cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sub-national technology policy and commerce: evaluating the impacts of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

In the last 20 years, state governments have funded a large number of science-based economic development programs. Remarkably, there have been few evaluations of either their economic impact or their prospects for economic impact. The 2004 decision by California voters to issue bonds to fund $3 billion of research on human pluripotent stem cells is an ideal case study for introducing an evaluation methodology for the progress by state programs in developing and transferring research results. In the process of evaluating the California stem cell initiative, we make three methodological contributions to the study of the impacts of sub-national science-based economic development programs. First, the following data sources are introduced as indicators of the prospective economic benefits of these programs: changes in targeted federal research funding, patenting, small business investment research grants, venture capital investment, new firm formations, and clinical trials. Second, the use of regional or industrial controls is introduced. In the case study of the California stem cell initiative the regional control is the comparison of the two dominant California stem cell research and firm clusters, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, to the other dominant cluster, Boston. The biotechnology industry, as a whole, is used to control for exogenous shocks such as changes in the overall interest in new life science technologies. Third, because technology transfer is predicated upon commercialization, a value chain perspective can visualize commercialization obstacles. In this study, a stylized human stem cell therapy value chain is compared to the existing biotechnology value chain and the differences suggest areas where human stem cell therapies are likely to face difficulties. The discussion and conclusion evaluates the progress of the California stem cell initiative and suggests that the evaluation methodology developed can improve the evaluation and guidance of science-based economic development programs.
A toxic epidermal necrolysis-like presentation of linear IgA bullous dermatosis treated with dapsone

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis is a rare autoimmune vesiculobullous disease characterized by linear deposition of IgA along the basement membrane zone. It is classically idiopathic, but may also arise secondary to drug exposure. A heterogeneous spectrum of clinical features has been described, including a rare, morbid variant mimicking toxic epidermal necrolysis. Herein, we present a case of vancomycin-induced linear IgA bullous dermatosis that manifested clinically as toxic epidermal necrolysis and resolved with dapsone therapy.
Green’s function–based surrogate model for windfields using limited samples:

There exists many applications for which wind-velocity is desired over a three-dimensional space. The vector field associated with these wind velocities is known as a “windfield” or “velocity-windfield.” The present work provides a fast method to characterize windfields. The approach uses the free-space Green’s function for potential theory as an inexpensive surrogate model in lieu of either complicated physics-based models or other types of surrogate models, both of which require volumetric discretizations for the three-dimensional case. Using the gradient of the third Green’s identity, the wind-velocity in the interior of a domain is entirely characterized by a surface discretization while still providing a three-dimensional model. The unknown densities on the surface are determined from enforcement of the interior form of the identity at arbitrary points coinciding with wind measurements taken by unmanned aerial vehicles. Numerical results support the feasibility of the method.
Pathways to Infidelity: The Roles of Self-Serving Bias and Betrayal Trauma.

This study employed a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine the interrelationships between the self-serving bias and various known predictors of sexual infidelity. Specifically, we...
Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Treatment Outcomes From a Tertiary Referral Center (P5.095)

Objective: To determine the outcomes among children diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis who were treated with steroids, IVIG and plasma exchange. Background: Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) has effected hundreds of children throughout the world. Clearly recognized as a variant of transverse myelitis in after an outbreak in 2014 there has been significant controversy about both the cause and the recommended approach to treatment. Most data supports a relationship between Enterovirus D68 and this paralytic condition. Since it’s recognition there has been a controversy about whether the syndrome is infectious or post infectious and whether it’s potential infectious etiology would be a contraindication to the use of corticosteroids or PLEX. Early recommendations from the CDC supported the use of IVIG in children diagnosed with AFM and cautioned against the use of steroids or PLEX without outcomes data to reference. Given the lack of therapies available for AFM patients a review of outcomes data could help guide clinicians. Design/Methods: Outcomes data from pediatric AFM patients was collected under an IRB approved protocol. Cases were defined based on the clinical and radiographic evidence of significant gray matter involvement. Treatment regimens were recorded and motor outcomes were recorded. Results: Outcomes from 30 pediatric AFM patients were reviewed. Limb strength, ventilatory status and mobility was recorded and assessed relative to treatments prescribed. Data will be presented that supports the use of corticosteroids and PLEX in AFM patients with upper motor neuron deficits. Conclusions: Children with AFM and evidence of white matter involvement appear to benefit from the use of steroids and/or PLEX therapy. Presumably, this might suggest that while the anterior horn cell damage in AFM is likely mediated by viral infection while upper motor neuron damage may be mediated by an inflammatory pathophysiology. Study Supported by: The Transverse Myelitis Association Disclosure: Dr. Greenberg has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Novartis, Alexion, EMD Serono. Dr. Plumb has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose.
Two types of cellulose synthesis complex knit the plant cell wall together.

Plant secondary cell walls (SCWs) compose most of Earth’s renewable fibers and biomass (1), and they have irreplaceable roles in the plant lifestyle, ecosystem cycles, carbon sequestration, and human industry. Nonetheless, much remains unknown about how these strong, cellulose-rich polymer networks are synthesized and assembled. Watanabe et al. (2) generate key insights into the dynamic regulation of the cellulose synthase (CESA) enzyme family during the transition between the synthesis of the primary cell wall (PCW), which surrounds all expanding plant cells, and the SCW, which confers specialized functions to some cells. The PCW and SCW become unified despite being successively synthesized and having different matrix polymers and cellulose content. This structural coherency is related to the little-explored “transition period” of cell wall synthesis (3⇓⇓–6), the focus of Watanabe et al.’s research (2). Their results provide clues about how differences in SCW properties of diverse plants may arise and point to the isomer-specific regulation of intracellular membrane protein trafficking, leading to important future research directions. Based on in silico structural comparison with a bacterial enzyme (7), each CESA synthesizes one β-1,4-glucan chain while simultaneously exporting the polymer into the cell wall space. The individual CESAs are organized within a cellulose synthesis complex (CSC), which has six lobes and an average 21.4-nm hexagonal diameter as measured where the transmembrane helices cross the plasma membrane (8) (Fig. 1). Eighteen CESAs are predicted to exist within one CSC (8), which facilitates the coalescence of multiple glucan chains into a microfibril. Each CSC moves within the plasma membrane as it spins a strong, partially crystalline, cellulose microfibril in its wake (9). The locations of CSCs in the membrane and their direction of movement are affected by, but not entirely dependent on, cortical microtubules (6, 9, 10). For example, cortical … [↵][1]1Email: candace_haigler{at}ncsu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
On Singular Integral Equations of Poroelasticity

The singular integral equations for the direct and indirect boundary element methods for linear quasi-static poroelasticity are examined. The direct integral equations are derived based on the principle of reciprocity of work. Analogous to the simple and double layer methods in potential theories, two indirect methods, a stress discontinuity and a displacement discontinuity method, are obtained from the direct integral equations.
Motion-Based Gait Identification Using Spectro-temporal Transform and Convolutional Neural Networks

The wide range of usage and application of wearable sensors like as smart watches provide access to precious inertial sensor data that is usable in human identification based on their gait pattern. A large number of studies have been conduced on extracting high-level and various heuristic features out of inertial sensor data to identify discriminative gait signatures and distinguish the target individual from others. However, complexity of the collected data from inertial sensors, detachment between the predictive learning models and intuitive feature extraction module increase the error rate of manual feature extraction. We propose a new method for the task of human gait identification based on spectro-temporal two dimensional expansion of gait cycle. Then, we design a deep convolutional neural network learning in order to extract discriminative features from the two dimensional expanded gait cycles and also jointly optimize the identification model simultaneously. We propose a systematic approach for processing nonstationary motion signals with the application of human gait identification with 3 main elements: first gait cycle extraction, second spectro-temporal representation of gait cycle, and third deep convolutional learning. We collect motion signal from 5 inertial sensors placed at different locations including lower-back, chest, right knee, right ankle, and right hand wrist. We pre-process the acquired raw signals by motion signal processing and then we propose an efficient heuristic segmentation methodology and extract gait cycle from the segmented and processed data. Spectro-temporal two dimensional features are extracted by merging key instantaneous temporal and spectral descriptors in a gait cycle which is capable of characterizing the non-stationarities in each gait cycle inertial data. The two dimensional time-frequency distribution representation of the gait cycle extracted from acquired inertial sensor data from 10 subjects are fed as input to the designed and proposed 10 layers DCNN architecture. Based on our experimental analysis, 93.36% accuracy was achieved for subject identification task.
Comparative neutron detection efficiency in He-3 proportional counters and liquid scintillators

Abstract We present new results on the neutron detection efficiency of detection systems based on He-3 proportional counters compared to organic liquid scintillators. The experiments were conducted using a well-characterized Cf-252 neutron source, measured bare, and shielded with slabs of polyethylene. The results show that the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency for the bare source is approximately 25% for the He-3 system, and 67% for the liquid scintillator system. When polyethylene sheets were used to shield the source in 2.54 cm increments, the neutron detection efficiency of both systems decreased exponentially to approximately 10% for the case of 25.4 cm. Experimental results were simulated using MCNPX-PoliMi and good agreement was found between measurement and simulation results for all the cases considered here.
Identification of de novo enhancers activated by TGFβ to drive expression of CDKN2A and B in HeLa cells

Disruption of the CDKN2A (INK4A/ARF) and B (INK4B) genes, which encode three function-independent tumor suppressors, is one of the most common events in human cancer. Because their relative importance in tumor prevention appears to be species- and context-specific, studying their regulation can shed light on mechanisms by which they are bypassed in malignant transformation. We previously unveiled a new pathway in which TGFβ selectively induces Arf at mouse Cdkn2a in eye development and cultured fibroblasts. As TGFβ signaling is often derailed in cancer development or progression, we investigated its control of CDKN2A/B in human cancer. Computational analyses of sequencing and array data from nearly 11,000 patients with cancer in TCGA showed discordant expression of ARF and INK4A in most cancer subtypes, with gene copy-number loss and promoter methylation involved in only a subset. Using HeLa cells as a model, we found that exogenous TGFβ induced ARF mRNA and protein, and ARF knockdown limited TGFβ-mediated growth suppression. TGFβ-mediated ARF mRNA induction required SMAD2/3, p38MAPK, and SP1, and ARF mRNA was induced without added RNAPII recruitment. Chromatin immunoprecipitation unveiled a remote enhancer element engaged by TGFβ by a mechanism that partially depended on p38MAPK. CRISPR-based editing of this enhancer limited induction of ARF and INK4B by TGFβ, but not by oncogenic RAS. IMPLICATIONS: Our findings reveal new molecular mechanisms by which CDKN2A/B regulation is coupled to external cues, and those findings represent entry points to further explore pharmacologic strategies to restore their expression in cancer.
CO2 Corrosion of Mild Steel Exposed to CaCO3-Saturated Aqueous Solutions

The behavior of CO2 corrosion of mild steel was studied in a CaCO3 saturated aqueous solution. The bulk water chemistry ([Fe2+], [Ca2+], and pH) was controlled and the mass transfer characteristics...
A Hybrid 4-quadrant Switch for AC Power Conversion

Realization of 4-quadrant switches for AC power conversion applications using typical single-quadrant semiconductors like MOSFETs and IGBTs along with diodes is a persistent problem. The classical topology of using a single-quadrant switch across the DC terminals of a full bridge rectifier has excessive conduction losses arising from three semiconductors in the current conduction path. A more preferred realization that uses two series-connected single-quadrant switches, each with an anti-parallel diode has reduced conduction losses, but suffers from the need for a careful commutation sequence to prevent voltage and/or current overshoots during switching. Moreover, the voltage blocking capability of discrete devices places an upper bound in power for high voltage applications. These issues pose a significant barrier that has prevented the commercial application of matrix converters, AC to AC converters and solid state circuit breakers for AC systems. In this paper, a hybrid approach that is based on the use of a capacitor along with diodes and transistors to realize a solid state modular AC switch is presented. The paper presents the operating principle, design considerations and hardware verification along with a comparison of conventional approaches.
The Magic Sauce: Practices of Facilitation in Online Policy Deliberation

Online engagement in policy deliberation is one of the more complex aspects of open government. Previous research on human facilitation of policy deliberation has focused primarily on the citizens who need facilitation. In this paper we unpack the facilitation practices from the perspective of the moderator. We present an interview study of facilitators in RegulationRoom – an online policy deliberation platform. Our findings reveal that facilitators focus primarily on two broad activities: managing the stream of comments and interacting with comments and commenters – both aimed at obtaining high quality public input into the particular policymaking process. Managing the immediate goals of online policy deliberations, however, might overshadow long-term goals pf public deliberation, i.e. helping individuals develop participatory literacy beyond a single policy engagement. Our contribution is twofold: we unpack the practice of human facilitation in online policy deliberation, and suggest both design and process implications for sustainable growth of civic engagement environments beyond the individual case we analyze.
Strategic Audit Inquiry: The Impact of Timing and the Promotion of Statutory Protections on Client Fraud Disclosures

Auditing standards require external auditors to inquire of client employees regarding their knowledge of actual or suspected fraud (e.g., PCAOB 2010b; AICPA 2016). However, the extant literature pr...
Safety analysis of work zone complexity with respect to driver characteristics - A simulator study employing performance and gaze measures.

Abstract Driving is a complex task that consists of several physical (motor-related) and physiological (biological changes within the body) processes occurring simultaneously. The complexity of the task depends on several factors, but this research focuses on work zone configurations and their effect on driver performance and gaze behavior. The increase in work zone fatalities in the United States between 2015 and 2018 coupled with the limited literature of driver behavior in these complex environments requires a more comprehensive study. Given the nature of these crashes, typically lane departures, gaze behavior provided an additional physiological dimension to the present research. A framework that comprises of the interactions between driver characteristics, mental workload, and situation awareness, with longitudinal control, lateral control, and gaze behavior is proposed. Crash analysis and a simulator study with 90 participants were carried out to investigate the performance and gaze-based changes with respect to various work zone configurations. Distracted driving was also studied by including a secondary task. The results showed a significant interaction between the longitudinal control and the standard deviation of horizontal gaze position in predicting lateral control. Also, significant differences in lateral control and horizontal gaze variations were observed between genders. Female drivers showed lower lateral position deviations and lower horizontal gaze variability. This was a key finding given the inherently higher number of work zone crashes involving male drivers. Placing work zone barriers further away, by up to one meter from pavement edges, could significantly decrease mental workload and improve safety in work zones.
Between Trump and a Hard Place: Civil Gatekeeping and Moral Equivalence in Press Endorsements of 2016 Presidential Candidates

Building upon interdisciplinary scholarship, I posit a normative role of journalistic institutions as “civil gatekeepers” articulating a society’s core values and keeping figures and ideas that thr...
Sex Differences in the Age of Diagnosis for Cardiovascular Disease and Its Risk Factors Among US Adults: Trends From 2008 to 2017, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

Background Sex differences in the trends for control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have been described, but temporal trends in the age at which CVD and its risk factors are diagnosed...
Physical activity and sense of coherence: a meta-analysis

The salutogenic model of health proposes that sense of coherence, a multi-dimensional construct representing individuals’ perceptions that their environment is comprehensible, manageable, and meani...
High-Frequency Alternating Current Block Using Macro-Sieve Electrodes: A Pilot Study

Background and objective High-frequency alternating current (HFAC) can yield a rapid-acting and reversible nerve conduction block. The present study aimed to demonstrate the successful implementation of HFAC block delivery via regenerative macro-sieve electrodes (MSEs). Methods Dual-electrode assemblies in two configurations [dual macro-sieve electrode-1 (DMSE-I), DMSE-II] were fabricated from pairs of MSEs and implanted in the transected and subsequently repaired sciatic nerves of two male Lewis rats. After four months of postoperative nerve regeneration through the MSEs' transit zones, the efficacy of acute HFAC block was tested for both configurations. Frequencies ranging from 10 kHz to 42 kHz, and stimulus amplitudes with peak-to-peak voltages ranging from 2 V to 20 V were tested. Evoked muscle force measurement was used to quantify the nerve conduction block. Results HFAC stimulation delivered via DMSE assemblies obtained a complete block at frequencies of 14 to 26 kHz and stimulus amplitudes of 12 to 20 V p-p. The threshold voltage for the complete block showed an approximately linear dependence on frequency. The threshold voltage for the partial conduction block was also approximately linear. For those frequencies that displayed both partial and complete block, the partial block thresholds were consistently lower. Conclusion This study provides a proof of concept that regenerative MSEs can achieve complete and reversible conduction block via HFAC stimulation of regenerated nerve tissue. A chronically interfaced DMSE assembly may thereby facilitate the inactivation of targeted nerves in cases wherein pathologic neuronal hyperactivity is involved.
Assessment of Safety Culture at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the United States

This study assessed the fidelity of an existing questionnaire regarding attitudes toward safety culture in an academic veterinary hospital setting and gathered baseline data on these attitudes in a local population. A cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate perceptions held by veterinary teaching hospital employees. An established veterinary safety culture survey was modified and administered as a confidential online survey to faculty, house officers, and professional staff of a veterinary teaching hospital in the United States. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis were conducted to compare the adapted survey to the established version. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize baseline safety culture. The adapted survey exhibited factor groupings that were mostly in agreement with, but slightly different from, the original instrument. In general, survey respondents outlined positive attitudes toward the various domains of safety culture, though we identified opportunities for improvement in some areas. An adapted veterinary safety culture survey can be applied to a veterinary teaching hospital in the United States to assess baseline data surrounding the culture of safety and to identify opportunities for focused improvement efforts.
Systematic review of digital and non-digital non-pharmacological interventions that target quality of life and psychological outcomes in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BackgroundPatients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) experience psychological comorbidities and impaired quality of life (QOL). We conducted a systematic review to examine the efficacy of non-...
Peroxisomal L-bifunctional protein (EHHADH) deficiency causes male-specific kidney hypertrophy and proximal tubular injury in mice.

Background Proximal tubular (PT) cells are enriched in mitochondria and peroxisomes. Whereas mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) plays an important role in kidney function by supporting the high-energy requirements of PT cells, the role of peroxisomal metabolism remains largely unknown. EHHADH, also known as L-bifunctional protein, catalyzes the second and third step of peroxisomal FAO. Methods We studied kidneys of WT and Ehhadh KO mice on a C57BL/6N background using histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, immunoblot, RNA-sequencing, and metabolomics. To assess the role of androgens in the kidney phenotype of Ehhadh KO mice, mice underwent orchiectomy. Results We observed male-specific kidney hypertrophy and glomerular filtration rate reduction in adult Ehhadh KO mice. Transcriptome analysis unveiled a gene expression signature similar to PT injury in acute kidney injury mouse models. This was further illustrated by the presence of KIM-1 (kidney injury molecule-1), SOX-9, and Ki67-positive cells in the PT of male Ehhadh KO kidneys. Male Ehhadh KO kidneys had metabolite changes consistent with peroxisomal dysfunction as well as an elevation in glycosphingolipid levels. Orchiectomy of Ehhadh KO mice decreased the number of KIM-1 positive cells to WT levels. We revealed a pronounced sexual dimorphism in the expression of peroxisomal FAO proteins in mouse kidney, underlining a role of androgens in the kidney phenotype of Ehhadh KO mice. Conclusions Our data highlight the importance of EHHADH and peroxisomal metabolism in male kidney physiology and reveal peroxisomal FAO as a sexual dimorphic metabolic pathway in mouse kidneys.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism is Associated with Shorter QTc Intervals, but not Arrhythmia.

CONTEXT Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease, but data regarding cardiac conduction abnormalities are limited. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional comparison of cardiac conduction in patients with PHPT or thyroid disease (TD). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Patients ≥40 years old who underwent parathyroidectomy or thyroidectomy at a single tertiary institution from 2013-2018. METHODS AND OUTCOMES Demographics and pre-operative electrocardiogram (EKG) parameters were compared using the Mann-Whitney U, Chi Square tests, and linear regression. RESULTS A total of 1,242 patients were included: 49.8% PHPT (n=619) and 50.2% TD (n=623). Median age was 60.5 years (IQR 53.6-67.9). Compared to controls, PHPT patients had higher median serum calcium [10.7 mg/dL (IQR 10.4-11.1) vs 9.5 mg/dL (IQR 9.3-9.8), p<0.001] as expected, as well as, a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia (49% vs 36%, p<0.001) and hypertension (50.1% vs 42.2%, p<0.01). Based on EKG, there was no difference in PR interval or the prevalence of arrhythmia, atrioventricular block, ST segment/T wave changes, premature ventricular complexes, right bundle branch block or left bundle branch block after adjusting for covariates. The PHPT group had a lower mean corrected QT interval (414ms (+/- 24) vs 422ms (+/- 24), p<0.01), adjusted for covariates. Serum calcium predicted QTc independently of age, sex, and other covariates. CONCLUSIONS In the largest study to date, PHPT patients had shorter QTc intervals compared to TD controls, but no increased prevalence of arrhythmia based on pre-operative EKG.
Exact Circuit Performance Validation

In Chapter 4, we discussed computing the exact delays of combinational and sequential circuits. This analysis is performed on circuits with known or assumed gate delay models, e.g. [dmin dinar], and is used mainly to predict delays or performances of designs. When designs are fabricated into physical circuits, the delays of the circuits will agree with the delay analyses of Chapter 4 if all the delays of gates in the circuits are still within their respective intervals, i.e. [dmin dmax] However, defects or manufacturing variations can often cause deviations of gate delays from their specifications; for example, increase of parasitic capacitances and resistances may slow the responses of gates. So manufactured circuits may have delays longer or shorter than those predicted by the delay analyses of Chapter 4. Therefore, we need to test the delays, or verify performances, of manufactured circuits. In this chapter, we extend the works in [74, 73], formulate exact performance verifiability of a circuit using TBF’s, and propose a Boolean synthesis paradigm for full performance verifiability.
Knowledge Management Systems for Business

Preface Knowledge Management Systems for Business in the Twenty-First Century Introduction to Leveraging Knowledge in Business A Framework for Knowledge Management Systems in Business The Essentials of Knowledge Management Systems for Business Discovering Knowledge and Its Storage Sharing Knowledge Through Network Computing Implementation of Successful Knowledge Management Systems Typical Knowledge Management Systems Found in Business for a Company's Functional Areas Application of Strategic Planning Knowledge Application of Marketing Knowledge Application of Manufacturing Knowledge Application of Finance Knowledge Application of Human Resource Knowledge Index
Regensburg as Bibliographic Destination for Traveling Scholars of the Eighteenth-Century

The Bavarian town of Regensburg was a library travel destination during the European Enlightenment. With at least 26 collections, the number and variety of its private, governmental, school, and religious libraries rivaled that of much larger cities and figured in the bibliographic travel accounts of Johann Keyssler, Christoph Nicolai, Carl Oelrichs, Filippo Argellati, Georg Zapf, Friedrich Hirsching, Adalbert Blumenschein, and many others. The firsthand descriptions of these repositories are unique primary sources for the study of library history. Having been accessible to researchers largely in published forms, many were designed to serve as bibliographic aids for informing scholars about the locations of specialized subject collections and some individual works. The journals, letters, guidebooks, and texts also reflected the evolving scholarly and scientific nature of their cultural period. Overall, this case study of Regensburg’s libraries illustrates the particular value of contemporary travel literature.
The effect of neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine on methamphetamine-conditioned place preference in rats

Methamphetamine has been shown to produce neurotoxicity demonstrated by depletions of dopamine and serotonin in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. The current study examined the effects of neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine on the rewarding effect of subsequent administration of methamphetamine assessed by the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. Male and female rats were treated with a neurotoxic regimen of methamphetamine (4×10 mg/kg, s.c., once every 2 h) or saline, and concentrations of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were measured 15 days later in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex (PFC). In another experiment, male rats were given methamphetamine neurotoxic treatment or saline and were then conditioned 7 days later with methamphetamine (0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline using a four-trial CPP procedure. Locomotor activity was also measured during the conditioning sessions to investigate whether or not the neurotoxic methamphetamine treatment altered locomotor activity following a subsequent methamphetamine challenge. Males and females did not differ significantly in the amount of neurochemical depletion produced by methamphetamine in any brain region. Collapsed across sex, dopamine was significantly depleted in nucleus accumbens (25%) and striatum (51%); serotonin was significantly depleted in nucleus accumbens (35%), striatum (34%) and PFC (33%). The methamphetamine challenge dose dependently increased locomotor activity, but the increase was not affected by treatment with neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine. In contrast, treatment with neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine enhanced CPP at the intermediate conditioning dose (0.3 mg/kg). These results indicate that the rewarding effect of methamphetamine is enhanced by prior treatment with neurotoxic doses of methamphetamine, suggesting either a compensatory hyperfunctioning of spared dopamine neurons or a loss of inhibitory control from serotonergic input.
Acute cauda equina syndrome from a ruptured aneurysm in the sacral canal. Case report.

✓ The case is presented of a young woman with acute cauda equina syndrome from a ruptured aneurysm in the sacral canal. The lesion was associated with pathological enlargement of the lateral sacral arteries bilaterally, which presumably occurred to provide cross-pelvic collateral flow in response to the diversion of the right internal iliac artery for renal transplantation. The patient presented with signs and symptoms of spontaneous spinal epidural hemorrhage. The radiographic features of this lesion are described. In addition to angiography and partial embolization of the vascular supply, contrast-enhanced high-resolution computerized tomography was essential in the diagnosis and treatment of this unique aneurysm.
Bush, the Post-Bush Presidency and the Constitutional Order

Power is the presidential narcotic. In this respect, the Second Bush Presidency’s grandiose claims of executive power would not seem to be a break with the past. Yet Bush’s power-claiming paradigm, known as the Unitary Executive theory, represents a game-changing, qualitative shift in presidential power claims. This argument is based on three factors: the scope of Bush’s unitary executive power claims; the unitary theory’s de facto refutation of traditional separation of powers arrangements; and the unitary theory’s claims of originalist provenance which are predicated on a false reading of the past, cultivated particularly in the pages of law reviews. The unitary Bush era also reveals the obsolescence of the Neustadtian presidential power paradigm. If the history of the presidency reveals anything, it is that even tendentious or suspect executive power claims in one era may come to be accepted, or at least legitimized, in later presidential administrations. Thus, regardless of claims to the contrary, the unitary view will last well beyond the end of the Bush presidency.
Brain Arteriovenous Malformations

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain are abnormal tangles of blood vessels, which directly connect the high-pressure arterial system to a low-pressure venous system, without an intervening capillary bed. Brain AVMs tend to cause symptoms by hemorrhaging or by causing a seizure disorder. Hemorrhage and seizure rates are quite variable including patient age and characteristics of the AVM. There have been significant improvements and technological advancements in AVM diagnosis and treatment that allow clinicians to individualize patient care. Treatment for brain AVMs includes primary seizure management with medications, surgical removal, catheter-based embolization, and radiation therapy. Patients and their families should be aware of the presenting signs of a neurological emergency secondary to brain AVM bleeding or seizures.
Human epsilon-sarcoglycan is highly related to alpha-sarcoglycan (adhalin), the limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2D gene

Abstract The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) is critical for muscle membrane stability. The sarcoglycans are transmembrane proteins within the DGC, and the function of the sarcoglycans is unknown. Mutations in sarcoglycan genes cause autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy. We have identified a new sarcoglycan gene with high homology to α-sarcoglycan highlighting the redundancy of the DGC. This gene, named ϵ-sarcoglycan, has an identical intron-exon structure to α-sarcoglycan, and is more broadly expressed. The characterization of ϵ-sarcoglycan should make it possible to determine if it, like the other sarcoglycan genes, is mutated in muscular dystrophy.
Who Will Fuel China

China's projected oil import requirements and greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption will dominate the international oil market and environmental agendas. As a result of these energy requirements, China has recently expanded development of domestic oil supplies and coal production. Effectively limiting greenhouse gas emmissions will require a sustained international effort to increased energy efficiency and market reform in China.
Precipitation of serum proteins by extracts of cotton dust and stems. Identification of beta-lipoprotein and production of specific antibodies.

Abstract Sera from 59 cotton textile workers were examined by gel diffusion and counterimmunoelectrophoresis for the presence of precipitating antibodies to extracts of cotton bract, carpels, stems, leaves, immature cotton lint, and cardroom cotton dust. Precipitating antibodies to these extracts were not detected in any of the cotton workers' sera. However, the aqueous extracts of cardroom cotton dust and cotton stems were found to contain polyphenolic tannins that interacted with and precipitated beta-lipoprotein and gammaglobulins in a pseudoimmune fashion. Normal human and animal sera, as well as sera from active cotton textile workers, all exhibited identical patterns of reaction with these two extracts. The in vivo role this pseudoimmune interaction may play in the pathogenesis of byssinosis is unknown at this time.
Model-based multiple patterning layout decomposition

As one of the most promising next generation lithography technologies, multiple patterning lithography (MPL) plays an important role in the attempts to keep in pace with 10 nm technology node and beyond. With feature size keeps shrinking, it has become impossible to print dense layouts within one single exposure. As a result, MPL such as double patterning lithography (DPL) and triple patterning lithography (TPL) has been widely adopted. There is a large volume of literature on DPL/TPL layout decomposition, and the current approach is to formulate the problem as a classical graph-coloring problem: Layout features (polygons) are represented by vertices in a graph G and there is an edge between two vertices if and only if the distance between the two corresponding features are less than a minimum distance threshold value d min . The problem is to color the vertices of G using k colors (k = 2 for DPL, k = 3 for TPL) such that no two vertices connected by an edge are given the same color. This is a rule-based approach, which impose a geometric distance as a minimum constraint to simply decompose polygons within the distance into different masks. It is not desired in practice because this criteria cannot completely capture the behavior of the optics. For example, it lacks of sufficient information such as the optical source characteristics and the effects between the polygons outside the minimum distance. To remedy the deficiency, a model-based layout decomposition approach to make the decomposition criteria base on simulation results was first introduced at SPIE 2013. 1 However, the algorithm 1 is based on simplified assumption on the optical simulation model and therefore its usage on real layouts is limited. Recently AMSL 2 also proposed a model-based approach to layout decomposition by iteratively simulating the layout, which requires excessive computational resource and may lead to sub-optimal solutions. The approach 2 also potentially generates too many stiches. In this paper, we propose a model-based MPL layout decomposition method using a pre-simulated library of frequent layout patterns. Instead of using the graph G in the standard graph-coloring formulation, we build an expanded graph H where each vertex represents a group of adjacent features together with a coloring solution. By utilizing the library and running sophisticated graph algorithms on H, our approach can obtain optimal decomposition results efficiently. Our model-based solution can achieve a practical mask design which significantly improves the lithography quality on the wafer compared to the rule based decomposition.
Cytokines That Promote Periodontal Tissue Destruction

Although periodontal diseases are initiated by bacteria that colonize the tooth surface and gingival sulcus, the host response is believed to play an essential role in the breakdown of connective tissue and bone, key features of the disease process. An intermediate mechanism that lies between bacterial stimulation and tissue destruction is the production of cytokines, which stimulates inflammatory events that activate effector mechanisms. These cytokines can be organized as chemokines, innate immune cytokines, and acquired immune cytokines. Although they were historically identified as leukocyte products, many are also produced by a number of cell types, including keratinocytes, resident mesenchymal cells (such as fibroblasts and osteoblasts) or their precursors, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells. Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that play an important role in leukocyte recruitment and may directly or indirectly modulate osteoclast formation. This article focuses on aspects of osteoimmunology that affect periodontal diseases by examining the role of cytokines, chemokines, and immune cell mediators. It summarizes some of the key findings that attempt to delineate the mechanisms by which immune factors can lead to the loss of connective tissue attachment and alveolar bone. In addition, a discussion is presented on the importance of clarifying the process of uncoupling, a process whereby insufficient bone formation occurs following resorption, which is likely to contribute to net bone loss in periodontal disease.
Alcohol and hepatocellular carcinoma.

More than 18 million adults in the United States abuse alcohol, a prevalence 5 times higher than that of hepatitis C. Chronic alcohol use of greater than 80 g/day for more than 10 years increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) approximately 5-fold; alcohol use of less than 80 g/day is associated with a nonsignificant increased risk for HCC. The risk for HCC in decompensated alcohol induced cirrhosis approaches 1% per year. The risk does not decrease with abstinence, and HCC can occur in a noncirrhotic liver. Alcohol use in chronic hepatitis C doubles the risk for HCC as compared with the risk in hepatitis C alone. Furthermore, there may be synergism between alcohol and hepatitis C in the development of HCC, and in these patients HCC may occur at an earlier age and the HCC may be histologically more advanced. Studies in the United States and Italy suggest that alcohol is the most common cause of HCC (accounting for 32%–45% of HCC). The mechanisms by which alcohol causes HCC are incompletely understood, but may include chromosomal loss, oxidative stress, a decreased retinoic acid level in the liver, altered DNA methylation, and genetic susceptibility. Alcohol use is increasing in many countries, suggesting that alcohol will continue to be a common cause of HCC throughout the world.
Niche signaling promotes stem cell survival in the Drosophila testis via the JAK-STAT target DIAP1.

Abstract Tissue-specific stem cells are thought to resist environmental insults better than their differentiating progeny, but this resistance varies from one tissue to another, and the underlying mechanisms are not well-understood. Here, we use the Drosophila testis as a model system to study the regulation of cell death within an intact niche. This niche contains sperm-producing germline stem cells (GSCs) and accompanying somatic cyst stem cells (or CySCs). Although many signals are known to promote stem cell self-renewal in this tissue, including the highly conserved JAK–STAT pathway, the response of these stem cells to potential death-inducing signals, and factors promoting stem cell survival, have not been characterized. Here we find that both GSCs and CySCs resist cell death better than their differentiating progeny, under normal laboratory conditions and in response to potential death-inducing stimuli such as irradiation or starvation. To ask what might be promoting stem cell survival, we characterized the role of the anti-apoptotic gene Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (diap1) in testis stem cells. DIAP1 protein is enriched in the GSCs and CySCs and is a JAK–STAT target. diap1 is necessary for survival of both GSCs and CySCs, and ectopic up-regulation of DIAP1 in somatic cyst cells is sufficient to non-autonomously rescue stress-induced cell death in adjacent differentiating germ cells (spermatogonia). Altogether, our results show that niche signals can promote stem cell survival by up-regulation of highly conserved anti-apoptotic proteins, and suggest that this strategy may underlie the ability of stem cells to resist death more generally.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Material Flow Stress in Machining

Among the effects of strain hardening, strain-rate hardening, and temperature softening, it has long been argued about which effect is predominant in governing the material flow stress in machining. This paper compares four material constitutive models commonly employed, including Johnson-Cook’s model, Oxley’s model, Zerilli-Armstrong’s model, and Maekawa et al.’s model. A new quantitative sensitivity analysis of the material flow stress is performed based on Johnson-Cook’s model covering a wide range of engineering materials, including plain carbon steels with different carbon contents, alloyed steels, aluminum alloys with different chemical compositions and heat treatment conditions, copper and copper alloys, iron, nickel, tungsten alloys, etc. It is demonstrated that the first predominant factor governing the material flow stress is either strain hardening or thermal softening, depending on the specific work material employed and the varying range of temperatures. Strain-rate hardening is the least important factor governing the material flow stress, especially when machining aluminum alloys.© 2003 ASME
The ABC's of diatom identification using laser holography

Biomonitoring systems designed to protect the integrity of aquatic ecosystems must satisfy complementary requirements if they are to be used in a successful management program. First, they must generate reliable information with respect to the current biological status of the ecosystem; and second, they must be capable of reducing the lag time in the feedback of this information. This paper describes a biomonitoring system, currently being developed, that employs coherent optical spatial filtering techniques to rapidly identify diatoms and process species-abundance information. Preliminary results indicate that the optical problems associated with such a system can be overcome satisfactorily, although investigations are continuing into the problem of interfacing a microscope directly to the optical system. We envision that this system can eventually be employed in a management program along with chemical and physical data to obtain full beneficial use of the ecosystem without damage.
High performance support of parallel virtual file system (PVFS2) over Quadrics

Parallel I/O needs to keep pace with the demand of high performance computing applications on systems with ever-increasing speed. Exploiting high-end interconnect technologies to reduce the network access cost and scale the aggregated bandwidth is one of the ways to increase the performance of storage systems. In this paper, we explore the challenges of supporting parallel file system with modern features of Quadrics, including user-level communication and RDMA operations. We design and implement a Quadrics-capable version of a parallel file system (PVFS2). Our design overcomes the challenges imposed by Quadrics static communication model to dynamic client/server architectures. Quadrics QDMA and RDMA mechanisms are integrated and optimized for high performance data communication. Zero-copy PVFS2 list IO is achieved with a Single Event Associated MUltiple RDMA (SEAMUR) mechanism. Experimental results indicate that the performance of PVFS2, with Quadrics user-level protocols and RDMA operations, is significantly improved in terms of both data transfer and management operations. With four IO server nodes, our implementation improves PVFS2 aggregated read bandwidth by up to 140% compared to PVFS2 over TCP on top of Quadrics IP implementation. Moreover, it delivers significant performance improvement to application benchmarks such as mpi-tile-io [24] and BTIO [26]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in the literature to report the design of a high performance parallel file system over Quadrics user-level communication protocols.