cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transnationalism and Popular Culture: The Case of Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

L'A. etudie un phenomene qu'il nomme «transnationalisme». Celui-ci caracterise la situation des immigrants qui maintiennent des liens economiques, culturels, politiques et familiaux etroits avec leur pays d'origine. Ainsi se creent des champs sociaux qui ignorent les frontieres geographiques, politiques et culturelles. Il s'opere, par ce biais, une reconfiguration des espaces sociaux en tant que les immigres vivent simultanement dans plusieurs d'entre eux. L'A. s'interesse plus particulierement aux bresiliens installes aux Etats-unis. Il presente un certain nombre de donnees collectees entre 1986 et 1990
Average values and racial differences of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio among a nationally representative sample of United States subjects.

Introduction Several studies reported the negative impact of elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on outcomes in many surgical and medical conditions. Previous studies used arbitrary NLR cut-off points according to the average of the populations under study. There is no data on the average NLR in the general population. The aim of this study is to explore the average values of NLR and according to race in adult non-institutional United States individuals by using national data. Methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of aggregated cross-sectional data collected from 2007 to 2010 was analyzed; data extracted included markers of systemic inflammation (neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and NLR), demographic variables and other comorbidities. Subjects who were prescribed steroids, chemotherapy, immunomodulators and antibiotics were excluded. Adjusted linear regression models were used to examine the association between demographic and clinical characteristics and neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts, and NLR. Results Overall 9427 subjects are included in this study. The average value of neutrophils is 4.3k cells/mL, of lymphocytes 2.1k cells/mL; the average NLR is 2.15. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic participants have significantly lower mean NLR values (1.76, 95% CI 1.71–1.81 and 2.08, 95% CI 2.04–2.12 respectively) when compared to non-Hispanic Whites (2.24, 95% CI 2.19–2.28–p<0.0001). Subjects who reported diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and smoking had significantly higher NLR than subjects who did not. Racial differences regarding the association of smoking and BMI with NLR were observed. Conclusions This study is providing preliminary data on racial disparities in a marker of inflammation, NLR, that has been associated with several chronic diseases outcome, suggesting that different cut-off points should be set according to race. It also suggests that racial differences exist in the inflammatory response to environmental and behavioral risk factors.
Synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by islets of Langerhans

Abstract Incorporation of ( 35 S)-sulfate into glycosaminoglycans (GAG) of toadfish islets of Langerhans in vitro was examined. ( 35 S)-sulfated GAG were synthesized by a component of the microsomal fraction, and subsequently transferred to the secretion granules, mitochondria and nuclei. The predominant type of GAG synthesized was heparan sulfate, but chondroitin 4-and 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate were also found.
Is aldosterone synthesized in the CNS regulated and functional

The enzymes involved in the synthesis of aldosterone are also expressed in areas other than the adrenal gland, including the brain. Aldosterone acts in the brain to produce several cardiovascular effects, some of which might result from aldosterone that is synthesized locally and that acts in a paracrine or autocrine manner. Ye and co-workers recently showed that the mRNA expression of the genes for the last enzyme of the aldosterone pathway, aldosterone synthase, is regulated by sodium depletion, as is the case in the adrenal gland. However, the message for aldosterone synthase in the brain is not increased by chronic angiotensin II stimulation or decreased by a high sodium diet, as it is in the adrenal gland. This suggests that aldosterone produced in the brain has regulatory implications different to those of the circulating steroid and thus its regulation is different.
Is the body adiposity index (hip circumference/height(1.5)) more strongly related to skinfold thicknesses and risk factor levels than is BMI? The Bogalusa Heart Study.

Because of its strong association (r 0·85) with percentage of body fat determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, hip circumference divided by height1·5 (the body adiposity index) has recently been proposed as an index of body fatness among adults. We examined whether this proposed index was more strongly associated with skinfold thicknesses and levels of CVD risk factors (lipids, fasting insulin and glucose, and blood pressure) than was BMI among 2369 18- to 49-year-olds in the Bogalusa Heart Study. All analyses indicated that the body adiposity index was less strongly associated with skinfold thicknesses and CVD risk factors than was either waist circumference or BMI. Correlations with the skinfold sum, for example, were r 0·81 (BMI) v. r 0·75 (body adiposity index) among men, and r 0·87 (BMI) v. r 0·80 among women; P<0·001 for both differences. An overall index of seven CVD risk factors was also more strongly associated with BMI (r 0·58) and waist circumference (r 0·61) than with the body adiposity index (r 0·49). The weaker associations with the body adiposity index were observed in analyses stratified by sex, race, age and year of examination. Multivariable analyses indicated that if either BMI or waist circumference were known, the body adiposity index provided no additional information on skinfold thicknesses or risk factor levels. These findings indicate that the body adiposity index is likely to be an inferior index of adiposity than is either BMI or waist circumference.
Heterosynaptic LTD of Hippocampal GABAergic Synapses: A Novel Role of Endocannabinoids in Regulating Excitability

Neuronal excitability and long-term synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses are critically dependent on the level of inhibition, and accordingly, changes of inhibitory synaptic efficacy should have great impact on neuronal function and neural network processing. We describe here a form of activity-dependent long-term depression at hippocampal inhibitory synapses that is triggered postsynaptically via glutamate receptor activation but is expressed presynaptically. That is, glutamate released by repetitive activation of Schaffer collaterals activates group I metabotropic glutamate receptors at CA1 pyramidal cells, triggering a persistent reduction of GABA release that is mediated by endocannabinoids. This heterosynaptic form of plasticity is involved in changes of pyramidal cell excitability associated with long-term potentiation at excitatory synapses and could account for the effects of cannabinoids on learning and memory.
Three-body interaction between an atom and a monolayer film

Abstract An atom (B) situated near a plane of atoms (A) experiences an interaction potential energy V = ( V 2 + V 3 + … The leading term is the sum over the monlayer of 2-body interactions. We compute here the 3-body correction V 3 . Numerical results are presented for the case of noble gases, H and CH 4 . For H or He near a Xe layer, V 3 reduces the well depth by ~ 10%.
Biocompatibility testing of simulated total joint arthoplasty articulation debris

Surface characterization was performed to evaluate the surface condition of an uncoated cobalt alloy disc (control), and discs with medium and thick boron coatings for total joint articulating surfaces. Discs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy before and after dissolution studies. Chemical analyses of elemental transfer to the solution were assessed to evaluate the surface stability of the new coating. An in vivo biocompatibility study for particulates [of boron (B), titanium alloy (Ti), cobalt alloy (Co), and combinations of B + Ti and B + Co] was performed using a rat air pouch model. The inflammatory reactions to particulates were evaluated histologically and histochemically. No physical alteration was seen in the discs after the dissolution studies, and the elemental transfer to the dissolution solution was minimal. The cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and histology results from these simulated debris showed similar and moderate level responses magnitudes for the boron and mixtures and the primary alloy particulates. The conclusion from this initial study was that assessments of the coated discs showed physical properties similar to control. Also results from the in vivo studies of simulated wear debris from boron coatings on titanium and cobalt alloys demonstrated biocompatibility profiles that were mild to moderate and similar to prior analyses of wear debris products in synovial pouch models. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
MicroRNA function is required for neurite outgrowth of mature neurons in the mouse postnatal cerebral cortex

The structure of the postnatal mammalian cerebral cortex is an assembly of numerous mature neurons that exhibit proper neurite outgrowth and axonal and dendritic morphology. While many protein coding genes are shown to be involved in neuronal maturation, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process is also becoming evident. We here report that blocking miRNA biogenesis in differentiated neurons results in microcephaly-like phenotypes in the postnatal mouse brain. The smaller brain defect is not caused by defective neurogenesis, altered neuronal migration or significant neuronal cell death. Surprisingly, a dramatic increase in neuronal packing density within the postnatal brain is observed. Loss of miRNA function causes shorter neurite outgrowth and smaller soma size of mature neurons in vitro. Our results reveal the impact of miRNAs on normal development of neuronal morphology and brain function. Because neurite outgrowth is critical for neuroregeneration, our studies further highlight the importance of miRNAs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
The moderating effect of computer users' autotelic need for touch on brand trust, perceived brand excitement, and brand placement awareness in haptic games and in-game advertising (IGA)

An experiment examined interaction between autotelic NFT and haptic force feedback.High autotelic NFT users of haptics without force feedback had higher brand trust.High autotelic NFT users of haptics without force feedback saw brands as more exciting.High autotelic NFT users of haptics with force feedback had higher ad awareness. Haptic applications for in-game advertising (IGA) remain underexplored in human-computer-interaction (HCI) research despite the exponential growth of haptic technologies. This research examined the interaction of tactile stimuli in a haptics-based computer game and users' autotelic need for touch (NFT) in IGA. Results from a between-subjects experiment (haptic gaming device with force feedback versus haptic gaming device without force feedback) and regression/spotlight analyses indicate the moderating role of autotelic NFT in determining the effects of IGA embedded in a haptic computer game on users' brand trust, perceived brand excitement, and brand placement awareness.
Inhibition of 5'-nucleotidase activity after growth of Dictyostelium discoideum.

The specific activity of 5′-nucleotidase activity in cell-free extracts of Dictyostelium discoideum at both exponential and stationary growth phases was determined. The 5′-nucleotidase activity of both membrane and soluble fractions was determined. The results show that at exponential growth more activity is found in the soluble fraction. Furthermore, the results show that stationary phase cells contain about 10-fold less activity than cells at exponential growth. To determine if stationary phase cells contained an inhibitor of 5′-nucleotidase, purified membranes were incubated with a high speed supernatant (S-100) prepared from cells at this stage. The results showed not only a time and concentration dependent loss of membrane bound activity, but also that most of the lost activity could be recovered in a soluble form. This result suggested that the 5′-nucleotidase was being released by a factor in the S-100. Additional studies showed inactivation of the releasing factor by a protease and further, that this inactivation could be prevented by serine protease inhibitors. The specificity of releasing factor with respect to two other membrane bound activities was determined. The results indicated no loss of either 3′5′-cyclic phosphodiesterase or adenylate cyclase. In addition, the results of a comparison of the activity of the releasing factor at two stages of growth showed similar values at both exponential and stationary growth phase. This latter finding suggests that the loss of 5′-nucleotidase activity at stationary phase is not due to modulation of the releasing factor activity. An alternative mechanism is proposed.
Dominant spin relaxation mechanism in compound organic semiconductors

Spin relaxation in most solids is caused primarily by mechanisms associated with spin-orbit and contact hyperfine interactions. Since compound organic semiconductors are typically made of light elements hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, the spin-orbit interaction in them should be very weak since it is proportional to the fourth power of the atomic number of the constituent elements. At the same time, contact hyperfine interaction between electron and nuclear spins should also be very weak—at least in -conjugated organic molecules—because the -electrons’ wave functions are mainly pz orbitals that have nodes in the molecular plane. 1 As a result, organics tend to exhibit long spin relaxation times that could exceed those in inorganic semiconductors by several orders of magnitude at temperatures well above that of liquid nitrogen. This has generated significant interest in organic spintronics 2–5 owing to the realization that organic semiconductors could very well emerge as the material of choice in many spintronic applications. Despite all this interest and research, a question of fundamental importance has remained unanswered: which of the two mechanisms—spin-orbit interaction or hyperfine interaction—is the dominant causative agent for spin relaxation in organics. Because spin-orbit interaction is so much weaker in organics than in inorganics, the trend has been to conjecture tacitly that contact hyperfine interaction must be the dominant spin relaxation mechanism. 5–7 However, to our knowledge, no conclusive evidence has ever been presented to substantiate this belief. This remains an open question. In this Brief Report, we show that a large body of experimental evidence does not support the notion that hyperfine interaction is the dominant spin relaxation mechanism in the most widely studied organics. Instead, it points to the ElliottYafet mechanism, 8 arising from spin-orbit interaction, as being the more likely culprit. We reach this conclusion based on the reported temperature and electric-field dependences of the spin-diffusion length—the latter reported here—which are not consistent with hyperfine interaction, but are consistent with the Elliott-Yafet mechanism being dominant. In the rest of this Brief Report, we elucidate the arguments leading to this conclusion. At a temperature T and in an electric field E, the spindiffusion length LsE ,T of a spin carrier in any solid is related to the spin relaxation time sE ,T and the carrier
Functional calculus and its application to operator algebras

In this paper we will prove that any unital isometric representation ofH ∞(Ω) with finitely connected domain Ω has property (A 1(r)) for somer≥1, which generalizes the same conclusion in [2] and [8].
A method for early detection of T-DNA transfer.

A mannopine synthase—β-glucuronidase gene fusion,mas-uidA, was used to detect T-DNA transfer 48 hours afterA. tumefaciens infection of radish root disks. A detailed procedure for infection, tissue preparation and GUS histochemistry is given. A CaMV 35S promoter was shown to be unsuitable as it was highly expressed in the bacteria. A distinct pattern of GUS activity was found in radish roots infected with themas-uidA fusion indicating a specificity of expression in the metabolically active cambium and phloem parenchyma cells. This assay is useful for studying T-DNA transfer and host range differences amongA. tumefaciens strains.
FPGA implementation of an IIR temporal filtering technique for real-time stimulus artifact rejection

This paper presents a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of an infinite impulse response (IIR) temporal filtering technique for real-time stimulus artifact rejection (SAR) with applicability to neuroscience and neural engineering scenarios in which electrical stimulation of the nervous system and recording of neural activity occur in the same medium. Specifically, a digital signal processing (DSP) unit comprising a first-order, IIR, highpass filter followed by the SAR algorithm circuitry and associated timing and operation control unit is synthesized and mapped onto the DE2 Development and Educational Board with the Cyclone II device as its FPGA platform. Using two sets of neural data prerecorded from an Aplysia californica, we first demonstrate that the FPGA simulation results match those obtained with MATLAB™ simulation. Further, measured results from the FPGA verify that memory initialization with the first recorded artifact can speed up the IIR system operation significantly, and that the proposed architecture can eliminate virtually all stimulus artifacts from the recorded data in real time and recover the extracellular neural activity.
Population trapping during laser induced molecular excitation and dissociation

Abstract A four-level model is solved analytically and used to show that laser induced excitation can result in population trapping in excited states under quasi-steady state conditions, even when chemical reactivity and/or dissociation occurs from higher states.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Voltage-Sensing Mechanisms

Voltage-gated ion channels (VGIC) form a large superfamily of ion channels and the activation of these channels underlie electrical and chemical signaling in a variety of cell types. Structure-function studies are widely used to deduce the energetic effects of a mutation by measuring macroscopic currents and fitting their voltage-dependence to a Boltzmann function. However, in absence of detailed kinetic models, this approach can introduce serious errors in free-energy estimates because of the inherent assumption that the channel activation is a two-state process. We recently developed analytical tools that allows us to calculate the free energies required for activation of voltage-dependent processes without any prior knowledge of the underlying gating scheme. Our method involves measurement of conjugate displacement associated with the force that drives the activation of these channels. In the case of voltage-gated ion channels, gating charge movement is the conjugate displacement and the force is voltage across the membrane. We show that by measuring the median voltage of charge transfer, VM, and the total gating charge per channel, we can calculate the chemical free energy difference between the resting and activated state of the channels. These free-energy measurements can be extended to other members of the VGIC superfamily to obtain a measure of interaction energies between voltage- and ligand-dependent pathways. Development of well-defined model-independent metrics of interaction energies will be crucial for delineating molecular interaction pathways and understand the mechanisms of voltage-transduction.
SU‐CC‐ValA‐08: Air‐Kerma Strength Determination of a 169Ytterbium High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Source

Purpose: To provide an accurate determination of the new 169Yb high dose rate (HDR) bracytherapy source in terms of air kerma strength, based on an adaptation of the current, NIST traceable, in air measurement standard in use for 192 Ir HDR sources.Methods and Materials: Several modifications to the seven distance technique, which is the current standard for HDR source strength measurement, were required to adapt it to the 169Yb spectrum. An Exradin A4 spherical chamber was employed, which has a relatively flat chamber response to the range of energies in the 169Yb spectrum, and has been verified to accurately measure the air kerma strength of 192 Ir to within the reported uncertainty of the current standard measurement technique. To convert the electrometer readings to source strength, a chamber coefficient, Nk, was determined by using the NIST calibrated chamber coefficients from several NIST H‐Beams, whose energy spectrums fall strategically within the 169Yb spectrum. Several correction factors must be applied to these electrometer readings, including corrections for temperature and pressure, air attenuation, air scatter, ion recombination, and corrections for the finite size of the chamber. Results: The decay corrected average of fourteen measurement iterations was 8.063 × 10−3 Gy‐m2/hr. Analysis of uncertainty was performed on these experimental 169Yb air kerma measurements using the standard NIST method for evaluating uncertainty. This analysis established an overall k = 2 expanded uncertainty of 2.10%. Conclusion: It is shown that, with a few modifications, the current standard for high dose rate brachytherapysourcecalibration could be employed to accurately calibrate the new 169 Yb HDR brachytherapysource in terms of air kerma strength. The uncertainties as analyzed fall within those currently used for 192 Ir calibration.Conflict of Interest: Research funding provided by Implant Sciences Corporation.
Editorial: Pediatric Phlebotomy

(1996). Editorial: Pediatric Phlebotomy. Pediatric Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. iii-iv.
Arousal and hallucinatory activity under two isolation conditions.

Experimental exploration of the hypothesis that soundproof-room and water-immersion isolation environments differ with respect to the variety of physiological responses and reported hallucinations they elicit. The results obtained support the hypothesis in regard to physiological responses only.
Sleep-disordered breathing and atrial fibrillation.

A trial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in the United States, with a prevalence approaching 2.5 million persons and estimates of 10 million having the disease by the year 2050. The Framingham Heart Study suggests that a 40-year-old has a 1 in 4 lifetime risk of developing AF. The importance of AF stems from its sequelae, particularly thromboembolic stroke and heart failure (HF), and a possible increase in overall mortality. Despite advances in drug and nonpharmacologic therapy, AF remains a public health problem, fueling interest in alternative avenues of treatment that may come from better management of secondary causes of AF that include hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and possibly, based upon increasing evidence, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
Sexual Risk Behavior, Drug Use, and STD Rates Among Incarcerated Women

ABSTRACT Objective: To present a profile of long-term incarcerated women in two southern states. Methods: 472 women responded to interview questions assessing their arrest histories, STD rates, sexual risk behaviors, and drug/alcohol use. Results: Lifetime sexual behaviors were risky and drug use was high: 38.9% had been told they had an STD over the course of their lifetimes. Current risk behaviors were fewer: 17.8% of incarcerated women were sexually active while incarcerated (mostly with other women), and reported drug use was low. Conclusion: The drop in the number of risk behaviors among long-term incarcerated women presents an opportunity for risk reduction interventions aimed at post-release.
Meta-analysis of radiation therapy with and without adjuvant chemotherapy for malignant gliomas in adults

Background. The value of chemotherapy after standard postoperative external beam radiation in the treatment of malignant gliomas remains controversial. Despite recent recommendations from the Brain Tumor Cooperative Group that chemotherapy should be considered part of the standard treatment of patients with highgrade astrocytomas, several recent trials have questioned the efficacy of this approach. Methods. Using results from 16 randomized clinical trials involving more than 3000 patients, the authors compared the survival rates of patients who received radiation alone or radiation with chemotherapy. The combined data were analyzed using the statistical method of meta-analysis as described by DerSimonian and Laird. Results. The estimated increase in survival for patients treated with combination radiation and chemotherapy was 10.1% at 1 year (95% confidence interval, 6.8, 13.3%) and 8.6% at 2 years (5.2, 12.0%). These absolute increases in survival (treated-control [TC]) in patients treated with chemotherapy represent relative increases (T-C)/C of 23.4% at 1 year (15.8, 30.9%) and 52.4% at 2 years (31.7, 73.2%). This survival advantage is conferred by several different chemotherapeutic agents. When the prognostic variables of age and histology are factored into the analysis, however, the data suggest that the survival benefit from chemotherapy occurs earlier in patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) than in patients with glioblastoma. Conclusions. The authors concluded that chemotherapy is advantageous for patients with malignant gliomas and should be considered part of the standard therapeutic regimen. Additional randomized trials using optimal radiation and chemotherapy may still be needed to precisely define which subgroups of patients, based on prognostic variables, will benefit most from chemotherapy after radiation.
The quantitative assessment of the benefits of physiological integration in clonal plants

A genet of a clonal plant often has ramets persistently interconnected by living tissue capable of supporting the exchange of materials. This condition is known as physiological integration. A quantitative framework is developed for the study of the fitness benefits of physiological integration in clonal plants in spatially heterogeneous environments. We argue that the relative growth rate of the genet is a suitable approximate measure of fitness. Fitness benefits of physiological integration are then measured by comparing genet relative growth rates between heterogeneous and homogeneous environmental conditions. Fitness benefit measures are derived for both exponential and non-exponential growth of genet (clonal) fragments and for equilibrium scenarios. For short time-scales and equilibrium scenarios, we show how the fitness benefit (at the level of the genet) can be decomposed into net benefits accruing at the level of the genet fragment, which can then be further analysed in terms of costs and benefits for the parent and offspring sections of a genet fragment. Applying these benefit measures to simple models of clonal plant growth shows that net benefits of physiological integration may disappear with time and become net costs when physiological integration occurs between strictly good and poor environments. Such time dependence is predicted to result from long-term dominance of total genet growth by genet fragments in good environments. Time dependence, however, would not necessarily occur when the various environments are not strictly good or bad but have complementary attributes. Similarly, net benefits would not necessarily be time-dependent under equilibrium growth scenarios. The net benefit measures derived here allow such time dependence to be assessed in an experimental setting. Although the quantitative methods developed here focus specifically on a common experimental design in which genet fragments are divided into sections subject to different environmental conditions, these methods extend to complex scenarios that might be justified by particular circumstances in the field.
Two-level Voltage-controlled magnetization switch using a ferromagnetic semiconductor resonant-tunneling diode

It is predicted from a simple analytic theory of quantum transport, coupled to the mean-field theory for dilute magnetic semiconductor ferromagnetism, that a resonant-tunneling diode with a ferromagnetic semiconductor well can be engineered to function as a two-level magnetic switch with a large magnetization swing controlled by the applied bias across the device. Self-consistent transport and electrostatics simulations, together with the aforementioned mean-field theory, are used to illustrate a single, sharp transition of the Curie temperature of the system from its equilibrium value to nearly zero for a suitable choice of device parameters.
APPLICATION OF A GLOBAL 3D MODEL TO IMPROVE REGIONAL EVENT LOCATIONS

Accurate location of weak seismic events is crucial for monitoring clandestine nuclear tests, for studying local seismic structures, and for assessing possible seismic hazards. Outside of a few regions with dense seismic networks, weak seismic events (with magnitude less than 4) are usually sparsely recorded at epicentral distances less than 20°. Because of lateral variations in crustal and upper mantle structures, observed travel times of seismic phases deviate significantly from predictions based on 1-dimensional (1D) seismic models. Accurately locating weak seismic events remains a difficult task for modern seismology. Perhaps the most promising solution to this problem is the use of a 3-dimensional (3D) model of the Earth. Here we present the results of a validation test in which, using the 3D model SR2002 of the crust and upper mantle and regional phase data alone, we relocate ~ 200 earthquakes and nuclear explosions in Eurasia. The 3D model is constructed using surface wave dispersion data. The event locations using the 3D model are compared with so-called Ground Truth data, either known by non-seismic means or validated by cluster analysis, with location accuracy mostly 5 km or better. Typically, the 3D model reduces the location errors to about half the values attained with the 1D model; i.e., ~ 18 km location errors are reduced to about 9 km. This test indicates that the location of regional events can be significantly improved by using a global 3D model.
RNAi reveals anti-apoptotic and transcriptionally repressive activities of DAXX.

The function of DAXX, a highly conserved mammalian gene, has remained controversial; this is due, in part, to its identification in a variety of yeast two-hybrid screens. Targeted deletion in the mouse revealed that DAXX is essential for embryonic development. Furthermore, the increased levels of apoptosis observed in Daxx -knockout embryos and embryonic stem cell lines suggested that DAXX functions in an anti-apoptotic capacity. In contrast, overexpression studies showed that DAXX may promote apoptosis. Additional studies showed that, when overexpressed, DAXX could function as a transcriptional repressor. To clarify these matters, we have used RNAi to deplete endogenous DAXX and thereby assess DAXX function in cell lines previously tested in overexpression studies. Increased apoptosis was observed in DAXX-depleted cells, showing DAXX to be anti-apoptotic. The apoptosis induced by the absence of DAXX was rescued by Bcl-2 overexpression. In addition, transcriptional derepression was observed in RNAi-treated cells, indicating the ability of endogenous DAXX to repress gene expression and allowing for the identification of novel targets of DAXX repression, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)- and E2F1- regulated targets. Thus, depletion of DAXX by RNAi has verified the crucial role of endogenous DAXX as an anti-apoptotic regulator, and has allowed the identification of probable physiological targets of DAXX transcriptional repression.
Stealthy malware detection through vmm-based "out-of-the-box" semantic view reconstruction

An alarming trend in malware attacks is that they are armed with stealthy techniques to detect, evade, and subvert malware detection facilities of the victim. On the defensive side, a fundamental limitation of traditional host-based anti-malware systems is that they run inside the very hosts they are protecting ("in the box"), making them vulnerable to counter-detection and subversion by malware. To address this limitation, recent solutions based on virtual machine (VM) technologies advocate placing the malware detection facilities outside of the protected VM ("out of the box"). However, they gain tamper resistance at the cost of losing the native, semantic view of the host which is enjoyed by the "in the box" approach, thus leading to a technical challenge known as the semantic gap.In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of VMwatcher - an "out-of-the-box" approach that overcomes the semantic gap challenge. A new technique called guest view casting is developed to systematically reconstruct internal semantic views (e.g., files, processes, and kernel modules) of a VM from the outside in a non-intrusive manner. Specifically, the new technique casts semantic definitions of guest OS data structures and functions on virtual machine monitor (VMM)-level VM states, so that the semantic view can be reconstructed. With the semantic gap bridged, we identify two unique malware detection capabilities: (1) view comparison-based malware detection and its demonstration in rootkit detection and (2) "out-of-the-box" deployment of host-based anti-malware software with improved detection accuracy and tamper-resistance. We have implemented a proof-of-concept prototype on both Linux and Windows platforms and our experimental results with real-world malware, including elusive kernel-level rootkits, demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.
Analysis of deeply scaled multi-gate devices with design centering across multiple voltage regimes

This work aims at finding a design-centered FinFET model with small geometric for circuit and system level simulations and performance prediction of next-generation systems on chip. A number of devices including the ITRS 7nm multi-gate device are used as examples. While adjusting design parameters for the transistors, a design centering step is included in which the gate workfunction is carefully adjusted to account for the increased power dissipation due to gate length variations. Using a cross-layer framework, compact device models and standard cell libraries are built up for circuit-level and system-level simulations. Simulation results of SRAM cells as well as some combinational/sequential benchmark circuits are shown to compare the device performance in different technologies.
Evaluation of Random Projection for Malware Classification

Research efforts to develop malicious application detection algorithms have been a priority ever since the discovery of the first "viruses". Various methods are used to search and identify these malicious applications. One such method, n-gram analysis, can be implemented to extract features from binary files. These features are then be used by machine learning algorithms to classify them as malicious or benign. However, the resulting high dimensionality of the features makes accurate detection in some cases impossible. This is known as "the curse of dimensionality". To counteract this effect, a feature reduction technique known as randomized projection was implemented. Through this reduction, not only are classification times decreased but also an increase in true positive and decreases false positive rates are observed. By varying the n-gram size and target feature size it is possible to fine-tune the accuracy of machine learning algorithms to reach an average accuracy of 99%.
Space-conserving optimal DNA-protein alignment

DNA-protein alignment algorithms can be used to discover coding sequences in a genomic sequence, if the corresponding protein derivatives are known. They can also be used to identify potential coding sequences of a newly sequenced genome, by using proteins from related species. Previously known algorithms either solve a simplified formulation, or sacrifice optimality to achieve practical implementation. In this paper, we present a comprehensive formulation of the DNA-protein alignment problem, and an algorithm to compute the optimal alignment in O(mn) time using only four tables of size (m + 1) /spl times/ (n + 1), where m and n are the lengths of the DNA and protein sequences, respectively. We also developed a protein and DNA alignment program PanDA that implements the proposed solution. Experimental results indicate that our algorithm produces high quality alignments.
Prepulse inhibition of the startle eyeblink as an indicator of temporal summation

The inhibition of the human startle eyeblink response was assessed in three experiments in which the duration of the prepulse was manipulated. In all cases, inhibition of startle was more pronounced as prepulse duration increased from 6 to 50 msec. Inhibition of startle amplitude for single prepulses was not significantly different from that for paired prepulses (Experiment 1), but inhibition was more pronounced as prepulse intensity increased (Experiment 3). Varying the interval between prepulse offset and startle-stimulus onset had no significant effect on inhibition (Experiment 2). These data demonstrate the sensitivity of startle inhibition to prepulse duration, and suggest that this response system can be used to evaluate early temporal summation in the auditory system.
Active electrodes for EEG and evoked potential

This article reports the design, fabrication and evaluation results of active electrodes. The clinical results demonstrated their reliability and showed that they can be used for all types of biopotential measurements without conductive paste and abrasive skin preparation. A low noise amplifier is packaged on the back of the electrode disk. The laboratory measured performance of electrodes are: input bias current, 1 to 25 pA; input resistance, 1.8 to 3.6 giga-ohms; input capacitance 2 to 4 pF; gain, 0.9996; noise, (input grounded, 0.1 to 100 Hz), 2.4 to 3.4 /spl mu/V p-p or 0.8 to 1.2 /spl mu/V-rms; stability (input grounded), input bias stable within 5 /spl mu/V in 8 hours. These electrodes were evaluated clinically on volunteers at three medical institutions. The results showed that EEG recordings of active electrodes without skin preparation are the same as that of conventional gold cup electrodes with abrasive preparation. Due to the low lead impedance the 60 Hz and other interferences are smaller. Furthermore, because of the very low input bias current, the active electrode is stable with time. Recordings of two EEG electrodes at the time of application (no abrasion) and 48 hours later showed same signal quality. A multi-electrode attachment system is being developed for easy applications.
Tryptophan fluorescence studies of plasma fibronectin: effects of environmental factors.

Steady state fluorescence measurements have been used to study tryptophan fluorescence of plasma fibronectin. The native protein has an emission maximum at 337 nm with a quantum yield of 0.03. A red shift of emission maximum was observed in 3–5M urea and a further red shift in 7–8M urea. The emission maximum shifted from 337 to 345 nm when the temperature was changed from 30 to 80°C, with a midpoint of thermal denaturation at 58°C. Similarly, the emission maximum shifted from 337 to 345 nm when the solution pH was increased from 9 to 12, with a midpoint of pH transition at 10.6. The results obtained from difference absorption spectroscopy studies suggest that the unfolding of fibronectin at alkaline pH is related at least in part to ionization of tyrosine residues. Since most of the tryptophan residues are in invariant positions in homology sequences, it is suggested here that tryptophan residues are useful intrinsic probes for elucidating fibronectin structure in solution.
Hyperactivity and Intact Hippocampus-Dependent Learning in Mice Lacking the M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor

Members of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor family are thought to play key roles in the regulation of a large number of important functions of the CNS. However, the precise roles of the individual muscarinic receptor subtypes in modulating these processes are not well understood at present, primarily because of the lack of ligands with sufficient receptor subtype selectivity. To investigate the behavioral significance of the M(1) muscarinic receptor (M(1)R), which is abundantly expressed in the forebrain, we subjected M(1) receptor-deficient mice (M(1)R(-/-) mice) to a battery of behavioral tests. M(1)R(-/-) mice showed no significant impairments in neurological reflexes, motor coordination, pain sensitivity, and prepulse inhibition. Strikingly, however, M(1)R(-/-) mice consistently exhibited a pronounced increase in locomotor activity in various tests, including open field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark transition tests. Moreover, M(1)R(-/-) mice showed reduced immobilization in the Porsolt forced swim test and reduced levels of freezing after inescapable footshocks, suggesting that M(1)R(-/-) mice are hyperactive under stressful conditions as well. An increased number of social contacts was observed in a social interaction test. Surprisingly, M(1)R(-/-) mice displayed no significant cognitive impairments in the Morris water maze and in contextual fear conditioning. M(1)R(-/-) mice showed slight performance deficits in auditory-cued fear conditioning and in an eight-arm radial maze, most likely because of the hyperactivity phenotype displayed by the M(1)R(-/-) mice. Our results indicate that M(1) muscarinic receptors play an important role in the regulation of locomotor activity but appear to be less critical for cognitive processes, as generally assumed.
A Simple Method for 3′-Labeling of RNA

We describe a simple method for 3'-end labeling RNAs of known sequence. A short DNA template is designed to anneal to the 3'-end of the RNA, with a two nucleotide 5' overhang of 3'-TA-5', 3'-TG-5' or 3'-TC-5'. The Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I can then cleanly and efficiently extend the 3'-end of the RNA by the incorporation of a single alpha-32P-labeled dATP residue. This method can be used to label one RNA in a mixture of RNAs, or to label 5'-blocked RNAs such as mRNA.
Energy minimization and reliability for wearable medical applications

Wearable medical systems, which are used for medical monitoring, assessment, and/or treatment have the essential requirements to be low energy consuming and reliable. They must be energy efficient, so that battery size is minimal, to ensure that the systems are convenient to use. Also, they must be highly reliable, because they are being developed for critical medical applications. In this paper, we examine the critical requirement of energy minimization, specifically for wearable medical systems. We present an overview of the general power management schemes, along with more specific approaches tailored to wearable systems. We specifically highlight two medical wearable systems, RFAB and CustoMed, being developed by our group. Finally, we discuss the relationship between reliability and power management, and how this impacts the critical medical systems we are examining.
Endovascular repositioning of a migrated stent graft using "endoanchor capture".

Endovascular aneurysm repair is increasingly used to treat patients harboring abdominal aortic aneurysms with severe comorbidities that make them unfavorable candidates for open repair. Graft-related complications in these patients also require unique solutions. We report the novel technique of “endoanchor capture” for successful repositioning of a migrated stent graft.
P300 and handedness: On the possible contribution of corpus callosal size to ERPs

The P300 event-related potential (ERP) was elicited in left- and right-handed young adult male and female participants (n = 20/group) with both auditory and visual stimulus discrimination tasks that varied systematically in difficulty. P300 amplitude was larger across all task conditions for left- than for right-handed participants at anterior and central electrode sites. P300 latency was shorter across all task conditions for left- than for right-handers. Task difficulty did not affect the ERP handedness differences. Male and female subjects demonstrated comparable ERP handedness effects, although smaller P300 components were obtained for males than for females. When considered in the context of corpus callosal size differences for left-versus right-handed and male versus female participants, the findings suggest that the P300 reflects callosal size and interhemispheric transmission efficacy.
How Can Elementary Teachers Measure Singing Voice Achievement? A Critical Review of Assessments, 1994-2009.

The first content standard of the National Standards for Music Education requires that students sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Although state and district elementary mus...
The dynamics of the urge-to-smoke following smoking cessation via pharmacotherapy.

Aims To examine person-specific urge-to-smoke trajectories during the first 7 days of abstinence and the relationship of trajectory parameters to continuous abstinence, demographics, medication and smoking history. Design Hierarchical linear modeling was used to model person-specific trajectories for urge-to-smoke. Setting Two university-based smoking cessation trials. Participants Treatment-seeking smokers in a clinical trial of transdermal nicotine (n = 275) versus nicotine spray (n = 239) and of bupropion (n = 223) versus placebo (n = 198). Measurements Self-reported urge-to-smoke for 7 days after the planned quit date, and 7-day point prevalence and continuous abstinence at end of treatment (EOT) and 6 months. Findings Urge-to-smoke trajectory parameters (average level, slope, curvature and volatility) varied substantially among individuals, had modest intercorrelations and predicted continuous and point prevalence abstinence at EOT and at 6 months. Higher trajectory level, slope and volatility were all significantly (P ≤ 0.001) associated with a reduced likelihood of abstinence at EOT (odds ratios 0.44–0.75) and at 6-month follow-up (odds ratios from 0.63 to 0.78), controlling for demographic, medication and smoking use variables. Conclusion Higher urge-to-smoke trajectory parameters of level, slope and volatility (measured over 7 days) predict continuous and 7-day point prevalence at EOT and 6 months. Although there were some associations of trajectory parameters with demographics and smoking history, the associations of trajectory parameters with relapse were relatively uninfluenced by demographics and smoking history.
Scheduling techniques for reducing leakage power in hard real-time systems

Modern embedded systems are often severely resource-constrained. In current research, the reduction of dynamic power has been the focus. However, with increased chip speed and density in submicron scale, the static (leakage) power consumption has become an increasingly significant fraction of the total. Indeed, a five-fold increase in leakage power per technology generation has been observed. At this pace, leakage power could soon equal dynamic power. In this paper, we investigate scheduling policies to reduce leakage power in real-time systems. We show that with simple scheduling techniques, overall leakage energy can be reduced by an order of magnitude.