cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative assay for submicrogram amounts of protein

Abstract An ultrasensitive protein assay, linear between 0.01 and 0.2 μg protein, is described. In this assay, copper is complexed to protein, excess copper is removed by adsorption to a small Sephadex column, and the copper-protein complex is destroyed by digestion with hydroperoxide. Phenol and chloramine-T are added to the reaction mixture and the copper catalyzes the production of a color-producing reaction between the two compounds. The assay is not affected by low levels of phosphate, Tris, metals, or a tenfold excess of nucleic acid over protein. Reducing agents, sucrose, certain anions, high salt concentrations, and EDTA seriously interfere. The method is about 500 times as sensitive as that of Lowry et al. [ Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., and Randall, R. J. (1951) J. Biol. Chem.193, 265]. Like the biuret procedure, the assay measures copper complexed to the peptide bonds but is probably influenced by other factors, since equivalent amounts of different proteins give similar but not identical amounts of color.
Effect of Glutathione Depletion and Metallothionein Gene Expression on Arsenic-Induced Cytotoxicity and c-myc Expression in Vitro

Arsenic exposure is clearly linked to human cancer. In rodent cells, arsenic has been reported to induce aberrant gene expression, including activation of the proto-oncogene c-myc. Abnormal or altered expression of such oncogenes can be involved in the acquisition of a malignant phenotype. Although its mechanism of action is unclear, arsenic is known to exert at least some of its toxic effects through interaction with sulfhydryl groups, and the non-protein sulfhydryl glutathione (GSH) appears to play an important role in detoxication of arsenic. Similarly, metallothionein (MT), a metal-binding protein with high sulfhydryl content, often functions in defense against metal-induced or oxidative cellular injury. Therefore, we examined the relationship among GSH, MT gene expression, and arsenic-induced toxicity or c-myc expression in cultured rat myoblast (L6) cells. In initial toxicity studies, arsenic was used in both the trivalent (arsenite) and pentavalent (arsenate) forms. The role of GSH was studied by pretreating cells with L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), which induces a marked depletion of GSH. In vitro exposure of L6 cells to BSO (1 to 25 microM) resulted in dose-dependent decreases in GSH. GSH depletion sensitized cells to both arsenite and arsenate. Zinc pretreatment, at levels which highly activated MT expression, had no effect on arsenite-induced cytotoxicity. Arsenite (1 microM) alone modestly increased c-myc expression from 1 to 4 h after treatment (maximum of 2.0-fold over control). After GSH depletion cells responded to arsenite exposure with much larger increases in c-myc transcription (3.2-fold over control). Zinc pretreatment had no reductive effect on arsenite-induced c-myc expression despite markedly activating the MT gene. Thus, it appears that the cellular levels of GSH, but not MT gene expression, play an important role in resistance to arsenic toxicity and aberrant gene activation. Moreover, depletion of GSH enhances arsenic-induced proto-oncogene activation, which might contribute to subsequent transformation.
Ascorbic acid effects on lens 86Rubidium transport

Abstract Rat lenses incubated with 20 mg% ascorbic acid without glucose for 1 hr demonstrate a 35% decrease in 86 Rb uptake. Incubation in the presence of 2 × 10 −5 m cupric sulfate increases the magnitude of the ascorbic acid effect to (−) 63%. Incubation after the addition of either glucose or catalase to the medium without glucose completely prevents both of these ascorbic acid effects. Both hydrogen peroxide (1 m m ) and dehydroascorbic acid (20 mg%) cause a significant decrease in lens 86 Rb uptake in the absence of glucose. However, the complete prevention of the ascorbic acid effect in the presence of catalase indicates that the observed decrease in lens 86 Rb uptake is due mainly, if not totally, to the hydrogen peroxide generated from the oxidation of ascorbic acid in the medium.
Foam structures with a negative poisson's ratio

A novel foam structure is presented, which exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio. Such a material expands laterally when stretched, in contrast to ordinary materials.
Leukocyte depletion results in excellent heart-lung function after 12 hours of storage

Abstract Extended preservation of the heart-lung bloc for 12 hours in a bovine model of heart-lung transplantation was achieved using donor core cooling, static hypothermic storage, and reperfusion on cardiopulmonary bypass with leukocyte-depleted (LD) blood. Orthotopic heart-lung transplantation was performed with (n = 4, LD group) or without (n = 4, control group) LD blood during cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperative measurements of cardiopulmonary function were made at 2, 4, and 6 hours after reperfusion. Only 2 animals (50%) of the control group survived more than 2 hours, whereas all animals in the LD group survived the study period. Arterial oxygen tension on 100% oxygen was 535.63 ± 64.96 mm Hg and 146.45 ± 90.9 mm Kg in the LD and control groups, respectively, at 2 hours ( p 9 /L in the LD and control groups, respectively. This novel approach of leukocyte depletion during reperfusion after heart-lung preservation resulted in excellent cardiac and pulmonary protection.
Three‐dimensional infinite boundary elements for contact problems

A three-dimensional infinite boundary element method for the modelling of half space contact problems is presented. The infinite surface of the half space is discretized into a finite number of elements with the elements extending to infinity mapped onto finite elements. A special mapping scheme that handles the singular integrals over those infinite boundary elements is introduced. The infinite boundary element scheme treats the effect of infinity correctly, leading to excellent accuracy which is verified for a half space subjected to uniform pressure in a circular region and a square region on the surface. The utility of the program is then illustrated through the analysis of the stress concentration at the surface of an oblate spheroidal cavity, serving as a model for a naturally occurring void, embedded in the half space subjected to normal and tangential surface tractions.
Isolation of Matricin from Artemisia carutbii

The sesquiterpene lactone, matricin, has been isolated from Artemisia caruthii and is shown to be the precursor of chamazulene, previously reported in the steam distillate of this species.
Simulation of the critical steps of the Nuss procedure

Simulation can be a critical component in the surgical training, planning and rehearsal process of difficult or new procedures. This is true for the Nuss procedure, which is a minimally invasive surgery for correcting pectus excavatum (PE) – a congenital chest wall deformity. Surgeons who routinely perform this surgery identified the most critical steps during the procedure. We chose to simulate these components which involve the process of creating a pathway anterior to the pericardium underneath the sternum as this step can, if incorrectly performed, lead to the death of a patient or, at least, serious complications. In this paper, we describe the hardware setup of the Nuss procedure surgical simulator, the constructed virtual environment, modelling of anatomical structures, surgical instrument and its insertion point without the aid of physical components, reproducing PE deformity, and eventually physics of the tunnelling process.
Passive Sponsors of Terrorism

Defeating radical jihadists today requires all states to act aggressively against them – an exceptionally difficult challenge. Some states aid terrorist groups by being passive as terrorists operate on their soil. The experiences of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan vis-a-vis al-Qaeda, as well as the US tolerance of Provisional Irish Republican Army activities during the 1970s and 1980s, are instructive. These cases suggest that passive support usually occurs due to strong popular support for a terrorist group's cause, a perceived lack of a direct threat to the regime, and limited costs to the government for tolerating these activities. Halting passive support is difficult and requires new policies and a new way of thinking about the problem of state support for terrorism.
Biology and management of Phalaris minor in rice–wheat system

Abstract Phalaris minor Retz. (Littleseed canarygrass) is a pernicious weed, which infests several crops during the winter season, particularly the wheat crops in rice–wheat sequence. Considering the limitations of cultural and chemical methods of weed control, the understanding of its biology with respect to different environmental, edaphic and management factors may offer a useful key to strengthen weed management strategies. This review considers various aspects on dormancy, viability and agro-ecology with emphasis on management practices in host and succeeding crops. Due attention has been given to the approaches required to manage the resistant biotypes under present conditions and hence to avoid further escalation of the epidemic. The various studies indicate that P. minor utilizes beneficially the prevailing environmental and management conditions of both the wheat and succeeding rice crop in rice–wheat system for its survival and growth. Its seed is highly sensitive to variable moisture and temperature regimes for germination and exhibits tolerance to anoxia during anaerobic respiration in rice. Tillage options, residue management, spatial–temporal considerations and other factors influence the seed dynamics, pattern and depth of emergence and growth of P . minor . A comprehensive and conceptual understanding of these aspects may provide useful guidelines in formulating cautious and opportunistic weed management strategies.
A New Semi-Explicit Solvation Model: Fast Physics for Better Results

Computational physicists, chemists, and biologists have a critical need for better models of water and aqueous solutions. We present an exciting new solvation model called Semi-Explicit Assembly, which combines the speed of the fastest continuum models available with the strong physical basis and discrete water treatment afforded by explicit solvent simulations. We base our model on several simple physical properties of water as a solvent, collected directly from explicit solvent simulations for individual atomic solutes. As a first test and application of our method, we compute solvation free energies based on dispersion and electrostatics. Our approach, which is purely physical and involves no fitting of parameters to data sets, executes as fast as the popular Generalized Born solvation model, but with substantially improved accuracy in prediction of experimental solvation free energies. Also, the structure of our model means that improvements in simulation forcefields will improve our results as well. All of this comes without any artificial parameter adjustments; our model's properties are the same as those used directly in molecular dynamics. Our model's energetic accuracy and detailed structural information have wide-ranging implications for molecular modeling research.
Effects on corticosteroid production by an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis in the dog

Abstract A 7-dehydrocholesterol Δ7 reductase inhibitor, AY9944, was administered orally to 9 dogs for 7–10 days. The expected decreases in serum cholesterol were observed. In 2 dogs the serum sterols were fractionated and appreciable concentrations of 7-dehydrocholesterol, as well as reduced cholesterol concentrations, were measured. Therefore, the evidence suggests that significant Δ7 reductase inhibition had been achieved. The plasma corticoid responses of these dogs to 6-hour infusions of ACTH were measured both before and again after the drug administration. Decreased peripheral plasma corticoid concentrations were noted after 4 and 6 hours of ACTH (significant after 6 hours) in the animals after drug treatment in comparison with the same animals similarly studied prior to receiving the drug. On the other hand, no differences were detected in the resting and the 2-hour plasma corticoid values. These data suggested mild impairment of adrenal reserve as a result of chronic oral drug administration. In acute studies, direct perfusal of the 7-dehydrocholesterol Δ7 reductase inhibitor into the in situ isolated adrenal pouch preparation, at final concentrations of 9.2 × 10 −5 molar, produced a 56.9 per cent decrease transiently in the mean corticoid secretion rates in 6 maximally secreting preparations. Similarly, in “resting” isolated adrenals, prepared in 4 hypophysectomized dogs, acute drug perfusal studies resulted in a 71.4 per cent decrease from the mean base line corticoid secretion rates. Of the 4 possible explanations considered, the authors favor a drug-induced Δ7 sterol reductase inhibition which could result in diminution of the rate of de novo production of cholesterol as a precursor of corticoid biosynthesis.
Response of conifer seedlings to nitrate and ammonium sources of nitrogen

Differences in growth responses of Douglas fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, and white spruce to nitrate and ammonium N sources were examined in sand culture and artificial soil culture. Effects of the two forms of N on growth, needle area, and N uptake of three Douglas fir halb-sib progenies were examined in a second sand culture. Response of Douglas fir to the two forms of N was followed over two years in nursery soil of different pH levels. In sand culture 1 mean seedling dry weight of all species, except hemlock, was greatest when ammonium N and nitrate N were provided in equal amounts. In all species, except Sitka spruce, ammonium alone resulted in greater growth than nitrate alone. Use of ammonium N resulted in greater growth of all species, than was obtained with nitrate N, at pH values in the region 5.4 and 7.5 in artificial soil culture. Only Douglas fir showed substantial differences due to N source below pH 5. Growth of all species was greater at pH 5.4 than at 7.5 in each N source treatment. Growth of Douglas fir seedlings was greatest with ammonium N and least with nitrate N in sand culture 2. Supply of nitrate and ammonium in equal proportions resulted in intermediate growth. Leaf area/plant weight ratio was unaffected by N source. Analysis of nutrient solutions showed appreciable nitrification of ammonium N during the 7 days between solution changes. In the three greenhouse experiments, with little exception, increase in proportion of ammonium in N supply resulted in increase of seedling tissue N concentration. This effect was more pronounced in roots than shoots. Total N uptake by ammonium fed seedlings was about double the N uptake of nitrate fed seedlings in sand culture 2. Nursery grown Douglas fir seedlings showed greater growth response to ammonium sulphate than to calcium nitrate, and this appeared due entirely to form of N supply in the first year. A similar response in the second year was partly due to greater soil acidification by ammonium sulphate. Compared with calcium nitrate, ammonium sulphate increased N concentration of one-year old shoots, but this difference was not detected by foliar analysis of two-year old seedlings.
Nonlinear inviscid incompressible dynamics

Abstract We describe the mechanisms of geometric depletion of nonlinearity present in the three-dimensional incompressible Euler equations and in the two-dimensional active scalar models.
Samuel Alexander’s Emergentism: Or, Higher Causation for Physicalists

Samuel Alexander was one of the foremost philosophical figures of his day and has been argued by John Passmore to be one of ‘fathers’ of Australian philosophy as well as a novel kind of physicalist. Yet Alexander is now relatively neglected, his role in the genesis of Australian philosophy if far from widely accepted and the standard interpretation takes him to be an anti-physicalist. In this paper, I carefully examine these issues and show that Alexander has been badly, although understandably, misjudged by most of his contemporary critics and interpreters. Most importantly, I show that Alexander offers an ingenious, and highly original, version of physicalism at the heart of which is a strikingly different view of the nature of the microphysical properties and associated view of emergent properties. My final conclusion will be that Passmore is correct in his claims both that Alexander is significant as one of the grandfather’s of Australian philosophy and that he provides a novel physicalist position. I will also suggest that Alexander’s emergentism is important for addressing the so-called ‘problem of mental causation’ presently dogging contemporary non-reductive physicalists.
Femtosecond coherent control of x-rays

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Acceptance Testing Experience With Fourteen New Installations

One of the primary objectives of acceptance testing of a new radiological installation is the establishment of technique calibration of the x-ray generator. While we enthusiastically endorse the use of radiation penetrameters such as the Wisconsin Quality Control Cassette or a square root of 2 aluminum step wedge to assess the time dependent performance of an x-ray generator which is in clinical use, such tools are inappro priate for establishing calibration for a new facility. One must ascertain the behavior of the kilovoltage applied to the x-ray tube as a function of various conditions of loading and exposure control. That this is imperative should be made clear by the examples presented throughout this paper. The fourteen installations encompass five generator models produced by four manufacturers. Four of the generators are three phase twelve pulse. The fifth is further regulated to produce a nearly D.C. waveform. Three of these generators are furnished with mechanical type contacting while the other two are provided with silicon controlled rectifier exposure switching. The technique for observation of the performance of the kilovoltage waveform involves the introduction of a voltage divider or bleeder tank into the high tension secondary. It should be noted that all of the manufacturers who have installed equipment at Henry Ford Hospital utilize this technique. It has been our experience that kilovoltage calibration can be established to within 5%, and has often been obtained to better than 3% over the useful range of KV's and corresponding tube loads.
Optimization for Purification Technology of Platycodins by Macroreticular Resin

In order to purify the platycodins from Platycodon grandiflorum, AB-8 macroporous resin was used to test. Based on single factor experiments, orthogonal test was used to optimum the purification conditions. Adsorption pH, adsorption temperature, adsorption time and platycodins concentration were as factors and adsorption capacity was as index. The results were as follows: adsorption pH 6.0, adsorption temperature 40°C, adsorption tim110min, platycodins concentration 2.0mg/mL were the optimization conditions.The adsorption quantity reached at 39.1mg/g. So AB-8 macroporous resin was a suitable resin for purify the platycodins from Platycodon grandiflorum.
HEVC inter-frame skip enhancement at low bit rates

A method is introduced for HEVC to significantly reduce encoding time with minimal PSNR impact in low bit rate environment. Mobile devices are the main focus and a main beneficiary of this method since reduced encoding times lessens battery consumption. The proposed method shows encoding time decrease from 15.1% to 58.8% with and PSNR decrease of 0.05 to 0.12.
Prediction of bone grinding temperature in skull base neurosurgery

Abstract This study investigates the bone grinding temperature in skull base neurosurgery and develops a skull thermal model to visualize the thermal injury to cranial nerves. Patients suffering from brain cancer in the skull base often require radical surgical resection of the tumor using the miniature ball-end diamond wheel to grind the bone for identifying and preserving the nerve. An inverse heat transfer method is developed and quantifies the grinding thermal power of 0.4–0.5 W, which can raise the bone temperature by over 20 °C. A thermal analysis on a skull model is also demonstrated based on this heat generation.
The Security and Function Improvement of Suitcase Based on Human Factors Engineering

There are some problems about existing suitcases that should be solved and human factors engineering methodology is very important for suitcases design. In this paper, we use reflective materials, LED lights and so on to enhance the security and functionality of suitcase by human factors engineering ideas. And according to the improved design, we build a model and a real production. Then we evaluate the production satisfaction of people from four aspects by ergonomics.
Spin dependence in intermediate energy p-nucleus scattering

We obtain closed form approximations for the spin dependent eikonal $p$-nucleus scattering amplitudes. The polarization $P$ and spin rotation function $Q$ can be written in terms of the unpolarized elastic scattering cross section and two complex parameters related to the nucleon-nucleon spin orbit strength and range. These forms agree well with the available data and illuminate the dynamical content of $P$ and $Q$.
The Impact of Change from Hierarchy to Teams in Two Academic Libraries: Intended Results versus Actual Results Using Total Quality Management

The current trend in examining library administrative structures to accommodate change is common in library literature. The team approach, used within the construct of Total Quality Management, is examined in this case study, after which the case study is compared with a similar change that took place at Duke University. This article seeks to ascertain the degree to which the goals of the change are met and/or exceeded. The implications for change from hierarchal to team management hold many possibilities that extend beyond those received by traditional means, benefitting the full-time staff and customers, as well as student assistants. Student assistants make up a large portion of the part-time academic library staff and offer a sometimes “untapped” resource. The inclusion of students in comprising teams may be a refreshing and productive change in management structure. The article questions a real change from hierarchy to teams and also suggests that librarianship may need to redefine the meaning of “profit” in a nonprofit environment.
Physical mapping of the satellite phage P4 genome.

Abstract Marker-rescue experiments with λ-P4 hybrid phages constructed in vitro have identified the locations of two P4 genes: the transactivation gene (δ) is in the left 10% of the genome, and the DNA replication gene (α) lies between 10 and 70% from the left end of the P4 genome. A λ-P4 hybrid phage which carries all of the essential genes of λ and the left 70% of the P4 genome can produce a P4-like phage which is indistinguishable in phenotype from the parental P4 vir1 phage. One of these P4-like phages has a P4-sized genome which is 70% homologous to P4 and produces λ-specific RNA. The existence of this phage and of two P4 deletion mutants suggests that the right 30% of the P4 genome contains no essential genes.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and overall survival in all sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background Current prognostic criteria are insufficient in predicting outcomes in head and neck cancers, necessitating new, readily available biomarkers
Analysis of Distributed Spin Applied to Industrial-Scale Models

As software systems become increasingly complex, there is growing interest in the use of formal techniques to obtain higher assurance in their correctness. The most commonly used tools involve model-checking, such as SMV and Spin. But modeling complex systems with a high degree of fidelity implies exceedingly large state spaces that must be analyzed. These state spaces are typically too large for single processing nodes, in spite of great advances in memory reduction techniques. Moreover, approximation techniques such as hash compaction are less well-received where safety-critical systems are concerned. Effective distribution of the problem over many processing nodes has the potential of supporting the huge state spaces. Since our primary interest is in safety-critical software, we have spent considerable time evaluating the performance of distributed implementations of Spin in this context. In this paper, we present our analysis of PSPIN, a distributed implementation of Spin. We identify key measures of effectiveness, and evaluate PSPIN with respect to these measures. We also present an alternative approach to partitioning that performs comparably with respect to all measures, and is up to orders of magnitude faster. Finally, we consider the question of which measures have the greatest impact on peak memory, a measure that is most critical to effective distribution.
Effect of fatty acids on the phosphate binding of TRK-390, a novel, highly selective phosphate-binding polymer

Phosphate binders are used for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. Sevelamer, a phosphate-binding polymer, has been reported to bind bile acids or fatty acids and thereby decrease its phosphate-binding capacity. The novel phosphate binder TRK-390 is a poly (allylamine) polymer that has been shown to have enhanced phosphate selectivity, with low bile-acid-binding. In this study we evaluated the effect of fatty acids on the phosphate-binding capacity of TRK-390. In the absence of fatty acids and bile acids, the phosphate-binding capacity of TRK-390 was similar to that of sevelamer. In the presence of fatty acids and bile acids, the phosphate-binding capacity of TRK-390 was reduced to 83%; in contrast, that of sevelamer was reduced to 35%. TRK-390 and sevelamer showed a similar effect in lowering urinary phosphate excretion in normal rats fed a normal diet. However, urinary phosphate excretion of rats treated with TRK-390 was reduced by about one half of that obtained with sevelamer, when given with a high-fat diet that had a fat content similar to the diet of hemodialysis patients. TRK-390 was superior in terms of phosphate selectivity in the presence of fatty acids and bile acids in vitro, and the phosphate-binding capacity of TRK-390 in vivo was shown to be less affected by fat in comparison with that of sevelamer. Thus, TRK-390 is expected to be useful as a novel highly selective phosphate binder.
Role of cyclin polymorphisms in predicting outcome of 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer: one piece in a complex puzzle

1671 ISSN 1462-2416 10.2217/PGS.13.138 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd Pharmacogenomics (2013) 14(14), 1671–1674 “While the insight provided from studying the cell cycle and its associated proteins has advanced our understanding of the complex network and crossover between signaling pathways in both normal and cancer cells and has led to new drug targets and novel combination chemotherapies, the true importance of these molecules in mediating drug response still remains to be fully established.”
Variable Temperature Mobility Analysis of n-Channel, p-Channel, and Ambipolar Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The temperature dependence offield-effect transistor (FET) mobility is analyzed for a series of n-channel, p-channel, and ambipolar organic semiconductor-based FETs selected for varied semiconductor structural and device characteristics. The materials (and dominant carrier type) studied are 5,5"'-bis(perfluorophenaryl)-2,2':5',2":5",2"'-quaterthiophene (1, n-channel), 5,5"'-bis(perfluorohexyl carbonyl)-2,2':5',2":5",2"'-quaterthiophene (2, n-channel), pentacene (3, p-channel); 5,5"'-bis(hexylcarbonyl)-2,2':5',2":5",2"'-quaterthiophene (4, ambipolar), 5,5"'-bis-(phenacyl)-2,2': 5',2":5",2"'-quaterthiophene (5, p-channel), 2,7-bis((5-perfluorophenacyl)thiophen-2-yl)-9,10-phenanthrenequinone (6, n-channel), and poly(N-(2-octyldodecyl)-2,2'-bithiophene-3,3'-dicarboximide) (7, n-channel). Fits of the effective field-effect mobility (μ eff ) data assuming a discrete trap energy within a multiple trapping and release (MTR) model reveal low activation energies (E A s) for high-mobility semiconductors 1―3 of 21, 22, and 30 meV, respectively. Higher E A values of 40―70 meV are exhibited by 4―7-derived FETs having lower mobilities (μ eff ). Analysis of these data reveals little correlation between the conduction state energy level and E A , while there is an inverse relationship between E A and μ eff . The first variable-temperature study of an ambipolar organic FET reveals that although n-channel behavior exhibits E A = 27 meV, the p-channel regime exhibits significantly more trapping with E A = 250 meV. Interestingly, calculated free carrier mobilities (μ 0 ) are in the range of ∼0.2―0.8 cm 2 V ―1 s ―1 in this materials set, largely independent of μ eff . This indicates that in the absence of charge traps, the inherent magnitude of carrier mobility is comparable for each of these materials. Finally, the effect of temperature on threshold voltage (V T ) reveals two distinct trapping regimes, with the change in trapped charge exhibiting a striking correlation with room temperature μ eff . The observation that E A is independent of conduction state energy, and that changes in trapped charge with temperature correlate with room temperature μ eff , support the applicability of trap-limited mobility models such as a MTR mechanism to this materials set.
A Low-Cost Triple-Channel 10-bit 250MHz DAC IP in 65nm CMOS Process

An area-optimized 10-bit current steering, triple-channel video DAC IP designed in 65nm, 1.2V/2.5V CMOS process is described. Each channel of DAC can drive an output load of 37.5 ohms to provide a maximum output voltage 1.278V. The measured DNL and INL at 250MHz are less than 1 LSB and 2 LSB, respectively. This DAC IP is optimized with small area for low cost embedded SOC applications. It has area of 0.22mm2, which is the smallest IP in market.
Normative Beliefs in State Policy Choice

This article introduces a new method, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), to the study of state policy choice and the role of ideas in politics. The authors hypothesize an important role for normative beliefs in state policy choice even for policies that go beyond traditional subjects of “morality” policy. Specifically, the authors find that “precautionary norms” are influential determinants of recent state environmental policies regulating chemicals, even in the face of significant economic impacts. They conclude that these results offer new theoretical ideas relevant to the state innovation and diffusion literature as well as the study of ideas in the policy process.
Dynamics in globular proteins: vibrational echo experiments

Abstract The temperature-dependent vibrational pure dephasing of the CO stretching mode of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin (HbCO) in an ethylene glycol:water mixture is reported and compared to previously measured dephasing of carbonmonoxymyoglobin (MbCO). HbCO displays a T1.3-dependent pure dephasing rate between 15 and ∼150 K, suggesting glass-like behavior. Above 150 K, the temperature dependence becomes steeper. The functional form of the HbCO and MbCO pure dephasing temperature dependences are identical within error. However, the hemoglobin pure dephasing is 27% smaller at all temperatures studied, suggesting that the fast dynamics or the protein electric field–CO coupling is smaller in hemoglobin than in myoglobin.
Family perspective on augmentative and alternative communication: Families of young children

A statewide survey was conducted in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Center of Harrisburg to determine the needs, priorities, and preferences of mothers and fathers with young children between the ages of 3 and 12 years who use assistive devices to overcome severe speaking and writing impairments. Ninety-one parents (i.e., 56 mothers and 35 fathers) representing 59 families responded to this survey. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Both mothers and fathers shared needs for increasing knowledge of assistive devices and planning for future communication needs. Mothers also indicated needs for integrating assistive devices in the community, developing community awareness and support for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users, getting computer access, finding trained professionals, and finding advocacy groups among their priorities. Among the fathers' priorities were needs for finding volunteers to work with their child, getting funding for devices or s...
Early fluid resuscitation reduces morbidity among patients with acute pancreatitis.

Background & Aims Early fluid resuscitation is recommended to reduce morbidity and mortality among patients with acute pancreatitis, although the impact of this intervention has not been quantified. We investigated the association between early fluid resuscitation and outcome of patients admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis. Methods Nontransfer patients admitted to our center with acute pancreatitis from 1985–2009 were identified retrospectively. Patients were stratified into groups on the basis of early (n = 340) or late resuscitation (n = 94). Early resuscitation was defined as receiving ≥one-third of the total 72-hour fluid volume within 24 hours of presentation, whereas late resuscitation was defined as receiving ≤one-third of the total 72-hour fluid volume within 24 hours of presentation. The primary outcomes were frequency of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), organ failure, and death. Results Early resuscitation was associated with decreased SIRS, compared with late resuscitation, at 24 hours (15% vs 32%, P = .001), 48 hours (14% vs 33%, P = .001), and 72 hours (10% vs 23%, P = .01), as well as reduced organ failure at 72 hours (5% vs 10%, P Conclusions In patients with acute pancreatitis, early fluid resuscitation was associated with reduced incidence of SIRS and organ failure at 72 hours. These effects were most pronounced in patients admitted with interstitial rather than severe disease.
Far-ultraviolet stopped-flow circular dichroism

A stopped-flow circular dichroism instrument, with a total accessible wavelength range of 200 to 750 nanometers, has been constructed and provides a spectroscopic method for kinetic investigations of a wide array of fast reactions in which optical activity changes in absorbing regions are involved. An important biochemical application depends on the far-ultraviolet capability, which allows observation of the rapid alterations in backbone conformation associated with folding and unfolding reactions of proteins. Results obtained by following two such reactions at 222 nanometers represent direct monitoring by circular dichroism of rapid secondary structure changes in proteins.
Lack of an association between environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and p,p′‐DDE and DNA damage in human sperm measured using the neutral comet assay

BACKGROUND: Chlorinated organic chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE, the most stable daughter compound of DDT) are persistent lipophilic compounds found in a large portion of the general population. To explore the hypothesis that environmental exposure to these compounds is associated with altered DNA integrity in human sperm, a study of 212 male partners of a sub-fertile couple who presented to the Massachusetts General Hospital Andrology Laboratory was conducted. METHODS: The neutral single cell microgel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) was used to assess DNA integrity in sperm. VisComet image analysis software was used to measure total comet length, the proportion of DNA present in the comet tail, and tail distributed moment, an integrated measure of length and intensity. RESULTS: In the regression analyses, there were no statistically significant consistent associations between the comet assay parameters and any of the individual PCB congeners, sum of PCB, or p,p¢-DDE. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there are not strong relationships between adult levels of these chlorinated organic compounds and sperm DNA damage as measured by the comet assay.
Joint stochastic routing and scheduling for multihop wireless ad-hoc networks

We consider the problem of finding multihop routes in a wireless ad-hoc network jointly with scheduling transmission times of different information flows. Taking into account the unreliable nature of wireless channels, we derive a joint stochastic routing-scheduling algorithm whereby schedules and routes are selected at random with certain probabilities that we optimize. We prove that if there exists a set of (random) schedules and routes ensuring that all queues in the network are stable, our protocol converges to one such set. Our approach to the problem is to: i) characterize the set of scheduling - routing policies guaranteeing that all queues in the network are stable; ii) show that this can be reduced to finding a set of auxiliary variables in a convex polyhedron; and iii) use dual decomposition techniques to develop an algorithm converging to a point inside this convex polyhedron.
Enabling ScientificWorkflow Reuse through Structured Composition of Dataflow and Control-Flow

Data-centric scientific workflows are often modeled as dataflow process networks. The simplicity of the dataflow framework facilitates workflow design, analysis, and optimization. However, modeling "control-flow intensive" tasks using dataflow constructs often leads to overly complicated workflows that are hard to comprehend, reuse, and maintain. We describe a generic framework, based on scientific workflow templates and frames, for embedding control-flow intensive subtasks within dataflow process networks. This approach can seamlessly handle complex control-flow without sacrificing the benefits of dataflow. We illustrate our approach with a real-world scientific workflow from the astrophysics domain, requiring remote execution and file transfer in a semi-reliable environment. For such workflows, we also describe a 3-layered architecture based on frames and templates where the top-layer consists of an overall dataflow process network, the second layer consists of a tranducer template for modeling the desired control-flow behavior, and the bottom layer consists of frames inside the template that are specialized by embedding the desired component implementation. Our approach can enable scientific workflows that are more robust (faulttolerance strategies can be defined by control-flow driven transducer templates) and at the same time more reusable, since the embedding of frames and templates yields more structured and modular workflow designs.
Eribulin: A Novel Cytotoxic Chemotherapy Agent

OBJECTIVE:To review the chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of eribulin (Halaven).DATA SOURCES:A literature search (up to December 2011) using the terms eribulin, Halaven, ER-086526, and E7389 was performed with PubMed, Google Scholar, selected Ovid bibliography searches, and the abstract search tool from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meetings and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposia. Additional references from the bibliographies of these articles were also assessed.DATA EXTRACTION:English-language preclinical and clinical studies on the chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of eribulin were reviewed.DATA SYNTHESIS:Eribulin is a novel microtubule inhibitor with a unique mechanism of action, which involves interaction with a distinct binding site on β-tubulin leading to G2/M phase cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Eribulin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in patients ...
Development of internally-calibrated, MMIC-based millimeter-wave radiometers to enable correction of wet-tropospheric delay for coastal zone altimetry

Critical microwave component and receiver technologies are under development to reduce the risk, cost, volume, mass, and development time for a high-frequency microwave radiometer needed to enable wet-tropospheric correction in the coastal zone and over land as part of the accelerated Tier-2 NRC Decadal Survey-recommended Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission. Current satellite ocean altimeters include a nadir-viewing, co-located 18–37 GHz multi-channel microwave radiometer to measure wet-tropospheric path delay. However, due to the area of the instantaneous fields of view on the surface at these frequencies, the accuracy of wet path retrievals begins to degrade at approximately 50 km from the coasts. Additional higher-frequency microwave channels added to the Jason-class radiometers on the recommended SWOT mission will improve retrievals in coastal regions since their surface footprints are about five times smaller than the lower frequency ones. Specifically, high-frequency window channels at 92, 130 and 166 GHz are optimum for wet path delay retrievals in coastal regions. New, high-sensitivity, wide-bandwidth mm-wave radiometers using both window and sounding channels show good potential for over-land wet-path delay retrievals.
On the probability density of a maximum likelihood mean frequency estimator

A simplified derivation of the probability density function of a mean frequency estimator that equates the mean to the location of the peak of the discrete power spectrum is presented. Although the model in which the signal straddles at most two spectral coefficients is emphasized, the general case of arbitrary signal leakage is also worked out in detail. Previous work on this topic implies that n! (n - 1)-tuple integrals must be evaluated for an n-sample DFT estimator. Our approach demonstrates that the derivation can proceed in a much more straightforward manner.
Utility of Fecal Markers to Diagnose and Monitor Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Menees et al. “A Meta-Analysis of the Utility of C-Reactive Protein, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, Fecal Calprotectin, and Fecal Lactoferrin to Exclude Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adults with IBS” (1). The authors evaluated the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fecal calprotectin (FC), and fecal lactoferrin (FL) to separate patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy controls. Their results show that at a CRP level of ≤0.5 mg/dl or FC level of ≤40 μg/g, there was a ≤1% probability of having IBD. However, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and FL had little clinical utility. These results are unexpected, especially when compared with those of another meta-analysis (2) showing that CRP, FC, and FL are all useful biomarkers to diagnose and monitor IBD.
Plug the Hole--A Bailout Option for Acute Focal Aortic Rupture.

Background Focal aortic rupture may result from expanding aneurysms, penetrating aortic wall ulcerations, or virulent infections. An urgent repair of paravisceral focal aortic rupture is associated with high morbidity. A staged repair approach may provide an alternative option. Case Report A 64-year-old woman presented with acute focal rupture of the posterior paravisceral aortic wall and was progressing to hemorrhagic shock and mesenteric ischemia. Given the patient's dire condition, an endovascular approach was used to plug her focal aortic wall defect using a ventricular septal defect occluder device. Subsequently, the patient underwent resuscitation, stabilization, and operative exploration. Postoperatively, she recovered well from this staged approach. Conclusions This case provides an example of a staged endovascular plugging of an acute paravisceral focal aortic rupture. In select cases, this type of repair strategy is feasible, until off-the-shelf endovascular repair options become a reality.
La Jurisprudence Administrative De La Cour Suprême Américaine D'Octobre 2006 Á Juin 2007 (Administrative Case Law During the 2006 Term of the U.S. Supreme Court)

This article provides an overview of administrative law cases from the 2006 term of the United States Supreme Court.
This Time is Different (?): Telecommunications Unbundling and Lessons for Railroad Regulation

In the railroad industry, there have been proposals for carriers to open their networks to competitors at regulated prices in markets that lack competition. Such rail “unbundling” is intended to reduce rates by facilitating competition when the underlying economics of the network makes facilities entry infeasible. These proposals mirror arguments made in support of telephony network element unbundling under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. We examine the unbundling experience in the telecom industry to draw lessons for similar proposals in the rail industry. We suggest network unbundling in railroads is unlikely to achieve its objectives today for many of the same reasons that it largely failed in telecommunications in the past.
The U.S. Talking Book System: Current and Future Requirements

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the requirements and constraints that govern current and future designs of the U.S. talking-book system. A talking-book system includes all the components that allow a user to hear an audio version of reading material. Aspects of the system discussed here are unique to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS) to meet our needs, especially the scale, funding, and delivery systems. Other places will have their own way. We are presenting this as an example of what we consider a complete system. We hope it will lead people to think in those terms and to find the areas where systems can meet. This paper is intended as a first step to encourage the exchange of similar information about the requirements of talking-book systems in other countries. Ultimately, our objective is to use this information in the cooperative development of an international talking-book system technical interface standard that, if incorporated...