cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards secure distributed hash table

A distributed hash table (DHT) provides decentralized lookup service for distributed applications. All current implementations of DHT are achieved by the individual components being run by the participants of the application in question. Namely, the correctness of the DHT relies on that all the participants follow the same protocol. Unfortunately, this aspect of the current approach makes DHT seriously vulnerable to attacks. Such security and fault tolerance concerns about DHT prompted several attempts to improve the vulnerability of DHT. However, all the proposed solutions also rely on the code to be executed correctly. We present in this paper a novel way for implementing DHT, giving rise to an architecture we call GDHT, for Governed Distributed Hash Table. GDHT implements the required protocol with a powerful means for establishing policies governing the behaviors of the participants of DHT. By carrying out the protocol by an equally distributed middleware, the correctness of the execution of routing algorithm is guaranteed. Moreover, the execution of the security module and improvements on routing algorithm can also be ensured.
Use of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) powder to enhance artificial diet formulations for Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The predatory lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata has potential to control several arthropod pests on crop plants in greenhouses and high tunnels. However, an effective artificial diet is needed in order to mass produce C. maculata in sufficient quantities for augmentative releases. The objectives of this study were to develop a semi-solid insect-free artificial diet, evaluate the diet effects on C. maculata fitness, and determine if adding extracts (consisting of dry powder of whole pupae) of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, could improve the suitability of the diet formulations and the life parameters of C. maculata. Although C. maculata completed development and reproduced on two meridic artificial diet formulations (M1 and M2), neither one was as effective as a control diet mix consisting of Ephestia kuehniella, Artemia sp. eggs, and bee pollen. Incorporation of T. molitor extracts into the diet formulation (5 and 7% in diets T1 and T2, respectively), significantly improved C. maculata larval survival, shortened post-embryonic development time, increased fecundity and egg viability as compared to the meridic diet formulations. Adults feeding on diets T1 and T2 (containing T. molitor extracts) produced more eggs and had a better survival than those feeding on the control diet mix. Also, egg viability was significantly higher in diets T1 and T2 than in the control. Demographic parameters showed that the overall fitness of C. maculata fed the meridic diet containing T. molitor extracts was superior to beetles fed the control mix. The role of feeding stimulation by T. molitor added components as responsible for the diet improvement is discussed.
Introduction: Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries — Where Do We Now Stand?

This volume is about foreign direct investment in developing countries. The chapters were selected from papers presented at the Thirteenth Congress of the International Economic Association, held in Lisbon, Portugal in September 2002. To be included in this volume, a paper had to address some aspect of the topic, but some addressed it rather obliquely, and justification for their inclusion is noted below.
Using background modes for testing, debugging and emulation of microcontroller

The background mode of operation for the M68MC16 and M68300 families of microcontrollers has provided a method whereby an external host development system can take control of the microcontroller causing it to execute certain elementary commands. As shown here, a more complex system can be built using the background mode as a base to form an inexpensive, yet capable, emulation system. The addition of a bus state analyzer and appropriate software can further enhance a host development system's usefulness without significantly impacting the complexity of the emulation/debugging system. Most importantly, the background debug mode allows the actual microcontroller in the target system to emulate itself providing, perhaps, the most accurate form of emulation.
Therapy of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a discussion on the therapy of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ICH is due to rupture of small arteries located within the substance of the brain, and its main mechanism is hypertension. The affected vessels are perforating branches of 50 to 200μm in diameter in deep, basal ganglionic hemorrhages. A number of mechanisms other than hypertension are known to cause ICH. These include cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), vascular malformations (arterio-venous malformations, cavernous angiomas), brain tumors, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic agents, sympathomimetic drugs, and vasculitis. Most of these nonhypertensive causes of ICH lead to hematomas in lobar locations, whereas hypertensive ICH predominates in the deep portions of the hemispheres, in the basal ganglia and thalamus. Pathologically, an ICH is a round or ovoid mass of blood in the brain parenchyma that destroys and displaces adjacent tissues. Before reaching its final size, the hematoma has progressively increased in size over periods of minutes to hours and the resulting mass, if large, causes an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). The chapter discusses features related to increased intracranial pressure, features specific to hemorrhage location, management of increased intracranial pressure, and others. The discussion on the control of bleeding includes reversal of anticoagulation, evaluation of vascular malformations that could have caused bleeding, and control of severe hypertension.
Peak Measurement for Vancomycin AUC Estimation in Obese Adults Improves Precision and Lowers Bias

Vancomycin area under the curve (AUC) estimates may be skewed in obese adults due to weight-dependent pharmacokinetic parameters. We demonstrate that peak and trough measurements reduce bias and improve the precision of vancomycin AUC estimates in obese adults (n = 75) and validate this in an independent cohort (n = 31). The precision and mean percent bias of Bayesian vancomycin AUC estimates are comparable between covariate-dependent (R2 = 0.774, 3.55%) and covariate-independent (R2 = 0.804, 3.28%) models when peaks and troughs are measured but not when measurements are restricted to troughs only (R2 = 0.557, 15.5%).
Interface formation of epitaxial MgO/Co 2 MnSi(001) structures: Elemental segregation and oxygen migration

Abstract The interface formation in epitaxial MgO / Co 2 MnSi ( 001 ) films was studied using in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). MgO was deposited on single crystal Co 2 MnSi ( 001 ) layers using e-beam evaporation: a technique which is expected to oxidize the Co 2 MnSi layer somewhat due to the rise in oxygen partial pressure during MgO deposition while leaving the deposited MgO oxygen deficient. Not unexpectedly, we find that e-beam evaporation of MgO raises the oxygen background in the deposition chamber to a level that readily oxidizes the Co 2 MnSi surface, with oxygen bonding preferentially to Mn and Si over Co. Interestingly, this oxidation causes an elemental segregation, with Mn-Si effectively moving toward the surface, resulting in an MgO / Co 2 MnSi interface with a composition significantly differing from the original surface of the unoxidized Co 2 MnSi film. As MgO is deposited on the oxidized Co 2 MnSi , the Mn-oxides are reduced, while the Si oxide remains, and is only somewhat reduced after additional annealing in ultrahigh vacuum. Annealing after the MgO is grown on Co 2 MnSi causes oxygen to move away from the oxidized Co 2 MnSi interface toward the surface and into the MgO. This observation is consistent with an increase in the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio with post-growth annealing measured in fabricated magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The findings are discussed in light of fabrication of MgO/Heusler based MTJs, where the exponential decay of tunneling probability with contact separation exemplifies the importance of the ferromagnet/tunnel barrier interface.
Isotopic Characterization of Mercury Downstream of Historic Industrial Contamination in the South River, Virginia

Historic point source mercury (Hg) contamination from industrial processes on the South River (Waynesboro, Virginia) ended decades ago, but elevated Hg concentrations persist in the river system. In an effort to better understand Hg sources, mobility, and transport in the South River, we analyzed total Hg (THg) concentrations and Hg stable isotope compositions of streambed sediments, stream bank soils, suspended particles, and filtered surface waters. Samples were collected along a longitudinal transect of the South River, starting upstream of the historic Hg contamination point-source and extending downstream to the confluence with the South Fork Shenandoah River. Analysis of the THg concentration and Hg isotopic composition of these environmental samples indicates that the regional background Hg source is isotopically distinct in both Δ199Hg and δ202Hg from Hg derived from the original source of contamination, allowing the tracing of contamination-sourced Hg throughout the study reach. Three distinct en...
Letter by Chang et al Regarding Article, “Minocycline in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage: An Early Phase Randomized Trial”

We read with great interest the article, “Minocycline in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage: An Early Phase Randomized Trial,” by Fouda et al1 published in Stroke . Although its efficacy in improving clinical outcome after ischemic stroke is unclear,2,3 minocycline’s safety profile in ischemic stroke is well established. However, until now, its safety profile and clinical efficacy in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remained unclear. The search for neuroprotectants in ICH that improve clinical outcome is particularly important in the current landscape because recent trials targeting hematoma expansion have failed to show clinical benefit. Minocycline has been shown to be an MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinase-9) inhibitor. This allows for a potential mechanism …
Well-Being among Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians: Results from the ABEM Longitudinal Study of Emergency Medicine Residents

Abstract Background The Longitudinal Study of Emergency Medicine Residents (LSEMR) conducted by the American Board of Emergency Medicine queries a randomized cohort of emergency medicine (EM) residents. It is designed to identify residents’ perceptions of their training, sources of stress, well-being level, and career choice satisfaction over time. Objectives This study utilizes LSEMR to identify resident well-being levels, career satisfaction, factors producing stress, and whether a specific cohort is more stressed than the overall respondent group. Methods Data from five longitudinal cohorts were analyzed using descriptive statistics to assess stressors, career satisfaction, and self-reported resident well-being. Participants’ answers were reported on a 5-point Likert scale. Results There were 766 residents who completed the survey in five cohorts. Respondents were 30 years old (median 29), male (66%), and predominantly White (79%). The most frequently encountered problems included “time devoted to documentation and bureaucratic issues,” “knowing enough,” and “crowding in the emergency department.” In contrast, the least frequently reported problems included “gender discrimination,” “EMS support,” “minority discrimination,” and “other residents.” Respondents thought being an EM resident was fun and would select EM again. Less than 20% indicated they had seriously considered transferring to another EM program. Resident reports of health concerns changed over time, with fewer residents reporting they were exceptionally healthy in 2016. Conclusions Residents are, overall, happy with their career choice. However, concern was expressed regarding continued well-being in training. Sources of stress in training are identified. Strategies should be developed to decrease identified stressors and increase well-being among EM residents.
Zolpidem for dementia-related insomnia and nighttime wandering.

ObjectiveTo describe two elderly patients with dementia and severe nighttime wandering in whom Zolpidem restored normal sleep patterns.Case SummariesA 90-year-old African-American woman (case 1) and an 87-year-old African-American man (case 2) presented with nighttime wandering associated with the progression of Alzheimerlike dementia. Both patients had previously not responded to bedtime regimens of benzodiazepines, trazodone (an antidepressant used for its sedative properties), and neuroleptics. Both patients averaged 2–3 hours of sleep each night. Low-dose Zolpidem (5 mg hs) was initiated with only partial response. The dosage was titrated in 5-mg increments until the optimum dosage was reached for case 1 (15 mg hs) and case 2 (10 mg hs). These dosages have proven to be effective over a period of 3 months, with both patients averaging 7–8 hours of sleep each night with no apparent adverse effects.DiscussionDementia produces inversion of the circadian sleep/ wake cycle, leading to daytime sedation and n...
CONJUGATES OF DIFFERENTIAL FLOWS II

This chapter discusses the conjugates of differential flows of type II. M. K. Fort, Jr. gave sufficient conditions under which a homeomorphism of [0, 1] onto [0, 1] which has a positive continuous derivative on [0, 1] can be embedded in a flow F t on [0, 1] such that F is differentiable on [0, 1] for each number t . A flow means a two place function F t ( x ) from (∞, ∞) × [0, 1] into [0, 1] where for each number t , F t is a homeomorphism of [0, 1] onto [0, 1] and if each of s and t is number, then F t ( F s ) = F t + s and F 0 is the identity function. The chapter discusses the form of a linear fractional flow.
Aminofutalosine Synthase (MqnE): A New Catalytic Motif in Radical SAM Enzymology

Abstract Aminofutalosine synthase (MqnE) is a radical SAM enzyme involved in the futalosine-dependent menaquinone biosynthetic pathway. Its ability to add the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical to the substrate—rather than abstract a hydrogen atom—and to catalyze radical addition to a stable benzene ring gives it a unique place in the radical SAM superfamily and required the development of new strategies for trapping radical intermediates. This chapter describes the methodologies used for enzyme overexpression, purification, and in vitro reconstitution. We also describe the development of fast, radical triggered, carbon–halogen bond fragmentation reactions for the trapping of intermediates. We anticipate that these methods will be of general use in the study of other transient enzymatic radicals.
Pure Polyphenols and Cranberry Juice High in Anthocyanins Increase Antioxidant Capacity in Animal Organs

Anthocyanins and the broader class of polyphenols are strong antioxidants in vitro. Polyphenols are one of the major antioxidants in plant foods, and the beverages derived from them. There is extensive evidence in the literature that polyphenols are beneficial to health. In order to be bioactive in vivo, they need to be bioavailable and be transported from the circulation to target organs. To date, there have been few studies testing the extent to which polyphenols and especially anthocyanins affect the antioxidant capacity of animal organs. In our first pilot study, we investigated how three pure polyphenols (the flavonoids quercetin, catechin and hesperetin) given to rats by intraperitoneal injection (49 to 63 mg/kg) affected their organ antioxidant capacity. This was followed by a subsequent study that injected one ml of 100% cranberry juice (high in anthocyanins) to hamsters. Antioxidant capacity of animal organs was determined by using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) colorimetric assay on methanolic extracts of select rat organs (i.e., liver, kidney, heart, prostate and brain) and in the hamster organs (i.e., liver, kidney, heart, bladder and brain). Overall the results showed that antioxidant capacity was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in experimental vs. control organs. Analysis of organs by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from both animal studies provided evidence of polyphenol metabolites in the organ extracts. Taken together, this study provides data that the administration of anthocyanins and other polyphenols cause an increase in organ antioxidant capacity in two animal models. This result supports the growing evidence for the hypothesis that dietary polyphenols reduce the risk and extent of various chronic disease at the disease site.
Technical note: Common glitch affecting the EC/OC split point determination in the Sunset Thermal-Optical Analyzerand recommendations to reduce its occurrence

Abstract. We identified a common and relatively frequent glitch in the light transmittance/reflectance measurement during thermal-optical analysis in the Sunset Laboratory bench top thermal-optical analyzer models. In the instrument studied, the glitch is observed for one in three punch analyses when using the default analysis parameters. The occurrence of this glitch can invalidate the split point and thus the OC and EC fractions and absolute quantities reported. The glitch was observed in data from at least three independent laboratories using different thermal protocols. We describe this glitch as a “discontinuity” (rapid increase or decrease occurring over a few seconds) in the laser transmittance or reflectance which happens relatively frequently and whose behaviour varies in amplitude, timing and direction. We use over 2,200 filter-punch analyses to expose the factors that contribute to the risk of such a discontinuity occurring. We demonstrate that these discontinuities are due to the movement of filter punches within the instrument, and can therefore be minimized by decreasing the blower speed of the instrument and, if possible, by ensuring a tighter fit of the filter punch in its holder (by testing different spoons). The decrease in blower speed has a negligible effect on the measured temperature program during analysis and is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of discontinuity occurrence. We recommend these modifications for all Sunset instruments.
Moonlighting Functions of Heat Shock Protein 90

Hsp90 is a highly expressed and ubiquitous chaperone in eukaryotes and bacteria. It works with hundreds of client proteins and is regulated by dozens of co-chaperones. Its functions in folding, stabilizing, assembling and disassembling proteins and complexes that are involved in many key processes in the cell, including antigen cross-presentation, stabilization of the cytoskeleton, signaling pathways, stabilization of steroid receptors and other transcription factors, assembly and disassembly of transcription machinery, DNA repair, and the cell cycle. This ubiquitous and versatile intracellular protein is found to have even more functions outside the cell. In this review we discuss the idea that Hsp90 is a moonlighting protein with roles as a secreted cytokine and as a cell surface apoptotic signal and receptor for bacterial cells and lipopolysaccharide.
Multi-agent Adversarial Inverse Reinforcement Learning with Latent Variables

We introduce an algorithm for inferring reward functions from expert human trajectories in multiagent environments. Current techniques exhibit poor sample-efficiency, lack stability in training, or scale poorly to large numbers of agents. We focus on settings with a large, variable number of agents and attempt to resolve these settings by exploiting similarities between agent behaviors. In particular, we learn a shared reward function using adversarial inverse reinforcement learning and a continuous latent variable. We demonstrate our algorithm on two real-world settings: traffic on highways and in terminal airspace.
Probabilistic Movement Primitive Control via Control Barrier Functions

In this paper, we introduce a novel means of control design for probabilistic movement primitives (ProMPs). ProMPs are a powerful tool to define a distribution of trajectories for robots or other dynamic systems. However, existing control methods to execute desired motions suffer from a number of drawbacks such as a reliance on linear control approaches and sensitivity to initial parameters. We propose the use of feedback linearization, quadratic programming, and multiple control barrier functions to guide a system along a trajectory within the distribution defined by a ProMP, while guaranteeing that the system state never leaves more than a desired distance from the distribution mean. This allows for better performance on nonlinear systems and offers firm stability and known bounds on the system state. Furthermore, we highlight how the proposed method may allow a designer to emphasize certain objectives that are more important than the others. A series of simulations demonstrate the efficacy of our approach and show it can run in real time.
Automated design of CRISPR prime editors for 56,000 human pathogenic variants

Summary Prime editors (PEs) are clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome engineering tools that can introduce precise base-pair edits. We developed an automated pipeline to correct (therapeutic editing) or introduce (disease modeling) human pathogenic variants from ClinVar that optimizes the design of several RNA constructs required for prime editing and avoids predicted off-targets in the human genome. However, using optimal PE design criteria, we find that only a small fraction of these pathogenic variants can be targeted. Through the use of alternative Cas9 enzymes and extended templates, we increase the number of targetable pathogenic variants from 32,000 to 56,000 variants and make these pre-designed PE constructs accessible through a web-based portal ( http://primeedit.nygenome.org ). Given the tremendous potential for therapeutic gene editing, we also assessed the possibility of developing universal PE constructs, finding that common genetic variants impact only a small minority of designed PEs.
Conformal deformation of metrics on $S^2$

Soit D un domaine lisse de S 2 et K une fonction lisse definie sur D. Alors pour que le probleme aux limites de Neumann: Δu+K exp(2u)=1 sur D, ∂u/∂n=0 sur ∂D, ait une solution u, on a: a) quand aire(D) max x∈∂D (K(x), 0)
Corporate political strategies

The paper offers a comprehensive and integrative review of the current literature on corporate political strategies sharing common boundaries with finance, accounting and corporate governance. While there appears to be a heightened interest among researchers in studying the value relevance of corporate political strategies [Chen et al. (2010), Goldman et al. (2009), Cooper et al. (2010), Richter et al. (2008), Hochberg et al. (2007), de Figueiredo and Edwards (2007), Faccio and Parsley (2009), and Myers (2009) among others], interestingly, finance and corporate governance scholars have yet to embrace the research on political strategies as part of their mainstream research. Taking a micro perspective at the firm level, we review the major scholarly works in the economics, finance and management disciplines with respect to the firm attributes shaping the corporate decision to engage politically, modes of corporate political participation, and the value impact of corporate political activity. The overarching theme of the review article is to integrate diverse – political economy and management – paradigms of corporate political participation and rationalize the value relevance within the corporate finance and corporate governance perspective. The paper also presents focused preliminary evidence on the determinants and value impact of corporate lobbying strategies. For the sample of 5452 firm-year observations, the results indicate that while for large firms corporate lobbying may not be agency driven and may create value, for small firms, despite low shareholder rights associating with higher lobbying engagements, lobbying still relates positively to value added.
Coordination and hydrolysis of plutonium ions in aqueous solution using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics free energy simulations.

Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) simulations have been used to examine the hydration structures, coordination energetics, and the first hydrolysis constants of Pu3+, Pu4+, PuO2+, and PuO22+ ions in aqueous solution at 300 K. The coordination numbers and structural properties of the first shell of these ions are in good agreement with available experimental estimates. The hexavalent PuO22+ species is coordinated to five aquo ligands while the pentavalent PuO2+ complex is coordinated to four aquo ligands. The Pu3+ and Pu4+ ions are both coordinated to eight water molecules. The first hydrolysis constants obtained for Pu3+ and PuO22+ are 6.65 and 5.70, respectively, all within 0.3 pH unit of the experimental values (6.90 and 5.50, respectively). The hydrolysis constant of Pu4+, 0.17, disagrees with the value of −0.60 in the most recent update of the Nuclear Energy Agency Thermochemical Database (NEA-TDB) but supports recent experimental findings. The hydrolysis constant of PuO2+, 9.51, supports the e...
Discharge patterns of somatosensitive neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius of the cat.

Abstract Encoding of sensory information by nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) neurons is incompletely understood. Using extracellular single-unit recording in α-chloralose-urethane anesthetized cats, we have examined the discharge characteristics of NTS neurons to activation of somatic Aδ and C fiber afferents by skeletal muscle contraction evoked by electrical stimulation of lower lumbar/upper sacral ventral roots. Generally, somatic afferent stimulation evoked two distinct firing patterns. The first population (36/43 cells) increased their firing rate to brief somatic stimuli. A subset (21/27 cells) exhibited a rapid decay of their firing rate during sustained somatic stimulation. Peak instantaneous firing frequency ( F p ) increased proportionally with the intensity of somatic stimulation (105±4 vs. 119±4 vs. 139±4 Hz, 10, 20 and 40 Hz, respectively, P F ss ) was not altered (25±2 vs. 27±2 vs. 27±2 Hz, 10, 20 and 40 Hz, respectively, P =0.72). Two indices were derived to quantify the decay properties. The decay rate constant (obtained from exponential curve fitting) was not altered by stimulation frequency (461±10 vs. 442±14 vs. 429±26 ms, 10, 20 and 40 Hz, respectively, P =0.415), nor was the decay index (derived to express the percent reduction in firing rate with respect to the initial peak firing rate; 76±2 vs. 77±2 vs. 81±2%, 10, 20 and 40 Hz, respectively, P =0.187). In contrast, the second population (seven of 43 cells) decreased their firing rate to stimulation. Of the NTS neurons tested for barosensitivity (29/36), none responded to pressure stimulation. These results have identified a population of somatosensitive NTS neurons that exhibit rapid firing rate decay properties during sustained stimulation. However, this population could faithfully encode phasic excitation during rhythmic somatosensory input. These results are discussed in relation to the role of somatosensory input on baroreflex function.
Influences on classroom interest

Theories of interest and motivation give little specific advice to teachers regarding curriculum decisions about how to attract interest in classroom activities. Although educators should keep in mind the fact that attempts to enhance interest can be irrelevant to learning, and may even undermine learning, promoting interest can enhance learning if applied appropriately; therefore, educators could benefit from understanding factors that predict and enhance interest. In this article, I discuss individual and situational factors that influence interest. The individual factors are belongingness (which includes cultural value, identification, and social support), emotions, competence, utility-goal relevance, and background knowledge (which includes a hole in the schema). The situational factors are hands-on, discrepancy, novelty, food, social interaction (which includes visible author), modeling, games and puzzles, content, biophilia, fantasy, humor, and narrative. To the degree that teachers integrate these ...
Identification of Novel CELSR1 Mutations in Spina Bifida

Spina bifida is one of the most common neural tube defects (NTDs) with a complex etiology. Variants in planar cell polarity (PCP) genes have been associated with NTDs including spina bifida in both animal models and human cohorts. In this study, we sequenced all exons of CELSR1 in 192 spina bifida patients from a California population to determine the contribution of CELSR1 mutations in the studied population. Novel and rare variants identified in these patients were subsequently genotyped in 190 ethnically matched control individuals. Six missense mutations not found in controls were predicted to be deleterious by both SIFT and PolyPhen. Two TG dinucleotide repeat variants were individually detected in 2 spina bifida patients but not detected in controls. In vitro functional analysis showed that the two TG dinucleotide repeat variants not only changed subcellular localization of the CELSR1 protein, but also impaired the physical association between CELSR1 and VANGL2, and thus diminished the ability to recruit VANGL2 for cell-cell contact. In total, 3% of our spina bifida patients carry deleterious or predicted to be deleterious CELSR1 mutations. Our findings suggest that CELSR1 mutations contribute to the risk of spina bifida in a cohort of spina bifida patients from California.
Determining α-helical and β-sheet secondary structures via pulsed electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

A new method has been developed to determine α-helical and β-sheet secondary structural components of aqueous and membrane-bound proteins using pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The three-pulse electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) technique was used to detect weakly coupled (2)H-labeled nuclei on side chains in the proximity of a strategically placed nitroxide spin-label up to 8 A away. Changes in the ESEEM spectra for different samples correlate directly to periodic structural differences between α-helical and β-sheet motifs. These distinct trends were demonstrated with α-helical (M2δ subunit of the acetylcholine receptor) and β-sheet (ubiquitin) peptides in biologically relevant sample environments.
Water-Immersible MEMS Scanning Mirror Enhanced Optical-Resolution Photoacoustic Microscopy

A fast scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy has been developed using a water-immersible MEMS mirror. A B-scan rate of 400 Hz over a 3 mm scanning range has been demonstrated in phantom studies.
Problems on Algorithms

*Introduction *Mathematical Induction *Big-O and Big-...W *Recurrence Relations *Correctness Proofs *Algorithm Analysis *Divide-and-Conquer *Dynamic Programming *Greedy Algorithms *Advanced Data Structures *Exhaustive Search. *NP-completeness *Miscellaneous Bibliography
Simultaneous Electrothermal Test Method for Pyroelectric Microsensors

Pyroelectric film materials, including polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers (e.g., P(VDF/trifluoroethylene)), are attractive candidates for low-cost infrared detection and imaging applications due to their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor processing and inexpensive packaging requirements compared to semiconductor-based detectors. The pyroelectric coefficient (p) describes the material’s electric response to a change in sensor temperature and is the main contributor to the sensitivity and detectivity of the system. However, this value can vary greatly with film fabrication and poling processes, and its measurement is often highly coupled to the material’s thermal diffusivity. This paper describes a new approach to film characterization that combines the popular “3-omega” technique for thermal characterization with a modified version of the laser intensity modulation method for determining the film’s pyroelectric coefficient. The new method is capable of simultaneously measuring film conductivity, diffusivity, and pyroelectric coefficient. It could increase the accuracy of the pyroelectric measurements by providing in situ thermal data to the electrical model instead of relying on published values or thermal measurements of a different sample. We also present a fabrication process that can be used to pole and measure a variety of pyroelectric materials and a mathematical framework to study the thermal phenomena of the setup. The thermal model is used to highlight the methodology’s sensitivity to uncertainties in the geometric and material property values of the layers surrounding the pyroelectric film.
Quit_line treatment protocols for users of non-cigarette tobacco and nicotine containing products

Abstract Introduction Use of non-cigarette tobacco and nicotine containing products (TNCPs) is increasing in the US. Telephone tobacco quit lines (QLs) are one of the most widely disseminated tools for providing cessation services to cigarette smokers, but the range of QL treatment services offered to non-cigarette TNCP users needs to be determined. Methods We surveyed QLs across 50 US states, Washington D.C., and Guam for the number of treatment protocols offered, products they were intended to treat, and how telephone counselors triaged patients reporting the use of non-cigarette TNCPs. Results Thirteen organizations provided US QL interventions of which eleven agreed to be interviewed regarding their treatment services (84.6%). Seven of the eleven QL providers (63.6%) used a single intervention protocol adapted to the type of non-cigarette TNCP used. Two of the eleven QLs (18.2%) referred hookah users to another provider and one QL (9.1%) referred electronic cigarette users to third party resources for cessation support; otherwise a single intervention protocol was used for all other TNCP users. Only one QL (9.1%) had a specialized protocol for smokeless tobacco users in addition to a standard protocol for all other callers. Conclusions QL providers do not have access to tailored protocols for non-cigarette TNCP users, and it remains uncertain whether a common tobacco protocol will be efficacious for these users. Future research should both validate potential common protocols for non-cigarette TNCP users and address the need for and the development of specialized QL interventions for TNCP users to help them quit.
Dietary dilution and intake in the cat

Abstract Adult cats increased intake in response to water dilution of a maintenance diet. These increases in consumption were proportional to the quantity of water that was used as a diluent over a large range of dilutions (9% to 75% water). These data are related to current views on the nature of the mechanisms determining intake in carnivores.
Functionalizable and nonfouling zwitterionic carboxybetaine hydrogels with a carboxybetaine dimethacrylate crosslinker.

Abstract We have introduced a dimethacrylate carboxybetaine-based crosslinker that has excellent compatibility with zwitterionic hydrogel systems. Poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCBMA) hydrogels prepared with the new CBMA crosslinker (CBMAX) result in considerably improved solubility, homogeneity, and mechanical properties (up to 8 MPa compressive modulus) over those prepared with the commercially available N,N’ -methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAA) crosslinker. The zwitterionic nature of the CBMAX crosslinker provides continuity of ordered hydration in the CBMA hydrogel and retains its nonfouling properties. CBMAX-crosslinked CBMA hydrogels had lower cell fouling than MBAA-crosslinked CBMA hydrogels and in fact reduced cell adhesion by about 90% relative to pHEMA hydrogels. Furthermore, unlike pHEMA, CBMA hydrogels are readily functionalizable. Cell adhesion on nonfouling CBMA hydrogels was controlled by cRGD functionalization.
Period of a loaded conical jolly balance spring

An expression for the period of a conical Jolly balance spring is deduced theoretically and the result is verified by experimental data. By some assumptions which simplify the equation of motion it is reduced to that for simple harmonic motion from which the period is obtained. The period is: T=2π(M+m03k)hmgMo is the mass of the load, m0 is the mass of the spring, h is the extension of the spring for a load m and C = (r2/r1 − 1) K=5[(c+1)2+1]2(c+2)3(160+480c+696c2+620c3+360c4+135c5+30c6+3c7)r2 is the radius of the large end coil, r1 is the radius of the small end coil. Very approximately, K = 1+C/3 so that m03k=m02+r2/r1
Scattering Studies of Cyrstallization in Highly Oriented Polymers

The solidification of low molecular weight materials from their melts (in the absence of temperature fields) generally leads to a product with no preferred orientation, independent of the extent or rate of deformation of the melt. The solidification of polymers from a highly deformed melt or solution nearly always leads to a product with preferred molecular orientation. Further, the rate of solidification can be significantly increased by melt deformation. The change in rate, relative to that in a quiescent melt or solution, can be several orders of magnitude [1]. These differences, relative to small-molecule systems, arise from the degree to which orientation and local strain can be maintained in the melt. Due to the long-range connectivity within a polymer molecule, it is possible to impart large extensions to these molecules in the molten state, and significant time is often required for the molecules to relax back to their undistorted, coiled state. If crystallization or glass formation occurs before the chain can relax, an extended molecular configuration can be retained. Thus in the solidification of oriented polymers there exists a competition between the “freezing” of the molecular orientation and the relaxation (re-coiling) of the molecules.
Sensitometric characteristics of dental xeroradiography

Dental xeroradiography is a high-quality intraoral imaging system which provides a potentially convenient, rapid, low-dose alternative to conventional film radiography. In this study the sensitometric properties of dental xeroradiography were investigated via assessment of high- and low-contrast xeroradiographic processor settings, transmission versus reflection densitometry, reciprocity-law failure, and kVp (tube voltage) plate dependence. Findings of the study indicated that imaging at high-contrast processor settings results in greater dynamic range but less exposure latitude than imaging at low-contrast processor settings. Determination of characteristic curves demonstrated greater contrast in reflection mode than imaging by transillumination for all but the very densest of images (greater than 1.6 O.D.). There was also little difference in characteristic curves produced from 50 to 90 kVp, indicating that the xeroradiographic plate exhibits a relatively constant sensitivity over the tube voltages tested if exposure is expressed in roentgens. Finally, no substantial reciprocity-law failure was observed for dental xeroradiography over a clinically relevant range of exposure times.
Adjuvant Gamma Knife radiosurgery following surgical resection of brain metastases: a 9-year retrospective cohort study

Given the potential morbidity of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), there has been an increasing trend to defer WBRT and deliver Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKS) to cerebral metastatic lesions. We analyzed our experience delivering GKS to the tumor cavity following surgical resection of brain metastases and compared our results to patients receiving WBRT after surgical resection of a metastatic lesion. We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing surgical resection of at least one brain metastasis between December 1999 and December 2008. Both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression were utilized to analyze the influence of various prognostic factors on survival. Twenty-five patients had a metastatic lesion resected followed by adjuvant GKS to the resection cavity while another 18 had surgical resection followed by WBRT. Aside from a disparity in gender distribution (72% of GKS patients were female while women only constituted 28% of the WBRT group), no significant differences existed between groups. The median survival for patients receiving GKS was 15.00 months as compared to 6.81 months among those receiving WBRT (P = 0.08). Univariate Cox regression analysis identified the number of metastases (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.07-2.54, P = 0.02) and regional recurrence (RR 5.23, 95% CI 1.78-15.38, P = 0.003) as poor prognostic factors. Multivariate regression analysis showed that regional recurrence (HR 5.17, 95% CI 1.69-15.78, P = 0.004) was again strongly associated with worse survival. Although limited by the retrospective nature of our study and lack of some clinical measures, patients undergoing GKS to the resection cavity had a trend towards longer median survival.
Surgical correction of severe knee pterygium

Knee flexion contracture secondary to a severe pterygium is a disabling condition. Full surgical correction has not been possible because of the sciatic nerve and its terminal branches. Our technique to obtain full correction is to divide the nerve near the neuromuscular junction and bridge the defect with multiple sural nerve cable grafts. Microscopic technique is used.
Ganglionic circulation and its effects on neurons controlling cardiovascular functions in Aplysia californica

The abdominal ganglion of the mollusk Aplysia californica receives most of its blood supply through a small caudal artery that branches off the anterior aorta near its junction with the heart. Injection of an ink/gelatin mixture into the caudal artery revealed a consistent pattern of arterial branching within the ganglion and a general proximity of larger vessels to identified neurons controlling circulation in this animal. This morphological arrangement was particularly evident for the heart excitor interneuron, cell L10, which lies next to the caudal artery near its entry into the ganglion. In electrophysiological experiments, L10 was excited when blood flow or oxygen tension within the ganglion was reduced. This effect was expressed as a gradual increase in impulse frequency of L10 and conversion from tonic to bursting mode of spike discharge. L10 follower cells in the RB and LD neuron clusters were affected synaptically by the changes in L10 activity, while other follower cells (L3 and RD neurons) responded independently of L10's synaptic influence. The neurosecretory white cells (R3 to R14) that innervate the major arteries and pericardial tissues were also excited when ganglionic circulation was interrupted. In innervated preparations of the heart and respiratory organs, decreased circulation through the abdominal ganglion stimulated a transient increase in the rate and amplitude of respiratory (gill) pumping and pericardial contractions and caused a sustained increase in activity of the heart. Both responses increase cardiac output and both appear to involve a direct influence of ganglionic circulation on interneurons controlling the gill and heart. These results indicate that the cell-specific patterns of excitation and inhibition caused by fluctuations in ganglionic circulation may be important factors for maintaining circulatory homeostasis in this animal.
The development of inducer and effector immune suppressor cell function in Xenopus laevis, the South African clawed toad: the effect of metamorphosis.

Abstract Thymic capacity to induce suppression of antibody production by immunized Xenopus laevis toadlet spleen fragments was tested in co-cultures for different developmental stages (Nieuwkoop, P.D. and J. Faber: Normal Table of Xenopus laevis (Daudin) (North Holland, Amsterdam) 1967). While thymuses of stages 52–54 (premetamorphosis) induced suppression, those of stages 58–62 (metamorphosis) did not. This capacity returned in metamorphic climax (stages 63–65). Tests of lectin-induced suppressor function in spleens of different developmental stages exposed the same pattern of compromised activity during metamorphosis. To test whether larval thymuses could effect suppression, rather than just induce it, antigen-activated thymuses from the different stages were co-cultured with immunized toadlet spleen fragments which had been suppressor-depleted by cyclophosphamide. Only thymuses from premetamorphic larvae suppressed. Thus, when thymic capacity to induce suppression returned in metamorphic climax, it was adult-like: it lacked effector suppressor cells.
Challenges and opportunities for combination therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Advances in the understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have presented a number of novel therapeutic opportunities. More extensive use of drug combinations is likely, but the development of these therapies presents a number of challenges. In clinical trials, a combination must be tested not only against placebo but also against each of its components, and the false-positive error rate increases rapidly with multiple comparisons. Thus, more groups of subjects must be studied, and more individuals within each group must be studied, in order to ensure statistical significance. Another challenge is that the relatively slow progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the lack of specificity of commonly used outcome variables complicate the evaluation of all therapies, including combinations. In analogy to genomics and proteomics (evaluation of the pattern of expression of many things simultaneously), it may be more useful to adopt an approach that is here dubbed “clinicomics”: consi...
The Current Management of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

PanNETs constitute a rare and heterogeneous group of pancreatic neoplasms whose overall prognosis is better than the more common pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Although surgery is the only treatment that provides a cure, many adjuvant therapies have been explored with some new, exciting, targeted therapies just approved for PanNETs. With growing interest in this type of neoplasm, an increasing number of clinical trials and natural history studies should shed light on the best management for these patients.
Cryptic speciation and patterns of phenotypic variation of a highly variable acanthocephalan parasite

An investigation of a parasite species that is broadly host- and habitat-specific and exhibits alternative transmission strategies was undertaken to examine intraspecific variability and if it can be attributed to cryptic speciation or environmentally induced plasticity. Specimens of an acanthocephalan parasite, Leptorhynchoides thecatus, collected throughout North America were analysed phylogenetically using sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I gene and the internal transcribed spacer region. Variation in host use, habitat use, and transmission were examined in a phylogenetic context to determine if they were more likely phylogenetically based or due to environmental influences. Results indicated that most of the variation detected can be explained by the presence of cryptic species. The majority of these species have narrow host and microhabitat specificities although one species, which also may comprise a complex of species, exhibits broad host and habitat specificity. Alternate transmission pathways only occurred in two of the cryptic species and correlate with host use patterns. Taxa that mature in piscivorous piscine hosts use a paratenic fish host to bridge the trophic gap between their amphipod intermediate host and piscivorous definitive host. One potential example of environmentally induced variation was identified in three populations of these parasites, which differ on their abilities to infect different host species.