cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functionalized Ultrathin Carbon Films for Imaging Low-Abundance Biological Complexes

By single particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM), structures of low-abundance biological complexes can be obtained if the surface density of the complexes on the EM grids can be made sufficiently high for data collection. In order to prevent most of the molecules from being lost during specimen preparation, new methods are needed to retain them selectively to the surface. Such methods will permit cryoEM imaging of macromolecules that are available at subnanogram levels. Available methods along this line of thinking all add significant biomass to the background and are not so simple or robust for routine operations. We have developed a novel “bottom-up” approach to selectively anchor proteins of interest onto the surface of nanometer-thick carbon films that are routinely used for cryoEM imaging. We show that by chemically modifying the carbon films, specific ligands can be introduced onto carbon surfaces in order to enrich complexes bearing appropriate functional groups. In particular, we have been developing the chemical procedures that present on the carbon films specific ligands for His-tagged, GST-tagged and oligonucleotide-binding complexes as well as for immunoglobulin molecules. Meanwhile, we are applying this technology to the structural study of important low-abundance biological complexes by single particle EM. Our results demonstrate that the surface-engineered carbon films should have general applicability to a wide range of biophysical and biomedical problems.
Nonvolatile memories based on AlOx embedded ZrHfO high-k gate dielectric

MOS capacitors with the ZrHfO/AlOx/ZrHfO high-k gate dielectric stack were prepared and characterized for memory functions. The device prefers to trap holes, i.e., under the negative gate voltage, rather than electrons, i.e., under the positive voltage. The hole-trapping process is time and voltage dependent. The weakly trapped holes are quickly released upon the remove of the stress voltage. However, more than 30% of the originally trapped holes can be retained in the device after 10 years. The AlOx embedded ZrHfO high-k stack is a suitable gate dielectric structure for nonvolatile memories.
Preserving average proximity in arrays

Programmers and data structure designers are often forced to choose between alternative structures. In storing these structures, preserving logical adjacencies or “proximity” is usually an important consideration. The combinatorial problem of storing arrays as various kinds of list structures is examined. Embeddings of graphs are used to model the loss of proximity involved in such storage schemes, and an elementary proof that arrays cannot be stored as linear lists with bounded loss of proximity is presented. Average loss of proximity is then considered, and it is shown that arrays cannot be stored as linear lists with only bounded loss of average proximity, but can be so stored in binary trees. The former result implies, for instance, that row major order is an asymptotically optimal storage strategy for arrays.
Microstereolithography of Three-Dimensional Polymeric Springs for Vibration Energy Harvesting

The inefficiency in converting low frequency vibration (6~240 Hz) to electrical energy remains a key issue for miniaturized vibration energy harvesting devices. To address this subject, this paper reports on the novel, three-dimensional micro-fabrication of spring elements within such devices, in order to achieve resonances and maximum energy conversion within these common frequencies. The process, known as projection microstereolithography, is exploited to fabricate polymer-based springs direct from computer-aided designs using digital masks and ultraviolet-curable resins. Using this process, a micro-spring structure is fabricated consisting of a two-by-two array of three-dimensional, constant-pitch helical coils made from 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate. Integrating the spring structure into an electromagnetic device, with a magnetic load mass of 1.236 grams, the resonance is measured at 61 Hz, which is within 2% of the theoretical model. The device provides a maximum normalized power output of 9.14 μW/G ( ms−2) and an open circuit normalized voltage output of 621 mV/G. To the best of the authors knowledge, notable features of this work include the lowest Young’s modulus (530 MPa), density (1.011 g/cm3), and “largest feature size” (3.4 mm) for a spring element in a vibration energy harvesting device with sub-100 Hz resonance.
Effect of varying levels of dietary protein on tumor development and lipid metabolism in rats exposed to aflatoxin.

Reports in the literature concerning the relationship of protein nutrition to aflatoxicosis are contradictory. In an attempt to elucidate this relationship more clearly, we have examined the effects of low, normal, and high protein-containing diets on tumor incidence and development, as well as on several biochemical indices, in rats which have been exposed to low levels of aflatoxin in a “chronic” rather than “acute” situation. In our study, male weanling rats were place for 3 months on otherwise adequate diets containing either 8, 22, or 30% casein with and without aflatoxin B1 at 1.7 ppm. Half of the animals in each group received diets which were further supplemented with the amino acid, cystine, at 0.6% of the diet. (Sulfur-containing amino acids are the most limiting amino acids in casein, and the addition of cystine to the diet serves to improve the biological quality of the protein source.) After 3 months the animals were fed control diets without aflatoxin until they were killed at 1 year. Weight gain was markedly decreased and liver weights increased in response to aflatoxin in all groups except those on the low protein diets, where aflatoxin had no effect on these protein diets, where aflatoxin had no effect on these indices. No tumors were found in the livers of rats fed the low protein, aflatoxin-supplemented diet. In the other groups, the severity of the liver involvement increased progressively with increased protein levels in the diet. When cystine was included in the diet, tumors were observed also in the animals fed the low protein diet; furthermore, the livers of those animals on “normal” and high protein diets were much more severely involved than were the livers of animals on non-cystine supplemented diets. Plasma cholesterol levels were increased in response to aflatoxin when the diets containing 22 and 30% protein were fed and when cystine was included in the 8% protein diet. Liver cholesterol levels were increased in response to aflatoxin in all groups except in those receiving the low protein diets. Among these latter animals, aflatoxin administration had no effect on liver cholesterol values. Changes as a result of aflatoxin administration were also observed in the fatty acid composition of sterol esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids of liver and tumor tissue.
Visualization of the magnetic field and current path in Z-pinch and X-pinch plasmas

Abstract Laser diagnostics at the wavelength of 266 nm allow investigation of wire array Z-pinches and X-pinches at the 1 MA pulse power generator. Faraday rotation diagnostics at 266 nm is applied to study MG magnetic fields in Z-pinch plasma. Faraday diagnostics can qualitatively visualize magnetic fields in dense plasma and give additional information about the current flow even if the plasma density cannot be reconstructed with interferometry. A comparison of images from the three-channel polarimeter shows strong localized magnetic fields, revealing the path for the electric current inside the plasma. Faraday images present current switched to the trailing plasma.
Investigating Web 2.0 Application Impacts on Knowledge Workers' Decisions and Performance

Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis, and group messaging have been widely adopted by organizations to enhance the effectiveness of internal communication and improve knowledge management within the organization. However, predictors that impact Web 2.0 continuous use within the organization and knowledge management performance have been neither well defined nor well understood in academia and practice. This paper empirically investigates the impact of hedonic and utilitarian performance on continual usage intention of Web 2.0 applications within the organization, and then examines continuance use decision impact on knowledge management performance. The authors' results are useful in developing guidelines and strategies to increase the likelihood of Web 2.0 continuance use and to improve its positive impact within the organization.
Determinants of induced sustained arrhythmias in survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation.

We prospectively studied 196 consecutive survivors of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) not associated with acute myocardial infarction and 46 consecutive, control patients without prior ventricular arrhythmias. Programmed stimulation included two extrastimuli (S3 protocol) in all patients and three extrastimuli (S4 protocol) in the last 140 study patients and in all control patients. Sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or VF was not induced in any control patient. In study patients, logistic regression identified two independent predictors of induced, sustained VT for both S3 and S4 protocols: prior spontaneous, sustained VT (37 patients; p less than or equal to .001) and prior myocardial infarction (113 patients; p = .005). With the S3 protocol, sustained VT was induced in 54% of patients with both prior myocardial infarction and prior sustained VT vs 4% without either; with the S4 protocol, sustained VT was induced in 91% vs 13%, respectively. Eighty-three percent of induced VT episodes had a cycle length less than 300 msec, and all required termination by cardioversion or pacing. VF was induced only in survivors of out-of-hospital VF without prior, spontaneous, sustained VT (S3 protocol, 9%; S4 protocol, 24%) but not in study patients with prior sustained VT (S3, p = .10; S4, p = .05) or control patients (S3, p = .06; S4, p = .01). The mean coupling intervals of extrastimuli that induced VF were not significantly different from the intervals that induced sustained VT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Utility of transesophageal electrocardiography to guide optimal placement of a transesophageal pacing catheter in dogs.

Abstract Objective To determine if the transesophageal atrial (A) wave amplitude or ventricular (V) wave amplitude can be used to guide optimal positioning of a transesophageal pacing catheter in dogs. Study design Prospective clinical study. Animals Fourteen client owned healthy dogs with a median weight of 15.4 kg (IQR = 10.6–22.4) and a median age of 12 months (IQR = 6–12). Materials and methods Transesophageal atrial pacing (TAP) using a 6 Fr pacing catheter was attempted in dogs under general anesthesia. The pacing catheter was inserted orally into the esophagus to a position caudal to the heart. With the pulse generator set at a rate 20 beats minute −1 above the intrinsic sinus rate, the catheter was slowly withdrawn until atrial pacing was noted on a surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Then the catheter was withdrawn in 1 cm increments until atrial capture was lost. Minimum pacing threshold (MPT) and transesophageal ECG were recorded at each site. Amplitudes of the A and V waves on transesophageal ECG were then measured and their relationship to MPT was evaluated. Results TAP was achieved in all dogs. In 9/14 dogs the site of lowest overall MPT was the same as the site of maximal A wave deflection. In dogs with at least three data points, linear regression analysis of the relationship between the estimated site of the lowest overall MPT compared to estimated site of the maximal A and V waveform amplitudes demonstrated a strong correlation ( R 2 = 0.99). Conclusion and clinical relevance Transesophageal ECG A and V waveforms were correlated to MPT and could be used to direct the placement of a pacing catheter. However, the technique was technically challenging and was not considered to be clinically useful to guide the placement of a pacing catheter.
Predicting achievement in chemistry: A model

The author of this research report states that the primary value in such an analysis is that the investigator is forced to define the learning outcomes desired and to weigh carefully their relative values. It is presented here as a research model—a demonstration of statistical analysis in the solution of a problem in science education. Computations for this study were done in part at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Computating Center.
Generating hard and diverse test sets for NP-hard graph problems

Abstract In evaluating the performance of approximation algorithms for NP-hard problems, it is often necessary to resort to empirical testing. In order to do such testing it is useful to have test instances of the problem for which the correct answer is known. We present algorithms for efficiently generating test instances for some NP-hard graph problems in such a way that the sets of instances generated can be shown to be both diverse and computationally hard. The techniques used involve combining extremal graph theory results with NP-hardness reductions.
Selective postoperative imaging after ureteroscopy.

Objectives To evaluate the need of routine follow-up imaging after ureteroscopy. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing ureteroscopy for urolithiasis. Selective imaging was performed in the initial postoperative phase (1-3 weeks after removal of the ureteral stent) if the procedure was classified as complicated because of the presence of an impacted stone, the need for balloon dilation, intraoperative ureteral perforation, or postoperative pain after stent removal. Uncomplicated ureteroscopy was followed by repeat imaging if the patient developed recurrent renal colic or as surveillance for new stone growth at 6-12 months of follow-up. Results A total of 267 ureteroscopic procedures were performed on 253 patients. The data from 214 of 253 patients (84.6%) who had undergone noncontrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging ≥1 month after surgery were analyzed. The mean follow-up was 14.5 months (range 1-66). The incidence of stricture was 1.4% (3/214). The incidence in the selective imaging (complicated ureteroscopy) group was 5.3% (3/56). In uncomplicated ureteroscopy group, it was 0% (0/158). Ureteral stricture developed in 3 of 11 patients with stone impaction (27.2%, P = .002), 2 of 14 patients undergoing ureteral balloon dilation (10.4%, P = .0052), and in 1 of 6 patients with an intraoperative mucosal perforation (16.6%, P = .0326). Persistent postoperative pain after stent removal was not predictive of stricture formation (3.6%, P = .139). Conclusions The results of our study have shown that selective imaging as determined by the intraoperative findings of complicated ureteroscopy (eg, impacted stone, balloon dilation, mucosal perforation) will detect postoperative ureteral strictures. Routine follow-up imaging is not essential after uncomplicated ureteroscopy.
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II is not an amyloid peptide-degrading enzyme

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is an exopeptidase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetylated aspartate-glutamate (NAAG) to N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and glutamate. Consequently, GCPII inhibition has been of interest for the treatment of central and peripheral nervous system diseases associated with excess glutamate. Recently, it was reported that GCPII can also serve as an endopeptidase cleaving amyloid β (Aβ) peptides and that its inhibition could increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease by increasing brain Aβ levels. This study aimed to corroborate and extend these new findings. We incubated Aβ peptides (20 μM) with human recombinant GCPII (300 ng/ml) and monitored the appearance of degradation products by mass spectrometry. Aβ peptides remained intact after 18 h incubation with GCPII. Under the same experimental conditions, Aβ1-40 (20 μM) was incubated with neprilysin (300 ng/ml), an endopeptidase known to hydrolyze Aβ1-40 and the expected cleavage products were observed. GCPII was confirmed active by catalyzing the complete hydrolysis of NAAG (100 μM). We also studied the hydrolysis of [(3)H]-NAAG (30 nM) catalyzed by GCPII (40 pM) in the presence of Aβ peptides (picomolar to micromolar range). The addition of Aβ peptides did not alter [(3)H]-NAAG hydrolysis. We conclude that GCPII is not an amyloid peptide-degrading enzyme.
Simulation of aromatic SOA formation using the lumping model integrated with explicit gas-phase kinetic mechanisms and aerosol-phase reactions

Abstract. The Unified Partitioning-Aerosol phase Reaction (UNIPAR) model has been developed to predict the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation through multiphase reactions. The model was evaluated with aromatic SOA data produced from the photooxidation of toluene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (135-TMB) under various concentrations of NOx and SO2 using an outdoor reactor (University of Florida Atmospheric PHotochemical Outdoor Reactor (UF-APHOR) chamber). When inorganic species (sulfate, ammonium and water) are present in aerosol, the prediction of both toluene SOA and 135-TMB SOA, in which the oxygen-to-carbon (O : C) ratio is lower than 0.62, are approached under the assumption of a complete organic/electrolyte-phase separation below a certain relative humidity. An explicit gas-kinetic model was employed to express gas-phase oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Gas-phase products are grouped based on their volatility (6 levels) and reactivity (5 levels) and exploited to construct the stoichiometric coefficient (αi,j) matrix, the set of parameters used to describe the concentrations of organic compounds in multiphase. Weighting of the αi,j matrix as a function of NOx improved the evaluation of NOx effects on aromatic SOA. The total amount of organic matter (OMT) is predicted by two modules in the UNIPAR model: OMP by a partitioning process and OMAR by aerosol-phase reactions. The OMAR module predicts multiphase reactions of organic compounds, such as oligomerization, acid-catalyzed reactions, and organosulfate (OS) formation. The model reasonably simulates SOA formation under various aerosol acidities, NOx concentrations, humidities and temperatures. Furthermore, the OS fractions in the SOA predicted by the model were in good agreement with the experimentally measured OS fractions.
A physical charge-based model for the space charge region of abrupt and linear semiconductor junctions

A new, physically justified, charge-based expression for the semiconductor space charge region capacitance is derived. This equation preserves the traditional meaning of zero-voltage capacitance, built-in potential and junction grading coefficient and, without introducing any new fitting parameters of its own, eliminates the fitting parameter FC currently used in SPICE. This new model eliminates the singularity found in the depletion approximation model, is applicable for any applied voltage, and being charge-based does not suffer from charge-conservation problems reported for capacitance based formulations. In this paper, the new model is formulated and compared with charge/capacitance results extracted from PISCES. >
Whither the alternatives: Determinants and consequences of selective versus comparative judgemental processing

Judgements of the value or likelihood of a focal object or outcome have been shown to vary dramatically as a function of whether judgement is based on selective or comparative processing. This article explores the question of when selective versus comparative processing is likely, and demonstrates that as motivation and opportunity to process information carefully (operationalised as accountability and time pressure, respectively) decrease, the likelihood of selective processing increases. Moreover, we document how individuals manage to render judgements when in selective processing mode by relying on categorical knowledge.
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GRAFTED COTTON FIBERS BY MICROSCOPY.

The structure of cotton fibers grafted by radiation induced polymerization with butyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile was investigated by light and electron microscopy. Degree and uniformity of dye uptake was used to indicate uniformity of reaction. The internal structure of the fibers was studied with the transmission electron microscope using ultrathin cross sections and solubility tests. Changes in the fiber surface, and types of damage caused by abrasion were evaluated with the scanning electron microscope. These tests indicated that the grafting procedure had changed the surface as well as the internal fibrillar character of the fibers and the extent of such changes increased with increasing content of graft polymer.
Depth Characterization of Shallow Aquifers with Seismic Reflection, Part II—Prestack Depth Migration and Field Examples

It is common in shallow seismic studies for the compressional-wave velocity in unconsolidated sediments to increase by a factor of four or more at the transition from dry or partial water saturation to full saturation. Under these conditions, conventional NMO velocity analysis fails and leads to large depth and layer thickness estimates if the Dix equation is assumed valid. Prestack depth migration (PSDM) is a means of improving image accuracy. A comparison of PSDM with conventional NMO processing for three field examples from differing hydrogeologic environments illustrates that PSDM can significantly improve image quality and accuracy.
Low-Earth-orbit proton and gamma ionization effects in piezoelectric alpha quartz crystal resonators

The susceptibility of piezoelectric quartz crystal resonators to low-Earth-orbit ionizing radiation degrades the performance of satellite communication systems. A study was initiated to investigate the interaction of proton radiation with the piezoelectric quartz crystals. This type of radiation is shown to interact more effectively with the quartz crystal resonators when they have adhered electrodes. It is found that these crystals interact more efficiently with protons when compared with electrodeless resonators. Impurities introduced by electrodes directly attached to the quartz crystal blank account for the increased radiation response of piezoelectric quartz crystals. The interaction of protons with the quartz lattice introduces a change in the piezoelectric parameters and, in turn, a change in resonance frequency. >
Weighing the care: patients' perceptions of physician care as a function of gender and weight

OBJECTIVE: To examine patients' reports of the level of care that they receive from their physicians, and determine the influence of weight and gender in these reports. DESIGN: In a four-cell design, male and female, overweight and nonoverweight patients reported on the medical care that they received immediately following their appointment. SUBJECTS: A total of 125 patients affiliated to one of four large clinics in the Texas Medical Center of Houston completed this study. MEASUREMENTS: Patients reported the positivity of the care that they received, the time that physicians spent with them, and the extent to which physicians discussed weight-related topics with them. RESULTS: Overweight patients, as a whole, did not report poorer levels of care than did their thinner counterparts. Rather, the weight and gender of the patient significantly interacted across each of the measures to reveal some divergence between male and female patients' weight-based experiences. When significant differences in reported perceptions emerged, overweight men reported deficits in care relative to average weight men (eg, physicians spent less time), whereas overweight women reported enhanced care relative to average weight women (eg, better levels of care, more topics discussed). CONCLUSION: Based on patients' reports, this study reveals that physician care may not be as influenced by patient weight as previously thought. Yet, there is a discernable impact of patients' weight on physician behavior. Overweight men, who may comprise the most at-risk population, indicate that less time is spent with them than that indicated by average weight men. While this may be alarming, overweight women do not report reductions in care. We propose that not only might physicians respond to them differently, but overweight female patients may also be engaging in denial strategies or compensatory behaviors that assure them of quality care.
The heterogeneous block architecture

This paper makes two new observations that lead to a new heterogeneous core design. First, we observe that most serial code exhibits fine-grained heterogeneity: at the scale of tens or hundreds of instructions, regions of code fit different microarchitectures better (at the same point or at different points in time). Second, we observe that by grouping contiguous regions of instructions into blocks that are executed atomically, a core can exploit this heterogeneity: atomicity allows each block to be executed independently on its own execution backend that fits its characteristics best. Based on these observations, we propose a fine-grained heterogeneous design that combines heterogeneous execution backends into one core. Our core design, the heterogeneous block architecture (HBA), breaks the program into blocks of code, determines the best backend for each block, and specializes the block for that backend. As an initial, concrete design, we combine out-of-order, VLIW, and in-order backends, using simple heuristics to choose backends. We compare HBA to multiple baseline core designs (including monolithic out-of-order, clustered out-of-order, in-order and a state-of-the-art heterogeneous core design) and show that HBA can provide significantly better energy efficiency than all designs at similar performance. Averaged across 184 traces from a wide variety of workloads, HBA reduces core power by 36.4% and energy per instruction by 31.9% compared to a 4-wide out-of-order core. We conclude that HBA provides a flexible substrate for exploiting fine-grained heterogeneity, enabling new energy-performance tradeoff points in core design.
University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar

The University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar (UW HSRL) produces direct measurements of cloud and aerosol optical depth, extinction cross section, backscatter cross section, and backscatter phase function. The HSRL uses a multietalon interferometer to separate the backsctter return into a component due to particle scattering and a component due to scattering from air molecules. The molecular backscatter component is affected by extinction but not by particle backscatter. Because the molecular backscatter cross section is determined by the known atmospheric density, the atmospheric extinction can be directly calculated from the measured decrease in molecular backscatter signal with range. The separation of aerosol from molecular scattering is possible because the backscatter component from air is Doppler-broadened by the thermal yelocities of the molecules, while the backscatter from more massive, slower moving particles remains spectrally unbroadened. Although the HSRL was originally designed for airborne nadir observation of boundary layer aerosol optical properties, increases in transmitted power, receiver improvements, and modified calibration techniques have allowed it to measure cirrus cloud optical properties. A continuously pumped, Q-switched, 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency, injection seeded, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser, still under development, has recently been installed and has reduced cirrus cloud measurement averaging times by a factor of '-10.
More Combinatorial Properties of Certain Trees

A detailed examination of binary search trees reveals that the probability of making precisely i comparisons in placing the (n—l)th item in the tree is related to the (n—i)th symmetric function of the integers 1, . . . , n. A recurrence relation for the moments of this distribution of comparisons is derived, and formulas for the mean number of comparisons and its variance are displayed. These are shown to be in accord with previously published values.
Daily evaporation from drying soil: Universal parameterization with similarity

With supporting experimental evidence from three separate field studies of daily mean evaporation from bare soil with vastly different physical characteristics, it is shown that the process can be described as isothermal linear diffusion in a finite depth domain. The resulting solution leads directly to similarity variables and thus a universal parameterization, which should in principle be applicable to most field soils. In addition, a closed form expression is presented to estimate the weighted mean diffusivity for exponential type soil water diffusivities. In this solution, the widely used square root of inverse time proportionality of this phenomenon is its short time version, whereas the exponential decay proportionality, proposed however by several authors for vegetated surfaces, is its long time version. It appears that in many situations the soil layer contributing to evaporation is fairly shallow and only a few tens of centimeters thick.
Curcumin sensitizes TRAIL-resistant xenografts: molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, metastasis and angiogenesis.

We have recently shown that curcumin (a diferuloylmethane, the yellow pigment in turmeric) enhances apoptosis-inducing potential of TRAIL in prostate cancer PC-3 cells, and sensitizes TRAIL-resistant LNCaP cells in vitro through multiple mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which curcumin sensitized TRAIL-resistant LNCaP xenografts in vivo. Prostate cancer TRAIL-resistant LNCaP cells were implanted in Balb c nude mice to examine the effects of curcumin and/or TRAIL on tumor growth and genes related to apoptosis, metastasis and angiogenesis. Curcumin inhibited growth of LNCaP xenografts in nude mice by inducing apoptosis (TUNEL staining) and inhibiting proliferation (PCNA and Ki67 staining), and sensitized these tumors to undergo apoptosis by TRAIL. In xenogrfated tumors, curcumin upregulated the expression of TRAIL-R1/DR4, TRAIL-R2/DR5, Bax, Bak, p21/WAF1, and p27/KIP1, and inhibited the activation of NFκB and its gene products such as cyclin D1, VEGF, uPA, MMP-2, MMP-9, Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. The regulation of death receptors and members of Bcl-2 family, and inactivation of NFκB may sensitize TRAIL-resistant LNCaP xenografts. Curcumin also inhibited number of blood vessels in tumors, and circulating endothelial growth factor receptor 2-positive endothelial cells in mice. The ability of curcumin to inhibit tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis, and enhance the therapeutic potential of TRAIL suggests that curcumin alone or in combination with TRAIL can be used for prostate cancer prevention and/or therapy.
Synergistic interactions between transforming growth factor beta and fibroblast growth factor regulate Schwann cell mitosis

Cultured Schwann cells divide in response to a limited repertoire of mitogens. In addition to cyclic AMP analogs and reagents that raise intracellular cyclic AMP, the only purified mitogens for Schwann cells are transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), acidic (a) and basic (b) fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and the BB and AB dimers of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Although individually each one of these growth factors is only weakly mitogenic, it is shown here that when TGF beta and bFGF are added to Schwann cell cultures together, they interact to produce a mitogenic response that is much greater than that produced by either growth factor alone. Both the absolute concentration of each protein and the molar ratio of TGF beta to bFGF determines the magnitude of the Schwann cell response.
1H AND 31P NMR STUDY OF SPECIATION IN SYSTEMS CONTAINING ADP, AL3+, AND FLUORIDE

It has been proposed that AlF4- can serve as a tetrahedral pseudophosphate bound to guanosine diphosphate (GDP) [or other nucleoside diphosphates (NDP)] in G-protein systems. In a previous paper [D. J. Nelson and R. B. Martin, J. Inorg. Biochem. 43, 37 (1991)], 19F and 1H NMR were used to analyze the ternary system Al(3+)-NDP-F- in aqueous solutions. Ternary complexes (NDP)AlFx (with x = 1-3) were identified, but no (NDP)AlF4 was found. In this paper, the equilibrium constants for ternary complex formation that were obtained in the previous paper were further tested in a more extensive 1H and 31P NMR study of speciation in systems that contained Al3+, F-, and adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP). The results of the study are in general support of previously derived constants for ternary complexes and also provide support for the existence at relatively high ADP concentration (approximately 10 mM) of a base-stacked intermolecular dihydroxy-di-Al3+ bridged ADP dimeric structure at an ADP to Al3+ molar ratio of 1:1. 31P NMR of the dimer reveals that each of the two Al3+ ions is bidentately coordinated to the alpha and beta phosphates of a single (but different) ADP molecule. Evidence is also presented for the existence at relatively low ADP concentration (approximately 0.5 mM) of a monomeric species in which a single Al3+ ion is coordinated to alpha and beta phosphates of a single ADP molecule. 1H NMR of the monomeric species reveals the expected "wrong-way chemical shift" of the adenine C8 proton upon Al3+ ion complexation to the phosphate chain.
Enhanced Multi-Faceted Teaching Methods: Phase III- Adjunct Faculty

This paper is the third in a series conducting research on teaching methods and technologies at Adelphi University School of Business. First, (Phase I) the methods and instrument were developed. Second, data from full time faculty was collected and analyzed (Phase II). Third, (Phase III) data has been collected concerning the extent of use and perceived value of use of various technologies from part-time faculty which we analyzed and compared to the results from the full-time faculty. The issues of part-time faculty attitudes toward technology and their use of technology to support teaching are important to the academic mission and emphasized under AACSB standards for business schools. In the environment studied, part-time faculty perceptions of the levels of use and their opinions of the value of use of various technologies were virtually indistinguishable from those of full-time faculty. Neither departmental affiliation nor teaching experience was a significant factor in explaining the responses of part-time faculty. The authors conclude that the part-time faculty cadre studied is highly socialized and consistent with the full-time faculty on the dimensions studied.
Who Are We Dealing With? Re-visioning Citizen Subjects from a Feminist Perspective

This paper explores the meaning of the citizen subject from a femi nist perspective. I argue that a poststructuralist feminist account pro vides the best interpretation of the subject, how it is formed through governmental practices and discourses, but is still capable of practic ing ethics. The subject in contemporary society is overly determined by naturalized accounts of gender and the body. These essentialized notions are imported into the liberal view of the subject. Administra tors who approach citizen subjects as free and autonomous, but gendered in irrevocable ways, presume too much about who they are serving. I argue that administrators should practice the art of not governing too much, and be careful about the presumptions they make about citizens' identities.
The Social Psychology of Person Perception and the Experience of Valued Relationships

I want to tell the story of a semitraumatic experience that I had teaching a class on social psychology on the undergraduate level at Duquesne University. It was one of those events, neither planned nor anticipated, that befalls us. Yet, in coping with the contingencies that arose, I learned a lot about the students, myself, and the scholarly discipline.
Using TV white space spectrum to practise telemedicine: A promising technology to enhance broadband internet connectivity within healthcare facilities in rural regions of developing countries

The following correspondence provides an overview of TV White Space (TVWS) technology, regulations, and potential applications to the health care sector. This report also introduces "Project Kgolagano," a Botswana-based initiative representing the first endeavour to utilize TVWS internet connection for practising telemedicine. TV "white space" refers to the previously unused, wasted spectrum within TV radiofrequency channels that can now be leveraged to obtain broadband internet access. TVWS represents a less costly, faster, and farther-reaching internet connection that is a promising option for connecting the previously unconnected populations of remote and underserved areas. The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Microsoft, Botswana Innovation Hub, Vista Life Sciences, and Global Broadband Solutions have partnered together to bring TVWS wireless broadband access to healthcare facilities in poorly connected regions of Botswana (Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, Gaborone) in order to improve healthcare delivery and facilitate telemedicine in dermatology, cervical cancer screening, and family medicine (HIV/AIDS, TB, general adult and pediatric medicine).
Algebraic Identities in the Theory of Numbers

(1943). Algebraic Identities in the Theory of Numbers. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 50, No. 9, pp. 535-541.
The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s

IN his suggestive article, "What Happened to the Progressive Movement in the 1920's," Arthur S. Link analyzed the legacy of the pre-World War I "progressive coalition" of businessmen, farm groups, labor unions, and "advocates of social justice."' However, he neglected to mention the fate of feminists, either those women active in the suffrage movement or those involved in broader areas of social reform. Despite Link's inattention to women reformers, the question he posed about the progressive movement in the 1920s should be asked of the women's movement as well. What happened to feminism during the decade after the political goal of suffrage had been achieved? Failure to consider the women's movement in the 1920s is not an uncommon oversight among historians. Even students of women's history, including Eleanor Flexner, Andrew Sinclair, and Aileen Kraditor, conclude their accounts with the passage of the nineteenth amendment.2 Until recently, this tendency to ignore post-1920 women's history has fostered the repetition of a standard image of American women in the 1920s. Frederick Lewis Allen's account is representative:
Section 8. Composition and Structure of Mantle Plumes

The mantle consists of peridotite. That took a while to establish ([Ringwood, 1975][1]), and once it had been, there was a tendency to view it as consisting solely of peridotite. That view was always perhaps a bit simplistic as the mantle xenolith population contains a small but significant fraction
BRUTON'S TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS PREVENT THERAPEUTIC ESCAPE IN BREAST CANCER CELLS

We have reported that a novel isoform of BTK (BTK-C) expressed in breast cancer protects these cells from apoptosis. In this study, we show that recently developed inhibitors of BTK, such as ibrutinib (PCI-32765), AVL-292 and CGI-1746, reduce breast cancer cell survival and prevent drug resistant clones from arising. Ibrutinib treatment impacts HER2+ breast cancer cell viability at lower concentrations than the established breast cancer therapeutic lapatinib. In addition to inhibiting BTK, ibrutinib, but not AVL-292 and CGI-1746, efficiently blocks the activation of EGFR, HER2, ErbB3, and ErbB4. Consequently, the activation of AKT and ERK signaling pathways are also blocked leading to a G1/S cell cycle delay and increased apoptosis. Importantly, inhibition of BTK prevents activation of the AKT signaling pathway by NRG or EGF that has been shown to promote growth factor-driven lapatinib resistance in HER2+ breast cancer cells. HER2+ breast cancer cell proliferation is blocked by ibrutinib even in the presence of these factors. AVL-292, which has no effect on EGFR family activation, prevents NRG- and EGF-dependent growth factor-driven resistance to lapatinib in HER2+ breast cancer cells. In vivo, ibrutinib inhibits HER2+ xenograft tumor growth. Consistent with this, immunofluorescence analysis of xenograft tumors shows that ibrutinib reduces the phosphorylation of HER2 , BTK, Akt and Erk and histone H3 and increases cleaved caspase-3 signals. Since BTK-C and HER2 are often co-expressed in human breast cancers, these observations indicate that BTK-C is a potential therapeutic target and that ibrutinib could be an effective drug especially for HER2+ breast cancer.
Glycosomes (protein-glycogen complex) in the canine heart. Ultrastructure, histochemistry and changes induced by acidic treatment.

Cardiac conducting fibers were selected from two dogs defined as A and B. The specimens differed in the reaction of their electron dense granules, commonly referred to as glycogen, to the treatment en bloc with uranyl acetate. Material was fixed in glutaraldehyde and OsO4. Blocks were processed either conventionally or immersed in uranyl acetate before dehydration. Sections were examined unstained, stained with U and/or Pb or with a histochemical technique (PA-TSC-SP) specific for glycogen. Electron dense granules have affinity to Os, U and Pb which suggests ionic reactions specific for protein but improbable for glycogen. Large granules in A turned into pale ghosts and small granules in B disappeared after treatment en bloc with uranyl acetate. PA-TSC-SP in conventional samples showed glycogen particles arranged into aggregates corresponding in size to the electron dense granules. Treatment en bloc slightly affected glycogen aggregates in A and resulted in a formation of large clumps of glycogen particles in B. It was concluded that the electron dense granules represented protein bound to glycogen in the organelles called glycosomes. Acidic action of uranyl acetate removed protein from glycosomes. The degree of this removal depended on the amount of protein present in glycosomes in the moment of fixation.
An Apparatus to Determine the Solid-Vapor Equilibria of Binary Cryogenic Systems

In the field of low-temperature phase equilibria there is a deficiency of data In the solid-vapor region for several binary systems of technical and theoretical interest. The apparatus described in this paper was designed and constructed to study some of the hydrogen-hydrocarbon and helium-hydrocarbon systems, for which little or no data exist, down to 35°K and at pressures up to 200 atm.
A recurrent neural network for nonlinear time series prediction-a comparative study

The performance of recurrent neural networks (RNNs) is compared with those of conventional nonlinear prediction schemes, such as a Kalman predictor (KP) based on a state-dependent model and a second-order Volterra filter. Simulation results on some typical nonlinear time series data indicate that the neural network can predict with accuracies on a par with the KP. It is noted that a higher-order extended Kalman filter or a Volterra model might provide a better performance than the ones considered. The network requires very few sweeps through the training data, though this will be computationally much more intensive than that required by conventional schemes. The authors discuss the advantages and drawbacks of each of the predictors considered. >
Quasi-three-dimensional particle imaging with digital holography.

In this work, approximate three-dimensional structures of microparticles are generated with digital holography using an automated focus method. This is done by stacking a collection of silhouette-like images of a particle reconstructed from a single in-line hologram. The method enables estimation of the particle size in the longitudinal and transverse dimensions. Using the discrete dipole approximation, the method is tested computationally by simulating holograms for a variety of particles and attempting to reconstruct the known three-dimensional structure. It is found that poor longitudinal resolution strongly perturbs the reconstructed structure, yet the method does provide an approximate sense for the structure’s longitudinal dimension. The method is then applied to laboratory measurements of holograms of single microparticles and their scattering patterns.
Reducing Exposure to Mouse Allergen Among Children and Adolescents With Asthma Is Achievable, but Is It Enough?

Exposure to indoor allergens contributes significantly to asthma morbidity, with children raised in inner-city areas particularly affected by such exposures. Most inner-city homes have evidence of mouse infestation,1 with a linear dose-response relationship between mouse allergen exposure and asthma morbidity among mouse-sensitized children and adolescents.2 Furthermore, a threshold exposure level of greater than 0.5 μg of the major mouse allergen (Mus m1) per gram of house dust has been identified as clinically relevant. Preschool children with asthma living in inner-city Baltimore, Maryland, who were sensitized to mouse allergen and exposed to greater than 0.5 μg/g of Mus m1 experienced 50% more symptom days, 80% more days of β-agonist use, and increased risks of emergency department visits and hospitalizations compared with children with lower levels of exposure.3
Hallmarks of Bone Metastasis

Breast cancer bone metastasis develops as the result of a series of complex interactions between tumor cells, bone marrow cells, and resident bone cells. The net effect of these interactions are the disruption of normal bone homeostasis, often with significantly increased osteoclast and osteoblast activity, which has provided a rational target for controlling tumor progression, with little or no emphasis on tumor eradication. Indeed, the clinical course of metastatic breast cancer is relatively long, with patients likely to experience sequential skeletal-related events (SREs), often over lengthy periods of time, even up to decades. These SREs include bone pain, fractures, and spinal cord compression, all of which may profoundly impair a patient's quality-of-life. Our understanding of the contributions of the host bone and bone marrow cells to the control of tumor progression has grown over the years, yet the focus of virtually all available treatments remains on the control of resident bone cells, primarily osteoclasts. In this perspective, our focus is to move away from the current emphasis on the control of bone cells and focus our attention on the hallmarks of bone metastatic tumor cells and how these differ from primary tumor cells and normal host cells. In our opinion, there remains a largely unmet medical need to develop and utilize therapies that impede metastatic tumor cells while sparing normal host bone and bone marrow cells. This perspective examines the impact of metastatic tumor cells on the bone microenvironment and proposes potential new directions for uncovering the important mechanisms driving metastatic progression in bone based on the hallmarks of bone metastasis.
Development of civil commitment statutes (laws of involuntary detention and treatment) in Sri Lanka: a historical review

Civil commitment is the legal process through which a state can deprive individuals of their liberty based on mental illness. Legal statues of civil commitment are as old as the first therapeutic asylums of the Western world. The evolutions of these standards over the last two centuries reflect the changing landscape of psychiatry, the law and social attitudes towards people with mental illness. In Sri Lanka, the Mental Diseases Ordinance codifies the statuary standards of civil commitment. The current legislature dates back to the Lunacy Ordinance of 1873. The law as it stands was last amended in 1956. The historical development of the civil commitment standards of the current Mental Diseases Ordinance of Sri Lanka reflects similar developments that took place in English mental health law in the 19th and 20th Century. This article summarises the development of civil commitment standards from early 19 th century to modern times in Sri Lanka.