cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RELIGION AND SECURITY IN THE POST-MODERN WORLD

Abstract The realities of the 21st century have discredited the secularization thesis, and religion has not faded toward extinction as predicted. Technological advancement, the rise of non-state actors, and individuals with complex identities characterize the emerging Post-modern world and help us understand the new nexus of religion and security. Our conception of security should reflect this complex, matrixed, and globalizing world by including non-state actors and moving beyond traditional Westphalian military and state-centric diplomatic tools. As religion undergoes a qualitative andquantitative resurgence, the freedom of religious practice should be guaranteed for groups and individuals alike.
*-Trek II: *_n Operations, Open Wilson Lines and the Seiberg-Witten Map

Generalizations of the *-product (e.g. n-ary *_n operations) appear in various places in the discussion of noncommutative gauge theories. These include the one-loop effective action of noncommutative gauge theories, the couplings between massless closed and open string modes, and the Seiberg-Witten map between the ordinary and noncommutative Yang-Mills fields. We propose that the natural way to understand the *_n operations is through the expansion of an open Wilson line. We establish the connection between an open Wilson line and the *_n operations and use it to: (I) write down a gauge invariant effective action for the one-loop F^4 terms in the noncommutative N=4 SYM theory; (II) find the gauge invariant couplings between the noncommutative SYM modes and the massless closed string modes in flat space; (III) propose a closed form for the Seiberg-Witten map in the U(1) case.
Towards an independent brain–computer interface using steady state visual evoked potentials

Abstract Objective Brain–computer interface (BCI) systems using steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) have allowed healthy subjects to communicate. However, these systems may not work in severely disabled users because they may depend on gaze shifting. This study evaluates the hypothesis that overlapping stimuli can evoke changes in SSVEP activity sufficient to control a BCI. This would provide evidence that SSVEP BCIs could be used without shifting gaze. Methods Subjects viewed a display containing two images that each oscillated at a different frequency. Different conditions used overlapping or non-overlapping images to explore dependence on gaze function. Subjects were asked to direct attention to one or the other of these images during each of 12 one-minute runs. Results Half of the subjects produced differences in SSVEP activity elicited by overlapping stimuli that could support BCI control. In all remaining users, differences did exist at corresponding frequencies but were not strong enough to allow effective control. Conclusions The data demonstrate that SSVEP differences sufficient for BCI control may be elicited by selective attention to one of two overlapping stimuli. Thus, some SSVEP-based BCI approaches may not depend on gaze control. The nature and extent of any BCI’s dependence on muscle activity is a function of many factors, including the display, task, environment, and user. Significance SSVEP BCIs might function in severely disabled users unable to reliably control gaze. Further research with these users is necessary to explore the optimal parameters of such a system and validate online performance in a home environment.
Adeno-associated viral serotypes produce differing titers and differentially transduce neurons within the rat basal and lateral amygdala

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in using recombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAV) to make localized genetic manipulations within the rodent brain. Differing serotypes of AAV possess divergent capsid protein sequences and these variations greatly influence each serotype’s ability to transduce particular cell types and brain regions. We therefore aimed to determine the AAV serotype that is optimal for targeting neurons within the Basal and Lateral Amygdala (BLA) since the transduction efficiency of AAV has not been previously examined within the BLA. This region is desirable to genetically manipulate due to its role in emotion, learning & memory, and numerous psychiatric disorders. We accomplished this by screening 9 different AAV serotypes (AAV2/1, AAV2/2, AAV2/5, AAV2/7, AAV2/8, AAV2/9, AAV2/rh10, AAV2/DJ and AAV2/DJ8) designed to express red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the regulation of an alpha Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II promoter (αCaMKII). We determined that these serotypes produce differing amounts of virus under standard laboratory production. Notably AAV2/2 consistently produced the lowest titers compared to the other serotypes examined. These nine serotypes were bilaterally infused into the rat BLA at the highest titers achieved for each serotype and at a normalized titer of 7.8E + 11 GC/ml. Twenty one days following viral infusion the degree of transduction was quantitated throughout the amygdala. These viruses exhibited differential transduction of neurons within the BLA. AAV2/7 exhibited a trend toward having the highest efficiency of transduction and AAV2/5 exhibited significantly lower transduction efficiency as compared to the serotypes examined. AAV2/5′s decreased ability to transduce BLA neurons correlates with its significantly different capsid protein sequences as compared to the other serotypes examined. For laboratories producing their own recombinant adeno-associated viruses, the use of AAV2/2 is likely less desirable since AAV2/2 produces significantly lower titers than many other serotypes of AAV. Numerous AAV serotypes appear to efficiently transduce BLA neurons, with the exception of AAV2/5. Taking into consideration the ability of certain serotypes to achieve high titers and transduce BLA neurons well, in our hands AAV2/DJ8 and AAV2/9 appear to be ideal serotypes to use when targeting neurons within the BLA.
The relationship between awake positioning and motor performance among infants who slept supine.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to describe the gross motor development of infants who slept supine and spent different amounts of time in the prone position when awake. METHOD Thirty infants who were six months old and slept supine were evaluated using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and then divided into two groups: prone (n = 16) and no prone (n = 14) based on the number of times per day they were placed in prone position while awake. RESULTS The prone group scored higher than the no prone group on the AIMS total scores (U = 36, p = 0.004), total percentile scores (U = 42, p = 0.003), and prone subscale scores (U = 25, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Gross motor performance as measured by the AIMS was more advanced in infants who slept supine and had been placed in the prone position when awake than in infants who slept supine but had limited or no experience in the prone position while awake. The influence of awake positioning needs to be considered when interpreting the developmental motor performance of infants who are six months old.
Theoretical Assessment of AC Impedance Spectroscopy for Detecting Corrosion of Rebar in Reinforced Concrete

Abstract The applicability of AC impedance spectroscopy (ACIS) for detecting corrosion on rebar in concrete is explored theoretically. Corroding rebar is simulated as a one-dimensional electrical transmission line of twenty one-meter segments embedded in a uniform concrete matrix, with the corrosion being restricted to one segment. The simulations indicate that corrosion can only be detected at very low frequencies (< 1 mHz), but that the impedance and the peak voltage monitored at the concrete surface may be used to locate the site of the corrosive attack.
Why Isn't Creativity Being Supported? Distressing Analyses of Grants and Awards for Creativity Research–or Lack Thereof

Creative potentials are only fulfilled if they are supported. Creative behaviors should be supported in the home, for example, as well as in the schools. The likelihood that support will be provide...
Multimodal Music and Lyrics Fusion Classifier for Artist Identification

Humans interact with each other using different communication modalities including speech, gestures and written documents. In the absence of one modality or presence of a noisy modality, other modalities can benefit precision of systems. HCI systems can also benefit from these multimodal communication models for different machine learning tasks. The provision of multiple modalities is motivated by usability, presence of noise in one modality and non-universality of a single modality. Combining multimodal information introduces new challenges to machine learning such as designing fusion classifiers. In this paper we explore the multimodal fusion of audio and lyrics for music artist identification. We compare our results with a single modality artist classifier and introduce new directions for designing a fusion classifier.
Preventive and Therapeutic Efficacy of Finasteride and Dutasteride in TRAMP Mice

Background: The prostate cancer prevention trial (PCPT) and Reduction by dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial found that 5α-reductase (5αR) inhibitors finasteride and dutasteride respectively, decreased prostate cancer prevalence but also increased the incidence of high-grade tumors. 5αR2 is the main isoenzyme in normal prostate tissue; however, most prostate tumors have high 5αR1 and low 5αR2 expression. Because finasteride inhibits only 5αR2, we hypothesized that it would not be as efficacious in preventing prostate cancer development and/or progression in C57BL/6 TRAMP x FVB mice as dutasteride, which inhibits both 5αR1 and 5αR2. Method/Principal Findings: Six-week-old C57BL/6 TRAMP x FVB male mice were randomized to AIN93G control or pre- and post- finasteride and dutasteride diet (83.3 mg drug/kg diet) groups (n =30–33) that began at 6 and 12 weeks of age, respectively, and were terminated at 20 weeks of age. The pre- and post- finasteride and dutasteride groups were designed to test the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of the drugs, respectively. Final body weights, genitourinary tract weights, and genitourinary tract weights as percentage of body weights were significantly decreased in the Pre- and Post-dutasteride groups compared with the control. The Post-dutasteride group showed the greatest inhibition of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia progression and prostate cancer development. Surprisingly, the Post-dutasteride group showed improved outcomes compared with the Pre-dutasteride group, which had increased incidence of high-grade carcinoma as the most common and most severe lesions in a majority of prostate lobes. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found little benefit from the finasteride diets, and they increased the incidence of high-grade carcinoma. Conclusion: Our findings have commonalities with previously reported PCPT, REDUCE, and the Reduction by dutasteride of Clinical Progression Events in Expectant Management (REDEEM) trial results. Our results may support the therapeutic use of dutasteride, but not finasteride, for therapeutic or preventive use.
Abstract PR16: Targeting cancer-specific kinase dependency for precision therapy

Precision/ personalized cancer therapy based on clinical sequencing is premised on the identification of genomic aberrations in actionable therapeutic targets. Protein kinases represent the most accessible therapeutic targets across cancers, albeit only very small subsets of cancers harbor canonical targetable aberrations in kinases. Considering that kinases represent the predominant drivers of oncogenesis, functioning directly or downstream of other oncogenic aberrations, we hypothesize that most cancers harbor distinct “kinase dependencies” and thus provide a potent therapeutic avenue in individual cancers. Here, we test the hypothesis that the kinase(s) that display an “off the chart” Outlier Expression in individual cancer samples, impart a dependency on growth and survival that can be exploited therapeutically. Analyzing RNA-Seq data from a compendium of 482 cancer and benign samples belonging to 25 different tissue types we defined sample-specific ‘kinome’ expression profiles. Comparing the expression of kinases within a sample and across sample sets, we identified distinct ‘outlier kinases’ in individual samples, defined as genes showing the highest statistically significant levels of absolute and differential expression. Frequently observed outlier kinases in breast cancer included known therapeutic targets like ERBB2 and FGFR4, distinct from MET, AKT2, and PLK2 in pancreatic cancer. Outlier kinases imparted sample-specific dependencies in various cell lines as assessed by siRNA knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Outlier expression of polo-like kinases (PLKs) observed in a subset of KRAS-dependent pancreatic cancer cell lines conferred increased sensitivity to the PLK inhibitor BI 6727. Together, our results suggest that outlier kinases represent effective personalized therapeutic targets that are readily identifiable through RNA-sequencing of tumors. Next, to help translate these observations into treatment options, we are optimizing ex vivo culture of tumor tissues from surgical resections that will be used to test combinations of therapeutics including outlier kinase inhibitors. This abstract is also presented as Poster B21. Citation Format: Vishal Kothari, Wei Iris, Sunita Shankar, Shanker Kalyana-Sundaram, Lidong Wang, Linda W. Ma, Pankaj Vats, Catherine S. Grasso, Dan R. Robinson, Yi-Mi Wu, Xuhong Cao, Diane M. Simeone, Arul M. Chinnaiyan, Chandan Kumar-Sinha. Targeting cancer-specific kinase dependency for precision therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Synthetic Lethal Approaches to Cancer Vulnerabilities; May 17-20, 2013; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PR16.
Novel combinations of rate-controlling polymers for the release of leuprolide acetate in the colon.

Our objective was to investigate the controlled release and transport of leuprolide acetate polypeptide in the colon using novel combinations of rate-controlling polymers. Polymer swelling, disintegration, drug release, and transport characteristics were measured using different polymers, carbopol, chitosan and polyox, alone and in combination. Studies demonstrated Carbopol® -containing combination formulations had maximum swelling and the slowest disintegration properties. A decrease in dissolution rate was observed from all combination formulations when compared with their individual counterparts. Carbopol® combinations showed the slowest overall release. Drug transport studies using the everted sac technique demonstrated good correlation to the swelling, disintegration, and dissolution studies. Thus, novel polymer combinations can be used to deliver polypeptide drug to the colon effectively compared with individual polymers.
Scalable Process for the Premix of Esomeprazole

An efficient, scalable process for the premix of unstable esomeprazole base is described that allows accessibility to the stable amorphous form of esomeprazole 1.
High frequency bandpass filter using polycrystalline diamond

Abstract Because of its high Young's modulus, diamond has the highest acoustic velocity of all materials, and thus for surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices diamond can be expected to be one of the candidates for passive component applications. Polycrystalline diamond 40 μm thick was deposited on a silicon substrate by hot-filament chemical vapour deposition. After the diamond surface had been polished, 100 nm of Al was deposited and fabricated into interdigital transducers, utilizing conventional photolithography and etching processes. This was followed by the deposition of a ZnO thin film, which served as a piezoelectric material to generate SAWs. Finally, an SAW device using a ZnO/diamond system was fabricated for the first time. With the high SAW velocity of the ZnO/diamond system being up to 8600 m s, −1 a 1.07 GHz bandpass filter was successfully demonstrated using 2 μm line and space interdigital transducers; additionally −25 dB insertion loss was observed. This preliminary result suggests that, by utilizing diamond, high frequency (2–5 GHz) bandpass filters can be made available, and broad applications in the optical and personal communication systems can be expected.
A General Theorem on the Comparative Statics of Changes in Risk

In this paper, the concept of “absolutely riskier than” is introduced to generalize Gollier's (Journal of Economic Theory, 66, 522–535) necessary and sufficient conditions for the comparative statics of a change in risk for risk averters. The restrictive assumption that the payoff function is monotonic in the risk is relaxed. The “policymaker's choice problem,” the “newsboy problem,” and a farmer's example are used to illustrate how easily the monotonicity assumption is violated. Finally, some important properties of the concept of “absolutely riskier than,” such as its relation with the concept of “second-order stochastic dominance,” are illustrated using the farmer's example.
Abstract 3947: AMG 161, a fully human monoclonal antibody to human RANKL, inhibits tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis and reduces skeletal tumor burden in mice that express chimeric (murine / human) RANKL.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Tumor cells can induce RANKL expression in the bone stroma, causing activation of osteoclasts which consequently mediate bone breakdown and subsequent tumor proliferation. RANKL is an essential mediator of osteoclast function and survival. RANKL inhibition by OPG-Fc can prevent tumor-induced osteolysis, decrease skeletal tumor burden, and increase survival in preclinical models. Denosumab is an anti-huRANKL antibody approved for the prevention of skeletal-related events due to bone metastases from solid tumors. Selective anti-huRANKL antibodies do not bind murine RANKL, therefore efficacy cannot be tested in typical mouse models. We developed a breast cancer bone metastasis model in mice in which exon 5 from murine RANKL was replaced with its human ortholog (“mu/huRANKL”). We tested the effect of AMG 161, an antibody which binds huRANKL and chimeric mu/huRANKL, on tumor burden and associated osteoclasts. After intra-cardiac injection of MCF-7Luc breast carcinoma cells, hind limb metastases formed and tumor burden was tracked by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). AMG 161 (0.3 or 3.0 mg/kg, 2x/week), OPG-Fc (3.0 mg/kg, 2x/week) or vehicle were administered beginning 10 days post tumor injection to treat established bone metastases until study termination at day 31. AMG 161 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in skeletal tumor burden (3.0 mg/kg: 84% decrease vs. control p=0.0052) similar to that observed with OPG-Fc (85% decrease vs. control, p=0.0038). Histological analysis at the end of the study showed reductions in skeletal tumor burden consistent with the BLI. AMG 161 treatment resulted in a significant decrease in tumor-associated osteoclasts (TRAP staining) and inhibition of osteolytic lesions (X-ray). The inhibition of tumor burden by the anti-RANKL antibody was indirect via osteoclast inhibition since MCF-7Luc cells do not express RANK, and RANKL inhibition does not affect subcutaneous growth of MCF-7Luc cells. These data support the efficacy of anti-RANKL antibody treatment to inhibit tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis and to block the growth of bone metastases. Citation Format: Jude R. Canon, Rebecca Bryant, Martine Roudier, William C. Dougall. AMG 161, a fully human monoclonal antibody to human RANKL, inhibits tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis and reduces skeletal tumor burden in mice that express chimeric (murine / human) RANKL. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3947. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3947
Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels: ideal carriers for chronobiology and chronotherapy

The development of solid-phase peptide synthesis in the early 1960s and recombinant DNA technology in the early 1970s boosted the scientific interest of utilizing proteins and peptides as potential therapeutic agents to battle poorly controlled diseases. While there has been rapid progress in the development and synthesis of new proteins and peptides as potential therapeutic agents, the formulation and development of the associated delivery systems is lacking. The development of delivery systems is equally important due to the problems of stability, low bioavailability and short half-life of proteins and peptides. The main problem in this field is that low stability leads to low bioavailability. In this review we draw attention to chrono-pharmacological drug-delivery systems, which can be used to match the delivery of therapeutic agents with the biological rhythm. They are very important especially in endocrinology and in vaccine therapy. We show that the treatment of hypopituitary dwarfism by administration of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is more effective when GHRH is administered in a pulsatile manner that exhibits a period characteristic of the patient's circadian rhythm. Here we examine how to design novel chrono-pharmacological drug-delivery systems that should be able to release the therapeutic agents at predetermined intervals.
Theory and Methods in the Psychological Study of Mysticism

The contemporary study of mysticism has focused upon empirical methods to test explicit theories. Included among the theoretical considerations is the possibility that mystical experiences share a common core that can be empirically identified and measured. Using empirical measures of mysticism, conditions that immediately effect the report of mystical experiences and the context in which such experiences have been reported have been identified that suggest that mystical experience can be facilitated under a wide variety of laboratory and nonlaboratory conditions. Bernie Spilka has been influential in anticipating many of the directions of the empirical study of mysticism.
Hopping enhanced sensors for efficient sensor network connectivity and coverage

This work presents the organization and operation of a hopping sensor wireless network. It defines two decentralized algorithms for the discovery of isolated nodes, aggressive and smart discovery, to propagate base station connectivity. Both algorithms rely on the usage of hopping sensors on the boundary of a cluster, without prior topology information. We studied the efficiency of the algorithms in terms of network energy consumption and connectivity propagation. A cluster to cluster (C-to-C) packet forwarding scheme, which relies upon boundary hopping sensor gateway nodes, is defined and simulated, and proves to have remarkable low energy consumption. In-field measurements were performed to obtain real data to serve as input parameters for simulations. Simulation results indicate significant savings in network wide energy consumption (57% for aggressive discovery and 79% for smart discovery).
Free energy landscape of G-protein coupled receptors, explored by accelerated molecular dynamics.

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate cellular responses to various hormones and neurotransmitters and are important targets for treating a wide spectrum of diseases. They are known to adopt multiple conformational states (e.g., inactive, intermediate and active) during their modulation of various cell signaling pathways. Here, the free energy landscape of GPCRs is explored using accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations as demonstrated on the M2 muscarinic receptor, a key GPCR that regulates human heart rate and contractile forces of cardiomyocytes. Free energy profiles of important structural motifs that undergo conformational transitions upon GPCR activation and allosteric signaling are analyzed in detail, including the Arg3.50–Glu6.30 ionic lock, the Trp6.48 toggle switch and the hydrogen interactions between Tyr5.58–Tyr7.53.
The Market that Antitrust Built: Public Policy, Private Coercion, and RailroadAcquisitions, 1825 to 1922

How do new business models emerge? Neoinstitltionalists argue that the process often begins when a policy shift undermines the status quo; groups then vie to define the best alternative. The authors explore the role of power in selecting between two alternative business models available to railroads from 1897, when antitrust laws banned the cartel the prevailing model for managing competition. Predatory railroads prescribed several methods for destroying rivals. Financiers prescribed amicable mergers instead, and fought predation by threatening to withhold capital from predators. An analysis of the 167 rail acquisitions in Massachusetts between 1825 and 1922 confirms that the financiers succeeded. After antitrust laws were enforced, railroads left cartels to follow the business model of financiers rather than that of predators. This can be seen in the conditional variables that predict buying and selling. Thus public policy and power can shape key market features. It is ironic that this market, built by antitrust, became the prototype for the neoliberal ideal of the unregulated economy.
Exploring phenotypic plasticity and biogeography in emerald moths: A phylogeny of the genus Nemoria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae).

The moth genus Nemoria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) includes 134 described species whose larvae and adults display a considerable range of phenotypic plasticity in coloration and morphology. We reconstructed the phylogeny of 54 species of Nemoria and seven outgroups using characters from the mitochondrial genes, Cytochrome Oxidase I and II (COI and COII), and the nuclear gene, Elongation Factor-a (EF-1a). Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used to infer the phylogeny. The 54 ingroup species represented 13 of the 15 recognized species groups of Nemoria [Ferguson, D.C., 1985. Fasc. 18.1, Geometroidea: Geometridae (in part). In: Dominick, R.B. (Ed.), The Moths of America North of Mexico, Fasc. 18.1. Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington; Pitkin, L.M., 1993. Neotropical emerald moths of the genera Nemoria, Lissochlora and Chavarriella, with particular reference to the species of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae). Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist. 62, 39–159], and the seven outgroups came from four tribes of Geometrinae. These data support Nemoria as a monophyletic group and largely recover the species groupings proposed in previous taxonomic analyses using morphological characters. Phenotypic plasticity of larvae is not correlated with plasticity of adults among those species of Nemoria where life histories are known, and appears to be evolutionarily labile for both life history stages: Species exhibiting larval phenotypic plasticity, such as N. arizonaria and N. outina, are placed in several distinct clades, suggesting that this trait has evolved multiple times, and species displaying adult phenotypic plasticity are likewise distributed throughout the phylogeny. A comparative analysis of the biogeographic history of Nemoria supports a South American origin for the genus with multiple introductions into North America, and an application of published substitution rates to the phylogram provides an age estimate of 7.5 million years.
Effect of Varying Levels of Tapazole on Thyroidal-I131 Uptake in New Hampshire Pullets

Abstract IN THE routine determination of thyroxine secretion rate (TSR) in fowls, 0.05% tapazole (methimazole) has been added to the ration to prevent recycling of I131 resulting from the metabolism of thyroxine-I131. This has been done to obtain the true release rate of thyroidal-I131. In chicks under 4–6 weeks of age, the release rate is rapid and goitrogens are not necessary but in older birds the release rate generally slows down and prevention of recycling of I131 is necessary to indicate the end-point of TSR determination. At the level of 0.05% tapazole used up to this time, it has been noted that tapazole even with thyroxine administration tended to reduce egg production and feed consumption and birds sometimes began to molt. It has been suggested, also, that goitrogens may influence thyroxine secretion. Sell and Balloun (1960) reported an increased occurrence of capillary rupture in the thyroids of cockerels treated…
Influence of Oxide Thickness on Nucleation and Growth of Copper on Tantalum

Oxide layers can play an important role in determining the kinetics of nucleation and growth during electrodeposition. In this paper, we report on the influence of oxide thickness on the nucleation and growth of copper on tantalum. Anodic oxidation was used to grow Ta 2 O 5 films up to about 20 nm thick. Current-voltage curves for anodically oxidized tantalum films show features associated with the nucleation and growth of copper but no stripping peaks as expected for a rectifying oxide film. Current transients for deposition of copper follow the rate law for instantaneous nucleation followed by diffusion-limited growth, independent of oxide thickness; however, the island density decreases exponentially with oxide thickness.
Predicting patients that require care at a trauma center: analysis of injuries and other factors.

INTRODUCTION: The detection of occult or unpredictable injuries in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) is crucial in correctly triaging patients and thus reducing fatalities. The purpose of the study was to develop a metric that indicates the likelihood that an injury sustained in a MVC would require management at a Level I/II trauma centre (TC) versus a non-trauma centre (non-TC). METHODS: Transfer Scores (TSs) were computed for 240 injuries that comprise the top 95% most frequently occurring injuries in the National Automotive Sampling System-Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) with an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) severity of 2 or greater. A TS for each injury was computed using the proportions of patients involved in a MVC from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) that were transferred to a TC or managed at a non-TC. Similarly, a TSMAIS that excludes patients with higher severity co-injuries was calculated using the proportion of patients with a maximum AIS (MAIS) equal to the AIS severity of a given injury. RESULTS: The results indicated for injuries of a given AIS severity, body region, and injury type, there were large variations in the TSMAIS. Overall results demonstrated higher TSMAIS values when injuries were internal, haemorrhagic, intracranial or of moderate severity (AIS 3-5). Specifically, injuries to the head possessed a TSMAIS that ranged from 0.000 to 0.889, with head injuries of AIS 3-5 severities being the most likely to be transferred. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The analysis indicated that the TSMAIS is not solely correlated with AIS severity and therefore it captures other important aspects of injury such as predictability and trauma system capabilities. The TS and TSMAIS can be useful in advanced automatic crash notification (AACN) research for the detection of highly unpredictable injuries in MVCs that require direct transport to a TC. Language: en
Veterans Health Administration primary care-mental health integration initiative.

he Veterans Health Administration has undertaken a large national initiative to integrate primary care and mental health services. A request for proposals was disseminated throughout the Veterans Affairs (VA) system inviting proposals for new programs to promote the effective treatment of common mental health and substance use disorders in the primary care environment. Both individual facilities and Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) were eligible to apply, and proposals could encompass activities at one or multiple VA facilities. Similarly, facilities within VISNs were free to use different evidence-based models for delivering integrated care. Program funding commenced during fiscal year 2007 (FY07). The overarching rationale for the initiative is to integrate care for veterans’ physical and mental health conditions, improve access and quality of care across the spectrum of illness severity, and allow treatment in mental health specialty settings to focus on persons with more severe mental illnesses. The report of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health emphasizes that mental health and physical health problems are interrelated components of overall health and are best treated in a coordinated care system. 1 That recognition also is embedded in the VA’s Mental Health Strategic Plan and its goal to “[d]evelop a collaborative care model for mental health disorders that elevates mental health care to the same level of urgency/intervention as medical health care.” 2
Techniques for increasing the stream capacity of a multimedia server

A server for an interactive distributed multimedia system may require thousands of gigabytes of storage space and high I/O bandwidth. In order to maximize system utilization, and thus minimize cost, the load must be balanced among the server's disks, interconnection network and scheduler. Many algorithms for maximizing retrieval capacity from the storage system have been proposed. This paper presents techniques for improving server capacity by assigning media requests to the nodes of a server so as to balance the load on the interconnection network and the scheduling nodes. Five policies for request assignment are developed. The performance of these policies on a server model developed earlier is presented.
Role of direct RhoA-phospholipase D1 interaction in mediating adenosine-induced protection from cardiac ischemia.

SPECIFIC AIMThe aim of the study was to elucidate the mechanism of protection from myocardial ischemia induced by the adenosine A3 receptor.PRINCIPAL FINDINGSThe adenosine A3 receptor mediates anti-ischemic function in the heart and appears to signal selectively via RhoA and phospholipase D (PLD) to exert its protective effect, different from the cardioprotective mechanism of the adenosine A1 receptor. While a direct RhoA-PLD1 interaction is important in stimulating PLD1 activity, the physiological role of this direct interaction in the intact cell—the cardiac myocyte—is unclear. In an established cardiac myocyte model of preconditioning using cultured chick embryo heart cells, overexpression of the RhoA-noninteracting PLD1 mutant I870R inhibited A3 agonist-induced PLD activation and selectively blocked A3 agonist but not A1 agonist-induced cardioprotection. Atrial cardiac myocytes were rendered null for native adenosine receptors by treatment with irreversible A1 antagonist m-DITC-XAC and selectively tra...
Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review of the Biology and Current Treatment Strategies

Recent advancements in the molecular characterization of renal cell carcinoma altered the classification system and now kidney cancer is divided into several distinct histologic subtypes. Although once a separate histologic category, sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma is no longer considered a separate tumor type because it can occur with all histologic subtypes. Limited research on tumors with sarcomatoid change has led to minimal progress in the understanding and treatment of these tumors. Because the sarcomatoid variant of renal cell carcinoma can account for approximately one in six cases of advanced kidney cancer, we hope to familiarize clinicians with these tumors by describing the historic background, histologic features, molecular characterization, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment strategies, and active clinical trials of this aggressive type of tumor.
Turbulent Drag Reduction by Spanwise Wall Oscillations

The objective of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of wall oscillation as a control scheme of drag reduction. Two flow configurations are considered: constant flow rate and constant mean pressure gradient. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved using Fourier-Chebyshev spectral methods and the oscillation in sinusoidal form is enforced on the walls through boundary conditions for the spanwise and streamwise (for the case of inclination cycle) velocity components. Results include the effects of oscillation frequency, amplitude, oscillation orientation, and peak wall speed on drag reduction at a Reynolds number of 180 based on wall-shear velocity and channel half-width as well as the Reynolds number dependency in both flow configurations. Drag reduction as a function of peak wall speed is compared with both experimental and numerical data and the agreement is good in the trend and in the quantity. Comparison between these two flow configurations in the transient response to the sudden start of wall oscillation, turbulence statistics, and instantaneous flow fields is detailed and differences are clearly shown. This analysis and comparison have allowed some light to be shed on the way that oscillations interact with wall turbulence.
Shared variables interaction diagrams

Scenario-based specifications offer an intuitive and visual way of describing design requirements of distributed software systems. For the communication paradigm based on messages, message sequence charts (MSC) offer a standardized and formal notation amenable to formal analysis. In this paper we define shared variables interaction diagrams (SVID) as the counterpart of MSCs when processes communicate via shared variables. After formally defining SVIDs, we develop an intuitive as well as formal definition of refinement for SVIDs. This notion provides a basis for systematically adding details to SVID requirements.
Nanostructured flexible Mg-modified LiMnPO4 matrix as high-rate cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

One-dimensional (1D) electrode materials have attracted much attention recently because of their potential application in flexible battery technology. Many 1D anode materials based on carbon and metal oxides have been synthesized for flexible batteries, however only limited studies on the cathode side have been conducted. Here, we report the synthesis of high-rate cathode electrodes based on Mg-modified LiMnPO4 nanofibers. The nanofibers are embedded inside a nanostructured conducting carbon matrix to enhance their electronic conductivity and structural integrity while retaining flexibility. As a result, a 50% increase in capacity is obtained, achieving an outstanding performance of 135 mA h g−1 at a C/10 rate (15 mA g−1). This nanostructured Mg-modified LiMnPO4 matrix also exhibited superior rate capability and much better cycleability compared to its LiMnPO4 counterpart. Even at a high charge/discharge rate of 5C (750 mA g−1), 80% of the capacity (107 mA h g−1) is still retained, representing, to the best of our knowledge, the best rate performance for LiMnPO4-based electrodes. More importantly, such a superior rate capability is achieved with an excellent cycleability (no capacity fading for 200 deep cycles).
Translational control of maternal Cyclin B mRNA by Nanos in the Drosophila germline

In the Drosophila embryo, Nanos and Pumilio collaborate to repress the translation of hunchback mRNA in the somatic cytoplasm. Both proteins are also required for repression of maternal Cyclin B mRNA in the germline; it has not been clear whether they act directly on Cyclin B mRNA, and if so, whether regulation in the presumptive somatic and germline cytoplasm proceeds by similar or fundamentally different mechanisms. In this report, we show that Pumilio and Nanos bind to an element in the 3′ UTR to repress Cyclin B mRNA. Regulation of Cyclin B and hunchback differ in two significant respects. First, Pumilio is dispensable for repression of Cyclin B (but not hunchback ) if Nanos is tethered via an exogenous RNA-binding domain. Nanos probably acts, at least in part, by recruiting the CCR4-Pop2-NOT deadenylase complex, interacting directly with the NOT4 subunit. Second, although Nanos is the sole spatially limiting factor for regulation of hunchback , regulation of Cyclin B requires another Oskar-dependent factor in addition to Nanos. Ectopic repression of Cyclin B in the presumptive somatic cytoplasm causes lethal nuclear division defects. We suggest that a requirement for two spatially restricted factors is a mechanism for ensuring that Cyclin B regulation is strictly limited to the germline.
Towards an AI model of argumentation

This paper describes a process model of human argumentation, and provides examples of its operation as implemented in a computer program. Our main concerns include such issues as the rules and structures underlying argumentation, how these relate to conversational rules, how reasoning is used in arguments, and how arguing and reasoning interact.
Actin monomer enhances supervillin-modulated androgen receptor transactivation

Actin-binding protein, supervillin, has been identified as an androgen receptor (AR) coregulator. Although actin has been suggested to participate in transcription regulation, the mechanism is not clear. Here we demonstrate signals involved in the cytoskeleton dynamic can modulate the coregulator function of supervillin. Three actin isoforms cooperate with supervillin in additive manner to further enhance AR transactivation. Latrunculin B toxin, an actin chelator, reduces the availability of monomer actin and attenuates supervillin function. Rac, the small G-protein kinase, is well studied in reorganization of cytoskeleton. The overexpression of constitutive-active Rac triggers the membrane ruffling site and reduces the coregulator activity of supervillin. Together, the availability of actin monomer affects supervillin-modulated AR transactivation.
Thermodynamics of Lithium Intercalation into Graphites and Disordered Carbons

The temperature dependence of the open-circuit potential of lithium half-cells was measured for electrodes of carbon materials having different amounts of structural disorder. The entropy of lithium intercalation, DeltaS, and enthalpy of intercalation, DeltaH, were determined over a broad range of lithium concentrations. For the disordered carbons, DeltaS is small. For graphite, an initially large DeltaS decreases with lithium concentration, becomes negative, and then shows two plateaus associated with the formation of intercalation compounds. For all carbons DeltaH is negative, and decreases in magnitude with increased lithium concentration. For lithium concentrations less than x = 0.5 in LixC6, for the disordered carbons the magnitude of DeltaH is significantly more negative than for graphite (i.e., intercalation is more exothermic). The measurements of DeltaH provide an energy spectrum of chemical environments for lithium. This spectrum can be used to understand some of the concentration dependence of configurational entropy, but the negative values of DeltaS require another contribution to entropy, perhaps vibrational in origin.
INCOMPLETE EVENTS, INTENSIONALITY AND IMPERFECTIVE ASPECT

I discuss two competing theories of the progressive: the theory proposed in Parsons (1980, 1985, 1989, 1990) and the theory proposed in Landman (1992). These theories differ in more than one way. Landman regards the progressive as an intentional operator, while Parsons doesn't. Moreover, Landman and Parsons disagree on what uninflected predicates denote. For Landman, cross the street has in its denotation complete events of crossing the street; the aspectual contribution of English simple past (perfective aspect) is the identity function. For Parsons, both complete and incomplete events of crossing the street can be in the denotation of the base VP; perfective aspect restricts its denotation to the events that culminate. I present a version of ParsonOs theory that avoids the problems raised by Landman, in particular the problem posed for Parsons by creation verbs. The repaired version and Landman's theory still differ in the way they analyze uninflected verbs. The repaired version and Landman's theory still differ in the way they analyze uninflected predicates. I present evidence from Slavic languages that both theories are needed. Finally, I discuss some evidence that may favor one or the other approach to the semantics of the English progressive.
Correlation of Thermal Electrical Noise in Ion Channel Arrays

The question of minimum detection limits of biological systems to weak external signals occurs in several contexts, especially sensory perception. Ability to detect weak signals is generally limited by stochastic fluctuations or noise associated with the detection or processing system. In the simplest approach to theoretical prediction of detection limits, the signal is compared to the noise in the form of a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). An SNR of unity has long served as a nominal requirement for detection, although recent developments in the area of stochastic resonance have indicated that noise may actually enhance signal detection in certain systems. However, the relevance of the SNR (=1) criterion may also depend on the configuration of the sensing system. While direct signal-to-noise comparisons are often sufficient for a single sensor, they may be inappropriate for the case of an array of sensors where the sensors are experiencing correlated, partially correlated, or uncorrelated noise.
How random interacting organizes a population: exploring a simple chance model to relate diffusion theory to information theory

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between (a) the random diffusion of an attribute through a population called 'System A,' which is defined by the formula A = ? kqt logg qt and (b) the change in the amount of information, H, (or 'complexity,' 'organization,' or 'uncertainty') in System A, with implications for further research towards unifying basic concepts widely through all the sciences.
Professional self-images and political perspectives in the Greek military

The contemporary Greek Army officer corps is examined to determine its professional role within the modern Greek political and social structure. The analysis is based on historical materials and formal interviews with 100 active Greek army officers in 1968-69. It was found, contrary to studies of military organization in Western industrialized countries, that the shift from heroic to managerial styles of military leadership had not occurred in Greece. Rather, the modal self-image of the Greek officer was a synthesis of a primitive and indigenous heroic value system with a managerial ethic derived from the contemporary Western model. Social background and military experience characteristics did not differentiate in any marked manner among varying professional self-images. Perspectives of interventionism and the reasons given by the officers for intervening in the political order are examined. Major reasons were the fear of an imminent internal communist takeover, a breakdown in political order and governmental efficiency, and a pervasive social decay in morals and public standards. It was found that levels of military professionalism were not correlated with dispositions to intervene in the political order.
Forecasting model for development cost of equipment based on artificial neural network and grey Verhulst algorithm

In order to enhance the forecast precision of development cost in equipment life cycle cost(LCC),grey Verhulst model was applied to forecasting development cost accumulation sequence with the shape of alphabet S.Couples of input and output data of artificial neural network based on time sequence were formed,and BP neural network utilized to train the grey forecast result.The simulation example shows that the hybrid algorithm has fewer errors than grey Verhulst model.The introduction of BP network into grey Verhulst model advances the forecast precision.