cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Protocol From the Frontlines: Transnasal Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the standard management paradigms for care of patients with sinus and skull base presentations due to concern for patient and hea...
Quantifying Aerosolization of Facial Plastic Surgery Procedures in the COVID-19 Era: Safety and Particle Generation in Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Rhinoplasty.

Background: COVID-19 poses a potentially significant infectious risk during procedures of the head and neck due to high viral loads in the nasal cavity and nasopharynx. Facial plastic surgery has s...
Time-Based Error Extraction for Multilevel Receivers

This paper proposes receiver complexity reduction by moving the error detection to time domain. The concept of time-based level detection is introduced and its potential to reduce false locking is explored. Simulation results are included to show the efficacy of the proposed error extraction approach.
Friction stir dovetailing of AA7099 to steel with AA6061 interlayer for reduced Zn embrittlement at dissimilar interface

Abstract Joining of high strength Al alloy (AA7099) to steel (rolled homogeneous armor) with and without AA6061 interlayer was achieved using a friction stir dovetailing (FSD) method. Detailed investigations were conducted to establish correlations between mechanical performance and microstructural evolution of FSD joints. Lap shear tensile testing revealed that incorporation of the AA6061 interlayer combined with tailored processing methodology significantly improved both mechanical interlocking and load transmission across the dovetail interface. Following incorporation of the interlayer, the maximum load carrying capacity and peak extension (of the AA7099/AA6061/steel joint) are 60% and 210% higher, respectively, than results obtained from an AA7099/steel joint without an interlayer. Without an AA6061 interlayer, formation of zinc rich intermetallic compounds led to brittle interfacial failure of the AA7099-steel FSD joint. Incorporation of novel tool and joint configuration eliminated asymmetric joint performance as a function of loading direction, which is generally observed in friction stir lap welding. The efficacy of the use of an AA6061 interlayer in joining AA7099 to steel was demonstrated through mechanical testing as well as high resolution analytical electron microscopy characterization.
Brief Report: Heplisav-B Seroprotection in People With HIV: A Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND Heplisav-B, a hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine with an immunostimulatory adjuvant, was FDA approved in 2017 for adults ≥18 years. In randomized controlled trials, Heplisav-B demonstrated seroprotection rates (SPR) of 90%-95% versus 65%-80% for Engerix-B. No studies have included people with HIV (PWH), and the SPR and its predictors in this population are unknown. SETTING Quaternary care center HIV clinic. METHODS This retrospective cohort study evaluated PWH aged ≥18 years without current HBV seroprotection (anti-HBV surface antibody level [anti-HBs] <10 mIU/mL) who were administered Heplisav-B. Patients without post-immunization titers were excluded. The primary outcome was the SPR, the proportion of participants with HBV seroprotection at any point after the first vaccination. RESULTS Among 64 PWH included, median time to anti-HBs measurement after vaccination was 13 weeks. The median age was 58 years, 81% were men, and 95% had a viral load <200. The SPR was 81% in the entire cohort (and 86% in those without significant non-HIV immunosuppression), 79% in those with no prior HBV vaccination and no anti-HBc positivity, and 84% in those with prior vaccine nonresponse. Lower current and nadir CD4+ counts were associated with progressively lower seroprotection. CONCLUSION In the first single-center retrospective study of Heplisav-B in PWH, the SPR compared favorably with the SPR seen among PWH from prior HBV vaccines across key subgroups. Given these findings, Heplisav-B should be considered for expanded use for HBV vaccination in PWH. Further research on the effectiveness of a repeat vaccination series or higher dosing in nonresponders is needed.
A Large Batch Optimizer Reality Check: Traditional, Generic Optimizers Suffice Across Batch Sizes

Recently the LARS and LAMB optimizers have been proposed for training neural networks faster using large batch sizes. LARS and LAMB add layer-wise normalization to the update rules of Heavy-ball momentum and Adam, respectively, and have become popular in prominent benchmarks and deep learning libraries. However, without fair comparisons to standard optimizers, it remains an open question whether LARS and LAMB have any benefit over traditional, generic algorithms. In this work we demonstrate that standard optimization algorithms such as Nesterov momentum and Adam can match or exceed the results of LARS and LAMB at large batch sizes. Our results establish new, stronger baselines for future comparisons at these batch sizes and shed light on the difficulties of comparing optimizers for neural network training more generally.
Parkinson's disease and microRNAs - Lessons from model organisms and human studies

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, age-associated neurodegenerative disorder that affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide. PD is characterized by proteinaceous, cytoplasmic inclusions containing α-synuclein, called Lewy Bodies, which form in dopaminergic neurons in an age-dependent manner, and are associated with the emergence of characteristic PD symptoms such as resting tremor, rigidity, slow movements and postural instability. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years in identifying genetic and environmental factors that are associated with PD, early diagnosis and therapeutic options remain severely lacking. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as novel therapeutic targets in various diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. MiRNAs have been shown to play roles in various aging and neurodegenerative disease models across phyla. More recently, studies have identified specific roles for miRNAs and their targets in the pathogenesis and progression of PD in several model organisms. Here, we discuss the evolving field of miRNAs, their association with PD, and the outlook for the future.
Hydride transfer between a phenolic surface pool and reactant paraffins in the catalytic cracking of m-cresol/hexanes mixtures over an HY zeolite

The effect of the presence of m-cresol on the monomolecular and bimolecular pathways of paraffin conversion has been studied over the bare surface of an HY zeolite in a micropulse reactor. The influence of m-cresol is interpreted in terms of the two types of sites present in pristine HY zeolites pretreated at high temperatures. These two types of sites are described as normal Bronsted acid sites and synergistic sites. The latter have higher activity and favor the monomolecular path. They are more severely deactivated than the former by the presence of m-cresol, especially at low reactant concentrations, where the monomolecular reaction is the dominating path. At higher reactant concentrations, hydride transfer from paraffins becomes important and promotes desorption of the phenolic compounds, which hinders the deactivating effect of m-cresol and the growth of a surface phenolic pool, typically formed by condensation reactions of phenolics. Hydride transfer between the paraffinic feed and the surface carbenium ions is also reduced by the presence of m-cresol.
Book Review: Enhancing Learning Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Challenges and Joys of Juggling by Kathleen McKinney (Anker 2007)

Excerpt: At last, here is the book many have been asking for: a practical, concise introduction to doing the scholarship of teaching and learning. If Huber and Hutchings’s The Advancement of Learning: Building the Teaching Commons “leaves the reader wanting more,” as John Tagg wrote in the first issue of IJ-SoTL (2007), this small book answers that desire. Written as a “how to” guide, its structure is logical and user-friendly, its prose easy and accessible, and (perhaps most strikingly) its general points consistently grounded in specifics and examples. It just may be the perfect book for SoTL newbies and faculty development programs. Even SoTL veterans will also appreciate it as a resource for the latest advice on doing SoTL lit reviews, ideas for mentoring newbies, responses to persistent questions about SoTL, and thoughtful predictions about SoTL’s future.
A Modular Software Architecture for Real-Time Video Processing

An increasing number of computer vision applications require on-line processing of data streams, preferably in real-time. This trend is fueled by the mainstream availability of low cost imaging devices, and the steady increase in computing power. To meet these requirements, applications should manipulate data streams in concurrent processing environments, taking into consideration scheduling, planning and synchronization issues. Those can be solved in specialized systems using ad hoc designs and implementations, that sacrifice flexibility and generality for performance. Instead, we propose a generic, extensible, modular software architecture. The cornerstone of this architecture is the Flow Scheduling Framework (FSF), an extensible set of classes that provide basic synchronization functionality and control mechanisms to develop data-stream processing components. Applications are built in a data-flow programming model, as the specification of data streams flowing through processing nodes, where they can undergo various manipulations. We describe the details of the FSF data and processing model that supports stream synchronization in a concurrent processing framework. We demonstrate the power of our architecture for video processing with a real-time video stream segmentation application. We also show dramatic throughput improvement over sequential execution models with a port of the pyramidal Lukas-Kanade feature tracker demonstration application from the Intel Open Computer Vision library.
Frequency of antimicrobial resistance among invasive and colonizing Group B Streptococcal isolates

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains susceptible to penicillin, however, resistance to second-line antimicrobials, clindamycin and erythromycin, has increased since 1996. We describe the age-specific antibiotic susceptibility profile and capsular type distribution among invasive and colonizing GBS strains. We tested 486 invasive GBS isolates from individuals of all ages collected by a Wisconsin surveillance system between 1998 and 2002 and 167 colonizing strains collected from nonpregnant college students during 2001 in Michigan. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion or Etest and capsular typing was performed using DNA dot blot hybridization 20.0% (97/486) of invasive and 40.7% (68/167) of colonizing isolates were resistant to clindamycin (P < .001) and 24.5% (119/486) of invasive and 41.9% (70/167) of colonizing isolates were resistant to erythromycin (P < .001). Similarly, 19.8% (96/486) of invasive and 38.3% (64/167) of colonizing isolates were resistant to both antimicrobial agents (P < .001). 29.4% (5/17) of invasive isolates from persons 18–29 years of age and 24.3% (17/70) of invasive isolates from persons 30–49 years of age were resistant to clindamycin. Similarly, 35.3% (6/17) of invasive isolates from persons 18–29 years of age and 31.4% (22/70) of invasive isolates from persons 30–49 years of age were resistant to erythromycin. 34.7% (26/75) of invasive isolates from persons < 1 year of age were capsular type Ia, whereas capsular type V predominated among isolates from adults. Clindamycin and erythromycin resistance rates were high among isolates colonizing nonpregnant college students and invasive GBS isolates, particularly among the colonizing isolates. Susceptibility profiles were similar by age although the proportion of clindamycin and erythromycin resistance among invasive isolates was highest among persons 18–49 years of age. Increasing antimicrobial resistance has implications for GBS disease treatment and intrapartum prophylaxis among penicillin intolerant patients.
Exactly k-to-1 maps: from pathological functions with finitely many discontinuities to well-behaved covering maps

Many mathematicians encounter k-to-1 maps only in the study of covering maps. But, of course, k-to-1 maps do not have to be open. This paper touches on covering maps, and simple maps, but concentrates on ordinary k-to-1 functions (both continuous and finitely discontinuous) from one metric continuum to another. New results, old results and ideas for further research are given; and a baker's dozen of questions are raised.
Support Vector Machines and Flexible Discriminants

In this chapter we describe generalizations of linear decision boundaries for classification. Optimal separating hyperplanes are introduced in Chapter 4 for the case when two classes are linearly separable. Here we cover extensions to the nonseparable case, where the classes overlap. These techniques are then generalized to what is known as the support vector machine, which produces nonlinear boundaries by constructing a linear boundary in a large, transformed version of the feature space. The second set of methods generalize Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The generalizations include flexible discriminant analysis which facilitates construction of nonlinear boundaries in a manner very similar to the support vector machines, penalized discriminant analysis for problems such as signal and image classification where the large number of features are highly correlated, and mixture discriminant analysis for irregularly shaped classes.
Lyme Carditis and Complete Heart Block: An Unusual Case of a Young Student

Lyme carditis is a relatively uncommon medical condition in young people. It can be accompanied by myalgias, sweating episodes, fever and chest pain for several weeks. It sometimes has certain manifestations masquerading as pericarditis. Varying degrees of atrioventricular (AV) block accompanied by rhythm abnormalities are not uncommon. We describe an unusual case of a young male college student presenting with shortness of breath and evidence of complete heart block secondary to the rare diagnosis of complete heart block due to Lyme disease causing cardiac conduction abnormalities. This condition completely resolved with intravenous antibiotic therapy. This case represents a relevant and unique clinical scenario which is an important education point highlighting prompt diagnosis in a reversible cause of complete heart block. J Med Cases. 2014;5(8):435-436 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1841w
pH-dependent interactions and the stability and folding kinetics of the N-terminal domain of L9. Electrostatic interactions are only weakly formed in the transition state for folding.

Abstract The role of electrostatic interactions in the stability and the folding of the N-terminal domain of the ribosomal protein L9 (NTL9) was investigated by determining the effects of varying the pH conditions. Urea denaturations and thermal unfolding experiments were used to measure the free energy of folding, ΔG°, at 18 different pH values, ranging from pH 1.1 to pH 10.5. Folding rates were measured at 19 pH values between pH 2.1 and pH 9.5, and unfolding rates were determined at 15 pH values in this range using stopped-flow fluorescence experiments. The protein is maximally stable between pH 5.5 and 7.5 with a value of ΔG°=4.45 kcal mol−1. The folding rate reaches a maximum at pH 5.5, however the change in folding rates with pH is relatively modest. Over the pH range of 2.1 to 5.5 there is a small increase in folding rates, ln (kf) changes from 5.1 to 6.8. However, the change in stability is more dramatic, with a difference of 2.6 kcal mol−1 between pH 2.0 and pH 5.4. The change in stability is largely due to the smaller barrier for unfolding at low pH values. The natural log of the unfolding rates varies by approximately four units between pH 2.1 and pH 5.5. The stability of the protein decreases above pH 7.5 and again the change is largely due to changes in the unfolding rate. ln (kf) varies by less than one unit between pH 5.5 and pH 9.5 while ΔG° decreases by 2.4 kcal mol−1 over the range of pH 5.4 to pH 10.0, which corresponds to a change in ln Keq of 4.0. These studies show that pH-dependent interactions contribute significantly to the overall stability of the protein but have only a small effect upon the folding kinetics, indicating that electrostatic interactions are weakly formed in the transition state for folding.
PUBLIC CHOICE THEORY, PROTECTIONISM AND THE CASE OF NAFTA

Public choice theory suggests that the political process has an in-built tendency to promote protectionist measures favoured by organised interest groups rather than trade liberalisation that would benefit society as a whole. But the example of the North American Free Trade Agreement shows that political campaigns in support of free trade can successfully mobilise public opinion to neutralise the power of special-interest groups. Therefore, it is imperative that politicians and others who believe in free trade remind the public of its benefits.
Comparison of centralized and distributed tracking algorithms using air-to-air scenarios

In this paper we compare the performances of centralized and distributed tracking architectures using a set of fighter aircraft scenarios. The tracking accuracy at platform (local) and global levels is evaluated fro track segments with uniform motion and different maneuvering scenarios. We evaluate the effects of target acceleration level, target separations, measurement accuracy, sensor revisit intervals and false alarm rates on the tracking performance at both local and global level. Kalman filter (KF) and Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) estimators with different target kinematic models are compared in terms of root mean square (RMS) position error, RMS velocity error and track purity. The computational requirements of different estimators are also compared. The centralized solution with perfect data association is used as a performance of benchmark for comparison. Scenarios considered include target maneuvers up to 3.5g and use measurements from up to 4 sensors on different platforms. Based on simulation results, appropriate estimator/data association options are recommended for different scenario configurations. An important conclusion is that, with the advent of the IMM estimator, the KF is obsolete for problems of this type. Also, the distributed estimator performs 10% worse than the centralized one.
Change in Knee Passive Envelope of Motion With Total Knee Replacement Design

Many researchers have studied the tibial passive motion, the boundaries of which are defined by various knee ligamentious and bony constraints [1, 2, 3]. The technique has been used in clinical practices and experimental research to assess injury and predict likely surgical outcomes [1, 2]. After total knee replacement surgery (TKR), the implants’ design features and altered ligamentious tension provide the joint constraint and stability. Therefore, the change in passive envelope of motion from the natural condition could be used to observe the altered constraints and stability achieved in TKR knees. The objective of this study was to assess the change in passive envelope of motion after TKR with two implant designs: cruciate retaining and posterior stabilized.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The Relationship Between “Teen Mom” Reality Programming and Teenagers' Beliefs About Teen Parenthood

A survey was conducted with U.S. high school students (M = 16.57 years of age) from the Midwest to examine whether exposure to “teen mom” reality programming (e.g., 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom) was related to teens' perceptions of teen parenthood. Contrary to our hypotheses, analyses revealed that exposure to teen mom reality programming was related to an increased tendency to believe that teen mothers have an enviable quality of life, a high income, and involved fathers. Teens who perceived reality television as realistic were most likely to hold these perceptions. The findings are discussed in terms of cultivation theory.
The effect of sealers on the freeze-thaw resistance of mortar

Abstract The freeze-thaw resistance of eight types of mortar specimens treated with 57 concrete sealers was determined. The reduction in water uptake resulting from the presence of sealer did not, in general, improve the freeze-thaw durability based on failure criteria of 0.02% expansion. Inverse relationship seems to exist between the sealer caused reduction of water uptake and freeze-thaw durability, as evidence by the plot of the average percent expansion vs. average water uptake. The results emphasize the importance of water transfer through the surface zone in partially saturated systems, a phenomenon not considered by the hydrostatic pressure theory.
Missing data and the design of phylogenetic analyses

Concerns about the deleterious effects of missing data may often determine which characters and taxa are included in phylogenetic analyses. For example, researchers may exclude taxa lacking data for some genes or exclude a gene lacking data in some taxa. Yet, there may be very little evidence to support these decisions. In this paper, I review the effects of missing data on phylogenetic analyses. Recent simulations suggest that highly incomplete taxa can be accurately placed in phylogenies, as long as many characters have been sampled overall. Furthermore, adding incomplete taxa can dramatically improve results in some cases by subdividing misleading long branches. Adding characters with missing data can also improve accuracy, although there is a risk of long-branch attraction in some cases. Consideration of how missing data does (or does not) affect phylogenetic analyses may allow researchers to design studies that can reconstruct large phylogenies quickly, economically, and accurately.
Advances in Outcomes Measurement in Rehabilitation Medicine: Current Initiatives from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Abstract Tulsky DS, Carlozzi NE, Cella D. Advances in outcomes measurement in rehabilitation medicine: current initiatives from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The articles in this supplement present recent advances in the measurement of patient-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes. Specifically, these articles highlight the combined efforts of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Center on Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service to improve HRQOL measurement. In addition, this supplement is intended to provide rehabilitation professionals with information about these efforts and the implications that these advances in outcomes measurement have for rehabilitation medicine and clinical practice. These new measurement scales use state-of-the-art method techniques, including item response theory and computerized adaptive testing. In addition, scale development involves both qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as the administration of items to hundreds or even thousands of research participants. The scales deliberately have been built with overlap of items between scales so that linkages and equivalency scores can be computed. Ultimately, these scales should facilitate direct comparison of outcomes instruments across studies and will serve as standard data elements across research trials without compromising the specificity of disease- or condition-targeted measures. This supplement includes the initial publications for many of these new measurement initiatives, each of which provides researchers and clinicians with better tools for evaluation of the efficacy of their interventions.
Self-esteem and reactions to negative feedback: Toward greater generalizability

Abstract Much research has shown that negative feedback has different motivational consequences for low- and high-self-esteem persons (low and high SEs, respectively). Primarily on the basis of laboratory experiments of task performance, it has been suggested that low SEs are much more likely than high SEs to become demotivated in the face of negative feedback. The present studies sought to explore the generalizability of such findings to (1) a more naturalistic setting (Study 1) and (2) a behavioral domain different from task performance (Study 2). Study 1 explored the impact of students' self-esteem and feedback from an initial course examination on their subsequent exam performance. As expected, low SEs performed much worse than high SEs subsequent to the receipt of negative feedback; following positive feedback the two groups performed equally on the subsequent exam. In Experiment 2, participants played the role of managers who had just received feedback that their willingness to communicate certain information either elicited negative outcomes (negative feedback condition) or did not (control condition). As predicted, low SEs expressed much less motivation than high SEs to communicate related information in the former than the latter condition, especially if the negative feedback was more threatening to their well-being in the organization. There were no differences between the two groups in the control condition. Theoretical and practical implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.
Purification of a 28 kD non-aggregating tryptic peptide of the Duffy blood group protein.

Abstract Duffy blood group aritigenic epitopes are located on a 35-43 kD integral membrane protein of the erythrocyte membrane. This protein functions as a receptor for the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax. The Duffy protein has been difficult to purify because of its tendency to form aggregates. Here we describe purification of a 28 kD tryptic fragment of the Duffy protein and purification of an 18 kD de-glycosylated form of the Duffy tryptic peptide using Thiopropyl Sepharose 6B chromatography and preparative SDS-PAGE. These Duffy-reactive peptides do not form aggregates and may prove amenable to protein sequencing.
Recent Intertidal Cements--Their Mineralogy, Texture, and Significance, Grand Cayman, British West Indies: ABSTRACT

Recent intertidal rocks of Grand Cayman are cemented by metastable carbonates. Both aragonite and high magnesium calcite are present in various morphologic forms, as shown by X-ray, stains, and chemical analysis. Aragonite is present either as clear acicular crusts or as a fine-grained (<5µ) "micrite" crust. These 2 modes of aragonite are present in the same specimen and within the same pore as alternating layers. High magnesium calcite cement is present only as a fine-grained (<5µ) "micrite" crust. Both the acicular and "micrite" aragonite cements appear to be a chemical precipitate from normal-marine water. Chemical analysis of a sample of the "micrite" aragonite cement shows a high sodium content (4,580 ppm) which would support the hypothesis of marine rigin of this cement. The magnesium calcite cement data are incomplete and its origin is more uncertain. Both the aragonite and magnesium calcite "micrite" cements contain trapped detritus such as tiny foraminifers and silt-size shell debris and many areas appear to be distinctly pelleted. Once the pore is completely filled, the "micrite" cement mimics the fine-grained carbonate-mud matrix characteristic of quiet water conditions. The presence of significant amounts of fine-grained metastable cements as described from Holocene high-energy environments raises the question of whether these cements can survive in ancient rock sequences, and be confused with carbonate-mud matrix material characteristic of much lower energy situations. The presence of high magnesium "micrite" cement in this s tuation and its known propensity for stabilization without significant change in form leads me to believe that such cements can be preserved and incorporated into the rock record, and could be confused with true micrite matrix. End_of_Article - Last_Page 861------------
Anti-cancer action of 4-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide in combination with buthionine sulfoximine: inactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and tumor glycolysis and the appearance of a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protease.

Abstract E-ras 20 tumorigenic malignant cells and CV-1 non-tumorigenic cells were treated with a drug combination of 4-iodo-3-nitrobenzamide (INO 2 BA) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). Growth inhibition of E-ras 20 cells by INO 2 BA was augmented 4-fold when cellular GSH content was diminished by BSO, but the growth rate of CV-1 cells was not affected by the drug combination. Analyses of the intracellular fate of the prodrug INO 2 BA revealed that in E-ras 20 cells about 50% of the intracellular reduced drug was covalently protein-bound, and this binding was dependent upon BSO, whereas in CV-1 cells BSO did not influence protein binding. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was identified as the protein that covalently binds the reduction product of INO 2 BA, which is 4-iodo-3-nitrosobenzamide. Since only the enzymatically reduced drug INOBA bound covalently to GAPDH, the BSO-dependent covalent protein–drug association indicated an apparent nitro-reductase activity present in E-ras 20 cells, but not in CV-1 cells, explaining the selective toxicity. Covalent binding of INOBA to GAPDH inactivated this enzyme in vitro ; INO 2 BA+BSO also inactivated cellular glycolysis in E-ras 20 cells because it provided the precursor to the inhibitory species: INOBA. Another event that occurred in INO 2 BA+BSO-treated E-ras 20 cells was the progressive appearance of a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protease. This enzyme was partially purified and characterized by the polypeptide degradation product generated from PARP I, which exhibited a 50 kDa mass. This pattern of proteolysis of PARP I is consistent with a drug-induced necrotic cell killing pathway.
Anomalous differential polarized phase angles for two-photon excitation with isotropic depolarizing rotations.

We describe frequency-domain measurements of the anisotropy decay of 1,6-diphenylhexatriene resulting from one- and two-photon excitation. For two-photon excitation, the phase shifts (Δ) between the horizontally and vertically polarized components of the decay exceed the absolute maximum of 30° possible for one-photon excitation, and values of Δ as large as 37° were observed for 1,6-diphenylhexatriene in triacetin. These results are explained by the increased orientation of the photoselected population for two- as compared to one-photon excitation.
Zinc and the aging brain

Alterations in trace element homeostasis could be involved in the pathology of dementia, and in particular of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Zinc is a structural or functional component of many proteins, being involved in numerous and relevant physiological functions. Zinc homeostasis is affected in the elderly, and current evidence points to alterations in the cellular and systemic distribution of zinc in AD. Although the association of zinc and other metals with AD pathology remains unclear, therapeutic approaches designed to restore trace element homeostasis are being tested in clinical trials. Not only could zinc supplementation potentially benefit individuals with AD, but zinc supplementation also improves glycemic control in the elderly suffering from diabetes mellitus. However, the findings that select genetic polymorphisms may alter an individual’s zinc intake requirements should be taken into consideration when planning zinc supplementation. This review will focus on current knowledge regarding pathological and protective mechanisms involving brain zinc in AD to highlight areas where future research may enable development of new and improved therapies.
Facultative bacterial endosymbionts benefit pea aphids Acyrthosiphon pisum under heat stress

1. Natural populations of pea aphids in California contain at least two facultative bacterial secondary symbionts (pea aphid secondary symbiont, PASS, or pea aphid rickettsia, PAR) in a range of frequencies throughout the state. 2. Two pea aphid clones without either of these facultative associates failed to reproduce in the first 8 days after the final moult if they had been heat-stressed for a period of about 4 h at 39 °C as 1-day-old larvae in the laboratory. 3. Aphids infected artificially with PASS, however, were able to produce up to 48% of the normal complement of offspring produced by PASS-positive aphids that had not been heat-stressed. Clones infected artificially with PAR did not have the same advantage as those with PASS after heat stress. 4. In aphids without PASS or PAR, heat stress reduced the number of bacteriocytes (in which the obligate primary symbiont, Buchnera, resides) to 7% of non-heat-stressed aphids, while aphids with only PASS retained 70% of their bacteriocytes. Bacteriocytes in aphids with PAR but not PASS were reduced to 42% of controls. 5. When larvae were heat-stressed as older instars (5 days old), a similar pattern emerged, though the effect of heat stress was less extreme. Clones containing PASS produced the most offspring, three to 14 times as many as aphids without PASS or PAR. Aphids with PAR only, or PASS and PAR together, had reduced or no advantage over aphids without facultative symbionts. 6. Aphids of all clones that had been heat-stressed as later instars gave birth to a variable number of stillborn offspring. Aphids without facultative symbionts produced the most stillborn larvae. 7. Field studies showed a higher incidence of PASS in aphids collected in California in summer compared with aphids from the same sites collected 2–4 months earlier. The difference was significant in two of three widely dispersed locations.
A High-Efficacy Antisense RIα Poly-DNP 21-nt RNA

The antisense inhibitor poly-2′-O-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-5′-GGCUGCGUGCCUCCUCACUGG (antisense poly-DNP RNA-21) has been synthesized by in vitro transcription followed by chemical derivatization. Its ba...
Hemispheric Asymmetry for face Recognition: Cognitive Style and the “Crossover” Effect

Abstract Photographs of faces were serially presented for central viewing, while Ss made either “social” or “physical” judgments about each face. Subsequent tachistoscopic recognition of laterally displaced targets displayed a pattern of contrasting visual field superiorities for faces seen under the two conditions. This “crossover” pattern occurred in opposite directions for reaction time and for accuracy. Field dependent and field independent Ss displayed the crossover equally, but crossovers by field independent Ss showed a consistent direction within each dependent measure, whereas those by field dependent Ss were equally divided between the two directions. Choices of encoding strategy by field independent Ss appear to be more strongly task-determined than those by field dependent Ss, but the relation between the encoding manipulation, presumed encoding strategy differences, and specific visual field advantage remains unknown.
Permeation of water-soluble solutes through poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate

Abstract A free volume approach has been used to describe the effect of apparent solute molecular size on solute membrane diffusion coefficient in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) and pHEMA crosslinked with 1 mole % ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Analysis of experimental results indicates, that for hydrophilic nonelectrolytes and inorganic chloride salts in the molecular weight range 20—500, the membrane diffusion coefficient decreases exponentially with increasing molecular size. p]Solute partition coefficients have been calculated for pHEMA and pHEMA crosslinked with 1 mole % EGDMA using a three-state model for gel water. Comparison of these calculations with experimental partition coefficients indicates that hydrophilic nonelectrolytes and inorganic chloride salts partition primarily into bulk water regions. From this result it may be implied that solute permeation occurs in gel bulk water.
Characterization of the heat transfer accompanying electrowetting or gravity-induced droplet motion

Electrowetting (EW) involves the actuation of liquid droplets using electric fields and has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for initiating and controlling droplet-based microfluidic operations such as droplet transport, generation, splitting, merging and mixing. The heat transfer resulting from EW-induced droplet actuation has, however, remained largely unexplored owing to several challenges underlying even simple thermal analyses and experiments. In the present work, the heat dissipation capacity of actuated droplets is quantified through detailed modeling and experimental efforts. The modeling involves three-dimensional transient numerical simulations of a droplet moving under the action of gravity or EW on a single heated plate and between two parallel plates. Temperature profiles and heat transfer coefficients associated with the droplet motion are determined. The influence of droplet velocity and geometry on the heat transfer coefficients is parametrically analyzed. Convection patterns in the fluid are found to strongly influence thermal transport and the heat dissipation capacity of droplet-based systems. The numerical model is validated against experimental measurements of the heat dissipation capacity of a droplet sliding on an inclined hot surface. Infrared thermography is employed to measure the transient temperature distribution on the surface during droplet motion. The results provide the first in-depth analysis of the heat dissipation capacity of electrowetting-based cooling systems and form the basis for the design of novel microelectronics cooling and other heat transfer applications.
Use of logistic regression in comparing multiple limiting dilution analyses of antigen-reactive T cells

Traditionally, statistical analyses of multiple limiting dilution analyses have used linear regression in comparing the fit of each analysis to a single-hit Poisson model. Multiple analyses can, however, result in an inflated type I error leading to spurious rejection of the null hypothesis. Logistic regression was used as an umbrella statistic to analyze eight limiting dilution analyses for antigen-reactive T cells from two mouse strains (SJL/J; B10.S), at two priming doses of antigen, for each of two antigens (porcine myelin basic protein, PMBP; purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis, PPD) used to induce experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). This proved superior to traditional methods: six of the eight strain/dose/antigen combinations were consistent with a viable model, whereas only three of eight were consistent with the Poisson single-hit model. Moreover, only three of the resultant 32 standardized residual values (four per group times eight groups) fell outside the 95% confidence interval. Logistic regression, therefore, is recommended when nominal dependent measures can be structured as a function of more than one independent variable.
Primary structure of two nonallelic beta-globin chains from DBA/2 mice.

The amino acid sequences of the β major and β minor globin chains from DBA/2 mice have been determined. This information is of interest because DBA/2 mice are the strain of origin for most murine erythroleukemia lines. The primary structure of DBA/2 β globins agrees completely with that predicted from the coding properties of BALB/c β globin genes. This identity does not support a rapid evolutionary divergence in inbred mouse strains, at least at these loci in these strains.
Adenylate cyclase activity, membrane fluidity and fatty acid composition of rat heart in essential fatty acid deficiency.

Three groups of male, weanling, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 7% hydrogenated coconut oil, 6.6% hydrogenated coconut oil +0.4% corn oil, or 7% corn oil for 8–17 weeks. These diets provided 0% (EFAD group), 0.5% (MEFAD group) or 5% (CONTROL group) of the total energy as linoleic acid, respectively. Crude plasma membranes were prepared from heart and assayed for adenylate cyclase activity. Both basal and fluoride-stimulated activity was lower in the membranes from EFAD and MEFAD rats than that of the controls. The double bond index of total lipids and phospholipids, and fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were not appreciably different in the membranes from the three dietary groups. The fatty acid composition of total phospholipids of the membranes, however, was quite different and indicative of biochemical changes typical of an EFA deficiency. Feeding of the control diet to the EFAD or MEFAD rats for up to 6 weeks did not alleviate completely the changes in adenylate cyclase activity although the fatty acid patterns were restored to the normal levels. There was also a decrease in the number of [ 3 H]-DHA binding sites in heart of EFAD rats as compared with their controls. The results suggest that the changes induced by EFA deficiency in the acyl group composition of membrane phospholipids and in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors may be important in regulating adenylate cyclase activity in the heart.
Classical surface scattering computations; Rainbows and energy exchange

Abstract Computational techniques (a “response-function” method and a molecular dynamics procedure) for classical calculations of atom-surface scattering are described. The methods are illustrated by calculations for a model of neon scattering from the silver (111) surface. Calculations for clamped and initially stationary lattices show complex classical rainbow effects with multiple rainbows due to scattering from different regions of the crystal surface. These effects are not destroyed by inelasticity or energy exchange with cold crystals. Calculations at higher temperatures show, however, that thermal effects do smear out the rainbow effects and lead to rather featureless angular distributions similar to those observed experimentally for this system.
The Helping Behaviors of Fifth Graders While Using Collaborative Strategic Reading During ESL Content Classes

This study investigated the frequency and means by which bilingual students helped each other and their limited English proficient peers in content classes while working in small, heterogeneous groups as they implemented a reading strategy: collaborative strategic reading. Overall, students in groups spent large amounts of time engaged in academic-related strategic discussion and assisted one another in understanding word meanings, getting the main idea, asking and answering questions, and relating what they were learning to previous knowledge. Furthermore, each group provided some explanation in Spanish. Students' scores on English vocabulary tests improved significantly from pre- to posttesting. Results revealed that students' helping behaviors were facilitated by the provision of specific instruction in how and when to help their peers.
Oil Exporters’ Dilemma: How Much to Save and How Much to Invest

Policymakers in oil-exporting countries confront the question of how to allocate oil revenues among consumption, saving, and investment in the face of high income volatility. We study this allocation problem in a precautionary saving and investment model under uncertainty. Consistent with data in the 2000s, precautionary saving is sizable and the marginal propensity to consume out of permanent shocks is below one, in stark contrast to the predictions of the perfect foresight model. The optimal investment rate is high if productivity in the tradable sector is high enough.
Influence of asymmetric donor-receiver ion concentration upon transscleral iontophoretic transport.

ABSTRACT: Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested transscleral iontophoresis as a means for non-invasive drug delivery to the eye. However, there remains a lack of information of the iontophoretic transport behavior of the sclera. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of permeant concentration upon transscleral iontophoretic transport. Constant current direct current (DC) iontophoresis was conducted with rabbit sclera in vitro at permeant concentration ranging from 0.015 to 1.0 M in the donor chamber without background electrolyte at 0.4–4 mA (current density: 2–20 mA/cm 2 ). PBS (0.15 M) was the receiver solution. Salicylate (SA) and tetraethylammonium (TEA) were the model ionic permeants, and mannitol was the neutral probe permeant. Conductivity experiments of SA and TEA solutions were performed to determine the effects of ion concentration upon SA and TEA electromobilities. Model simulations were carried out and compared with the experimental data. It was found that the fluxes of the ionic permeants increased linearly with the electric current but were relatively independent of their donor concentrations. Electric field-induced convective solvent flow (electroosmosis) in the sclera was observed to be from the anode to cathode, suggesting that the sclera is net negatively charge at neutral pH. For the studied permeants, electrophoresis was the main transport enhancing mechanism with electroosmosis as a secondary effect. No significant interaction between the permeants and sclera was observed that significantly altered electroosmosis in the membrane. Under the asymmetric donor and receiver conditions, the transference of the permeants could not be predicted by the concentrations of the ions in the donor and receiver chambers with the assumption of constant electric field in the membrane. The membrane ion concentrations were different from those in the chambers due to the requirement of charge neutrality in the membrane.
The 7 habits of highly effective technology leaders

What do CEOs expect from technology? What do they expect from their technology leaders? How should technology leaders "brand" themselves? Today'stechnology leaders would do best to learn the specific leadership skills required to meet IT's ever-changing challenges.
A modification of the inscribed ellipsoid method

An inscribed ellipsoid method is considered for solving a convex programming problem with linear constraints. A new approximate solution is obtained by using the minimizer of the objective function on the current ellipsoid of the maximum volume. It is shown that the number N(@e) of iterations needed to achieve an accuracy @e in the n-dimensional space of feasible solutions is determined by an inequality N(@e) @? n . log"2(1/@e). One can consider the proposed algorithm as a proof of the existence of a method which has the same estimation of complexity as a dichotomy, and therefore, is theoretically not improvable.
A CMOS MEMS Gold Plated Electrode Array for Chemical Vapor Detection

This work presents the fabrication and demonstration of an electroless gold plated CMOS-MEMS chemresistor array sensor for selective detection of volatile organic compounds, with conductive polythiophene polymer used as an active sensing material. Chemresistor electrode fabrication involves post-CMOS etching and electroless plating steps. An electroless gold plating process selectively deposits gold onto the CMOS aluminum electrodes to provide ohmic contact to the polymer layer. Electroless gold techniques are optimized to provide for a sub-micron vertical gap between the chemresistor electrodes. Polymer solutions are then deposited onto electrodes using drop-on-demand inkjet printing. Measured device response to methanol, acetone, and acetonitrile vapors demonstrates feasibility.