cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Material Properties of Molding Compounds for MEMS Package

In this paper, an optimization study of molding compounds for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor package has been performed. A comprehensive finite element analysis model was established for the MEMS sensor package to assess the stresses and deformations when the package was subjected to temperature loading. A series of stress relaxation tests were performed to characterize the viscoelastic material properties of a molding compound over temperature with dynamic mechanical analysis. A master curve for the molding compound was constructed by a proper shift function and the Prony pairs were obtained by curve fitting to be implemented in the simulation. To validate the simulation result, the thermal behavior of the MEMS package was measured. The digital image correlation technique was employed to observe the real-time deformation of the package exposed to temperature loading. The out-of-plane deformation of the package was compared with the simulation result. With the validated simulation model, the optimization study was conducted. By the process simulation, it has been shown that most of the thermal stress on the MEMS sensor chip was generated during the cooling process. Thus, a detailed cooling profile was developed by the transient heat analysis and applied to the parametric study. The modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and glass transition temperature (T g ) of molding compound were investigated. The result shows that a low modulus, low CTE, and low T g molding compound can minimize the thermal stress on MEMS sensor die.
Imaging of ocular melanoma metastasis

Ocular melanoma is the most common adult primary intraocular tumour. Although <1% of patients have metastatic disease at the time of initial diagnosis, most will develop metastasis at varying lengths of time. Metastasis surveillance is therefore critical in the follow-up of patients with ocular melanoma. Liver is the most common site of metastasis and prognosis is based on the treatment of liver metastasis. Hence, imaging of liver metastasis is vital. MRI is the most specific modality for imaging liver metastasis and is at least as sensitive as CT. Extrahepatic metastasis such as retroperitoneal nodules and bone metastases are also better evaluated on MRI. Gadolinium-based contrast agents are extremely helpful for detecting liver lesions. In particular, newer hepatobiliary contrast agents which offer an additional hepatobiliary phase of excretion help in the detection of even tiny liver metastases. Diffusion-weighted imaging is helpful when an i.v. contrast cannot be administered. Treated lesions are also better evaluated with MRI. CT is useful for evaluating lung nodules, large liver metastasis or in patients in whom MRI is medically contraindicated. The disadvantage lies in its inability to detect small liver metastasis and the radiation dose involved. The lesions treated with iodized oil as part of chemoembolization procedures can be followed on CT. Ultrasound can be used only for detecting hepatic metastases. However, it is heavily operator dependent, technically challenging and time consuming especially in patients who are large. Extrahepatic metastasis cannot be seen on ultrasound. Its utility is primarily for the biopsy of liver lesions. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT can detect lung nodules and large liver lesions but is insensitive to small liver lesions. Moreover, the high radiation dose is a major disadvantage.
Evaluation of renal injuries with computerized tomography.

AbstractTo document the severity and degree of renal injury multiple studies may be necessary, including excretory urography, nephrotomography and arteriography. Even these extensive studies fail at times to provide sufficient information for treatment of the injury. The need for a more accurate noninvasive modality led us to investigate the use of computerized tomography. We used computerized tomography and excretory urography, and/or nephrotomography in 24 patients suspected of having major renal injury. Computerized tomography clearly separated minor injuries (superficial laceration) from major injuries (deep lacerations or laceration with extravasation). Computerized tomography demonstrated extravasation of opacified urine not noted on excretory urography in 5 cases. In all cases renal lacerations, and perirenal and intrarenal hematomas were defined clearly on computerized tomography. Computerized tomography provided information for proper management in all instances (18 nonsurgical and 6 surgical pro...
When Global Markets Get Tough: A Call as yet Unanswered

Globalization has been a corporate rallying cry throughout the 1980s, and as marketers plan for the decade ahead, they will find it more effective ‘Think Global, Act Local.” This paper provides a guide to managers of the major conceptual contributions in the literature toward understanding global advertising strategies and also suggests strategies for international marketers and practitioners.
Band structure of crystals

In the previous two chapters we examined in detail the effects of crystal periodicity and crystal symmetry on the eigenvalues and wavefunctions of the single-particle equations. The models we used to illustrate these effects were artificial free-electron models, where the only effect of the presence of the lattice is to impose the symmetry restrictions on the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. We also saw how a weak periodic potential can split the degeneracies of certain eigenvalues at the Bragg planes (the BZ edges). In realistic situations the potential is certainly not zero, as in the free-electron model, nor is it necessarily weak. Our task here is to develop methods for determining the solutions to the single-particle equations for realistic systems. We will do this by discussing first the so called tight-binding approximation, which takes us in the most natural way from electronic states that are characteristic of atoms (atomic orbitals) to states that correspond to crystalline solids. We will then discuss briefly more general methods for obtaining the band structure of solids, whose application typically involves a large computational effort. Finally, we will conclude the chapter by discussing the electronic structure of several representative crystals, as obtained by elaborate computational methods; we will also attempt to interpret these results in the context of the tight-binding approximation. The tight-binding approximation The simplest method for calculating band structures, both conceptually and computationally, is the so called Tight-Binding Approximation (TBA), also referred to as Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals (LCAO). The latter term is actually used in a wider sense, as we will explain below.
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF A CT-BASED MECHANICAL HIP SOCKET NAVIGATION SYSTEM IN TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Background Acetabular cup malpositioning during total hip arthroplasty (THA) is known to lead to impingement, instability, wear-induced osteolysis, and increased rates of revision surgery. The purpose of this study was to independently evaluate the accuracy of acetabular cup orientation using a novel mechanical navigation device. Methods Postoperative acetabular cup orientation was reviewed in 47 primary THAs using the HipSextant mechanical navigation device. Angles were measured with a validated two-dimensional/three-dimensional matching application. An outlier was defined as +/− 10 degrees outside of the preoperative plan for inclination and anteversion. Results Of the 47 THAs, 47 (100%) met our inclination target, 46 (98%) met our anteversion target, and 46 (98%) simultaneously met both targets. There were no outliers for inclination and one outlier (−12.7°) for anteversion (Figure 1). The absolute errors for both inclination and anteversion were significantly less than 10° (p Conclusions The HipSextant reliably navigates acetabular cup inclination and anteversion according to a preoperative plan that is individualized for each patient. This should decrease the risk of postoperative complications related to acetabular component malposition during THA. Further research is warranted to assess the clinical impact of reducing outliers using this device.
Depression and chest pain in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract Background Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and is associated with more frequent chest pain. It is however unclear whether this is due to differences in underlying CAD severity. We sought to determine [1] whether depressive symptoms are associated with chest pain independently of CAD severity, [2] whether improvement in depressive symptoms over time is associated with improvement in chest pain and [3] whether the impact of revascularization on chest pain differs between patients with and without depression. Methods and results 5158 patients (mean age 63±12years, 65% male, 20% African American) undergoing cardiac catheterization completed the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) to assess angina severity and screen for depression, respectively, both at baseline and between 6 and 24months of follow-up. We found significant correlations between PHQ-8 scores and angina frequency (SAQ-AF, r =−0.28), physical limitation (SAQ-PL, r =−0.32) and disease perception (SAQ-DS r =−0.37, all P P P P Conclusions Depression is associated with angina, independently of CAD severity. Patients with depression may not derive as adequate symptomatic benefit from revascularization as those without. Whether treatment of underlying depression improves chest pain needs to be further studied.
Regional seismic waveform discriminants and case-based event identification using regional arrays

Abstract In this study, we have investigated regional-phase spectra, spectral ratios, and amplitude ratios as discriminants for case-based, regional seismic-event identification using western Norway explosions and earthquakes recorded at the NORESS array. All events were in a comparable local magnitude range (2 to 3) and distance range (300 to 500 km) from the NORESS array. Thus, the propagation paths from the earthquakes and explosions were similar but not identical. Many of the events, previously not identified as blasts, had time-independent spectral modulations indicative of ripple-firing. These include a number of offshore events, which appear to be underwater explosions. The modulations for the offshore events may have been caused by bubble pulse interference effects and/or underwater reverberations. Amplitude ratios of Pn/Sn and Pn/Lg , measured off of incoherent beams, were examined on a region-by-region basis for a group of confirmed blasts, events strongly suspected to be earthquakes, and other events that had time-independent spectral modulations. The blast and earthquake groups were well separated by both ratios, with the blasts producing more P -wave energy relative to S -wave energy than the earthquakes. However, the Lg spectral ratio provided no separation. This result agrees with others in shield regions that amplitude ratios between compressional and shear waves discriminate better than low-frequency to high-frequency spectral ratios for individual phases. The converse holds for events in orogenic regions, such as the Basin and Range tectonic region of the Western United States, for reasons that are not well understood but may relate to differences in crustal attenuation. This fact argues in favor of using a case-based approach to event identification, where events are identified by comparing them to previous events or cases that occur in the same or similar tectonic environments. In the absence of a well-understood, unifying theory for regional-event identification, characterizing events on the basis of geophysical and signal similarities to previous cases may be the only way of providing meaningful event identifications.
Evaluating Students With Disabilities and Their Teachers: Use of Student Learning Objectives

Over the past decade, there has been a movement toward increased accountability, focusing on teacher performance, in U.S. education. The purpose of this article is to discuss student learning objec...
The Hidden Musicality of Math Class: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Mathematics Education

This chapter surveys interdisciplinary pedagogy that emphasizes the connections between mathematics and music by contextualizing the mathematics learning process within musical experiences. Both empirical research and international practice have demonstrated a variety of opportunities for music-themed mathematics teaching methods to be developed and implemented across all grade levels, from kindergarten to college. This chapter, which summarizes the current state of research and practice for music-themed interdisciplinary mathematics education, is divided into three main sections: (1) the overview of connection between mathematics and music, (2) theoretical perspectives on music and mathematics learning, and (3) a description of pedagogical approaches appropriate for supporting music-mathematics interdisciplinary lessons. Regarding the overview, the chapter discusses research studies that have investigated the mathematics present within music and the application of mathematics to improving musical composition and musical instrument design. Regarding the theoretical perspectives, the chapter discusses research studies that have investigated passive musical immersion as well as more active musical learning processes and their comparative impacts upon learners’ mathematical cognitive processes and capabilities within informal learning settings. Regarding the pedagogical approaches, the chapter presents and evaluates the prevalent mathematics-music-integrated teaching strategies about how student-centered musical activities (i.e., listening and singing, composing and performing, musical notating, and musical instrument design) can be utilized to teach specific mathematics topics.
Using reference values to define disease based on the lower limit of normal biased the population attributable fraction, but not the population excess risk: the example of chronic airflow obstruction.

Abstract Background The impact of disease on population health is most commonly estimated by the population attributable fraction (PAF), or less commonly by the excess risk, an alternative measure that estimates the absolute risk of disease in the population that can be ascribed to the exposure. Using chronic airflow obstruction as an example, we examined the impact on these estimates of defining disease based on different “normal” values. Method We estimated PAF and the excess risk in scenarios in which the true rate of disease was 10% in the exposed and 5% in the unexposed, and where either 50% or 20% of the population was exposed. Disease definition was based on a “lower limit of normal”, using the 5th, 1st and 0.2nd centile of values in a “normal” population as thresholds to define normality. Results Where normality is defined by centiles of values in a “normal” population, PAF is strongly influenced by which centile is selected to define normality. This is not true for the population excess risk. Conclusion Care should be taken when interpreting estimates of PAF when disease is defined from a centile of a normal population.
Culture’s impact on freedom and peace: empirical evidence

This study provides insight into the proportion of the variation across countries in the desirable outcomes of freedom and peace that can be accounted for using a set of national characteristics which are difficult, if not impossible, to change. The majority of prior studies in this area have utilized bivariate (correlational) analysis. While these studies have made important contributions to the field, they have not been able to disentangle the effects of other important national characteristics from the effect of culture on freedom and peace. Through our multivariate framework, we are able to shed light on the relative importance of these national characteristics in explaining the variation in freedom and peace across countries.
The Evolving Law and Ethics of Digital Health

Given the novelty of digital health technologies, there remains significant confusion over which laws and regulations might apply to these technologies, and how. This chapter describes the major bodies of state and federal law that can apply, including medical device regulation by the FDA, state and federal consumer protection laws, data privacy and security laws, and potential legal liability for physicians, hospitals, manufacturers, and developers. The chapter examines how awkwardly these laws have adapted to the novel features of digital health, and vice versa. It concludes by detailing how, in the absence of quality screening by the FDA, four alternative methods of quality screening have emerged, including (1) due diligence by venture capital firms, (2) hospital guidelines for users and developers, (3) review by third-parties, such as app review web sites, and (4) coverage policies by health insurers. I call these “surrogate” or “proxy” regulation.
ChEA2: Gene-Set Libraries from ChIP-X Experiments to Decode the Transcription Regulome

ChIP-seq experiments provide a plethora of data regarding transcription regulation in mammalian cells. Integrating ChIP-seq studies into a computable resource is potentially useful for further knowledge extraction from such data. We continually collect and expand a database where we convert results from ChIP-seq experiments into gene-set libraries. The manual portion of this database currently contains 200 transcription factors from 221 publications for a total of 458,471 transcription-factor/target interactions. In addition, we automatically compiled data from the ENCODE project which includes 920 experiments applied to 44 cell-lines profiling 160 transcription factors for a total of ~1.4 million transcription-factor/target-gene interactions. Moreover, we processed data from the NIH Epigenomics Roadmap project for 27 different types of histone marks in 64 different human cell-lines. All together the data was processed into three simple gene-set libraries where the set label is either a mammalian transcription factor or a histone modification mark in a particular cell line, organism and experiment. Such gene-set libraries are useful for elucidating the experimentally determined transcriptional networks regulating lists of genes of interest using gene-set enrichment analyses. Furthermore, from these three gene-set libraries, we constructed regulatory networks of transcription factors and histone modifications to identify groups of regulators that work together. For example, we found that the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is involved with three distinct clusters each interacting with different sets of transcription factors. Notably, the combined dataset is made into web-based application software where users can perform enrichment analyses or download the data in various formats. The open source ChEA2 web-based software and datasets are available freely online at http://amp.pharm.mssm.edu/ChEA2.
Major Resource Organisms Plants and Invertebrates

This chapter summarizes biological and fishery information on example species, or groups of species, of macroalgae and shellfish of commercial and/or recreational value. Productivity of the oceans, including methods of estimating total resource production, is discussed in Chapter 10.
Noninvasive Methods of Embryo Selection

Abstract This review summarizes the current status of clinical methods (invasive and noninvasive) that have been introduced for embryo selection in IVF.
Enhancement of the auditory late response (N1-P2) by presentation of stimuli from an unexpected location

Passive electrophysiological protocols, such as the middle latency response and speech auditory brainstem response, are often advocated in the objective assessment of central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). However, few established electrophysiological protocols exist for CAPD assessment that have patients participate in active tasks which more closely approximate real-world listening. To this end, the present study used a discrimination task (i.e., oddball paradigm) to measure an enhancement of the auditory late response (N1-P2) that occurs when participants direct their auditory attention toward speech arising from an unexpected spatial location. To establish whether N1-P2 is enhanced when auditory attention is directed toward an unexpected location during a two-word discrimination task. In addition, it was also investigated whether any enhancements in this response were contingent on the stimulus being counted as part of the oddball paradigm. Prospective study with a repeated measures design. Ten normal hearing adults, with an age range of 18–24 years. The N1 and P2 latencies and peak-to-peak amplitudes were recorded during a P300 paradigm. A series of repeated measures of analysis of variance and a correlation analysis was performed. There was a significant effect of stimulus location, in which words arising from the unexpected location showed a larger N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitude and an earlier N1 latency. This effect was seen regardless of whether or not participants had to count the word total in memory. These findings suggest that spatial enhancement of the N1-P2 is a fairly robust phenomenon in normal hearing adult listeners. Additional studies are needed to determine whether this enhancement is absent or reduced in patients with CAPD.
An application of log-Gabor filter on road detection in arid environments for forward looking buried object detection

For road implanted explosive hazard detection, detecting the road at distance is critical for the classification algorithms and for sensor positioning to maintain road view during turns. In this paper, we propose the use of the Log-Gabor Filter (LGF) to enhance our road detection system. The LGF can be used to suppress the road-like pixels in the image. By filtering the unpaved road images with varying scales and orientations of the LGF and a combination of basic image processing techniques, evidence images of the road are created. Each evidence image is a binary image where value one at any pixel represents evidence of the road at that pixel. Otherwise the value will be zero. However, the maximum distance for generating evidence of the road varies for each image. Therefore, additionally, a road model is utilized. Using the least squares algorithm, the road model is optimized to fit the support of the road presented in each image. By specifying the length of the road on the optimized model, the distance of road detection can also be specified. Thus, utilizing the LGF and the road model allows our system to detect poorly defined dirt roads as far as forty meters as shown for a winding road at an arid U.S. Army test site.
Integrating Normative, Descriptive, and Instrumental Approaches to CSR: The Role of Attributions

Although there is an extensive body of research that empirically examines the antecedents and outcomes of corporate social responsibility (CSR), much less attention has been accorded to theory deve...
Auditory gating in adults with dyslexia: An ERP account of diminished rapid neural adaptation

Abstract Objective A recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of adults with dyslexia showed a general deficit in suppressing responses to various types of repetitive stimuli. This diminished neural adaptation may interfere with implicit learning and forming stable word representations. With fMRI, spatial but not temporal characteristics of the adaptation response could be identified. We address this knowledge gap using event-related potentials. Methods Fourteen adults with dyslexia and 14 controls participated in an auditory gating paradigm using tone pairs. Response amplitudes and latencies for N1 and P2 were measured. Participants also compared word pairs consisting of identical or subtly different words, a task requiring stable word representations. Results Only the controls showed a robust gating effect in an attenuated N1 response to the second tone relative to the first. The dyslexia group was less accurate than the controls in detecting word differences. The N1 gating magnitude was associated with this detection accuracy. Conclusions Neural adaptation occurs by approximately 100 ms after stimulus presentation and is diminished in adults with dyslexia. This complements fMRI findings of relevant brain regions by implying a time window representing sensory and pre-attentive auditory processes. Significance The association between gating magnitude and word discrimination contributes to a neurophysiological account of underspecified word representations.
The Doubly-Bounded Rationality of an Artificial Agent and its Ability to Represent the Bounded Rationality of a Human Decision-Maker in Policy-Relevant Situations

This article introduces two tools aimed at improving our understanding of the relationship between human and artificial rationality and helping us identify agents that are false positives or negati...
Abstract 121: Visualization and Quantification of Post-Stroke Neural Connectivity in Mice Using Serial Two-Photon Tomography

Background: It is a challenge to characterize post-stroke changes in neural connectivity at microscopic scale across the entire rodent brain. Serial two-photon tomography (STPT) is an advanced lase...
Wide-bandwidth HgCdTe photodiode photomixers at 28 μm

Long-wavelength HgCdTe photodiodes operating at 20 K have been developed with quantum efficiencies >40%, bandwidths >500 MHz and a calculated heterodyne NEP = 6 × 10−20 W/Hz for a local oscillator power of 100 μW at 28 μm. A theoretical analysis along with wavelength response, pulse response and noise data are described.
Stroke Thrombolysis in Patients Taking Ticagrelor -Two Successful Cases and a Review of the Literature.

Abstract Background Ticagrelor is a novel antiplatelet agent that is frequently used for secondary prevention in coronary artery disease and has emerging evidence in stroke after the recent results of SOCRATES and THALES trials. The use of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients on ticagrelor is a topic of debate as the safety profile of ticagrelor in this setting is not well established. Methods We identified consecutive AIS patients taking ticagrelor who received intravenous alteplase at a comprehensive stroke center from January 2016 to December 2019. We then performed a literature search to capture all known published cases of intravenous thrombolysis in stroke patients on ticagrelor. Results Of the 3896 patients who were treated for AIS at our local comprehensive stroke center during this time period, two patients received intravenous alteplase while on ticagrelor. Both patients had posterior circulation acute strokes and were successfully treated with intravenous alteplase without a systemic or intracranial bleeding event. Only five other cases of intravenous thrombolysis in AIS patients on ticagrelor have been reported in the literature. Among these cases, four of the five cases had a hemorrhagic complication. Conclusion Despite prior reports of hemorrhagic complications with use of IV alteplase in setting of pre-treatment with ticagrelor, we report the safe use of intravenous thrombolysis in two cases presenting with acute ischemic stroke. Until safety is established in large studies, decision for thrombolysis should be made on case-by-case basis.
Effects of disorder on subwavelength lensing in two-dimensional photonic crystal slabs

We demonstrate that a hexagonal two-dimensional photonic crystal can act as an isotropic medium with an effective refractive index ${n}_{\mathit{eff}}=\ensuremath{-}1$, therefore capable of unrestricted subwavelength lensing. We study the lensing by calculating the photonic band structure and the propagation maps of the electromagnetic waves through slabs of the photonic crystal. We investigate the surface and the crystal disorder effects on the lensing by analyzing the light intensity profile at the image of a line source. Finally, we show that the surface mode of the slab can be excited, which facilitates the subwavelength lensing effect in our photonic crystals.
Quantifying and correcting slide-to-slide variation in multiplexed immunofluorescence images

Abstract Motivation The multiplexed imaging domain is a nascent single-cell analysis field with a complex data structure susceptible to technical variability that disrupts inference. These in situ methods are valuable in understanding cell-cell interactions, but few standardized processing steps or normalization techniques of multiplexed imaging data are available. Results We implement and compare data transformations and normalization algorithms in multiplexed imaging data. Our methods adapt the ComBat and functional data registration methods to remove slide effects in this domain, and we present an evaluation framework to compare the proposed approaches. We present clear slide-to-slide variation in the raw, unadjusted data, and show that many of the proposed normalization methods reduce this variation while preserving and improving the biological signal. Further, we find that dividing this data by its slide mean, and the functional data registration methods, perform the best under our proposed evaluation framework. In summary, this approach provides a foundation for better data quality and evaluation criteria in the multiplexed domain. Availability and Implementation Source code is provided at https://github.com/statimagcoll/MultiplexedNormalization. Contact coleman.r.harris@vanderbilt.edu Supplementary information Supplementary information is available online.
On the Way: Pilgrimage and Liminal Experiences

This chapter explores pilgrimage from the lens of liminality. Pilgrimage is a quintessential liminal activity, a world within and between worlds (Stenner, this volume, p. 3). As I will discuss in this chapter, pilgrimages entail personal and communal journeys onto and through a culturally organized path leading to an extraordinary place (e.g., a holy shrine, national memorial, sacred river) and then back home. The expectation is that the returning traveler is not the same as when they left. This chapter, therefore, explores the transforming experience of pilgrims and the dynamic interplay between the depths of the psyche and the cultural organization of the pilgrimage setting. The first section provides a brief overview of pilgrimage, a complex and historically religious-spiritual phenomena rooted in movement, place, belief, and transformation (Scriven. Geography Compass 8:249–261, 2014). The second section examines Victor Turner’s theoretical framework which emphasizes the processual nature of social phenomena and liminality. Next, I bring Turner’s ideas into dialogue with Paul Stenner’s theory of liminality, which itself influenced Turner, that emphasizes how liminality involves the temporary suspension of limits (Stenner, this volume; (Stenner. Liminality and experience: A transdisciplinary approach to the psychosocial. Palgrave, London, 2017)). The final section will explore the pilgrimage path or route as a culturally organized arena where pilgrimages construct meaning out of social messages encountered along the way. How limits, boundaries, and borders are managed and regulated can be understood as key liminal affective devices in pilgrimages—they guide the physical and affective relating of the pilgrim and this emerging feeling feeds forward into their encounters with their environment. Ultimately, my objective is to show how physical movement through the environment is intertwined with psychological transformations and how limits, boundaries, and borders are socially managed and personally negotiated and thus contribute to the affectively charged and transformative experiences of pilgrims.
Malonyl-acyl carrier protein decarboxylase activity promotes fatty acid and cell envelope biosynthesis in Proteobacteria.

Abstract Bacterial fatty acid synthesis (FASII) in Escherichia coli is initiated by the condensation of an acetyl-CoA with a malonyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) by the β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III enzyme, FabH. E. coli ΔfabH knockout strains are viable due to the yiiD gene that allows FabH-independent FASII initiation. However, the molecular function of the yiiD gene product is not known. Here, we show the yiiD gene product is a m alonyl- A CP d ecarboxylase (MadA). MadA has two independently folded domains: an amino-terminal N-acetyl transferase (GNAT) domain (MadAN) and a carboxy-terminal hot dog dimerization domain (MadAC) that encodes the malonyl-ACP decarboxylase function. Members of the proteobacterial Mad protein family are either two domain MadA (GNAT-hot dog) or standalone MadB (hot dog) decarboxylases. Using structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis of MadB from Shewanella oneidensis, we identified Asn45 on a conserved catalytic loop as critical for decarboxylase activity. We also found that MadA, MadAC, or MadB expression all restored normal cell size and growth rates to an E. coli ΔfabH strain, whereas the expression of MadAN did not. Finally, we verified that GlmU, a bifunctional glucosamine-1- phosphate N-acetyl transferase/N-acetyl-glucosamine-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase that synthesizes the key intermediate UDP-GlcNAc, is an ACP binding protein. Acetyl-ACP is the preferred GlmU substrate, in addition to being the substrate for the elongation condensing enzymes FabB and FabF. Thus, we conclude that the Mad family of malonyl-ACP decarboxylases supplies acetyl-ACP to support the initiation of fatty acid, lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and enterobacterial common antigen biosynthesis in Proteobacteria.
Identifying residences of ritual practitioners in the archaeological record as a proxy for social complexity

Abstract Dedicated ritual specialists often had indispensable roles in ancient religions and significant impacts on political histories. Few studies have developed methodologies for recovering direct evidence for ritual practitioners in the archaeological record. I argue that the study of religious practitioners must take a holistic micro-scale approach, documenting not only the places where ritual paraphernalia (sacra) were stored, but places where priests and their assistants lived and practiced intimate and communal rituals. I begin with a discussion of ethnohistoric and ethnographic data to model what priests did in ancient societies, and what the material correlates of their dwellings and activities might look like. I then present archaeological data from two late prehistoric house sites identified as priest dwellings from East Polynesian. Utilizing multiple lines of evidence, including portable artifacts, botanical specimens, site architecture, and site distribution patterns, I argue that there is close complementarity between the ethnohistoric–ethnographic model and the archaeological remains. That priests’ houses houses are often situated within corporate ritual centers speaks to the import of such sites and their associated ceremonial activities in the strategic use ideology to institutionalize social hierarchies and political status, a pattern seen in many other ranked societies in Polynesia and other case studies world-wide.
Matriptase is over-expressed in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and can be inhibited by the compound CJ-730

4035 Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive and mainly untreatable tumor of the pleura. The tumor arises from the biphasic mesothelial cells leading to three distinct histologic variants: Epitheliod, sarcomatoid and the bi-phasic or mixed type. Tumor-stromal interactions are known to facilitate the spread of cancer. Tissue proteases contribute to extracellular matrix degradation and tissue remodeling which are necessary for cancer invasion and metastasis. Matriptase a serine-type protease is produced by epithelial cells and some tumors. Matriptase activates the latent forms of Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) into its active two-chain form by cleavage at Arg 495 , which in turn, activates its receptor, the c-Met by tyrosine phosphorylation, leading to down stream cellular signals. The HGF/cMet axis is involved in cell growth/proliferation; cell motility/migration; invasion/metastasis and cell survival as well as angiogenesis. Malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPM) express matriptase, and have a functional HGF/c-Met axis. The compound CJ-730 (Curacyte) is a matriptase inhibitor that prevents the activation of HGF by blocking the cleavage of its single chain. Recently, our laboratory has shown that matriptase mRNA is over-expressed by 826 fold in epitheliod malignant pleural mesothelioma. The matriptase protein expression was confirmed by immunoblot. The presence c-Met receptor was observed in all mesothelioma cell lines examined and in 50 % of archival malignant mesothelioma tissues. The activation of the c-Met receptor by the two-chain HGF was also observed in all mesothelioma cell lines studied, however this activation was not found in the archival tissue with the exception of two epitheliod MPM. The lack of receptor activation in archival tissue may be an artifact caused by the processing and storage of such specimens. Mesothelioma cells treated in vitro with the matriptase inhibitor CJ-730 showed decreased capacity to invade through an artificial extracellular membrane (matrigel coated membranes); decreased motility and diminished phosphorylation of the c-Met receptor. Taken together the findings of over-expression of matriptase, the presence of functional c-Met receptor, and the ability of CJ-730 to block HGF activation in vitro , suggests a useful targeted approach in mesothelioma therapy.
THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF BIOTIN IN MICROORGANISMS. I. THE PHYSIOLOGY OF BIOTIN SYNTHESIS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI.

Abstract The time course of biotin synthesis and the distribution of the vitamin were studied in Escherichia coli growing in biotin-free and biotin-supplemented media. In biotin-free media, biotin synthesis occurred at a maximum rate just prior to the onset of the logarithmic phase of growth with continuous excretion of the vitamin into the growth medium. The bound biotin levels of the cells varied depending on cultural conditions, but the content of intracellular free biotin was always the highest at an early incubation time. At the end of the logarithmic phase the majority of “total” biotin synthesized was found extracellulary. However, the extent of overproduction of “true” biotin, particularly in an enriched medium, was very small. In biotin-supplemented media, the time course of synthesis was completely different and the total amount of biotin synthesized varied inversely with the concentration and the total amount of biotin synthesized varied inversely with the concentration of (+)-biotin present prior to the inoculation of bacteria. The inhibition of biotin synthesis was achieved only by (+)-biotin; other biotin vitamers had no effect. The results suggests that biotin synthesis is controlled by (+)-biotin.
Modeling Non-Point Source Pollutants in the Vadose Zone: Back to the Basics

More than ever before in the history of scientific investigation, modeling is viewed as a fundamental component of the scientific method because of the relatively recent development of the computer. No longer must the scientific investigator be confined to artificially isolated studies of individual processes that can lead to oversimplified and sometimes erroneous conceptions of larger phenomena. Computer models now enable scientists to attack problems related to open systems such as climatic change, and the assessment of environmental impacts, where the whole of the interactive processes are greater than the sum of their isolated components. Environmental assessment involves the determination of change of some constituent over time. This change can be measured in real time or predicted with a model. The advantage of prediction, like preventative medicine, is that it can be used to alter the occurrence of potentially detrimental conditions before they are manifest. The much greater efficiency of preventative, rather than remedial, efforts strongly justifies the need for an ability to accurately model environmental contaminants such as non-point source (NPS) pollutants. However, the environmental modeling advances that have accompanied computer technological development are a mixed blessing. Where once we had a plethora of discordant data without a holistic theory, now the pendulum has swung so that we suffer from a growing stockpile of models of which a significant number have never been confirmed or even attempts made to confirm them. Modeling has become an end in itself rather than a means because of limited research funding, the high cost of field studies, limitations in time and patience, difficulty in cooperative research and pressure to publish papers as quickly as
Modeling and Optimization of a Constant-Temperature In-Core Power Sensor

A controlled-calorimetric in-core instrument that can directly measure nuclear energy deposition has been developed and tested. This instrument works by heating an element of reactor fuel to a constant temperature with an electric heater, such that input electrical power is inversely related to the deposited nuclear power. Tests on first-generation sensor prototypes and subsequent modeling showed three problems: lack of proportionality in the relative neutron and photon response, a relatively low bandwidth, and drift. A model of the sensor has been developed and used to optimize the design of second-generation prototypes with respect to these three problems. Study of the predicted relative neutron and gamma response showed that a nonuniform distribution of nuclear and electrical energy deposition caused the temperature distribution within the sensor to change as the ratio of the energy components varies. This affects sensor power proportionality and increases response time. Heat transfer through the sensor power leads was demonstrated to cause most of the observed drift. The proposed second-generation sensor design forces almost all of the temperature gradient into a thin metal axial region, which gives uniform energy distribution from all sources and better control of thermal leakage and contact resistances. This results in a prediction of increased bandwidth with improved proportionality.
From Democratic Dualism to Political Realism: Transforming the Constitution

In the latest volume of Bruce Ackerman's We the People, he sets out to demonstrate that the Constitution has been legitimately amended by “unconventional” means, or by mechanisms other than the Article V amendment process. In making this argument, Ackerman offers a rich constitutional history of the Founding period, the Reconstruction era, and the New Deal. He successfully demonstrates that unconventional methods were used to alter accepted constitutional meaning and government practices during these periods. Unfortunately, Ackerman does not provide an adequate theory that can demonstrate the legal significance of these historical events for future constitutional practice. Moreover, his effort to legitimate the New Deal's constitutional revolution undermines his own normative theory of “dualist democracy” and seems to embrace a standard Legal Realist analysis that the Constitution simply is whatever powerful government officials declare it to mean.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Medieval and Early Modern Land Use: a Case Study from Southeastern Austria

This paper presents an integrated multimethod approach to the prospection and reconstruction of medieval and early modern rural landscapes in southeastern Austria (ca. 1100–1700 ce). Pedestrian surface collection, soil phosphorus analysis, and targeted test excavation, along with place-name and field-shape data, were used to investigate patterns of settlement, land use and landscape organization. The results from fieldwork revealed an inverse relationship between surface ceramic densities and soil phosphate levels, suggesting different areas of rubbish disposal, habitation and agricultural practices. This case study illustrates both the benefits and challenges of synthesizing archaeological, geochemical and historical lines of evidence in the exploration of past human landscapes in central Europe. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A geometric approach to the standard model

A geometric approach to the standard model in terms of the Clifford algebra $% C\ell_{7}$ is advanced. The gauge symmetries and charge assignments of the fundamental fermions are seen to arise from a simple geometric model involving extra space-like dimensions. The bare coupling constants are found to obey $g_{s}/g=1$ and $g^{\prime}/g=\sqrt{3/5}$, consistent with SU(5) grand unification but without invoking the notion of master groups. In constructing the Lagrangian density terms, it is found that the Higgs isodoublet field emerges in a natural manner. A matrix representation of $% C\ell_{7}$ is included as a computational aid.
Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of flexible 0-3 piezoelectric composites prepared by coprecipitated (Pb/sub 0.5/Bi/sub 0.5/) (Ti/sub 0.5/(Fe/sub 1-x/MN/sub x/)/sub 0.5/)O/sub 3/ (x= 0.00-0.02) ceramic powders

Piezoelectric (Pb/sub 0.5/Bi/sub 0.5/)(Ti/sub 0.5/(Fe/sub 1-x/Mn/sub x/)/sub 0.5/)O/sub 3/ (x=0.00-0.02) ceramic powder was prepared by alcohol dehydration of an aqueous multicomponent ammonium citrate solution. The tetragonal phase with the desired stoichiometry formed after heat treatment at as low as 800 degrees C. A high tetragonality (c/a ratio of 1.140+or-0.001) was achieved after heat treatment at 1000 degrees C for 1 h. Flexible 0.3 composites prepared from the 1000 degrees C powder (x=0.01) and Eccogel polymer exhibited piezoelectric charge coefficients (d/sub 33/) of 60 pC/N and a voltage coefficients (g/sub 33/) of 205*10/sup -3/ Vm/N. >
Electromagnetic behavior in superluminal interactions: The classical electromagnetic Kepler problem

By operating in a six-dimensional scheme, transformations which relate superluminal to subluminal observers and do not introduce imaginary quantities are developed. These transformations preserve the Lorentz invariance of physical quantities such as the square of the four-momentum. The application of the transformations allows the formulation of the classical Kepler problem for the case of a subluminal, fixed central charge and a superluminal charge. The results of the calculation indicate that binding is possible.
Flavor Structure of the Nucleon as Revealed at HERMES

The flavor structure of the nucleon as revealed in parton distributions (PDF’s) is central to understanding the partonic structure of the nucleon. Recent data on unpolarized PDF’s and their implications for the flavor- dependent quark helicity distributions are discussed. Results are presented for spin asymmetries in inclusive and semi-inclusive cross sections for production of pions, and kaons measured by the HERMES experiment at DESY in deep-inelastic scattering of polarized positrons on proton and deuterium targets. A full 5 component extraction of polarized quark distributions for \(u,d,\bar u,\bar d,and(s + \bar s)\) is reported. Resulting valence quark distributions conform to results of earlier experiments. There is no evidence for a significant polarization of the light sea. In contrast to the conclusions inferred from studies of polarized inclusive scattering, a leading order analysis of the HERMES data suggests a zero or slightly positive polarization of the strange sea. There is no evidence for a measurable flavor asymmetry in the helicity distributions for the light sea.