cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diacylglycerol acyltranferase 1 anti-sense oligonucleotides reduce hepatic fibrosis in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Retinyl ester (RE) stores decrease during hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis. Although retinol esterification is mostly catalyzed by lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)1 also does this. In previous reports, LRAT−/− mice had reduced hepatic RE but neither excessive HSC activation nor liver fibrosis, and DGAT1−/− mice had increased liver levels of RE and retinol. We sought to clarify the role of DGAT1 in liver fibrosis. Expression of DGAT1/2 was compared by real time PCR in freshly isolated, primary mouse HSCs and hepatocytes. To induce nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, adult male db/db mice were fed methionine choline–deficient (MCD) diets. Half were treated with DGAT1 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO); the rest were injected with saline. Results were compared with chow-fed controls. Inhibition of DGAT1 in liver had no effect on hepatic triglyceride content or liver necroinflammation but reduced HSC activation and liver fibrosis in mice with NASH. To evaluate the role of DGAT1 in HSC activation, HSC were isolated from healthy rats treated with DGAT1 ASO or saline. DGAT1 was expressed at relatively high levels in HSCs. HSC isolated from DGAT1 ASO-treated rats had reduced DGAT1 expression and increased messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of LRAT and cellular retinol binding protein-1. During culture, they retained more vitamin A, had repressed collagen a2 (I) transcriptional activity, and expressed less collagen a1 (I) and a2 (I) mRNA. Conclusion: DGAT1 may be a therapeutic target in NASH because inhibiting DGAT1 favorably altered. HSC retinoid homeostasis and inhibited hepatic fibrosis in mice with NASH. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Progress in terahertz sources based on difference-frequency generation [Invited]

We review our previous results on efficient, high-power, and compact terahertz (THz) sources based on parametric processes. By reversely stacking GaP plates, we have improved photon conversion efficiency from 25% to 40%, which corresponds to the maximum value. As the number of the plates is increased from 4 to 5, the output power is decreased due to back conversion. The corresponding peak power of the THz output reaches 4 kW. We have investigated THz generation by mixing two frequencies generated by a single Nd:YLF solid-state laser. The average output power reaches 1 μW. By introducing two Nd:YLF crystals, we significantly improved the output power to 4.5 μW. Such a configuration allows us to generate different output frequencies. We review our progress for making our THz source further compact by taking advantage of passively Q-switched laser pulses. We have demonstrated that an intracavity can be utilized to enhance the THz output powers by two orders of magnitude.
The rating and application of motors for refrigeration and air conditioning

This paper describes the procedure and practical results to date in applying single-phase motors to refrigeration compressors. The applications are primarily torque applications, temperature considerations being of secondary importance. A line of high-torque motors has been developed to meet the high starting and accelerating torques demanded by the compressors. Utilization of these torques results in running loads considerably higher than rated name-plate loads, without exceeding safe operating temperatures for the insulation life requirement. To meet these requirements a revised method of rating refrigeration motors on a starting and accelerating torque per horsepower and a starting efficiency basis is described. This method more clearly specifies a motor so that a more satisfactory application would be obtainable both from the standpoint of the user and the public utility company or code authority.
γ‐Aminobutyric acidA neurotransmission and cerebral ischemia

In this review, we present evidence for the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission in cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal death. While glutamate neurotransmission has received widespread attention in this area of study, relatively few investigators have focused on the ischemia-induced alterations in inhibitory neurotransmission. We present a review of the effects of cerebral ischemia on pre and postsynaptic targets within the GABAergic synapse. Both in vitro and in vivo models of ischemia have been used to measure changes in GABA synthesis, release, reuptake, GABA(A) receptor expression and activity. Cellular events generated by ischemia that have been shown to alter GABA neurotransmission include changes in the Cl(-) gradient, reduction in ATP, increase in intracellular Ca(2+), generation of reactive oxygen species, and accumulation of arachidonic acid and eicosanoids. Neuroprotective strategies to increase GABA neurotransmission target both sides of the synapse as well, by preventing GABA reuptake and metabolism and increasing GABA(A) receptor activity with agonists and allosteric modulators. Some of these strategies are quite efficacious in animal models of cerebral ischemia, with sedation as the only unwanted side-effect. Based on promising animal data, clinical trials with GABAergic drugs are in progress for specific types of stroke. This review attempts to provide an understanding of the mechanisms by which GABA neurotransmission is sensitive to cerebral ischemia. Furthermore, we discuss how dysfunction of GABA neurotransmission may contribute to neuronal death and how neuronal death can be prevented by GABAergic drugs.
0.25 μm 1.2 MHz BOOST-PFM-CONTINUOUS triple mode LED driver integrated in analog front end IC for portable application

This paper proposes a triple mode LED driver integrated with 16bit level sensitive analog front end by 0.25 μm CMOS process for portable application. The LED driver needs to regulate single LED current with 0.9–3.6 Vinput voltage to support several types of battery. The output range is 2.5–4 V which requires voltage step-up and step-down. A step-up/step-down converter can do this with a lot complexity, more components, lower efficiency and requirement of high voltage switches which adds extra manufacture cost. Our proposed topology avoids complicated step-up/step-down topology. It has triple modes: Boost PWM mode, PFM mode, LDO mode to cover different input voltage range. The mode control is implemented by simple circuit and gives smooth mode transition and very stable LED current. The simple topology makes it possible to use two stack 3 V IO devices as internal power switch to tolerate max to 5.7 V. By careful design and layout, LED switching activity only degrades the 16bit level analog front end SNR by 1 dB.
Functional antibody deficiency in a patient with type I Gaucher disease

Gaucher disease (GD), the most common lysosomal storage disorder, demonstrates an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. The genetic defect in GD leads to decreased production of the lysosomal enzyme glucosylceramide hydrolase, thereby resulting in the deposition of glucosylceramide sphingolipids within multiple organ systems. Although the precise mechanisms remain unclear, GD is usually associated with chronic antigenic stimulation and hyperimmunoglobulinaemia. We report a novel case of type I GD coexisting with relatively low serum immunoglobulins, impaired antibody production, and recurrent bacterial infections in a 62-year-old male. The patient had been diagnosed with GD 30 years previously and had subsequently started enzyme replacement therapy. Since being diagnosed with GD, the patient had suffered from repeated episodes of acute bronchitis and a recent severe bout of community-acquired pneumonia that required a lengthy hospitalization. On our initial evaluation, the patient had laboratory testing that demonstrated: decreased serum IgG, IgG2, and IgA levels; reduced absolute CD3(+)/CD4(+), CD3(+)/CD8(+), and lymphocyte counts; low IgG titres to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine; and decreased anti-tetanus antibodies. Lymphocyte function analysis demonstrated a normal response to phytohaemagglutinin, and decreased responses to concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen. Repeat testing after 6 months revealed normal serum immunoglobulin levels and mitogenic responses. Although the explanation for our observed transient hypogammaglobulinaemia remains unclear, this patient's clinical constellation (i.e. repeated infections, hypogammaglobulinaemia and lymphopenia, decreased post-vaccination titres, and impaired responses to some mitogens) shares overlapping features with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).
GENETICS OF GLOMERELLA. VIII. A GENETIC BASIS FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF MINUS MUTANTS

BLASER, H. W., AND J. EINSET. 1948. Leaf development in six periclinal chromosomal chimeras of apple varieties. Amer. Jour. Bot. 35:473-482. DERMEN, H. 1948. Chimeral apple sports and their propagation through -adventitious buds. Jour. Heredity 39: 235-242. , AND G. M. DARROW. 1948. A tetraploid sport of the McIntosh apple. Jour. Heredity 39: 17. DOUGLAS, G. E. 1944. The inferior ovary. Bot. Rev. 10: 125-186. EINSET, J., H. W. BLASER, AND B. INHOFE. 1946. A chromosomal chimera of Northern Spy apple. Jour. Heredity 37: e65-266. ,.-, AND . 1947. Chimeral sports of apples. Jour. Heredity 38:371-376. , AND B. IiwoFxE. 1949. Chromosome numbers of apple varieties and sports. II. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort.Sei. AR 107-201-. . 1949. The Wrixparent, a "tetraploid" apple. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. In press. KRAUs, E. J. 1913. The pollination of pomaceous fruits. I. Gross morphology of the apple. Oregon Agric. Col. Exp. Sta. Res. Bull. 1. , AND G. S. RALSTroN. 1916. The pollination of pomaceous fruits. III. Gross vascular anatomy of the apple. Oregon Agric. Col. Exp. Sta. Bull. 138. MAcDAWIELS, L. H. 1940. The morphology of the apple and other pome fruits. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 230. PAYER, J. B. 1857. Traite d'organogenie compare'e de la fleur. Paris. VAN TIEGHEM, P. 1878. Anatomie de la rose, et en general caracteres anatomiques des axes invagines. Bull. Soc. Bot. France p25:309-315.
Effects of the Calcium Antagonist Verapamil on in Vitro Synthesis of Skeletal Collagen and Noncollagen Protein

Effects of the calcium antagonist verapamil on the synthesis of fetal rat bone collagen and noncollagen protein were investigated in tissue culture. Protein synthesis was quantitated by measuring the incorporation of [3H]proline into collagenase-digestible (CDP) and noncollagen protein (NCP) using bacterial collagenase; [3H]proline was added for the last 2 h of culture. Verapamil (10(-5)--10(-4) M) decreased the incorporation of label into CDP and NCP after 24 h of culture; CDP formation was inhibited to a greater extent than NCP. The inhibitory response was observed in the presence and absence of unlabeled medium proline and was not associated with changes in trichloroacetic acid-extractable radioactivity. Increasing medium calcium from 1.0 to 5.0 mM did not affect the response to 10(-4) M verapamil, whereas 3.0 mM calcium abolished the response to 10(-5) M verapamil. The inhibitory effect was reversed by 48 h of control treatment subsequent to 24-h treatment with the antagonist. Verapamil did not decrease the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA or [3H]uridine into RNA, nor was there any effect of the antagonist on the DNA content of cultured bones. The prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor indomethacin did not affect the response to verapamil. We conclude that a critical concentration of intracellular calcium is necessary for normal synthesis of skeletal protein in tissue culture, and that collagen may be more sensitive to changes in intracellular calcium than NCP. In addition, other ions (e.g. sodium and potassium) may also be involved in the control of skeletal protein synthesis.
The Role of Perceived Loneliness and Isolation in the Relapse from Recovery in Patients with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

Rates of relapse in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are problematic as is reflected in the literature. While there are some studies that examine the contributing factors associated with relapse, there is much that remains unclear. This paper explores the role of perceived isolation and loneliness as contributing factors in the relapse of patients in the course of treatment for these disorders. A review of the literature on relapse, clinical case material, treatment outcomes, and implications for future treatment and study are discussed.
Meta-Analysis on Dating Violence Prevention Among Middle and High Schools

Meta-analysis was applied to study the empirical research from 1990–2007 regarding the effectiveness of the dating violence prevention programs in middle and high schools on students' knowledge and attitudes. The results show that overall the program participants improved their knowledge and attitudes towards dating violence. Implications for research and intervention programs were discussed.
Teaching through social conflict

Abstract The shift from preoperational thought to operativity entails the construction of the idea of necessity. The concrete operativity tasks, particularly conservation, are analyzed from this perspective. The Genevans always assigned a significant role to the child's interaction with others as a critical factor in the transition to operativity. The results from a broad class of conservation training studies that are based upon various kinds of social interaction are also analyzed from the perspective of their efficacy, fidelity to necessity, and implications for school instruction.
The action of plasmin on fibrinogen and fibrin I. Changes in the N-Terminal residues

Abstract Changes in the N-terminal amino acids of bovine and human fibrinogen and fibrin resulting from the action of plasmin (EC 3.4.4..14) on these protinens have been studied. Only the N-terminal amino acids of those protein fractions whose phenylthiocarbamyl derivatives are insoluble in acetone-water have been measured. Plasminolysis of the bovine and human proteins leads to similarities and differences in the relative rates at which N-termnial residues appear. Possible causes for these differences are discussed. The observations explain in part the presence of extraneous N-terminal residues frequently found in fibrinogen, particularly if isolated from aged Fraction I preparations, and provide preliminary information which may be useful as a guide during the separation of fragments formed during the proteolysis of fibrinogen.
Properties of Advanced Weathering-Stage Soils in Tropical Forests and Pastures

Effects of tropical forest conversion to nonforest uses greatly affects low-activity soils with substantial variable charge, but quantitative changes are poorly studied. We evaluated forest conversion effects on Ultisols and Oxisols by establishing a spatial comparison study on alluvial fans and terraces in the Rio General Valley of Costa Rica. Soils from pairs of forest and pastures on similar local landforms were sampled to evaluate differences in physical and chemical properties to a depth of 120 cm. In the upper 30 cm, soils under forests had lower bulk densities than under pastures (0.81 vs. 1.04 g cm -3 ), and soil C under pasture was less than that under forest by about 15.9 ± 10.4 Mg ha -1 , Compared with forest soils, those under pastures had a greater soil pH H20 throughout the upper 120 cm (0.44 ± 0.10 pH units). Soil effective cation-exchange capacity (ECEC) was 39 ± 19.9 kmol c ha -1 greater under pastures than under forests, a difference in ECEC that was mainly associated with an additional 19.3 ± 17.7 kmol c ha -1 of exchangeable Ca. Forest clearing and burning followed by conversion reduced soil C moderately but apparently increased the ability of mineral soils to retain exchangeable-cationic nutrients because of increased soil pH. Water-stability of aggregates was less in pastures than under forests (36.5% less for aggregates >2 mm). Reduced soil C was statistically associated with changes in the percentage of water-stable aggregates >0.25 mm (R 2 = 0.34, P < 0.05). Our understanding of the effects of land uses on advanced weathering-stage soils would benefit from monitoring studies that directly observe temporal soil changes caused by management.
Rate distortion functions of countably infinite alphabet memoryless sources

The Shannon lower bound approach to the evaluation of rate distortion functions R(D) for countably infinite alphabet memoryless sources is considered. Sufficient conditions based on the Contraction Mapping Theorem for the existence of the Shannon lower bound RL(D) to R(D) in a region of distortion [0, D1], D1 > 0 are obtained. Sufficient conditions based on the Schauder Fixed Point Theorem for the existence of a Dc > 0 such that R(D) = RL(D) for all D e [0, Dc] are derived. Explicit evaluation of R(D) is considered for a class of column balanced distortion measures. Other results for distortion measures with no symmetry conditions are also discussed.
Factors affecting the mechanism of flux decline during ultrafiltration of Cottage cheese whey.

The mechanism of fouling of ultrafiltration membranes during the processing of cheese whey was studied. Attempts were made to develop a mathematical model of the flux decline and to determine the contribution of individual proteins and the aqueous environment to fouling. In general, proteins dissolved in a salt-free system resulted in higher flux than in whey dialysate systems, implicating the salts as a major contributor to flux decline. Statistical analysis and evaluation of the parameters of the model indicated that fouling could be considered in two time periods. In the initial period of operation, α-lactalbumin appeared to cause greater flux decline and bovine serum albumin the least. After 10 min of operation, β-lactoglobulin was the major contributor to fouling. The native whey gave the most rapid rate of flux decline. These differences could be due to variations in protein structure or differences in the nature of the deposit on the membrane.
Optimal mode selection for a pulsed-quality dual-frame video coder

A dual-frame video coder employs two past reference frames for motion compensated prediction. Compared to conventional single frame prediction, the dual-frame encoder can have advantages both in distortion-rate performance and in error resilience. In previous work, it was shown that optimal mode selection can enhance the performance of a dual-frame encoder. In another strand of previous work, it was shown that uneven assignment of quality to frames, to create high-quality (HQ) long-term reference frames, can enhance the performance of a dual-frame encoder. In this letter, we combine these two strands and demonstrate the performance advantages of optimal mode selection among HQ frames for video transmission over noisy channels.
Pro-apoptotic treatment with an adenovirus encoding Bax enhances the effect of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Background Tumor cell heterogeneity and resistance to chemotherapy-mediated cell death are major obstacles in cancer therapy. It has been reported that expression of the pro-apoptotic molecule Bax can induce cell death or sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapy in stable cell clones derived from tumor cells. However, these studies are limited in that they cannot represent the heterogeneity of cancer cells observed in vivo. In this study, we have further explored the therapeutic potential of Bax. Methods Using an inducible recombinant Bax adenovirus, we screened a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines and primary patient-derived ovarian tumor cells for their sensitivity to Bax-mediated cytotoxicity. Apoptotic cell death was evaluated qualitatively with Hoechst staining and quantitatively with MTS and Annexin V-based assays. Endogenous levels of both Bcl-2 and Bax protein and p53 status were evaluated. The potential of bax to sensitize ovarian cancer lines to chemotherapy was also tested. Dose–response curves were generated to evaluate cell death. Results Overexpression of Bax directly induced apoptosis in both ovarian cancer cell lines and the patient-derived primary cancer cells. However, the sensitivity of these cells to Bax varied and appeared to be independent of both the status of p53 and the endogenous levels of bcl-2 or Bax, critical molecules in the apoptotic pathway. Importantly, overexpression of Bax significantly enhanced chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity in both established cell lines and primary ovarian carcinoma cells. Conclusions These studies suggest that overexpression of Bax alone or in combination with chemotherapy may provide a means to overcome the problems imposed by the heterogeneous nature of tumors, ultimately augmenting the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients suffering from ovarian cancer. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HMM parameter reduction for practical gesture recognition

We examine in detail some properties of gesture recognition models which utilize a reduced number of parameters and lower algorithmic complexity compared to traditional hidden Markov models. We show that the reduced parameter models are comparable to standard HMM-based gesture recognition models in their ability to effectively model gestures, and in some cases superior when training data is limited. We also show that in order to effectively differentiate similar gestures, a gesture recognition model must utilize a large number of states, a scenario which can only be adequately handled by reducer parameter methods to maintain real-time speeds.
A Polycrystalline Thin-Film Technique for Infrared Transmission Studies of Alkali Halogenates

Polycrystalline thin films of alkali halogenates have been prepared by a solvent-evaporation technique. Refinement of the technique has enabled us to produce a uniform thin film free of the Christiansen effect. The film thicknesses have been measured by x-ray fluorescence to be from 0.4 to 1.0 μ, with an estimated error of less than 2%. The technique is based on the deposition of a thin film on a high-density polyethylene substrate making it possible to study quantitatively the external vibrational modes and those internal modes of potassium and sodium halogenates which have a resonant frequency of less than 600 cm−1
Model based segmentation and detection of affine transformed shapes in cluttered images

This paper presents a novel approach for detection and segmentation of generic shapes in cluttered images. The underlying assumption is that man made objects frequently have surfaces which closely resemble standard model shapes such as rectangles, semicircles etc. Due to the transformation of optical imaging systems, a model shape can appear differently in the image with different orientations and aspect ratios. This set of possible appearances can be represented compactly by a few vectorial eigenbases that are derived from a small set of model shapes which are affine transformed in a wide range. The use of vectorial boundary information improves robustness to noise, background clutter and partial occlusion. The detection of generic shapes is realized by detecting local peaks of a similarity measure between the image edge map and an eigenspace combined set of the appearances. At each local maxima, a fast search approach based on a novel representation by angle space is employed to determine the best matching between models and the underlying subimage. Experiments are performed in various interfering distortions, and robust detection and recognition are achieved.
Knowledge Is Not Always Power: HIV Risk Behavior and the Perception of Risk Among Women Prisoners:

This study examined the relationship between drug treatment, perceptions of risk, and HIV risk behaviors among a sample of female offenders. Women who had participated in prior drug treatment were ...
Comparing miRNAs and viroids; highly conserved molecular mechanisms for the transmission of genetic information.

All forms of life on earth, from the most ancient Archaebacteria and Lycopodiaceae to higher eukaryotes, display phenotypes based on genetic information transfer contained within, and regulated by, hierarchic orders of RNA. While DNA is capable of storing large amounts of genetic information over long periods of time, RNA-based signaling represents a transient, highly selective, ancient, and still evolving information transfer mechanism. The information-storage capability of RNA, its solubility and the mobility of small non-coding RNA (ncRNA) species, ability to self-replicate, to catalyze chemical reactions, to direct the amino acid polymerization into peptides, and to variably regulate the expression of highly selective genetic information underscores RNA as an important, and perhaps pre-eminent, driver in the evolution of genetic complexity and information transfer (Crick, 1968; Orgel, 1968; Ambros, 2004; Sempere et al., 2004; Lukiw, 2007; Mehler and Mattick, 2007; Lukiw et al., 2008, 2012; Bartel, 2009; Kosik, 2009; Cech, 2012). This opinion paper will highlight some intriguing similarities in evolutionary ancient, molecular, and mechanistic features shared by small, non-protein coding single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) entities known as microRNAs (miRNAs), and infective, self-replicating circular ssRNA plant pathogens known as viroids. We will further highlight the intrinsic potential of miRNA and viroids to induce pathogenetic signaling in widely diverse species.
Environmental aging of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on soot and its effect on source identification

Soot-associated PAHs were exposed to simulated sunlight to investigate disappearance rates under envi- ronmental aging conditions and to examine the robustness of diagnostic ratios for PAH source apportion- ment. Naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, and fluorene showed an obvious two-phase disappearance in all experiments while phenanthrene and anthracene exhibited this behavior for all but the highest soot loading. The first phase loss is 5-40 times faster than the second phase loss and occurred within 3 h for naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, and fluorene and within 10 h for phenanthrene and anthracene. Two-phase disappearance was not observed for any of the higher molec- ular weight PAHs with 4-6 rings. Each PAH has a unique loss rate via photodegradation and volatilization and these rates of some PAHs were affected by soot loadings; phenanthrene and anthracene showed sim- ilar rates in the first phase and increased loss rates in the second phase as soot loading increased. In the absence of light, the loss of PAHs was related to both temperature and molecular characteristics. Due to differences in disappearance rates of individual PAHs under illumination over extended times, prolonged exposure to sunlight could change the interpretation of some diagnostic ratios used previously for PAH source identification. This result indicates that more consistent and accurate methods that take into con- sideration the longevity of particulate PAHs are needed for reliable source apportionment.
Factors involved in adherence of lactobacilli to human Caco-2 cells

A quantitative assay performed with bacterial cells labelled with [3H]thymidine was used to investigate factors involved in the adherence of human isolates Lactobacillus acidophilus BG2FO4 and NCFM/N2 and Lactobacillus gasseri ADH to human Caco-2 intestinal cells. For all three strains, adherence was concentration dependent, greater at acidic pH values, and significantly greater than adherence of a control dairy isolate, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus 1489. Adherence of L. acidophilus BG2FO4 and NCFM/N2 was decreased by protease treatment of the bacterial cells, whereas adherence of L. gasseri ADH either was not affected or was enhanced by protease treatment. Putative surface layer proteins were identified on L. acidophilus BG2FO4 and NCFM/N2 cells but were not involved in adherence. Periodate oxidation of bacterial cell surface carbohydrates significantly reduced adherence of L. gasseri ADH, moderately reduced adherence of L. acidophilus BG2FO4, and had no effect on adherence of L. acidophilus NCFM/N2. These results indicate that Lactobacillus species adhere to human intestinal cells via mechanisms which involve different combinations of carbohydrate and protein factors on the bacterial cell surface. The involvement of a secreted bridging protein, which has been proposed as the primary mediator of adherence of L. acidophilus BG2FO4 in spent culture supernatant (M.-H. Coconnier, T. R. Klaenhammer, S. Kerneis, M.-F. Bernet, and A. L. Servin, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58:2034-2039, 1992), was not confirmed in this study. Rather, a pH effect on Caco-2 cells contributed significantly to the adherence of this strain in spent culture supernatant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bulletproofing new product fab implementation

A detailed procedural flow and checklist used in bringing new products into the United Technologies Microelectronics Center (UTMC) foundry fab are presented. Rigorous adherence to this standardized flow has been found critical to achieving first-pass success on new products not designed to fit within the existing manufacturing technology. The UTMC foundry frequently must run new products not originally designed for its specific manufacturing facilities and processes. This regular input of new products has required the UTMC foundry to implement rigorous processes and procedures to meet customer requirements and assure first pass success. This drove deployment of a checklist procedure to accommodate these needs. The lessons learned are applicable to any facility that must occasionally absorb a new product or nonstandard customer request, including requests from internal customers. The flow and checklists provide a 'how to' step-by-step approach for foundries to avoid the numerous potential pitfalls associated with a new product or customer design. Of several new products per quarter, none were identical in either technological or manufacturing flow. Development of the above checklist methodology allowed running these new products while avoiding technical and administrative problems or surprises. >
Synthesis of Azabiotin Analogs as Potential Cofactors for Biotin-Dependent Enzymes

As part of a program to synthesize azabiotin analogs and homologs as potential substitutes for the natural coenzyme, several 4- and 5-substituted derivatives of cis-hexahydropyrrolo-[3, 4-d]imidazole-2-one have been prepared.Spectral data and certain side reactions in the synthetic scheme used point to the stereochemistry of the 4-substituted compounds.
Reliability assessment and prediction during product development

In today's environment, project managers are often called upon to assess the reliability of highly reliable systems both during and at the end of their development stages without the benefit of extensive test results. These assessments are used to determine whether the project is on schedule and/or if additional testing or development is required. The small amount of actual test data and the lack of the ability to assess the risk associated with the reliability prediction render the use of classical techniques doubtful. The authors address this problem for the case of attribute test data using a fully Bayesian approach. The use of the ordered Dirichlet distribution for modeling the reliability growth process is discussed. How the unique features of the distribution may be used to facilitate the incorporation of prior opinion into the analysis and further illustrate how this subjective information can be properly combined with test data so that reliability assessment and prediction of a product during its development stage can be accomplished. >
Elafin is downregulated during breast and ovarian tumorigenesis but its residual expression predicts recurrence

Elafin is an endogenous serine protease inhibitor. The majority of breast cancer cell lines lack elafin expression compared to human mammary epithelial cells. In this study, we hypothesized that elafin is downregulated during breast and ovarian tumorigenesis. We examined elafin expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in specimens of normal breast tissue (n = 24), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (n = 54), and invasive breast cancer (n = 793). IHC analysis of elafin expression was also performed in normal fallopian tube tissue (n = 20), ovarian cystadenomas (n = 9), borderline ovarian tumors (n = 21), and invasive ovarian carcinomas (n = 216). To understand the significance of elafin in luminal breast cancer cell lines, wild-type or M25G elafin (lacking the protease inhibitory function) were exogenously expressed in MCF-7 and T47D cells. Elafin expression was downregulated in 24% of DCIS and 83% of invasive breast tumors when compared to elafin expression in the normal mammary epithelium. However, the presence of elafin-positive cells in invasive breast tumors, even at low frequency, correlated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS), reduced overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological markers of aggressive tumor behavior. Elafin-positive cells were an especially strong and independent prognostic marker of reduced RFS in IHC-defined luminal A-like tumors. Elafin was also downregulated in 33% of ovarian cystadenomas, 43% of borderline ovarian tumors, and 86% of invasive ovarian carcinomas when compared to elafin expression in the normal fallopian tube. In ovarian tumors, elafin-positive cells were correlated with reduced RFS, OS and disease-specific survival (DSS) only in stage I/II patients and not in stage III/IV patients. Notably, exogenous expression of elafin or elafin M25G in the luminal breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D significantly decreased cell proliferation in a protease inhibitory domain-independent manner. Elafin predicts poor outcome in breast and ovarian cancer patients and delineates a subset of endocrine receptor-positive breast cancer patients susceptible to recurrence who could benefit from more aggressive intervention. Our in vitro results suggest that elafin arrests luminal breast cancer cells, perhaps suggesting a role in tumor dormancy.
International Linkages and National Innovation Rates: An Exploratory Probe1

The conventional wisdom among political economists holds that domestic institutions determine national innovation rates. However, after decades of research, there is still no agreement on precisely which domestic institutions matter or exactly how they affect innovation rates. Anecdotal observations within the research on institutions suggest that international linkages may be the missing piece to the national innovation rate puzzle. An exploratory probe is therefore performed here using regression analysis of various measures of innovation, domestic institutions, and international linkages. The results suggest that countries' relationships with the lead innovator strongly affect their innovation rates. The probe further suggests that research should move beyond institutions and linkages, and should focus instead on their political origins. That is, the current focus on institutions or linkages studies effects, not causes. It fails to get at the politics of technological change: the fundamental choices which nations must make in order to innovate successfully in the long run.
The Pet Banks in Jacksonian Politics and Finance, 1833–1841

In September 1833, Andrew Jackson issued an executive order ending deposit of Federal funds in the Bank of the United States, which had been the government depository since 1817. The culmination of Jackson's long struggle with the Bank and its friends in Congress, this measure closed a chapter in the political history of the era. To the conservative Jacksonians, “victory over the Bank of the United States was a consummation” that freed the state banks and business enterprise from the control of a powerful and despised institution. To the radical, hard-money faction of the Democratic party, however, “removal of the deposits” (as the order was popularly termed) was merely a first step toward more fundamental reform—elimination of the monetary disturbances that they attributed to reliance on bank paper for the currency of the country. Because of this divergence of views, partisan and factional disputes over Jacksonian financial policy did not cease with victory over the Bank. Central to the continuing debate was the relationship of die Treasury Department to the group of state-chartered banks, usually called the “pet banks,” in which Federal funds were deposited after September 1833. My purpose here is to review Treasury operations in die period 1833–1841, to suggest the political role of die pet banks and the economic impact of financial policy in die administrations of Jackson and Van Buren.
Miniature monolithic microwave frequency diplexers

Two novel diplexers composed of active, lumped, and transversal element filters that have been developed as monolithic microwave ICs (MMICs) are described. One diplexer produces a low-pass cutoff band edge at 7.5 GHz and a high-pass turn-on band edge at 9 GHz, while the second diplexer produces two passbands, one from 12.5-13.5 GHz and the other from 15.5-16.5 GHz. These are the first reported active MMIC diplexers. Both diplexers have 30 dB of signal rejection 1.5 GHz from their band edges. The use of active transversal filters produces the high rejection characteristic and yields compact diplexers that can be used as building blocks in miniature microwave-frequency multiplexing applications. >
Letizia: an agent that assists web browsing

Letizia is a user interface agent that assists a user browsing the World Wide Web. As the user operates a conventional Web browser such as Netscape, the agent tracks user behavior and attempts to anticipate items of interest by doing concurrent, autonomous exploration of links from the user's current position. The agent automates a browsing strategy consisting of a best-first search augmented by heuristics inferring user interest from browsing behavior.
An electrochemical time-of-flight technique with galvanostatic generation and potentiometric sensing

A variation of an electrochemical time-of-flight (ETOF) technique is described and illustrated with the test cases involving electrochemically generated Ag and H ions in aqueous solutions of different viscosity and ionic strength. Similar to the earlier ETOF methods, the new ETOF technique also relies on photolithographically fabricated microelectrode devices. It uses a constant current (rather than potentiostatic) mode of generation of redox species and, unlike earlier approaches, it uses potentiometric (rather than amperometric) monitoring of the rates of their diffusion to the sensor microelectrode. The unknown D -values can be obtained by direct comparison between the experimentally obtained and digitally simulated E vs t transients. Digital simulations were based on simple hemi-cylindrical diffusion between the microband generator modeled as a hemi-cylinder and sensor microband electrode assumed to be infinitesimally small. This model approximates well the experimental results as long as the spacing between the two microband electrodes is approximately equal to or greater than twice their width. Discrepancies between theory and experiment may also arise due to the double-layer charging of the sensor j solution interface, and migration effects. # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Factors Affecting Drivers’ Cell Phone Use Behavior: Implications from a Naturalistic Study

The purpose of this study was to examine drivers' cell phone use behavior as reflected in naturalistic driving data. Video data from 1 week's worth of driving for 108 participants were visually scored for all instances of cell phone use, including conversation and visual or manual (VM) tasks. The frequency of cell phone use for each participant was used to classify drivers' behavior. Three frequency groups (low, moderate, and high) were scored across all drivers for conversation and VM tasks separately. The regression tree method was used to classify drivers' cell phone use behavior and identify associated factors. Drivers' individual factors, including age, annual driving mileage, and education levels, as well as situational factors, including use duration, time of day, road type, lighting (day and night), traffic conditions, and speed when initiating cell phone use, impacted drivers' cell phone use behavior. The impacts of these factors were different for cell phone conversation and VM tasks. Traffic co...
Puzzles in the Comparative Study of Frontiers: Problems, Some Solutions, and Methodological Implications

This paper examines ways in which world-system analysis can be employed fruitfully to explore frontier social processes. Conversely, it also examines how frontier social processes and events can be very valuable explorations of highly localized processes  geographically and temporally  of world-systems. The study of frontier regions can help to uncover the ways in which many world-systemic contexts shape local human agency. Conversely, the study of these highly localized human practices offers ways to gain insights to how individual actions constantly reconstruct world-systems. Finally, many of the lessons learned here with respect to frontiers, especially in regard to ethnic and national identity formation and transformation can be extended to other social concerns.
Flip-angle profile of slice-selective excitation and the measurement of the MR longitudinal relaxation time with steady-state magnetization.

In MRI, the flip angle (FA) of slice-selective excitation is not uniform across the slice-thickness dimension. This work investigates the effect of the non-uniform FA profile on the accuracy of a commonly-used method for the measurement, in which the T1 value, i.e., the longitudinal relaxation time, is determined from the steady-state signals of an equally-spaced RF pulse train. By using the numerical solutions of the Bloch equation, it is shown that, because of the non-uniform FA profile, the outcome of the T1 measurement depends significantly on T1 of the specimen and on the FA and the inter-pulse spacing τ of the pulse train. A new method to restore the accuracy of the T1 measurement is described. Different from the existing approaches, the new method also removes the FA profile effect for the measurement of the FA, which is normally a part of the T1 measurement. In addition, the new method does not involve theoretical modeling, approximation, or modification to the underlying principle of the T1 measurement. An imaging experiment is performed, which shows that the new method can remove the FA-, the τ-, and the T1-dependence and produce T1 measurements in excellent agreement with the ones obtained from a gold standard method (the inversion–recovery method).
Business Methods Patents in Jeopardy

One other contributor to the rise in patents has been the increasing use of “business method” patents. U.S. patent law allows patents to be issued for “any new and useful process”, generally identified as a particular series of steps required to complete a specific task. The use of computers to achieve those tasks with the end result being a method of engaging in a particular business, such as e-commerce, was recognized in the late 1990's by the USPTO as a patentable business method. This was confirmed by a federal court in 1998. As result, the number of patents issued under the USPTO classification that included “business practices” tripled.One such business method patent application sought to patent a method of hedging risk in commodities trading. The proposal outlined a series of steps that mainly involved the buying and selling of commodities through a third party which would isolate the buyers and sellers from risk. The USPTO rejected this application and the applicant appealed. The October 30 decision of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejecting the patent, In Re Bilski, is being identified as a landmark decision that raises questions about the continuing viability of both new and existing business methods patents.
Extreme CEO pay cuts and audit fees

Abstract This study investigates whether sudden and severe reductions in total CEO compensation affect auditor perceptions of risk. We argue that extreme CEO pay cuts can incentivize the CEO to manipulate the financial reports or make risky operational decisions in a desperate attempt to improve firm performance. This incentive, in turn, is likely to impact auditor assessments of audit risk and auditor business risk, leading to higher audit fees. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find evidence of a positive and highly significant association between extreme CEO pay cuts and audit fees. The results suggest that audit fees are 4.6% higher when there is an extreme CEO pay cut, which corresponds to an audit fee that is $111,458 higher for the average firm-year observation in our sample.
COORDINATED FAULT-TOLERANT CONTROL OF AUTONOMOUS AGENTS: GEOMETRY AND COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE

Abstract A one step ahead optimization based control of autonomous agents is proposed. Each agent is modeled as a double integrator. We only define a geometric topology for the agent formation, and by correctly choosing the cost function, show that our algorithm produces a communication topology mirroring the geometric topology. By providing some redundancy in the formation topology it is possible for the system to survive the loss of an agent. Other attractions of the scheme are scalability, the requirement of only local knowledge of the desired formation topology and ease of reconfiguration in the face of loss of agents and/or channels.
Effect of beta-aminopropionitrile on incorporation of glycine by croton oil pouches in rats.

Summary1. An investigation of the influence of BAPN on incorporation of glycine-1-C14 into proteins and nucleic acids of rat croton oil pouches and dermis was undertaken. 2. Incorporation of glycine into protein residues of fibrous tissue from croton oil pouches was decreased about 25% in animals pretreated with BAPN. In protein residues of dermis the rate of incorporation of glycine was also decreased, but to a much lesser degree, about 15%. 3. Studies of the nucleic acid fraction indicate that no change occurs in glycine uptake in fibrous tissue of dermis or croton oil pouches from BAPN treated animals as compared to controls. 4. The results of these experiments suggest that BAPN primarily affects amino acid incorporation into collagen or ground substance rather than the cellular portion of connective tissue.
TEST ON GRANULES FLOW PARAMETERS OF ORE DRAWING WITH STOCHASTIC MEDIUM THEORY

The traditionally measuring method of granules flow parameters in the stochastic medium theory of ore drawing(SMTOD) has certain insufficiency.Because of uncertainty and randomness of granules movement in the process of ore drawing,there is great error in measuring the granules flow parameters.Besides,the flow performance of index granular is different from experimental granular.Moreover,the existing solution method of granules flow parameter is deduced by equation between drawn-quantity and height of drawn-body,and the shape of granules drawn-body measured by this method is different far from actual one.Based on experiment,by improving production and placement method of index particle,a new measurement method to test the granular flow parameters by drawn-body equation is proposed.Four kinds of loose bodies from two mines are used to measure flow parameters.The experimental result indicates that granules flow parameters obtained by the new method match well with those of actual situation.Moreover,the new method is used in Beiminghe Ore Mine to determine rational stope structure parameters,and good technical and economic target is obtained.The recovery ratio and depletion ratio is 90% and 11% respectively.Field application also indicates that the flow parameter of stochastic medium theory of ore drawing can reflect flow characteristics of caved ore and rock well.The new method for measuring granules flow parameters can significantly improve the adaptability of SMTOD in engineering application.