cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
pPIM: A Programmable Processor-in-Memory Architecture With Precision-Scaling for Deep Learning

Memory access latencies and low data transfer bandwidth limit the processing speed of many data intensive applications such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in conventional Von Neumann architectures. Processing in Memory (PIM) is envisioned as a potential hardware solution for such applications as the data access bottlenecks can be avoided in PIM by performing computations within the memory die. However, PIM realizations with logic-based complex processing units within the memory present complicated fabrication challenges. In this letter, we propose to leverage the existing memory infrastructure to implement a programmable PIM (pPIM), a novel Look-Up-Table (LUT)-based PIM where all the processing units are implemented solely with LUTs, as opposed to prior LUT-based PIM implementations that combine LUT with logic circuitry for computations. This enables pPIM to perform ultra-low power & low-latency operations with minimal fabrication complications. Moreover, the complete LUT-based design offers simple ‘memory write’ based programmability in pPIM. Enabling precision scaling further improves the performance and the power consumption for CNN applications. The programmability feature potentially makes it easier for online training implementations. Our preliminary simulations demonstrate that our proposed pPIM can achieve 2000x, 657.5x and 1.46x improvement in inference throughput per unit power consumption compared to state-of-the-art conventional processor architecture, Graphics Processing Unit (GPUs) and a prior hybrid LUT-logic based PIM respectively. Furthermore, precision scaling improves the energy efficiency of the pPIM approximately by 1.35x over its full-precision operation.
Code-verification techniques for hypersonic reacting flows in thermochemical nonequilibrium

Abstract The study of hypersonic flows and their underlying aerothermochemical reactions is particularly important in the design and analysis of vehicles exiting and reentering Earth's atmosphere. Computational physics codes can be employed to simulate these phenomena; however, verification of these codes is necessary to certify their credibility. To date, few approaches have been presented for verifying codes that simulate hypersonic flows, especially flows reacting in thermochemical nonequilibrium. In this paper, we present our code-verification techniques for verifying the spatial accuracy and thermochemical source term in hypersonic reacting flows in thermochemical nonequilibrium. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques on the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code ( SPARC ).
Flipping the script: Consumers’ propensity for self-medication

The U.S. health-care debate has focused on several macro-level factors to accomplish cost-containment, universal accessibility, and high-quality delivery in the marketplace. The present research em...
Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor is a rare aggressive malignant central nervous system tumor that most often occurs in young children. Though these tumors may have overlapping histological features with other Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors, one feature unique to most atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors is a genetic abnormality in the INI-1 gene on chromosome 22q11. Loss of the INI-1 protein staining is important for distinguishing atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors from other tumors. Historically, outcomes for patients with atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors have been poor despite surgery and chemotherapy. Promising new strategies, including intensive multimodal therapy and high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation, have significantly improved outcomes. In this chapter, we present a comprehensive overview of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors. We focus upon their epidemio­logy, molecular genetics, pathologic diagnosis and clinical presentation. In addition, we discuss treatment approaches, prognostic factors, outcomes and future research directions.
Little cells of the little brain: microglia in cerebellar development and function

Microglia are long-lived resident macrophages of the brain with diverse roles that span development, adulthood, and aging. Once thought to be a relatively homogeneous population, there is a growing recognition that microglia are highly specialized to suit their specific brain region. Cerebellar microglia represent an example of such specialization, exhibiting a dynamical, transcriptional, and immunological profile that differs from that of other microglial populations. Here we review the evidence that cerebellar microglia shape the cerebellar environment and are in turn shaped by it. We examine the roles microglia play in cerebellar function, development, and aging. The emerging findings on cerebellar microglia may also provide insights into disease processes involving cerebellar dysfunction.
High Performance Countercurrent Membrane Purification for protein separations

Abstract Although pressure-driven membrane filtration is used extensively in bioprocessing, protein purification is currently performed by chromatographic separations due to the difficulty in achieving high selectivity for similarly sized species using commercially available ultrafiltration membranes in the absence of fouling. This work examines a novel approach for protein separations based on High Performance Countercurrent Membrane Purification (HPCMP), which exploits highly selective diffusive transport across the thin walls of a hollow fiber membrane. Experiments were performed using commercially available hemodialysis membranes using both polydisperse dextrans and a model protein mixture of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and myoglobin (Mb). Dextran transport data obtained using diffusive transport showed significantly greater selectivity than that for pressure-driven filtration. The HPCMP system was then used to separate BSA and Mb, achieving greater than 98% yield of both proteins with purification factors greater than 100-fold. The Mb product obtained in the draw (dialysate) solution had undetectable levels of BSA. Stable operation was achieved for 96 h without any evidence of membrane fouling due to the absence of any significant pressure-driven flow. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using HPCMP for high resolution separations in the preparation of biopharmaceuticals and natural protein products.
Special Issue "2020 Feature Papers by JDB' Editorial Board Members".

For this Special Issue “2020 Feature Papers by JDB’ Editorial Board Members,” we present a collection of studies, including original research papers, and review articles by our distinguished editorial board members that focus on advances in understanding multicellular organisms’ growth, differentiation, and remodeling [...]
Genetics and Breeding of Apple Scions

The development of new improved apple scion cultivars through breeding continues to be an important approach to ensure sustainable apple production and increase consumer satisfaction. Apple scion breeding programs are primarily focused on improving fruit quality, fruit storability, and resistance to diseases and pests. Recent genetic and genomic advances have resulted in practical applications (e.g., DNA-informed breeding) in apple scion breeding programs. However, phenotyping continues to be a bottleneck, thus limiting efficient genetic improvement of apple scions. This chapter provides an updated review of: (1) current apple scion breeding efforts; (2) breeding for improved fruit quality; (3) breeding for resistance to diseases (e.g., apple scab, fire blight, and powdery mildew) and pests; and (4) recent advances and future breeding directions with emphasis on genotyping, DNA-informed breeding, genomic selection, and non-destructive phenotyping in apple. Throughout this chapter, perspectives on phenotyping and genomic advances are provided.
High Performance Computing for Science and Engineering in the Department of Defense

Computing has changed science and engineering since introduction of the first general purpose scientific computer in 1946, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC), produced by the University of Pennsylvania for the Army. The ENIAC was created for studying the science of ballistics and for the development, testing and fielding of Army ordnance. Since that time computing has provided access to larger parameter spaces for design, more cases analyzed in a given unit of time or budget, and access to phenomena not measurable or to conditions not accessible to experimentation. Science and engineering continue to change computing, creating demand for ever larger and faster platforms, illuminating new phenomena that lead to new materials, components, fabrication techniques, architectures, and to entirely new types of computing. We describe the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program, its impact on problem solving and on our primary customer, the Warfighter.
Co-isolation of high-quality DNA and RNA from coenocytic green algae

A protocol is presented for the simultaneous isolation of DNA and RNA from giant-celled green algae. The overall quality of the DNA was examined by the A260/A280 ratio, agarose gel electrophoresis, and restriction enzyme analysis. Denaturing gel electrophoresis and cDNA cloning were used to investigate the quality of the RNA. These assays indicated that both the DNA and RNA isolated by this procedure are of high quality, suitable for further molecular analyses. Since many of these algae are slow growing and therefore only a few grams may be available, the isolation of DNA and RNA from the same plant material has obvious advantages.
Two O (log* k)-Approximation Algorithms for the Asymmetric k-Center Problem

Given a set V of n points and the distances between each pair, the k-center problem asks us to choose a subset C ⊆ V of size k that minimizes the maximum over all points of the distance from C to the point. This problem is NP-hardev en when the distances are symmetric and satisfy the triangle inequality, and Hochbaum and Shmoys gave a best-possible 2-approximation for this case. We consider the version where the distances are asymmetric. Panigrahy and Vish wanathan gave an O(log* n)-approximation for this case, leading many to believe that a constant approximation factor shouldb e possible. Their approach is purely combinatorial. We show how to use a natural linear programming relaxation to define a promising new measure of progress, anduse it to obtain two different O(log*k)-approximation algorithms. There is hope of obtaining further improvement from this LP, since we do not know of an instance where it has an integrality gap worse than 3.
Discourse pegs: a computational analysis of context-dependent referring expressions

A three-tiered representation of natural language discourse is proposed, which borrows from Landman's notions of pegs in a partial information state. Based on the three-tiered framework, a taxonomy of potentially context-dependent referring expressions is defined which includes definite pronouns, indefinite pronouns (one-anaphora), definite and indefinite noun phrases and proper names. Two parameters that classify uses of noun phrases into this taxonomy are (1) whether the context-dependent referring expression is totally anaphoric or partially anaphoric and (2) whether the expression is sponsored by elements in the linguistic tier or elements in the discourse tier. A set of algorithms for updating the computational discourse representation and interpreting anaphoric noun phrases is defined. The distinction is made between the interpreter's belief system, which in an implemented system is the underlying knowledge base, and the representation of the information content of the discourse itself. This distinguishes understanding a discourse from believing a discourse.
Defeating Mau Mau, Creating Kenya: Counterinsurgency, Civil War and Decolonization (review)

Daniel Branch. Defeating Mau Mau, Creating Kenya: Counterinsurgency, Civil War and Decolonization. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. African Studies Series, xxii + 250 pp. Map. Photographs. Bibliography. Index. $80.00. Cloth. $24.99 Paper. Like other revolutionary movements, the Mau Mau peasant revolt continues to fascinate and even frustrate scholars. There has always been the drive to arrive at the "ultimate explanation" for the revolt. Its enduring appeal, which has in recent years extended beyond scholarly scrutiny to politics, rests on its unwieldy character; its decentralized organization before, during, and after the revolt; the agonizing impossibility of accurately determining its membership, ideological underpinnings, and the extent of British brutality in the execution of the war and the role of Home Guards in this repression; the existence of several centers vying for leadership of its memory in the postcolonial period; the residual tension between the former Home Guards and the Mau Mau guerillas or their supporters and descendants in the rural areas of Central Province; the political value of Mau Mau to the Kikuyu elite in postcolonial Kenya; the complicated role of Mau Mau in the attainment of political independence ( Uhuru) in Kenya; and finally the political and scholarly contest over the memory and position of Mau Mau in Kenya's national history. Daniel Branch's book is a major contribution to the expanding Mau Mau historiography. The book is corrective in intent and tone. Branch seeks to draw attention to the loyalists (Home Guards), whose stories and value have hitherto been either neglected or misrepresented by the dominant nationalist thrust in the study of Mau Mau. According to Branch, many of the published books on Mau Mau have failed to account for local violence 'Svi thin the communities of the Central Highlands" by inadequately considering "political economy, household relations, the cosmologies of the actors, and the demands placed on them by their living in a time of intense conflict" (3-4). Also, these books have failed to note that there were very many loyalists, not just "a few wealthy Christian individuals," and that they were motivated by very complex needs and aspirations that cannot solely, or even principally, be explained with reference to preconflict "cleavages within Kikuyu society" (4) . Branch argues throughout his well-researched book that the revolt ended up as a civil war among the Kikuyu. The loyalists were not peripheral to the armed conflict, and their story is crucial to understanding Kenya's decolonization and postcolonial society and political economy. …
Failure after Success: Correlates of Recidivism among Individuals Who Successfully Completed Coerced Drug Treatment.

Abstract A subset of criminal offenders diverted from prison to treatment return to crime after successful completion of treatment. Identifying correlates of recidivism among treatment completers will improve our ability to help treated offenders to better capitalize on their treatment experiences. Data from 156 mandated clients of long-term residential treatment who successfully completed the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program (Brooklyn, New York) were examined. Findings revealed that recidivists among DTAP graduates were younger, had more juvenile arrests, disliked treatment rules, found treatment rules oppressive, viewed treatment as unnecessarily long, and were unemployed and living alone after treatment. Theory and policy implications are discussed.
Mutations in the anticodon stem affect removal of introns from pre-tRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

To evaluate the role of exon domains in tRNA splicing, the anti-codon stem of proline pre-tRNAUGG from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was altered by site-directed mutagenesis of the suf8 gene. Sixteen alleles were constructed that encode mutant pre-tRNAs containing all possible base combinations in the last base pair of the anticodon stem adjacent to the anticodon loop (positions 31 and 39). The altered pre-tRNAs were screened by using an in vitro endonucleolytic cleavage assay to determine whether perturbations in secondary structure affect the intron excision reaction. The pre-tRNAs were cleaved efficiently whenever secondary structure in the anticodon stem was maintained through standard base pairing or G.U interactions. However, most of the pre-tRNAs with disrupted secondary structure were poor substrates for intron excision. We also determined the extent to which the suf8 alleles produce functional products in vivo. Each allele was integrated in one to three copies into a yeast chromosome or introduced on a high-copy-number plasmid by transformation. The formation of a functional product was assayed by the ability of each allele to suppress the +1 frameshift mutation his4-713 through four-base codon reading, as shown previously for the SUF8-1 suppressor allele. We found that alleles containing any standard base pair or G.U pair at position 31/39 in the anticodon stem failed to suppress his4-713. We could not assess in vivo splicing with these alleles because the tRNA products, even if they are made, would be expected to read a normal triplet rather than a quadruplet codon. However, all of the alleles that contained a disrupted base pair at position 31/ 39 in the anticodon stem altered the structure of the tRNA in a manner that caused frameshift suppression. Suppression indicated that splicing must have occurred to some extent in vivo even though most of the suppression alleles produced pre-tRNAs that were cleaved with low efficiency or not at all in vitro. These results have important implications for the interpretation of in vitro cleavage assays in general and for the potential use of suppressors to select mutations that affects tRNA splicing.
Online vs. Face to Face: Is There a Difference in How Accounting and Finance Students Learn in an Online vs. Face-to-Face Setting?

This is a PDF file of 'Online vs. Face to Face: Is There a Difference in How Accounting and Finance Students Learn in an Online vs. Face-to-Face Setting?' slides from a presentation at the Innovative Teaching Methods Conference of the American Accounting Association: Southeast Region on March 31, 2006 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Scholars in behavioral accounting, finance, and economics have begun to investigate how novices and experts learn in a wide range of accounting and financial settings. This session provided an initial discussion of the different learning processes for accounting and finance students enrolled in online vs. in-class (face-to-face) formats. As educators, our primary goal is to facilitate the learning of our students. An emerging method of delivery known as online education, where the teacher and student may never have face-to-face contact; this online format is a increasingly provided by all different types of colleges and universities across the country. How does this alternate delivery method affect the learning process of students? Or does the learning technique of students have an influence on the way online courses are delivered? The focus of this session was to review the main studies within the literature of learning as it relates to online delivery and face-to-face delivery of courses. One outcome of the session was to share with participants the main themes and findings from this collection of studies. This discussion presented scholars with a future avenue of research and a valuable source for improving their own teaching experience. Note: SSRN is experimenting with enabling the distribution of different types of files: slides, spreadsheets, video, etc. This is an upload of a pdf file of an SSRN Workshop PowerPoint slides. We are interested in our users desires to distribute files that go beyond word processing text files. You can communicate with me on these issues via my email address below. We invite you to submit your own presentation slides.
Interconnect simulation using order reduction and scattering parameters

This paper demonstrates the use of scattering parameters for efficient and accurate simulation of transmission lines. First, a low-order rational approximation scheme is applied to the s parameters of the line system, next an appropriate reference system is chosen to optimize the formulation. Finally, the low-order rational approximations of the scattering parameters are directly implemented in conventional time-domain simulator using recursive convolution. Experimental results are used to validate the computer simulations.
Face Adaptation Depends on Seeing the Face

Retinal input that is suppressed from visual awareness can nevertheless produce measurable aftereffects, revealing neural processes that do not directly result in a conscious percept. We here report that the face identity-specific aftereffect requires a visible face; it is effectively cancelled by binocular suppression or by inattentional blindness of the inducing face. Conversely, the same suppression does not interfere with the orientation-specific aftereffect. Thus, the competition between incompatible or interfering visual inputs to reach awareness is resolved before those aspects of information that are exploited in face identification are processed. We also found that the face aftereffect remained intact when the visual distracters in the inattention experiment were replaced with auditory distracters. Thus, cross-modal or cognitive interference that does not affect the visibility of the face does not interfere with the face aftereffect. We conclude that adaptation to face identity depends on seeing the face.
Preemptive scheduling to minimize mean weighted flow time

Abstract In this note we show that preemptive scheduling to minimize mean weighted flow time is NP-hard even for a set of equal-length tasks.
Do you believe in love at first sight: effects of media richness via modalities on viewers' overall impressions of online dating profiles

This research investigates the relationship between media modalities of personal profile and overall impression in the context of online dating. Drawing from Media Richness Theory [1] and MAIN Model [2], the present study examines how different media modalities of online dating profiles (text only, text and audio, text and video) trigger cognitive heuristics and influence impression formation, memory of profile contents and behavior intention. Participants (N = 266) were exposed to fictitious online dating profiles presented via text-only, text and audio-, text and video modalities. Results indicated the media modalities have significant impacts on generating cognitive heuristics and memory of the profile contents, where gender differences and priming effects play important roles. Only the effects of profile modalities on memory of profile contents were found in our study. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings for understanding the structural relationship among modality, cognitive heuristics, and overall impression are considered. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.
Potentiation of the hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride following preexposure to chlordecone (Kepone) in the male rat

The effect of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) challenge on several parameters of hepatic injury was determined in chlordecone (CD)-pretreated male rats. Following a 15-day feeding of 0 or 10 ppm CD, rats received a single intraperitoneal challenge of 0, 25, 50, 100, or 200 μl CCl4/kg. Twenty-four hours after CCl4, biliary excretion of phenolphthalein glucuronide (PG), bile secretion, and serum transaminase (SGPT, SGOT) activities were examined as functional indices of hepatic injury. Feeding of 10 ppm CD alone resulted in decreased biliary excretion of PG (59% of control) but had no effect on bile flow or on serum transaminases. Twenty-four hours after CCl4 alone, the two high doses caused decreased biliary excretion of PG in the absence of any effect on bile flow and doubled serum transaminases at the highest dose (200 μl/kg). A single challenge of CCl4 to CD-fed rats resulted in a dose-dependent impairment of PG excretion at a dose of 50 μl/kg and higher. Bile secretory function was severely impaired in the CD-fed animals receiving CCl4 at the doses of 100 and 200 μl/kg. Decreased bile flow was not seen in any other groups. Greatly potentiated hepatotoxicity was reflected in the form of elevated SGPT and SGOT activities which increased in excess of 30- and 10-fold, respectively, in CD-fed rats challenged with CCl4 at 100 and 200 μl/kg. Parenchymal liposis (cytoplasmic sudanophilic droplets) developed in all CD-fed rats receiving CCl4, while necrosis occurred after CCl4 at 50 μl/kg and increased in a dosedependent manner. CCl4 controls exhibited parenchymal liposis and limited centrilobular necrosis only at the two highest doses of CCl4. These data indicate a great potential for production of severe liver damage resulting from interactions of CCl4 and CD exposure at levels which may be independently nontoxic.
The epistemology and ethics of chronic disease research: Further lessons from ecmo

Robert Truog describes the controversial randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy in newborns. Because early results with ECMO indicated that it might be a great advance, saving many lives, Truog argues that ECMO should not have been tested using RCTs, but that a long-term, large-scale observational study of actual clinical practice should have been conducted instead. Central to Truog’s argument, however, is the idea that ECMO is an unusual case. Thus, it is an open question whether Truog’s conclusions can be extended to other areas of medical research. In this paper, I look at epistemological and ethical issues arising in the care of patients with chronic diseases, using ECMO as a starting point. Both the similarities and the dissimilarities of these two cases highlight important issues in biomedical research and support a conclusion similar to Truog’s. Observational studies of clinical practice provide the best evidence to inform the treatment of patients with chronic disease.
A physicochemical approach for the choice of polymeric membrane materials for water desalination by reverse osmosis

Abstract Interfacial properties such as the thickness of interfacial water layer, the distribution coefficient of solute between interfacial and bulk water phases, and the volume of interfacial water per unit mass of polymer material have been identified as relevant physicochemical quantities governing reverse osmosis transport and determined by gas and liquid chromatography methods with respect to different polymeric membrane materials. They are further split into the contribution from the structural component of polymer repeating unit. Force constants A and D for sodium chloride, representing the repulsive force working between membrane surface and solute, have been calculated on the basis of inter-facial properties obtained above. Using these force constants, the pore sizes required to achieve 99.9% of sodium chloride separation are obtained for different polymeric membrane materials. Furthermore, the prediction procedure for the effect of preferentially adsorbed organic molecules on the separation of sodium chloride and product rate is illustrated as a model for “fouling” in the desalination process by reverse osmosis.
Effect of chronic high pressure on transient and tonic vascular contractions to serotonin in hypertension

This study examined whether vascular contractions related to the extracellular or intracellular pools of calcium activated by serotonin are altered by high arterial pressure in chronic hypertension. Coarctation hypertensive (CH), sham normotensive control (C), and one-kidney, one-clip hypertensive rats (1K1C) were used. Tail systolic, carotid, and femoral arterial pressures were measured. Thoracic aortas from 1K1C and CH rats, as well as abdominal aortas from 1K1C rats, but not abdominal aortas from CH rats were exposed chronically to elevated arterial pressure. Isolated rings of thoracic and abdominal aortas from all groups were suspended in muuele baths for isometric force recordings. After cellular calcium depletion, dose-response curves to extracellular calcium, in the presence of 10−5 mol/L serotonin/were unchanged in thoracic or abdominal aortas among the three groups. In the presence of submaximum levels of serotonin (2 × 10−6 mol/ L), thoracic and abdominal rings without endothelium and abdominal rings with endothelium from the three groups showed similar responses to extracellular calcium. Such responses were significantly depressed in thoracic rings with endothelium from CH and 1K1C rats. Transient contractions attributable to release of an intracellular calcium pool by 10−5 mol/L serotonin were enhanced significantly in hypertensive thoracic and abdominal aortas from 1K1C rats, when the pool was loaded with 0.25, 0.5,1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mmol/L CaCl2, as well as in hypertensive thoracic aortas from CH rats when the pool was loaded with 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mmol/L CaCl2, but not in normotensive abdominal aortas from CH rats at any calcium-loading concentration. Similar results were observed in aortas from C, CH, and 1K1C rats loaded with 1.0 or 2.0 mmol/L CaCl2 and stimulated with 2 × 10−6 mol/L serotonin. Endothelial removal had no effect on these calcium-release contractions in abdominal aortas from any group, but enhanced contractions in thoracic aortas of 1K1C rats. In rings loaded with 2.0 mmol/L CaCl2, 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-N,N-diphe-nylcarbamaie inhibited contractions attributable to release of cellular calcium stores to a similar extent in C, CH, and 1K1C rats. This study suggests that serotonin-stimulated intracellular calcium-dependent aortic contractions are enhanced by elevated pressure in renal hypertensive rats.
Endothelial Cell Apoptosis Induced by Oxidized LDL Is Associated with the Down-regulation of the Cellular Caspase Inhibitor FLIP

Fas (CD-95/APO-1) is a death receptor that initiates an apoptotic signal when activated by its ligand, FasL. Normal vascular endothelial cells are resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis though they express both Fas and FasL. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) or lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a major component of OxLDL, induces endothelial cell suicide by sensitizing endothelial cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Here, we show that endothelial cell apoptosis by OxLDL and LPC-C16:0 was dose-dependent and correlated with down-regulation of FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP), an intracellular caspase inhibitor. FLIP down-regulation also occurred when endothelial cells were treated with toxic doses of LPC-C18:0 or minimally modified low density lipoprotein (LDL). In contrast, FLIP was not down-regulated by native LDL, acetylated LDL, LPC-C12:0, cholesterol, or 7-ketocholesterol, which are not toxic to endothelial cells. The cytotoxicity of oxidized lipids was reversed by transfecting endothelial cells with a FLIP expression plasmid. The results demonstrate, for the first time, FLIP regulation under conditions that lead to pathological tissue destruction.
Greenolive: an open platform for wellness management ecosystem

In this paper, we present Greenolive, an open platform for wellness management ecosystem. Wellness management applications, which facilitate preventive care and chronic disease treatments, are considered as a key component to enhance healthcare quality and reduce healthcare cost. Currently, most of the wellness management applications are device-oriented, stand-alone software and lack of open APIs that allow new value-added applications to be developed rapidly. Further, these wellness applications have not fully utilized the collected wellness monitoring data to generate new knowledge that can help people to further improve their wellness status. In this paper, we advocate an open platform that provides services that are essential to wellness management, and manages the services to be developed. Further, we adopt an elastic infrastructure to deal with scalability issues. We expect independent software vendors to develop new wellness management applications using the provided services and to deploy them on the platform. We believe such an ecosystem can greatly promote wellness management applications, much like we witness in other application domains, e.g., social network, enterprise resource management.
Semiotics and Erotics in Joseph McElroy's Plus

In Plus, the brain of a man is put into orbit to communicate with the Earth, and his relearning process goes through phases parallel to the ones Julia Kristeva describes in Revolution in Poetic Language. The flux of bodily impressions that the protagonist, Imp Plus, cannot translate into language penetrates the text through its rhythms, sounds, and seemingly incoherent grammatical structures, initiating a physical relationship between the reader and fiction.
Elucidating biological risk factors in suicide: Role of protein kinase A

Suicide is a major public health concern. Although there have been several studies of suicidal behavior that focused on the roles of psychosocial and sociocultural factors, these factors are of too little predictive value to be clinically useful. Therefore, research on the biological perspective of suicide has gained a stronghold and appears to provide a promising approach to identify biological risk factors associated with suicidal behavior. Recent studies demonstrate that an alteration in synaptic and structural plasticity is key to affective illnesses and suicide. Signal transduction molecules play an important role in such plastic events. Protein kinase A (PKA) is a crucial enzyme in the adenylyl cyclase signal transduction pathway and is involved in regulating gene transcription, cell survival, and plasticity. In this review, we critically and comprehensively discuss the role of PKA in suicidal behavior. Because stress is an important component of suicide, we also discuss whether stress affects PKA and how this may be associated with suicidal behavior. In addition, we also discuss the functional significance of the findings regarding PKA by describing the role of important PKA substrates (i.e., Rap1, cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein, and target gene brain-derived neurotrophic factor). These studies suggest the interesting possibility that PKA and related signaling molecules may serve as important neurobiological factors in suicide and may be relevant in target-specific therapeutic interventions for these disorders.
Detecting stable matrices

Stable matrices are related to the values of their entries by the concept of an all negative quasi-dominant diagonal. Stable matrices are related to the signs of their entries by the signs of cycles in their corresponding signed directed graphs. This paper establishes relationships between stable matrices and conditions on the values of cycles. For some cases the conditions on the values of cycles are satisfied if and only if the matrix has a quasi-dominant diagonal.
Structurally selective geminate rebinding dynamics of solvent-caged radicals studied with nonequilibrium infrared echo spectroscopy.

Cyclopentadienylmolybdenum(II) tricarbonyl dimer exists in two different equilibrium conformations: trans and gauche. Ultrafast photoexcitation in the ultraviolet cleaves the Mo−Mo bond, permitting...
Linkage of hereditary distal myopathy with desmin accumulation to 2q.

We are investigating the genetics of a large family with an autosomal dominant form of hereditary distal myopathy. This slowly progressive myopathy begins during early adulthood in the distal leg muscles, producing a gait disturbance. Cardiomyopathy is also present in most affected family members, manifesting itself as conduction block or congestive heart failure. Histologically, an accumulation of the protein, desmin, occurs in the subsarcolemmal spaces of myofibers. We have performed linkage analyses of this family, and have mapped the location of the gene causing the myopathy to human chromosome 2q33. The gene is within a 17-cM segment of chromosome 2q bounded by the DNA markers D2S2248 and D2S401. The best candidate gene for this myopathy is desmin.
Defining fuzzy relationships in object models: abstraction and interpretation

Many researchers have developed proposals for integrating fuzzy set theory into the knowledge representation methods used in conceptual data modeling. A primary objective of data modeling is to describe concepts and the relationships among the concepts. The basic relationships defined among the concepts are associated with general abstraction principles. These abstraction principles are examined. Several proposals for fuzzy extensions to these abstraction principles are reviewed. Recommendations for the application of fuzzy set theory in a generalized object model are made based on the abstraction principles and a review of proposals for fuzzy object models.
Abstract A28: DCIS disease-free survival in the population-based Wisconsin In Situ Cohort

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) now makes up 20% of new breast cancer diagnoses. Women diagnosed with DCIS face an increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer. A number of randomized trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of radiation and tamoxifen in reducing the risk of invasive cancer after a DCIS diagnosis. However, few population-based studies have examined disease-free survival according to treatment in community practice. We examined disease-free survival in the Wisconsin In Situ Cohort (WISC) Study, a longitudinal study of health outcomes among a large population-based cohort including 1959 DCIS cases enrolled between 1995 and 2006. Data on the initial DCIS diagnosis, treatments, second breast cancer events, and prognostic factors were collected from the statewide cancer registry, patient interviews, and pathology reports. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate disease-free survival in relation to treatment while adjusting for prognostic patient and tumor characteristics. After an average of 7.0 years of follow-up, 133 second breast cancer events occurred. The overall five-year disease-free survival rate was 94.6% (95% CI: 93.3–95.6%). Use of mastectomy declined over time, from 46% of DCIS cases in 1995–1997 to 30% of cases in 2004–2006. Tamoxifen use increased from 14% in 1995–1997 to 47% in 2004–2006. Overall five-year disease-free survival rates were 100% for women undergoing a bilateral mastectomy, 94.7% for women undergoing ipsilateral mastectomy, 95.4% for women treated with breast conserving surgery (BCS) and radiation, 89.9% for women treated with BCS only, and 86.5% for women receiving no further treatment beyond biopsy. These differences were driven mainly by variation in rates of ipsilateral events, whereas five-year disease survival for contralateral events was above 96% regardless of treatment type. No statistically significant differences were observed for any type of second event according to tamoxifen use. These results of this study provide population-based data that can be used to guide treatment choice for DCIS. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A28.
Night waking and temperament in early childhood.

A study of 100 young children referred to a Crying Baby Clinic for repeated waking at night yielded a less than expected incidence of “easy” temperaments and a greater number of “difficult” tempera...
ENGAGING WITH FACULTY TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND PILOT ELECTRONIC PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS OF STUDENT TEACHERS USING MOBILE DEVICES

This article discusses the development and implementation of a technology-supported student teacher performance assessment that supports integration with a larger electronic assessment system. The authors spearheaded a multidisciplinary team to develop a comprehensive performance assessment based on the Pathwise framework. The team collaborated with a third party vendor to implement and field test these assessments supported with mobile technologies in the field. Twenty supervisors completed the field test using 10 iPAQ PDAs and 10 laptops. Eighteen participated in a posttest survey and eight in a focus group debriefing session. Supervisors were overwhelmingly positive about the experience, the value of the updated assessments, and the ongoing plans to support field observations with mobile technologies. However, issues related to training, support, and trust loom largely for successful adoption, diffusion, and successful use of technology-supported assessments.
Elevated levels of cAMP alters the effect of epidermal growth factor in vitro on programmed cell death in the secondary palatal epithelium

Abstract Unfused palatal shelves from day 15 rat embryos were cultured with their medial-edge epithelium in contact. After 24 h, the epithelial surfaces of apposing shelves had adhered, and the epithelium showed evidence of degeneration such as a thinning of the midline seam, a loss of morphologically distinct cell types, degradation of the basement membrane and the appearance of lysosomal bodies. The addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) inhibited all these degenerative processes and increased the number of desmosomes and tonofilaments as well. Shelves cultured in the presence of EGF+dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP)+theophylline showed the degenerative changes seen in control epithelia but also showed a large number of desmosomes and tonofilaments. Labeling studies with [ 3 H]thymidine ([ 3 H]TdR) showed that EGF did not stimulate DNA synthesis in medial-edge cells of the day 15 rat palatal shelf. These results indicate that the inhibition of palatal epithelial cell death by EGF can be prevented by db-cAMP plus theophylline suggesting that some effects of EGF may be mediated through lowered levels of cAMP.
Results from the 1987 total exposure assessment methodology (team) study in Southern California

Abstract Volatile organic compound (VOC) levels in breath, personal air and fixed-site (indoor and outdoor) air were measured and compared for a sample of 50 individuals in the Los Angeles area of California. Comparisons were also made between seasons (winter and summer), between breath samples taken at three different times during the 24-h monitoring period, and between exposure levels of smokers and non-smokers. Personal air levels were higher than indoor air levels and indoor levels were much higher than outdoor levels. Air concentrations in the kitchen and living area were quite similar. Air and breath levels were higher in the winter than in the summer. Little difference was found between levels for the three breath sampling periods. Mean personal air levels of VOCs related to smoking were higher in individuals exposed to tobacco smoke vs those who were not exposed. The personal air levels of smokers and passive smokers (those non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke) were not significantly different; while similar air levels were found in the kitchen and primary living area of homes with smokers.
Factors Influencing Softening of Salt‐Stock Pickles in Air‐Purged Fermentations

Cucumber fermentations in 1-gal glass jars were purged with air at high rates to study factors influencing softening of the cucumbers and treatments whit h might prevent softening. The cucumbers were softened much mere rapidly and extensively in fermentations purged at 100 ml air/min than at 20 ml air/min. This could not be prevented by initial acidification (up to 0.6% acetic acid) nor by brining at high brim: strength (up to 35° salometer). No soft pickles were found in air-purged lots treated in any of the following ways: (a) acidified and treated with hypochlorite and then buffered and inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum (controlled fermentation process); (b) added 1.035% potassium sorbate;(c) used nitrogen for purging for first two days and then air-purged; and (d) the cucumbers were blanched and inoculated by washing unblanched cucumbers with the brine used to cover them. Pectinolytic enzyme assays were run on most fermentation brines, but enzyme activities were not well correlated with the extent of softening. The results indicate that softening of air-purged cucumbers is caused by the growth of some oxygen-dependent, sorbic acid-sensitive microorganism(s) growing in or on the cucumbers. The first day or two after brining appears to be the most critical in the development of the causative, organism(s).
A novel model of primary and secondary hyperalgesia after mild thermal injury in the rat

Abstract Secondary hyperesthesia was investigated in a rat thermal injury model. After a mild focal thermal injury (52°C / 45 s) to the rat heel, the response latency for a thermal stimulus directed at the injured site was reduced (10→6 s; e.g. primary thermal hyperalgesia) but no change was seen at the distal site. Conversely, tactile threshold at the distal site was significantly reduced (15→5 g; e.g. secondary tactile allodynia) but much less so at the injured site. Magnitude of the secondary tactile allodynia paralleled the severity of the primary injury. Accordingly, this model has the same characteristics seen in human post-tissue-injury hyperesthetic states and provides a tool for the study of mechanisms underlying primary and secondary hyperesthesia.
Neurobiology: The many faces of adaptation

Sensory neurons constantly adapt to the changing environment. It seems they can do this surprisingly quickly, and without losing their absolute frame of reference.
Artifact Suppression in Digital Chest Radiographs Enhanced With Adaptive Histogram Equalization

Adaptive Histogram Equalization (AHE) has been applied to high resolution digital chest radiographs to provide contrast enhancement. The method provides good contrast in uniform areas of the image, e.g. the lung field, but in so doing both overenhances noise and produces an artifact at boundaries between high density and low density regions. The artifact, which appears as a band of very low contrast data spanning such a boundary, has the effect of suppressing structural information. Although it is known that the problem of overenhancing noise is controlled by the algorithm known as Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE), the boundary artifact is not removed by this technique. This paper concentrates on the boundary artifact. We present a method for processing a chest radiograph by means of background subtraction prior to applying the CLAHE algorithm which reduces contrast at high/low density boundaries and thus permits contrast enhancement free of both noise and boundary artifacts.
(S)-4,5-dihydro-2-(2-hydroxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid polyethers: a solution to nephrotoxicity.

Previous studies revealed that within a family of ligands the more lipophilic chelators have better iron-clearing efficiency. The larger the log Papp value of the compound, the better the iron-clearing efficiency. What is also clear from the data is that although the relative effects of log Papp changes are essentially the same through different families, there are differences in absolute value between families. However, there also exists a second, albeit somewhat more disturbing, relationship. In all sets of ligands, the most lipophilic chelator is always the most toxic. The current study focuses on designing ligands that balance the lipophilicity/toxicity problem while iron-clearing efficiency is maintained. Earlier studies with (S)-4,5-dihydro-2-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid [(S)-4‘-(CH3O)-DADFT, 6] indicated that this methyl ether was a ligand with excellent iron-clearing efficiency in both rodents and primates; however, it was too toxic. On the basis of this finding, ...