cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detecting binary non-return-to-zero data in free-space optical communication systems using FPGAs

High bandwidth, fast deployment with relatively low cost implementation are some of the important advantages of free space optical (FSO) communications. However, the atmospheric turbulence has a substantial impact on the quality of a laser beam propagating through the atmosphere. A new method was presented in [1] and [2] to perform bit synchronization and detection of binary Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) data from a free-space optical (FSO) communication link. It was shown that, when the data is binary NRZ with no modulation, the Haar wavelet transformation can effectively reduce the scintillation noise. In this paper, we leverage and modify the work presented in [1] in order to provide a real-time streaming hardware prototype. The applicability of these concepts will be demonstrated through providing the hardware prototype using one of the state-of-the-art reconfigurable hardware, namely Field Programmable Gate Arrays, and highly productive high-level design tools such as System Generator for DSP from Xilinx.
Albumin from heated human plasma. V. Denaturation kinetics: influence of ionic strength.

Abstract The first-order rate of loss of solubility of human plasma albumin has been determined at 65.1 °C., within the pH range from 3.5 to 5.1, as a function of ionic strength from 0.002 to 0.02 μ. Below pH 4.7 the rate increases with increase in ionic strength. Above pH 4.7 the opposite effect is noted. This influence of ionic strength is consistent with a primary salt effect related to the total net charge of the protein molecule. The stability of plasma albumin against insolubilization increases with decrease in pH, a trend which follows the tendency of this protein to expand in acid medium, especially at low ionic strength.
Quantitative evaluation of change in coexistent mitral regurgitation after aortic valve replacement

Objectives Management of intermediate degrees of mitral regurgitation during aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis remains controversial. We sought to evaluate the degree of reduction of mitral regurgitation in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, as well as a mathematical relationship between aortic valve gradient reduction and the degree of mitral regurgitation decrement. Methods We retrospectively analyzed demographic, intraoperative, and echocardiographic data on 802 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement or aortic root replacement between January 2010 and March 2011. A total of 578 patients underwent aortic valve replacement or aortic root replacement without intervention on the mitral valve. We excluded 88 patients with severe aortic insufficiency, 3 patients who underwent ventricular assist device placement, 4 patients who underwent prior mitral valve replacement, and 21 patients with incomplete data, yielding 462 patients for analysis. For each patient, the degree of pre- and postoperative mitral regurgitation was graded on a standard 0 to 4+ scale. Results Of the 462 patients, 289 patients had at least mild mitral regurgitation. On average, mitral regurgitation decreased 0.24 degrees per patient for this cohort of 289 patients. Of the 56 patients with at least moderate mitral regurgitation, mitral regurgitation decreased 0.54 degrees per patient. Of 62 patients who underwent isolated aortic valve replacements, who had at least mild mitral regurgitation, and who had no evidence of structural mitral valve disease, mitral regurgitation decreased 0.24 degrees per patient. Linear regression analysis revealed no relationship between reduction in mitral regurgitation and gradient reduction across the aortic valve. Conclusions Reduction in mitral regurgitation after relief of aortic outflow tract obstruction is modest at best. Further, the magnitude of gradient change across the aortic valve has little influence on the degree of reduction in mitral regurgitation. These observations argue at minimum for performing a prospective evaluation of the clinical benefits of addressing moderate mitral regurgitation at the time of aortic valve intervention and may support a more aggressive approach to concomitant mitral surgery.
Integrated Marsh Management (IMM): a new perspective on mosquito control and best management practices for salt marsh restoration

Salt marsh management often embraces diverse goals, ranging from the restoration of degraded marshes through re-introduction of tidal flow to the control of salt marsh mosquito production by altering marsh surface topography through Open Water Marsh Management (OMWM). However, rarely have these goals been incorporated in one project. Here we present the concept of Integrated Marsh Management (IMM), which combines the best management practices of salt marsh restoration and OMWM. Although IMM offers a comprehensive approach to ecological restoration and mosquito control, research evaluating this concept’s practical implementations has been inadequate. A long-term IMM project at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge located in a highly urbanized watershed on Long Island, New York, USA was designed to fill this knowledge gap. A combination of restoration and OMWM techniques was employed at two treatment marshes, the results monitored before and after alterations, and compared to two adjacent control marshes. The treatment marshes experienced decreased mosquito production, reduced cover of the invasive common reed (Phragmites australis), expansion of native marsh vegetation, increased killifish and estuarine nekton species abundance, as well as increased avian species diversity and waterbird abundance. This demonstration project validated the IMM conceptual approach and may serve as a case study for similar IMM projects in the future.
Chronic cocaine exposure induces putamen glutamate and glutamine metabolite abnormalities in squirrel monkeys

Rationale Chronic cocaine exposure has been associated with progressive brain structural and functional changes. Clarifying mechanisms underlying cocaine's progressive brain effects may help in the development of effective cocaine abuse treatments.
Cloud Computing: Does Nirvana Hide behind the Nebula?

At the core of cloud computing is a simple concept: software as a service, or SaaS. Whether the underlying software is an application, application component, platform, framework, environment, or some other soft infrastructure for composing applications to be delivered as a service on the Web, it's all software in the end. But the simplicity ends there. Just a step away from that core, a complex concoction of paradigms, concepts, and technologies envelop cloud computing.
Stable isotope labeling tandem mass spectrometry (SILT) to quantify protein production and clearance rates.

In all biological systems, protein amount is a function of the rate of production and clearance. The speed of a response to a disturbance in protein homeostasis is determined by turnover rate. Quantifying alterations in protein synthesis and clearance rates is vital to understanding disease pathogenesis (e.g., aging, inflammation). No methods currently exist for quantifying production and clearance rates of low-abundance (femtomole) proteins in vivo. We describe a novel, mass spectrometry—based method for quantitating low-abundance protein synthesis and clearance rates in vitro and in vivo in animals and humans. The utility of this method is demonstrated with amyloid-β (Aβ), an important low-abundance protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. We used in vivo stable isotope labeling, immunoprecipitation of Aβ from cerebrospinal fluid, and quantitative liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-tandem MS) to quantify human Aβ protein production and clearance rates. The method is sensitive and specific for stable isotope-labeled amino acid incorporation into CNS Aβ (+1% accuracy). This in vivo method can be used to identify pathophysiologic changes in protein metabolism and may serve as a biomarker for monitoring disease risk, progression, or response to novel therapeutic agents. The technique is adaptable to other macromolecules, such as carbohydrates or lipids.
Prevention of alcohol use in middle school students: psychometric assessment of the decisional balance inventory.

Abstract A measurement model should be equivalent across the different subgroups of a target population. The Decisional Balance Inventory for the Prevention of Alcohol Use is a 2-factor correlated model with 3 items for Pros of alcohol use and 3 items for Cons. The measure is part of a tailored intervention for middle school students. This study evaluated the important psychometric assumptions of factorial invariance and scale reliability with a large sample of sixth grade students (N = 3565) from 20 schools. A measure is factorially invariant when the model is the same across subgroups. Three levels of invariance were assessed, from least restrictive to most restrictive: 1) Configural Invariance (unconstrained nonzero factor loadings); 2) Pattern Identity Invariance (equal factor loadings); and 3) Strong Factorial Invariance (equal factor loadings and measurement errors). Structural equation modeling was used to assess invariance over two levels of gender (male and female), race (white and black), ethnicity (Hispanic and non-Hispanic), and school size (large, indicating > 200 students per grade, or small). The strongest level of invariance, Strong Factorial Invariance, was a good fit for the model across all of the subgroups: gender (CFI: 0.94), race (CFI: 0.96), ethnicity (CFI: 0.93), and school size (CFI: 0.97). Coefficient alpha was 0.61 for the Pros and 0.67 for Cons. Together, invariance and reliability provide strong empirical support for the validity of the measure.
Recursive fading memory filtering

A recursive, fading memory filter for time-continuous and time-discrete systems is presented as a means for overcoming the destructive influence of model errors in Kalman filter applications that lead to the occurrence of divergence. This fading memory filter is shown to be uniformly asymptotically stable under basically the same conditions as the Kalman filter and bounds on the error covariance matrix of the filter are given. An adaptive procedure for implementing the procedure is discussed in terms of a scalar example. The ease of implementation of this filter and the highly satisfactory nature of numerical results indicate the efficacy of the procedure as a desirable recursive data processing method.
Effect of Conceptual Tempo on Kindergarten Reading Readiness.

The present study examined the relationship between cognitive style and reading readiness in 104 kindergarteners prior to and after exposure to a treatment designed to modify conceptual impulsivity. Correlations were also obtained between errors and latencies on the Matching Familiar Figures Test and performance on the Metropolitan Readiness Test. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant differences between impulsive and reflective children on the Metropolitan. Errors on the Matching Familiar Figures Test negatively correlated with performance on the Metropolitan while response latency was positively correlated. No treatment effect was evidenced on either dependent measure although selected pre- vs posttest differences were observed. The results were discussed in terms of the existing literature and educational implications.
Effects of cue validity differences in weighting information

Abstract Two experiments were run to determine how cues varying in validity are combined in categorizing a person. Subjects learned the validities of single facial cues and then responded to compounds of the cues. Three special cases of a generalized weighted averaging model for combinatorial behavior were examined: a simple averaging model, a cue weighting model, and a complete discounting model. The best fit was provided by the cue weighting model, but the discrepancies from the model indicated that it was not giving sufficient weight to the most valid cue. No evidence for a summation process was obtained in cases of nonconflicting cue compounds.
Illusions of Influence: The Political Economy of United States-Philippines Relations, 1942-1960

Previous books on the US-Philippines relationship have portrayed it as one of colonial domination and economic exploitation. The author shows that the relationship was far more complex on both sides. Although the United States had negligible economic interests in the Philippines, it saw a strong US military presence there as a necessary part of its global defence. In return, the Philippines received military and economic aid, and the Filipino elite were able to manipulate the relationship in ways that preserved their own entrenched power.
Nonideal behavior of rotating gravitational mass sensors.

Vibrational mode behavior of rotating gravitational mass sensors and sensor design to minimize nonideal effect of manufacturing and external disturbances
Comparison of Two Groundbased D-Region Experiments

THE two most useful groundbased experiments for studying D-region electron densities are the partial reflexion and the cross-modulation or wave interaction techniques. There has, however, been difficulty in finding common agreement between the results of these two experiments; this has been partly the result of the different conditions such as latitude and solar activity in which the comparison has been made. Here we compare the results obtained when the two experiments are performed at the same location and almost simultaneously.
Human Cytomegalovirus Inhibits Cellular DNA Synthesis and Arrests Productively Infected Cells in Late G1

Human embryonic lung fibroblasts (LU) can be productively infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). During the course of productive infection, the virus elicits a number of responses that resemble certain aspects of G1 cell cycle progression. The virus activates cyclin E/Cdk2 kinase in both subconfluent, serum-arrested, and density-arrested cultures. Activation of cyclin E-dependent kinase is due, in part, to induction of cyclin E and, in part, to inhibition of the cyclin kinase inhibitors, Cip1 and Kip1. However, G1 progression is incomplete in HCMV-infected cells. Neither cyclin A nor cyclin D is induced, and cellular DNA synthesis does not occur if one takes care to avoid addition of fresh serum to serum-starved cultures. The data indicate that the virus induces a state of late G1 arrest, in which cyclin E/Cdk2 activates nucleotide metabolism and other biosynthetic processes that are necessary for viral replication. Failure to activate host cell DNA synthesis ensures that the virus will have uncompleted access to such precursors.
Correcting misconceptions about oral contraceptives

Although the majority of American women believe that oral contraceptives can cause serious health problems such as cancer or heart disease, the scientific literature does not support these beliefs. Oral contraceptives actually protect against endometrial and ovarian cancer. The increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in oral contraceptive users, including myocardial infarction, appears to be caused by thrombosis and not atherosclerosis. The studies suggesting an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in oral contraceptive users were published in the late 1970s and therefore used a data base of women ingesting formulations containing 50 μg of estrogen or more. More recently published data involving healthy women taking mainly lower estrogen dose preparations suggest that there is no increased incidence of myocardial infarction or stroke. Nearly all published studies indicate that there is no increased risk of myocardial infarction in former users of oral contraceptives. Animal data actually suggest that oral contraceptives may have a protective effect against atherosclerosis, even in the presence of lowered high-density lipoprotein levels. The low-dose triphasic and monophasic formulations are effective, safe methods of contraception that can be used by most healthy women of reproductive age.
A manganese-doped polymeric framework of polyoxotitanate nanoclusters with a narrow band gap

A three-dimensional coordination polymer based on a manganese-doped polyoxotitanate nanocluster, {Ti13Mn4O16[MeC(CH2O)3]4(OEt)12Br4}∞, has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. It is the first framework of doped polyoxotitanate nanoclusters reported in the literature. Compared with anatase, its band gap is reduced from 3.19 to 2.57 eV.
Effects of Coral Reef Benthic Primary Producers on Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Activity

Benthic primary producers in marine ecosystems may significantly alter biogeochemical cycling and microbial processes in their surrounding environment. To examine these interactions, we studied dissolved organic matter release by dominant benthic taxa and subsequent microbial remineralization in the lagoonal reefs of Moorea, French Polynesia. Rates of photosynthesis, respiration, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release were assessed for several common benthic reef organisms from the backreef habitat. We assessed microbial community response to dissolved exudates of each benthic producer by measuring bacterioplankton growth, respiration, and DOC drawdown in two-day dark dilution culture incubations. Experiments were conducted for six benthic producers: three species of macroalgae (each representing a different algal phylum: Turbinaria ornata – Ochrophyta; Amansia rhodantha – Rhodophyta; Halimeda opuntia – Chlorophyta), a mixed assemblage of turf algae, a species of crustose coralline algae (Hydrolithon reinboldii) and a dominant hermatypic coral (Porites lobata). Our results show that all five types of algae, but not the coral, exuded significant amounts of labile DOC into their surrounding environment. In general, primary producers with the highest rates of photosynthesis released the most DOC and yielded the greatest bacterioplankton growth; turf algae produced nearly twice as much DOC per unit surface area than the other benthic producers (14.0±2.8 µmol h−1 dm−2), stimulating rapid bacterioplankton growth (0.044±0.002 log10 cells h−1) and concomitant oxygen drawdown (0.16±0.05 µmol L−1 h−1 dm−2). Our results demonstrate that benthic reef algae can release a significant fraction of their photosynthetically-fixed carbon as DOC, these release rates vary by species, and this DOC is available to and consumed by reef associated microbes. These data provide compelling evidence that benthic primary producers differentially influence reef microbial dynamics and biogeochemical parameters (i.e., DOC and oxygen availability, bacterial abundance and metabolism) in coral reef communities.
A model-driven approach to industrializing discovery processes in pharmaceutical research

Despite year-to-year increases in R & D budgets, the number of successful NCEs (new chemical entities) has continued to decline. Drug companies are looking into new ways to make research processes more efficient, to manage information better, and to improve collaboration among research groups. This shift from an artisan approach to an organized, streamlined discovery process is often termed the "industrialization of discovery processes." This paper presents an approach to industrializing drug discovery that involves the formal modeling of research processes at several layers of abstraction, mappings between adjacent layers, and an implementation of this hierarchy using information technology-level execution elements. This approach is applied to the assay development phase of the drug discovery process. First, a business operations model is built by identifying the business artifacts, developing models for the life cycles of these artifacts, and then creating a comprehensive model that combines these life-cycle models and their interactions. Using the concept of adaptive business objects, a solution composition model that expands on the business operations model is developed. This model is then mapped into an executable platform-specific implementation by using the IBM WebSphere® platform. Our prototype system was built and validated as a joint effort between IBM Research and Bayer HealthCare.
Neuroimaging evidence for the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory

To assess past behavioral reports of the emotional distinctiveness of odor-evoked memories, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare regions of activation during recall triggered by olfactory and visual cues that were connected to a personally meaningful memory and a comparable control cue presented in olfactory and visual form. Five healthy right-handed females experienced both behavioral and fMRI memory testing. fMRI analyses indicated significantly greater activation in the amygdala and hippocampal regions during recall to the personally significant odor than any other cue, and behavioral responses confirmed that emotional responses were greatest to the personally meaningful odor. These findings provide convincing neurobiological evidence that the subjective experience of the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory is correlated with specific activation in the amygdala during recall and offers new insights into the affective organization of memory.
Analysis of rhamnolipid biosurfactants by methylene blue complexation.

Rhamnolipids, produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, represent an important group of biosurfactants having various industrial, environmental, and medical applications. Current methods for rhamnolipid quantification involve the use of strong hazardous acids/chemicals, indirect measurement of the concentration of sugar moiety, or require the availability of expensive equipment (HPLC-MS). A safer, easier method that measures the whole rhamnolipid molecules would significantly enhance strain selection, metabolic engineering, and process development for economical rhamnolipid production. A semi-quantitative method was reported earlier to differentiate between the rhamnolipid-producing and non-producing strains using agar plates containing methylene blue and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). In this study, a rapid and simple method for rhamnolipid analysis was developed by systematically investigating the complexation of rhamnolipids and methylene blue, with and without the presence of CTAB. The method relies on measuring the absorbance (at 638 nm) of the rhamnolipid−methylene blue complex that partitions into the chloroform phase. With P. aeruginosa fermentation samples, the applicability of this method was verified by comparison of the analysis results with those obtained from the commonly used anthrone reaction technique.
A computable ordinary differential equation which possesses no computable solution

Abstract We prove that there exists a computable—and hence continuous,-function F (v,x) defined α a rectangle R of the plane such that the differential equation x ′= F x , v has no computable solution of any neighborhood within R . As an immediate corollary, we obtain from the form of the above differential equation a computable transformation with no computable fixed point.
Inorganic Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy

Nanotechnology is an evolving field with enormous potential for biomedical applications. The growing interest to use inorganic nanoparticles in medicine is due to the unique size- and shape-dependent optoelectronic properties. Herein, we will focus on gold, silver and platinum nanoparticles, discussing recent developments for therapeutic applications with regard to cancer in terms of nanoparticles being used as a delivery vehicle as well as therapeutic agents. We will also discuss some of the key challenges to be addressed in future studies.
Design and simulation of self-biased circulators in the ultra high frequency band

Abstract Theoretical models were developed to design self-biased Y-junction circulators operating at ultra high frequency (UHF). The proposed circulator designs consist of insulating nanowires of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) embedded in high permittivity barium–strontium titanate (BSTO) substrates. A design with as many as 10 5 or greater wires may be considered in its entirety to determine the electromagnetic scattering S-parameters of a circulator design, thus helping to mitigate the computational limitations of the available finite element method (FEM) tools. The approach seeks to represent the nanowires and the BSTO substrate by an equivalent medium with effective properties inclusive of the average saturation magnetization, dynamic demagnetizing fields, and permittivity. The effective medium approach was validated in comparison with the FEM models. Using the proposed approach, a self-biased junction circulator consisting of YIG nanowires embedded in a BSTO substrate was designed and simulated in which the center frequency insertion loss was calculated to be as low as 0.16 dB with isolation of −42.3 dB at 1 GHz. The 20 dB bandwidth was calculated to be 50 MHz. These results suggest that practical self-biased circulators at the UHF band are feasible.
Fundamentals of data element definition

The expanding use of data management techniques and, especially, an increase in data dictionary usage reflects the growing importance placed on data as a resource. While most organizations now recognize the need to provide good definitions for their data, few achieve a high quality data definition program. One of the possible reasons is that guidelines for data element definition are scarce. This paper explores the nature of data elements and provides guidelines for their definition.
Substrate and enzyme functional groups contribute to translational quality control by bacterial prolyl-tRNA synthetase.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases activate specific amino acid substrates and attach them via an ester linkage to cognate tRNA molecules. In addition to cognate proline, prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) can activate cysteine and alanine and misacylate tRNAPro. Editing of the misacylated aminoacyl-tRNA is required for error-free protein synthesis. An editing domain (INS) appended to bacterial ProRS selectively hydrolyzes Ala-tRNAPro, whereas Cys-tRNAPro is cleared by a freestanding editing domain, YbaK, through a unique mechanism involving substrate sulfhydryl chemistry. The detailed mechanism of catalysis by INS is currently unknown. To understand the alanine specificity and mechanism of catalysis by INS, we have explored several possible mechanisms of Ala-tRNAPro deacylation via hybrid QM/MM calculations. Experimental studies were also performed to test the role of several residues in the INS active site as well as various substrate functional groups in catalysis. Our results support a critical role for the tRNA ...
Daytime Variation of Shortwave Direct Radiative Forcing of Biomass Burning Aerosols from GOES-8 Imager

Hourly Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-8 (GOES-8)imager data (1344‐1944 UTC) from 20 July‐31 August 1998 were used to study the daytime variation of shortwave direct radiative forcing (SWARF) of smoke aerosols over biomass burning regions in South America (48‐168S, 518‐658W). Vicarious calibration procedures were used to adjust the GOES visible channel reflectance values for the degradation in signal response. Using Mie theory and discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) calculations, smoke aerosol optical thickness (AOT) was estimated at 0.67 mm. The GOES-retrieved AOT was then compared against ground-based AOT retrieved values. Using the retrieved GOES-8 AOT, a four-stream broadband radiative transfer model was used to compute shortwave fluxes for smoke aerosols at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The daytime variation of smoke AOT and SWARF was examined for the study area. For selected days, the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) TOA shortwave (SW) fluxes are compared against the model-derived SW fluxes. Results of this study show that the GOES-derived AOT is in excellent agreement with Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET)-derived AOT values with linear correlation coefficient of 0.97. The TOA CERES-estimated SW fluxes compare well with the model-calculated SW fluxes with linear correlation coefficient of 0.94. For August 1998 the daytime diurnally averaged AOT and SWARF for the study area is 0.63 6 0.39 and 245.8 6 18.8 W m22, respectively. This is among the first studies to estimate the daytime diurnal variation of SWARF of smoke aerosols using satellite data.
Highly Reproducible Label Free Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of RNA Polymerase Complexes

The use of quantitative proteomics methods to study protein complexes has the potential to provide in-depth information on the abundance of different protein components as well as their modification state in various cellular conditions. To interrogate protein complex quantitation using shotgun proteomic methods, we have focused on the analysis of protein complexes using label-free multidimensional protein identification technology and studied the reproducibility of biological replicates. For these studies, we focused on three highly related and essential multi-protein enzymes, RNA polymerase I, II, and III from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that label-free quantitation using spectral counting is highly reproducible at the protein and peptide level when analyzing RNA polymerase I, II, and III. In addition, we show that peptide sampling does not follow a random sampling model, and we show the need for advanced computational models to predict peptide detection probabilities. In order to address these issues, we used the APEX protocol to model the expected peptide detectability based on whole cell lysate acquired using the same multidimensional protein identification technology analysis used for the protein complexes. Neither method was able to predict the peptide sampling levels that we observed using replicate multidimensional protein identification technology analyses. In addition to the analysis of the RNA polymerase complexes, our analysis provides quantitative information about several RNAP associated proteins including the RNAPII elongation factor complexes DSIF and TFIIF. Our data shows that DSIF and TFIIF are the most highly enriched RNAP accessory factors in Rpb3-TAP purifications and demonstrate our ability to measure low level associated protein abundance across biological replicates. In addition, our quantitative data supports a model in which DSIF and TFIIF interact with RNAPII in a dynamic fashion in agreement with previously published reports.
High-performance PQFP

The design of a high-performance plastic quad flat back (PQFP) is described. It is a multilayer package designed to provide a high level of electrical and thermal performance. The design maintains the JEDEC standard package outline; the changes are internal to the plastic body of the PQFP. A pair of parallel metal planes is added to serve as the power and ground paths for the device. By replacing a substantial portion of the highly inductive leads by the plane and shorting all V/sub cc/ or V/sub ss/ leads through their respective planes the power-group loop inductance is reduced significantly. The planes increase the power-ground capacitance by approximately 500% while lowering the capacitive coupling between leads. The planes spread the heat generated by the IC chip over the total area of the package, reducing the package thermal resistance and eliminating the need for internal heats conductors. >
Non‐linear models for the analysis of longitudinal data

Given the importance of longitudinal studies in biomedical research, it is not surprising that considerable attention has been given to linear and generalized linear models for the analysis of longitudinal data. A great deal of attention has also been given to non-linear models for repeated measurements, particularly in the field of pharmacokinetics. In this article, a brief overview of non-linear models for the analysis of repeated measures is given. Particular emphasis is placed on mixed-effects non-linear models and on various estimation procedures proposed for such models. Several of these estimation procedures are compared via a simulation study. In addition, simulation is used to investigate the effects of model misspecification, particularly with respect to one's choice of random-effects. A relatively straightforward measure useful in selecting an appropriate set of random effects is investigated and found to perform reasonably well.
E1 Protein of Bovine Papillomavirus Type 1 Interferes with E2 Protein-Mediated Tethering of the Viral DNA to Mitotic Chromosomes

Eukaryotic viruses can maintain latency in dividing cells as extrachromosomal plasmids. It is therefore of vital importance for viruses to ensure nuclear retention and proper segregation of their viral DNA. The bovine papillomavirus (BPV) E2 enhancer protein plays a key role in these processes by tethering the viral DNA to the host cell chromosomes. Viral genomes that harbor phosphorylation mutations in the E2 gene are transformation defective, and for these mutant genomes, neither the viral DNA nor the E2 protein is detected on mitotic chromosomes, while other key functions of E2 in transcription and replication were wild type. Moreover, secondary mutations in both the E2 and E1 proteins lead to suppression of the phosphorylation mutant phenotype and resulted in reattachment of the viral DNA and the E2 protein onto mitotic chromosomes, suggesting that E1 also plays a role in viral genome partitioning. The E1 protein was cytologically always excluded from mitotic chromatin, either as a suppressor allele or as the wild type. In the absence of other viral proteins, an E2 protein containing alanine substitutions for phosphorylation substrates in the hinge region (E2-A4) was detected as wild-type on mitotic chromosomes. However, when wild-type E1 protein levels were increased in cells expressing either the A4 mutant E2 proteins or wild-type E2, the E2-A4 protein was much more sensitive to chromosomal dislocation than was the wild-type protein. In contrast, suppressor alleles of E1 were not capable of such abrogation of E2 binding (A4 or wild-type) to chromosomes. These results suggest that wild-type E1 can be a negative regulator of the chromosomal attachment of E2.
Hazardous effects of tobacco industry funding

Public health scientists should be aware of the motives of research sponsors and their potential impact on health Concern over commercial sponsorship of medical research is at an all time high these days. As academic medical schools become increasingly dependent on financial relationships with the pharmaceutical industry, for example, there have been calls for more stringent standards for research contracts and public disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.1 But, so far, severing industry ties completely has not been considered as a serious option. The case with tobacco, however, is different. A small but growing number of academic institutions (most recently the Harvard School of Public Health and the Arizona College of Public Health) have approved official policies prohibiting their faculty from receiving financial support from tobacco companies and their affiliates. Some prominent funding agencies have also taken a stand. The Wellcome Trust, the American Legacy Foundation, the Public Health Association of Australia, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada will not fund researchers who concurrently receive tobacco industry funding or support. Cancer Research UK is currently considering adopting a similar policy. Indeed, the tobacco industry is fundamentally different from, say, the chemical or pharmaceutical industries. While Big Tobacco does not have a monopoly on impure science, it is the undeniable leader in organised subterfuge and manipulation of the scientific process. Over half a century, the industry has used quasi-scientific organisations, such as …
Intravascular Stents in the Last and the Next 10 Years

The first balloon-expandable coronary stent was approved "for the prevention of restenosis" in 1994, the same year that the Journal of Endovascular Therapy was inaugurated. Since then, the development of the stent has paralleled the evolution of endovascular intervention as a new specialty. Innovators have pushed to explore new and varied stent applications outside the coronary arteries. Carotid stenting, transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunts, and covered stents are a few of these new applications that have now become commonplace. Dozens of stent designs and several new materials have been tested to solve the problem of in-stent restenosis, but it is the drug-eluting stent (DES) that has emerged as the most promising, at least in the coronary arteries. However, the benefits of DES technology are not likely to be effective in the more pervasive forms of in-stent restenosis, such as encountered in the femoropopliteal segment. In the future, technologies aimed at stimulating rather than inhibiting tissue response to an implant may be part of the next wave of developments, as we take aim against the poor and/or slow tissue incorporation that manifests as leaks and dislodgement. In the superficial femoral artery, for example, mechanical stresses that cause fractures and dislocations may be addressed by using a very flexible endovascular device with a tissue-friendly inner surface that promotes rapid stent endothelialization to counter the biological effects of motion and microtrauma. The rapidly developing fields of nanotechnology, microelectronics, and advanced materials technology will enable the surface engineer to design molecular-specific surfaces for a new generation of vascular devices. Interactive implantable or injectable microdevices aimed at providing specific information upon demand from an external source will revolutionize disease prevention, as emphasis shifts toward monitoring cardiovascular risk exposure. There is no doubt that during the next 10 years, we will witness impressive technological progress in the field of cardiovascular implantable devices.
Light-matter interface in quantum networks

We report generation, transmission, storage and retrieval of single photons using remote atomic ensembles as quantum memories, as well as collapses and revivals of these memories.
Surgical treatment for cervical spondylitic myelopathy

The long-term outcome of cervical spondylitic myelopathy after surgical treatment was retrospectively reviewed and critically evaluated in 100 patients with documented cervical myelopathy treated between 1978 and 1988 at our institution. Eighty-four patients were available for long-term study. The median duration of follow up was 7.35 years (range 3 to 9.5 years). There were 67 men and 17 women; their ages ranged from 27 to 86 years. The duration of preoperative symptoms ranged from 1 month to 10 years. Preoperative functional grade as evaluated with the Nurick Scale for the group was 2.1. Thirty-three patients with primarily anterior cord compression, one- or two-level disease, or a kyphotic neck deformity were treated by anterior decompression and fusion. Fifty-one patients with primarily posterior or cord compression and multiple-level disease were treated by posterior laminectomy. There was no difference in the preoperative functional grade in these two groups. The patients in the posterior treatment group were older (59 vs 55 years). There was no surgical mortality from the operative procedures; morbidity was 3.6%. Of the 33 patients undergoing anterior decompression and fusion, 24 showed immediate functional improvement and nine were unchanged. Of the 51 patients who underwent posterior laminectomy, 35 demonstrated improvement, 11 were unchanged, and five were worse. Six patients, one in the anterior group and five in the posterior group, demonstrated early deterioration. Late deterioration occurred from 2 to 68 months postoperatively. Four (12%) patients who had undergone anterior procedures had additional posterior procedures, and seven (13.7%) patients who had undergone posterior procedures had additional decompressive surgery. The final functional status at last follow-up examination for the 33 patients in the anterior group was improved in 18, unchanged in nine, and deteriorated in six. Of the 51 patients who underwent posterior decompression, 19 benefited from the surgery, 13 were unchanged, and 19 were worse at last follow up than before their initial surgical procedure. Age, severity of disease, number of levels operated, and preoperative grade were not predictive of outcome. The only factor related to potential deterioration was the duration of symptoms preoperatively. The results indicate that with anterior or posterior decompression, long-term outcome is variable, and a subgroup of patients, even after adequate decompression and initial improvement, will have late functional deterioration.
Formation of 11-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in human umbilical arteries is catalyzed by cyclooxygenase.

Abstract Human umbilical arteries convert arachidonic acid into three hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acids as well as 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α, prostaglandins E2, F2α and D2 and thromboxane B2. Two of these hydroxy derivatives of arachidonic acid were purified by reverse-phase HPLC and identified by GC-MS as 11-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (11-HETE) and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) while a third, presumed dihydroxy derivative has not yet been identified. Both the cyclooxygenase and HETE synthesizing activities were found to be localized mainly in the microsomal fraction (100000 × g pellet) (51 and 61% of total, respectively), and approx. 25% of both activities was found in the 10000 × g pellet. The formation of these HETEs was inhibited by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and aspirin but not by the lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Production of immunoreactive 15-HETE as well as 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α were also decreased significantly when arterial segments were incubated in the presence of either indomethacin or aspirin. Indomethacin inhibited the formation of both prostanoids and HETEs by microsomes in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. The ID50, values for indomethacin against HETE synthesizing activity and against cyclooxygenase were 4.5 and 3.8 μM, respectively. The inactivation constants were found to be 0.09 and 0.08 min−1 for HETE synthesizing activity and cyclooxygenase, respectively. These two microsomal activities were solubilized in parallel with Tween-20. Incubation with three distinct monoclonal antibodies against different epitopes on cyclooxygenase precipitated both cyclooxygenase and HETE synthesizing activity. Each of these activities was recovered in the immune pellets. These studies demonstrate that in human umbilical arteries 11-HETE, 15-HETE and a presumed di-HETE are the products of cyclooxygenase.
International Union of Pharmacology. XLVIII. Nomenclature and Structure-Function Relationships of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels

The family of voltage-gated sodium channels initiates action potentials in all types of excitable cells. Nine members of the voltage-gated sodium channel family have been characterized in mammals, and a 10th member has been recognized as a related protein. These distinct sodium channels have similar structural and functional properties, but they initiate action potentials in different cell types and have distinct regulatory and pharmacological properties. This article presents the molecular relationships and physiological roles of these sodium channel proteins and provides comprehensive information on their molecular, genetic, physiological, and pharmacological properties.
Inadequate dietary magnesium intake increases atherosclerotic plaque development in rabbits.

Epidemiological studies have shown dietary magnesium (Mg) intake and serum Mg levels to be inversely correlated with the development of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that low levels of Mg would promote atherosclerotic plaque development in rabbits. New Zealand white rabbits (4 months old, n = 22) were fed an atherogenic diet containing 0.12% (−Mg), 0.27% (control), or 0.43% (+Mg) Mg for 8 weeks. Blood samples were obtained at baseline, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks and were assayed for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), non-HDL, triglycerides (TG), C-reactive protein, serum Mg, and erythrocyte Mg. Aortas from −Mg had significantly more plaque, with an intima thickness 42% greater than control and 36% greater than +Mg. Serum cholesterol levels rose over time, and at 8 weeks, −Mg had the highest and +Mg the lowest total and non-HDL cholesterol and TG levels, although these results did not reach significance. Over time, serum Mg levels increased, and erythrocyte Mg levels decreased. C-reactive protein significantly increased in all groups at 4 and 6 weeks but returned to baseline levels by 8 weeks. This study supports the hypothesis that inadequate intake of Mg results in an increase in atherosclerotic plaque development in rabbits.
Directional Control of a Slender, Underactuated AUV Using Potential Shaping

The three-dimensional directional stabilization problem is addressed for a slender autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with three inputs: thrust, pitch moment, and yaw moment. The control law reshapes potential energy through feedback. Conditions for asymptotic stability are derived by applying Lyapunov's direct method to a control Lyapunov function constructed from the control-modified energy and other conserved quantities. A line-of-sight guidance algorithm is also proposed to drive the vehicle along a desired linear path. The six degree of freedom dynamic model requires minimal assumptions about the viscous force and moment, resulting in a controller that is robust to uncertainty regarding viscous effects.
Plastic Subassemblage Analysis for Unbraced Frames

Plastic methods of design for unbraced multistory frames are well developed. One of the most successful is plastic moment balancing. Following the preliminary design of a frame by moment balancing, a load-drift analysis of each story of the frame is required. The theoretical development of a plastic method of analysis suitable for determining the load-drift behavior of each story of an unbraced frame is presented. The analysis (designated the subassemblage method of analysis) is particularly applicable to the middle and lower stories of an unbraced frame where the PΔ moments become significant. It is based on the concept of sway subassemblages and uses directly the results of recent studies of restrained columns permitted to sway. In the subassemblage method of analysis a one-story assemblage is isolated from the frame. The load-drift behavior of the one-story assemblage is determined either manually using charts or by computer.
Epistemic Issues in Audi's 'Religious Commitment and Secular Reason': Epistemological Concerns in Political Reasoning and Discourse

While many attempts to settle the debate about religious influence in politics have focused upon institutions, Robert Audi's Religious Commitment and Secular Reason focuses upon individual participation in the public sphere. Audi claims that religious reasoning may hold a legitimate place in the liberal democratic public sphere so long as religious reasons can be translated into "secular rationales" and "secular motivations". These require that (1) religious reasons be translated into terms that any liberal democrat could accept without reference to theology, and that (2) restrictions on human conduct must be grounded in secular reason. Audi's "adequacy" requirement – which maintains that secular reasons must provide enough justification to do a thing in question – relies upon a particularist approach to justification. I argue that this particularist approach causes two problems for Audi's theory of secular rationale. First, it appears to force the citizen into a position whereby determinations of adequacy must be justified by external phenomena, and thus opens the door for subjective interpretations of phenomena that undermine the possibility of consistent determinations of adequacy. Second, it appears to negate the ability of citizens to utilize deontological ethics in the formulation of secular reasons. I propose that by augmenting Audi's theory of secular reason with Roderick Chisholms's theory of "right preference" (whereby justification is derived from internal criteria), Audi's theory of secular rationale can serve the public more consistently and better accommodate reasoning with deontological ethics.