cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Horizon for the Mechanical Bond

Download : Download high-res image (172KB) Download : Download full-size image Dr. Minh T. Nguyen is a postdoctoral research fellow in Sir Fraser Stoddart’s research group at Northwestern University. He grew up in Bac Lieu, Vietnam, and received his BSc degree in chemistry from Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2014, Minh obtained his PhD degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research focus was on conducting metallopolymers and hybrid nanomaterials under the supervision of Prof. Bradley J. Holliday. His current research involves the syntheses and functional applications of mechanically interlocked molecules containing large numbers of like charges expressed at high densities.
Design and Analysis of a High-Gain and Robust Multi-DOF Electro-thermally Actuated MEMS Gyroscope

This paper presents the design and analysis of a multi degree of freedom (DOF) electro-thermally actuated non-resonant MEMS gyroscope with a 3-DOF drive mode and 1-DOF sense mode system. The 3-DOF drive mode system consists of three masses coupled together using suspension beams. The 1-DOF system consists of a single mass whose motion is decoupled from the drive mode using a decoupling frame. The gyroscope is designed to be operated in the flat region between the first two resonant peaks in drive mode, thus minimizing the effect of environmental and fabrication process variations on device performance. The high gain in the flat operational region is achieved by tuning the suspension beams stiffness. A detailed analytical model, considering the dynamics of both the electro-thermal actuator and multi-mass system, is developed. A parametric optimization is carried out, considering the microfabrication process constraints of the Metal Multi-User MEMS Processes (MetalMUMPs), to achieve high gain. The stiffness of suspension beams is optimized such that the sense mode resonant frequency lies in the flat region between the first two resonant peaks in the drive mode. The results acquired through the developed analytical model are verified with the help of 3D finite element method (FEM)-based simulations. The first three resonant frequencies in the drive mode are designed to be 2.51 kHz, 3.68 kHz, and 5.77 kHz, respectively. The sense mode resonant frequency is designed to be 3.13 kHz. At an actuation voltage of 0.2 V, the dynamically amplified drive mode gain in the sense mass is obtained to be 18.6 µm. With this gain, a capacitive change of 28.11 f F and 862.13 f F is achieved corresponding to the sense mode amplitude of 0.15 μ m and 4.5 μ m at atmospheric air pressure and in a vacuum, respectively.
High strength, deformable nanotwinned Al–Co alloys

Aluminum (Al) alloys have been widely used in the transportation industry. However, most high-strength Al alloys to date have limited mechanical strength, on the order of a few hundred MPa, which i...
Transsphenoidal pituitary surgery effects on obstructive sleep apnea in patients with acromegaly: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Context Acromegaly is a chronic disease associated with excessive growth hormone GH and insulin like growth factor secretion most commonly as a result of a pituitary adenoma Patients diagnosed with acromegaly have a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea The introduction of endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal pituitary surgery has significantly decreased the risks and morbidities It remains unclear however whether directed pituitary surgery has a significant long term effect in reducing OSA indices among this population of patients Objective To assess whether treatment of acromegaly by means of endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal excision of pituitary adenoma has any significant long term effects on the hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index among patients with acromegaly and a co morbid diagnosis of OSA Our primary outcome was to evaluate the pre and post surgical values for AHI and our secondary outcomes were the evaluation of GH ODI and IGF values Methods In a systematic review and meta analysis studies relating to transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy in acromegalic patients with obstructive sleep apnea were extracted and analysed based on the inclusion criteria A search was performed on Scopus MED LINE Pubmed and The Cochrane Library initially September with an update on October The effect of the endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal surgery on primary and secondary outcomes was evaluated by meta analysis Results Three studies patients were included The mean age was plusmn years old and a body mass index BMI of plusmn kg m Our meta analysis showed significant surgical treatment effect for AHI p and IGF p lt One study reported GH values which significantly improved following TSS p lt No studies included ODI Each study analysed the results on different amount of time after TSS surgery Levels of AHI and IGF were significant lower when compared to to the pre op same for the conclusion Conclusion The Transsphenoidal surgery could be an option for selected patients to treat acromegaly with good results Included studies reported an improvement on OSAS following TSS and hormonal control some months after the procedures
Cost-Efficient Classification for Neurological Disease Detection

Cost-efficient machine learning is essential for on-chip processing of data in resource-limited applications such as brain implants, wearable sensors, and IoT devices. In this paper, we propose a hardware-friendly machine learning model based on gradient boosted decision trees for neurological disease detection. Our model combines fixed point quantization and cost-efficient inference to enable low-power embedded learning. Testing this model on the intracranial EEG data from 14 epilepsy patients, we can reduce the feature extraction cost by 53.1% and quantize the leaf weights with 4 bits, while maintaining the seizure detection performance. In a second experiment on Parkinsonian tremor detection from local field potentials of 12 patients, we achieve a 55.4% cost reduction and 12-bit leaf quantization. The proposed model offers a hardware-friendly solution for on-chip and real-time detection of neurological disorders.
Type 9: Child Pornography

The viewing, possessing, producing, or transmitting of sexually pornographic material by a law enforcement officers is of two types—adult and child. Viewing adult pornography while on duty, either through electronic means on personal or departmental owned devices, or possessing adult pornographic material while on duty (magazines, photos, etc.) is typically not a crime. However, it is usually a violation of agency policies, procedures, and rules.
Determinants of Replication-Fork Pausing at tRNA Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae .

Transfer RNA (tRNA) genes are widely studied sites of replication-fork pausing and genome instability in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. tRNAs are extremely highly transcribed and serve as constitutive condensin binding sites. tRNA transcription by RNA polymerase III has previously been identified as stimulating replication-fork pausing at tRNA genes, but the nature of the block to replication has not been incontrovertibly demonstrated. Here, we describe a systematic, genome-wide analysis of the contributions of candidates to replication-fork progression at tDNAs in yeast: transcription factor binding, transcription, topoisomerase activity, condensin-mediated clustering, and Rad18-dependent DNA repair. We show that an asymmetric block to replication is maintained even when tRNA transcription is abolished by depletion of one or more subunits of RNA polymerase III. By contrast, analogous depletion of the essential transcription factor TFIIIB removes the obstacle to replication. Therefore, our data suggest that the RNA polymerase III transcription complex itself represents an asymmetric obstacle to replication even in the absence of RNA synthesis. We additionally demonstrate that replication-fork progression past tRNA genes is unaffected by the global depletion of condensin from the nucleus, and can be stimulated by the removal of topoisomerases or Rad18-dependent DNA repair pathways.
An Early Operational Analysis of Russian-Supplied T-90s in Syria

On 30 September 2015, Russian military forces began their overt involvement in the then-four-year-old Syrian Civil War; the subsequent Russian air campaign and political support to the Assad regime...
Chapter 7 – Allosteric Modulation

This chapter discusses the effects of drugs that bind to a site on the receptor that is distinct from the site utilized by the natural agonist. After consideration of the unique properties of such molecules and the phenotypic behaviors they engender (positive and negative allosteric modulation), the quantitation of allosteric effects on drug action are presented in terms of the quantitative model(s) of allosteric receptor function.
Off-label prescribing of targeted anticancer therapy at a large pediatric cancer center.

BACKGROUND Off-label drug prescribing is common in pediatric clinical medicine, though the extent and impact of this practice in pediatric oncology has not yet been characterized. METHODS We completed a retrospective single-institution cohort study evaluating prevalence, characteristics, and clinical outcomes of off-label prescribing of 108 FDA-approved targeted anticancer drugs in patients < 30 years old treated for cancer from 2007 to 2017. Dosing strategies were adjusted for body size and compared to FDA-approved adult dosing regimen. A composite toxicity endpoint was defined as a patient having unplanned clinic visits, emergency department visits, or unplanned hospital admissions that were at least possibly related to the off-label treatment. RESULTS The overall prevalence of off-label use of targeted therapies was 9.2% (n = 374 patients). The prevalence increased significantly over the study period (P < .0001). Patients treated off-label were more likely to have neuro-oncology diagnoses compared to patients not treated off-label (46% vs 29%; P < .0001). Of the 108 potential agents, 38 (35%) were used by at least one patient. The median starting dose was below the FDA-approved normalized dose for 44.4% of agents. Fifteen percent of patients had a complete response while receiving off-label therapy, 38% experienced toxicity as defined, and 13% discontinued off-label therapy due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS In this real-world evaluation of prescribing at a large pediatric cancer center, off-label prescribing of FDA-approved targeted therapies was common, increasing in prevalence, encompassed a broad sample of targeted agents, and was tolerable. Clinicians commonly start dosing below the equivalent FDA-approved dose.
Modeling and simulation of a High Flux Isotope Reactor representative core model for updated performance and safety basis assessments

Abstract A high-fidelity neutronics model of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) with a representative core and experiment loading was developed to serve as the new basis for performance and safety basis assessments. HFIR provides one of the highest steady-state neutron fluxes of any research reactor in the world to support high-impact applied and basic neutron science research. The newly developed model better characterizes ongoing and envisioned research activities at HFIR, in comparison to the legacy Cycle 400 (operated in 2004) model. The new reactor model serves as the reference for safety basis, reactor operation, in-core experiment, reactor upgrade, and other research activities. It also serves as the reference for high-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium conversion studies, enabling consistent performance and safety metrics comparisons. Neutronic performance and safety metrics calculational methods and results including, but not limited to, cycle length estimates, flux and fission distributions, point kinetics data, reactivity coefficients, intra cycle and post shutdown source terms, and control element worths are documented herein. These neutronics results provide essential input to higher accuracy follow-on heat deposition, thermal–hydraulic, thermal-structural, reactor transient, and severe accident analyses and directly support safety analysis upgrades, startup and operations calculations, and fuel storage and transportation evaluations. Furthermore, thermal–hydraulic safety limit calculations for inlet coolant temperature, flux-to-flow, and inlet vessel pressure that utilized the neutronics results obtained with the new reactor model are discussed herein. The use of the new neutronics results led to a significant gain in thermal safety margin and enabled the removal of previous conservatism based on low-fidelity calculations.
Abstract 1657: Paired agent fluorescence imaging of cancer in a living mouse using targeted molecular probes with emission wavelengths of 690 and 830 nm

Targeted fluorescent probes were used for cancer imaging and assessing tumor targeting performance in a living mouse model. Untargeted probes and targeted probes (appended with cRGDfK peptide units for integrin targeting on cancer cells) were fabricated with emission wavelengths of 690 and 830 nm. Selective targeting of cancer cells was proved by series of cell microscopy experiments followed by in vivo imaging of subcutaneous tumors in living mice. The mouse imaging studies included a mock surgery that completely removed a fluorescently labeled tumor. Enhanced tumor accumulation due to probe targeting was first evaluated by conducting Single Agent Imaging (SAI) experiments that compared tumor imaging performance of a targeted probe and untargeted probe in separate mouse cohorts. Although there was imaging evidence for enhanced tumor accumulation of the targeted probe, there was moderate scatter in the data due to tumor-to-tumor variability of the vasculature structure and interstitial pressure. A subsequent Paired Agent Imaging (PAI) study co-injected a binary mixture of targeted probe (with emission at 690 nm) and untargeted probe (with emission at 830 nm) into the same tumor-burdened animal. The conclusion of the PAI experiment also indicated enhanced tumor accumulation of the targeted probe but the statistical significance was much higher, even though the experiment required a much smaller cohort of mice. The imaging data from the PAI experiment was analyzed to determine the targeted probe9s Binding Potential (BP) for available integrin receptors within the tumor tissue. In addition, pixelated maps of BP within each tumor indicated a heterogenous spatial distribution of BP values. The results of this study show that PAI is a promising new way to analyze tumor heterogeneity and its eventual use in clinical applications such as targeted therapy, image guided surgery, and personalized medicine. Citation Format: Cynthia L. Spires (Schreiber), Canjia Zhai, Janel Dempsey, Hannah McGarraugh, Braden Matthews, Caroline Christmann, Bradley Smith. Paired agent fluorescence imaging of cancer in a living mouse using targeted molecular probes with emission wavelengths of 690 and 830 nm [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1657.
Inferring Neural Population Spiking Rate from Wide-Field Calcium Imaging

Abstract Wide-field calcium imaging techniques allow recordings of high resolution neuronal activity across one or multiple brain regions. However, since the recordings capture light emission generated by the fluorescence of the calcium indicator, the neural activity that drives the calcium changes is masked by the calcium indicator dynamics. Here we develop and test novel methods to deconvolve the calcium traces and reveal the underlying neural spiking rate. Our methods take into account both the noise existent in the recordings and the temporal dynamics of the calcium indicator response. Our first method retrieves firing rates that are constant over discrete time bins. The size of each time bin depends on the data and is determined dynamically. Our second method retrieves the rate as a continuous function and is meant for studies that look for slow rate fluctuations rather than abrupt changes. We compare our results with those of two alternative approaches: direct deconvolution using a ‘first differences’ approach, and the ‘Lucy-Richardson’ image recovery method, adapted to recover temporal dynamics. We show that our methods outperform competitors on synthetic data as well as on wide-field calcium recordings in which parallel spiking recording was performed.
Criminal Justice Student and Alumni Perspectives on Advising

The importance of effective advising has been well-documented, though little research has examined the relationship between advising experiences and alumni satisfaction with their education. This s...
Oliceridine: A Novel Drug for the Management of Moderate to Severe Acute Pain – A Review of Current Evidence

Optimal pain relief requires a balance between adequate analgesia and risk of adverse effects. Opioids remain the cornerstone for managing moderate to severe pain, but are associated with opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) and gastrointestinal complications. Opioids exert their analgesic effects predominantly via G-protein signaling, however, adverse effects including OIRD are mediated by the β-arrestin pathway. Oliceridine is the first of a new class of biased opioid agonists that preferentially activate G-protein signaling over β-arrestin, which would theoretically improve analgesia and reduce the risk of adverse effects. Oliceridine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. The efficacy of Oliceridine was mainly established in two randomized controlled Phase III clinical trials of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain after bunionectomy (APOLLO-1) and abdominoplasty (APOLLO-2). The results of the APOLLO studies demonstrate that Oliceridine, when administered via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) demand boluses of 0.35mg and 0.5mg, provides superior analgesia compared to placebo, and is equianalgesic to PCA morphine 1mg demand boluses, without significant difference in the incidence of respiratory complications. In a more pragmatic trial of surgical and non-surgical patients, the ATHENA observational cohort study reported rapid onset of analgesia with Oliceridine given with or without multimodal analgesia. However, these studies were designed to evaluate analgesic efficacy, and it is still uncertain if Oliceridine has a better safety profile than conventional opioids. Although several post hoc analyses of pooled data from the APOLLO and ATHENA trials reported that Oliceridine was associated with lower OIRD and gastrointestinal complications compared to morphine, prospective studies are needed to elucidate if biased agonists such as Oliceridine reduce the risk of adverse effects compared to conventional opioids.
SAIF: Automated Asset Identification for Security Verification at the Register Transfer Level

With the increasing complexity, modern system-onchip (SoC) designs are becoming more susceptible to security attacks and require comprehensive security assurance. However, establishing a comprehensive assurance for security often involves knowledge of relevant security assets. Since modern SoCs contain myriad confidential assets, the identification of security assets is not straightforward. The number and types of assets change due to numerous embedded hardware blocks within the SoC and their complex interactions. Some security assets are easily identifiable because of their distinct characteristics and unique definitions, while others remain in the blind-spot during design and verification and can be utilized as potential attack surfaces to violate confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the SoC. Therefore, it is essential to automatically identify security assets in an SoC at pre-silicon design stages to protect them and prevent potential attacks. In this paper, we propose an automated CAD framework called SAF to identify an SoC’s security assets at the register transfer level (RTL) through comprehensive vulnerability analysis under different threat models. Moreover, we develop and incorporate metrics with SAF to quantitatively assess multiple vulnerabilities for the identified security assets. We demonstrate the effectiveness of SAF on MSP430 micro-controller and CEP SoC benchmarks. Our experimental results show that SAF can successfully and automatically identify an SoC’s most vulnerable underlying security assets for protection.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Trajectories and Prevalence of High Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Consistent With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia in US Children.

This cohort study aims to characterize age-related longitudinal low-density lipoprotein trajectories among US children.
Racial Redistricting in the 2010s

Following their 2010 electoral success, Republicans commanded complete control of North Carolina’s legislature and its redistricting efforts. Republicans drew district lines not just to solidify but insulate their legislative control. However, these maps representing the opposite dynamic of previous North Carolina redistricting litigation. Democrats challenged with a familiar refrain of racial gerrymandering against Republicans, first within state court, and then with federal litigation. The successful challenges to the maps as racial gerrymandering set up the focus on partisan gerrymandering claims.
Massive Osteolysis in a Modern Total Knee Prosthesis

Case. An 82-year-old woman underwent right total knee replacement with a sequentially irradiated and annealed highly cross-linked polyethylene insert. At 9 years, she was found to have a massive femoral osteolysis with an impending fracture. Conclusion. This case demonstrates a rare occurrence of massive femoral osteolysis, requiring revision surgery, with a sequentially irradiated and annealed highly cross-linked polyethylene.
Development of a Best Practices Workflow for Rapid Beach Surveying Using a Lower-Cost Mobile Lidar System

This study assesses a lower-cost mobile lidar system along with a 360-degree spherical camera for use in coastal environments, with a focus on rapid post-storm data collection. Testing was completed to create a ‘best methods procedure for planning, data collection and post-processing. The system being used is called the HiWay Mapper, integrated by LidarUSA and consists of a Velodyne HDL-32E lidar sensor, a NovAtel global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver and inertial navigation system (INS), and a FLIR Ladybug 360-degree camera. Results show that an initialization driving procedure is needed for better positioning, the point cutoff distance should be, at a maximum, 55 meters, and ground control targets allow greater vertical accuracy. Lastly, the “best methods” procedure is used to collect post-storm data from hurricane Hanna and vertical accuracy assessments were completed to determine the performance of the sensor.
Topological surface states of Bi2Te2Se are robust against surface chemical modification

The robustness of the Dirac-like electronic states on the surfaces of topological insulators (TIs) during materials process-ing is a prerequisite for their eventual device application. Here, the (001) cleavage surfaces of crystals of the topological insulator Bi2Te2Se (BTS) were subjected to several surface chemical modification procedures that are common for electronic materials. Through measurement of Shubnikov–de Hass (SdH) oscillations, which are the most sensitive measure of their quality, the surface states of the treated surfaces were compared to those of pristine BTS that had been exposed to ambient conditions. In each case – surface oxidation, deposition of thin layers of Ti or Zr oxides, or chemical modification of the surface oxides – the robustness of the topological surface electronic states was demonstrated by noting only very small changes in the frequency and amplitude of the SdH oscillations. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Supporting Software Process Tracking Through the Internet

The Internet is becoming a medium for distributed software development groups. An undergraduate two-course capstone sequence, Software Engineering Project I and II uses the Internet in order to accomplish many tasks that support software development. This paper includes a description of the course demographics and the use of the Internet in carrying out project development activities. The SPAWS software tool is an Internet based software tool for project management that was developed in order to support these courses. The paper includes an overview of the tool and an evaluation of the tool capabilities.
Nerve growth factor is a potent inducer of proliferation and neuronal differentiation for adult rat chromaffin cells in vitro

Adult rat chromaffin cells in vitro show a large proliferative response to NGF, followed by neuronal differentiation. Infection of replicating chromaffin cells with a retrovirus carrying the Escherichia coli beta- galactosidase (beta-gal) gene demonstrates beta-gal expression in cells that continue to multiply, that differentiate into neurons, and that become static. The effects of NGF on proliferation and differentiation are abolished by the protein kinase inhibitors K252a and staurosporine, and by cholera toxin, an activator of adenylate cyclase. They are diminished, but not abolished, by high concentrations of dexamethasone. Both cholera toxin alone and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C, elicit small and inconsistent mitogenic responses. The responses to PMA cannot be shown to be additive with the effects of NGF. NGF is a known mitogen and neuritogen for chromaffin cells from neonatal rats, but has not previously been believed to affect similarly chromaffin cells from adults. The present findings suggest that portions of NGF signaling pathways might continue to be involved in regulating proliferation of adult rat chromaffin cells in vivo, and might be constitutively activated in PC12 cells and other adrenal medullary tumors. They further suggest that rat chromaffin cells might be propagated in vitro to obtain large numbers of sympathetic neurons expressing normal or exogenous genes.
Play and Intrinsic Rewards

An analysis of the reported experiences of people involved in various play-forms (i.e., rock-climbing, chess, dance, basketball, music composition) suggests that the qualities which make these activities enjoyable are the following: (a) a person is able to concentrate on a limited stimulus field, (b) in which he or she can use his or her skills to meet clear demands, (c) thereby forgetting his or her own problems, and (d) his or her own separate identity, (e) at the same time obtaining a feeling of control over the environment, (f) which may result in a transcendence of ego-boundaries and consequent psychic integration with metapersonal systems. A formal analysis is carried out to establish what are the characteristics that an activitiy must have to provide such intrinsically rewarding experiences. The implications of intrinsic rewards for the understanding of human motivation are briefly discussed.
Free to choose: investigating the sample complexity of active learning of real valued functions

In the classical framework of learning from examples, examples are randomly drawn and presented to the learner. In this paper, we consider the possibility of a more active learner who is allowed to choose his/her own examples. Our investigations are conducted in a function approximation setting. Specifically, we develop an adaptive sampling strategy (equivalent to adaptive approximation) motivated from the standpoint of optimal recovery (Micchelli and Rivlin, 1976). We provide a general formulation of the problem. We demonstrate the application of this general formulation to two special cases of functions on the real line 1) monotonically increasing functions and 2) functions with bounded derivative. An extensive investigation of the sample complexity of approximating these functions is conducted yielding both theoretical and empirical results on test functions. Our theoretical results (stated in PAC- style), along with the simulations demonstrate the superiority of our active scheme over both passive learning as well as classical optimal recovery.
Fine structure studies on the planarian, Dugesia. I. Nature of the "neoblast" and other cell types in noninjured worms.

An electron microscopic descriptive and quantitative account is presented of all cell types present in the 1 mm zone immediately postcephalic in Dugesia dorotocephala . Since this is the usual site of amputation in regeneration studies, the data form a baseline for future comparisons with regeneration cell populations. The data permit the conclusion that light microscope identifications of “neoblasts” are actually descriptions of a heterogeneous population of undifferentiated-appearing cells, which we call beta cells, and gland and muscle cell bodies. The extensive granular endoplasmic reticulum of these cell bodies would give more intense basophilia than the diffuse ribosomes of beta cells when viewed with the light microscope, and thus gland cells would be more likely visualized than beta cells in earlier studies concluding that “neoblasts” are reserve cells for regeneration. Beta cells are clearly described here for the first time; their unique nuclei, prominent chromatoid bodies, and possible role as a progenitor cell in physiological cell renewal are emphasized.
AN ADAPTATION OF THE BALANCED SCORECARD FOR E-GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY: A CONTENT ANALYSIS

E-government services refer to the emerging area of IS and IT services that are delivered electronically. The way that government agencies design and deliver services and configure and deploy underlying information and communications technologies, is central to the performance of e-government service delivery. This paper examines the effectiveness of website-supported Balanced Scorecards four dimensions (innovation and learning, internal process, veteran value proposition, and financial) in improving e-government service delivery performance. The study used content analysis to analyze the data obtained from a sample of 19 county veteran service officers (CVSOs) to test the hypotheses. CVSOs use websites to serve veterans on a Government-to-Citizen (G2C) basis. The results show that the different aspects of the relations between CVSOs and veterans fit with the four interrelated balanced scorecard factors. The results also show that three of the four website-supported Balanced Scorecard dimensions (learning and innovation, internal process, and veteran value proposition) have a positive impact on e-government service delivery performance. However, the impact of the fourth website-supported Balanced Scorecard perspective (financial) on e-government service delivery performance is different because of the digital divide among the various generations of veterans.
Immunotherapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review

Localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is often curable by surgery alone. However, metastatic RCC is generally incurable. In the 1990s, immunotherapy in the form of cytokines was the mainstay of treatment for metastatic RCC. However, responses were seen in only a minority of highly selected patients with substantial treatment-related toxicities. The advent of targeted agents such as vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors VEGF-TKIs and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors led to a change in this paradigm due to improved response rates and progression-free survival, a better safety profile, and the convenience of oral administration. However, most patients ultimately progress with about 12% being alive at 5 years. In contrast, durable responses lasting 10 years or more are noted in a minority of those treated with cytokines. More recently, an improved overall survival with newer forms of immunotherapy in other malignancies (such as melanoma and prostate cancer) has led to a resurgence of interest in immune therapies in metastatic RCC. In this review we discuss the rationale for immunotherapy and recent developments in immunotherapeutic strategies for treating metastatic RCC.
Pathogen activators of plasminogen

Summary Group A streptococci (GAS) express soluble and surface-bound virulence factors. Secreted streptokinase (SK) allelic variants exhibit varying abilities to activate host plasminogen (Pg), and GAS pathogenicity is associated with Pg activation and localization of the resulting plasmin (Pm) on the bacterial surface to promote dissemination. The various mechanisms by which GAS usurp the host proteolytic system are discussed, including the molecular sexuality mechanism of conformational activation of the Pg zymogen (Pg*) and subsequent proteolytic activation of substrate Pg by the S•KPg* and SK•Pm catalytic complexes. Substantial progress has been made to delineate both processes in a unified mechanism. Pm coats the bacteria by direct and indirect binding pathways involving plasminogen-binding group A streptococcal M-like (PAM) protein and host fibrin(ogen). Transgenic mouse models using human Pg are being optimized to mimic infections by SK variants in humans and to define in vivo combined mechanisms of these variants and PAM.
To work in the world: Anne frank and American literary history

(1998). To work in the world: Anne frank and American literary history. Women's Studies: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 1-30.
Does mercury contamination reduce body condition of endangered California clapper rails

We examined mercury exposure in 133 endangered California clapper rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) within tidal marsh habitats of San Francisco Bay, California from 2006 to 2010. Mean total mercury concentrations were 0.56 mg/g ww in blood (range: 0.15e1.43), 9.87 mg/g fw in head feathers (3.37e22.0), 9.04 mg/g fw in breast feathers (3.68e20.2), and 0.57 mg/g fww in abandoned eggs (0.15e2.70). We recaptured 21 clapper rails and most had low within-individual variation in mercury. Differences in mercury concentrations were largely attributed to tidal marsh site, with some evidence for year and quadratic date effects. Mercury concentrations in feathers were correlated with blood, and slopes differed between sexes (R 2 ¼ 0.58e0.76). Body condition was negatively related to mercury concentrations. Model averaged estimates indicated a potential decrease in body mass of 20e22 g (5e7%) over the observed range of mercury concentrations. Our results indicate the potential for detrimental effects of mercury contamination on endangered California clapper rails in tidal marsh habitats. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Cooperative Heart Study Cardiac Volume Analysis

The diagrams and photographs represent the present state of development of the Aerospace/Loma University School of Medicine cooperative effort to measure the volume of the human heart left ventricle directly from 35 cineoangiograms. A cineoangiogram is obtained by photographing the output of an image amplifier when blood soluble radio opaque contrast media is passed through the heart. The physician passes a catheter through the circulatory system into the vicinity of the heart. At the same time, he raises the voltage on his x-ray, starts the cinecamera, and gives a high speed injection of the contrast media which is heavily loaded with Iodine is used because the very high molecular weight shows up well against the x-rays. Also, the kidneys tolerate the iodine reasonably well when it comes to removing the iodine from the blood stream. Most contemporary procedures are framed at anywhere from 40 to 80 frames per second, although some research efforts go as high as 200 frames per second.
Non-invasive, label-free spectroscopic separation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their cardiac derivatives

Non-invasive, label-free spectroscopic separation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their cardiac derivatives
Induced resistance to white spot syndrome virus infection in Penaeus stylirostris through pre-infection with infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus: a preliminary study

Abstract White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is highly virulent to penaeid shrimp and has been responsible for serious economic losses on shrimp farms throughout the world. Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) is a small DNA virus that also infects penaeid shrimp; and, although once virulent to culture stocks of Penaeus stylirostris , it has not been associated with mass mortalities in recent years. Through three laboratory challenge studies, we discovered an interference interaction between these two viruses in P. stylirostris. In the first bioassay, juvenile P. stylirostris were infected with IHHNV by feeding them with IHHNV-infected tissue. These shrimp, along with a group of non-infected control shrimp, were then fed WSSV-infected tissue. Two days after the WSSV challenge, mortalities began to occur. All of the control shrimp, which were not exposed to IHHNV, died within 5 days. In contrast, replicated challenge groups of the IHHNV pre-infected shrimp had 31% and 44% survival. Quantitation by real-time PCR determined that the surviving shrimp had high levels (10 9 copies per μg DNA) of IHHNV and very low levels (50–400 copies per μg DNA) of WSSV DNA. Moribund shrimp had high levels (10 6 –10 7 copies per μg DNA) of WSSV and low levels (10 4 –10 6 copies per μg DNA) of IHHNV DNA. A second challenge study with P. stylirostris that were heavily infected with IHHNV showed 21 of 23 (91%) shrimp survived 19 days after exposure to WSSV. Ten of these surviving shrimp were re-exposed to WSSV-infected tissue, and six were still alive after 3 weeks. The third challenge study showed that 28% of the IHHNV pre-infected P. stylirostris survived 22 days after exposure to WSSV. In situ hybridization analysis in all the challenge studies confirmed that the surviving shrimp were strongly infected with IHHNV and had, at most, only low levels of WSSV infection. Laboratory WSSV challenges showed that there were no survivals in either IHHNV pre-infected Penaeus vannamei or in IHHNV-resistant P. stylirostris (SuperShrimp™). In conclusion, juvenile P. stylirostris that are highly infected with IHHNV show resistance to WSSV infection.
Effect of neonatal catecholamine administration on later behaviour in rats.

Neonatal rats were chronically given (days 2–10) injections of 3 catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) and simultaneously exposed to a post-injection treatment of mechanical rotation or hypothermia. Later behavioral testing indicated a consistent deficit in learning scores for the amine subjects and differential effects for both the environmental treatments and the amines in terms of activity scores.
Using temporal correlation for fault localization in dynamically changing networks

A mobile ad hoc network creates a dynamic environment where node mobility can cause periodic changes in routes. Most existing fault localization algorithms assume availability of a complete and/or deterministic dependency model. Such assumptions cannot be made in the dynamically changing networks. This paper is aimed at developing a fault diagnosis architecture and algorithm to address the issue of dynamically changing dependencies in networks. We propose an architecture to capture the changes in dependencies and introduce a temporal correlation algorithm to perform fault diagnosis with the dynamically changing dependency information. We present an experimental evaluation of our work through simulation results using Qualnet.
Six Community College Presidents: Organizational Pressures, Change Processes and Approaches to Leadership

A total of six Maryland community college presidents were guided through conversations to identify the organizational challenges and uncertainties that have forced organizational changes in their respective colleges. Another thrust of the research was to discover what organizational change processes these presidents have implemented to overcome the challenges and to describe what leadership approaches they have used to lead change. Seven challenges, two general change process categories consisting of 12 different steps, and three leadership approaches emerged using a qualitative ethnomethodological research technique. The presidents' definitions of leadership and its essence, along with their leadership development experiences, are also presented.
Growth of β-amyloid(1-40) protofibrils by monomer elongation and lateral association. Characterization of distinct products by light scattering and atomic force microscopy

Amyloid plaques in brain tissue are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Primary components of these plaques are 40- and 42-residue peptides, denoted Aβ(1−40) and Aβ(1−42), that are derived by proteolysis of cellular amyloid precursor protein. Synthetic Aβ(1−40) and Aβ(1−42) form amyloid fibrils in vitro that share many features with the amyloid in plaques. Soluble intermediates in Aβ fibrillogenesis, termed protofibrils, have been identified previously, and here we describe the in vitro formation and isolation of Aβ(1−40) protofibrils by size exclusion chromatography. In some experiments, the Aβ(1−40) was radiomethylated to better quantify various Aβ species. Mechanistic studies clarified two separate modes of protofibril growth, elongation by monomer deposition and protofibril−protofibril association, that could be resolved by varying the NaCl concentration. Small isolated protofibrils in dilute Tris-HCl buffers were directed along the elongation pathway by addition of Aβ(1−40) monomer or along the associ...
Experimental studies of ploidy evolution in yeast

Variation in the prominence of haploidy and diploidy is a striking feature of eukaryote life cycles that has not been explained from an evolutionary point of view. The ease with which ploidy and other variables of population genetics may be manipulated in yeast make Saccharomyces cerevisiae an excellent subject for experiments on the fitness effects of ploidy. Several hypotheses have been advanced to explain the emphasis on diploidy in plants and animals, and yeast experiments have been particularly informative for a few. Evidence suggests that diploids may enjoy an immediate advantage over haploids in masking harmful mutations, avoiding the fitness cost such mutations impose on haploids. A convincing longer-term advantage for diploidy has proven elusive, and different evolutionary explanations for the origin and for the subsequent maintenance of diploidy may be required.
Is Money More Productive in a Developing Economy

This paper tests the frequently cited hypothesis that money is more productive in a developing economy relative to a developed economy. Output elasticity of money is estimated for 20 countries over the 1977–92 sample period. These countries represent various stages of economic development. Two important conclusions can be derived from the results. First, irrespective of the monetary aggregate employed, the output elasticity of money is extremely low for all 20 countries. Second, the elasticity figure is sensitive neither to the stage of economic development in a particular country nor the period of time under consideration. Consequently, it can be argued that money does not play a more productive role in a developing economy relative to a developed economy.
A novel power allocation technique for 4G cellular networks

In this paper, we investigate the problem of power optimization at base stations in 4G networks based on the available instantaneous channel state information. We focus on minimizing the power consumed at the base station end, whereas much of the power optimization-related work in the literature today is targeted at the mobile end. Further, a common feature of most existing base station adaptation algorithms is that they are for peak traffic scenarios. In contrast, our algorithm is for off-peak hours such as nights and weekends and we try to minimize power consumption during those times. We first present a simple and tractable formulation for base station power optimization based on 4G specifications. The novel formulation is based on heuristically partitioning the problem into three steps, each of which has a tractable and practical solution. Our simulations show that the proposed technique can achieve up to 20% reduction in power consumption over the baseline scheme. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is compatible with 4G standards.
Do Parents’ Academic Gender Stereotypes Influence Whether They Intrude on their Children’s Homework?

In this study, we explored the possibility that when parents endorse particular academic gender stereotypes (e.g., boys are better at math, girls are better at English) they are more likely to engage in uninvited intrusions with homework, intrusions which then undermine children’s confidence in these domains. Participants included 38 fifth to eighth grade students (mean age = 12.16 years, 60% girls, 87% White) and their mothers and fathers. The findings indicated that even though boys received more parental intrusive support with homework, girls were more sensitive to these intrusions, specifically when they involved math. Parents’ intrusive support mediated the relationship between parents’ math-related gender stereotypes and girls’ math ability perceptions, which suggests that these behaviors communicate to girls their parents’ math stereotype beliefs.
International Status of Thermal Error Research (1990)

Summary This paper is the result of a cooperative effort of STC “M” and STC ‘Q’ to review the field of thermal error research since the previous keynote paper was delivered in Ann Arbor in 1967. In spite of some excellent research, not much has changed in industry. Computers, laser interferometers, diamond turning machines, and hi-speed, error corrected, CMM's have all been introduced in this period and close tolerance capability has improved, but thermal effects are still the largest single source of dimensional errors and apparent non-repeatability of equipment. Ignorance of the cost and nature of thermal errors continues to be the rule, but this era may now be ending. There seems to be a new sense of awareness of the problem, particularly among companies who are planning new facilities. There also seems to be a resurgence of interest in academic research
Comparative studies of hepatotoxicity and fumonisin B1 and B2 content of water and chloroform/methanol extracts of Fusarium moniliforme strain MRC 826 culture material.

Fusarium moniliforme has been associated with several diseases including equine leukoencephalomalacia, human esophageal cancer and hepatotoxicity/hepatocarcinogenicity in laboratory animals. The potential health risks to animals and humans posed by F. moniliforme contaminated grains cannot be assessed until the toxins are identified and toxicologically evaluated. As part of a systematic approach to identifying the hepatotoxins produced by F. moniliforme, diets containing aqueous and chloroform/methanol (1∶1) extracts of F. moniliforme strain MRC 826 culture material (CM) and/or the extracted CM residues were fed to male Sprague-Dawley rats for four weeks. Serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were increased after two and four weeks and microscopic liver lesions were found in those animals fed aqueous CM extract and the CM residue after chloroform/ methanol extraction. Fumonisins B1 and B2 were extracted from the CM by water, but not chloroform/ methanol, and were present in the toxic diets at concentrations of 93–139 and 82–147 ppm, respectively. Nontoxic diets contained ≤ 22 ppm fumonisin B1 and ≤65 ppm fumonisin B2.