations.Comparison of evaluation results between the traditional analytic hierarchy process and the proposed method validates the accuracy of the proposed method and illustrates its lower computation load,less subjective factors,higher distinction degree and better extensibility.
The History of the Hippocratic Oath: Outdated, Inauthentic, and Yet Still Relevant

Nearly all medical schools incorporate some form of professional medical oath into their graduation ceremo- nies. The oldest and most popular of these oaths is the Hippocratic Oath, composed more than 2,400 years ago. In modern times, especially during the twentieth century, the Hippocratic Oath has had its content changed and its authorship challenged. This article discusses the history of the Hippocratic Oath from its traditional form to its modern adaptations. Additionally, this article seeks to explain the Hippocratic Oath’s endurance despite these challenges, based upon the historical importance of Hippocrates and the Hippocratic tradition in Western medicine.