cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of residual stresses in a sapphire-fiber-reinforced glass-matrix composite by micro-fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract Residual stress in fibers of a sapphire-fiber-reinforced glass-matrix composite arising from thermal expansion mismatch is characterized by measuring the shift of the optical fluorescence lines of Cr+3 in sapphire. The stress is found to vary along the fiber length as well as across the fiber cross-section for an uncoated fiber embedded in a glass matrix. Some finite residual stress is also measured at the fiber ends. Analytical models to explain the experimentally measured stress variations are proposed. The high spatial resolution of the microprobe spectrometer is demonstrated for mapping stresses across a specific section of the composite.
Myths and Lessons from the Adult/Pediatric Interface in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The development of effective therapy for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the great successes of clinical oncology, with long-term survival achieved in over 80% of patients. However, cure rates for adults with ALL remain relatively low, with only 40% of patients cured. With an age-unrestricted, biology-based approach, we anticipate a better understanding about why these outcome differences exist, and think that by extending successful pediatric clinical programs to include adult patients with ALL, we can directly compare uniformly treated adults and children in terms of response to therapy, toxicity and underlying biology.
Full-Spectrum Cardiac Surgery Through a Minimal Incision: Mini-Sternotomy (Lower Half) Technique ☆

A technique is described in which most, if not all, cardiac operations may be performed through a standard small incision. A midline, lower half sternotomy is used. This provides traditional exposure of the heart and allows the surgeon to directly visualize the operating field and use familiar instruments. The complete spectrum of coronary revascularization and cardiac valve operations has been performed through this less-invasive incision.
Efficient randomized Web-cache replacement schemes using samples from past eviction times

The problem of document replacement in web caches has received much attention in recent research, and it has been shown that the eviction rule "replace the least recently used document" performs poorly in web caches. Instead, it has been shown that using a combination of several criteria, such as the recentness and frequency of use, the size, and the cost of fetching a document, leads to a sizable improvement in hit rate and latency reduction. However, in order to implement these novel schemes, one needs to maintain complicated data structures. We propose randomized algorithms for approximating any existing web-cache replacement scheme and thereby avoid the need for any data structures.At document-replacement times, the randomized algorithm samples N documents from the cache and replaces the least useful document from the sample, where usefulness is determined according to the criteria mentioned above. The next M N least useful documents are retained for the succeeding iteration. When the next replacement is to be performed, the algorithm obtains N --- M new samples from the cache and replaces the least useful document from the N --- M new samples and the M previously retained. Using theory and simulations, we analyze the algorithm and find that it matches the performance of existing document replacement schemes for values of N and M as low as 8 and 2 respectively. Interestingly, we find that retaining a small number of samples from one iteration to the next leads to an exponential improvement in performance as compared to retaining no samples at all.
Deconstructing Ontological Vagueness

I will here present a number of problems concerning the idea that there is ontological vagueness, and the related claim that appeal to this idea can help solve some vagueness-related problems. A theme underlying the discussion will be the distinction between vagueness specifi cally and indeterminacy more generally (and, relatedly, the distinction between ontological vagueness and ontological indeterminacy). Even if the world is somehow ontologically indeterminate it by no means follows that it is, properly speaking, ontologically vague.
Controversial and Critical Issues with Crime Victims: Current Research Begins to Reconcile the Debates

Abstract Although over 24 million crime victims experience acute crisis episodes and trauma throughout the United States each year, it was not until 1985 that legislation, federal funding, and a federal Office for Victims of Crime were established (Green & Roberts, 2008). The landmark Victims of Crime Act of 1984 led to major federal funding for victim/witness assistance programs as well as victim service programs giving priority to domestic violence and sexual assault victims. This special double issue focuses on the controversial and critical issues with crime victims in the 21st century. This includes the crime victim groups that were neglected in the past—human trafficking victims, hazing victims, bullying victims, cyberstalking, and the effectiveness of restorative justice.
Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis

Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis. By William Haltom and Michael McCann. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004. 332p. 20.00 paper.If you, or anyone you know, believes that America is in the midst of a litigation crisis, then you must read this book.
End-to-End Performability Analysis for Infrastructure-as-a-Service Cloud: An Interacting Stochastic Models Approach

Handling diverse client demands and managing unexpected failures without degrading performance are two key promises of a cloud delivered service. However, evaluation of a cloud service quality becomes difficult as the scale and complexity of a cloud system increases. In a cloud environment, service request from a user goes through a variety of provider specific processing steps from the instant it is submitted until the service is fully delivered. Measurement-based evaluation of cloud service quality is expensive especially if many configurations, workload scenarios, and management methods are to be analyzed. To overcome these difficulties, in this paper we propose a general analytic model based approach for an end-to-end perform ability analysis of a cloud service. We illustrate our approach using Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud, where service availability and provisioning response delays are two key QoS metrics. A novelty of our approach is in reducing the complexity of analysis by dividing the overall model into sub-models and then obtaining the overall solution by iteration over individual sub-model solutions. In contrast to a single one-level monolithic model, our approach yields a high fidelity model that is tractable and scalable. Our approach and underlying models can be readily extended to other types of cloud services and are applicable to public, private and hybrid clouds.
Two Joint Office of Research and Development/Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Projects

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) are jointly working on two projects which may have significant implications for the development of biotechnology and chemical waste degradation. One project is the Biosystems Concept, a five-year research plan designed to develop and select both microorganisms and biological treatment systems which can reduce or eliminate the risks from hazardous waste. The second project is the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, where OSWER and ORD will fund and evaluate a minimum of ten pilot-scale or full-scale demonstrations of alternative technologies at Superfund sites per year through 1990. The poster paper presents an overview of these programs, specifically focusing on their goals and objectives, and the implications for the development/application of microbial degradation.
Dissemination and Systemic Colonization of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in a Murine Model of Bacteremia

Infection with uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the causative agent of most uncomplicated urinary tract infections, proceeds in an ascending manner and, if left untreated, may result in bacteremia and urosepsis. To examine the fate of UPEC after its entry into the bloodstream, we developed a murine model of sublethal bacteremia. CBA/J mice were inoculated intravenously with 1 × 10(6) CFU of pyelonephritis strain E. coli CFT073 carrying a bioluminescent reporter. Biophotonic imaging, used to monitor the infection over 48 h, demonstrated that the bacteria disseminated systemically and appeared to localize at discrete sites. UPEC was recovered from the spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and intestines as early as 20 min postinoculation, peaking at 24 h postinoculation. A nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 strain, however, disseminated at significantly lower levels (P < 0.01) and was cleared from the liver and cecum by 24 h postinoculation. Isogenic mutants lacking type 1 fimbriae, P fimbriae, capsule, TonB, the heme receptors Hma and ChuA, or particularly the sialic acid catabolism enzyme NanA were significantly outcompeted by wild-type CFT073 during bacteremia (P < 0.05), while flagellin and hemolysin mutants were not.
A phase II study of 9-aminocamptothecin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Summary Background 9-Aminocamptothecin (9-AC) is a synthetic analogue of camptothecin. Phase I studies, identified the maximum tolerated dose as 1416 μg/m2/day × 3 as continuous intravenous infusion (CVI) with dose-limiting neutropenia. Patients and methods Eligible patients had stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with measurable disease. Patients were initially treated at 1416 μg/m2/d × 3 by CVI followed by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) support. This dose was decreased to 1100 μg/m2/d after the first 13 patients. Cycles were repeated every 14 days until tumor progression. Results Fifty-eight patients were treated, thirteen at 1416 μg/m2/d and 45 at 1100 μg/m2/d. Fifty percent had adenocarcinoma and 17% squamous cell carcinoma. Seventy-one percent had stage IV disease. Five patients had a partial response (response duration 9–28 weeks) for an overall response rate of 8.6%, (95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.9%–19%). Median time to progression was 2.3 months and the median survival for the entire study population 5.4 months with a one-year survival rate of 30%. The one-year survival rate for 27 patients who received second line chemotherapy was 56.7%. Toxicities at 1416 μg/m2/d included grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in six and five of 13 patients, respectively; at 1100 μg/m2/d these toxicities were observed in 12 and three of 45 patients, respectively. Conclusion 9-AC has modest single-agent activity in previously untreated NSCLC. Its further evaluation at the dose and schedule employed in this study does not seem indicated. Exploration of more prolonged administration schedules may be warranted.
A Novel Spatial Multiplexing Architecture with Finite Rate Feedback

The V-BLAST (vertical Bell Labs layered Space-Time) architecture with equal rate and power per antenna and a fixed order of detection is known to suffer from poor performance; in a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) Rayleigh fading channel with Mt transmit antennas and Mr receive antennas (Mr ? Mt), the diversity order is only Mr ? Mt + 1. There are two remedies available, namely, (a) channel ordered detection at the receiver and (b) allocation of rates and powers at the transmitter. However, given independent coding/decoding at each layer, the diversity gain of V-BLAST even by applying these remedies is fundamentally upper bounded by Mr. In this paper, we show that the story would be dramatically different if the receiver is allowed to feed a few bits of channel state information (CSI) back to the transmitter. We develop an approach of jointly designed ordered detection at the receiver and rate/power allocation at the transmitter. Herein the receiver feeds back a finite number of bits (=log2(Mt!)) to the transmitter regarding the detection order. In particular, we propose what we call the Greedy ordering Rate Tailored V-BLAST (GRT-VB) scheme which, with independent coding/decoding on each layer, is shown to have the diversity-multiplexing (D-M) gain tradeoff which is close to the optimal one (e.g. it has the maximal diversity gain of MrMt). The simulation result validates the superior performance of the proposed scheme.
Self-localizing sensor network architectures

This paper faces the problem of configuration and communication in a distributed radio sensor network, composed of identical sensors randomly placed in a two- or three-dimensional space. The reference is provided by objects with known positions called masters. Two architectures are shown; the first uses one master, the second three masters. The one master architecture makes it possible to identify and locate all the sensors in space and to calculate for each of them the lowest energy transmission path to reach the master. The three-master architecture locates, by triangulation, each sensor when a transmission of information occurs and cannot optimize energy consumption during sensor communication. On the other hand, it is also able to localize moving sensors or to handle dynamically changing sensor topologies. The results show that the three-master architecture is faster, but it implies an energy waste of about 30 times greater than the one-master architecture for a constellation of 50 sensors.
Mapping of uniform dependence algorithm onto fixed size processor arrays

The paper addresses the problem of mapping uniform dependence algorithms onto fixed size processor arrays. The optimal computation time of executing uniform dependence algorithm on a fixed size processor array is first discussed. A mapping and partitioning method for 2-dimensional algorithms (algorithms with doubly nested loops) which can achieve near optimal computation time is proposed. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented for a given pair of schedule and partition to be time optimal. The inefficient utilization of processors is caused by the boundary time steps. For a given pair of schedule and partition vectors, the number of boundary time steps is identified. Also, the amount of external communication, which is the communication between blocks of a partition, by a given pair of schedule and partition vectors is studied. Issues concerning minimizing boundary time steps and external communication are discussed. >
The Electoral Costs of Party Loyalty in Congress

To what extent is party loyalty a liability for incumbent legislators? Past research on legislative voting and elections suggests that voters punish members who are ideologically “out of step” with their districts. In seeking to move beyond the emphasis in the literature on the effects of ideological extremity on legislative vote share, we examine how partisan loyalty can adversely affect legislators' electoral fortunes. Specifically, we estimate the effects of each legislator's party unity—the tendency of a member to vote with his or her party on salient issues that divide the two major parties—on vote margin when running for reelection. Our results suggest that party loyalty on divisive votes can indeed be a liability for incumbent House members. In fact, we find that voters are not punishing elected representatives for being too ideological; they are punishing them for being too partisan.
Capecitabine-docetaxel combination treatment

Metastatic breast cancer develops in approximately 50% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The optimal treatment for patients with metastatic breast cancer has yet to be defined, owing to the heterogeneity of this group and the available agents. Patients with metastatic breast cancer often receive single-agent treatment in sequence as it is unclear whether combination therapy with cytotoxic drugs offers an overall disease-free survival benefit and single agents may offer less toxicity. The advantages of combination cytotoxic therapies have included higher response rates. However, such trials have not stratified on rapidity of disease progression or on tumor bulk. In previous studies, docetaxel is one of the few cytotoxic agents to demonstrate a survival benefit in anthracycline-resistant patients and thus it has become a vital component of cytotoxic therapy. Capecitabine is also an important oral drug and has demonstrated activity in patients pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes. Recent preclinical and clinical trials of this combination have demonstrated an increased time to tumor progression and overall survival benefit. Paclitaxel combined with gemcitabine has been compared with docetaxel plus capecitabine, with similar response rates and survival benefits. As patients on these trials have not received uniform crossover to the other active agent, whether or not the combination therapy offers an advantage for the entire cohort of metastatic patients or may be indicated for specific subgroups remains uncertain. Combination treatments may be preferable to sequential therapy for patients requiring urgent reduction in their tumor burden. Combinations of cytotoxic agents in combination with biological agents are currently being defined.
Rapid Development of Scenario-Based Simulations and Tutoring Systems

§Low earth orbit constellations significantly increase the burden for ground-based systems management. Efficient, accurate management requires that ground station and satellite operators are well-trained. Scenario-based training, in which trainees practice handling specific situations using faithful simulations of the equipment they will use on the job has proven to be an extremely effective method for both training and certification. Effectiveness is increased when it is coupled with intelligent tutoring. Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) improve on training simulations by assessing the trainee’s actions and providing individualized guidance. Development of training simulators often lags behind development of the operational systems, with the result that simulators are often not available or up to date when they are most needed (e.g., when training operators on new or modified systems). Also, practical deployment of intelligent tutoring systems is hindered by the time and expense required to prepare the needed knowledge representations. We report on the development of tools to address both these issues. Three strategies enable rapid development. For both simulation and tutoring, the first strategy is to develop systems that are scenario-specific. This strategy permits the systems to be simpler and easier to develop. The second strategy is to employ easily manipulated representations for the simulation behavior and tutoring knowledge, and provide graphical user interfaces to edit these representations that facilitate development by training instructors with little outside support. The third strategy is to minimize the need for development. For simulation, this means maintaining a high degree of fidelity with little programming by incorporating screen captures of the operational system, and by enabling integration of existing simulation codes. For tutoring, this means capturing the bulk of the tutoring knowledge by simply recording the actions of instructors as they demonstrate the correct manner of handling the scenario. These strategies are embodied in two systems developed by Stottler Henke for the Air Force. TaskSim is a simulation framework to facilitate rapid development of scenario-based training simulations. Task Tutor Toolkit™ is an intelligent tutoring system that enables instructors to create scenario-specific tutors through a three-step process: demonstrate, generalize and annotate.
Leveraging user query log: toward improving image data clustering

Image clustering is useful in many retrieval and classification applications. The main goal of image clustering is to partition a given dataset into salient clusters such that the images in each cluster appear visually similar to each other compared with those in other clusters. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised clustering algorithm, which leverages the accumulated user query log to guide the clustering process. Guided by the log file, our method arranges images into small groups and constructs a graph that captures the dissimilar relations between the groups. Each group is assigned to a feasible cluster. Our analysis reveals that the probability of image points being assigned to the correct clusters is much higher by our new proposal, compared to conventional methods. Our algorithm can produce image clusters close to the ground truth and satisfying the semantic relations between the images inferred from the query log. Experimental results further confirm the superiority of our design.
Advances in Single-Molecule Fluorescence Methods for Molecular Biology

Ever since their introduction two decades ago, single-molecule (SM) fluorescence methods have matured and branched out to address numerous biological questions, which were inaccessible via ensemble measurements. Among the current arsenal, SM fluorescence techniques have capabilities of probing the dynamic interactions of nucleic acids and proteins via Forster (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET), tracking single particles over microns of distances, and deciphering the rotational motion of multisubunit systems. In this exciting era of transitioning from in vitro to in vivo and in situ conditions, it is anticipated that SM fluorescence methodology will become a common tool of molecular biology.
Intraflagellar transport drives flagellar surface motility

The assembly and maintenance of all cilia and flagella require intraflagellar transport (IFT) along the axoneme. IFT has been implicated in sensory and motile ciliary functions, but the mechanisms of this relationship remain unclear. Here, we used Chlamydomonas flagellar surface motility (FSM) as a model to test whether IFT provides force for gliding of cells across solid surfaces. We show that IFT trains are coupled to flagellar membrane glycoproteins (FMGs) in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. IFT trains transiently pause through surface adhesion of their FMG cargos, and dynein-1b motors pull the cell towards the distal tip of the axoneme. Each train is transported by at least four motors, with only one type of motor active at a time. Our results demonstrate the mechanism of Chlamydomonas gliding motility and suggest that IFT plays a major role in adhesion-induced ciliary signaling pathways. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00744.001.
Organic electronics: Something out of nothing.

The coupling of the electronic structure of organic semiconductors with the electromagnetic field in the vacuum by means of plasmonic antennas allows for a mobility boost.
Automatic assessment of articulation errors in Hindi speech at phone level

Manual assessment of articulation errors by Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) is a complex process requiring assimilation of various information regarding the patient. Automatic assessment of articulation errors can assist an SLP in maximizing the efficiency of therapy. Our work focuses on building an automatic assessment method for articulation errors at phone level and classifying a patient utterance as either correct, substitution, omission, distortion or addition (CSODA). Identification of the error at phone level is essential to provide the patient with actionable feedback for correction. The objective of our work is to be able to improve the recognition ability of the ASR to identify articulation errors through improved classification of consonants. In this paper, we propose an automatic speech recognition (ASR) based method to identify substitution errors for consonants, using a rule based language model (LM) as well as tuning of acoustic models (AM) for consonants under consideration. As the first step, we evaluated the proposed method using normal speech. The changes to AM shows a significant improvement in overall recognition, by 17.29% for normal speech.
VP Internal Scrambling

In this paper, I argue that the indirect object of a ditransitive verb is always base-generated higher than the direct object. The word order alternation between the arguments in Japanese is the result of scrambling. I present new evidence for this approach from the Chain Condition effect in the sense of Rizzi (1986). I show that we observe the Chain Condition effect with the reflexive anaphor karezisin 'himself' when the word order is that of direct object-indirect object but not vice versa, which supports the movement analysis of the word order alteration. It has been observed that we do not obtain the Chain Condition effect with the reciprocal anaphor otagai 'each other'. I argue that this observation follows from the syntax and semantics of the reciprocal anaphor, and hence, does not constitute evidence against the movement analysis.
Computational Investigation of a Bleed Air Ice Protection System

A computational study was conducted to investigate the performance of a hot air antiicing system under dry external flow conditions. The hot air system consisted of a piccolo tube and an inner-liner skin installed inside the leading edge of a 72-in span, 60-in chord business jet wing model. A conjugate heat transfer analysis was performed with a threedimensional Navier-Stokes computer code to compute leading edge skin temperatures and hot air system internal flow properties. Simulations were conducted with a full-span model (FSM) to investigate the flow development inside the piccolo tube and with a partial-span model (PSM) to compute hot air system performance. The computational results obtained were compared with experimental data obtained from icing tunnel tests at the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel. Computed leading edge skin temperatures, piccolo centerline total temperatures and pressures were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.
Lung Function Test of Gem Processing Workers in A District of Huizhou City

[Objective] To understand the lung function damage of gem processing workers in a district of Huizhou City.[Methods]Huiyang District CDC conducted lung function test on 214 male workers (127 engaged in gem cutting,87 engaged in polishing)with more than 1 year of dust exposure from a gem processing factory in July 2009; anther 61 male workers without dust exposure were selected as control group. The air dust concentration in this plant was determined[Results]The over standard rate of air silica dust concentration was over 77%, the maximum was 9 times of the standard. The average free SiO2 content was 47.29%.The abnormal rate of pulmonary function of exposed group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P0.01). FVC, first second FVC (FEV1.0), first second FVC and FVC ratio (FEV1.0/FVC), vital capacity (VC), maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75), peak expiratory 25%,50%,75% of vital capacity flow rate (FEF25,FEF50,FEF75) of the exposed group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P0.01).[Conclusion]Gem processing dust can cause lung function damage on workers with exposure. Therefore, preventive measures should be taken well.
A Novel Overcurrent Test Equipment for High Voltage Thyristor Valves

The working principles as well as advantages and defects of several high voltage thyristor valve overcurrent test circuits in ABB Swiss, ABB Sweden, Toshiba, and Siemens are analyzed and compared. According to CIGRE’s guidelines on intensity of both current and voltage of high voltage valve in series and the requirement of IEC’s test specification on valves of both SVC and HVDC, a novel main circuit scheme for overcurrent test is proposed, in which the heating current is supplied by large current source, the overcurrent and corresponding locking voltage are supplied by resonant circuit, the special test requirements of HVDC valves is auxiliary implemented by high voltage circuit. The adjustment of the proposed test circuit is more flexible, more test modes can be offered and the test ability is also evidently improved. The voltage of the proposed test circuit is raised to 18kV, the overcurrent peak to 47kA, and the expanded frequency range is from 50Hz to 350kHz.
Augmented inhibition by kinetin and related compounds of growth of pteridine-inhibited Lactobacillus arabinosus

Abstract Application of a previously published microbiological assay procedure for thymidine determination has been made to the detection of kinetin, certain 6-(substituted)aminopurines, and certain other related compounds, by means of the augmented inhibitory effects exerted by these compounds upon growth of pteridine-inhibited L. arabinosus in the absence of thymidine. The method can be used for bioautographic detection of such inhibitory activities on paper chromatograms.
Adult Polycystic Renal Disease Presenting in Infancy: A Report Emphasizing the Bilateral Involvement

We describe a girl with adult polycystic renal disease that presented as a unilateral abdominal mass on an excretory urogram. The child had a 4-generation family history of this disorder. Clinical course had been unremarkable until she was 12 years old and died of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. Despite the clinical impression of unilateral renal involvement, postmortem examination showed that the clinically normal kidney had developed early cyst formation in several areas, thus, underscoring the bilateral nature of adult polycystic disease.
Isobolographic Assessment of the Interaction Between Adriamycin and Photodynamic Therapy With Meso-Chlorin E6 Monoethylene Diamine in Human Epithelial Overian Carcinoma (OVCAR-3) In Vitro

Considering the differing mechaniisms of cytotoxicity produced by adriamycin and the photosensitizer meso-chlorin e6 monoethylene diamine (Mce6) with light, the interaction of these agants in combination on human ovarian epithelial carcinoma (OVCAR-3 in vitro) was evaluated by dose and effect addition isobole analysis. Mitochondrial respiration via the 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazeol-2 yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide cleavage assay (MTT) and reproductive capacity via the tritiated thymidine incorporation assay (TI) were assessed 72 and 144 hours after exposure to adriamycin, Mce6, and light (650 nm), and to their combinations, in OVCAR-3 cells grown in vitro (20,000 cells per well). In the majority of assays, reproductive capacity was more sensitive to the drug(s) than was mitochondrial respiration (2–10X). Dose-addition isobole analysis showed synergy for the combination of 50% median effective dose (ED50) adriamycin with 50% ED50Mce6/light in all assays (all P ≤.027). Antagonism was noted with the combination 25% ED50 adriamycin with 75% ED50 Mce6/light. Additivity and synergy were the predominant interactions for 75% ED50 adriamycin with 25% ED50 Mce6/light by dose-addition isobole analyses. Effect-addition isoboles showed a preominance of synergy, particularly for the combination 50% ED50 adriamycin with 50% ED50Mce6/light. Synergy and additivity are the primary in vitro interactions for the combination of adriamycin and Mce6/light in the dosage range tested. Reproductive capacity is more sensitive to the these agents than in mitochondrial respiration.
The Laplace Transformation

The purpose of an analytic transformation is to change a more complicated problem into a simpler one. The Laplace transformation, which is applied chiefly with respect to the time variable, maps an IVP onto an algebraic equation or system. Once the latter is solved, its solution is fed into the inverse transformation to yield the solution of the original IVP.
High quality factor Si 3 N 4 ring resonators achieved by surface roughness reduction

We demonstrate high-confinement Si 3 N 4 ring resonators with a quality factor of 15.6 million. We show that ultra-high quality factors are achievable by using a process that addresses surface roughness on all interfaces of the waveguides.
Double-stage phase separation in dynamically asymmetric ternary polymer blends

In this work, the phase separation behavior of ternary blends of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether)/polyisoprene, PS/PVME/PI, and polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether)/poly(ethyl methacrylate), PS/PVME/PEMA are investigated. Ternary blends of PS/PVME/PI and PS/PVME/PEMA are expected to exhibit complex phase separation behavior since PS and PVME have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) with viscoelastic phase separation (VPS) behavior, while PI/PS, PI/PVME, PEMA/PS, and PEMA/PVME have an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior. 2D and 3D phase diagrams for these two ternary systems are obtained by a compressible regular solution model. Casting the solutions of PS/PVME/PI and PS/PVME/PEMA blends forms two phase-separated domains in most compositions: (1) PI-rich or PEMA rich, and (2) PS/PVME-rich. Post-annealing of such samples at 110 °C leads to a second-stage phase separation due to unfavorable interaction of PS and PVME. Such behavior, which is observed for the first time, provides a new potential method for making different morphologies with the same system by changing annealing parameters and composition. The kinetics and morphology of ternary blends during phase separation are studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.
Factors influencing single-bicycle crashes at skewed railroad grade crossings

Abstract Cycling as a healthy and environmental friendly transport mode is gaining popularity. Most research on cyclist safety is focused on crashes involving light vehicles, trucks, or pedestrians. Only a few studies address single-bicycle crashes, and fewer focus on bicycle crashes at skewed railroad grade crossing. This study relies on empirical video data collected from a heavily travelled railroad grade crossing over a two month period, covering more than 2000 bicycle traversings and 32 single-bicycle crashes caused by tire interaction with the rail flangeway. A representative random sample of 100 successful traversings were drawn from the population and analyzed against the crashes. Video data was mined to identify crash factors, including demographic, riding behavior, bicycle characteristics, and environmental characteristics. A binary logistic regression model was built to explore factors that influence bicycle crashes. Approach angle is the most significant determinant of crashes, with a critical traversing angle of 30°. Group riders, women, and wet roadway conditions all contribute to higher odds of a crash. Crash rates are dramatically reduced at approach angles greater than 30°, and (in our dataset), non-existent at angles greater than 60°. Road-railway crossing should be designed with increased scrutiny. We suggest countermeasures, like jughandle designs, that improve the approach angle for cyclists. This study focuses on bicycle crash at railway crossings using empirical data. It fills up the gap in the research on this type of crashes and addresses issues on potential bicycle facility design at railway crossings.
The [4Fe4S] cluster of human DNA primase functions as a redox switch using DNA charge transport

DNA charge transport chemistry offers a means of long-range, rapid redox signaling. We demonstrate that the [4Fe4S] cluster in human DNA primase can make use of this chemistry to coordinate the first steps of DNA synthesis. Using DNA electrochemistry, we found that a change in oxidation state of the [4Fe4S] cluster acts as a switch for DNA binding. Single-atom mutations that inhibit this charge transfer hinder primase initiation without affecting primase structure or polymerization. Generating a single base mismatch in the growing primer duplex, which attenuates DNA charge transport, inhibits primer truncation. Thus, redox signaling by [4Fe4S] clusters using DNA charge transport regulates primase binding to DNA and illustrates chemistry that may efficiently drive substrate handoff between polymerases during DNA replication.
Template-Free Vapor-Phase Growth of Patrónite by Atomic Layer Deposition

Despite challenges to control stoichiometry in the vanadium–sulfur system, template-free growth of patronite, VS4, thin films is demonstrated for the first time. A novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) process enables the growth of phase pure films and the study of electrical and vibrational properties of the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) transition metal sulfide. Self-limiting surface chemistry during ALD of VS4 is established via in situ quartz crystal microbalance and quadrupole mass spectrometry between 150 and 200 °C. The V precursor, unconventionally, sheds all organic components in the first half-cycle, while the H2S half-cycle generates the disulfide dimer moiety, S2–2, and oxidizes V3+ to V4+. X-ray analysis establishes VS4 crystallinity and phase purity, as well as a self-limiting growth rate of 0.33 A/cy, modest roughness of 2.4 nm, and expected density of 2.7 g/cm3. Phase pure films enable a new assignment of vibrational modes and corresponding Raman activity of VS4 that is corroborated by density ...
Patient Knowledge and Qualities of Treatment Decisions for Localized Prostate Cancer

Background Controversy surrounds treatment for localized prostate cancer (LPC). Objectives To assess men's localized prostate cancer (LPC) knowledge and its association with decision-making difficulty, satisfaction and regret. Methods Population-based sample of 201 men (104 white, 97 black), ≤ 75 years with newly diagnosed LPC completed a self-administered survey. Results Mean age was 61(±7.6) years; two-thirds had less than a Bachelor's degree. Mean LPC knowledge was low, 5.87 (±2.53, maximum score 11). More than a third of men who received surgery or radiation did not know about serious long-term treatment side effects. Fewer than half of the men correctly answered comparative side effect and survival benefit questions between surgery and radiation. Knowledge gaps were greatest among black men, men with lower education, single men. Tumor aggressiveness (i.e. PSA level, Gleason score) and treatment choice were not associated with knowledge. Knowledge was not associated with decisional satisfaction or regret. However, greater knowledge was associated with greater decision-making difficulty (P = .018). Conclusions Significant LPC knowledge gaps existed across groups, with greater knowledge gaps among black men. The association of decision-making difficulty with knowledge was independent of race. Better patient education is needed, but may not alleviate men's decision-making difficulty due to inherent scientific uncertainty.
Stem cell-derived interneuron transplants functionally integrate within the existing circuitry

Stem cell-derived interneuron transplants functionally integrate within the existing circuitry
Pedagogy and Curricular Choice in Community College Accelerated Writing Courses

ABSTRACTTo improve students’ outcomes and retention rates, community colleges have implemented acceleration strategies which hasten the completion of educational requirements (Edgecombe, 2011). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an accelerated freshmen writing course on teachers’ curricular decisions and pedagogical practices at a large urban community college. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the 11 faculty members teaching different sections of this accelerated writing course. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Our findings reveal that while instructors embrace the structural changes that come with accelerated courses and demonstrate a new appreciation for struggling students in their traditional English 101 class, they report on significant challenges in teaching due to the students’ lack of academic and personal maturity, as well as a need to lower their expectations and simplify the curriculum. This research raises questions about ...
Proteome-wide modulation of degradation dynamics in response to growth arrest

In dividing cells, cytoplasmic dilution is the dominant route of clearance for long-lived proteins whose inherent degradation is slower than the cellular growth rate. Thus, as cells transition from a dividing to a nondividing state, there is a propensity for long-lived proteins to become stabilized relative to short-lived proteins, leading to alterations in the abundance distribution of the proteome. However, it is not known if cells mount a compensatory response to counter this potentially deleterious proteostatic disruption. We used a proteomic approach to demonstrate that fibroblasts selectively increase degradation rates of long-lived proteins as they transition from a proliferating to a quiescent state. The selective degradation of long-lived proteins occurs by the concurrent activation of lysosomal biogenesis and up-regulation of macroautophagy. Through this mechanism, quiescent cells avoid the accumulation of aged long-lived proteins that would otherwise result from the absence of cytoplasmic dilution by cell division.
Clonal Background, Resistance Gene Profile, and Porin Gene Mutations Modulate In Vitro Susceptibility to Imipenem-Relebactam in Diverse Enterobacteriaceae

Treatment options for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are limited. While Klebsiella pneumoniae strains harboring blaKPC account for most CRE, recent evidence points to increasing diversification of CRE. We determined whether the CRE species and antibiotic resistance genotype influence the response to relebactam (REL), a novel beta-lactamase inhibitor with class A/C activity, combined with imipenem-cilastatin (IMI). We carried out broth microdilution testing with IMI alone or in the presence of 4 μg/ml REL against 154 clinical isolates collected at a New York City hospital with a high prevalence of organisms carrying blaKPC, including Enterobacter spp. (n = 96), K. pneumoniae (n = 44), Escherichia coli (n = 1), Serratia marcescens (n = 9), and Citrobacter spp. (n = 4). Resistance gene profiles and the presence of major porin gene disruptions were ascertained by whole-genome sequencing. Addition of REL decreased the IMI MIC to the susceptible range (≤1 μg/ml) against 88% of isolates. However, S. marcescens IMI-REL MICs were 4- to 8-fold higher than those for other organisms. Most blaKPC-positive isolates had IMI-REL MICs of ≤1 μg/ml (88%), including isolates of Enterobacter cloacae ST171 (93%) and K. pneumoniae ST258 (82%). Nineteen isolates had IMI-REL MICs of ≥2 μg/ml, among which 84% harbored blaKPC and one was blaNDM-1 positive. Isolates with IMI-REL MICs of ≥2 μg/ml versus those with MICs of ≤1 μg/ml were significantly more likely to demonstrate disruption of at least one porin gene (42% versus 19%; P = 0.04), although most S. marcescens isolates (67%) had intact porin genes. In conclusion, while REL reduced IMI MICs in a majority of diverse CRE isolates, including high-risk clones, chromosomal factors had an impact on IMI-REL susceptibilities and may contribute to elevated MICs for S. marcescens.
Noncanonical Translation Initiation in Eukaryotes

The vast majority of eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) initiate translation through a canonical, cap-dependent mechanism requiring a free 5' end and 5' cap and several initiation factors to form a translationally active ribosome. Stresses such as hypoxia, apoptosis, starvation, and viral infection down-regulate cap-dependent translation during which alternative mechanisms of translation initiation prevail to express proteins required to cope with the stress, or to produce viral proteins. The diversity of noncanonical initiation mechanisms encompasses a broad range of strategies and cellular cofactors. Herein, we provide an overview and, whenever possible, a mechanistic understanding of the various noncanonical mechanisms of initiation used by cells and viruses. Despite many unanswered questions, recent advances have propelled our understanding of the scope, diversity, and mechanisms of alternative initiation.
Structure-Fluid Interaction

There are many practical situations where the interaction between the dynamics of a structure and a surrounding fluid is of great importance. The most obvious is noise; noise is the propagation of acoustic energy through the fluid. The interaction can also influence the response of the structure itself; examples include dams, chimney stacks, ships, fuselages, propellers, and transmission cables.
On Smoothing Gas Exchange Data and Estimation of the Ventilatory Threshold

The ventilatory threshold (VT), is a non-invasive parameter of the aerobic system frequently used as an index of fitness in both patients and healthy normal subjects. Although the existence of an actual threshold may be controversial, it has proven to be a useful indicator of exercise interventions such as training. Over the last decade a variety of schemes have been proposed for estimating VT (1–5), the most recent of which involves regression analysis of the breath to breath gas exchange data (oxygen uptake (Vo2) and carbon dioxide production (Vco2)). This current procedure is intended to detect the Vo2 level where Vco2 begins to accelerate disproportionately in relation to Vo2 (6), a point which is believed to correlate with the onset of increased lactate concentrations in the blood, during progressive work tests. However, the variability in this estimate is often quite large presumedly due to the physiological variability and measurement error found in the alveolar gas exchange estimates. Thus, any technique which can reduce variability in the alveolar gas exchange estimates, should improve the precision of the VT estimates (7). Recent work in this area has attempted to reduce the physiological component of this gas exchange variability by 1) correcting for fluctuations due to breath-to-breath changes in pulmonary stores (Swanson (8)) and 2) relating breath-to-breath fluctuations in arterial CO2 to changes in alveolar CO2 production (Beaver et al. (6)).
Physiology education today: what comes next?

As we planned the articles in this special section, I began thinking about how physiology education has changed in recent years. In many ways, the teaching of physiology has been reflected in its textbooks. Until the early 1980s, those books were mostly descriptive text, with only a few simple line drawings. Contrast that with the physiology textbooks of today, especially at the undergraduate level, with their opulent four-color figures that occupy as much space as the text. Books today come with computer software, CD-ROMs, video tapes, and web sites. What do these changes say about the way physiology is taught and about the way our students learn? My colleagues and I sometimes joke about the challenges of teaching the MTV generation, but this is the reality. Students today are the children who, instead of reading a book or watching a little TV, are spending their time glued to computer monitors, video games, and the TV. They think in sound bites. They do not read as much as previous generations, and their vocabularies are sometimes limited to a point that seems appalling to their elders. I was reading Charlotte’s Web and short stories from a 1950s Childcraft to my niece and nephews and found myself translating words that children 40 years ago must have known. It was particularly depressing to have to explain that a pirate’s booty has nothing to do with ‘‘shake your booty.’’ What I have come to realize is that we have a generation gap in physiology teaching, just as we have a generation gap in so much of our daily society. What has happened in the last 30 years to create such dramatic changes? In my opinion, the rapid advances in technology and the concomitant information explosion have had a direct impact on what and how we teach. As our scientific knowledge base expanded rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, faculty were faced first with keeping current, and then with having to incorporate the new information into their teaching. Textbooks became thicker and thicker, and, for the first time in history, we knew more than we could possibly hope to teach within the confines of a structured physiology course. Where would it all end?