cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sub-wavelength critical coupling for densely integrated nano-photonics

We experimentally demonstrate a novel approach for densely packed coupled waveguides, based on adiabatic elimination scheme, allowing control of the inherent coupling between waveguides. At the nano-scale, zero coupling between the waveguides can be achieved.
Viscous and inviscid interactions of an oblique shock with a flexible panel

Abstract The complex self-sustained oscillations arising from the interaction of an oblique shock with a flexible panel in both the inviscid and viscous regimes have been investigated numerically. The aeroelastic interactions are simulated using either the Euler or the full compressible Navier–Stokes equations coupled to the nonlinear von Karman plate equations. Results demonstrate that for a sufficiently strong shock limit-cycle oscillations emerge from either subcritical or supercritical bifurcations even in the absence of viscous separated flow effects. The critical dynamic pressure diminishes with increasing shock strength and can be much lower than that corresponding to standard panel flutter. Significant changes in panel dynamics were also found as a function of the shock impingement point and cavity pressure. For viscous laminar flow above the panel without a shock, high-frequency periodic oscillations appear due to the coupling of boundary-layer instabilities with high-mode flexural deflections. For a separated shock laminar boundary layer interaction, non-periodic self-excited oscillations arise which can result in a significant reduction in the extent of the time-averaged separation region. This finding suggests the potential use of an aeroelastically tailored flexible panel as a means of passive flow control. Forced panel oscillations, induced by a specified variable cavity pressure underneath the panel, were also found to be effective in reducing separation. For both inviscid and viscous interactions, the significant unsteadiness generated by the fluttering panel propagates along the complex reflected expansion/recompression wave system.
Infrared applications for portable devices using IrDA transceivers

The internet has been the mantra in last decade and digital convergence is the latest talk on the tech streets. Features that once clearly discerned a mobile phone from a PDA or a PDA from a laptop are being replaced with multi-functional overlapping features and there is a growing need for wireless access and interoperability. Infrared communications has been addressing these needs for quite some time. The technology has matured through standardization efforts of IrDA (Infrared Data Association) and is widely used in PDAs, mobile phones, laptops, printers and digital cameras to name a few. This paper explores some new application scenarios for an IrDA transceiver. The first part of the paper describes a reference architecture for using infrared wireless communication for MP3 file exchange and the various possible user models. The second part of the paper discusses various configurations for implementing an ambient light detection scheme using IrDA transceivers, to turn off the backlighting of a LCD panel of a PDA or mobile phone in the presence of ambient light. The third part of the paper discusses various techniques of enabling extended link distance operation of IrDA transceivers for toy and remote control applications.
Afferent Contributions to Digit Force Coupling and Force Level Variation During Performance of Non-lift Pinch

Afferent contributions to the coordination of thumb and index finger forces during non-lift pinch were studied using an anesthetization case study design. Two subjects, one performing with and without digital anesthetization and one with intact sensation, produced dynamic pinch forces against a stable object, with and without visual feedback. Error corrections were less frequent post-anesthetization, and the cross correlation between digit forces was lower when sensation was removed. However, this decrease in cross correlation between digit forces seemed to reflect a loss in the magnitude of tightly coupled error corrections when sensation was removed, rather than more frequent deviations of force magnitude between the digit forces. Force-time output without visual feedback lacked these error corrections, and the correlation between digit forces remained high, irrespective of sensory status. Additionally, with vision occluded, the time rate of force change did not vary in a gradual manner as would be expected from a neural representation of a sinusoidal target, but was instead marked by sudden abrupt reversals of force rate of change, invariant of somatosensory status. The coupling of digit forces and rates of force change during non-lift pinch appear to be controlled primarily with feedforward mechanisms, where the lack of proprioceptive feedback does not seem to disrupt this coupling.
Weight fractions in three-phase emulsions with an Lα phase

Analytical expressions are given for the weight fractions in emulsions, which contains a lamellar liquid crystalline phase in addition to the two isotropic liquid phases. The fraction of liquid crystal is used to calculate the aqueous phase volume requirements of vesicles formed from the liquid crystal during intense emulsification. It is demonstrated that these requirements become excessive for vesicles with a small ratio of interfacial layer thickness to core radius.
Decreased hydrophobicity of iridescent feathers: a potential cost of shiny plumage

Honest advertisement models posit that sexually selected traits are costly to produce, maintain or otherwise bear. Brightly coloured feathers are thought to be classic examples of these models, but evidence for a cost in feathers not coloured by carotenoid pigments is scarce. Unlike pigment-based colours, iridescent feather colours are produced by light scattering in modified feather barbules that are characteristically flattened and twisted towards the feather surface. These modifications increase light reflectance, but also expose more surface area for water adhesion, suggesting a potential trade-off between colour and hydrophobicity. Using light microscopy, spectrometry, contact angle goniometry and self-cleaning experiments, we show that iridescent feathers of mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, are less hydrophobic than adjacent non-iridescent feathers, and that this is primarily caused by differences in barbule microstructure. Furthermore, as a result of this decreased hydrophobicity, iridescent feathers are less efficient at self-cleaning than non-iridescent feathers. Together, these results suggest a previously unforeseen cost of iridescent plumage traits that may help to explain the evolution and distribution of iridescence in birds.
Variation in cognitive functioning in nonorganic psychiatric disorders

Level of cognitive function is usually conceptualized as a feature of organic psychiatric disorders. Classically, its assessment is part of the mental status examination. Standardized tests, such as the Folstein battery, are used to screen for organic disorders by measuring level and possible impairment of cognitive function through the stipulation of cutoff points. However, contemporary definitions of psychiatric disorders do not embrace such a categorical view of cognitive function. It is important to measure the level of cognitive function in all types of psychiatric disorders in relation to demographic characteristics. Consequently, it is better to view cognitive function as a continuous variable. The Cognitive Function Inventory (CFI), which can also yield a Folstein score, was used to assess cognition in patients diagnosed as having nonorganic psychiatric disorders. A number of different parameters of cognitive function are examined. Differences associated with demographic background and type of disorder are reported. The implications of these results are discussed.
Adult Sensory Neurons Regenerate Axons Through Adult CNS White Matter: Implications for Functional Restoration After SCI

It has been a long-held belief in the CNS regeneration scientific community that, in addition to intrinsic neuronal limitations and physical/molecular barriers presented by glial scarring at an injury site, the whole surrounding environment of the adult brain and spinal cord is generally nonpermissive for axon growth. Until recently, it was very difficult to separate and scientifically assess the relative contributions of each of the above to the ultimate regeneration failure of cut adult axons after SCI. However, with the advent of a novel, minimally traumatic microtransplantation system, it has been possible to test the ability of normal and degenerating CNS pathways in the brain and spinal cord to support the growth of axons from grafted adult neurons in the absence of glial scarring. Remarkably, in the absence of scarring, it was shown that normal and even degenerating adult CNS white matter supported rapid and long-distance growth of axons from the microtransplanted adult neurons. Axon regeneration f...
Bad as a converging signaling molecule between survival PI3-K/Akt and death JNK in neurons after transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Bad, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, plays a critical role in determining cell death/survival. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt pathway and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway are thought to be involved in regulation of Bad. Therefore, the present study was performed to clarify the role of Bad as a common target of the PI3-K/Akt and JNK pathways after transient focal cerebral ischemia (tFCI) in rats. We found that Akt activity increased at 3 h and then decreased, whereas JNK activity increased 7 to 24 h in the peripheral area after tFCI. Administration of LY294002, a PI3-K-specific inhibitor, exacerbated DNA fragmentation, whereas administration of SP600125, a JNK-specific inhibitor, attenuated it. Inhibited by LY294002, phospho-Bad (Ser136) expression increased in the peripheral area 3 h after tFCI, with suppression of Akt activity. Furthermore, phospho-Bad (Ser136) and phospho-Akt (Ser473) were colocalized. Decreases in phospho-Bad (Ser136) and Bad/14-3-3 dimerization and increases in Bcl-XL/Bad or Bcl-2/Bad dimerization observed 7 to 24 h after tFCI, were prevented by SP600125 administration, with inhibition of JNK activity. The present study indicates that signal predominance varies from PI3-K/Akt-mediated survival signaling to JNK-mediated death signaling with the development of neuronal damage in the peripheral area after tFCI. This study also suggests that PI3-K/Akt has a role in Bad inactivation, whereas the JNK pathway is involved in Bad activation. We conclude that Bad may be an integrated checkpoint of PI3-K/Akt-mediated survival signaling and JNK-mediated death signaling and that it contributes to cell fate in the peripheral area after cerebral ischemia.
Comparative study of a fluoride dentifrice containing soluble phosphate and a calcium-free abrasive: second-year report

Effects of five different dentifrice formulations after 2 years of use in an unsupervised, permissive toothbrushing study are reported. A significantly lower increment of DMFS was found in the group that used a fluoride-phosphate calcium-free toothpaste than in the group that used an anticaries toothpaste containing stannous fluoride and calcium pyrophosphate.
Phylogenetic evidence for the herbaceous origin of angiosperms

The ancestral angiosperm is commonly interpreted as an arborescent to shrubby magnolialean with large, multiparted, complex flowers. We examined this hypothesis using a phylogenetic analysis of new and reevaluated characters polarizabled with outgroup comparison. Our cladistic analysis of basal angiosperms placed the nonmagnolialeanChloranthaceae andPiperaceae at the bottom of the tree. We further inferred the probable ancestral states of characters not polarizable with outgroup comparison by examining their distribution among taxa at the base of our cladogram. The sum of ancestral character states suggests that the protoangiosperm was a diminutive, rhizomatous to scrambling perennial herb, with small, simple flowers.
Inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase that are predicted to penetrate the blood-brain barrier: Design, synthesis, and evaluation of 3-fluoromethyl-7-(N-substituted aminosulfonyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines that possess low affinity toward the α2-Adrenoceptor

(±)-7-Aminosulfonyl-3-fluoromethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (7) is one of the most potent and selective inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) reported to date, but a blood−brain barrier (BBB) model indicates that it cannot penetrate the BBB. To increase the lipophilicity of 7 by addition of a nonpolar substituent to the sulfonamide nitrogen, a small library of (±)-3-fluoromethyl-7-(N-substituted aminosulfonyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines was synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of PNMT and for affinity at the α2-adrenoceptor. In addition, this library probed the PNMT active site surrounding the sulfonamide nitrogen of 7. Bulky substituents on the sulfonamide nitrogen are disfavored at the PNMT active site more so than at the α2-adrenoceptor (thus reducing selectivity). On the other hand, alkyl chains on the sulfonamide nitrogen that contain an electron dense atom, such as a fluorine, are favored in the PNMT active site and possess little α2-adrenoceptor affinity, thereby...
EVALUATING EMPLOYER-BASED TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Abstract There is little information available on the simultaneous effects of different transportation control measures and techniques for determining the possible result of an employer's transportation demand management program. Regulators, as well as the regulated community, most often rely on common sense and educated guesses in determining the acceptability of a plan. This methodology is both costly and unreliable, especially when the ultimate goal of compliance with the local travel reduction ordinance is concerned. In attempting to develop a quantitative technique for evaluating employer-based transportation demand management programs, this paper examines data from employers in Arizona's Eastern Pima Country, and develops a methodology based on the application of discriminant analysis. The results of this statistical technique suggest that similar methodologies can be employed to develop regionally reliable models. Within a certain level of confidence, these evaluation techniques can determine the possible result of a particular program.
Scaling laws for saturation in free electron lasers

Abstract Saturation in free electron laser amplifiers is described by the critical intensity at which the saturated gain length equals the electron synchrotron wavelength. This yields approximate scaling laws agreeing with simulation results within ±10%.
Influence of Bi impurity as a surfactant during the growth of GaN by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract Bismuth (Bi) has been studied as a surfactant to alter the surface chemistry and defect structure during the GaN growth by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The gas phase Bi concentration was varied by changing the trimethyl Bi to trimethyl gallium mole fraction over a wide range of concentrations while keeping other growth parameters constant. Bi addition resulted in a decrease in surface roughness as measured by atomic force microscopy. No significant Bi was incorporated over a broad range of gas-phase concentrations. The symmetrical and asymmetrical X-ray rocking curves were narrowed slightly with low Bi incorporation. Low-temperature photoluminescence of GaN:Bi showed additional emission peaks at 3.263 and 3.179 eV, which were attributed to the radiative recombination of an exciton bound to the Bi isoelectronic-hole trap.
Human computer interaction issues with touch screen interfaces in the flight deck

Touch screen technology has gained considerable interest in the flight deck design with the evolution of consumer products such as Apple iPad and iPhone and Microsoft Windows 7. This consumer driven technology brought demand for effective human machine interfaces, but the challenges associated with the technology that were hounding the industry for last few decades still exist. This paper reviews earlier research that investigated application of touch screen technology in the flight deck. It lists the advantages and challenges that the touch screen technology brought to the flight deck from the human centric point of view. This paper also provides a theoretical framework for this research by elaborating on the preliminary scenarios and measures we will capture in order to ascertain that touch screen technology can provide a more efficient and safer environment to the pilots.
System-dependent Selection, Ecological Feedback and the Emergence of Functional Structure in Ecosystems

Abstract Most models of natural selection assume either that the material environment remains constant or that it fluctuates in ways unrelated to changes in gene frequencies (and therefore changes in the distribution of phenotypes) of the organism undergoing selection. In this paper, we consider what happens when this assumption does not hold, that is, when ecological feedback between organism and environment is included in the evolutionary process. Specifically, we examine the unusual evolutionary dynamics that occur when changes in the distribution of phenotypes (resulting from selection) alter an environmental parameter in ways that, in turn, modify selection pressures. This process, which we term “system-dependent selection”, can produce stable phenotypic diversity which functions to regulate the relevant environmental parameter within a much narrower range would occur in the absence of ecological feedback. This environmental regulation raises the mean fitness of the population and reduces variance in fitness among different phenotypes. Thus, system-dependent selection produces functional organization at the level of the system, as a whole, rather than at the level of the individual organism. We use James Lovelock's model of the imaginary planet Daisyworld to describe the unusual dynamics of this selective process and then use a similar model to examine the structure of an ancient system of wet-rice farming on the Indonesian island of Bali. This model accurately predicts the actual structure of functional organization along two Balinese rivers. We investigate the stability of such systems by exploring the conditions under which mutant phenotypes can invade Daisyworld. The results suggest that the phenotypic diversity and functional organization produced by system-dependent selection may be maintained when there exists variation, over evolutionary time, in the environmental parameters underlying system-dependent dynamics.
Characterizing and modeling mechanical properties and onset of short circuit for three types of lithium-ion pouch cells

Three types of lithium ion pouch cells ranging from small consumer electric cells with LiCoO2 cathode to large (electric vehicle size) cells with nanophosphate chemistry were tested under several local and global compression scenarios, including compression between two flat plates and local indentation with a flat cylindrical punch, a conical punch, and three hemispherical punches. Load, displacement, temperature, and voltage were recorded in all tests. The punch displacements were stopped when a drop in force and voltage of the cell, as well as a rise in temperature indicated a short circuit in the cell. Finite element models were developed for each cell type. Two tests were used for calibration of the constitutive properties of each type of cell, and the remaining tests served for the validation of the computational model. The models successfully predicted the load displacement relation and contour of deformations in the cells. Additionally, the models closely predict the force and punch displacement corresponding to the onset of short circuit in the cell. The current results are building confidence in robustness and accuracy of the present calibration and modeling approach.
A framework for CS1 and CS2 laboratories

The development and implementation of closed laboratories in the undergraduate curriculum continues to be an important trend in computer science education. Most textbooks intended for use in CS1 and CS2 level courses are now supplemented with closed laboratory manuals. Many instructors have reported efforts to incorporate closed labs into other courses as well. The National Science Foundation has funded several projects of both local and national scope aimed at promoting the integration of closed laboratories into the undergraduate curriculum. In this paper we describe the experimental authorware system PHIL, which is designed to create laboratory exercises for computer science courses, particularly CS1 and CS2. The outputs of this system are interactive MS Windows “laboratory” documents, which guide students through a series of activities and questions. These activities and questions are presented via windows which provide the students with objectives, instructions, and different types of controls for student responses (such as text edit fields). Activity windows can be linked with useful external applications, such as compilers, through buttons to permit easy access. Menu choices allow the student to save and retrieve lab documents from disk, as well as print equivalent hard-copy versions of the documents. Authors using the system can create new lab programs by customizing and recombining pre-existing activities, or can create entirely new activities based on predefined templates. The PHL system is based on parallel hierarchies of lab activity objects developed using Borland C++ and ObjectWindows, the Borland framework for creating MS Windows applications. The goals of this system are to encourage reuse of lab material developed for CS1 and CS2 courses, to provide a convenient and extensible environment for developing CS lab material, and to provide a stimulating and sophisticated closed lab environment for lower division CS courses.
The history of Werner Spalteholz's Handatlas der Anatomie des Menschen.

Werner Spalteholz's Handatlas der Anatomie des Menschen is one of the most elegantly illustrated anatomical atlases of all time. Originally published in Leipzig as three volumes from 1895 to 1903, the atlas is still widely used and remains highly regarded by many. The atlas was remarkably popular during the first half of the 20th century, especially the English version in North America and the UK. Unfortunately, the original illustrations and printing plates for the work disappeared following the Second World War and their fate remains a mystery. And, in spite of the atlas's popularity, little is known to the men who prepared the artwork for Spalteholz. It is commonly believed that Max Brodel contributed illustrations to the atlas, but a close examination of the work does not confirm this. A century after its inception, Spalteholz's atlas remains a classic milestone in the history of anatomical illustration.
Effects of acute amphetamine in the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus: possible relevance for psychiatric disorders: Amphetamine administration alters thalamic activity

Abstract Disruptions in the thalamocortical circuit have been related to several psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The dopaminergic/GABAergic afferents to the limbic thalamocortical circuit originate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and play a crucial role in the regulation of the normal cognitive functions mediated by this circuit. Moreover, it has been shown that the dopaminergic modulatory system is altered in schizophrenics. Despite the strong clinical and behavioral evidence of the importance of the thalamocortical circuit and the mesocortical dopamine (DA) system for normal cognitive function, little is known about the basic synaptic interactions between the thalamus and VTA. This research hypothesized that VTA stimulation would evoke DAergic and/or GABAergic-mediated responses in the MD thalamic neurons. Using intracellular recordings in vivo, it was found that VTA stimulation evoked short latency EPSPs in 73% of the recorded MD neurons and IPSPs-like responses in 16% of the MD cells. The nature of the VTA-MD projection was explored using DAergic and GABAergic drugs. It was found that the indirect DAergic agonist amphetamine affects the spontaneous and VTA-mediated responses recorded in the MD thalamus. These results indicate that the VTA projection contributes to the modulation of MD activity and that the disruption of such modulation may be relevant in neuropsychiatry disorders.
Tic-Tac-LEGO: an investigation into coordinated robotic control

The Lego Mindstorms Robot Command eXplorer (RCX) is a popular robotics kit that provides an opportunity to explore embedded software control. The limitations of the RCX provide a direct challenge that is typical of real-world embedded system development. This poster summary describes the Java-based development of a set of robots that coordinate to play the game of tic-tac-toe. Three key challenges were investigated in the project: 1) recognition of the state of the game board, 2) computation of the next-move within a reasonable timeframe using robots working in parallel, and 3) navigating a robot to the proper board location to mark the desired move. Game board analysis takes the form of a robot that performs optical scanning. A min-max tree algorithm was implemented in the primary control robot to determine the next best move. Specialized components affect the physical movement of the robots and mark the appropriate tic-tac-toe cell.
Switching Rules for Decentralized Control with Simple Control Laws

We introduce a novel method for enforcing stability on a decentralized control system. In contrast to previous work, our approach allows for the use of a wide variety of simple control laws, while still providing for a formal proof of stability. Our motivating example uses a simple geometric switching function coupled with PD control that has an intuitive interpretation as a virtual spring mesh. Building on this example, we show a general proof technique that applies to a large class of decentralized control systems. Furthermore, we describe additional cases that illustrate how our technique can be applied to useful systems that are straightforward to implement.
The indeterminate gametophyte1 gene of maize encodes a LOB domain protein required for embryo Sac and leaf development.

Angiosperm embryo sac development begins with a phase of free nuclear division followed by cellularization and differentiation of cell types. The indeterminate gametophyte1 (ig1) gene of maize (Zea mays) restricts the proliferative phase of female gametophyte development. ig1 mutant female gametophytes have a prolonged phase of free nuclear divisions leading to a variety of embryo sac abnormalities, including extra egg cells, extra polar nuclei, and extra synergids. Positional cloning of ig1 was performed based on the genome sequence of the orthologous region in rice. ig1 encodes a LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES domain protein with high similarity to ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 of Arabidopsis thaliana. A second mutant allele of ig1 was identified in a noncomplementation screen using active Mutator transposable element lines. Homozygous ig1 mutants have abnormal leaf morphology as well as abnormal embryo sac development. Affected leaves have disrupted abaxial–adaxial polarity and fail to repress the expression of meristem-specific knotted-like homeobox (knox) genes in leaf primordia, causing a proliferative, stem cell identity to persist in these cells. Despite the superficial similarity of ig1-O leaves and embryo sacs, ectopic knox gene expression cannot be detected in ig1-O embryo sacs.
Systemic Candidiasis in an Apparently Immunocompetent Dog

Members of the family Candida spp. are ubiquitous dimorphic fungi that normally inhabit the alimentary, upper respiratory, and genital mucosae of mammals. Cell-mediated immunity appears to be an important limitation to the pathologic spread of these fungi. Prolonged immunosuppression, cytotoxic chemotherapy causing neutropenia, diabetes mellitus, long-term glucocorticoid therapy, and prolonged antimicrobial therapy have resulted in an increased incidence of both localized and disseminated candidiasis. This report describes a systemic Candida spp. infection in a dog with no obvious underlying deficiency in host resistance. Cytopathology, histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical staining were used to determine the etiology of the causative agent.
Evolving Concepts of Cardiac Valve Dynamics The Continuum of Development, Functional Structure, Pathobiology, and Tissue Engineering

Considerable progress has been made in recent years toward elucidating a conceptual framework that integrates the dynamic functional structure, mechanical properties, and pathobiological behavior of the cardiac valves. This communication reviews the evolving paradigm of a continuum of heart valve structure, function, and pathobiology and explores its implications. Specifically, we discuss (1) the interactions of valve biology and biomechanics (eg, correlations of function with structure at the cell, tissue, and organ levels and mechanical considerations, development, endothelial cell and interstitial cell biology, extracellular matrix biology, homeostasis, and adaptation to environmental change); (2) mechanisms of disease (eg, valve cell and matrix pathobiology in congenital anomalies, aortic valve calcification, and mitral valve prolapse); (3) considerations in replacement and repair (eg, cell/matrix biology of tissue valve substitutes and their degeneration and durability of repairs); and (4) the potential for tissue engineering approaches to therapeutic regeneration of the cardiac valves. Opportunities for research and clinical translation are highlighted.
Pattern Mining in Visual Concept Streams

Pattern mining algorithms are often much easier applied than quantitatively assessed. In this paper we address the pattern evaluation problem by looking at both the capability of models and the difficulty of target concepts. We use four different data mining models: frequent itemset mining, k-means clustering, hidden Markov model, and hierarchical hidden Markov model to mine 39 concept streams from the a 137-video broadcast news collection from TRECVID-2005. We hypothesize that the discovered patterns can reveal semantics beyond the input space, and thus evaluate the patterns against a much larger concept space containing 192 concepts defined by LSCOM. Results show that HHMM has the best average prediction among all models, however different models seem to excel in different concepts depending on the concept prior and the ontological relationship. Results also show that the majority of the target concepts are better predicted with temporal or combination hypotheses, and there are novel concepts found that are not part of the original lexicon. This paper presents the first effort on temporal pattern mining in the large concept space. There are many promising directions to use concept mining to help construct better concept detectors or to guide the design of multimedia ontology.
Classification Analysis of Surface-enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectral Serum Profiles for Prostate Cancer

Classification analysis was performed on 322 SELDI-TOF-MS protein expression profiles for prostate cancer. Feature ranking was based on the F-test, information gain (entropy), and Gini diversity applied in a pairwise, one-against-all, and all-at-once modular form. Classifiers included 4NN, NBC, LDA, LVQ1, SVM, and ANN. 4-class bootstrap (0.632) accuracies were in the range 50-80%, with NBC resulting in the lowest average accuracy (50-66%) and SVM resulting in the greatest average accuracy (71-79%). A 12-peak model with 88% accuracy collapsed into 6 peaks with m/z values of 3460, 4172, 4581, 6890, 14281 and 14696. The peaks identified may be confirmed in the future to be markers of early detection and/or therapy.
Sutureless transplantation of autologous oral mucosa epithelial cells in corneal reconstruction.

New England Journal of Medicine Corneal Reconstruction With Tissue-Engineered Cell Sheets Composed of Autologous Oral Mucosal Epithelium: A New Approach to Ocular Surface Reconstruction in Bilateral Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Kohji Nishida, MD, PhD; Masayuki Yamato, PhD; Yasutaka Hayashida, MD; Katsuhiko Watanabe, MSc; Kazuaki Yamamoto, MSc; Eijiro Adachi, MD, PhD; Shigeru Nagai, MSc; Akihiko Kikuchi, PhD; Naoyuki Maeda, MD, PhD; Hitoshi Watanabe, MD, PhD; Teruo Okano, PhD; Yasuo Tano, MD, PhD Background: Ocular trauma or disease may lead to severe corneal opacification and, consequently, severe loss of vision as a result of complete loss of corneal epithelial stem cells. Transplantation of autologous corneal stem-cell sources is an alternative to allograft transplantation and does not require immunosuppression, but it is not possible in many cases in which bilateral disease produces total corneal stem-cell deficiency in both eyes. We studied the use of autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells as a source of cells for the reconstruction of the corneal surface. Methods: We harvested 3-by-3-mm specimens of oral mucosal tissue from four patients with bilateral total corneal stem-cell deficiencies. Tissue-engineered epithelial-cell sheets were fabricated ex vivo by culturing harvested cells for two weeks on temperature-responsive cell-culture surfaces with 3T3 feeder cells that had been treated with mitomycin C. After conjunctival fibrovascular tissue had been surgically removed from the ocular surface, sheets of cultured autologous cells that had been harvested with a simple reduced-temperature treatment were transplanted directly to the denuded corneal surfaces (one eye of each patient) without sutures. Results: Complete reepithelialization of the corneal surfaces occurred within one week in all four treated eyes. Corneal transparency was restored and postoperative visual acuity improved remarkably in all four eyes. During a mean follow-up period of 14 months, all corneal surfaces remained transparent. There were no complications. Conclusions: Sutureless transplantation of carrier-free cell sheets composed of autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells may be used to reconstruct corneal surfaces and can restore vision in patients with bilateral severe disorders of the ocular surface. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:1187-1196.
Performance as Education: Creating And Performing A Lesbian-Themed Wayang Kulit In Javanese Style

In this article, the author describes her experience creating and performing an Indonesian shadow-puppet play ( wayang kulit ) with a lesbian storyline. Wayang kulit is a highly codified art form, and the codes can be manipulated to create new perspectives. This experience was educational for the performer, as learning to perform wayang kulit creates a deeper learning experience than merely reading about the art form. This article includes the historical background and contemporary iterations of wayang kulit and queer lives in Indonesia, framed with performance and anthropology literature combined with queer and feminist theory.
The Effect of Telephone-Facilitated Depression Care on Older, Medically Ill Patients

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a telephone-facilitated depression care protocol in older, medically ill adults compared to routine care. A 12-week double blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in recently discharged primary care patients (N = 124). Depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Primary care providers were notified of the level of depression severity and indications for treatment, but neither they nor the patients were contacted by a psychiatrist or other mental health professional. The primary outcome was initiation of treatment. Secondary outcomes were symptoms reduction and depression remission rates. There were no significant outcome differences between the facilitated and routine care groups. This study showed that older, medically ill adults may require a level of depression care that goes beyond a telephone-facilitated protocol.
The Christ Child on Fire: Southwell's Mighty Babe

AbstractThe image of the Proleptic Passion – the Christ Child bearing the wounds of the crucifixion—figures in Robert Southwell's representation of time and immediacy, that is, his temporal rhetoric. This image was ceasing to be conventional in his lifetime because of Reformation attitudes toward the Eucharist and toward the mimetic possibilities of poetry itself; thus, Southwell's use of it harkens back to medieval traditions. In the “Burning Babe” and “New Heaven, New Warre,” the governing images collapse temporal sequences in Christ's life, merging his birth and death and making his sacrifice present to the meditating poet, imitating divine eternity, with the Child as nexus of eternity and time. Southwell's understanding of the unitive power of both the Incarnation and sacrifice informs the first poem more than does the emblem tradition. Medieval lyrics, patristic writings on the Incarnation that link the Eucharist and the Nativity and depict the newborn Christ as a warrior, and Flemish depictions of t...
Mitochondrial DNA depletion reduces PARP-1 levels and promotes progression of the neoplastic phenotype in prostate carcinoma

Mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and/or depletion has been correlated with cancer progression and drug resistance. To investigate the role of mtDNA in prostate cancer progression, we used LNCaP and PC-3 prostate carcinoma cells as experimental model. Compared to minimally invasive androgen-dependent LNCaP cells, highly invasive androgen-independent PC-3 cells, as well as androgen-independent DU145 and C4-2 cells, exhibited significantly reduced mtDNA content. In PC-3 cells, reduction of mtDNA was accompanied by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), increased migration onto the basement membrane protein laminin-1, reduced chemosensitivity to paclitaxel (IC(50)=110 nM vs. 22 nM) and decreased expression of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1. To investigate the relationship between mtDNA depletion and these phenotypic characteristics, we established mtDNA-depleted LNCaP cells [Rho(-)] by long-term exposure to ethidium bromide or treated wild-type LNCaP cells with a mitochondrial ionophore, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. Both manipulations resulted in DeltaPsi(m) loss, acquisition of invasive cytology, increased motility onto laminin-1, reduced sensitivity to paclitaxel (IC(50)= approximately 100 nM) and approximately 75% reduction in PARP-1 protein levels, resembling PC-3 cells. Overall, these results provide novel evidence demonstrating that mtDNA depletion in early prostate carcinoma may contribute to the acquisition of a more invasive phenotype that is less sensitive to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis.
Generalized Coordinate Forms of Governing Fluid Equations and Associated Geometrically Induced Errors

The governing equations of fluid flow may be cast into various forms upon application of a generalized coordinate mapping. These forms are the nonconservation law form (NCLF) and strong, weak, and chain rule conservation law forms (SCLF, WCLF, CRCLF, respectively). This paper describes the geometrically induced errors resulting from the failure to satisfy a certain consistency condition for each of these four forms and also demonstrates the ability of the CRCLF to produce exactly the same numerical solution as the WCLF, provided a condition is met on where to evaluate the transformation metrics. It is also demonstrated that considerably fewer arithmetic operations are required to advance the solution from n to n +1 when the CRCLF is used in com- parison to both the SCLF and WCLF. HE effort devoted to the field of computational fluid dynamics is progressing at an ever-increasing rate. At certain points in time during this natural evolution of numerical methods, schemes, and ideas it is sometimes in- structive to pause to reflect upon past work in an attempt to gain the proper perspective. It is important that this reflection reaches all of the way to the fundamental rules and practices used to develop numerical techniques. Some of these practices are often taken for granted much too soon after their in- troduction into the literature. Only through a global view of this past effort can subtle, mutually experienced problem areas and possible causes be identified. The present work deals with the numerical solution to the transformed fluid flow equations (i.e., Euler equations, etc.) using the finite-difference approach. The transformed equations are obtained through application of a generalized mapping from physical coordinates to computational coordinates. At the time of application of the mapping to the original equations and prior to choosing the numerical in- tegration scheme, the analyst must decide in which form the equations should be written. The choices are the non- conservation law form (NCLF), strong conservation law form (SCLF), weak conservation law form (WCLF), and chain rule conservation law form (CRCLF). This decision is one of the fundamental practices alluded to in the previous paragraph. The present work illustrates how such a fundamental decision can strongly influence both the amount of analysis required to develop a consistent algorithm and the number of arithmetic operations required to execute the algorithm. In addition, it is shown that large solution errors and in some cases instabilities can result from failure to implement the results of such an analysis.
The Control Moment Gyroscope Inverted Pendulum

This paper presents the dynamics and control of a control moment gyroscope actuated inverted pendulum. The control technique utilizes partial feedback linearization, an appropriate global change of coordinates which transform the dynamics of the system into a lower nonlinear subsystem and a chain of double integrators. A control Lyapunov function is designed in order to stabilize the overall system using a backstepping procedure.
Static solutions of SU(2)-Higgs theory.

The structure and stability of static spherically symmetric solutions in the SU(2)-Higgs theory are examined using both analytic and numerical methods. Accurate results are presented for the energy and instability growth rates of the sphaleron'' solution as a function of the Higgs-boson mass. The sphaleron is shown to undergo an infinite sequence of bifurcations as the Higgs-boson mass is increased, starting at {ital M}{sub {ital H}}=12M{sub W}. New deformed sphaleron'' solutions emerge from each of these bifurcations. These deformed sphalerons are not charge-conjugation invariant, have non-half-integral winding numbers, and are lower in energy than the original sphaleron. Hence, for sufficiently large Higgs-boson mass, minimal-energy paths connecting inequivalent vacuum states do not pass through the original sphaleron configuration.
ROMP of t-butyl-substituted ferrocenophanes affords soluble conjugated polymers that contain ferrocene moieties in the backbone

Abstract A substituted ferrocenophane, 1,1′-((1-tert-butyl)-1,3-butadienylene)ferrocene, was synthesized and polymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to give soluble high molecular weight polymers with ferrocenylene units in the backbone. The monomer readily underwent polymerization upon exposure to a tungsten-based metathesis initiator, W(CHC6H4-o-OMe)(NPh)[OCMe(CF3)2]2 (THF), to give high molecular weight polymers (Mw=ca. 300,000). The molecular weights could be varied systematically by adjusting the monomer-to-catalyst ratio. UV/vis spectra revealed a bathochromic shift for the polymer, consistent with enhanced conjugation compared to the monomer. The polymer exhibited thermal properties similar to oligomeric poly(ferrocenylene). Cyclic voltammetry of the polymer suggested that the iron centers are coupled electronically. Upon doping with I2 vapor, the polymers displayed semiconducting properties (σ=10−5 S cm−1). Theoretical calculations were used to evaluate the nature of the bonding in these and related polymers.
Structural insights into G-quadruplexes: towards new anticancer drugs

DNA G-quadruplexes are DNA secondary structures formed in specific G-rich sequences. DNA sequences that can form G-quadruplexes have been found in regions with biological significance, such as human telomeres and oncogene-promoter regions. DNA G-quadruplexes have recently emerged as a new class of novel molecular targets for anticancer drugs. Recent progress on structural studies of the biologically relevant G-quadruplexes formed in human telomeres and in the promoter regions of human oncogenes will be discussed, as well as recent advances in the design and development of G-quadruplex-interactive drugs. DNA G-quadruplexes can readily form in solution under physiological conditions and are globularly folded nucleic acid structures. The molecular structures of intramolecular G-quadruplexes appear to differ from one another and, therefore, in principle may be differentially regulated and targeted by different proteins and drugs.
Anti‐inflammatory activity of antifungal preparations

Background: Although steroid/antifungal combination medications are used extensively, they are associated with potential disadvantages. Antifungal preparations possessing inherent anti-inflammatory activity, leading to rapid symptomatic relief while providing mycologic cure, would be very useful. Objective: Our purpose was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of proprietary antifungal preparations in an in vivo, human experimental model. Methods: Using a double-blind, controlled protocol, we assessed the comparative ability of antifungal preparations to suppress the expected delayed erythema response following in vivo human exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation generated by a solar stimulator. Results: Currently available allylamine preparations and ciclopirox olamine proved to be the most anti-inflammatory, while ketoconazole was intermediate in anti-inflammatory activity under these experimental conditions. These agents were superior to oxiconazole, econazole, and 2.5% hydrocortisone. Conclusions: Some antifungal preparations possess inherent anti-inflammatory activity, although the exact mechanism remains uncertain.
Toward Ultrasmall Mass Detection Using Adaptive Self-Sensing Piezoelectrically Driven Microcantilevers

Over the past decade, microcantilever-based mass sensing has grown to become a significant field of research in the engineering community. The ability of microcantilevers to detect extremely small biochemical particles is being investigated for a number of industrial applications. This paper presents an adaptive self-sensing strategy for ultrasmall tip mass estimation using piezoelectrically actuated microcantilevers. A piezoelectric patch actuator deposited on the cantilever surface actuates the beam through a capacitance bridge mechanism. The same patch is used to measure shifts in the beam natural frequency associated with increase in the mass, which is due to the addition of biochemical particles. The ability to measure frequency shifts due to tip masses as small as 1 fg (10-15 g) is demonstrated through extensive numerical simulations. Uncertainty in the measurement of system parameters makes implementation of the self-sensing bridge network difficult at the microscale. The piezoelectric capacitance is also known to vary with temperature. To overcome these difficulties, a novel adaptive mechanism is presented to dynamically balance the capacitance bridge network. Lyapunov-based stability analysis demonstrates the global stability of the adaptation laws. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of this mechanism to perform self-sensing at the microscale. Experimental validation of the adaptation mechanism at the microscale involves a number of technical challenges, and hence, is performed on a macroscale cantilever system. This paper aims to motivate research in the development of a powerful, yet portable frequency shift detection-based microcantilever sensor for use in a variety of biochemical applications, where ultrasmall mass detection is a key requirement.