cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FELIX: fast and energy-efficient logic in memory

The Internet of Things (IoT) has led to the emergence of big data. Processing this amount of data poses a challenge for current computing systems. PIM enables in-place computation which reduces data movement, a major latency bottleneck in conventional systems. In this paper, we propose an in-memory implementation of fast and energy-efficient logic (FELIX) which combines the functionality of PIM with memories. To the best of authors' knowledge, FELIX is the first PIM logic to enable the single cycle NOR, NOT, NAND, minority, and OR directly in crossbar memory. We exploit the voltage threshold-based memristors to enable single cycle operations. It is a purely in-memory execution which neither reads out data nor changes sense amplifiers, while preserving data in-memory. We extend these single cycle operations to implement more complex functions like XOR and addition in memory with 2× lower latency than the fastest published PIM technique. We also increase the amount of in-memory parallelism in our design by segmenting bitlines using switches. To evaluate the efficiency of our design at the system level, we design a FELIX-based HyperDimensional (HD) computing accelerator. Our evaluation shows that for all applications tested using HD, FELIX provides on average 128.8× speedup and 5,589.3× lower energy consumption as compared to AMD GPU. FELIX HD also achieves on average 2.21× higher energy efficiency, 1.86× speedup, and 1.68× less memory as compared to the fastest PIM technique.
134 COOL DIALYSATE: A NOVEL APPLICATION.

Background Endothelial dysfunction and impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is implicated as the underlying abnormality in hypertension; this effect may be mediated by cytokines. As cytokines have been shown to be temperature sensitive both in vivo and in vitro, we tested the effect of decreasing dialysate temperature on blood pressure and cytokines. Methods The sample included 24 stable HD subjects randomized to either a control (n = 13) or experimental (n = 11) group. Each individual patient was followed in the study for 9 months, divided into three 3-month phases. During Phase 1 and Phase 3, both groups of subjects received standard treatment (warm dialysate). During Phase 2, the patients were randomized to treatment with either warm dialysate (378C) or cool dialysate (18C lower than the mean pre-HD oral body temperature during the baseline 3 months). Serum samples for IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha were collected for 9 subjects at the end of each 3-month period and were measured in duplicate by using a multiplex assay (R&D). Results There was a significant improvement in prehemodialysis systolic blood pressures in Phase 2 in the experimental group (150.99 6 20.5 vs145.17 6 16.3, p = .04 by repeated measures ANOVA) as compared to the control group. The prehemodialysis diastolic blood pressures (85.09 6 14.1 vs 81.64 6 10.8, p = .06) also showed a similar direction of change. The mean pre-HD IL-1 beta (3.02 6 1.6 vs 1.24 6 0.26, p = .06) and TNF-alpha (21.11 6 30.21 vs 7.39 6 3.62, p = .06) were also lower in the experimental group after 3 months in the cool condition. Our hypothesis was further supported by the observation that there was a decrease in serum ferritin, an acute-phase reactant (709.2 6 299.6 vs 579.7 6 212.9) in the experimental group, which is also regulated by these same cytokines (IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha) and could possibly be related to improvement in inflammatory changes. Conclusions These data suggest that using cool dialysate during HD decreases pre-HD systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This effect may be mediated by an improvement in endothelial function, as measured by a decrease in selected markers of inflammation. Further study is warranted to explore the long-term beneficial effects of these changes on outcomes related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Variations of the Greenberg unrelated question model - A field test

AbstractIn recent years, many complex survey designs have been introduced whose mathematical properties are very nice but such surveys may be very difficult to implement. The primary purpose of thi...
CRISPR/Cas-based devices for mammalian synthetic biology

Since its first demonstration for mammalian gene editing, CRISPR/Cas technology has been widely adopted in research, industry, and medicine. Beyond indel mutations induced by Cas9 activity, recent advances in CRISPR/Cas have enabled DNA or RNA base editing. In addition, multiple orthogonal methods for the spatiotemporal regulation of CRISPR/Cas activity and repurposed Cas proteins for the visualization and relocation of specific genomic loci in living cells have been described. By harnessing the versatility of CRISPR/Cas-based devices and gene circuits, synthetic biologists are developing memory devices for lineage tracing and technologies for unbiased, high-throughput interrogation of combinatorial gene perturbations. We envision that such approaches will enable researchers to gain deeper insights into the translation of genotypes to phenotypes in healthy and diseased states.
Clinical and Biomechanical Evaluation of the Softball Pitcher: A Review of Current Concepts and Clinical Commentary.

BACKGROUND The windmill softball pitch (WSP) is a vastly understudied human motion relative to its counterpart the overhand baseball pitch (OBP). A large body of research has been conducted to understand the kinematics and kinetics of the OBP. Better understanding of the kinematics and kinetics of the WSP may help provide better pitch volume guidelines, physical performance preparation, and injury prevention programs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to gain a full understanding of all currently available biomechanical and clinical evidence surrounding the WSP and related softball injuries. STUDY DESIGN Clinical Review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 5. RESULTS The softball pitch is a highly complex series of coordinated movements, in which the force generated by the large muscles of the lower extremity and trunk during the wind-up and stride phases are transferred to the ball through the shoulder and arm. Biomechanical evidence has demonstrated relatively equivocal distraction forces at the shoulder for both the softball pitch and baseball pitch. CONCLUSIONS Altered pitching biomechanics, high pitch velocity, elevated pitch counts, decreased rest between outings, and increased pitcher fatigue may increase tissue stress on the upper extremity of a softball pitcher. There is convincing evidence that each of these variables have a compounding effect on injury risk for a softball pitcher. Therefore, coaches and clinicians need more research to promote upper extremity health in the softball pitcher at all levels of competition including pitch volume guidelines and injury prevention strategies.
An Integral Terminal Sliding Mode-Based Approach to Control the Super Heat Temperature of a HVAC System

This paper deals with the design and analysis of an integral terminal sliding mode control for heating ventilation and air conditioning systems. The proposed approach aims at controlling the super heat temperature of the evaporator. The design relies on a nested two-loop structure. An internal loop to control the evaporating temperature and an external one to regulate the superheat temperature. Controller gains were auto-tuned using a fuzzy logic approach. The performance of the proposed approach was illustrated using numerical simulations implemented with MATLAB/Simulink and compared to the standard SMC. The obtained results showed good overall dynamics and chattering-free performance.
PTSD symptom decrease and use of weight loss programs

Abstract Objective Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with poor health behaviors, including low utilization of Veteran Health Affairs (VHA) weight loss programs. It is not known if clinically meaningful PTSD improvement is associated with increased use of weight loss programs. Methods Medical record data was obtained from VHA patients who received PTSD specialty care between Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 to FY2012. Clinically meaningful PTSD improvement was defined as ≥20 point PTSD Checklist (PCL) decrease between the first PCL ≥ 50 and a second PCL at least 8 weeks later and within 12 months of the first PCL. Eligible patients, n = 993, were followed through FY2015. Propensity scores and inverse probability of exposure weighting controlled confounding. Cox proportional hazard models estimated the association between clinically meaningful PCL decrease and weight loss clinic utilization. Supplemental analysis compared both PTSD groups vs. no PTSD. Results Patients were 44.8 (SD ±14) years of age, 88.9% male and 66.8% white. Patients with vs. without a clinically meaningful PCL decrease were more likely to use a weight loss clinic (HR = 1.37; 95%CI:1.02–1.85). Among those with a weight loss encounter, PCL decrease was not associated with the number of encounters (RR = 1.13; 95%CI:0.70–1.81). Compared to no PTSD, patients with PTSD improvement had more weight loss encounters. Conclusions Large improvements in PTSD are associated with increased utilization of weight loss programs, and PTSD is not a barrier to seeking weight loss counseling. Research to understand why improvement in PTSD is not related to better weight loss outcomes is needed.
A common generalization of curvature homogeneity theories

We present an entirely algebraic common generalization to various notions of curvature homogeneity. We investigate basic properties of this theory and provide two examples of manifolds that meet this more general definition. These examples are not curvature homogeneous or homothety curvature homogeneous at certain levels.
Field-inoculated Ailanthus altissima stands reveal the biological control potential of Verticillium nonalfalfae in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States

Abstract Ailanthus altissima, perhaps the best-known example of an entrenched invasive weed tree in North America, was introduced to the Eastern U.S. roughly 240 years ago. The biological control of A. altissima has been a topic of interest since the discovery of a destructive naturally occurring Verticillium wilt disease of A. altissima in 2002. After nearly 20 years of research, an augmentative commercial release of this disease agent, Verticillium nonalfalfae, could be initiated in the near future. However, a few questions still remain: i) does the interaction of V. nonalfalfae with the less virulent V. dahliae inhibit the biological control effectiveness of V. nonalfalfae, and ii) do climate and A. altissima stand variables affect this biological control’s efficacy? To help answer these questions, a three-year field inoculation study including 3,245 A. altissima trees in 13 sites across four hardiness zones of Pennsylvania and Virginia, U.S. was implemented. Disease progressed and spread at similar rates in A. altissima trees co-inoculated with V. nonalfalfae and V. dahliae as those inoculated with V. nonalfalfae alone, with no indication of disease progression changing in co-inoculated trees. Verticillium dahliae alone resulted in lower levels of disease, and no disease spread. Similar results were seen in a supplemental greenhouse inoculation study. Despite slight regional variation of disease progression and spread correlated to climate or stand variables, V. nonalfalfae always caused severe disease and spread rapidly to other A. altissima trees through the forested plots. Our results support the use of V. nonalfalfae as a biological control agent throughout the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. regardless of stand and climate variables, and including sites where trees are already infected with V. dahliae.
World Population: Three Views

Three views of the world’s population and the challenge of feeding a growing world population are presented. Agriculture is dominated by the Malthusian view that the problem is biological—too many people producing too many children. That is contrasted with the view of Karl Marx who thought the problem was not biological, it was social. The population problem was not created by poor, uneducated people who produce too many children but by a social system that has not been designed to care for all, and it could be solved by modifications of that system.
Defining Boundaries in the Treaty of Apamea. A Note on a New Edition of Livy’s Fourth Decade

DeutschDie Bestimmung von Grenzen im Vertrag von Apamea – Anmerkungen zur Neuedition von Livius’ vierter Dekade. Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit Livius’ Bericht uber den Friedensvertrag von Apamea zwischen Rom und Antiochos III. (189/188 v. Chr.), insbesondere mit dem Abschnitt Liv. 37,56,1–6 uber die Aufteilung der seleukidischen Herrschaftsgebiete in Kleinasien zwischen Eumenes II. und den Rhodiern. In Anbetracht von Yardley’s neuer Loeb-Ausgabe und Ubersetzung von Livius’ vierter Dekade werden grammatische Probleme und Fragen der Textgestaltung, Ubersetzung sowie der historischen und geographischen Interpretation erortert. EnglishThis contribution deals with Livy’s account of the peace treaty of Apamea between Rome and Antiochus III (189/188 BC), and in particular with Liv. 37,56,1–6, which treats the division of the Seleucid dominions in Asia Minor between Eumenes II and the Rhodians. With attention to Yardley’s new Loeb edition and translation of Livy’s fourth decade, it discusses grammatical problems and questions of textual transmission, translation, and historical and geographical interpretation.
Synthesis and characterization of 2,5-bis(benzylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole complexes with fac -ReBr3(CO)32-

Abstract Reactions of 2,5-bis(benzylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (1) with a common organometallic rhenium starting material [NEt4]2[fac-[Re(I)Br3(CO)3] yielded two distinct types of complexes. Both complexes coordinate only through the nitrogen of the thiadiazole ring. Reaction of 1 with the rhenium starting material alone yielded a bimetallic complex fac-(di-μ-bromo)(μ-2,5-bis(benzylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-κN:κ′N)bis(tricarbonyl rhenium (I)) (2). The nitrogens of the thiadiazole ring of 1 each coordinate to a different rhenium center combined with two bridging bromide ligands in 2. A “2+1” complex was prepared in a two step process by reacting the rhenium starting material with picolinic acid followed by 1 to yield fac-Re(I)(2,5-bis(benzylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole)(CO)3(picolinate) (3). Compounds 2 and 3 were characterized by NMR, IR, UV, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Ecoliteracy and Edith Wharton: The Ecosomatic Paradigm and the Poetics of Paratexts in Ethan Frome

This chapter offers a discussion of pedagogical methods that invite students to read Ethan Frome in relation to its paratexts, which foreground the novel’s ecocritical significance and evoke its engagement with disability-related concerns. The proposed interpretive strategies bring awareness to Wharton’s bioregional sensibilities in Ethan Frome and promote ecoliteracy in students’ experiences with the novel. The suggested reading methods illuminate how bioregional theories equip students to explore place-specific ecological questions in texts that are typically not recognized as bioregional narratives. Through these interpretive practices students come to better understand the ways in which such crossover theoretical models as the ecosomatic paradigm serve to investigate the way the novel explores the interplay and connectivity between emplacement and embodiment.
Methodology to Evaluate Performance of Sediment Control Log Filter Media

AbstractStormwater management is necessary to protect surface waters from pollutants, and significant amounts of time and money are being expended to purchase and install sediment control logs for ...
Imaging of the Spine

Multiple modalities are available for imaging the spine in patients with cancer, including conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT), radionuclide imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional and metabolic imaging, and interventional radiology techniques. After a careful history and physical examination, the next step in the evaluation of the patient with primary or secondary neoplastic involvement of the spine is selection of the appropriate imaging modality and its application at the appropriate region of the spine.
Solid Tumor Embolotherapy in Hepatic Arteries with an Anti-reflux Catheter System

Unresectable hepatoma accounts for the majority of malignant liver tumor cases for which embolization therapy is considered a viable treatment option. However, the potential risk of aberrant particle deposition in non-target regions could cause severe side-effects, alongside diminished efficacy. A computational model has been developed to analyze the particle-hemodynamics before and after deployment of an FDA-approved anti-reflux catheter. The catheter features a retractable, porous cone-like tip designed to allow forward blood flow while preventing microsphere reflux. A patient-specific hepatic artery system, with different daughter branches connected to a liver tumor, was chosen as a representative test bed. In vitro as well as in vivo measurements were used to validate the computer simulation model. The model captures the effect of tip-deployment on blood perfusion and pressure drop in an interactive manner under physiologically realistic conditions. A relationship between the pressure drop and embolization level was established, which can be used to provide clinicians with real-time information on the best infusion-stop point. However, the results show that the present procedure for embolization of downstream vessels which feed a tumor is quite arbitrary. Nevertheless, a method to recycle aberrant particles captured by the deployed tip was proposed to minimize side-effects.
Efficient dominance testing for unconditional preferences

We study a dominance relation for comparing outcomes based on unconditional qualitative preferences and compare it with its unconditional counterparts for TCP-nets and their variants. Dominance testing based on this relation can be carried out in polynomial time by evaluating the satisfiability of a logic formula.
Lessons learned from using an asynchronous online discussion board to facilitate scientific thinking in a large cognitive psychology lecture class

Students' responses to scientific reasoning questions posted on an online discussion board were coded for completeness, coherence, accuracy, use of evidence, reasoning, and comprehensibility. Early performance was low for every dimension. By the end of the term, ratings of coherence and completeness increased but use of evidence decreased, and other dimensions stayed the same. Implications regarding the types of feedback students need to improve their understanding and use of scientific argumentation are discussed.
Allelic Analysis of the Maize amylose-extender Locus Suggests That Independent Genes Encode Starch-Branching Enzymes IIa and IIb

Starch branching enzymes (SBE) catalyze the formation of [alpha]-1,6-glucan linkages in the biosynthesis of starch. Three distinct SBE isoforms have been identified in maize (Zea mays L.) endosperm, SBEI, IIa, and IIb. Independent genes have been identified that encode maize SBEI and IIb; however, it has remained controversial as to whether SBEIIa and IIb result from posttranscriptional processes acting on the product of a single gene or whether they are encoded by separate genes. To investigate this question, we analyzed 16 isogenic lines carrying independent alleles of the maize amylose-extender (ae) locus, the structural gene for SBEIIb. We show that 22 d after pollination ae-B1 endosperm expressed little Sbe2b (ae)-hybridizing transcript, and as expected, ae-B1 endosperm also lacked detectable SBEIIb enzymatic activity. Significantly, we show that ae-B1 endosperm contained SBEIIa enzymatic activity, strongly supporting the hypothesis that endosperm SBEIIa and IIb are encoded by separate genes. Furthermore, we show that in addition to encoding the predominant Sbe2b-hybridizing message expressed in endosperm, the ae gene also encodes the major Sbe2b-like transcript expressed in developing embryos and tassels.
Purification and properties of trypsin-like proteases from the starfish Dermasterias imbricata.

Abstract Isolation and purification of trypsin-like proteases from the pyloric caeca of the starfish Dermasterias imbricata resulted in the separation of two different proteins which possessed tryptic-like activity. Both enzymes were homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide electrophoresis and both have molecular weights of 25,000 to 26,000 as determined by gel filtration. The enzymes were inhibited by diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate and Nα-tosyl-l-lysylchloromethane, but not by soybean trypsin inhibitor. Enzyme stability, as affected by temperature and pH, showed marked differences between the two enzymes. Hydrolysis of benzoyl-dl-arginine-p-nitroanilide hydrochloride by each enzyme was optimal at pH 8.0 to 8.5. The starfish enzymes hydrolyze this synthetic substrate at rates 3.2- and 1.2-fold faster than bovine pancreatic trypsin does. Proteolytic digestion of glucagon and amino acid analysis of the resulting peptides revealed a cleavage specificity for both starfish proteases similar to that of bovine pancreatic trypsin. The enzymes appear to exist as inactive precursors in the pyloric caeca, with spontaneous activation taking place on incubation at 20°. The activation was accelerated by addition of exogenous pancreatic trypsin and calcium. However, neither of the purified starfish enzymes showed dependence on calcium ion concentration for enzymatic activity or stability and were unaffected by ethylenediaminetetraacetate.
The development of equity derivative markets: An examination of current standards and challenges in emerging Asia

Purpose – Amid benign monetary policy in mature market countries and high liquidity‐induced demand, lower risk premia have encouraged risk diversification into alternative asset classes outside the scope of conventional investment. The development of derivative markets in emerging economies plays a special role in this context as more institutional money is managed on a global mandate, with more and more capital being dedicated to emerging market equity. This paper aims to focus on these issues.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the recent development of equity derivative markets in emerging Asia and informs a critical debate about market practices and prudential supervision. Goal of the paper is also to outline essential elements and key policy considerations in developing derivative markets.Findings – The supervision of emerging derivative markets depends on the expedient and tractable resolution of challenges arising from consistent risk management, risk mutualization, and prudential stan...
Naturalized Communication and Testing

We "naturalize" the handshake communication links of a self-timed system by assigning the capabilities of filling and draining a link and of storing its full or empty status to the link itself. This contrasts with assigning these capabilities to the joints, the modules connected by the links, as was previously done. Under naturalized communication, the differences between Micropipeline, GasP, Mousetrap, and Click circuits are seen only in the links -- the joints become identical; past, present, and future link and joint designs become interchangeable. We also "naturalize" the actions of a self-timed system, giving actions status equal to states -- for the purpose of silicon test and debug. We partner traditional scan test techniques dedicated to state with new test capabilities dedicated to action. To each and every joint, we add a novel proper-start-stop circuit, called MrGO, that permits or forbids the action of that joint. MrGO, pronounced "Mister GO," makes it possible to (1) exit an initial state cleanly to start circuit operation in a delay-insensitive manner, (2) stop a running circuit in a clean and delay-insensitive manner, (3) single- or multi-step circuit operations for test and debug, and (4) test sub-systems at speed.
Dalit Women's Education in Modern India: Double Discrimination

Inspired by egalitarian doctrines, the Dalit communities in India have been fighting for basic human and civic rights since the middle of the nineteenth century. In this book, Shailaja Paik focuses on the struggle of Dalit women in one arena - the realm of formal education – and examines a range of interconnected social, cultural and political questions. What did education mean to women? How did changes in women’s education affect their views of themselves and their domestic work, public employment, marriage, sexuality, and childbearing and rearing? What does the dissonance between the rhetoric and practice of secular education tell us about the deeper historical entanglement with modernity as experienced by Dalit communities? Dalit Women's Education in Modern India is a social and cultural history that challenges the triumphant narrative of modern secular education to analyse the constellation of social, economic, political and historical circumstances that both opened and closed opportunities to many Dalits. By focusing on marginalised Dalit women in modern Maharashtra, who have rarely been at the centre of systematic historical enquiry, Paik breathes life into their ideas, expectations, potentials, fears and frustrations. Addressing two major blind spots in the historiography of India and of the women’s movement, she historicises Dalit women’s experiences and constructs them as historical agents. The book combines archival research with historical fieldwork, and centres on themes including slum life, urban middle classes, social and sexual labour, and family, marriage and children to provide a penetrating portrait of the actions and lives of Dalit women. Elegantly conceived and convincingly argued, Dalit Women's Education in Modern India will be invaluable to students of History, Caste Politics, Women and Gender Studies, Education Studies, Urban Studies and Asian studies.
Central auditory processing: VI. Detecting ear dominance by evoked potentials

An electrophysiological method is described for measuring the direction and strength of a subject's ear dominance for pitch using the P3 component of event-related potentials. Results of these experiments reveal that the P3 can be used effectively for these measures in man.
Stacked hierarchical labeling

In this work we propose a hierarchical approach for labeling semantic objects and regions in scenes. Our approach is reminiscent of early vision literature in that we use a decomposition of the image in order to encode relational and spatial information. In contrast to much existing work on structured prediction for scene understanding, we bypass a global probabilistic model and instead directly train a hierarchical inference procedure inspired by the message passing mechanics of some approximate inference procedures in graphical models. This approach mitigates both the theoretical and empirical difficulties of learning probabilistic models when exact inference is intractable. In particular, we draw from recent work in machine learning and break the complex inference process into a hierarchical series of simple machine learning subproblems. Each subproblem in the hierarchy is designed to capture the image and contextual statistics in the scene. This hierarchy spans coarse-to-fine regions and explicitly models the mixtures of semantic labels that may be present due to imperfect segmentation. To avoid cascading of errors and overfitting, we train the learning problems in sequence to ensure robustness to likely errors earlier in the inference sequence and leverage the stacking approach developed by Cohen et al.
Resistances to Reforming Corporate Governance: The Diffusion of QLCC's

Companies can create a subcommittee of the board of directors to deal with legal compliance. After the final Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, the Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) predicted that 11% of issuers would form Qualified Legal Compliance Committees (QLCCs). Between October 2002 and 30 September 2005, 456 issuers formed QLCCs. More than 97% of issuers do not have one and less than 13% of those the SEC predicted would form one have done so. In the third year since its introduction, one-quarter as many operating companies formed QLCCs as did so in the previous year. Based on interviews and a review of published accounts, this article tells the story of the failed diffusion of this organizational innovation. It emphasizes the resistance of general counsel to board involvement with legal compliance. Although the diffusion of QLCCs has been very slow at operating companies and appears to be slowing, this pattern is not replicated at investment funds and trusts. 100 new QLCC's were created at investment funds and trusts in the year ending September 20, 2005. The increasing use of QLCCs at investment companies is consistent with the explanations that I propose for their lack of diffusion at operating companies. Employment patterns (and agency costs) differentiate Investment funds and trusts from operating companies.
CRYSTAL STRUCTURES OF AEDES AEGYPTI KYNURENINE AMINOTRANSFERASE

Aedes aegypti kynurenine aminotransferase (AeKAT) catalyzes the irreversible transamination of kynurenine to kynurenic acid, the natural antagonist of NMDA and 7-nicotinic acetycholine receptors. Here, we report the crystal structure of AeKAT in its PMP and PLP forms at 1.90 and 1.55 A, respectively. The structure was solved by a combination of single-wavelength anomalous dispersion and molecular replacement approaches. The initial search model in the molecular replacement method was built with the result of single-wavelength anomalous dispersion data from the Br-AeKAT crystal in combination with homology modeling. The solved structure shows that the enzyme is a homodimer, and that the two subunits are stabilized by a number of hydrogen bonds, salts bridges, and hydrophobic interactions. Each subunit is divided into an N-terminal arm and small and large domains. Based on its folding, the enzyme belongs to the prototypical fold type, aminotransferase subgroup I. The three-dimensional structure shows a strictly conserved 'PLP-phosphate binding cup' featuring PLP-dependent enzymes. The interaction between Cys284 (A) and Cys284 (B) is unique in AeKAT, which might explain the cysteine effect of AeKAT activity. Further mutation experiments of this residue are needed to eventually understand the mechanism of the enzyme modulation by cysteine.
The Mycoplasma genitalium MG352‐encoded protein is a Holliday junction resolvase that has a non‐functional orthologue in Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Recombination between repeated DNA elements in the genomes of Mycoplasma species appears to lie at the basis of antigenic variation of several essential surface proteins. It is therefore imperative that the DNA recombinatorial pathways in mycoplasmas be unravelled. Here, we describe the proteins encoded by the Mycoplasma genitalium MG352 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae MPN528a genes (RecU(Mge) and RecU(Mpn) respectively), which share sequence similarity with RecU Holliday junction (HJ) resolvases. RecU(Mge) was found to: (i) bind HJ substrates and large double-stranded DNA molecules and (ii) cleave HJ substrates at the sequence 5'-(G) /(T) C↓(C) /(T) T(A) /(G) G-3' in the presence of Mn(2+). Interestingly, RecU(Mpn) (from M. pneumoniae subtype 2 strains) did not possess obvious DNA binding or cleavage activities, which was found to be caused by the presence of a glutamic acid residue at position 67 of the protein, which is not conserved in RecU(Mge). Additionally, RecU(Mpn) appears not to be expressed by subtype 1 M. pneumoniae strains, as these possess a TAA translation termination codon at position 181-183 of MPN528a. We conclude that RecU(Mge) is a HJ resolvase that may play a central role in recombination in M. genitalium.
OPSIM: Operator simulation for time study teaching and research

Abstract A simulation program has been developed that will permit an observer to time a simulated multi-element work cycle sequence. Each element is represented by a horizontal bar the length of which is proportional to the mean element time. A cursor travels along each bar successively at randomly selected speeds. The observer, using either a mechanical or an electronic timer, records his/her observed time.
Quantitative measurement of multifunctional quantum dot binding to cellular targets using flow cytometry.

� Abstract Semiconductor nanocrystals such as quantum dots (QDs) are a potentially powerful resource in the fields of flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. QD size and fluorescence characteristics offer attractive features for use in targeted delivery systems and detection by flow cytometry. While quantitative measurements of a variety of fluorescent molecules are routinely performed, fluorophores for which no calibration standards exist, such as QDs, pose a problem for quantitation in flow cytometry. Our goal was to develop a targeted nanoparticle delivery platform as well as a corresponding method to accurately and quantitatively assess the performance of this system. We synthesized surface-modified QD probes targeted to cellular surface receptors and measured the MFI of the resulting cell-probe conjugates by flow cytometry. MFI was converted to mean equivalent R-PE intensity (MEPE) using standard calibration microspheres. Known concentrations of both R-PE and QD probes were measured by fluorometry to relate R-PE and QD fluorescence. Fluorometry results were then used to translate MEPE measurements to the number of bound QD probes. The targeted probes exhibited superior binding characteristics over unmodified and untargeted particles. This binding interaction was shown to be specific and mediated by the NGR targeting peptide tethered to the QD surface. The calibration method developed to assess this system proved successful at converting raw fluorescence data to quantitative probe binding values. We demonstrate the synthesis and performance of a highly modular nanoparticle system capable of targeted binding and fluorescent imaging. The calibration method implemented to quantify the performance of this system represents a potentially powerful tool to utilize truly quantitative flow cytometry measurements with an array of fluorescent molecules, including QDs. ' 2008 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Knotted single-stranded DNA rings: A novel topological isomer of circular single-stranded DNA formed by treatment with Escherichia coli ω protein

Abstract Treatment of single-stranded circular phage fd DNA with Escherichia coli ω protein yields a new species which sediments 1.2 to 1.5 times faster than the untreated DNA in an alkaline medium. The infectivity of this species in spheroplast assays, after purification of the DNA by zone sedimentation in an alkaline sucrose gradient, is only slightly lower than that of untreated fd DNA. The formation of this species requires Mg(II) and is strongly dependent on salt concentration and temperature. At 37 °C, over 85% of the input DNA can be converted to this form when incubation is carried out in media containing 0.15 to 0.25 m -salt. The yield decreases with increasing temperature or decreasing salt concentration. The increase in sedimentation coefficient of fd DNA in an alkaline medium following treatment with ω is not due to protein binding, as no change was observed upon treatment of the product with phenol or Pronase. Furthermore, neither the buoyant density of this new species in neutral CsCl nor its sedimentation coefficient in a neutral medium is significantly different from the corresponding properties of untreated fd DNA. Examination by electron microscopy shows that the new form has the appearance of a knotted ring of about the same contour length as an untreated monomeric single-stranded fd DNA. The new form can be converted to full-length linear fd DNA by treatment with pancreatic DNAase I. The rate of conversion is approximately the same as that of untreated circular fd DNA to the linear form. These results show that the new form of fd DNA is a novel topological isomer: a knotted single-stranded DNA ring. It is also found that further treatment of the knotted DNA rings with ω at low ionic strength can reverse the reaction, i.e. the knotted DNA rings can be converted back to simple DNA rings indistinguishable from fd DNA from the phage. At intermediate ionic strength the two forms are interconvertible and form an equilibrium mixture. Results similar to those obtained for fd DNA have also been observed for single-stranded circular φX174 DNA. A mechanism based on the known activity of ω protein on double-stranded DNA, the secondary structure of a single-stranded circular DNA, and the experimental results described here is proposed.
Ipsilateral Intralobar and Subphrenic Pulmonary Sequestration

We present a rare case of coexisting intralobar pulmonary sequestration and ipsilateral subphrenic extralobar sequestration in a 40-year-old woman. This variant of duplicated sequestration is very rare, although cases of simultaneous intralobar and extralobar sequestration have been reported, as have rare instances of subphrenic sequestration. In this case, preoperative imaging defined both intralobar and extralobar sequestrations, and after lobectomy for the symptomatic intralobar sequestration, the asymptomatic subdiaphragmatic sequestration is being managed conservatively.
Temperature investigation of the gate-drain diode of power GaAs MESFET with low-temperature-grown (Al)GaAs passivation

We have investigated the breakdown-temperature characteristics of the gate-drain diode of a GaAs metal semiconductor field-effect transistor with low-temperature-grown (LTG) GaAs/AlGaAs passivation. An anomalous decrease in the breakdown voltage as a function of the temperature is observed. This behavior leads us to propose an explanation of how LTG passivation leads to a high breakdown voltage at room temperature; and this explanation in turn allows us to predict the power performance of the passivated devices.
The Comparative Validities of Differential Placement Measures for College Composition Courses

Thirty-four tests measuring verbal ability, academic achievement, reading skills, attitudes, visual perception, spelling, and word decoding skills were compared for their correlational strengths with grade in a required freshman course in composition. In several modes of analysis scores from the English subtest of the ACT Assessment yielded the strongest and most pervasive relationship to composition grades. Several other language tests showed varying power to discriminate between groups of students with high, middle, or low grades in the composition course, but a strong correlation between scores measuring word-level skills and grade in freshman course in composition suggests their unique potential in test batteries designed for the differential placement of students into English composition courses.
Distance-preserving projection of high dimensional data

This paper presents a distance-preserving method of mapping high dimensional data to low spaces. The low-dimensional configuration preserves exact distances of each data point to some of its near neighbors. Unlike other nonlinear mapping methods which need at least a parameter to specify the size of neighborhoods to look around, this method has no user-selectable parameter and thus has no shortcut problem. It also works well when data are spread among multiple clusters. The method is demonstrated through examples on both synthetic and real world data.
Lower bounds on Bayes factors for invariant testing situations

Abstract Hypothesis testing problems are studied when invariance under suitable groups of transformations exist. Both compact and locally compact groups are considered. Expressions for the lower bounds on Bayes factors are derived under fairly general conditions. It is shown that the lower bounds can be obtained from weighted likelihood ratios of maximal invariants. These lower bounds are then compared with the P-values for these tests. It is found that the lower bounds are usually much larger than the corresponding P-values.
High-performance arabic character recognition

The design and development of any character recognition system aim to satisfy two goals. The first is to correctly recognize characters (recognition accuracy). The second is to minimize the execution time of the recognition process (recognition speed). In the area of Arabic character recognition, a great amount of research has been accomplished to satisfy the first goal. In spite of its crucial importance, little has been done to satisfy the second goal. The emergence of the multi-processing paradigms has opened new frontiers in meeting this goal. Through proposing our high-performance Arabic character recognition system, this research integrates the character recognition process with the parallel processing concepts. The development of the high-performance system has been accomplished through three main steps. First, a sequential Arabic character recognition system is built. During this step the focus has been on maximizing the recognition accuracy. In the process of achieving this goal, we paid similar attention to attain the other performance goal; increasing the recognition speed. Moreover, the sequential system has the advantage of being insensitive to character scaling (multi-size recognition). The second step in developing our high-performance system involves proposing and evaluating necessary partitioning and scheduling algorithms to be utilized when mapping the sequential system into the parallel environment. Finally, in the third step, these algorithms have been used to parallelize the sequential system utilizing the parallel paradigm (the C-Linda model). The merits of the new high-performance Arabic character recognition system have been evaluated through experimental testings. Promising results have been accomplished by the system in terms of both recognition accuracy and speed. In addition, the research uses the high-performance system as a case study to highlight and discuss some issues related to parallelizing an application. These issues include comparing gains and losses of parallelism, examining the nature of the application and its effect on determining the way of parallelism, and studying the effect of "real life" circumstances on the performance of a multi-processing paradigm.
Coprophagia in an elderly man: a case report and review of the literature

Objective:Coprophagia or the ingestion of feces has long been associated with psychiatric illness. It is considered to be a variant of pica. This behavior requires an extensive medical and psychiatric differential diagnosis. Medical disorders associated with coprophagia include seizure disorders, cerebral atrophy, and tumors. Psychiatric disorders associated with coprophagia include mental retardation, alcoholism, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, fetishes, delirium, and dementia. In animals, coprophagia is associated with boredom, thiamine deficiency, and lesions of the amygdala.Methods:A case of coprophagia in an elderly man is reported here. A 77-year-old man with mild mental retardation was referred for urgent psychiatric evaluation due to coprophagia. The case is discussed and the literature reviewed.Results:Psychiatric evaluation revealed cognitive dysfunction and depression. Physical examination and laboratory evaluation were noncontributory. He was started on sertraline 25 ...
Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed CREB and serine 133 phospho-CREB binding to the CART gene proximal promoter

Both over expression of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and intra-accumbal injection of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides, have been shown to decrease cocaine reward. Also, over expression of CREB in the rat NAc increased CART mRNA and peptide levels, but it is not known if this was due to a direct action of P-CREB on the CART gene promoter. The goal of this study was to test if CREB and P-CREB bound directly to the CRE site in the CART promoter, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. ChIP assay with anti-CREB antibodies showed an enrichment of the CART promoter fragment containing the CRE region over IgG precipitated material, a non-specific control. Forskolin, which was known to increase CART mRNA levels in GH3 cells, was utilized to show that the drug increased levels of P-CREB protein and P-CREB binding to the CART promoter CRE-containing region. A region of the c-Fos promoter containing a CRE cis-regulatory element was previously shown to bind P-CREB, and it was used here as a positive control. These data suggest that the effects of CREB over expression on blunting cocaine reward could be, at least in part, attributed to the increased expression of the CART gene by direct interaction of P-CREB with the CART promoter CRE site, rather than by some indirect action.
Assessing the health of a dyadic relationship in heterosexual and same‐sex partners

The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics of a measure of monitoring the health of a dyadic relationship based on data from self-report surveys completed by both partners from dating heterosexual, married heterosexual, cohabiting gay male, and cohabiting lesbian couples from the United States (Ns = 127, 46, 81, and 224, respectively). Covariation among the measure’s 7 items conformed to 1 latent factor. Intraclass correlations between partners from the same couple were positive. Gender effects occurred only for married couples, with wives having higher scores than husbands. One’s own and one’s partner’s monitoring accounted for unique variance in one’s own commitment, even with controls for other variables. Monitoring buffered the negative effects of neuroticism on commitment.
Dynamic left ventricular elastance: a model for integrating cardiac muscle contraction into ventricular pressure-volume relationships.

To integrate myocardial contractile processes into left ventricular (LV) function, a mathematical model was built. Muscle fiber force was set equal to the product of stiffness and elastic distortio...
Idiopathic dilatation of peripheral pulmonary arteries.

We describe a patient with idiopathic dilatation of the peripheral pulmonary arteries radiologically mimicking pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae. Isolated involvement of the peripheral arteries in this patient supports a developmental defect in the arterial walls as the etiology.
Capacitance free generation and detection of subpicosecond electrical pulses on coplanar transmission lines

By reanalyzing an earlier experiment to generate subpicosecond pulses using photoconductive switches (M.B. Ketchen, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., vol.48, pp.751-753, 1986), it is shown that to first order, the sliding-contact generation site has no capacitance. This conclusion is further supported by a double sliding-contact experiment where, to first order, neither the generation nor the detection site has any capacitance. This result removes the parasitic capacitance of the electrical circuit as one of the major difficulties to short electrical pulse generation using photoconductive switches. >
A time-integrated Richardson model

Abstract Richardson equations are widely studied models of simplified multi-player arms races. In this paper, we derive a novel and more theoretically-consistent formulation, which implicitly includes a mapping from observed economic data to the model variables. We define new variables which are time-integrated versions of scaled `defense' expenditures, and show that they may be robustly estimated from historical data. We illustrate the model's usefulness with historical examples and a simplified risk analysis of simulated data.