cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward the Single-Molecule Investigation of Organometallic Reaction Mechanisms: Single-Molecule Imaging of Fluorophore-Tagged Palladium(II) Complexes

The single-molecule fluorescence microscopy imaging of individual palladium(II) complexes is reported and the requisite high-quantum-yield BODIPY fluorophore tags are synthesized and shown to act as spectators when bound to metal complexes. These combined experimental results lay the fundamental groundwork for studying organometallic reaction chemistry at the single-molecule level using fluorophore tags.
Patient-controlled drug administration during local anesthesia: A comparison of midazolam, propofol, and alfentanil

Abstract Study Objective: To evaluate the perioperative effects of alfentanil, midazolam, and propofol when administered using a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device during local anesthesia. Design: Randomized, single-blind comparative study. Setting: Outpatient surgery center at a university teaching hospital. Patients: Ninety outpatients undergoing minor elective surgical procedures with local anesthetic infiltration were assigned to one of three treatment groups. Interventions: After premedication with midazolam 1 mg intravenously (IV) and fentanyl 50 μg IV, patients were allowed to self-administer 2 ml bolus doses of either alfentanil 250 μg/ml, midazolam 0.4 mg/ml, or propofol 10 mg/ml at minimal intervals of 3 minutes to supplement a basal infusion rate of 5 ml/hr. Measurements and Main Results: The total intraoperative dosages of alfentanil, midazolam, and propofol were 2.7 ± 1.1 mg, 4.7 ± 2.7 mg, and 114 ± 42 mg, respectively, for procedures lasting 48 ± 28 minutes to 51 ± 19 minutes (means ± SD). Propofol produced more pain on injection (39% vs. 4% and 6% in the alfentanil and midazolam groups, respectively). Episodes of arterial oxygen saturation less than 90% were more frequent with alfentanil (28%) than with midazolam (3%) or propofol (13%). Using the visual analog scale, patients reported comparable levels of discomfort, anxiety, and sedation during the operation in all three treatment groups. Postoperative picture recall was significantly decreased with midazolam versus alfentanil and propofol. Finally, postoperative nausea was reported more frequently in the alfentanil group (29%) than in the midazolam (10%) or propofol (18%) groups, contributing to a significant prolongation of the discharge time in the alfentanil-treated patients. Conclusions: When self-administered as adjuvants during local anesthesia using a PCA delivery system, alfentanil, midazolam, and propofol were equally acceptable to patients. However, propofol and midazolam were associated with fewer perioperative complications than was alfentanil.
Co-crystal structure guided array synthesis of PPARγ inverse agonists

PPARgamma-activating thiazolidinediones and carboxylic acids such as farglitazar exert their anti-diabetic effects in part in PPARgamma rich adipose. Both pro- and anti-adipogenic PPARgamma ligands promote glucose and lipid lowering in animal models of diabetes. Herein, we disclose representatives of an array of 160 farglitazar analogues with atypical inverse agonism of PPARgamma in mature adipocytes.
Recombinant CD16A-Ig forms a homodimer and cross-blocks the ligand binding functions of neutrophil and monocyte Fcγ receptors

Receptors for the Fc region of IgG (FcgammaR) are expressed as membrane-bound and soluble forms in inflammatory cells. These receptors mediate a variety of immunoregulatory functions. FcgammaR-bearing neutrophils and macrophages play a major role in mediating immune complex induced inflammatory diseases and antibody-mediated tissue injury in autoimmune diseases. To delineate the biological role of the soluble FcgammaR, a recombinant soluble CD16A (CD16A-Ig) was expressed and characterized. CD16A-Ig is secreted as a disulfide-linked homodimer of 70kDa. The purified CD16A-Ig bound to human IgG1 and IgG3 immobilized onto ELISA plates and on IgG1- and IgG3-coated erythrocytes. Saturation binding studies and Scatchard plot analysis showed that immune complex bound to the purified CD16A-Ig with high avidity. Moreover, CD16A-Ig competitively blocked the binding of cell surface-expressed CD16A-CHO cells to IgG-coated plates. The dimeric CD16A-Ig also efficiently cross-blocked the binding of IgG-coated target cells to other FcgammaR expressed on neutrophils and monocytes. These results demonstrate that CD16A-Ig forms a high avidity dimer and is capable of blocking cell-cell interactions mediated by inflammatory cells expressing FcgammaR and IgG-coated target cells. These findings suggest that the dimeric FcgammaR molecules could be used therapeutically for the intervention of immune complex-mediated inflammatory disease.
Extending DICOM imaging to new clinical specialties in the healthcare enterprise

DICOM is a success for radiology and cardiology and it is now starting to be used for the other clinical specialties. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been instrumental in promoting this advancement. We have worked with a number of non-radiology clinical speciality imaging vendors over the past two years, encouraging them to support DICOM, providing requirement specifications. Validating their implementations, using their products, and integrating their systems with the VA healthcare enterprise. We require each new clinical speciality vendor to support the DICOM Modality Worklist and Storage services and insist that they perform validation testing with us over the Internet. Two years ago we began working with two commercial DICOM image acquisition applications in ophthalmology and endoscopy. We are now dealing with over a dozen: five in ophthalmology, two in endoscopy, and six in dental. This has been a very productive endeavor. Because mature software development toolkits now exist, the vendors can quickly integrate DICOM with their existing imaging products. Each of the dental vendors, for example, was able to accomplish this task in less than three months. Getting the imaging modality vendors to support DICOM is only part of the story, however. We are also working on getting the VistA hospital information system to properly handle DICOM interfaces to various clinical specialties. This has been more difficult than expected because the workflow in clinical specialties is much more varied than that in radiology. This required us to develop software that is much more flexible than that used for radiology. Fortunately, the standard DICOM Modality Worklist and Storage services can be used without change. In addition to a more variable workflow, the use of structured reporting is much more advanced in clinical specialties than in radiology, and significant work is needed to define templates and communicate this data using DICOM. Since some speciality modules of our hospital information system currently store only report text, we also have to figure out how to store and display the discrete structured report data. The work involved in extending DICOM to the clinical specialties, and in integrating them with the hospital information system is an ongoing and worthwhile challenge. Our goal is to incorporate al of the patient's data into the electronic record, and DICOM is making this easier for everyone. Considerable investment, however, has to be made in the hospital information system software to accrue the full benefit.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Molecular diagnosis and characterization of thyroid hormone resistance syndromes.

The genetic basis of generalized resistance to thyroid hormones (GRTH) is now well understood. In the majority of patients, diverse mutations in the T3-binding domain of the c-erbAβ thyroid hormone...
Heat transfer in shrouded rectangular cavities

Heat transfer with turbulent flow over shrouded rectangular cavities are numerically investigated. The geometry studied models flow through the clearance gap at the grooved tip of an axial turbine blade, where the blade rotates in close proximity to a stationary outer ring or shroud. The direction of relative shroud motion is always in opposition to the direction of the gas flow across the blade tip. Heat transfer characteristics and flow pattern in a cavity are found to be strongly influenced by the dimension of gap clearance, cavity geometry, and relative shroud movement.
The multiple myeloma-associated MMSET gene contributes to cellular adhesion, clonogenic growth, and tumorigenicity

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematologic malignancy characterized by recurrent chromosomal translocations. Patients with t(4;14)(p16;q32) are the worst prognostic subgroup in MM, although the basis for this poor prognosis is unknown. The t(4;14) is unusual in that it involves 2 potential target genes: fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) and multiple myeloma SET domain (MMSET). MMSET is universally overexpressed in t(4;14) MM, whereas FGFR3 expression is lost in one-third of cases. Nonetheless, the role of MMSET in t(4;14) MM has remained unclear. Here we demonstrate a role for MMSET in t(4;14) MM cells. Down-regulation of MMSET expression in MM cell lines by RNA interference and by selective disruption of the translocated MMSET allele using gene targeting dramatically reduced colony formation in methylcellulose but had only modest effects in liquid culture. In addition, MMSET knockdown led to cell-cycle arrest of adherent MM cells and reduced the ability of MM cells to adhere to extracellular matrix. Finally, MMSET knockdown and knockout reduced tumor formation by MM xenografts. These results provide the first direct evidence that MMSET plays a significant role in t(4;14) MM and suggest that therapies targeting this gene could impact this particular subset of poor-prognosis patients.
Compressibility of molten “green glass” and crystal-liquid density crossovers in low-Ti lunar magma

Abstract Density measurements of molten Apollo 15 “green glass” have been performed in the pressure range 0.5–3.5 GPa using the floating and sinking spheres technique in piston-cylinder and multi-anvil devices. A density crossover with equilibrium orthopyroxene is predicted for green glass at 3.5 GPa, or ∼800 km depth in the lunar interior. Equilibrium olivine should be neutrally buoyant in molten green glass at a pressure slightly greater (5 GPa) than the lunar core value of ∼4.7 GPa. At the olivine-orthopyroxene cotectic (∼2.0 GPa), molten green glass is less dense than both crystalline phases. Thus, the results are consistent with models that propose generation and buoyant rise of green glass magma from the depth of the olivine-orthopyroxene cotectic in the lunar interior. Molten green glass has a compression curve slope of 0.093 g/cc/GPa, along the liquids, in the pressure range investigated. The values of the Birch-Murnaghan isothermal bulk modulus ( K ) and the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus ( K ′) at 1645°C are described by the relationship K (GPa) =19.5/(1 − (0.25-0.063 K′)). Combining this relationship with a calculated isothermal bulk modulus value of 18 GPa, derived from 1-atm ultrasonic measurements, gives K ′ = 5.3 for molten green glass.
Collection and care of sweetgum seed

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), a widely distributed hardwood in the United States and Central America, shows potential for tropical forestry application. Fruit heads change from bright green to yellow in color as they mature, and they can be picked from standing trees or logging slash when the color change occurs. Fruits release their seeds after only moderate drying, and cleaning is easy with air-screen cleaners. Sweetgum seeds are orthodox in storage behavior, and they should be stored at moisture contents of 5 to 10% at 0° to 5° (5 years or less) or −18° (more than 5 years). The seeds exhibit a shallow dormancy that can be overcome with 2 to 4 weeks of stratification at 3°C.
A perceptually based physical error metric for realistic image synthesis

We introduce a new concept for accelerating realistic image synthesis algorithms. At the core of this procedure is a novel physical error metric that correctly predicts the perceptual threshold for detecting artifacts in scene features. Built into this metric is a computational model of the human visual system's loss of sensitivity at high background illumination levels, high spatial frequencies, and high contrast levels (visual masking). An important feature of our model is that it handles the luminance-dependent processing and spatiallydependent processing independently. This allows us to precompute the expensive spatially-dependent component, making our model extremely efficient. We illustrate the utility of our procedure with global illumination algorithms used for realistic image synthesis. The expense of global illumination computations is many orders of magnitude higher than the expense of direct illumination computations and can greatly benefit by applying our perceptually based technique. Results show our method preserves visual quality while achieving significant computational gains in areas of images with high frequency texture patterns, geometric details, and lighting variations.
Hypovitaminosis D is associated with increased whole body fat mass and greater severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background & Aims Hypovitaminosis D is common in obesity and insulin-resistant states. Increased fat mass in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may contribute to hypovitaminosis D. To determine the relation among plasma vitamin D concentration, severity of disease and body composition in NAFLD. Methods Plasma vitamin D concentration was quantified in 148 consecutive biopsy-proven patients with NAFLD (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis – NASH: n = 81; and hepatic steatosis: n = 67) and healthy controls (n = 39). NAFLD was scored using the NASH CRN criteria. Body composition was quantified by bioelectrical impedance analysis and abdominal CT image analysis. Results Plasma vitamin D concentration was significantly lower in NAFLD (21.2 ± 10.4 ng/ml) compared with healthy controls (35.7 ± 6.0 ng/ml). Higher NAFLD activity scores were associated with lower plasma concentration of vitamin D (r2 = 0.29; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis among patients with NAFLD showed that patients with NASH had significantly lower (P < 0.01) vitamin D levels than those with steatosis alone (18.1 ± 8.4 vs. 25.0 ± 11.3 ng/ml). Low concentrations of vitamin D were associated with greater severity of steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning and fibrosis (P < 0.05).On multivariate regression analysis, only severity of hepatocyte ballooning was independently associated (P = 0.02) with low vitamin D concentrations. Plasma vitamin D (P = 0.004) and insulin concentrations (P = 0.03) were independent predictors of the NAFLD activity score on biopsy. Patients with NAFLD had higher fat mass that correlated with low vitamin D (r2 = 0.26; P = 0.008). Conclusions Low plasma vitamin D concentration is an independent predictor of the severity of NAFLD. Further prospective studies demonstrating the impact of vitamin D replacement in NAFLD patients are required.
Ethene hydrogenation over silica-supported Ru and Ru-Cu bimetallic catalysts: the role of defects and special sites

Abstract 1H NMR of chemisorbed hydrogen and solid state 13C NMR were used to investigate ethene hydrogenation and decomposition on Ru/SiO2 and Ru-Cu/SiO2 catalysts. 1H NMR results on Ru/SiO2 catalysts indicate that the weakly adsorbed hydrogen is more concentrated on defect-like Ru sites, and it is suggested to be thermodynamically more accessible than strongly adsorbed hydrogen for ethene hydrogenation under typical reaction conditions. Results from 1H NMR also indicate that addition of Cu reduces the amount of the weakly bound hydrogen. Addition of Cu to Ru/SiO2 catalysts suppresses the activity of ethene hydrogenation as observed by 13C NMR. This effect may be due to preferential population of defect-like edge and corner Ru sites by Cu, subsequently limiting the amount of the weakly bound hydrogen on the metal surfaces necessary for ethene hydrogenation.
An inverse problem for the wave equation in the half plane

Let R+n denote the half plane. Consider ut t- Delta xu+q(x)u=0, (x,t) in R+n*(0,T), u(x,0)=0, ut(x,0)=0, x in R+n, delta u(x,t)/ delta nu =f(x,t), (x,t) in ( delta R+n)*(0,T). Define the Neumann to Dirichlet map Lambda q:L2(Rn-1*0,T) to H1 (Rn-1*0,T), f to or from u mod ( delta R)*0, T. The author shows that Lambda q uniquely determines q provided T is large enough and q is constant outside a ball of known radius. This result extends the uniqueness result for bounded domains to the half plane case.
Defining the function of a prolactin gene family member.

Mouse molecular geneticists have been frustrated to find that knockout alleles do not always produce a phenotype. Prince and Pickett (1) The quotation above is a considerable understatement for all of those graduate students and postdoctoral researchers whose hopes for scientific glory, or at least a diploma, were resting on a phenotype resulting from the ablation of their gene of interest. The source of this consternation is functional redundancy, and paralogous gene families are at least one source of such redundancy. The perpetuation and expansion of gene family members is likely caused by a selective advantage that such paralogous genes provide a species in dealing with the myriad of environmental and physiological challenges (nutrient availability, predatory pressure, disease, genetic conflict, etc.) that are confronted by animals in the wild. Animals maintained in the relatively aseptic environment of modern housing facilities are not exposed to such challenges. Under these conditions, the absence of a gene family member may not produce an overt phenotype. A report in this issue of PNAS by Ain et al . (2) describes just such an occurrence after disruption of the gene for a prolactin (PRL) family member, PRL-like protein A (PLP-A). Despite the initial lack of a phenotype, they were able to gain some insight into the biological role of PLP-A by providing an appropriate environmental challenge. All animals possess numerous duplicated genes. In fact, the rate at which gene duplications occur is quite high and is comparable to the rate at which point mutations arise per nucleotide site (3–5). It is perhaps not surprising that gene duplication has long been suggested to provide the raw materials on which adaptive evolution can act (6). Indeed, expansion of gene families is often a species-specific phenomenon, with certain gene families restricted to closely related species …
Prophylactic automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator patches in patients at high risk for postoperative ventricular tachyarrhythmias

The strategy of placing prophylactic patches for the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) without the AICD was employed in 34 patients with coronary artery disease at risk for postoperative ventricular tachycardia undergoing coronary bypass graft surgery (12 patients) or subendocardial resection (22 patients). Patients were selected on the basis of the presence of preoperative sustained ventricular tachycardia (25 patients) or ventricular fibrillation (9 patients) and absence of control of the arrhythmia with 3.6 +/- 1.3 antiarrhythmic drugs by programmed stimulation. Patients having subendocardial resection were also selected on the basis of multiple configurations of ventricular tachycardia, inability to map the tachycardia or posterior wall aneurysm. The surgical mortality rate was 12%, with two deaths after coronary bypass graft surgery and two deaths after subendocardial resection. The AICD patches were removed in 1 of the 34 patients a few hours after surgery because of left atrial laceration and bleeding. Among 10 patients surviving coronary bypass surgery alone, ventricular arrhythmia was not inducible in 6 and in 4 it remained inducible postoperatively. One of the four patients with inducible arrhythmia had the AICD implanted with use of local anesthesia; the other three were treated with drugs. Among 20 patients surviving subendocardial resection, ventricular arrhythmia was noninducible in 15 and remained inducible in 5. Three of these five patients had an AICD implanted; the other two were treated with drugs. At 12 +/- 7 month follow-up, there were no late deaths.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Laminin promotes formation of cord-like structures by Sertoli cells in vitro.

Abstract Basement membranes are thin extracellular matrices which contact epithelial cells and promote their adhesion, migration, differentiation, and morphogenesis. These matrices are composed of collagen IV, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, laminin, and entactin as well as other minor components. Sertoli cells, like most epithelial cells, are in contact at their basal surface with a basement membrane. When cultured within three-dimensional basement membrane gels (Matrigel), Sertoli cells reorganize into cords that resemble testicular seminiferous cords found in the in vivo differentiating testis. Anti-laminin and anti-entactin antisera inhibit this cord morphogenesis by Sertoli cells whereas antisera against type IV and type I collagen, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, fibronectin, and preimmune sera had no effect. The RGD (RGDS-NH2) sequence, found in the cell binding domain of the integrin family of cell adhesion molecules as well as in the A chain of laminin and in entactin, effectively inhibited Sertoli cell cord formation at a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml but was unable to prevent Sertoli cell attachment at concentrations as high as 2.0 mg/ml. A synthetic pentapeptide from a cell-binding domain of the B1 chain of laminin, YIGSR-NH2, inhibited cord formation at a concentration of 0.25 mg/ml, but Sertoli cells were still adherent to the basement membrane matrix. At concentrations greater than 0.50 mg/ml, Sertoli cells detached. Antiserum against the YIGSR-NH2-containing sequence was also effective in inhibiting cord formation by Sertoli cells. Ligand (YIGSR-NH2 peptide) blot analysis of Sertoli cell lysates revealed an interaction with a major band at 60 kDa and with minor bands at 39 and 127 kDa. Furthermore, in Western blot analysis the anti-67-kDa laminin-binding protein antibody recognized a 59- to 60-kDa protein in Sertoli cells. The data indicate that laminin is involved in both Sertoli cell attachment and migration during formation of histotypic cord structures by these cells in culture. Two separate laminin cell-binding domains appear to be involved in Sertoli cell cord morphogenesis in vitro and are likely to participate in the formation of seminiferous cords in vivo.
Self-organization in connectionist models: Associative memory, dissipative structures, and thermodynamic law

Abstract In the development of connectionist models it is popular to rely on the concept of self-organization and to employ analogies from thermodynamics. Here we review some aspects of self-organization and thermodynamic law. We conclude that they do, indeed, have much to offer the modeling of human action. However, we further conclude that connectionists have failed to exploit the full potential of the properties inherent in a thermodynamic model of self-organization. Their use of self-organization lacks the imperatives of physical theorists or biologists who have written extensively on the topic. The use of computational temperature as an ordering principle for associative memory is analyzed. The more common approach in connectionism, to seek order through cooling, has less potential to explain the emergence of new behavioral properties than an approach that seeks order through heating. Thermodynamics as a source of analogies is also seen as limiting and we question the value of analogy as a basis for a scientific endeavor. An appeal to the constructive role of the Second Law as it operates on open systems can account for important features of organized activity. In this view the Second Law does not offer analogies; it is a law that describes the causal basis of human action.
Quantitative Studies of Metabolism in Phagotrophic Ciliates. I. Growth of Tetrahymena pyriformis W on Viable and on Killed Bacteria

SYNOPSIS. Tetrahymena pyriformis W, transferred from proteose peptone to bacterized Cerophyl, exhibited the same growth rate whether A. aerogenes, E. coli, or S. marcescens was the food organism. When T. pyriformis was suspended in sterile Cerophyl and fed various amounts of killed bacteria, the initial growth rate was the same as when viable bacteria were used, and the total increase in ciliate population was a function of the amount of bacterial protoplasm added. With Cerophyl concentrations below 0.1%, ingestion of the bacteria and reproduction of the ciliates were greatly reduced, suggesting a phagotrophy-inducing factor in the Cerophyl. T. pyriformis resuspended in sterile Cerophyl can be fed washed killed bacteria for studies on various aspects of the metabolism of phagotrophic ciliates.
Meta-Analysis of Meta-Analyses in Communication: Comparing Fixed Effects and Random Effects Analysis Models

Thirty-nine meta-analyses obtained from the past 10 years of communication research (1997–2007) were reanalyzed using fixed effects (FE), random effects (RE), and Hunter and Schmidt (HS) meta-analytic methods. The majority of studies (62%) reported use of the HS model in the original analysis. Differences identified between models include (a) greater propensity for Type 1 error under the FE approach, (b) episodes of inflated effect size (ES) under the RE approach, and (c) high levels of heterogeneity in population ESs across studies. Recommendations are made for scholars to appropriately choose and implement meta-analytic models in future research.
Fault-Tolerant Communications in Cube-Based Multiple-Bus Systems

We consider routing in multiple-bus systems with faulty nodes and buses. A cube-based multiple-bus system is used as an example to demonstrate our approach. In this system, processors are partitioned into two sets based on the definition of a bipartite graph, one set is called a processor set and the other one becomes a bus set. A fault-tolerant routing scheme is proposed based on limited global information of fault distribution captured by safety level which is an integer associated with each processor and bus. A safety level is an approximated measure of the number and distribution of faulty components in the neighborhood. Each processor (also called node) is considered as an active entity while each bus is viewed as a passive one. The safety level of each bus is calculated by one of its adjacent nodes. Optimal routing between two nodes is guaranteed if the safety level of the source node is no less than the Hamming distance between the source and destination nodes. The proposed scheme is the first attempt to address fault-tolerant communication in a multiple-bus system with limited global fault information.
Development and efficacy of a novobiocin-resistant Streptococcus iniae as a novel vaccine in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract A novel attenuated Streptococcus iniae vaccine was developed from a virulent strain of Streptococcus iniae (ISET0901) through selection for novobiocin resistance (named ISNO). The safety of ISNO was then evaluated in Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) through intraperitoneal (IP) injection. When male tilapia (average weight 10 g) were IP injected with 2 × 10 7 colony-forming units (CFU) of the attenuated S. iniae vaccine strain, no fish died. However, when the same age and size matched tilapia were IP injected with 2 × 10 7 and 1 × 10 5 CFU of the virulent parent strain of S. iniae , 100 and 90% fish died, respectively. Backpassage safety studies revealed that ISNO was unable to revert back to a virulent state. When IP vaccinated fish were challenged by the virulent ISET0901 strain of S. iniae , relative percent survival (RPS) values of vaccinated fish at 14, 28, 60, 90, and 180 days post ISNO vaccination (dpv) were 100, 100, 100, 89, and 75%, respectively, The RPS values of ISNO vaccinated fish (IP vaccination) against infections by five heterologous virulent strains of S. iniae (F3CB, 102F1K, 405F1K, IF6, and ARS60) at 60 dpv were 78, 90, 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. When tilapia were IP vaccinated by ISNO at dose of 1 × 10 2 , 1 × 10 3 , 1 × 10 4 , 1 × 10 5 , 1 × 10 6 , and 1 × 10 7 CFU/fish, RPS values at 28 dpv were 81, 94, 100, 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. At 28 dpv, RPS of vaccinated fish by ISNO through bath immersion (1 × 10 7 CFU/ml) was 88%. ELISA results revealed that protection elicited by ISNO was due to antibody- as well as cell- mediated immunity. Our results suggest that ISNO could be used as a novel safe and efficacious vaccine to protect Nile tilapia from S. iniae infections.
Conformation-driven computing: a comparison of designs based on DNA, RNA, and protein

Molecular pattern recognition based on conformational interactions is the major basis of control and information processing in biological cells. Designs for pattern recognition devices that use the conformational characteristics of different major classes of biomolecules (DNA, RNA, and protein) are considered.
Effect of prestrain and stacking-fault energy on the application of the Hall-Petch relation in fcc metals and alloys☆

Abstract Sheet specimens of nickel, copper, and 70 30 brass, representing a range of stacking-fault free energies of 128, 78, and 14 mJ/m2, respectively, were variously annealed to produce a range of four different grain sizes and then cold-rolled to reductions in thickness of 5, 10, 15, 45, and 60%. Plots of the 0.2% offset yield stress as well as the ultimate tensile stress and residual microhardness versus the reciprocal square root of the grain size ( D − 1 2 ) showed that a Hall-Petch-type relationship could be applied in all cases. A plot of the slopes of the Hall-Petch relationships for the annealed materials as a function of the stacking-fault free energy (γSF) revealed a linear relationship of the form K=[ Gb 2φ(1−v) ]×[α−δγ SF ] where α and δ are dimensionally consistent constants. For prestrained materials, where the grain microstructure is altered somewhat systematically in the range of stacking-fault free energy as observed directly by transmission electron microscopy, the Hall-Petch relationship becomes σ = σ 0 + βϵ 1 2 − KD − sol1 2 , where ϵ is the strain, σ0 is the “friction stress” for the annealed material, and β is a constant which may be dependent upon the stacking-fault free energy. An equation of this form also applies in the description of the ultimate tensile stress and the hardness except that the additional term accounting for the strain-induced alterations in the microstructure is somewhat altered, and the exponent of this term depends upon the stacking-fault free energy.
Detection of Vibrio vulnificus Before and After γ-irradiation in Quahog Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) Tissue Using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

The effects of γ –irradiation on the destruction of Vibrio vulnificus in quahog clam tissue (Mercenaria mercenaria) by real-time PCR (Rti-PCR) were studied. The Rti-PCR methodology used in this study employed four sets of V. vulnificus specific primers, which were utilized to amplify 1000, 700, 300, and 70-bp sequences of the vvhA to determine the percent detection of V. vulnificus genomic targets after γ –irradiation. Tissue homogenates seeded with V. vulnificus were irradiated to gradually reduce the viable CFU by accumulating dosage. The use of these four pairs of primers to amplify DNA target sequences of varying length in seeded tissue exposed to 1.4 KGy failed to discriminate between irradiated and nonirradiated cells. In contrast, with doses of 2.0, 3.0, and 5.0 KGy, the amplification of 700, 300, and 70-bp sequences resulted in higher Ct values, respectively, and lower levels of amplification with each primer pair, reflecting increased DNA fracture with increasing dose. When varying numbers of CFU...
On the binding of electrons to CS2: Possible role of quadrupole-bound states

Abstract Rydberg atoms are known to charge exchange with CS2 resulting in formation of CS2− ions that undergo rapid electric-field-induced detachment in applied fields ⪆1 kV cm −1 . Here we examine a possible explanation for these observations based on the formation of ions in which the electron is weakly bound by the quadrupole moment (Q20 = + 3.3 au) of the neutral molecule. Theoretical calculations and further analysis of available experimental data suggest that such a mechanism might indeed account for the earlier observations. This is further supported to the observation that charge exchange does not occur in Rydberg atom collisions with COS (Q20 = −0.2 au).
Excited State Electronic Landscape of mPlum Revealed by Two-Dimensional Double Quantum Coherence Spectroscopy

Red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) are widely used probes for monitoring subcellular processes with extremely high spatial and temporal precision. In this work, we employed spectrally resolved transient absorption (SRTA) and two-dimensional double quantum coherence (2D2Q) spectroscopy to investigate the excited state electronic structure of mPlum, a well-known RFP. The SRTA spectra reveal the presence of excited state absorption features at both the low- and high-energy sides of the dominant ground state bleach contribution. The 2D2Q spectra measured at several excitation wavelengths reveal a peak pattern consistent with the presence of more than three electronic states (i.e., ground, excited, and doubly excited). Numerical modeling of this response suggests that the features are consistent with a 1–1–2 electronic structure. The two closely spaced (∼1500 cm–1) levels in the double quantum manifold appear at opposite anharmonicities relative to twice the energy of the lowest energy transition. These observati...
Rationale, design, and baseline data for Commit to Quit II: an evaluation of the efficacy of moderate-intensity physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation in women.

Abstract Background Commit to Quit II is a 4-year randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation treatment plus moderate-intensity physical activity with the same cessation treatment plus contact control. Methods Sedentary women smokers ( n = 217) were randomized to receive 8 weeks of treatment followed by 12 months of follow-up. This article outlines the study design, presents baseline data about the sample, and compares the sample to national samples and to our previous study examining vigorous-intensity exercise as an aid to smoking cessation. Results Married and white participants reported significantly higher levels of nicotine dependence than nonmarried and minority participants. Higher levels of nicotine dependence were also significantly related to lower smoking cessation self-efficacy and higher levels of self-reported depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. Additionally, participants smoked significantly more cigarettes (mean 20.6) than a national sample of female smokers (mean 16.1). On average, participants were significantly older, weighed significantly more, and scored significantly higher on a measure of anxiety than participants in our previous trial. Conclusions Our sample consisted of women who were heavier smokers than national samples seeking treatment. It remains to be determined how this will impact their ability to attain cessation in the present study.
Introduction to Special Section on Cognitive and Natural Computing With Nanotechnology

A key opportunity of the 21st Century is to merge progress across various science and engineering fields to materialize on the promise of artificial cognition. These interdisciplinary research directions towards cognitive systems may be influenced by the models of the brain and/or rely on a new kind of physical implementation of a mathematical model of cognitive systems. This particular special issue on "Cognitive and Natural Computing with Nanotechnology" was directed to the broad nanomaterials, nanodevice, nanofabrics, nanocircuit, and nanoarchitecture research communities working specifically on novel nanotechnology-enabled directions. The special issue selected papers on innovative ideas for solutions to the principal challenge of realizing architectures that can enable decision-making, intelligent information and sensorial processing, and autonomous learning and adaptation. These systems may employ a variety of fundamental principles and do not necessarily need to emulate the biological or natural automata. Rather, their key distinguishing aspect is that their plasticity, reconfiguration, and functional underpinnings are achieved without involving software. In particular, such systems could 1) introduce new architectural concepts enabled by nanoscale capabilities, resembling the neocortex and natural systems; 2) leverage new materials and nanodevices and their interactions to achieve core cognitive functions; 3) design or build on novel nanofabrics enabling efficient implementation of cognitive computational approaches including achieving high degree of connectivity and collective functions. The ten papers ultimately selected articulate a vision for a cognitive computing direction beyond von Neumann microprocessors and/or present a technology component that contributes to this vision. Nine of these papers appear in this issue and one paper was included in an earlier IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (TNANO) issue this year. The nine papers are briefly summarized.
Redundancy of myostatin and growth/differentiation factor 11 function

Background Myostatin (Mstn) and growth/differentiation factor 11 (Gdf11) are highly related transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) family members that play important roles in regulating embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Despite their high degree of sequence identity, targeted mutations in these genes result in non-overlapping phenotypes affecting distinct biological processes. Loss of Mstn in mice causes a doubling of skeletal muscle mass while loss of Gdf11 in mice causes dramatic anterior homeotic transformations of the axial skeleton, kidney agenesis, and an increase in progenitor cell number in several tissues. In order to investigate the possible functional redundancy of myostatin and Gdf11, we analyzed the effect of eliminating the functions of both of these signaling molecules.
Person-Job Cognitive Style Fit for Software Developers: The Effect on Strain and Performance

Software developers face a constant barrage of innovations designed to improve the development environment. Yet stress/strain among software developers has been steadily increasing and is at an all-time high, while their productivity is often questioned. Why, if these innovations are meant to improve the environment, are developers more stressed and less productive than they should be? Using a combination of cognitive style and person-environment fit theories as the theoretical lens, this study examines one potential source of stress/strain and productivity impediment among software developers. Specifically, this paper examines the fit between the preferred cognitive style of a software developer and his or her perception of the cognitive style required by the job environment, and the effect of that fit on stress/strain and performance. Data collected from a field study of 123 (object-oriented) software developers suggest that performance decreases and stress increases as this gap between cognitive styles becomes wider. Using surface response methodology, the precise fit relationship is modeled. The interaction of the developer and the environment provides explanatory power above and beyond either of the factors separately, suggesting that studies examining strain and performance of developers should explicitly consider and measure the cognitive style fit between the software developer and the software development environment. In practice, managers can use the results to help recognize misfit, its consequences, and the appropriate interventions (such as training or person/task matching).
The Role of Telemedicine in Treating the Critically Ill

Telemedicine use has been increasing exponentially and is expected to become a common tool in remote emergency departments, inpatient wards, and ICUs for acute care. Telemedicine involves real-time, live interactive high-definition video and audio communication that allows critical care physicians to have a virtual presence at the bedside of any critically ill patient. There is increasing data to support new care models that incorporate telemedicine in caring for the critically ill, resulting in higher care quality; more efficient resource use with improved cost-effectiveness; and higher patient, family, and remote provider satisfaction. As further research is conducted, the best use of telemedicine will be better defined and will result in increased access to critical care expertise to a larger population of patients requiring ICU services.
An Error Analysis of the FCC Site-Attenuation Approximation

Approximation errors in the current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) equation for describing the site attenuation of an open-field test site are identified, characterized, and evaluated. A modified site-attenuation approximation is suggested as a result of the error analysis. Calculated results obtained from the modified approximation are then compared to measured results obtained at the 3-, 10-, and 30-m measurement distances. The results are seen to be well within ± 2 dB of each other from 30 to 1000 MHz at each frequency at which measurements were made. Finally, after noting that measured site attenuation is not independent of the make or model of half-wave dipoles which are used, a method of standardization is suggested.
Receiver Statistics for Spectrum Monitoring While Communicating

In many dynamic spectrum access networks, it is necessary for secondary users to monitor the frequency band in which they are communicating so that they can determine if the primary user has begun transmission. Traditional sensing methods require the transmitters of the secondary users to be silent while spectrum monitoring is performed. Statistics that are derived easily in a communications receiver have the potential to permit a level of spectrum monitoring while the receiver is demodulating and decoding a packet, so that it is not necessary to silence the secondary transmitters. The proposed techniques for spectrum monitoring can supplement existing methods and reduce the amount of time that secondary users must refrain from communicating.
Rapid development of simple, custom program analysis tools

Compiler based program analysis tools can aid program understanding. Requirements for such tools include practicality and high assurance: Tools have to be economical to develop and run and applicable to real systems; and engineers have to have a basis for confidently interpreting tool results. These requirements can be hard to meet. Sophisticated tools can be costly to build and use; complexities of real systems can render compiler based tools useless; and it can be hard to interpret tool results. These problems raise three questions: Are simple, high assurance tools practical? Are they useful? What are the key issues for practicality and assurance in general? To help get answers, the author has designed a component based architecture for rapid tool development. He discusses the architecture and its use, and summarizes an experience using a tool to analyze a real system-a version of Mosaic. Work to date demonstrates the feasibility of rapidly developing simple, practical high assurance tools, and sheds light on some of the practicality and assurance issues.
Sensitivity Enhancement of an Inductively Coupled Local Detector Using a HEMT-Based Current Amplifier

Purpose To improve the signal transmission efficiency and sensitivity of a local detection coil that is weakly inductively coupled to a larger receive coil. Methods The resonant detection coil is connected in parallel with the gate of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) transistor without impedance matching. When the drain of the transistor is capacitively shunted to ground, current amplification occurs in the resonator by feedback that transforms a capacitive impedance on the transistor's source to a negative resistance on its gate. Results High resolution images were obtained from a mouse brain using a small, 11 mm diameter surface coil that was inductively coupled to a commercial, phased array chest coil. Although the power consumption of the amplifier was only 88 μW, 14 dB gain was obtained with excellent noise performance. Conclusion An integrated current amplifier based on a HEMT can enhance the sensitivity of inductively coupled local detectors when weakly coupled. This amplifier enables efficient signal transmission between customized user coils and commercial clinical coils, without the need for a specialized signal interface. Magn Reson Med, 2015. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Robust Control of an Induction Motor Drive with Lyapunov Filter and Linear Quadratic Regulator

The author (1990a, 1990b) established a general class of robust control design procedures, termed as "Target Feedback Loop/Loop Transfer Recovery" (TFL/LTR). The existing "Linear Quadratic Gaussian/Loop Transfer Recovery" (LQG/LTR) methodology (Athans, 1986) is one of the procedures under the TFL/LTR class. Some procedures under the TFL/LTR class can be remarkably superior to LQG/LTR. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a TFL/LTR procedure for the robust control of a current source inverter (CSI) fed induction motor drive system. This particular procedure employs the Lyapunov filter (LF) introduced by Prakash (1990a, 1990b) along with the linear quadratic regulator (LQR). The design performed in this paper employs a model reduction method giving rise to a reduced order compensator. A full-length description of the steps of the single-input single-output (SISO) reduced order TFL/LTR compensator design is given and the simulation results are presented.
On the Origin of the Tektites

The conclusion that tektite falls were restricted in time to an earlier era in Earth history is supported by all known facts, in particular, by the results of critical examinations of various reported falls, including 2 australite falls described not long ago by the late Dr. E. S. Simpson. On the contrary, if the tektites originate as “lunar impactites,” as Dr. H. H. Nininger has recently suggested, it seems evident that they would have continued to fall onto the Earth right up to the present time. Furthermore, the probability that the distribution of “lunar impactite” falls over the Earth's surface would exhibit the alinement along 3 great circles, which is characteristic of all known tektite deposits, is vanishingly small.
Morphological Characteristics of the Microvasculature in Healing Myocardial Infarcts

Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with an angiogenic response, critical for healing and cardiac repair. Using a canine model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, we examined the structural characteristics of the evolving microvasculature in healing MI. After 7 days of reperfusion, the infarcted territory was rich in capillaries and contained enlarged, pericyte-poor "mother vessels" and endothelial bridges. During scar maturation arteriolar density in the infarct increased, and a higher percentage of microvessels acquired a pericyte coat (60.4 +/- 6.94% after 28 days of reperfusion vs 30.17 +/- 3.65% after 7 days of reperfusion; p<0.05). The microvascular endothelium in the early stages of healing showed intense CD31/PECAM-1 and CD146/Mel-CAM immunoreactivity but weak staining with the Griffonia simplicifolia lectin I (GS-I). In contrast, after 28 days of reperfusion, most infarct microvessels demonstrated significant lectin binding. Our findings suggest that the infarct microvasculature undergoes a transition from an early phase of intense angiogenic activity to a maturation stage associated with pericyte recruitment and formation of a muscular coat. In addition, in the endothelium of infarct microvessels CD31 and CD146 expression appears to precede that of the specific sugar groups that bind the GS-I lectin. Understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation and remodeling of the microvasculature after MI may be important in designing therapeutic interventions to optimize cardiac repair.