cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring Energetics of Sharp DNA Bending from Breakage Kinetics of Small DNA Loops

Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) can undergo diverse modes of conformational changes inside a cell. Among them, dsDNA bending is closely associated with genome packaging and gene regulation, and therefore a consistent polymer model of dsDNA bending is essential for quantitative description of genome-related processes. The behavior of dsDNA at large length scales can be well described as a worm-like chain whose bending energy depends quadratically on curvature. However, many studies on dsDNA bending at short length scales have produced results contradictory to the worm-like chain model. Here we show that the free energy of a dsDNA loop as short as 60 bp in contour length can be well described by the wormlike chain model. We measured the breakage rates of small dsDNA loop stabilized by sticky ends using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). We found that the breakage rate vs. loop length relationship to be in good agreement with the worm-like chain model, but not with an alternative model which predicts superflexible behavior at short length scales. Furthermore, we found that energetics of dsDNA begins to deviate from the worm-like chain model below 60 bp. Our result pushes the lower limit of the worm-like chain regime of dsDNA down to 60 bp, and suggests that dsDNA undergoes structural transitions below this length.
Decreased perfusion in young alcohol-dependent women as compared with age-matched controls.

Aim: To use the superior spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine differences in cerebral perfusion between young alcohol dependent and normal women. Methods: Eight alcohol dependent women and 8 controls (all ages 18–25) received single-slice resting perfusion-weighted MRI (directly proportional to brain blood flow), with slices located above the corpus callosum. Results: Alcohol-dependent women had decreased perfusion in prefrontal and left parietal regions. Conclusions: Reduced perfusion has not previously been reported in young, physically healthy alcohol dependent females, yet is consistent with previously reported decreased cerebral activity in alcohol dependence.
Technical communication and project management

This poster argues that recent theories in project management put technical communicators in a powerful position to move into project management--not just as managers of documentation and documentation projects but as managers of projects across industries.
Point Sources of GeV Gamma Rays

A catalog of c-ray sources based on photons with energies greater than 1 GeV has been developed from observations taken by the EGRET instrument of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The data are taken from the 4.5 yr of observation available in the public data archives. We emphasize sources that are detected using the entire database, without regard to any possible transient or variable behavior. Ten of the 57 sources reported here have not previously been reported in the catalogs developed using photons above 100 MeV in energy. Twenty-seven sources have identiÐcations with objects seen at other wavelengths: the Large Magellanic Cloud, Ðve pulsars, and 21 blazars. The remaining 30 sources are classiÐed as unidentiÐed; however, seven may be associated with Galactic supernova remnants and one source may be a Galactic X-ray binary (LSI 61 303). The 30 unidentiÐed sources are distributed nearly uniformly along the Galactic plane and are symmetric about it. Only one of the unidentiÐed sources has a Galactic latitude in excess of 30i, whereas, if the sources were distributed uniformly, D12 would be expected on the basis of the combined EGRET exposure. A scatter plot of the Nux from the unidentiÐed sources versus Galactic latitude reveals two rather distinct categories of source: ““ bright II sources with Nuxes greater than or equal to 4.0]10~8 photons cm~2 s~1 and ““ dim II sources with Nuxes of less than 4.0]10~8 photons cm~2 s~1. The absence of high-latitude bright sources is striking. The bright unidentiÐed sources have an average Galactic latitude of 2i.7, which is consistent with a Population I distribution at distances of 1E5 kpc. The dim unidentiÐed sources have a broader latitude distribution with an average o b o\13i.8, indicating that if they are at the same average distance from the Galactic plane as the bright sources, they are paradoxically approximately 5 times closer than the bright objects on average and therefore roughly 2 orders of magnitude less luminou
Ciliary activity in the mouse oviduct as studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy

Abstract The mouse oviduct is covered by dense tracts of ciliated cells interspersed at random with occasional non-ciliated cells. Correlation between scanning electron microscopy and thin section images indicates that in the isolated fimbria most cilia are short (5 µm) and inactive, resting at the end of a uterad-directed effective stroke. These cilia terminate in a 9S−2 tip, the microtubules ending in an electron-dense plaque underneath the cell membrane. At the tip of the cilium a crown of fine extracellular hairs is attached to the ciliary membrane. In the ampulla and isthmus the ciliated cells decrease progressively in number and appear to lie in crypts.
Amino acids of the Murchison meteorite. III - Seven carbon acyclic primary alpha-amino alkanoic acids

All of the eighteen possible seven-carbon acyclic primary alpha-amino alkanoic acids have been positively identified in a hot-water extract of the Murchison meteorite by the combined use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, ion exchange chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. None of these amino acids has previously been found in meteorites or in any other natural material. They range in concentration from less than or equal to 0.5 to 5.3 nmol/g. Configuration assignments were made for 2-amino-3,4-dimethylpentanoic acid and allo-2-amino-3,4-dimethylpentanoic acid and the diasteromer ratio was determined. Fifty-five amino acids have now been positively identified in the Murchison meteorite, 36 of which are unknown in terrestrial materials. This unique suite of amino acids is characterized by the occurrence of all structural isomers within the two major classes of amino acids represented, by the predominance of branched chain isomers, and by an exponential decline in amount with increasing carbon chain length within homologous series. These characteristics of the Murchison amino acids are suggestive of synthesis before incorporation into a parent body.
Ray tracing visualization using LabVIEW for Precision Pointing Architecture of a segmented reflector testbed

For deep space exploration, it is important for telescopes to have a high accuracy and precision in pointing at objects far in space. In addition, a large segmented space telescope requires high precision and accuracy in mirror shape. The Segmented Space Telescope Testbed at the Structures, Propulsion, and Control Engineering (SPACE) Laboratory at California State University, Los Angeles utilizes segmented mirror panels to mimic a parabolic mirror and a series of lasers and mirrors to demonstrate pointing control. This paper discusses a LabVIEW based visualization that is used for pointing simulation of the SPACE Testbed. The Visualization allows for simulation of the physical Precision Pointing Architecture (PPA) that allows for visual verification of pointing control.
Diamond Photovoltaic Cells as a First Wall Material and Energy Conversion System for Inertial Confinement Fusion

Diamond technology is a major area of worldwide semiconductor research. It has been said that the current status of diamond semiconductor technology is similar to that of silicon technology in 1960. Most of the research on diamond is in high quality film production (e.g., purity, and single crystalline versus polycrystalline). A few groups are concentrating on the development of diamond electronic devices. In this endeavor, both p-type and n-type diamond films have been produced. The p-type diamond has excellent properties while the ntype diamond is very high resistance. A primitive p-n junction has been demonstrated. Several groups have demonstrated Schottky diodes including the high bandgap semiconductor group at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
EPITHELIAL CELL MIGRATION IN THE INTESTINE

Despite significant advances in our understanding of the roles of the cytoskeleton and matrix receptors in cell locomotion, derived largely from in vitro studies on the movement of epithelial cell sheets and isolated cells, the mechanism of epithelial cell migration in the adult intestine remains an enigma. The primary function of the epithelial cell cytoskeleton seems to be in the maintenance of the apical region of the epithelium facing the gut lumen. There we find the brush border, with its associated enzymes, and the intercellular adhesion complexes that give the epithelium its cohesiveness and its barrier function. Curiously, there is little in the way of an organized cytoskeleton in the basal region of the epithelium adjacent to the basement membrane on which the epithelium is presumed to migrate. In this short review, I focus on what is known about epithelial migration from our understanding of the structure of the epithelium and from studies on wound healing, and indicate some avenues for future study.
High-energy coherent THz radiation from laser wakefield accelerated ultrashort electron bunches

We report on the observation and characterization of intense pulsed coherent THz radiation. This radiation is generated by ultra-short multi-nC electron bunches passing the plasma/vacuum boundary. The electron bunches are produced through laser wakefield acceleration.
Properties and performance of folded hypercubes

A new hypercube-type structure, the folded hypercube (FHC), which is basically a standard hypercube with some extra links established between its nodes, is proposed and analyzed. The hardware overhead is almost 1/n, n being the dimensionality of the hypercube, which is negligible for large n. For this new design, optimal routing algorithms are developed and proven to be remarkably more efficient than those of the conventional n-cube. For one-to-one communication, each node can reach any other node in the network in at most (n/2) hops (each hop corresponds to the traversal of a single link), as opposed to n hops in the standard hypercube. One-to-all communication (broadcasting) can also be performed in only (n/2) steps, yielding a 50% improvement in broadcasting time over that of the standard hypercube. All routing algorithms are simple and easy to implement. Correctness proofs for the algorithms are given. For the proposed architecture, communication parameters such as average distance, message traffic density, and communication time delay are derived. In addition, some fault tolerance capabilities of this architecture are quantified and compared to those of the standard cube. It is shown that this structure offers substantial improvement over existing hypercube-type networks in terms of the above-mentioned network parameters. >
Me and my avatar: exploring users' comfort with avatars for workplace communication

This paper describes results from a large-scale survey to explore users' comfort with different styles of avatars for workplace communication. Thirty-one avatars were evaluated based on users' ratings along several dimensions and grouped into five different clusters. The highest rated cluster was the set of formal, realistic avatars that users did not feel were creepy. These avatars were ranked comparatively with webcam photos, and users felt that they would be appropriate for work. Our results also revealed that realism is nuanced, as avatars in another cluster were also rated high on realism, but were felt to be inappropriate for work. Finally, this work also demonstrates that people are more particular concerning which type of avatar they are represented by, compared to ones they interact with.
In Vitro Screening Test Using Leishmania Promastigotes Stably Expressing mCherry Protein

ABSTRACT Transgenic Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani axenic promastigotes constitutively expressing mCherry were used for in vitro antileishmanial drug screening. This method requires minimal sample manipulation and can be easily adapted to automatic drug tests, allowing primary high-throughput screenings without the need for expensive and sophisticated instruments.
Cost of management in epistaxis admission: Impact of patient and hospital characteristics

Objectives/Hypothesis To investigate patient and hospital characteristics associated with increased cost and length of stay in the inpatient management of epistaxis. Study Design Retrospective cross-sectional study of the 2008 to 2012 National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. Methods Patient and hospital characteristics of epistaxis admissions were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to ascertain variables associated with increased cost and length of hospital stay. Variables significantly associated with high cost were further analyzed to determine the contribution of operative intervention and total procedures to cost. Results A total of 16,828 patients with an admitting diagnosis of epistaxis were identified. The average age was 67.5; 52.3% of the patients were male; 73.3% of the patients were Caucasian; and 70.7% of the hospital stays were government funded. The average length of stay was 3.24 days, and average hospitalization cost was $6,925. Longer length of stay was associated with black race, alcohol abuse, sinonasal disease, renal disease, Medicaid, and care at a northeastern U.S. hospital. Increased hospitalization costs of > $1,000 were associated with Asian/Pacific Islander race; sinonasal disease; renal disease; top income quartile; and care at urban teaching, northeastern, and western hospitals in the United States. High costs were predicted by procedural intervention in patients with comorbid alcohol abuse, sinonasal disease, renal disease, patients with private insurance, and patients managed at large hospitals. Conclusion Although hospitalization costs are complex and multifactorial, we were able to identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with high costs in the management of epistaxis. Early identification and intervention, combined with implementation of targeted hospital management protocols, may improve outcomes and reduce financial burden. Level of Evidence 2C. Laryngoscope, 125:2642–2647, 2015
AKAP2 anchors PKA with aquaporin‐0 to support ocular lens transparency

A decline in ocular lens transparency known as cataract afflicts 90% of individuals by the age 70. Chronic deterioration of lens tissue occurs as a pathophysiological consequence of defective water and nutrient circulation through channel and transporter proteins. A key component is the aquaporin-0 (AQP0) water channel whose permeability is tightly regulated in healthy lenses. Using a variety of cellular and biochemical approaches we have discovered that products of the A-kinase anchoring protein 2 gene (AKAP2/AKAP-KL) form a stable complex with AQP0 to sequester protein kinase A (PKA) with the channel. This permits PKA phosphorylation of serine 235 within a calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain of AQP0. The additional negative charge introduced by phosphoserine 235 perturbs electrostatic interactions between AQP0 and CaM to favour water influx through the channel. In isolated mouse lenses, displacement of PKA from the AKAP2-AQP0 channel complex promotes cortical cataracts as characterized by severe opacities and cellular damage. Thus, anchored PKA modulation of AQP0 is a homeostatic mechanism that must be physically intact to preserve lens transparency.
Analytical and numerical methods in the testing of magnetic materials

Two theoretical models that exemplify the use of analytical and numerical methods in the interpretation of NDE (nondestructive evaluation) data are reviewed. The first example is an application of a simple analytical model to the eddy current measurement of magnetic permeability, while the second concerns use of the boundary-element method for modeling flaw detection in steel pipes. >
OPTIMUM OPERATION OF A PROTOTYPICAL PYROELECTRIC ENERGY CONVERTER FOR HARVESTING WASTE HEAT

This paper is concerned with direct energy conversion of waste heat into electricity using pyroelectric materials. The pyroelectric effect refers to the flow of charges to or from the surface of a material upon heating or cooling. The present study investigates the design and operation of a pyroelectric converter assembly based on the Olsen cycle using multistage pyroelectric elements and heat regeneration. Cooling and heating cycles of the pyroelectric elements are achieved by oscillating the working fluid between hot and cold sources under laminar flow conditions. Multistaging consists of placing different pyroelectric elements in series with increasing Curie temperatures from the cold to the hot sources. Moreover, the heat required to increase the temperature of the lattice is regenerated back and forth between the working fluid and the pyroelectric elements instead of being lost to the heat sink. A prototypical pyroelectric converter is simulated by solving the two-dimensional mass, momentum, and energy equations using finite element methods. The pumping power and the heat transfer rate required for the cycle as well as the electrical power generated are estimated from the computed pressure, temperature, and velocity. Finally, the overall thermodynamic efficiency of the system is calculated and compared with reported experimental data. NOMENCLATURE A surface area of pyroelectric element [m 2 ] AC cross-sectional area of fluid flow for one channel [m 2 ] Ahb area of heating band ( H dL × ) [m 2 ]
A new target response with parity coding for high density magnetic recording channels

In this paper, a modified equalization target is proposed for the high density magnetic recording channel. This target is a closer match to the channel than the EEPR4 response and hence has better detection performance. Based on the dominant error events for this target, a parity-based coding scheme is also proposed to achieve a coding gain with the modified target. The use of the parity code detects the occurrence of the dominant error events while achieving a high code rate. The detection system consists of a Viterbi detector matched to the channel response and a post processor to handle the code constraints. This system is shown to perform well compared to other proposed detection systems through analysis and simulation on a Lorentzian based channel model.
Ebook collection analysis: subject and publisher trends

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an assessment of an ebook collection in an academic library, and attempts to locate usage trends by subject and publisher.Design/methodology/approach – The research was based on: three years of usage data from two e‐book packages: NetLibrary and Ebrary; two methods of purchase: NetLibrary was a one‐time purchase; Ebrary is purchased on a subscription basis. The research evaluated usage difference over time between the two packages and analyzed subject and publisher usage.Findings – The research found that Ebrary showed increased usage over time; NetLibrary demonstrated decreased usage; subject analysis showed ebooks in health sciences and hotel had highest usage; publisher analysis results illustrated the fact that five publishers had highest usage in both ebook collections.Research limitations/implications – For circulation rate of each ebook package, two years of data were not available for Ebrary, resulting in incomplete comparison over three‐year period between the...
Tailored redox functionality of small organics for pseudocapacitive electrodes

Recently, there has been an explosion of literature dedicated to organic electrodes for energy storage applications. While inorganic materials, especially oxides, have generally being explored for these applications, the guiding principles for successful electrical energy storage—maximizing capacity and energy density per unit mass and cost—have naturally led to the pursuit of organic materials. However, there has only been a modest focus on methods for systematic exploration, which could help establish rational design principles for their enhanced properties and performance. Here we focus on a specific class of pseudocapacitive cathodes based on conducting polymers with pendant redox sites. We have previously demonstrated that the addition of such a pendant charge storage component provides a significant increase in the capacity, in addition to well-defined voltage plateaus, all the while maintaining the superior rate capability of these materials. In this report, we present a computational screening study for downselection of pendant candidates and a systematic study of structure–electrochemical property relationships. From this study, a generalized approach for defining the formal potential of oxidation of “violene” organic pendants is presented. Surprisingly, many of the structural parameters with which the oxidations can be tuned are independently addressable. While the methods described here have only been applied to the violene system, it should be emphasized that similar formalisms can be applied to other systems where the ability to rationally tune redox active components is desirable. Notable examples include organic energy storage electrodes based on oxygen and sulfur redox couples, charge shuttles for Li-ion batteries, organic photovoltaics, synthetic metals and organic light-emitting diodes.
1-O-Sulfatobastadins-1 and -2 from Ianthella basta (Pallas). Antagonists of the RyR1-FKBP12 Ca2+ Channel

Two new sulfate monoesters of hemibastadins-1 and -2 were isolated from the marine sponge Ianthella basta (Pallas) from Guam. A third new compound was tentatively assigned the structure 34-O-sulfatobastadin-9. The 1-O-sulfatohemibastadins-1 and –2 were antagonists of the RyR1-FKBP12 Ca2+ channel under conditions where the known compound bastadin-5 exhibits potent agonism (EC50 2 μM).
A nationwide survey of physician office visits found that inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions were issued for bacterial respiratory tract infections in ambulatory patients.

Abstract Objective Correlations between probabilities of resistance and the frequencies with which antibiotics were prescribed for treating bacterial respiratory infections were examined in a nationwide ambulatory population. Study Design and Setting The data of a nationwide probability sample survey of visits to physician offices in the United States in 1999 were used to conduct this study of drug use. A clinical pharmacologist identified antibiotics prescribed during those visits using a large online database. The participating physicians diagnosed the bacterial respiratory infections. An infectious disease expert determined the probabilities of bacterial resistance from a nationwide antibiotic surveillance database. Results Various bacterial respiratory infections were diagnosed during 6.5% of physician office visits in 1999. One or more antibiotics were prescribed during 51.0% of those visits. The probabilities of resistance to the most frequently prescribed antibiotics varied from 20% to 40% and showed a weak positive correlation with the frequencies of antibiotic prescriptions. Conclusion A significant number of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions were issued for infections with a high probability of bacterial resistance to the prescribed antibiotics.
Consolidation of high‐modulus PET laminates and the role of chemical healing

In this work, a process for making high-modulus (8GPa) laminates of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been developed. Oriented films of the polymer were produced by a technique utilizing a very high extension rate, and these films were crossplied and consolidated to form the product laminates. The procedures for drawing the original film lamina and consolidating the laminates were optimized with respect to the material properties. Further, the possibility of chemical healing–bonding of the lamina together by chemical reaction, not diffusion–was investigated for these materials. It was found that laminates could be formed with both high moduli and strong interply bonding and that the moduli actually increase due to crystallization during pressing. Longrange diffusion during bond formation was ruled out, since crosslinked polyesters were found to bond as readily as uncrosslinked. Chemical reactions between contacted surfaces appear to be a likely mechanism of bonding.
Strategies for adapting to technological change

Digital imaging, networking and displays are emerging technologies that are already having major impacts on traditional product segments from consumer and office electronics to computers and communications. They are at the heart of the convergence of previously independent product segments of video and still photography, television, computers, office machines (including fares, copiers and scanners), and communications devices. In this paper, the authors investigate the strategies of two key competitors, Kodak and Sony and the role of previous design, manufacturing, and market experience in the development of new strategies as well as the nature and timing of investment in new technologies and product lines.
Reproductive success of Acadian Flycatchers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

Abstract Conservation strategies for Neotropical migratory birds have emphasized identification and preservation of habitats in which populations are reproducing above replacement rates. In 2000–2001, we monitored 141 Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) nests in the extensively forested Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia to assess the site's potential to host “source” populations of this common species. Our estimates of reproductive success, unlike most studies, incorporated the nesting behavior of marked females followed throughout the breeding season. Despite the presence of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in a nearby 15-y-old clearcut and in open areas of a summer camp, we found no parasitized nests. Overall, the predation rate was 41%, 2.5 fledglings were produced per successful nesting attempt, and seasonal fecundity approached two female fledglings per adult female per season. Given return rates (minimum survival rates) of 52% at our study site, our measured levels of reproductive success ...
Timing in the Testis

The testis provides not just one but several models of temporal organization. The complexity of its rhythmic function arises in part from its compartmentalization and diversity of cell types: not only does the testis produce gametes, but it also serves as the major source of circulating androgens. Within the seminiferous tubules, the germ cells divide and differentiate while in intimate contact with Sertoli cells. The tubule is highly periodic: a spermatogenic wave travels along its length to determine the timing of the commitment of spermatogonia to differentiate, the phases of meiotic division, and the rate of differentiation of the postmeiotic germ cells. Recent evidence indicates that oscillations of retinoic acid play a major role in determining periodicity of the seminiferous epithelium. In the interstitial space, Leydig cells produce the steroid hormones required both for the completion of spermatogenesis and the development and maintenance of male sexual characteristics throughout the body. This endocrine output also oscillates; although the pulse generator lies outside the gonad, the steroidogenic function of Leydig cells is tuned to a regular episodic input. While the oscillations of the intratubular and interstitial cells have multihour (ultradian) and multiday (infradian) periodicities, respectively, the functions of both compartments also display dramatic seasonal rhythms. Furthermore, circadian rhythms are evident in some of the cell types, although their amplitude and pervasiveness are not as great as in many other tissues of the same organism, and their detection may require methods that recognize the heterogeneity of the testis. This review examines the periodicity of testicular function along multiple time scales.
Energy Functions with Detailed Models of Synchronous Machines and Its Control

So far we have discussed energy functions with classical models for both the internal node representation and the structure preserving framework. It is well known that although the power system may be stable in the first swing, for which the classical model is adequate, it may become unstable in subsequent swings. In such cases it is necessary to consider detailed generator modeling, excitation system modeling, etc. Early work in this area was done by Siddiqee [1968] for single machine systems, and Rai [1973] and Kakimoto et al. [1979, 1980] for multimachine systems. Rai considered the multivariable Popov criterion while Kakimoto used the Moore Anderson theorem and both of them used the flux decay model. Sasaki [1979] considered the flux decay model where E q ’ was considered as a parameter variation. Athay et al. [1979] extended this approach to multimachine systems. Tsolas et al. [1985] considered the flux decay model with a structure preserving network while Padiyar and Sastry [1987] considered the structure preserving model along with the excitation system modeling. Bergen, Hill and DeMarco [1984] mathematically justified the existence of a Lyapunov function for structure preserving model with flux decay and nonlinear loads. Miyagi and Bergen [1986] extended the approach of Kakimoto et al. [1980] to include automatic voltage regulators.
Laboratory Waves and Associated Forces

Regular waves generated in the laboratory with a hinged wave maker show significant changes in wave form during propagation. The generated waves modulate as they propagate ranging from waves very nearly sinusoidal to highly nonlinear waves with higher crests than Stokes waves of same height and period. The forces and velocities measured for these waves do not exhibit modulational features comparable to those in the waves. The modulation of the waves appears to result from the presence of free harmonic wave components generated by the wave maker, nonlinear interactions of the harmonic components in the waves and possibly wave reflections.
A Stochastic Programming Formulation for Disinfectant Booster Station Placement to Protect Large-Scale Water Distribution Systems

Abstract We present a methodology for optimally locating disinfectant booster stations for response to contamination events in water distribution systems. A stochastic programming problem considering uncertainty in both the location and time of the contamination event is formulated resulting in an extensive form that is equivalent to the weighted maximum coverage problem. Although the original full-space problem is intractably large, we show a series of reductions that reduce the size of the problem by five orders of magnitude and allow solutions of the optimal placement problem for realistically sized water network models.
Defeating Kernel Driver Purifier

Kernel driver purification is a technique used for detecting and eliminating malicious code embedded in kernel drivers. Ideally, only the benign functionalities remain after purification. As many kernel drivers are distributed in binary format, a kernel driver purifier is effective against existing kernel rootkits. However, in this paper, we demonstrate that an attacker is able to defeat such purification mechanisms through two different approaches: (1) by exploiting self-checksummed code or (2) by avoiding calling kernel APIs. Both approaches would allow arbitrary code to be injected into a kernel driver. Based on the two proposed offensive schemes, we implement prototypes of both types of rootkits and validate their efficacy through real experiments. Our evaluation results show that the proposed rootkits can defeat the current purification techniques. Moreover, these rootkits retain the same functionalities as those of real world rootkits, and only incur negligible performance overhead.
Phonons and related spectra in bulk and monolayer V 2 O 5

The phonons at the zone center are calculated for the layered material ${V}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ using density functional perturbation theory and are compared with experimental infrared and Raman spectra from literature. We find that significantly better agreement is obtained when the pseudopotential treats vanadium semicore states $3s$ and $3p$ as bands. Remaining discrepancies are shown to be related to the local density approximation overestimate of the bond-stretch mode frequencies. The vibrational mode patterns are studied and presented in detail. The same method is then applied to well-separated monolayers. We find significant changes in some phonon frequencies. In particular, the highest-frequency vanadium vanadyl-oxygen stretch modes show a blue-shift of order 6%--8%. The origin of this blue-shift is analyzed in terms of the force-constant changes between bulk and monolayer and is found to arise from a delicate balance of short- and long-range dipolar force components. The latter are affected by the changes in dielectric constants and in the Born-effective charges. The red-shifts of some of the low-frequency modes are found also to be related to a reduction in force constants within the layer, rather than the removal of interlayer bonds. In this case, it is primarily motions along the $x$ direction that are affected. The static and high-frequency dielectric constants are both found to be reduced in the monolayer.
Muramidasuria and Hyperkaluria in the Chloroleukemic Rat

SummaryThe transplanted rat chloroleukemia cytologically similar to human acute myelocytic leukemia is associated with markedly elevated serum and urinary muramidase levels. Current metabolic studies demonstrate excessive potassium loss in the urine and appears to be related to the degree of muramidasuria. The experimental myelogenous leukemia furnishes an excellent model for the investigation of the enzyme effect on the kidney and present studies suggest that muramidase causes a direct tubular damage.
Exposing the Excited‐State Equilibrium in an IrIII Bichromophore: A Combined Time Resolved Spectroscopy and Computational Study

The electronic structure and photophysical properties of a luminescent IrIII bis-cyclometalated complex covalently attached to one 4-piperidinyl-1,8-naphthalimide (PNI) chromophore through a coordinated 1,10-phenanthroline, [Ir(ppy)2(phen-PNI)](PF6), is presented. This bichromophore represents a new class of visible light-harvesting IrIII complexes that exhibit markedly enhanced room-temperature excited-state lifetimes (τ = 8.8 ms) as a result of intervening ligand-centered triplet states present on the pendant naphthalimide chromophore. In this IrIII complex, the intense singlet fluorescence of the pendant PNI chromophore is nearly quantitatively quenched and was found to sensitize the IrIII metal/ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLLCT) excited state. The excited state ultimately returns to the PNI chromophore as a long-lived excited triplet that disposes of its energy by equilibrating with the photoluminescent IrIII MLLCT excited state. Evidence of the excited-state equilibrium is provided through static and dynamic photoluminescence spectroscopy, transient absorption spectroscopy, and time-dependent density functional theory calculations.
Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of congenital digestive tract obstruction

Objective To explore the contribution of prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis to congenital digestive tract obstruction. Methods Prenatal ultrasonographic data of congenital digestive tract obstruction in 46 fetuses were retrospectively analyzed. Results Congenital digestive tract obstructions,including 1 esophageal atresia,7 pyloric stenosis or atresia,18 duodenal stenosis or atresia,6 intestinal stenosis or atresia,3 colonic atresia,9 anal atresia and 2 congenital megacolon were proved with induced abortion or postnatal operation. Conclusion Prenatal ultrasonogrphy can directly depict the level and degree of digestive tract dilatation,therefore,is an important prenatal diagnostic modality of congenital digestive tract obstruction.
Intervention Strategies of Health Education for Management of Hypertension of Rural Community in Sheyang County

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the intervention strategies of health education for management of hypertension of rural community in Sheyang County.METHODS Questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted among the residents who was selected from people aged 18 or above in five towns in Sheyang County by multistage stratified random sampling in 2005,the same questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted again in 2008.RESULTS The awareness of basic hypertension-related knowledge after the intervention(89.6%)were significantly higher than before the intervention (P0.05).The behavior formation rates (85.8%) of knowledge about hypertension after the intervention was higher than before the intervention(18.0%)(P0.05).The needs rates(80.3%)after the intervention were obviously higher than pre-intervention(31.5%) (P0.05).CONCLUSION It does play part of role for objects to increase knowledge awareness rates,behavior formation rates,needs rates with effective health education on hypertension-related knowledge in rural community.
Real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors with the length-diameter no more than 2.0cm

Objective To investigate the perfusion characteristics and quantitative parameters of time-intensity curve(TIC)in diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors(length-diameter≤2.0cm)using real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound(RT-CEUS).Methods Color doppler flow imaging(CDFI)and CEUS data of patients with breast masses,including 33 cases of malignant tumors and 30 cases of benign tumors were retrospectively studied.Difference of TIC quantitative parameters between benign and malignant breast tumors were compared.And the diagnostic efficiency was evaluated.Results Characteristics of concentric,inhomogeneous,high perfusion and radiate boundary were found in majority of malignant tumors.The boundary of 87.88%(29/33)malignant tumors was fuzzy.While centrifugal,homogeneous and low perfusion were found in benign tumors.The boundary of 83.33%(25/30)benign tumors was clear.Perfusion defect was found in 78.79%(26/33)malignant tumors.Quantitative analysis:Compared with benign tumors,peak intensity(PI)and the slope of TIC ascending branch(k)were higher in malignant tumors(both P0.05).No statistical difference was found of time of peak(TP)between benign and malignant tumors(P0.05).The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of CDFI in diagnosing malignant breast tumors with length-diameter≤2.0cm was 72.73%(24/33),73.33%(22/30)and73.02%(46/63),respectively.And the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of CDFI combined CEUS was separately81.82%(27/33),83.33%(25/30)and 82.54%(52/63).Conclusion RT-CEUS perfusion characteristics and TIC quantitative parameters are helpful to increase diagnostic accuracy of breast tumors with length-diameter≤2.0cm.
A framework of frequency-domain flight dynamics modeling for multi-rotor aerial vehicles:

In this paper, a frequency-domain modeling methodology that can be applied to various multi-rotor aerial vehicles is introduced. The primary contribution of this work is a systematic integration of...
Do you catch undersized fish? Let's Go fishing to learn some important concepts in multiple testing

Summary In the era of Big Data, because of diminishing cost of data collection and storage, a large number of statistical tests may even possibly be conducted all together by a high school student to seek for some ‘exciting’ new scientific findings. In this article, we propose an interesting approach to introduce students to some important concepts in multiple testing by an analogous example of net fishing. The proposed teaching approach is fun and requires no mathematical calculation.
Union-Management partnerships, Teacher collaboration, and student performance

Using data from surveys, interviews, and student performance, the authors examine collaborative union–management partnerships between local union representatives, teachers, and school administrators working together in innovative ways to improve teaching quality and student performance. Based on data from 27 schools in a southern California school district, the authors find that the strength of formal union–management partnerships is a significant predictor of greater growth in student performance over time, and that this relationship is mediated by stronger educator collaboration at the school level, after controlling for poverty. The findings suggest that student performance can be significantly improved by institutional union–management partnerships and the increased school-level collaboration that results from them.
Precursory surface deformation in great plate boundary earthquake sequences

Abstract We present an analysis of time-dependent precursory source processes and associated ground surface deformation prior to the great earthquake rupture of a long seismic gap zone along a transform plate boundary. This work is based on a theoretical model proposed by Li and Rice (1983) and reviewed briefly here. In the model, thickness-averaged stress transmission in the lithosphere is analyzed by a generalized Elsasser plane stress model which includes coupling to a viscoelastic asthenosphere. Upward progression of preseismic rupture at each section along strike is analyzed as quasi-static extension, in local antiplane strain, of an elastic-brittle crack; this provides the necessary boundary condition (in the context of the “line-spring procedure”) along strike for the Elsasser plate model. The approach to instability is simulated using what are thought to be typical material and tectonic parameters. It is found that prior to a large earthquake, the shear strain increases rapidly near the seismic gap zone but tends to diminish at moderate distances from the plate boundary. Such a strain-reversal phenomenon, although difficult to measure at present due to its small magnitude, may be helpful in the interpretation of geodetic measurements and in the planning of geodetic network locations for the purpose of earthquake prediction. The acceleration of slip, with consequent acceleration of stress increase in the upper brittle crust, predicted by the model may provide a plausible explanation for nonlinear features associated with seismicity preceding some major events (see, e.g., Raleigh et al. , 1982). A “precursor time”, t prec , during which anomalous strain rate at the seismic gap exceeds twice its background level, is found to be in the range of a couple of months to 5 yr, depending on the tectonic loading rate; t prec varies approximately as R −1.3 (where R is a dimensionless loading rate parameter). This precursor time may be associated with physical anomalities related to rapid stress increase such as ground tilting, water table variation, and radon emission which precede some large earthquakes. Consistent with observations, the analysis predicts longer precursor times for larger earthquakes.
Evaluation of Reteplase for the Management of Acute Myocardial Infarction: Door-to-Drug Time and Safety:

A drug use evaluation was conducted to determine if reteplase was administered expeditiously, appropriately, and safely to patients arriving in the emergency department (ED) with acute myocardial infaction (AMI).A retrospective review of the medical records of 28 patients receiving reteplase in the ED during a 6-month period was conducted. The median door-to-drug time for administration of reteplase was 33 minutes. Major and minor bleeding events occurred in 3. 6% and 42.8% of patients, respectively. In general, reteplase was administered correctly and in a timely manner to appropriately screened patients.
Management of Adult Onset Seizures

Epilepsy is a common yet heterogeneous disease. As a result, management often requires complex decision making. The ultimate goal of seizure management is for the patient to have no seizures and no considerable adverse effects from the treatment. Antiepileptic drugs are the mainstay of therapy, with more than 20 medications currently approved in the United States. Antiepileptic drug selection requires an understanding of the patient's epilepsy, along with consideration of comorbidities and potential for adverse events. After a patient has failed at least 2 appropriate antiepileptic drugs, they are determined to be medically refractory. At this time, additional therapy, including dietary, device, or surgical treatments, need to be considered, typically at a certified epilepsy center. All these treatments require consideration of the potential for seizure freedom, balanced against potential adverse effects, and can have a positive effect on seizure control and quality of life. This review article discussed the treatment options available for adults with epilepsy, including medical, surgical, dietary, and device therapies.
Ethnic differences in glucose effectiveness and disposition index in overweight/obese African American and white women with prediabetes: A study of compensatory mechanisms.

Abstract Objective Prediabetes, a major precursor of type 2 diabetes, varies among ethnic populations. Therefore, we compared the pathophysiologic mechanisms of prediabetes in overweight/obese African American (AA) and White American (WA) women. Subjects and Methods: We recruited 95 women (67 AA, 28 WA) with prediabetes. Standard OGTT and FSIVGTT were performed in each subject. Insulin sensitivity (Si), glucose effectiveness (Sg), beta cell function (acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) and disposition index (DI: Si x AIRg) were calculated using Bergman's Minmod. Results Mean BMI was greater in AA vs WA with prediabetes (38.3±8.2 vs 34.6±8.5 kg/m2, p=0.05). Mean fasting serum glucose,and insulin levels were lower in AA vsWA. Similarly, mean peak serum glucose levels were lower while peak insulin levels were higher at 30 and 60 minutes in AA vs WA. In contrast,mean fasting and peak serum c-peptide levels at 60 and 90 minutes were significantly lowerin AA vs WA. Mean AIRg was higher but not significantly different in AA vs WA (633±520.9 vs 414.8±246.8, p=0.193). Although, Si (2.93±3.25 vs 2.5±1.76 (mu/I)x10 -4 /min -1 , p=0.448) was not different, DI was significantly higher in AA vs WA (1381.1±1126 vs 901.9±477.1x10 -2 xmin -1 , p=0.01). In addition, mean Sg was significantly higher in AAvs WA (2.5±1.2 vs 1.9±0.72 x(min-1,p= 0.02). Conclusions We found that in overweight/obese prediabetic AA and WA women with similar Si, the mean Sg and DI were significantly higher in AA. We conclude that the pathophysiologic mechanisms of prediabetes differ in the overweight/obese AA and WA women.
High school start times after 8:30 am are associated with later wake times and longer time in bed among teens in a national urban cohort study.

Abstract Objectives High school start times are a key contributor to insufficient sleep. This study investigated associations of high school start times with bedtime, wake time, and time in bed among urban teenagers. Design Daily-diary study nested within the prospective Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Setting Twenty US cities. Participants Four hundred thirteen teenagers who completed ≥1 daily diary report on a school day. Measurements Participating teens were asked to complete daily diaries for 7 consecutive days. School-day daily diaries (3.8±1.6 entries per person) were used in analyses (N=1555 school days). High school start time, the main predictor, was categorized as 7:00-7:29 am (15%), 7:30-7:59 am (22%), 8:00-8:29 am (35%), and 8:30 am or later (28%). Multilevel modeling examined the associations of school start times with bedtime, wake time, and time in bed. Models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, caregiver's education, and school type. Results Teens with the earliest high school start times (7:00-7:29 am) obtained 46 minutes less time in bed on average compared with teens with high school start times at 8:30 am or later ( P P P Conclusion Later school start times are associated with later wake times in our large, diverse sample. Teens starting school at 8:30 am or later are the only group with an average time in bed permitting 8 hours of sleep, the minimum recommended by expert consensus for health and well-being.