cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ocean One hands: An adaptive design for robust marine manipulation:

Underactuated, compliant, tendon-driven robotic hands are suited for deep-sea exploration. The robust Ocean One hand design utilizes elastic finger joints and a spring transmission to achieve a var...
Extracellular Tau Oligomers Induce Invasion of Endogenous Tau into the Somatodendritic Compartment and Axonal Transport Dysfunction.

Aggregates composed of the microtubule associated protein, tau, are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s tauopathies. Extracellular tau can induce the accumulation and aggregation of intracellular tau, and tau pathology can be transmitted along neural networks over time. There are six splice variants of central nervous system tau, and various oligomeric and fibrillar forms are associated with neurodegeneration in vivo. The particular extracellular forms of tau capable of transferring tau pathology from neuron to neuron remain ill defined, however, as do the consequences of intracellular tau aggregation on neuronal physiology. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of extracellular tau monomers, oligomers, and filaments comprising various tau isoforms on the behavior of cultured neurons. We found that 2N4R or 2N3R tau oligomers provoked aggregation of endogenous intracellular tau much more effectively than monomers or fibrils, or of oligomers made from other tau isoforms, and that a mixture of all six isoforms most potently provoked intracellular tau accumulation. These effects were associated with invasion of tau into the somatodendritic compartment. Finally, we observed that 2N4R oligomers perturbed fast axonal transport of membranous organelles along microtubules. Intracellular tau accumulation was often accompanied by increases in the run length, run time and instantaneous velocity of membranous cargo. This work indicates that extracellular tau oligomers can disrupt normal neuronal homeostasis by triggering axonal tau accumulation and loss of the polarized distribution of tau, and by impairing fast axonal transport.
Towards a Theory of Dynamic Consistency Relations

Abstract A family of systematic procedures is presented for the implementation of consistency (parity) relation type residual generators. The objective is to implement exact response specifications arising from structural or directional residual requirements. The analysis and design utilize the fault system matrix. Invariant zeros of the fault system play a crucial role in the implementation. Three implementation algorithms are introduced and applied to various situations. It is also shown that the classical Chow-Willsky scheme is a special case of the general methodology.
Spatial and Spatiotemporal Big Data Science

This chapter provides an overview of spatial and spatiotemporal big data science. This chapter starts with the unique characteristics of spatial and spatiotemporal data, and their statistical properties. Then, this chapter reviews recent computational techniques and tools in spatial and spatiotemporal data science, focusing on several major pattern families, including spatial and spatiotemporal outliers, spatial and spatiotemporal association and tele-connection, spatial and spatiotemporal prediction, partitioning and summarization, as well as hotspot and change detection.
S93 Review and update on intraoperative clinical neurophysiology

The last one to make it to the operating room (OR) after surgery and anesthesia, intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has now matured into a standard-of-care addition to most surgeries on parts of the central and peripheral nervous system that involve monitorable structures (such as sensory and motor pathways) and/or subject to elicitable responses (such as after-discharges or evoked potentials). Despite such maturation, many challenges remain, including full acceptance of necessity by the other main players in the OR, which can compromise the highly delicate anesthesia requirements of IONM that often run counter of other needs in the OR (such as light anesthesia and only certain agents to make sure cortical functions remain adequate to record evoked potentials or avoidance of full paralysis to allow sufficient muscle activity either for motor evoked potential monitoring or making motor nerve injury detectable by allowing meaningful EMG activity). In addition to discussing some of the main practical challenges IONM faces today, this review and update also aims to bring the audience up to speed regarding some of the newer techniques and protocols, as well as providing a practical overview of this rapidly growing and changing field with regards to the most important and currently approved methods.
Disability policies and practices in the rural United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) was a member of the European Union (EU) until July of 2016 when the citizens, by a majority, voted to leave the EU. At the time of this writing, the required referendums to move forward with the formal detachment have not yet been passed, and the economic, social, and political impact of that decision is yet to be realized. Thus, our discussion of vocational rehabilitation (VR) is based on the system in which the UK was part of the EU. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the VR policies and practices for people with disabilities who reside in the UK. A brief overview of the region is presented along with legislation concerning individuals with disabilities. Next, the status of people with disabilities including disability and geography is discussed followed by social attitudes toward people with disabilities. Third, barriers for people with disabilities including attitudinal, social, cultural, governmental, and familial barriers are discussed. Fourth, select government initiatives are presented. Finally, cross-cultural or international implications for collaboration are discussed.
Introduction to Flipped Learning

This chapter introduces flipped learning, a student-centric pedagogy in which lecture is moved to the online environment and class time is spent engaging in active learning experiences. Following a discussion of the definition and history of flipped learning, the chapter presents eight principles to follow when designing a flipped experience and provides guidance on selecting topics or class periods to flip. The potential advantages and disadvantages of flipped learning are discussed, the primary advantage being the potential to teach a broad range of learning goals that cannot be taught as effectively in a lecture-based course. The remaining chapters examine the research on flipped learning and explain how to create flipped experiences that capitalize on their benefits and mitigate their disadvantages.
(Dis)embodied Job Search Communication Training: Comparative critical ethnographic analysis of materiality and discourse during the unequal search for work:

Unemployment can be extremely challenging to manage. Depending on an individual’s social status, unemployment experiences can differ greatly. The longer people grapple with unemployment the more likely they are to seek help from unemployment support organizations. This study takes a comparative, critical ethnographic approach to the study of job search communication training at two separate unemployment support organizations considering intersections of social class and race. The analysis uses a communication lens in order to unpack communication expectations and assumptions embedded into the culture of unemployment support organizations that are tailored to different social class and racial groups. The findings reveal that the job search communication trainings are communicatively biased and divergent. Inequality molds and shapes the process of job search communication training and the progress of job searches. Working-class job seekers are required to communicatively assimilate during training while the...
Recent Advances in Ambient Intelligence and Context-Aware Computing

Mobility has become an omnipresent part of our modern IT society. Alongside the general taxonomy of mobile users, terminals, sessions, and services, there are also more specialized forms of mobility. Context-Awareness Supported Application Mobility (CASAM) or “Application Mobility” is one such form that is explored in this chapter. CASAM builds on the idea of using context to move an application between different devices during its execution in order to provide relevant information and/or services. The authors use a concept-driven approach to advance mobile systems research, integrating it with a more traditional user-centric method and a case study, further exploring the concept of CASAM. To empirically situate our design work they conducted an empirical study of a home care service group serving the Swedish municipality of Skelleftea, followed by an exercise in matching the properties of the CASAM concept in relation to problems within current workflow.
Probability Models and Clinical Medicine

The mathematical theories of probability start with an abstract “space” of “events.” The events in the space can be combined according to the rules of set theory.
Case studies in teaching and research mentorship for undergraduates in structural acoustics and vibration

A hybrid educational model that mixes classroom learning and individual mentoring is presented for junior and senior undergraduates interested in structural acoustics and vibration. In this activity, talented undergraduates take Duke’s first graduate level acoustics course and simultaneously take multiple semesters of independent study for academic credit. The independent studies are co-supervised by faculty members and graduate students. The student research projects are individualized and typically separate from ongoing graduate student research. This structure allows the undergraduate students to feel strong ownership, while giving graduate students teaching and mentoring experience, and providing faculty with a vehicle to explore new ideas. Projects typically have both analytical and experimental components that allow the students to develop their proficiency with visualization and computational tools while developing their physical insight. Several case studies are presented that show impressive resu...
Active Interrogation Probe Technologies

One key component of any active interrogation (AI) system that is not present in passive measurements is the source of probing radiation. This chapter introduces the physical principles of operation of linear accelerators, cyclotrons, and novel laser-driven sources, along with the review of radioisotope sources and the use of natural radiation for AI. Some of the critical parts of these technologies are discussed in more detail. In addition, the common characteristics of various probe technologies are provided.
Abstract 18820: Persistent Lower Extremity Ulcers: Not Just Skin Deep

A healthy 66-year-old woman presented for evaluation of non-healing lower extremity ulcers. Several years prior, she developed a small ulcer above her left lateral malleolus. Biopsy showed only chr...
Lymph-Circulating Tumor Cells show distinct properties to Blood-Circulating Tumor Cells and constitute extraordinary efficient metastatic precursors

The molecular properties of tumor cells as they exit the primary tumor into the afferent lymphatics en route to the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are not yet known. We developed an innovative technique that enables the collection of lymph and lymph-circulating tumor cells (LCTCs) en route to the SLN in immunocompetent animal model of breast cancer metastasis. We found that LCTCs and blood circulating tumor cells (BCTCs) as exited the primary tumor shared similar gene and protein expression profiles that were distinct from those of primary tumors and lymph node metastases (LNMs) despite their common parental cell origin. LCTCs but not BCTC exist in clusters, display a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype and cancer stem cell-like properties and constitute extraordinarily efficient metastatic precursors. These results demonstrate that tumor cell metastasizing through the lymphatic are different from those spread by the blood circulation. The contribution of these cells to overall peripheral blood CTC is important in cancer therapy. Whether these two types of cells occur in cancer patients remain to be determined.
30-P : IMPACT OF COLD/WARM ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION TIME ON DELAYED GRAFT FUNCTION AND EXPRESSION OF ALLOGRAFT INFLAMMATORY FACTOR-1 IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Aim Inflammatory responses fundamentally influence the short and long term performance of organ transplantation. We think inflammatory markers released from the donor organ during organ procurement may trigger the innate immunity, causing cytokine production and alloreactive response to the donor organ which may initiate allograft dysfunction. It has been shown that an extended cold ischemic time or warm ischemia time during organ transplantation has been associated with increased risk of graft failure. In addition, increased inflammatory markers such as allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1) has been demonstrated in association with a poor outcome of allograft transplantation. We hypothesize that cold/warm ischemia time may increase the release of AIF-1 from the donor organ during procurement, stimulating innate immune effector-cells, and the production of inflammatory cytokines which may influence allograft function, causing a delayed graft function (DGF) and rejection episodes. Methods In a preliminary study we assessed the impact of cold and warm ischemia time on the clinical outcomes in patients that had undergone renal allograft transplantation. In addition, expression levels of AIF-1 mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were examined in association with cold ischemia time and DGF. The results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA to establish the association with AIF-1 production. Results Cold ischemia time (CIT) ⩽10 hours had less impact on DGF as compared with CIT⩾ 20 hours. Impact of the CIT ⩽ 10 was a 3.5-fold increase in patients who achieved GFR value ⌈ sup ⌉ ⩾ ⌈ / sup ⌉ 55 within the first week after transplantation as compared to CIT ⩾ 20, p Conclusions Cold and warm ischemia/repefusin time inversely have impact on the outcome of allograft function. AIF-1 expression was increased with CIT ⩾ 20.
Modeling with Optimization and Simulation

Earlier chapters have already developed several examples demonstrating how an optimal property can characterize a computational study. For instance, optimization was used in the method of least squares in Sects. 3.1 and 3.2, the development of principal component analysis in Sect. 3.4, the examples and techniques in Chap. 4, and the design of radiotherapy treatments in Sect. 8.2. This chapter introduces two models associated with optimization and simulation, the latter of which is regularly employed within a search for optimality, see Sects. 4.3.1 (simulated annealing) and 4.3.2 (genetic algorithms) as examples. The first model of this chapter optimizes the selection of stocks for a portfolio, where stock prices are stochastic and simulated. The second model uses simulation to predict abrupt changes in a material property. We specifically study the Ising model to computationally illustrate magnetic phase transitions. Both models are famous and have had profound impacts.
The stories that make us spend (and save)

A Nobel laureate for his pioneering research on financial markets, Robert Shiller argues in his new book, Narrative Economics, that the stories people tell can affect or even cause major economic events and therefore merit more attention from economists.
Interfacial Potential Barrier Induced Constriction and Stepwise Transition of a Dynamic Arc Root

The current transition from metal to plasma (or vice versa) shows constriction of current density at arc root spot rather than uniform distribution. Possible causes for this phenomenon are the interfacial potential barrier which limits the marginal charge emission, and the effect of magnetic pinch. Experiment shows that the current density at arc root spot can be as high as 108 A/m2, which is orders of magnitude larger than that in arc column. Besides, the stepwise motion of the arc root along the electrode surface has also been observed. The mechanism of stepwise transition probably arises from the negative differential resistance across the sheath. For instance, the measured arc voltage for self-sustained discharge has a negative correction with the discharge current. This "volt-ampere characteristics" can help to deduce the relation between voltage drop (potential gap) and current density across the sheath. Thus, we propose a three-stage relation between current density and voltage drop across the sheath, corresponding to three types of electron emission: photo emission, field-dominant emission and the thermionic-field emission. In this work, an interfacial potential barrier as a function of local current density, derived from thermionic-field emission theory, is proposed to interpret the phenomenon of arc-electrode interaction, and its application on the simulation of arc dynamics inside a Jacob’s ladder well matches the experimental observation. This concept can be extended to solve the electrohydrodynamics of ion drive and applied in a broad range of engineering applications, from circuit breakers design at fault current to ion injector for plasma coating.
Effect of antigenic drift on influenza vaccine effectiveness in the United States - 2019-2020.

BACKGROUND At the start of the 2019-2020 influenza season, concern arose that circulating B/Victoria viruses of the globally emerging clade V1A.3 were antigenically drifted from the strain included in the vaccine. Intense B/Victoria activity was followed by circulation of genetically diverse A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, that were also antigenically drifted. We measured vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the United States against illness from these emerging viruses. METHODS We enrolled outpatients aged ≥6 months with acute respiratory illness at five sites. Respiratory specimens were tested for influenza by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Using the test-negative design, we determined influenza VE by virus sub-type/lineage and genetic subclades by comparing odds of vaccination in influenza cases versus test-negative controls. RESULTS Among 8,845 enrollees, 2,722 (31%) tested positive for influenza, including 1,209 (44%) for B/Victoria and 1,405 (51%) for A(H1N1)pdm09. Effectiveness against any influenza illness was 39% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32-44), 45% (95%CI: 37-52) against B/Victoria and 30% (95%CI: 21-39) against A(H1N1)pdm09 associated illness. Vaccination offered no protection against A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses with antigenically drifted clade 6B.1A 183P-5A+156K HA genes (VE 7%; 95%CI: -14 to 23%) which predominated after January. CONCLUSIONS Vaccination provided protection against influenza illness, mainly due to infections from B/Victoria viruses. Vaccine protection against illness from A(H1N1)pdm09 was lower than historically observed effectiveness of 40-60%, due to late-season vaccine mismatch following emergence of antigenically drifted viruses. The effect of drift on vaccine protection is not easy to predict and, even in drifted years, significant protection can be observed.
An 8.3% Efficiency 96–134 GHz CMOS Frequency Doubler Using Distributed Amplifier and Nonlinear Transmission Line

This paper presents a wideband (96–134GHz) frequency doubler with a distributed amplifier and a nonlinear transmission line. The proposed doubler achieves wide bandwidth thanks to the transmission line structure. The distributed amplifier not only boosts conversion gain by amplifying the second harmonic from the nonlinear transmission line, but also generates the second harmonic by itself. Optimizing the distributed amplifier gate voltage achieves the maximum conversion gain. The designed prototype is realized in standard 28-nm CMOS with core area of 0.72\times 0.27\ \text{mm}^{2}$ . It achieves 33% instantaneous 3-dB bandwidth of 96–134 GHz with measured peak conversion gain of −6.2 dB and conversion efficiency of 8.3% at output frequency of 118 GHz. It consumes 12 mW dc power from a 1-V power supply.
Unmixing multiple metamorphic muscovite age populations with powder X-ray diffraction and 40Ar/39Ar analysis

A combination of modal estimates from powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments and argon isotopic data shows that muscovite 40Ar/39Ar total gas age correlates with muscovite composition near the retrograde Bald Mountain shear zone (BMSZ) in Claremont, New Hampshire, and that the shear zone was active at ∼245 Ma. Petrologic study demonstrates that chemical disequilibrium is preserved in muscovite grains in these samples. The recognition of this preservation is critical to the interpretation of the 40Ar/39Ar step-heating experiments, which never produce age plateaus and yield spectra with steps that range in age by ∼20 Ma. Petrographic, compositional, and crystallographic data all indicate that the age spectra reflect dissolution of metastable Na-rich muscovite and precipitation of stable Na-poor muscovite associated with deformation in the BMSZ.Comparison of whole rock and muscovite concentrate XRD patterns from individual samples demonstrates that the mineral separation process can fractionate these muscovite populations. Therefore, four muscovite concentrates of varying magnetic susceptibility were prepared from a single hand sample, analyzed by XRD, and dated. These four splits define a mixing line that resolves end-member ages of 244.5 ± 4.2 Ma and 302.5 ± 12.5 Ma (1σ). Although the ages are imprecise, the petrologically supported conclusion that these schists preserve two discrete ages is distinct from an interpretation that the spectra reflect cooling through closure at ∼270 Ma, as might be concluded in the absence of petrologic characterization. The XRD results also demonstrate that, even well above anchizone conditions, petrologic information relevant to 40Ar/39Ar dating is observable in subtle variations in the crystallography of muscovite grains.
Does the First Amendment Protect Academic Freedom

Whatever the strength of the case for the AAUP’s or any other conception of academic freedom, it remains the case that academic freedom at public institutions can be granted or withheld at the discretion of their leadership, and the elected officials entitled to dictate policy at those institutions, unless academic freedom enjoys constitutional protection. The constitutional status of academic freedom, in turn, is a matter of some dispute. The Supreme Court has never issued a square holding on the question whether academic freedom is constitutionally protected. In its 2006 decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos., however, the Supreme Court held that a prosecutor’s expressions of doubts about the merits of a pending case were unprotected by the First Amendment because “his expressions were made pursuant to his duties . . . .” This holding has considerable import for academic freedom as a constitutional matter; if public employees lack First Amendment protection when they speak pursuant to their duties, it could well follow that academics at public institutions, to the extent they teach, research, publish, and speak as part of their duties, lack constitutional protection as well. Most legal scholars to address the implications of Garcetti for academic speech have opined that it should not be understood to limit the First Amendment rights of university faculty engaged in core academic functions such as teaching and scholarship. The federal appellate courts to consider the question have, for the most part, agreed. This article breaks with the scholarship to date and offers a different account of the relationship of the First Amendment to academic freedom. Part I explores the precedents and concludes that none support a doctrinal conception of academic freedom as a constitutional right of an individual scholar. Part II considers the normative case for a conception of academic freedom as a constitutional right of individual academics and finds it wanting. A First Amendment jurisprudence that would permit courts to override bona fide academic judgments made by universities to protect the “academic freedom” of individual teachers and scholars would be deeply problematic. Debates over the merits of pedagogy and scholarship, as long as they are fought on academic and pedagogical grounds, should occur within the university, not in the courts.
Depression and Anxiety: Considerations for Interpretation of the SNOT-22 (22-Item Sinonasal Outcome Test).

Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether depression and anxiety symptoms affect and confound scoring on the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), a commonly used outcome measure for chronic rhinosinusitis. Study design Prospective cross-sectional. Setting Tertiary care academic center. Methods 240 participants completed the SNOT-22, from which nasal, sleep, ear/facial pain, and emotional subdomain scores were calculated. They also completed the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) as a reflection of depression symptoms and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire as a reflection of anxiety symptoms. Correlations were calculated between the 4 SNOT-22 subdomains and the PHQ-8 and GAD-7. Additionally, the predictive ability of subdomains and individual items of the SNOT-22 to predict depression and anxiety was calculated. Results The SNOT-22 sleep and emotional subdomains most strongly correlated with the PHQ-8 and the GAD-7. The emotional and sleep subdomain scores were predictive of having depression or anxiety. An emotional subdomain score ≥4 had 62.5% sensitivity and 90.1% specificity for detecting depression and 78.8% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity for detecting anxiety. A sleep subdomain score ≥21 had 81.2% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity for detecting depression and 87.9% sensitivity and 68.6% specificity for detecting anxiety. The emotional subdomain item related to sadness and the sleep subdomain items related to functional impairment were most predictive of depression and anxiety. Conclusion The SNOT-22 emotional and sleep subdomain scores may be used to predict active depression and anxiety symptoms, especially when items related to sadness or functional impairment are scored with moderate burden.
Hunting Serial Predators : A Multivariate Classification Approach to Profiling Violent Behavior

The majority of the available published accounts of serial murderers are not in scholarly or technical publications. Even such few academic reviews as do exist typically commence with reference to fictional accounts so that the profile of a serial murderer is typically far from clear or precise.Hunting Serial Predators is unique in that each chapter, written in detail, explains how to research and interpret, psychologically, the crime scene actions of serial killers. The book provides the reader an empirical facet model of the crime scene actions of American serial murderers based on information available to a police inquiry; an overview of the related scientific knowledge, introducing a new method to classify the serial predator, and accounts of the process and difficulties of profiling the serial murderer.By presenting a classification model of serial murderers and their crime scene behaviors based on empirical and repeatable studies, this book makes significant advances in the areas of police investigations, etiology, and treatment possible.The empirical process used to analyze serial murderers' crime scene actions described in Hunting Serial Predators makes it possible to make logical decisions about how to detect, apprehend, and eventually access their dangerousness.
Effect of Surface Energy on Lubrication

As is well known, boundary lubricants are substances which are introduced between contacting solids in order to reduce the friction and wear during sliding.
Pancreatic enzyme and plasma cholesterol response to chronic ingestion of a nonabsorbable lipid in rats.

Pancreatic enzyme activity and plasma and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were measured in rats chronically fed a nonabsorbable lipid, sucrose polyester (SPE), to determine if the rat pancreas responds to SPE as a dietary lipid or a nonnutritive ingredient. Adult male rats were fed for 28 d a diet containing either 5% or 20% corn oil, 5% SPE, 16% and 4% hydrogenated palm oil (HPO), or 16 % corn oil and 4 % HPO. HPO is used to prevent anal leakage of unabsorbed oil when SPE is fed at high dietary levels. Since HPO and SPE are not absorbed, rats fed SPE derive their energy from protein and carbohydrate in the diet. The tissue levels of pancreatic enzymes in rats consuming high levels of SPE in the diet resemble those of rats eating a low fat diet in which energy is derived from carbohydrate and protein. Plasma and HDL cholesterol levels were lowest in the group consuming high levels of SPE, an observation that is consistent with previous reports. These data indicate that the pancreas responds to SPE as a nonnutritive ingredient rather than a digestible dietary lipid. J. Nutr. 116: 2372-2377, 1986.
Increased Incidence of Spinal Abscess and Substance Abuse after Implementation of State Mandated Prescription Drug Legislation.

Objectives To investigate the incidence of spinal abscess and substance abuse in a tertiary care hospital after state legislation titled “House Bill 1” (HB1) mandated stricter regulation of prescription drugs of abuse in Kentucky in 2012. Design A retrospective case series study design was used to review the incidence of spinal abscess and drug abuse diagnoses admissions from 2010 to 2014. Variances in the incidence of spinal abscess and substance abuse were plotted across this time frame. Results The incidence of intraspinal abscess increased 1.56-fold in 2011 (n = 26) and 2012 (n = 25) relative to 2010 (n = 16). However, in 2013, the year following implementation of HB1 legislation, the incidence of intraspinal abscess increased 2.38-fold (n = 38) and then 4.19-fold (n = 67) in 2014. The incidence of intraspinal abscess in subjects with drug abuse diagnosis remained constant between 2010 (n = 3) and 2012 (n = 3). However, it increased twofold (n = 7) in 2013 and then ninefold (n = 27) in 2014. A correlation coefficient (rSAD) of 0.775 revealed a strong association between the increase incidence of intraspinal abscess and diagnosis of drug abuse. Conclusions The results of this retrospective study demonstrate an increased incidence of intraspinal abscess associated with drug abuse after passage of HB1 legislation regulating prescriptions of controlled medications in Kentucky. This increased incidence may be related to individuals relying on nonprescription drugs of abuse due to more highly regulated access to controlled prescription medications. However, additional factors unrelated to HB1 legislation must be taken into account.
OPTIMISTA: Asynchronous State Minimization for Optimum Output Logic

In this chapter, the optimal state minimization method of the previous chapter is restricted to output-targeted state minimization for synchronous FSM’s. In essence, the method of this chapter narrows Optimist’s focus solely to the complexity of the output logic, in order to obtain stronger results. Useful in its own right, this new state minimization method also serves as the foundation for a similar method for asynchronous burst-mode state machines in the next chapter.
Automatically proving thousands of verification conditions using an SMT solver: an empirical study

Recently it has become possible to verify full functional correctness of certain kinds of software using automated theorem-proving technology. Empirical studies of the difficulty of automatically proving diverse verification conditions (VCs) would be helpful. For example, they could help direct those developing formal specifications toward techniques that tend to simplify VCs. They could also help focus the efforts of those improving automated theorem-proving tools that are targeted to handle VCs. This study explores two specific empirical questions of this sort: How does an SMT solver perform on VCs that involve user-defined mathematical functions and predicates? When it does not perform well, what can be done to improve the prospects for automated proof? Experience using Z3 to prove VCs for a solution to a fully generic sorting benchmark, along with thousands of other VCs generated for both clients and implementations of dozens of RESOLVE software components, suggests that providing the prover with universal algebraic lemmas about user-defined mathematical functions and predicates results in better outcomes than expanding (unfolding) definitions. The importance of such lemmas might not be surprising to those who have tried to carry out such proofs manually or with the help of an interactive prover, but the damage sometimes caused by expanding definitions might be unexpected. A large empirical study of these phenomena in the context of automated software verification has not been previously reported.
Sequence of the flaA (cheC) locus of Escherichia coli and discovery of a new gene.

Abstract The flaA (cheC) locus from Escherichia coli is important in controlling the rotational direction of flagella during chemotaxis. The locus was sequenced, and a site of transcriptional initiation was determined. Two reading frames, flaAI and flaAII, span the locus. flaAII corresponds to certain flaA and cheC mutations, and has some unusual features in the predicted secondary structure. flaAI, however, has not been identified previously, but a flaAI deletion, which produced a truncated FlaAI peptide in minicells, clearly identified the FlaAI protein.
Selection Response and Developmental Basis for Early and Late Panicle Emergence in Alamo Switchgrass

For many determinate crop species, delayed flowering, associated with the production of more mainstem leaves and/or a reduced rate of leaf appearance, extends the vegetative phase and results in higher biomass yields. Studies were carried out on 'Alamo' switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a potential biofuel crop, to determine the realized heritability and developmental basis for variation in the time to panicle emergence. A single cycle of divergent selection for time of panicle emergence (earliest and latest 3%) was carried out. Time of panicle emergence for the parent and progeny generation was evaluated in the field for 2 yr and 1 yr in a greenhouse trial. For the parental generation, leaf emergence was monitored weekly and final leaf numbers were recorded. Panicle emergence for the selected early and late parents differed by an average of 22 d (10 d earlier and 12 d later than the original population). Realized heritabilities in the year following establishment were 1.0 and 0.92 for early and late panicle emergence, respectively. The early and late parent plants initiated growth at the same time in spring and produced leaves at the same rate; however, late plants produced from 0.7 to 2.1 more mainstem leaves than early plants. Similar leaf appearance rates, combined with higher final leaf numbers on late than on early plants, strongly suggested that late panicle emergence resulted from delayed floral initiation. This study showed that there is considerable genetic variation for flowering time in Alamo switchgrass and that the extended period of vegetative growth in late flowering types was associated with the production of more leaves.
Membrane fusion in the growth cone-microspike region of embryonic nerve cells undergoing axon elongation in cell culture

Abstract Fine structural analysis of embryonic nerve cells undergoing axon elongation in vitro has revealed structural evidence supportive of the time lapse cinematographic observation that extensive areas of active membrane fusion are present in the distal tip of the axon. Pre-fusion membrane alignment and post-fusion strings of vesicles characterize the putative fusions between microspikes, between microspikes and growth cones, and between growth cones and the distal axon. The restriction and possible significance of these apparent fusions are discussed.
Investigation of sputtered tape media with an ultra-thin magnetic layer

Recording characteristics of underlayers (NiAl/CrMn)/intermediate layer (CoCrTa)/CoCrPtBN thin film media sputter-deposited on polymeric substrates were investigated as functions of the magnetic layer and the stack thicknesses. Even a very small thickness of 10 nm of the magnetic layer appeared to be sufficient to preserve the in-plane Hc, and gave rise to the improved recording performances due to primarily the sharper effective head field gradient. The thicknees reduction provided benefits in the fabrication side along with presenting a substantial contribution to the overall recording performance. The overall stack thicknees was reduced down to 70 nm. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Intravenous NBQX inhibits spontaneously occurring sympathetic nerve activity and reduced blood pressure in cats

Abstract 2,3-Dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo( F )quinoxaline (NBQX) has been demonstrated to be a specific and competitive non -N- methyl- D -aspartate (non-NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist. Our previous data obtained with the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 indicate that blockade of the NMDA receptor affects blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the same is true with blockade of the non-NMDA receptor. For this purpose we administered three doses of NBQX (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg i.v.) to anesthetized, artificially ventilated and paralyzed cats while monitoring spontaneously occurring cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, arterial blood pressure and heart rate. The 1 mg/kg dose of NBQX i.v. reduced both sympathetic nerve activity (−29 ± 7%, P n = 4) and blood pressure (−27 ± 5 mm Hg, P P n = 8) and mean arterial pressure (−47 ± 5 mm Hg) and also reduced heart rate (−11 ± 2 beats/min, P P n = 3) and this effect was associated with reductions in mean arterial pressure (−49 ± 10 mm Hg, P P
Crystalline structure refinements and properties of Ni/TiO2 and Ni/TiO2-Ce catalysts and application to catalytic reaction of “CO + NO”

Abstract Catalysts containing 7 wt% Ni were prepared by impregnation of anatase-phase TiO 2 and Ce-doped TiO 2 that were synthesized by sol–gel techniques. The catalysts were extensively characterized by a variety of methods including BET surface area measurements, temperature programmed H 2 reduction (H 2 -TPR), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for CO adsorption. The crystallography, crystallite size, microstrain in the crystalline structure and concentration of all phases in the catalysts were determined by X-ray diffraction and refinement of the crystalline structure with the Rietveld method. As catalytic probe reaction, the stoichiometric oxidation of CO by NO was used. Doping with ceria affected the crystallography of the anatase-phase titania, increased the structural defects, and decreased the anatase crystallite size. This, in turn, led to more extensive contact of nickel particles with the support facilitating the reduction of nickel and of the surface of the Ce-doped TiO 2 . Among the various catalysts investigated, the Ce-doped Ni/TiO 2 catalyst with a Ce/(Ce + Ti) ratio of 0.1 was found to be the most active for CO oxidation by NO.
1181 URINARY PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY HOST RESPONSE PROTEINS IN CATHETER-ASSOCIATED URINARY TRACT INFECTION

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) is the most common healthcare associated infection. Diagnosis of CAUTI is challenging as symptoms are frequently nonspecific and differentiation from asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) may be difficult. Hence, a better understanding of the host response to infection, ASB, or simply catheter presence will provide insight to direct clinical management. METHODS: To identify proteins differentially expressed, we used two proteomic approaches, mass spectrometry (MS) and electrochemiluminescence arrays (ECL). Urine was collected with IRB approval from catheter-dependent patients and stored at -80°C until analysis. For MS (Thermo Velos Orbitrap), we analyzed 25 bacteria ( ) and 25 bacteria ( ) samples. MS output was searched against a database of human and bacterial proteomes with Sequest software. Spectral counting was used to determine relative quantitation, and data was visualized with Scaffold software. ECL analysis used a Meso Scale Discovery kit with a panel of 4 cytokines, IL-1 , IL-8, IL-6, and TNF . For ECL, 6 bacteria ( ) samples and 20 bacteria ( ) samples divided into 11 ASB and 9 CAUTI, as determined by clinical diagnosis at the time of collection, were assayed. RESULTS: Analysis of MS data identified greater than 1000 host and bacterial proteins. The top differentially expressed host proteins in each sample group are listed in the table. As MS provides relative data, we are currently verifying and quantitating these proteins in healthy, ASB and CAUTI urine. In the analysis of urinary cytokines (Figure), we note differences in the mean IL-1 and IL-8 level between the bacteria ( ) and ( ) samples, and a trend in differences in ASB and CAUTI samples. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the utility and complementary nature of the two technologies: MS scans the entire proteome, while ECL arrays detect known targets with a superior detection limit and quantitation. Additional investigation in a larger patient cohort is warranted and is underway. Host Proteins function Higher in bacteria (positive) Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) Breakdown of extracellular matrix Plastin-2 (LCP1) Actin-binding protein Myeloperoxidase (MPO) Lysosomal protein, microbicidal activity of neutrophils Protein S100-A9 (S100A9) Proinflammatory protein, expressed in neutrophils and monocytes Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) Iron sequestration, binds to bacterial siderophores Neutrophil collagenase (MMP8) Breakdown of extracellular matrix Lactoferrin (LTF) Iron homeostasis, anti-microbial infections, anti-inflammatory activity Higher in bacteria (negative) Plasma serine protease inhibitor (SerpinA5) Heparin-binding serine protease inhibitor with broad antimicrobial activity Osteopontin (OPN) Secreted, integrin-binding protein, functions in the regulation of immune responses. Vasorin (VASN) TGF binding protein
Proteomics data repositories

The field of proteomics, particularly the application of MS analysis to protein samples, is well established and growing rapidly. Proteomic studies generate large volumes of raw experimental data and inferred biological results. To facilitate the dissemination of these data, centralized data repositories have been developed that make the data and results accessible to proteomic researchers and biologists alike. This review of proteomics data repositories focuses exclusively on freely available, centralized data resources that disseminate or store experimental MS data and results. The resources chosen reflect a current "snapshot" of the state of resources available with an emphasis placed on resources that may be of particular interest to yeast researchers. Resources are described in terms of their intended purpose and the features and functionality provided to users.
Automatic partitioning of unstructured grids into connected components

This paper presents two partitioning schemes that guarantee connected components given a connected initial grid. Connected components are important for convergence of methods such as domain decomposition or multigrid. For many of the grids tested, the schemes produce partitions as good (in terms of number of cut edges) or better than spectral partitioning and require only modest computational resources. This paper describes the two schemes in detail and presents comparison results from a number of two and three dimensional unstructured grids.
γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase of rat seminal vesicles; Effect of orchidectomy and hormone administration on the transpeptidase in relation to its possible role in secretory activity

Abstract γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase was prepared from rat seminal vesicles by two methods and was found to be similar to rat kidney γ-glutamyl transpeptidase with respect to substrate specificity, stimulation of “glutaminase” activity by maleate, and apparent molecular weight. Histochemical studies demonstrated that γ-glutamyl transpeptidase is concentrated in the secretory epithelium of the seminal vesicle. Like the epithelium itself, the enzyme responds to the presence or absence of testosterone. The content and specific activities of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and γ-glutamyl cyclotransferase in rat seminal vesicles are low in orchidectomized animals, an effect which is reversed by administration of testosterone but accentuated by estradiol administration. These enzymes may be involved in the secretory functions of the seminal vesicles.
Endocrine tests in phenotypic children with bilateral impalpable testes can reliably predict "congenital" anorchism.

Abstract Congenital anorchism is a rare condition. Bilateral impalpable undescended testes are relatively common by comparison. Surgical exploration has been regarded as the final arbiter between anorchism and bilateral cryptorchism. Exploration has not proved completely reliable in making this differentiation. Endocrine studies, particularly the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) stimulation test together with measurements of basal plasma gonadotropins, can reliably exclude “functioning” testicular tissue. Eleven fully evaluated and operated cases support this contention. In the specific clinical setting of a normal phenotypic male child with a 46XY karyotype and no mullerian structures palpable on rectal examination, nonfunctioning testes on endocrine testing means congenital anorchism and surgical confirmation is unnecessary. In contradistinction, a positive HCG test would appear to mandate thorough and extensive surgical exploration.
Antiarrhythmic Drug Binding Sites in Cardiac K+ Channels

The picture that most of us carry in our minds of how drugs block ion channels is taken from the classic studies of Hille1 involving local anesthetics and Armstrong2 involving tetraethylammonium (TEA) derivatives. This picture is elegant in its simplicity yet robust enough to have provided a conceptual framework for explaining a variety of experimental results and for developing a rigorous model of the drug-channel interaction.3 4 We see cationic drugs entering the channel from the cytoplasmic side, only after the channel has opened, and binding to a site 20% to 50% of the way into the membrane field. Neutral drugs are not restricted to the open pore but can also access and leave the blocking site via a separate hydrophobic pathway. The movement of drugs into and out of the channel is ultimately governed by membrane potential and channel gating, producing use-dependent changes in membrane current and electrophysiological activity. Larger and more hydrophilic drugs move slowly and have slower use-dependent kinetics. Smaller and more hydrophobic drugs show rapid use dependence. Molecular biology techniques have greatly refined this picture over the past several years by providing new and important structural detail. For K+ channels, TEA binding has been localized to a critical threonine residue in the P region of the channel that is highly conserved among different K+ channel subtypes.5 Specific amino acid residues in the predicted transmembrane S6 segment of domain IV (IVS6) were found to be critical determinants of local anesthetic action in Na+ channels6 7 and to govern the block of Ca2+ channels …