cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The synthesis of glycine receptor radioligands [21, 22-3H] dihydrostrychnine and [2-3H] strychnine at high specific activity

Strychnine (1a) was reduced with tritium gas via heterogeneous catalysis to yield [21, 22-3H] dihydrostrychnine (2b) at 31 Ci/mmol and via homogeneous catalysis to yield 2b at 50 Ci/mmol. [2-3H] Strychnine (1b) at 25 Ci/mmol was prepared by the catalytic reductive tritiation of 2-iodostrychnine (4). Other polyhalo strychnine analogues were synthesized in an attempt to prepare [3H] strychnine at even higher specific activity.
Expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in laryngeal and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A quantitative analysis:

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck are known for their aggressive growth and propensity to metastasize. Invasion is facilitated by matrix metalloproteineases (MMPs). Tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) negatively regulate MMP activity. MMP and TIMP expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). qRT-PCR allows measurement of several mRNAs from as little as 4 microg of total cellular RNA. We measured MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 expression in 8 specimens of primary tumors and adjacent normal tissue. MMP-1 was overexpressed in 6 of 8 tumors, and MMP-9 was overexpressed in 4 of 7 tumors. MMP-2 was expressed in 3 of 8 tumors and 3 of 8 normal samples. TIMP-1 was expressed in all specimens. This work demonstrates that qRT-PCR can be used to examine expression of specific mRNAs in clinical specimens. Therefore this method provides another tool for the molecular analysis of tumors.
Poster: Evaluation Topology Mapping via Graph Partitioning

Intelligently mapping applications to machine network topologies has been shown to improve performance, but considerable developer effort is required to find good mappings. Techniques from graph partitioning have the potential to automate topology mapping and relieve the developer burden. Graph partitioning is already used for load balancing parallel applications, but can be applied to topology mapping as well. We show performance gains by using a topology-targeting graph partitioner to map sparse matrix-vector and volumetric 3-D FFT kernels onto a 3-D torus network.
The Peerless structure, Daniels County, northeastern Montana: A probable late Ordovician impact structure

The Peerless structure is an ~6 km-diameter sub-surface anomaly located in Daniels County, northeastern Montana. The disruption of sedimentary rock in the structure lies between 2624 to 2818 m below the topographic surface. Seismic mapping shows a typical complex crater composed of a central uplift ~2 km across, which shows structural uplift of up to 90 m, an annular ring ~4 km across, and an outer rim ~6 km in diameter. The youngest disrupted rock unit is the upper Ordovician Red River formation, which indicates that the structure was formed about 430450 Ma ago.
Ventricular shunt infections: Immunopathogenesis and clinical management

Ventricular shunts are the most common neurosurgical procedure performed in the United States. This hydrocephalus treatment is often complicated by infection of the device with biofilm-forming bacteria. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of shunt infection, as well as the implications of the biofilm formation on treatment and prevention of these infections. Many questions remain, including the contribution of glia and the impact of inflammation on developmental outcomes following infection. Immune responses within the CNS must be carefully regulated to contain infection while minimizing bystander damage; further study is needed to design optimal treatment strategies for these patients.
Contention aware frequency scaling on CMPs with guaranteed quality of service

Workload consolidation is usually performed in datacenters to improve server utilization for higher energy efficiency. One of the key issues related to workload consolidation is contention for shared resources such as last level cache, main memory, memory controller, etc. Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) of CPU is another effective technique that has widely been used to trade the performance for power reduction. We have found that the degree of resource contention of a system affects its performance sensitivity to CPU frequency. In this paper, we apply machine learning techniques to construct a model that quantifies runtime performance degradation caused by resource contention and frequency scaling. The inputs of our model are readings from Performance Monitoring Units (PMU) screened using standard feature selection technique. The model is tested on an SMT-enabled chip multi-processor and it reaches up to 90% accuracy. Experimental results show that, guided by the performance model, runtime power management techniques such as DVFS can achieve more accurate power and performance tradeoff without violating the quality of service (QoS) agreement. The QoS violation of the proposed system is significantly lower than systems that have no performance degradation information.
An information-theoretic analysis of quantum-dot cellular automata for defect tolerance

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) has been advocated as a promising emerging nanotechnology for designing future nanocomputing systems. However, at device level, the large number of expected defects represents a significant hurdle for reliable computation in QCA-based systems. In this paper, we present an information-theoretic approach to investigate the relationship between defect tolerance and redundancy in QCA devices. By modeling defect-prone QCA devices as unreliable information processing media, we determine the information transfer capacity, as bound on the reliability that QCA devices can achieve. The proposed method allows to evaluate the effectiveness of redundancy-based defect tolerance in an effective and quantitative manner.
Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Evidence from the Primary Care Setting

Sexual abuse is a common problem among female primary care medical patients. There is a wide spectrum of long-term sequelae, ranging from mild to the complex symptom profiles consistent with the theories of a posttraumatic sense of identity. Generally, the latter occurs in the context of severe, chronic abuse, beginning in childhood and often compounded by the presence of violence, criminal behavior, and substance abuse in the family of origin. In this study we search for empirical evidence for the existence of a complex posttraumatic stress syndrome in 99 women patients at 3 family practice outpatient clinics who report a history of sexual abuse. A structured interview was administered by trained female interviewers to gather data on family history and psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses. Empirical evidence from cluster analysis of the data supports the theory of a complex posttraumatic syndrome. The severity gradient based on symptoms roughly parallels the severity gradient based on childhood abuse and sociopathic behavior and violence in the family of origin, with the most severely abused subjects characterized by symptom patterns that fit the description of a complex posttraumatic stress syndrome.
Central Hearing Loss with a Bilateral Inferior Colliculus Lesion

A case is presented of a 43-year-old man with bilateral lesions of the inferior colliculus (IC) due to central nervous system lymphoma. Our patient was found to have relatively normal pure-tone averages with severely reduced bilateral word recognition scores. This case illustrates that the presentation of a partial bilateral IC lesion may be of severely reduced word recognition accompanied by nearly normal pure-tone hearing.
Excitatory amino acid receptors and nociceptive neurotransmission in rat spinal cord.

Excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor agonists were tested for their effect on identified rat spinal neurons. Only 75% of the spinal neurons tested increased their firing rate in response to iontophoretic application of one or more of the EAA receptor agonists, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), quisqualate (Quis), (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid HBr (AMPA), and kainate (KA). NMDA and Quis or AMPA activated primarily nociceptive neurons (60% of these neurons were projection neurons) in the rat spinal cord. KA-activated neurons were primarily classified as low threshold neurons. Both NMDA and AMPA, at subthreshold doses, significantly increased neuronal responses to peripheral noxious mechanical stimulation; NMDA also significantly increased neuronal responses to peripheral noxious thermal stimulation. Iontophoretically applied phencyclidine (PCP) decreased NMDA-induced firing in 100% of the cells tested while Quis-induced firing was blocked by PCP in only 33% of the cells tested. The reported analgesic effects of PCP in humans may result from a spinal action involving its well documented interaction with NMDA receptors.
Stress-Induced and Alcohol Cue-Induced Craving in Recently Abstinent Alcohol-Dependent Individuals

Background: Research has shown that exposure to stress/negative affect and to alcohol cues can each increase alcohol craving and relapse susceptibility in alcohol-dependent individuals. However, whether the emotional and physiological states associated with stress-induced and alcohol cue-induced craving are comparable has not been well studied. Therefore, this study examined the craving, emotional, and physiological responses to stress and to alcohol cues in treatment-engaged, 4-week abstinent, alcohol-dependent individuals using analogous stress and alcohol cue imagery methods. Method: Twenty treatment-seeking, alcohol-dependent participants (18 males/2 females) were exposed to a brief 5-minute guided imagery procedure that involved imagining a recent personal stressful situation, a personal alcohol cue-related situation, and a neutral-relaxing situation, 1 imagery per session presented in random order. Alcohol craving, anxiety and emotion rating scales, cardiovascular measures, and salivary cortisol were compared across the 3 conditions. Results: Exposure to stress and to alcohol cues each produced significant increases in alcohol craving, anxiety, and negative emotions and decreases in positive emotions. Stress-induced alcohol craving was significantly correlated with increases in sadness, anger, and anxiety ratings, but alcohol cue-induced craving was associated with decreases in positive affect (joy and neutral relaxed state) and increases in anxiety and fear ratings. Furthermore, stress increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses, but significant increases in salivary cortisol were only observed in the alcohol cue condition. Conclusions: Although both stress and alcohol cues produce increases in anxiety associated with alcohol craving, each produced a dissociable psychobiological state involving subjective emotional, cardiovascular, and cortisol responses. These data could have significant implications for understanding the specific psychobiology associated with stress or alcohol cue exposure and their potential effects on alcohol relapse susceptibility.
Compositional dependence of optical band gap and refractive index in lead and bismuth borate glasses

Highlights: • Refractive indices increase with increasing PbO/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} content. • Optical band gap arises due to direct forbidden transition. • Optical band gaps decrease with increasing PbO/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} content. • New empirical relation between the optical band gap and the refractive index. - Abstract: We prepared a series of lead and bismuth borate glasses by varying PbO/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} content and studied refractive index and optical band gap as a function of glass composition. Refractive indices were measured very accurately using a Brewster’s angle set up while the optical band gaps were determined by analyzing the optical absorption edge using the Mott–Davis model. Using the Lorentz–Lorentz method and the effective medium theory, we calculated the refractive indices and then compared them with the measured values. Bismuth borate glasses show better agreement between the calculated values of the refractive index and experimental values. We used a differential method based on Mott–Davis model to obtain the type of transition and optical band gap (E{sub opt}) which in turn was compared with the value of E{sub opt} obtained using the extinction coefficient. Our analysis shows that in both lead and bismuth borate glasses, the optical band gap arises due tomore » direct forbidden transition. With increasing PbO/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} content, the absorption edge shifts toward longer wavelengths and the optical band gap decreases. This behavior can be explained in terms of changes to the Pb−O/Bi−O chemical bonds with glass composition. We obtained a new empirical relation between the optical band gap and the refractive index which can be used to accurately determine the electronic oxide polarizability in lead and bismuth oxide glasses.« less
Novel application of GI electrical stimulation in Roux stasis syndrome (with video).

Background About one-third of patients undergoing a Roux-en-Y anastomosis develop Roux stasis syndrome, likely because of disordered electrical conduction. GI electrical stimulation has been previously used successfully in the management of postsurgical gastroparesis. Objective Endoscopic placement of temporary electrodes and GI electrical stimulation in the management of severe Roux stasis syndrome in a patient with esophagojejunostomy and to determine whether the patient would be a candidate for surgical permanent electrode placement. Design Case report. Setting Academic medical center. Patients This study involved a patient with Roux stasis syndrome. Intervention Upper endoscopy was performed, followed by endoscopic placement of two temporary electrodes, one each in the two jejunal limbs. Electrical stimulation was provided by an external stimulation device. The patient was re-evaluated 5 days later. Main Outcome Measurements Electrogastrogram (EGG) parameters including frequency, amplitude, and frequency-amplitude ratio and total symptom score and health-related quality of life score. Results There was a significant improvement in EGG parameters with electrical stimulation. Also, the patient had a marked improvement in total GI symptom score, from 11 to 4, with a dramatic improvement in the health-related quality of life score from −3 to +3. Limitations Single case report. Conclusion Endoscopic placement of temporary electrodes is feasible and safe. GI electrical stimulation of the jejunal limb is a potentially effective treatment for Roux stasis syndrome.
Co-Essence Model of Vocational Assessment for Racial/Ethnic Minorities (CEMVA-REM): An Existential Approach

The CEMVA-REM (Co-Essence Model of Vocational Assessment for Racial/Ethnic Minorities) is proposed as an existential approach to vocational counseling for racial/ethnic minority clients. Barriers such as structural/cultural influences, the non-conscious ideology of dominant European-American culture, racism, and multiple oppressors are explored as they impact on vocational choice. CEMVA- REM formulates vocational counseling as multicontextual, specifically that clients must be considered within the context of extended self, as well as the environmental contexts of family and pluralistic cultures. CEMVA-REM proponents consider the degree of acculturation, communalism (the importance of family and community in the client's life), client values, communication style, and high- versus low-context cultural background. Within CEMVA-REM, clients are considered coinvestigators. Self-exploration and qualitative assessment is valued. Indirect approaches, such as sandplay, art, metaphors, and stories are utilized. Vo...
Effects of transition metals on the oxidation behavior of ZrB2 ceramics

Abstract The effects of transition metal additives on the oxidation behavior of ZrB2 ceramics at 1600 °C were investigated. Additions of W, Mo, or Nb improved the oxidation resistance of ZrB2 even after evaporation of the protective B2O3 layer. The oxide layers were composed of an outer layer that was porous and had light color and an inner layer that was dense and appeared dark. Additions of Mo or Nb were more effective than W at improving the oxidation resistance of ZrB2 at 1600 °C due to a lower evaporation rate for B2O3 glasses containing Nb and Mo compared to W.
Analyzing the RISC in gallium arsenide

Abstract This paper examines suitability and possible architectural modifications necessary for GaAs implementation of the UCB-RISC (reduced instruction set computer developed at UC Berkeley). This architecture was designed and optimized for the Silicon environment, and introduced a revolution in the area of VLSI processor architectures. In addition to its already recognized qualities related to Silicon, it incorporates several features which make it a candidate for GaAs. This paper discusses the effects that a GaAs implementation will most likely have on performance of reduced architectures in general, and UCB-RISC in particular. First, the advantages and disadvantages of GaAs, compared to Silicon, are examined. Next, the UCB-RISC architectural features which are affected by these differences are recognized, and some possible solutions for their implementation in GaAs are explored. The introduction of some new features which might be useful for a GaAs implementation is also explored. The use of fault-tolerance to improve GaAs yield is another topic of this paper, followed by a quantitative analysis of the expected improvements in performance. In principle, we believe that the solution for GaAs is in synergism between hardware design and compiler design. However, in this paper we concentrate on the first issue only.
Evaluation and treatment of failed ulnar nerve release at the elbow

Failure after ulnar nerve decompression at the elbow can be defined as either no change in the patient's symptoms or an initial improvement with recurrence, making the patient history essential in the work-up. Failure may be due to diagnostic, technical, or biologic factors. Technical errors and the development of perineural fibrosis necessitate revision surgery, while nerve damage due to chronic severe compression should be observed. We do not believe any one procedure is superior in the revision setting as long as a complete decompression is achieved with a compression free, stable transposition of the surgeon's choice.
Statistical performance of the intensified charged coupled device

The first analysis of the statistical performance of the intensified charge coupled device (CCD) is presented. The Poisson statistics of the arriving photons, the exponential pulse height distribution of the microchannel plate in the image intensifier, and the effects of discrete digitization of the charge in reading the CCD are included. A range of intensifier gains from the high levels that permit pulse counting to the low levels that can be used with the accumulation of charge on the CCD is considered. As a tool for this analysis, an analytical model of the performance of the detector system that is generally useful for predicting many aspects of system performance under a wide range of conditions is developed. The statistical penalty for operating the intensified CCD in the charge accumulation mode is not severe, and in some applications it may be desirable to accept this penalty to gain the advantages of increased dynamic range through charge accumulation. This investigation has revealed no pathological aspects of the operation of the detector system.
Effect of Copper with Three Levels of Sulfur Containing Amino Acids in Diets for Turkeys

The effects of adding copper or methionine to low-protein practical diets for turkeys were studied in two experiments involving an initial total of 2,496 day-old tom poults. In Experiment 1, 0 or 120 ppm copper were added to diets providing about 75, 85, or 100% of the National Research Council (NRC, 1977) requirements for sulfur amino acids (SAA) as supplemented by DL-methionine. Experiment 2 involved four levels of copper (0, 60, 120, and 240 ppm) added to diets containing three levels of SAA (75, 100, or 125%, NRC, 1977). Sixty ppm of copper improved 8-week body weight, while the effects of 120 and 240 ppm copper were growth depressing but not beyond 8 weeks of age. Increasing the methionine content of the diets to the 100% level for SAA (1977) consistently improved weight gain of younger birds. The improved body weight from methionine additions for the older turkeys (16 to 24 weeks) however, was significant only in Experiment 1. Copper did not influence the methionine requirement in these experiments.
Relative clonal proportions over time in mixed-genotype infections of the lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium mexicanum.

Vertebrate hosts of malaria parasites (Plasmodium) often harbour two or more genetically distinct clones of a single species, and interaction among these co-existing clones can play an important role in Plasmodium biology. However, how relative clonal proportions vary over time in a host is still poorly known. Experimental mixed-clone infections of the lizard malaria parasite, Plasmodium mexicanum, were followed in its natural host, the western fence lizard using microsatellite markers to determine the relative proportions of two to five co-existing clones over time (2–3 months). Results for two markers, and two PCR primer pairs for one of those, matched very closely, supporting the efficacy of the method. Of the 54 infections, 67% displayed stable relative clonal proportions, with the others showing a shift in proportions, usually with one clone outpacing the others. Infections with rapidly increasing or slowly increasing parasitemia were stable, showing that all clones within these infections reproduced at the same rapid or slow rate. Replicate infections containing the same clones did not always reveal the same growth rate, final parasitemia or dominant clone; thus there was no clone effect for these life history measures. The rate of increase in parasitemia was not associated with stable versus unstable relative proportions, but infections with four to five clones were more likely to be unstable than those with two to three clones. This rare look into events in genetically complex Plasmodium infections suggests that parasite clones may be interacting in complex and unexpected ways.
Electrothermal transport in carbon nanofiber interconnects

Based on extensive experimental information, a model is developed that takes into account heat transport through the entire carbon nanofiber interconnect test structure and breakdown location. This electrothermal transport model elucidates observed current capacity behavior, and predicts variations in contact location with the support material. The resulting heat dissipation and current capacity are completely consistent with measurement data.
Back to the BOG, Austrian-style

Robust political economy begins with assumptions of self-interested planners who lack perfect information. In such a world, the social planner does not necessarily outperform the decentralized outcome. Crampton and Farrant (2005) argue that the inability to engage in economic calculation reduces the ability of social planner to extract consumer surplus. Thus, the lack of calculation improves the welfare of the median citizen which contrasts with conventional wisdom. We argue that they overstate their results. First, the calculation argument fails because of its underdevelopment, not because of the empirical record. Second, the welfare implications cannot be adequately addressed by assuming diminishing marginal utility of income or using the median welfare standard. Third, robust political economy has not developed a model that yields meaningful welfare comparisons. Thus, robust political economy remains in its early stages.
Price and niche wars in a free-market economy of software agents

One scenario of the future of computation populates the Internet with vast numbers of software agents providing, trading, and using a rich variety of information goods and services in an open, free-market economy. An essential task in such an economy is the retailing or brokering of information: gathering it from the right producers and distributing it to the right consumers. This article investigates one crucial aspect of brokers' dynamical behavior, their price-setting mechanisms, in the context of a simple information-filtering economy. We consider only the simplest cases in which a broker sets its price and product parameters based solely on the system's current state, without explicit prediction of the future. Analytical and numerical results show that the system's dynamical behavior in such “myopic” cases is generally an unending cycle of disastrous competitive “wars” in price/product space. These in turn are directly attributable to the existence of multiple peaks in the brokers' profitability land...
The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage

In this article we offer a view that suggests that a firm's critical resources may span firm boundaries and may be embedded in interfirm resources and routines. We argue that an increasingly important unit of analysis for understanding competitive advantage is the relationship between firms and identify four potential sources of interorganizational competitive advantage: (1) relation-specific assets, (2) knowledge-sharing routines, (3) complementary resources/capabilities, and (4) effective governance. We examine each of these potential sources of rent in detail, identifying key subprocesses, and also discuss the isolating mechanisms that serve to preserve relational rents. Finally, we discuss how the relational view may offer normative prescriptions for firm-level strategies that contradict the prescriptions offered by those with a resource-based view or industry structure view.
Frequencies and wavelengths from a new, efficient FIR lasing gas: CD2F2

We report for the first time wavelength, relative polarization, and frequency measurements for 47 new cw FIR laser lines in the wavelength region from 120 to 1714 μm, all obtained by optically pumping CD2F2 with a CO2 laser. Relative output powers were also measured. For comparison, the 189.8 μm line pumped by RI(34) is nearly five times as efficient as the 118.8 μm methyl alcohol line.
Dopamine D1 Agonist SKF 38393 Increases the State of Phosphorylation of ARPP-21 in Substantia Nigra

ARPP-21 is a cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (M(r) = 21,000) that has a distribution in brain similar to that of DARPP-32 (dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, M(r) = 32,000). It is enriched in the medium-sized spiny neurons in the striatum and in the striatonigral nerve terminals in the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra. The present study shows that dopamine D1 agonist SKF 38393 increases the state of phosphorylation of ARPP-21 by 26% in nigral slices and that pretreatment of the slices with D1 antagonist SCH 23390 blocks this effect. These results demonstrate that ARPP-21 is a dopamine-regulated phosphoprotein. Because D1 receptors are localized on nerve terminals of striatonigral pathway, the phosphorylation of ARPP-21 is likely to mediate some of the intracellular effects of dopamine on these terminals.
Time-dependent simulations of non-axisymmetric patterns in Taylor-Couette flow of dilute polymer solutions

Nonlinear dynamics that ensue after the inception of viscoelastic flow instabilities in homogeneous, curvilinear shear flows remain largely unexplored. In this work, we have developed an efficient, operator splitting influence matrix spectral (OSIMS) algorithm for the simulation of three-dimensional and transient viscoelastic flows. The OSIMS algorithm is applied to explore, for the first time, the post-critical dynamics of viscoelastic Taylor–Couette flow of dilute polymeric solutions utilizing the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation. Linear stability theory predicts that the flow is unstable to non-axisymmetric and time-dependent disturbances with critical conditions depending on the flow elasticity, E, defined as the ratio of the characteristic time scales of fluid relaxation to viscous diffusion. Two types of secondary flow patterns emerge near the bifurcation point, namely, ribbons and spirals. We have demonstrated via time-dependent simulations for narrow and moderate gap widths, ribbon-like patterns are generally stable at and above the linear stability threshold for 0.05 ≤ E ≤ 0.15. For an inner to outer cylinder radius ratio of 0.8, the bifurcation to ribbons at E = 0.1 and 0.125 occurs through a subcritical transition while the transition is supercritical at smaller E values.
Infinite secondary building units and forbidden catenation in metal-organic frameworks.

Catenation, in the form of interpenetrating and interweaving,[1] has been a major concern in the design of low-density (porous) structures due to the following widely held beliefs: a) the use of long links for the design of frameworks with large pores results in catenated structures and thus small pores, b) highly catenated frameworks typically have low porosity ( 20%), and c) catenation contributes negatively to the structural stability and porosity of open frameworks.[1, 2] We recently found in the chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that discrete secondary building units (SBUs) are important for designing structures with attributes that disprove the universality of b) and c); specifically, maximally interpenetrating MOFs have been shown to have highly porous ( 65%) structures, and interweaving in open frameworks has been recognized and used for the design of structures with reinforced walls and permanent porosity.[1c±d, 3] Herein, we introduce the use of infinite SBUs toward addressing the point presented in a). Specifically, we show that MOF-69A, [Zn3(OH)2(bpdc)2] ¥ 4DEF ¥ 2H2O (bpdc 4,4 -biphenyldicarboxylate; DEF N,N -diethylformamide), and its 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (ndc) analogue MOF-69B have three-dimensional (3D) structures constructed from infinite Zn-O-C SBUs and long bpdc or ndc links that expand the Al net in SrAl2 and provide a framework where catenation is forbidden. Infinite Zn-O-C SBUs were produced by subjecting reaction mixtures that typically giveMOF-5 to increasing amounts of H2O2. These solutions were monitored for the appearance of crystalline solids. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study[5a] performed on a rodlike colorless crystal of MOF-69A delocalized electrons on the linkers between the chains, exhibit very low TN values (4 ± 10 K). The presence of these electrons drastically enhances the magnetic characteristics of these solids above the strategic borderline of liquid nitrogen temperature. This renders porous solids magnetic with sufficiently high and available ordering temperatures which could now find applications, for example, in magnetic sorting.
A Retrospective Evaluation of the Perfecting Patient Care University Training Program for Health Care Organizations

This study evaluated how the Perfecting Patient Care (PPC) University, a quality improvement (QI) training program for health care leaders and clinicians, affected the ability of organizations to improve the health care they provide. This training program teaches improvement methods based on Lean concepts and principles of the Toyota Production System and is offered in several formats. A retrospective evaluation was performed that gathered data on training, other process factors, and outcomes after staff completed the PPC training. A majority of respondents reported gaining QI competencies and cultural achievements from the training. Organizations had high average scores for the success measures of “outcomes improved” and “sustainable monitoring” but lower scores for diffusion of QI efforts. Total training dosage was significantly associated with the measures of QI success. This evaluation provides evidence that organizations gained the PPC competencies and cultural achievements and that training dosage i...
Comparison of single-walled carbon nanotube transistors fabricated by dielectrophoresis and CVD growth

We are comparing two different fabrication technologies for bottom-gate single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors. The first technology is based on self-assembly of single-walled nanotube bundles using dielectrophoresis. By applying a combination of DC and AC electric fields, we were able to separate metallic and semiconducting nanotubes and align the semiconducting nanotube bundles between source and drain patterns. Fabricated transistors showed current values in the order of tens of nA and transconductance of 50 nS for devices with one bundle (15 nm width). The second technology is based on synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes on top of poly-Si gate using chemical vapor deposition. Transistors fabricated in this technology with only two nanotubes showed current drive in the order of several /spl mu/A but much higher transconductance of 930 nS. This technology also allowed much lower contact resistances to the nanotubes compared to devices fabricated using dielectrophoresis.
Beyond the Premedical Syndrome: Premedical Student Attitudes toward Liberal Education and Implications for Advising.

Premedical students have often been viewed as academically narrow and cynical about liberal education. To investigate the veracity of this generalization, I conducted a qualitative study of pre-medical students at a liberal arts institution. Contrary to negative stereotypes, the students in the study expressed a positive attitude toward liberal education and articulated a belief that their own liberal education will benefit them as physicians. However, they acknowledged that obtaining high grades is also an important educational goal. Implications for advisors and medical admissions committees are discussed along with implications for future research.
Slack Borrowing and Time Stealing

With any circuit, clocking, and latching selection, the concept of how to fit more logic within a path between latches than is readily available always becomes an issue. That is, inevitably a logical pipeline partition will require more time than is available, for example, more than a full-cycle time in a master-slave system or a half-cycle in a two-phase separated-latch system. Depending on the circuit style, the latching structure, and the clocking strategy, obtaining this time can be classified as one of two categories, slack borrowing and time stealing (also commonly referred to as cycle stealing).
P096 : EVALUATION OF ENZYMATIC LIBRARY PREPARATION FOR THE ILLUMINA MISEQ

Aim We have previously considered transposon-and sonication-based library preparation methods for next generation sequencing of HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB on the Illumina MiSeq, and found that they are not suitable for routine clinical work. Here, we evaluated reagents from NEB, NEBNext dsDNA Fragmentase and NEBNext DNA Library Prep Master Mix, to generate sequencing libraries for clinical testing. Methods We performed long-range PCR for HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 on two IHWG samples using a combination of in-house and commercial primers. The amplified products ranged from 3900 to 4800 bp in length. The class I primers were designed to cover all exons, introns and UTRs whereas the class II primers covered exon 2 to the 3′UTR. Samples were enzymatically fragmented using NEBNext dsDNA Fragmentase which is composed of two different endonucleases isolated from V. vulnificus and T7. Length of incubation time of the amplicon and Fragmentase mixture determines general fragment length. We compared the ability of the endonucleases to generate fragments of two lengths, 100–300 bp and 300–600 bp, respectively. Following fragmentation, we prepared libraries for sequencing with the NEBNext Library Prep kit. Unique indices were ligated following end repair and dA-tailing of the fragments. Fragment size was determined by the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer instrument. Samples were equimolarly pooled and ran on the Illumina MiSeq using Reagent kit v2 for both 300 and 500 cycle runs. Results The two Fragmentase incubation times suggested by the manufacturer produced two very different average fragment sizes. Including the adaptor and index, the average size of the 100–300 bp incubation time was 273 bp and the 300–600 bp incubation time yielded a product of 619 bp. Conclusions Use of the NEBNext dsDNA Fragmentase allows the generation of fragments of different sizes. Although we easily generated our desired fragment sizes, we found the NEBNext DNA Library Prep Master Kit to be extremely time- and labor intensive requiring numerous transfer steps. Additionally, this kit requires a large number of AMPure XP Beads for sample clean-up. Analyses are in progress to evaluate the effect that size and library preparation method has on HLA typing assignments.
Optimal Execution in a Limit Order Book and an Associated Microstructure Market Impact Model

We model an electronic limit order book as a multi-class queueing system under fluid dynamics, and formulate and solve a problem of limit and market order placement to optimally buy a block of shares over a short, predetermined time horizon. Using the structure of the optimal execution policy, we identify microstructure variables that affect trading costs over short time horizons and propose a resulting microstructure-based model of market impact costs. We use a proprietary data set to estimate this cost model, and highlight its insightful structure and increased accuracy over conventional (macroscopic) market impact models that estimate the cost of a trade based on its normalized size but disregarding measurements of limit order book variables.
Neural control of acid-induced serotonin release from rabbit duodenum

The neural mediation of acid-stimulated serotonin release was studied in isolated sheets of rabbit duodenal mucosa mounted in Ussing chambers. The serosal side of the mucosa was exposed to Ringer-H...
Effect of inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation on biosynthesis of cholesterol and precursors by liver homogenates.

SummaryClassical inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation particularly 2,4-dinitrophenol inhibit the biosynthesis of non-saponi-fiable material and cholesterol from mevalonic acid by rat liver homogenates. Presumably in the presence of inhibitors a level of ATP is not maintained for the phosphorylations and the concerted decarboxylation and dehydration essential in utilization of mevalonic acid.
Research status and application prospects of the reaction between metal matrix fuel and water

With the characteristic of high energy density,the reaction between metal matrix fuel and water can be use d for underwater high-velocity propulsion and new generation fuel cell.The for eign research methods and achievements of the combustion reaction between metal matrix fuel and water as well as application research status of the condensed ph ase reaction between metal matrix fuel and water in fuel cell were introduced.A t the same time,the domestic research status of reaction between metal matrix fu el and water was briefly presented,and the application prospects of metal matrix fuel and water were predicted.
Monolithic integration of multifunction optical logic gates based on surface-emitting lasers

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-based optical switching devices are useful for optical processing, optical computing, and optical interconnection, because of their compact surface-normal format, and direct 2-D optical address ability. For maximum architectural flexibility in optical network design, switching devices with different functional characteristics, as well as different logic gates should be integrable on a common substrate, using a single epitaxial structure. We have demonstrated the monolithic integration of several VCSEL-based optical logic gates with or without memory, we believe for the first time. The latching and nonlatching gates consist of the integration of GaAs/AlGaAs VCSELs with heterojunction photothyristors (PNPNs) and heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs), respectively. Since the HPTs are formed by simply removing tire top p-layers of the photo thyristors, both latching and nonlatching gates are integrable on a common substrate.
Sex differences and the role of dopamine receptors in the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion

Nicotine and bupropion have been demonstrated to enhance the value of other reinforcers, and this may partially account for nicotine reward and dependence. Evidence suggests that the sexes differ in their sensitivity to the primary and secondary reinforcing effects of nicotine and nicotine-associated stimuli. Whether the sexes also differ in sensitivity to the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine (and bupropion) is yet unclear. The present study evaluated potential sex differences in the enhancement effects of nicotine and bupropion using a reinforcer demand approach. Furthermore, we sought to investigate the role that D1- and D2-type dopamine receptors play in the reward-enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion. Demand for sensory reinforcement was assessed in male and female rats responding on a progression of fixed ratio schedules. The effects of nicotine and 10 or 20 mg/kg bupropion on reinforcer demand were assessed within subjects. Subsequently, the effects of SCH-23390 and eticlopride were assessed on the enhancing effects of nicotine and bupropion on progressive ratio responding. Nicotine and bupropion enhanced demand metrics of reinforcement value in both sexes. Females were more sensitive to the enhancement effects of bupropion assessed by reinforcer demand and progressive ratio performance. D2-like dopamine receptor antagonism by eticlopride attenuated the enhancement effects of bupropion, but not of nicotine. Nicotine and bupropion both enhance reinforcement value in both sexes, though females may be more sensitive to the reward-enhancing effects of bupropion. D2- and possibly D1-type receptors appear to be involved in the reward-enhancing effects of bupropion, but not necessarily nicotine.
Extending SALVO decision-making disciplines into procurement, spares & inventory strategies

This paper summarises the best practices in decision-making developed by the international SALVO consortium, recently extended to address the optimisation of spares, supply chain and inventory strategies. The paper outlines the problems encountered in such decisions and the disciplines/process that can be used to ensure that the right spares are held in the right numbers. It identifies the factors that need to be taken into account, the cost/risk trade-offs involved, and the process for such decision-making even when available data is limited or unreliable. Applications of these processes have already shown multi-million ££ financial benefits and service level improvements. They have also been successfully used to evaluate alternative supply chain options, the effect of obsolescence on spares strategies, deterioration in storage (`shelf life') and options for distributed or centralised stock holding.
Differences in the effective population sizes of males and females do not require differences in their distribution of offspring number.

Abstract Difference in male and female effective population sizes has, at times, been attributed to both sexes having unequal variance in their number of offspring. Such difference is paralleled by the relative effective sizes of autosomes, sex chromosomes, and mitochondrial DNA. I develop a simple framework to calculate the inbreeding effective population sizes for loci with different modes of inheritance. In this framework, I separate the effects due to mating strategy and those due to genetic transmission. I then show that, in addition to differences in the variance in offspring number, skew in the male/female effective sizes can also be caused by family composition. This approach can be used to illustrate the effect of induced behaviors on the relative male and female effective population sizes. In particular, I show the impact of the one-child policy formerly implemented in the People’s Republic of China on the relative male and female effective population sizes. Furthermore, I argue that, under some strong constraints on family structure, the concepts of male and female effective population sizes are invalid.
The Distress Thermometer: Cutoff Points and Clinical Use

Purpose/objectives To establish an optimal cutoff point for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Distress Thermometer (DT) as a screening measure to identify and address psychological distress in individuals with cancer, and to examine whether distress as measured by the DT significantly changes across the treatment trajectory. Design Secondary analyses of baseline data from a longitudinal parent study examining a computerized psychosocial assessment. Setting Three diverse comprehensive cancer centers across the United States. Sample 836 patients with a current or past diagnosis of cancer. Methods Study participants were selected from a randomized clinical trial. Patients during any stage of the cancer treatment trajectory were recruited during a chemotherapy infusion or routine oncology appointment. Main research variables The Behavioral Health Status Index and the DT were administered and compared using receiver operating characteristic analyses. Findings Results support a cutoff score of 3 on the DT to indicate patients with clinically elevated levels of distress. In addition, patients who received a diagnosis within the 1–4 weeks prior to the assessment indicated the highest levels of distress. Conclusions Providers may wish to use a cutoff point of 3 to most efficiently identify distress in a large, diverse population of patients with cancer. In addition, results indicate that patients may experience a heightened state of distress within 1–4 weeks postdiagnosis compared to other stages of coping with cancer. Implications for nursing Using a brief measure of distress can help streamline the process of screening for psychosocial distress.
Mesenteric desmoid tumour presenting with recurrent abdominal abscess and duodenal fistula: A case report and review of literature

Abstract Introduction Desmoid tumors are locally destructive but histologically benign. Their management involves close observation and surgical, medical, or hormonal treatment. Presentation of the case A 36-year-old male was admitted for abdominal pain and fever. A CT scan showed fluid collections and air within a mesenteric mass. Diagnostic laparotomy was performed with drainage of the abscess and biopsy of the mass. The pathology suggested a desmoid tumor. His fever and abdominal pain persisted. An endoscopy was performed, which demonstrated a fistula track in the third part of the duodenum. After a multidisciplinary discussion, consensus was to pursue surgical intervention. The patient underwent an en bloc resection of the tumor including a portion of the wall of the third part of the duodenum. The final pathology confirmed a desmoid tumor with a fistula track to the duodenum. The patient had a re-laparotomy on POD2 for intra-abdominal bleeding but was discharged without further events on POD7. He had no evidence of recurrence on follow-up at 11 months. Discussion Desmoid tumors are rarely complicated by abscess formation or fistulization. The management of intra-abdominal desmoids in this setting is challenging, as patients are often symptomatic and unresponsive to medical management. Percutaneous drainage and antibiotics are often initiated as first-line treatment, followed by surgery or medical therapy after evaluation of resectability and tumor stage. Conclusion Rare complications can arise with intra-abdominal desmoid tumors. Principles of infection control should be applied in combination with optimization of oncologic outcome. A multidisciplinary approach helps to achieve both these objectives.