cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High quality ZnO-TiO 2 core-shell nanowires for efficient ultraviolet sensing

Abstract High quality ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell nanowires (NWs) have been fabricated via a facile two-step method: growth of ZnO nanowires by hydrothermal synthesis and then coating of highly uniform TiO 2 shell using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The ultraviolet (UV) emission intensity of the ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell NWs is largely quenched due to an efficient electron–hole separation that reduces the band-to-band recombinations. To the contrary, the absorption of the ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell NWs in both UV and visible region is enhanced, which is attributed to the antireflection properties of the TiO 2 shell. An UV photodetector fabricated from the ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell NWs showed a maximum photoresponsivity as high as 495 A/W at 373 nm under −10 V, which is ∼8 times higher than that of the photodetector fabricated from bare ZnO NWs. In addition, the transient response of the ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell NWs is improved by 6 times as compared to that of the bare ZnO NWs. The results presented in this work suggest that ZnO–TiO 2 core–shell NWs may be promising for various optoelectronics applications including: UV photodetectors, optical switches, optical fibers and solar cells.
Growth-rate-dependent transcription initiation from the dam P2 promoter

Transcription of the dam gene in Escherichia coli is dependent on growth rate. Using single-copy promoter::lacZYA fusions we found that of the five promoter regions which affect dam expression, only the P2 promoter shows growth-rate dependence. The determinants for growth-rate control must lie in the region -52 to +27 relative to the transcription start point.
Hydrogen Ion (Proton) Conduction in Thoria‐Base Solid Electrolytes

The total conductivities of a series of electrolytes have been determined over a wide range of oxygen activity in atmospheres of mixtures. At 1200° and 1400°C and low oxygen activities, a significant conductivity contribution corresponding to hydrogen ion (proton) conduction was found for electrolytes with high dopant contents. The experiments are interpreted in terms of a defect model involving two dopants.
Transcript profiling of male-fertile and male-sterile sorghum indicates extensive alterations in gene expression during microgametogenesis

Male-sterile sorghum carrying the IS1112C cytoplasm represents an unusual example of aberrant microgametogenesis wherein microspores develop into inviable pollen that remain physically intact until anther exsertion. These inviable pollen grains do not deposit starch, yet fluoresce with the vital stain fluoroscein diacetate. We sought to elucidate the extent of differential gene expression in this subtle example of defective microgametogenesis through cDNA-AFLP transcript profiling of near-isogenic male-fertile and male-sterile plants at an early stage representing early-mid microspores to early pollen, 7–11 days prior to anthesis, and a late stage representing young to nearly mature pollen, spanning the terminal 96 h of pollen development. The transition from early to late stages is characterized by changes in abundance of nearly 33% of shared transcripts, and early- or late-specific expression of about 10% of transcripts. Male-sterile plants exhibit extensive changes in regulatory patterns characteristic of fertile plants, including premature expression of late-specific, and prolonged expression of early-specific, transcripts. Genome-wide transcriptome patterns indicate the expression of an estimated 12,000 genes in early-mid microspores, and the abundance of at least 15% of these transcripts is altered in male-sterile plants. A near-isogenic line restored to male fertility is characterized by apparent normalized expression of most of these transcripts. The development of the microgametophyte is thus characterized by dynamic programmed changes in gene expression, and the expression of male sterility compounds these changes in a complex manner.
Design and probing of efflux functions of EGFP fused ABC membrane transporters in live cells using fluorescence spectroscopy

We have designed and constructed fusion genes of C-terminal (Ct) or N-terminal (Nt) bmrA with EGFP vectors and successfully expressed them in ΔBmrA (BmrA deletion strain of Bacillus subtilis), generating two new strains of B. subtilis (Ct-BmrA-EGFP and Nt-BmrA-EGFP). The fusion genes were characterized using gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing. Their expression in live cells was determined by measuring the fluorescence of EGFP in single live cells using fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy. The efflux function of the new strains was studied by measuring their accumulation kinetics of intracellular Hoechst dye molecules (a pump substrate) using fluorescence spectroscopy, which were compared with wild-type (WT-BmrA) and ΔBmrA strains. Both new strains show lower accumulation rates than ΔBmrA, and their efflux kinetics are inhibited by a pump inhibitor (orthovanadate). The results suggest that both strains extrude the dye molecules and the fusion proteins retain the efflux function of BmrA (ATP-binding cassette, ABC, transporter). Notably, Nt-BmrA-EGFP strain shows lower accumulation rates (higher efflux rates) than Ct-BmrA-EGFP. Modeled structures of the fusion proteins illustrate a highly flexible linker region connecting EGFP with BmrA, suggesting a minimal obstruction of EGFP to the BmrA. A closer distance of two C termini (~14 A) than two N termini (47.9 A) of the "closed" BmrA dimer depicts the larger steric effect of C-terminal fusion. This study also shows that glucose affects the fluorescence study of efflux function of BmrA, suggesting that efflux kinetics of ABC membrane transporters in live cells must be characterized in the absence of glucose.
Numerical analysis of the radiated fields of circular pistons and time-delay spherically focused arrays

Radiated fields of a circular transducer and a time-delay spherically focused transducer array are analyzed and compared using classical impulse response method and finite element analysis. In the first approach, the velocity potential at an observation point is expressed as the convolution of the excitation velocity and the impulse response, while the pressure is obtained by the differentiation of the velocity potential. The impulse response for an array is expressed as the superposition of those of a series of circular pistons and is dependent on the observation point and piston/array structure. The finite element method starts with the formulation for elastic waves, and the pressure fields are obtained through the pressure analog method. No paraxial or farfield approximation is needed and excellent agreement is observed between results from the two methods.
A Real-Time Operating System for Robots

Controlling robots in dynamic environments poses several unique problems not found in other environments and disciplines. In this paper, we explore some of these problems and detail some of the computational characteristics of processes that are needed to control a robot in such an environment. Having defined these computational characteristics, we then discuss and analyze the system support that would be required in order to execute these processes. Finally we discuss the results obtained using a simulated environment.
Processing and Oxidation of Nitride Stabilized 18Cr−20Ni Stainless Steel

The present investigation explores the use of nitride precipitates for grain-size stabilization in a 18Cr-2ONi austenitic stainless steel for high temperature applications in oxidizing atmospheres. The potential for reductions in alloying contents of such steels has become a focus of research out of concern for the conservation of strategic alloying elements such as Cr. In order for the alloy to maintain superior oxidation resistance, it must sustain a fine grain size by virtue of effective grain boundary pinning by stable precipitates. Al and Ti microalloyed 18Cr-20Ni steels have been nitrided using rapid solidification processing (spray forming) and subjected to thermomechanical treatments to precipitate nitrides from the supersaturated solid solutions. The spray formed deposits were cold rolled to increase the density of dislocations, which act as sites for nucleation of nitride precipitates. The alloys were then annealed to nucleate and grow the precipitates, followed by cold rolling and recrystallization to generate a stable, fine grained microstructure. The Ti-microalloyed steel demonstrated high-temperature grain size stability by maintaining a grain size of≈7μm after 600h at 1000°C. The Ti-microalloyed steel has been subjected to isothermal oxidation in air at 900°C. The results of preliminary oxidation experiments are reported. The spray deposited and thermomechanically processed alloy demonstrated high-temperature oxidation behavior superior to conventionally processed (hot rolled and annealed) alloys.
An improved energy generator for the study of reactions of thermal-energy electrons with organic compounds

The products resulting from the reaction between thermal energy electrons and organic compounds have been investigated to further our knowledge of the mode of action of the electron-capture detector. Thermal energy electrons were generated by maintaining a corona discharge between a stainless steel cathode and a silver/silver chloride anode. The effects of electrode geometry, gas composition, gas flow rate, and the physical properties of the test substances were investigated. The design of the reactor was modified to minimize losses of unchanged substrate. Reaction products of benzaldehyde, tolualdehydes, chlorobenzaldehydes, and dichlorobenzenes were identified by combined gas chromatography — mass spectrometry.
Segmented k-space fast cardiac imaging using an echo-train readout.

A segmented k-space fast gradient-echo pulse sequence with an echo-train readout (FGRE-ET) was developed for high-quality cine imaging of the heart in reduced scan times. Using segmented FGRE-ET, cine images of the heart can be acquired in as few as 1-5 heart beats and do not display the geometric distortion and flow-related artifacts typically associated with cardiac echoplanar imaging (EPI). Segmented FGRE-ET was compared with conventional segmented FGRE and with conventional multi-phase EPI in normal volunteers. Segmented FGRE-ET was found to have reduced temporal blurring compared with segmented FGRE for cine imaging in 4 heart beats (P < 0.05). Also, segmented FGRE-ET did not display geometric distortion characteristic of conventional EPI (P < 0.05). Segmented FGRE-ET may be particularly applicable to functional cardiac stress testing because it allows versatile cine imaging in very short breath-holds.
Sustainable Network Advantages: A Game Theoretic Approach to Community-Based Health Care Coalitions

Health care organizations often enter into a cooperative arrangement to create safety-net programs and coordinate care. Maintaining effective cooperation in such alliances poses special problems that can be examined using network analysis and explained in game theory terms. A mental health coalition case study is presented using network analysis and game theory interpretations. Had a positive-sum game approach been applied to the coalition's initial design, its subsequent suboptimal performance might have been averted. The application of network analysis plus a game theoretic paradigm has significant implications for improving both the design and the coordination of such coalitions.
From Displacement to Reemployment: Job Acquisition in the Flexible Economy ☆ ☆☆ ★

Abstract This article examines the duration to reemployment after displacement. We use partial likelihood estimation of proportional hazard models to examine effects on the duration to reemployment. Using theCurrent Population Survey: Displaced Workers Survey(1992), we assess the relative utility of theories of reindustrialization and develop an alternative theory of hyperexploitability. In general, the analyses provide greater support for our hyperexploitability, rather than the reindustrialization, explanation for reemployment dynamics.
Uptake and retention of morpholinyl anthracyclines by adriamycin-sensitive and -resistant P388 cells.

3′-Deamino-3′-(4-morpholinyl)adriamycin (MRA) and 3′-deamino-3′(3-cyano-4-morpholinyl)adriamycin (MRA-CN) were compared with adriamycin (ADR) in ADR-sensitive (P388/S) and-resistant (P388/ADR) murine leukemia cell lines with respect to cytotoxicity and cellular accumulation. MRA is only two- to threefold more cytotoxic to P388/S in culture than ADR, whereas MRA-CN is 500-fold more cytotoxic than ADR to this cell line. Yet both MRA and MRA-CN retain their potency against P388/ADR in spite of a 150-fold decrease in potency for ADR. The observed noncross-resistance of both MRA and MRA-CN in P388/ADR correlates with their increased cellular uptake and retention relative to ADR and the inability of P388/ADR to exclude these analogs as readily as it does ADR. The decreased uptake of MRA and MRA-CN in P388/ADR relative to P388/S (1.5 to 2.0-fold), the increased efflux, and the ability of verapamil to enhance cellular uptake of these analogs in P388/ADR, as it does with ADR, all indicate that the mechanism of ADR-resistance effects ADR and the morpholino analogs in a similar manner but to far different extents. The potent cytotoxicity of MRA-CN appears to be related to strong cellular interactions of the drug with macromolecules that are characterized by its nonextraction from cells by chloroform: methanol or 10 M urea and may therefore represent covalent binding.
INACTIVATION OF SHEWANELLA PUTREFACIENS BY GAMMA IRRADIATION OF RED MEAT AND POULTRY

The resistance of Shewanella putrefaciens ATCC 8071, 8072, and 8073 to gamma radiation was determined in the presence and absence of air on mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM). The presence or absence of air (oxygen) did not significantly influence resistance to gamma radiation at 5C, and it was very sensitive with a D 10 value of 0.11 ± 0.002 kilogray (kGy) on MDCM. A high percentage of cells surviving irradiation were shown by impedance measurements to have suffered injury. The bacteria were significantly more resistant to gamma radiation at temperatures below the freezing point. At a dose of 0.8 kGy lowering the temperature of irradiation by 10 degrees increased the survival of this food spoilage organism by a 1.66 log 10 . The type of meat (hamburger, ground beef round, ground pork, and ground turkey breast) did not significantly alter resistance of S. putrefaciens to gamma radiation under identical conditions (D 10 value = 0.18 ± 0.01 kGy). The minimum radiation dose currently approved for poultry in the USA, 1.5 kGy, should eliminate S. putrefaciens from meats.
Callose is integral to the development of permanent tetrads in the liverwort Sphaerocarpos

A striking feature of the liverwort Sphaerocarpos is that pairs of male and female spores remain united in permanent tetrads. To identify the nature of this phenomenon and to test the hypothesis that callose is involved, we examined spore wall development in Sphaerocarpos miche lii, with emphasis on the appearance, location and fate of callose vis-a-vis construction of the sculptoderm. All stages of sporogenesis were examined using differential interference contrast optics, and aniline blue fluorescence to locate callose. For precise localization, specimens were immunogold labeled with anti-callose antibody and observed in the transmission electron microscope. Callose plays a role in Sphaerocarpos spore wall development not described in any other plant, including other liverworts. A massive callose matrix forms outside of the sculptured sporocyte plasmalemma that predicts spore wall ornamentation. Consequently, layers of exine form across adjacent spores uniting them. Spore wall development occurs entirely within the callose and involves the production of six layers of prolamellae that give rise to single or stacked tripartite lamellae (TPL). Between spores, an anastomosing network of exine layers forms in lieu of intersporal septum development. As sporopollenin assembles on TPL, callose progressively disappears from the inside outward leaving layers of sporopollenin impregnated exine, the sculptoderm, overlying a thick fibrillar intine. This developmental mechanism provides a direct pathway from callose deposition to sculptured exine that does not involve the intermediary primexine found in pollen wall development. The resulting tetrad, encased in a single wall, provides a simple model for development of permanent dyads and tetrads in the earliest fossil plants.
Did Paul Kammerer discover epigenetic inheritance? No and why not

In a recent article in this journal, Alexander Vargas presents a new, epigenetic explanation of Paul Kammerer's controversial midwife toad experiments, but he has constructed his model without first reading Kammerer's original articles. A look at the articles shows that Vargas is seriously misinformed about what Kammerer did and what the results even were. His model simply cannot explain the results as they were originally reported and it cannot easily be corrected. Similarly, Vargas' historical inferences about the Kammerer affair, Kammerer's priority for the discovery of parent-of-origin effects, and the negative reactions of geneticists to this purported discovery, are unsupported and do not stand up to scrutiny.
Early Childhood Education and Care in the United States: An Overview of the Current Policy Picture

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the US includes a wide range of part-day, full-school-day, and full-work-day programs, under educational, social welfare, and commercial auspices, funded and delivered in a variety of ways in both the public and the private sectors, designed sometimes with an emphasis on the “care” component of ECEC and at other times with stress on “education” or with equal attention to both. Although ECEC scholars and advocates are increasingly convinced of the need to integrate all these program types, categorical funding coupled with diverse societal values continue to support the differences. The result is a fragmented ECEC system, of wide-ranging quality and with skewed access, but with some movement in recent years toward the integration of early childhood education and care.
Accuracy vs. efficiency trade-offs in probabilistic diagnosis

This paper studies the accuracy/efficiency trade-off in probabilistic diagnosis formulated as finding the most-likely explanation (MPE) in a Bayesian network. Our work is motivated by a practical problem of efficient real-time fault diagnosis in computer networks using test transactions, or probes, sent through the network. The key efficiency issues include both the cost of probing (e.g., the number of probes), and the computational complexity of diagnosis, while the diagnostic accuracy is crucial for maintaining high levels of network performance. Herein, we derive a lower bound on the diagnostic accuracy that provides necessary conditions for the number of probes needed to achieve an asymptotically error-free diagnosis as the network size increases, given prior fault probabilities and a certain level of noise in probe outcomes. Since the exact MPE diagnosis is generally intractable in large networks, we investigate next the accuracy/efficiency trade-offs for very simple and efficient local approximation techniques, based on variable-elimination (the mini-bucket scheme). Our empirical studies show that these approximations "degrade gracefully" with noise and often yield an optimal solution when noise is low enough, and our initial theoretical analysis explains this behavior for the simplest (greedy) approximation. These encouraging results suggest the applicability of such approximations to certain almost-deterministic diagnostic problems that often arise in practical applications.
Behavioral Interventions and Fibromyalgia

Objective: To provide a concise overview of behavioral interventions and fibromyalgia. Findings: This review describes behavioral theory, behavioral treatment interventions, applications of these behavioral techniques to the fibromyalgia population, and directions for future research. Conclusions: Behavioral theory can be used to understand some of the patterns associated with pain. Behavioral treatment suggestions and cognitive behavioral treatment programs provide options for improving the quality of life associated with fibromyalgia. Preliminary data from one treatment intervention study is presented. Future directions for research are addressed.
Estimating the Evaporative Cooling Bias of an Airborne Reverse Flow Thermometer

Abstract Airborne reverse flow immersion thermometers were designed to prevent sensor wetting in cloud. Yet there is strong evidence that some wetting does occur and therefore also sensor evaporative cooling as the aircraft exits a cloud. Numerous penetrations of cumulus clouds in a broad range of environmental and cloud conditions are used to estimate the resulting negative temperature bias. This cloud exit “cold spike” can be found in all cumulus clouds, even at subfreezing temperatures, both in continental and maritime cumuli. The magnitude of the spike correlates most strongly with the dryness of the ambient air. A temperature correction based on this relationship is proposed. More important than the cloud exit cold spike, from a cumulus dynamics perspective, is the negative bias within cloud. Such bias is expected, due to evaporative cooling as well. Evaporation from the wetted sensor in cloud is surmised because air decelerates into the thermometer housing, and thus is heated and becomes subsaturate...
Impact of intraocular pressure on changes of blood flow in the retina, choroid, and optic nerve head in rats investigated by optical microangiography

In this paper, we demonstrate the use of optical coherence tomography/optical microangiography (OCT/OMAG) to image and measure the effects of acute intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation on retinal, choroidal and optic nerve head (ONH) perfusion in the rat eye. In the experiments, IOP was elevated from 10 to 100 mmHg in 10 mmHg increments. At each IOP level, three-dimensional data volumes were captured using an ultrahigh sensitive (UHS) OMAG scanning protocol for 3D volumetric perfusion imaging, followed by repeated B-scans for Doppler OMAG analysis to determine blood flow velocity. Velocity and vessel diameter measurements were used to calculate blood flow in selected retinal blood vessels. Choroidal perfusion was calculated by determining the peripapillary choroidal filling at each pressure level and calculating this as a percentage of area filling at baseline (10 mmHg). ONH blood perfusion was calculated as the percentage of blood flow area over a segmented ONH area to a depth 150 microns posterior to the choroidal opening. We show that volumetric blood flow reconstructions revealed detailed 3D maps, to the capillary level, of the retinal, choroidal and ONH microvasculature, revealing retinal arterioles, capillaries and veins, the choroidal opening and a consistent presence of the central retinal artery inferior to the ONH. While OCT structural images revealed a reversible compression of the ONH and vasculature with elevated IOP, OMAG successfully documented changes in retinal, choroidal and ONH blood perfusion and allowed quantitative measurements of these changes. Starting from 30 mm Hg, retinal blood flow (RBF) diminished linearly with increasing IOP and was nearly extinguished at 100 mm Hg, with full recovery after return of IOP to baseline. Choroidal filling was unaffected until IOP reached 60 mmHg, then decreased to 20% of baseline at IOP 100 mmHg, and normalized when IOP returned to baseline. A reduction in ONH blood perfusion at higher IOP’s was also observed, but shadow from overlying retinal vessels at lower IOP’s limited precise measurements of changes in ONH capillary perfusion compared to baseline. Therefore, OCT/OMAG can be a useful tool to image and measure blood flow in the retina, choroidal and ONH of the rat eye as well as document the effects of elevated IOP on blood flow in these vascular beds.
In Search of Normal Controls: A Methodological Complication When Conducting Adolescent Opiate Dependence Research

The objective of this study was to describe the complexities surrounding the selection of an appropriate comparative control group for research with opiate dependent adolescents and young adults.
Hypercoagulability : introduction and perspective

Although it may be impossible to distinguish reliably between normo- and hypercoagulable individuals on the basis of results from single assays of so-called baseline or resting levels of proteins or activities in blood, it might be feasible to do so by measuring the increases in the levels or activities in response to some kind of vascular stress, such as stasis or adequately reproducible vascular injury
A framework for Visually Interactive Decision-making and Design using Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization (VIDEO)

This study presents a framework for Visually Interactive Decision-making and Design using Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization (VIDEO). The VIDEO framework allows users to visually navigate large multi-objective solution sets while aiding decision makers in identifying one or more optimal designs. Specifically, the interactive visualization framework is intended to provide an innovative exploration tool for high-order Pareto-optimal solution sets (i.e., solution sets for three or more objectives). The framework is demonstrated for a long-term groundwater monitoring (LTM) application in which users can explore and visualize tradeoffs for up to four design objectives, simultaneously. Interactive functionality within the framework allows the user to select solutions within the objective space and visualize the corresponding monitoring plan's performance in the design space. This functionality provides the user with a holistic picture of the information provided by a particular solution, ultimately allowing them to make a more informed decision. In addition, the ease with which the framework allows users to navigate and compare solutions as well as design tradeoffs leads to a time efficient analysis, even when there are thousands of potential solutions.
Adsorbate bonding and the selection of partial and total oxidation pathways

Abstract The oxidation reaction of ethane has been studied on a series of well-characterized samples of vanadium oxide supported on silica. At low concentrations the vanadium species are isolated vanadyl groups, while at high concentrations they form small V 2 O 5 crystallites. Oxygen chemisorption is used to measure the number of surface vanadium atoms on both types of species. At low conversions the oxidation of ethane is selective, producing mostly ethylene and acetaldehyde via structure-insensitive reactions. Intermediates for these are probably bonded to vanadium through an oxygen atom. In contrast the CO x reaction is structure-sensitive, and probably involves intermediates bonded directly to vanadium.
Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) provides biochemical and structural information for budding yeast proteins

The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD: http:// genome-www.stanford.edu/Saccharomyces/) has recently developed new resources to provide more complete information about proteins from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The PDB Homologs page provides structural information from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) about yeast proteins and/or their homologs. SGD has also created a resource that utilizes the eMOTIF database for motif information about a given protein. A third new resource is the Protein Information page, which contains protein physical and chemical properties, such as molecular weight and hydropathicity scores, predicted from the translated ORF sequence.
Monotone clones, residual smallness and congruence distributivity

Corresponding to each ordered set there is a variety, determined up to equivalence, generated by an algebra whose term operations are all the monotone operations on the ordered set. We produce several characterisations of the finite bounded ordered sets for which the corresponding variety is congruence-distributive. In particular, we find that congruence-distributivity, congruence-modularity, and residual smallness are equivalent for these varieties.
Purification and preliminary crystallographic studies of penicillin G acylase from Providencia rettgeri

Two isoforms of the heterodimeric enzyme penicillin G acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) from Providencia rettgeri ATCC 31052 (strain Bro1) were purified to near homogeneity. The isoforms exhibited comparable enzymatic activities but differed slightly in the molecular weight and pI of their respective alpha-subunit. The origin of this difference was traced to the partial conversion of the N-terminal Gln of the alpha-subunit to pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid (pyro-Glu). The boundaries of the mature enzyme within the translated DNA sequence of the wild-type propeptide (GenBank M86533) were determined. The results conclusively identified the length of the signal peptide and the position of the spacer cleaved from the propeptide to form the active heterodimer. The molecular weights of the alpha- and beta-subunits, based on these termini, were 23.7 and 62.2 kDa, respectively. Both isoforms were crystallized independently as hexagonal bipyramids up to 0.60 mm in diameter in either space group P6(1)22 or P6(5)22 (a = b = 140.5 A and c = 209.5 A) from ammonium sulfate solutions buffered by 50 mM potassium phosphate at pH 7.5. The presence of glycerol, although not required, facilitated crystal growth. Native and heavy atom derivative data were collected to 3.0 A resolution, and the calculation of isomorphous replacement phases is under way.
Approaching the capacity of the AWGN channel with coset codes and multilevel coset codes

The capacity of an AWGN channel may be approached arbitrarily closely by structured coset codes or multilevel coset codes with multistage decoding.
Surveillance to detect chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer in Wisconsin.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease affecting North American cervids, has been discovered in at least 12 states and provinces throughout the continent. Since 2002, a number of states and provinces have initiated surveillance programs to detect CWD in native cervid populations. However, many questions remain about the appropriate methods, geographic scope, and number of samples required for an effective CWD surveillance program. We provide an improved statistical method to calculate the probability of detecting CWD in primary sample units (e.g., county or deer management unit) that also considers deer abundance and the nonrandom distribution of CWD and hunter harvests. We used this method to analyze data from a statewide CWD detection program conducted in Wisconsin during the autumns of 2002 and 2003 to determine the distribution of CWD in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Deer heads were collected at hunter registration stations, and brainstem (obex) and retropharyngeal lymph nodes we...
Basal norepinephrine overflow into the renal vein: effect of renal nerve stimulation.

In order to determine whether the fraction of norepinephrine released from the renal nerves that escapes into the circulation can be used an an index of renal sympathetic nervous activity, arterial and renal vein plasma norepinephrine concentrations were measured by a radioenzymatic technique along with renal blood flow in anesthetized dogs under control conditions and during electrical renal nerve stimulation. In 25 animais studied under conditions of normal sodium balance, plasma norepinephrine in the renal vein, 198 ± 26 pg/ml, was significantly higher than in arterial blood, 102 ± 10 pg/ml (P < 0.001). In five dogs, electrical stimulation of the renal nerves (12 V, 3 ms) at frequencies of 0.5, 2,6, 12, and 18 Hz for 1 min was associated with increased norepinephrine concentration in renal venous plasma and an increase in the calculated renal norepinephrine overflow. There was a significant linear relationship between the frequency of stimulation and norepinephrine overflow into the renal vein in each ...
Engaging graduate students through online lecture creation

We propose a new active learning activity called “slecture” (a contraction of the words “student” and “lecture”). In this activity, students create online lectures based on the in-class lectures of their course instructor, and post these online lectures on a publicly accessible website. As an experiment, slectures were integrated into the mandatory assignments of a large engineering graduate course with a diverse student population. In our implementation, the students were free to pick the topic (from a list provided by the instructor), medium, and language of instruction. The students' slectures were peer-reviewed at the end of the semester, and full credit was given for timely completion of the assignment. In a semester-end survey, students indicated that they learned more from making a slecture than from the other active learning techniques employed throughout the course. Furthermore, nearly 60% of the students rated the learning value of making a slecture at least as high as that of attending the lectures. The high level of enthusiasm for the slecture creation, especially among students who rated the learning value of the classroom lectures lower than the rest of the class, suggests that this activity may be a good way to engage students and stimulate learning.
Oxalate and glycolate synthesis by hemic cells.

Abstract Oxalate and glycolate were synthesized from 14 C-glyoxylate by leukocytes, erythrocytes, and dialyzed hemolysate preparations. Oxalate decarboxylase was used in a convenient and reliable assay of oxalate produced. Leukocytes were approximately 10 to 20 times as active in oxalate and glycolate synthesis, respectively, as erythrocytes. Data submitted to indicate that the erythrocytic enzyme system is lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) include nicotinamide, adenine dinucleotide dependence, pH curve, simultaneous glycolate and oxalate synthesis, inhibition by oxalate and oxamate, and coincidence of isoenzyme activities for lactate and glyoxylate. Coincidence of glyoxylate and lactate oxidation by LDH isoenzymes was also shown in leukocyte preparations. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications of the coupling by LDH of glyoxylate oxidation to oxalate and its reduction to glycolate or the competitive reduction of another substrate. The implications for the development of a pharmacologic inhibitor of oxalate synthesis are also presented.
Pushing Emotional Buttons: Ethics and Affective Influence in Organizations

Integrating and extending existing theory and research on social influence-seeking, affect, and ethics, we develop a theoretical model that describes a number of factors, including considerations of morality, that influence: (1) the decision and behaviors by one party in an influence situation (the “agent”) to consciously manipulate the emotional experience or emotional perceptions of the other party (the “target”), and (2) the perceptions, judgments, and reactions of the target to the agent’s affective influence attempts. In this model we also consider several contextual factors that are likely to heighten the asymmetry between agents and targets’ perceptions of and ethical judgments about the affective influence tactics used. We specifically focus on three such factors: (1) formal organizational role relationships between target and agent, (2) the relative power of the agent and target, (3) the stakes or size of the influence outcome at hand. We identify aspects of the interpersonal influence process where ethical issues and risks may lie, particularly as they relate to affective influence, and we develop research propositions addressing how and when agents and targets of influence perceive those issues.
Tutorial examples for uncertainty quantification methods.

This report details the work accomplished during my 2015 SULI summer internship at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA. During this internship, I worked on multiple tasks with the common goal of making uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods more accessible to the general scientific community. As part of my work, I created a comprehensive numerical integration example to incorporate into the user manual of a UQ software package. Further, I developed examples involving heat transfer through a window to incorporate into tutorial lectures that serve as an introduction to UQ methods.
Annealing Studies of B2 FeAl

Rods of five FeAl alloys whose compositions span the B2 phase field (34–51 at. % Al) were produced by multiple hot extrusions of ingots. Samples of each alloy were annealed in air at 1173K and 1473K in order to study the effect of alloy composition on both the grain growth kinetics and on the rate of oxidation. Little oxidation occurred at 1173K but at 1473K the oxidation rate was found to decrease with increasing aluminum concentration. The predominant oxide was found to be α-A1 2 O 3 . The grain size was found to increase rapidly during the first hour of annealing at both temperatures after which it increased more slowly. The grain growth rate was found to decrease with increasing aluminum content. Hardness measurements were made on both as-extruded and annealed samples of FeAl. Hardness increased with increasing aluminum content. The hardness was higher in annealed and air-cooled samples due to vacancy retention. Compression tests of air-cooled, annealed samples also showed higher yield strengths than as-extruded samples. Yield strength and strain hardening rate were found to increase and the ductility was found to decrease with increasing aluminum content.
A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials comparing early versus interval appendectomy for children with perforated appendicitis

Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis on RCTs that compared outcomes in children with perforated appendicitis (PA) who underwent either early appendectomy (EA) or interval appendectomy (IA). We also sought to determine if the presence of an intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) at admission impacted treatment strategy and outcomes. We identified two RCTs comparing EA versus IA in children with PA. A meta-analysis was performed using regression models and the overall adverse event rate was analyzed. The treatment effect variation depending on the presence of IAA at admission was also evaluated. EA significantly reduced the odds of an adverse event (OR 0.28, 95 % CI 0.1–0.77) and an unplanned readmission (OR 0.08, 95 % CI 0.01–0.67), as well as the total charges (79 % of the IA, 95 % CI 63–100) for those who did not have an IAA at admission. In children with an IAA, there was no difference between EA and IA. However, heterogeneity of treatment effect was present regarding IAA at presentation. While EA appears to improve outcomes in patients without an abscess, the published data support no significant difference in outcomes between EA and IA in patients with an abscess.
Chaperonin TRiC/CCT Recognizes Fusion Oncoprotein AML1-ETO through Subunit-Specific Interactions

AML1-ETO is the translational product of a chimeric gene created by the stable chromosome translocation t (8;21)(q22;q22). It causes acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by dysregulating the expression of genes critical for myeloid cell development and differentiation and recently has been reported to bind multiple subunits of the mammalian cytosolic chaperonin TRiC (or CCT), primarily through its DNA binding domain (AML1-175). Through these interactions, TRiC plays an important role in the synthesis, folding, and activity of AML1-ETO. Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, we demonstrate here that a folding intermediate of AML1-ETO's DNA-binding domain (AML1-175) forms a stable complex with apo-TRiC. Our structure reveals that AML1-175 associates directly with a specific subset of TRiC subunits in the open conformation.
Fast, radiation hard, direct detection CMOS imagers for high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy

This work presents the development of radiation-hard CMOS monolithic pixel sensors as direct electron detectors for high resolution, fast dynamic imaging in Transmission Electron Microscopy. The R&D path from small scale prototypes to megapixel, reticle size sensors manufactured in 0.35 and 0.18 µm commercial CMOS processes is briefly reviewed. Design challenges and solutions are highlighted, with reporting on the achieved imaging performance and radiation hardness of sensors that can ultimately achieve readout rates as high as 6.4 gigapixels/s. Further, we will report on the latest search for an improved pixel architecture and layout, and introduce the evaluation of a first prototype sensor manufactured in a 65 nm CMOS process.
Abstract 5067: Preadipocyte exosomes promote early stage breast cancer formation by enhancing cancer stem cell renewal signaling

The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in regulating breast cancer progression. Adipocytes differentiate from preadipocytes, which possess mesenchymal stem cell properties. Preadipocytes and adipocytes are essential components of the tumor microenvironment, and signaling between preadipocytes and breast cancer cells has been found to promote breast tumor formation and metastasis. Exosomes secreted from preadipocytes are also important components of the cancer stem cell niche. The primary goal of our studies is to examine how preadipocyte-derived exosomes can regulate early-stage breast cancer formation via regulating stem cell renewal. We use human and mouse preadipocytes and early-stage breast cancer cells (ductal carcinoma in situ, DCIS), as well as xenografts in immunodeficient mice to determine the role of preadipocyte secreted exosomes in DCIS stem cell behavior and tumor formation. By using protein arrays, we reveal CD81 and FLOT-1 as key exosomal protein markers and SOX2 and SOX9 as exosomal secretion of stem cell renewal regulators. We identify a key miR-140/SOX2/SOX9 axis that regulates differentiation, stemness, and migration in the tumor microenvironment. Next, we find that the natural antitumor compound shikonin can suppress preadipocyte signaling, inhibiting nearby DCIS cells. Through co-culture experiments we show that shikonin treated preadipocytes secrete exosomes containing high levels of miR-140 that can impact nearby DCIS cells through targeting SOX9 signaling. We demonstrate that preadipocyte-derived exosomes promote tumorigenesis in vivo, providing strong support for the importance of exosomal signaling in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, our data also show that targeting the tumor microenvironment may assist in blocking tumor formation. Citation Format: Benjamin Wolfson, Ramkishore Gernapudi, Nadire Duru, Qun Zhou. Preadipocyte exosomes promote early stage breast cancer formation by enhancing cancer stem cell renewal signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5067. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5067
Sulfonylurea receptor–associated channels Involvement in disease and therapeutic implications

The sulfonylurea receptors (SURs) 1 (SUR1) and 2 (SUR2) are members of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette transporters superfamily. Unlike other members of this superfamily, these receptors are not involved in transport but associate with pore-forming subunits to form cation channels. Both SUR1 and SUR2 associate with inward rectifying potassium (K+) (Kir) channels (Kir6) subunits to form functional ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP).1 These channels are molecular sensors that provide a link between cellular energy state and electrical excitability; they are tonically inhibited by ATP, and their activation in the setting of energy failure results in cell hyperpolarization and vasodilation, leading to cell-protective effects. SUR1 also associates with the pore-forming subunit of the calcium (Ca2+) activated transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) channel.2 In contrast to KATP channels, the SUR1-regulated TRMP4 channels are nonselective monovalent cation channels that trigger depolarization and cerebral vasoconstriction. Upregulation of SUR1-TRPM4 channels in conditions such as cerebral ischemia may result in necrotic cell death, affecting the neurovascular unit and promoting cerebral edema. Whereas in normal conditions KATP channels exert neuroprotective effects, in pathologic conditions their excessive activation may also be deleterious. The presence of regulatory SUR subunits renders KATP and TRPM4 channels sensitive to inhibition by sulfonylureas such as glibenclamide (glyburide). Preclinical evidence from experimental models and early clinical trials indicate that this drug may be of therapeutic benefit in conditions such as that described in this representative case.3,4
Dynamical Approach to the Zeta Function

The definition ( 2.23) of Selberg’s zeta function as a product over the length spectrum was in some sense very convenient, because of the link between conjugacy classes of Γ and closed geodesics furnished by Proposition 2.25. On the other hand, existence of a meromorphic continuation was far from obvious and controlling the growth of the zeta function was quite difficult (see the proof of Theorem 10.1). There is an alternative framework for zeta functions which is much more general than Selberg’s original definition, and basic properties such as meromorphic continuation are much easier to prove from this point of view. The essential idea is to associate the zeta function to the dynamics of the geodesic flow on the surface (rather than to the geometry of the surface). This viewpoint leads to a definition which can be applied to any dynamical system under certain conditions on the flow. The main drawback to this approach, in the context of hyperbolic surfaces, is the fact that these methods do not apply when the surface has cusps because of the non-compactness of the convex core. In this section we restrict our attention to geometrically finite hyperbolic surfaces without cusps (convex cocompact Fuchsian groups).
Violence and touch deprivation in adolescents.

The increasing incidence of violence among children and adolescents highlights the importance of identifying at-risk profiles as well as assessing interventions for preventing violence. Empirical research has suggested behavioral, central nervous system, and neurotransmitter/neurohormone dysregulation in violent individuals, including (1) an underaroused central nervous system characterized by right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) hypoactivation, and (2) a neurotransmitter/neurohormone profile of lower norepinephrine, serotonin, and cortisol, and elevated dopamine and testosterone. The literature also suggests a disproportionate incidence of physical abuse and neglect or the lack of positive physical contact in violent individuals. In the studies we have conducted to date, there has been a relatively high incidence of anger and aggression in high school samples, even those that were relatively advantaged, as well as high levels of depression (one standard deviation above the mean), suggesting significant disturbance in these youth. Adolescents with these profiles also had less optimal relationships with their families, used illicit drugs more frequently, had inferior academic performance, and had higher depression scores. In our cross-cultural comparisons, preschoolers and adolescents were less physically affectionate and more aggressive in the United States versus France. Further, the U.S. youth received less physical affection as preschoolers, and as adolescents they engaged in more self-stimulating behaviors, perhaps to compensate for receiving less physical affection from their parents and peers. This supports the notion that less physical affection (or more physical neglect) can contribute to greater aggression. Massage therapy has been effective with violent adolescents, perhaps because the physical stimulation reduced their dopamine levels and increased their serotonin levels. Their aggressive behavior decreased and their empathetic behavior increased. These preliminary data need to be replicated in a larger sample with a more comprehensive set of measures in the context of identifying a diagnostic profile.