cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal activation of shear modulus instabilities in pressure-induced bc c → hcp transitions

Isostress molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrate that violations of the classical conditions for elastic stability predict the onset of $\mathrm{bc}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{c}\mathrm{hcp}$ transitions. Mechanical, geometric, and kinetic characteristics of the transitions are revealed in MD computations of shear moduli and the evolution of the crystal structure and its enthalpy. The transitions from bcc to hcp under isothermal-isobaric conditions are found to originate with thermally activated elastic instabilities that are associated with vanishing or diminishing shear moduli.
Protecting Fur Seals During Spill Response: Lessons from the San Jorge (Uruguay) Oil Spill

ABSTRACT Nearly 5,000 2- to 3-month old South American fur seal pups were oiled and/or died as a result of a February 1997, 5,000-metric ton crude oil spill near Punta del Este, Uruguay. After cons...
Interaction between N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors and D1 dopamine receptors: An important mechanism for brain plasticity

Dopamine and glutamate may be the most extensively studied neurotransmitters in the brain, and single components of their signaling pathways have been well characterized. In recent years integration of the dopamine and glutamate signaling pathways has received increasing attention. This research has been fueled by the fact that many psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, seem to be due to imbalances in both the glutamatergic and the dopaminergic system, and that many addictive drugs seem to affect both systems. Thus more knowledge about the interaction between the glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems will have important implications for the generation of new treatment for psychiatric disorders. This review will focus on the intraneuronal interaction between the glutamate and dopamine systems.
Literature as activism: Ninotchka Rosca's political aesthetic

This article provides a brief overview of Philippine writer Ninotchka Rosca's literary career, tracing her commitment to political advocacy and suggesting the ways that this commitment shapes her creative choices. It focuses special attention on State of War, Rosca's debut novel, as it best dramatizes a productive interplay between literary and political devices.
Performance evaluation of radial/vertical flow clarification applied to recirculating aquaculture systems

Abstract A prototype radial/vertical clarifier with 60° cone bottom was built and evaluated for application in recirculating aquaculture. Samples were analyzed for particle size distribution using a laser diffraction particle analyzer (Mastersizer S, Malvern Instruments Ltd., Worcestershire, UK) and total suspended solids (TSS) to determine the effectiveness of the clarifier. Surface area calculated mean influent and effluent particle diameters were 81.12 ± 1.57 μm and 54.48 ± 0.79 μm, respectively—a 33% reduction in mean particle size. Mean particle size within the system was 73.19 ± 1.37 μm. Mean influent and effluent particle diameters, based upon volume, were 340.62 ± 3.59 μm and 176.07 ± 2.37 μm, respectively, with a resulting overall particle size reduction of 48%. Average TSS was relatively low at all sampling points, 11.4 mg/L, 2.1 mg/L and 2.6 mg/L for influent, effluent and system sampling points, respectively, with a resulting average removal rate of 82%. The authors believe the suitability of radial/vertical flow clarifiers as a water efficient, low cost alternative solids collection device for recirculating aquaculture was demonstrated.
Biorthogonal method of moments of coupled‐cluster equations: Alternative derivation, further considerations, and application to a model magnetic system

The energy expansion defining the biorthogonal method of moments of coupled-cluster equations (MMCC) [Piecuch and Wloch, J Chem Phys, 2005, 123, 224105 and Piecuch et al., Chem Phys Lett 2006, 418, 467], which leads to the size extensive completely renormalized (CR) coupled-cluster (CC) approach with singles, doubles, and noniterative triples employing the left eigenstates of the similarity-transformed Hamiltonian, termed CR-CC(2,3), is overviewed and rederived. The rederivation of the biorthogonal MMCC expansion presented in this work is based on a direct resummation and subsequent elimination of the many-body components of the exponential wave operator of CC theory that appear at individual moment contributions in the original MMCC energy expansion [Kowalski and Piecuch, J Chem Phys, 2000, 113, 18; Kowalski and Piecuch, J Chem Phys 2001, 115, 2966], enabling one to understand why the CR-CC(2,3) method using the biorthogonal MMCC theory is more accurate than the earlier CR-CCSD(T) approach. The superiority of the CR-CC(2,3) method over the CR-CCSD(T) and other previously developed single-reference CC methods with a noniterative treatment of triply excited clusters, including the widely used CCSD(T) approach and the triples corrections defining the CCSD(2) schemes, is illustrated by examining the singlet–triplet gap of the (HFH)− magnetic system in which two paramagnetic centers are linked via a polarizable diamagnetic bridge. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Innovative Cashless Solutions: Influencing an Industry’s Tipping Point

ABSTRACT Historically, cashless payments have eluded a significant segment of the self-service industry despite the fact a majority of consumers, driven by convenience and reward programs, have migrated from cash to electronic payments. The Payment Card Institute estimates there are more than one billion transaction payment cards in circulation in the U.S. with about 10,000 transactions occurring per second. High volumes of card-based transactions require a complex and costly infrastructure designed to capture, authorize, transact, resolve, and manage payment reconciliation. How do card payment fees compare to the actual cost of handling cash payments? Some practitioners claim the cost of cash may be understated when additional security measures (e.g. electronic locks and video surveillance equipment), transportation procedures (armored car service), and/or software applications (reconciliation/reporting algorithms) are considered. A similar scrutiny of cashless payment transactions led to the recent inno...
The Cytomatrix Regulates “Resolute” Transport in Erythrophores

Light microscopic studies have indicated that most microtubule-directed transport is either saltatory or resolute in nature. The latter form of transport is an intriguing phenomenon, because it commonly involves the unidirectional bulk motion of an organelle(s) such as chromosomes in dividing cells or pigment granules in chromatophores. We have investigated the ultrastructural and biochemical basis for the resolute transport of pigment in chromatophores. Light and EM studies of erythrophores in situ have clearly shown that when the microtubules were completely removed with nocodazole, resolute transport continued and was stimulated by aggregating and dispersing agents. Light and electron microscopic studies of cultured erythrophores permeabilized with digitonin indicated that resolute motion was produced by a cytomatrix of 3 to 7 nm filaments. Immunofluorescent analysis with several monoclonal antibodies raised against MAP-2 further demonstrated that MAP-2 was an important component of the contractile cytomatrix that powers pigment aggregation and dispersion. We conclude that a microtubule-associated cytomatrix normally produces resolute pigment transport in chromatophores.
Exploring structure and content on the web: extraction and integration of the semi-structured web

In this tutorial we view the World Wide Web as a type of massive, decentralized database. At present, this "Web database" is presented in a manner largely devoid of any consistent meaning or schema. That is not to say that Web-data lacks an underlying organization; in fact, most Web content is generated from an underlying schema-bound, or otherwise structured database. Information extraction is generally concerned with the reconciliation of unstructured or semi-structured Web content with the neatly structured database paradigm. With this Web-database in hand, researchers and practitioners have recently begun developing mechanisms which return structured results in response to an unstructured query. These new developments are a product of (1) record, list and table extraction from large numbers of semi-structured Web pages, (2) integration of these disparate extraction results into a consistent form, and (3) analysis of the newly extracted and integrated Web data.Among the many fruits of this line of work is the ability for semi-structured Web data to enhance the search capabilities of a schema-bound database. Alternatively, structured database records have also been used to augment Web page collections typically used by Web search engines. We will cover several key technologies, and principles explored so far in the area of Web information extraction, search and exploration.
Recent improvements to Binding MOAD: a resource for protein–ligand binding affinities and structures

For over 10 years, Binding MOAD (Mother of All Databases; http://www.BindingMOAD.org) has been one of the largest resources for high-quality protein-ligand complexes and associated binding affinity data. Binding MOAD has grown at the rate of 1994 complexes per year, on average. Currently, it contains 23,269 complexes and 8156 binding affinities. Our annual updates curate the data using a semi-automated literature search of the references cited within the PDB file, and we have recently upgraded our website and added new features and functionalities to better serve Binding MOAD users. In order to eliminate the legacy application server of the old platform and to accommodate new changes, the website has been completely rewritten in the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) environment. The improved user interface incorporates current third-party plugins for better visualization of protein and ligand molecules, and it provides features like sorting, filtering and filtered downloads. In addition to the field-based searching, Binding MOAD now can be searched by structural queries based on the ligand. In order to remove redundancy, Binding MOAD records are clustered in different families based on 90% sequence identity. The new Binding MOAD, with the upgraded platform, features and functionalities, is now equipped to better serve its users.
Television News Hero for New Orleans, Hero for the Nation

Early network television coverage of Hurricane Katrina was a narrative of good versus evil. TV news placed itself in the role of hero fighting the evil that was government ineptitude. This narrative style of reporting is especially fitting to the medium of television, which shapes all stories to fit its parameters, and is common in natural disaster stories, which are, ultimately, stories not about nature but about people.
Stiffened yeast telomerase RNA supports RNP function in vitro and in vivo.

The 1157-nt Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA, TLC1, in addition to providing a 16-nt template region for reverse transcription, has been proposed to act as a scaffold for protein subunits. Although accessory subunits of the telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex function even when their binding sites are relocated on the yeast telomerase RNA, the physical nature of the RNA scaffold has not been directly analyzed. Here we explore the structure–function organization of the yeast telomerase RNP by extensively stiffening the three long arms of TLC1, which connect essential and important accessory protein subunits Ku, Est1, and Sm7, to its central catalytic hub. This 956-nt triple-stiff-arm TLC1 (TSA-T) reconstitutes active telomerase with TERT (Est2) in vitro. Furthermore, TSA-T functions in vivo, even maintaining longer telomeres than TLC1 on a per RNA basis. We also tested functional contributions of each stiffened arm within TSA-T and found that the stiffened Est1 and Ku arms contribute to telomere lengthening, while stiffening the terminal arm reduces telomere length and telomerase RNA abundance. The fact that yeast telomerase tolerates significant stiffening of its RNA subunit in vivo advances our understanding of the architectural and functional organization of this RNP and, more broadly, our conception of the world of lncRNPs.
Standing at the Doorway Looking In

The challenges and opportunities for nurses who work with people from diverse backgrounds are considered. The task for a nurse from the dominant culture working with persons from minority cultures requires patience, sensitivity, humility, and imagination, but it can be well worth the effort for all involved.
Survivin Modulates Microtubule Dynamics and Nucleation throughout the Cell Cycle

Survivin is a member of the chromosomal passenger complex implicated in kinetochore attachment, bipolar spindle formation, and cytokinesis. However, the mechanism by which survivin modulates these processes is unknown. Here, we show by time-lapse imaging of cells expressing either green fluorescent protein (GFP)-α-tubulin or the microtubule plus-end binding protein GFP-EB1 that depletion of survivin by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) increased both the number of microtubules nucleated by centrosomes and the incidence of microtubule catastrophe, the transition from microtubule growth to shrinking. In contrast, survivin overexpression reduced centrosomal microtubule nucleation and suppressed both microtubule dynamics in mitotic spindles and bidirectional growth of microtubules in midbodies during cytokinesis. siRNA depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of another chromosomal passenger protein Aurora B, had no effect on microtubule dynamics or nucleation in interphase or mitotic cells even though mitosis was impaired. We propose a model in which survivin modulates several mitotic events, including spindle and interphase microtubule organization, the spindle assembly checkpoint and cytokinesis through its ability to modulate microtubule nucleation and dynamics. This pathway may affect the microtubule-dependent generation of aneuploidy and defects in cell polarity in cancer cells, where survivin is commonly up-regulated.
Aromatization reactions of 4-hydroxy-6-phenacyl-2-pyrone and related compounds

Abstract Treatment of the title compound with various acidic and basic reagents brought about cleavage of the lactone ring to form unstable intermediates which recyclized in several manners. With strong acids the compound was transformed to γ-pyrones, with nucleophilic bases to resorcinols, and with non-nucleophilic bases to benzoylphloroglucinol. In the first two reactions the corresponding 3,5,7-triketo acid or ester is an intermediate. The use of a large excess of a chelating metal ion (Ca++) caused an isolable amount of the ester to accumulate. A ketene derivative is proposed as the intermediate in the formation of benzoylphloroglucinol. The reactions of four derivatives of the title pyrone have been explored.
LDDM - A Structured Logical Database Design Methodology

The trend of producing databases which do not satisfy organizational requirements can be attributed to the fact that the database designer is required to simultaneously consider many design constraints and does not have a comprehensive methodology to follow. A new decomposition of the logical database design process in which each level satisfies a single design objective is developed. In this decomposition, the requirements process and logical database design process are integrated to ensure that organizational requirements are satisfied. A structured logical database design methodology called LDDM that is based on this decomposition has been developed. LDDM consists of six design steps: Requirements Step, Entity Step, Relationship Step, Entity Structure Step, Refinement Step and DBMS Accommodation Step. LDDM including its constituent steps and techniques is presented. The utilization of LDDM will result in increased designer productivity, better documentation and a high quality logical database.
U.S. Army battery needs-present and future

The purpose of this paper is to describe the needs of the US Army for silent portable power sources, both in the near and longer term future. As a means of doing this, the programs of the Power Sources Division of the Army Research Laboratory are discussed. The chief future needs for portable power sources for the US Army are: high energy density primary batteries to serve as the next generation of general purpose C41 high energy density batteries, as well as maximum energy density batteries for use in selected applications; improved rechargeable batteries for use during training and by Special Operations personnel, as well as state of charge indication for both primary and rechargeable batteries; improved reserve/fuze batteries for use in lithium-based and longer-lived batteries for smart munitions; pulse power batteries and capacitors for evaluation in the electrothermal gun application, and to provide pulse power for vehicle acceleration, tank starting, and other similar applications; portable fuel cell systems operating in the 10-150 W range, capable of orientation independent operation; and silent portable power generating systems, capable of operating on diesel fuel, such as efficient thermophotovoltaic systems. >
Ruzie over de antichrist. Cornelis Uythage (ca. 1640–1686) als geleerde querulant

Arguing about Antichrist. Cornelis Uythage’s (about 1640–1686) scholarly provocations In 1666, the now forgotten Leiden scholar Cornelis Uythage published his book Anti-Christus Mahometes, wherein he argued that Mohammed was the grand Antichrist. This led to a vehement quarrel with the Leiden Church council, who accused him of dissenting from the Reformed position that the Pope was the Antichrist. Uythage had a talent for provocation. Both at his philosophical and theological promotions, in 1662 and 1663 respectively, he wilfully challenged established authorities; his theological promotion caused a huge uproar. The provocative stance he showed throughout his career is in line with the fierce ecclesiastical and philosophical disputes at the time. As a scholar, however, Uythage was behind the times. He appears to have been moved by a spirit of contradiction rather than by any real concerns. Since he did not have any philosophical or political program, in the end his protests could be easily neutralized.
Does a rigid body limit maneuverability

Whether a rigid body limits maneuverability depends on how maneuverability is defined. By the current definition, the minimum radius of the turn, a rigid-bodied, spotted boxfish Ostracion meleagris approaches maximum maneuverability, i.e. it can spin around with minimum turning radii near zero. The radius of the minimum space required to turn is an alternative measure of maneuverability. By this definition, O. meleagris is not very maneuverable. The observed space required by O. meleagris to turn is slightly greater than its theoretical minimum but much greater than that of highly flexible fish. Agility, the rate of turning, is related to maneuverability. The median- and pectoral-fin-powered turns of O. meleagris are slow relative to the body- and caudal-fin-powered turns of more flexible fish.
Hypnosis in the Management of Sleep Disorders

Hypnosis has been used to manage insomnia and disorders of arousal. The alteration in the state of consciousness produced during hypnotic trance is more similar to relaxed reverie than sleep. Hypnosis typically occurs in a state of repose and the accomplished subject may have no recollection of the experience during a trance, 2 commonalities with sleep. Because hypnosis allows for relaxation, increased suggestibility, posthypnotic suggestion, imagery rehearsal, access to preconscious cognitions and emotions, and cognitive restructuring, disorders of sleep such as the insomnias, parasomnias, and related mood or anxiety disorders can be amenable to this therapeutic intervention.
Vectorial nonlinear propagation in silicon nanowire waveguides: polarization effects

A comprehensive theory is developed for describing the nonlinear propagation of optical pulses through silicon waveguides with nanoscale dimensions. Our theory includes not only the vectorial nature of optical modes but also the coupling between the transverse electric and magnetic modes occurring for arbitrarily polarized optical fields. We have studied the dependence of relevant nonlinear parameters on waveguide dimensions and found a class of waveguide geometries for which self-phase modulation can have a dramatic impact on the polarization state of the optical field. Self-induced polarization changes are studied for both the continuous and pulsed optical fields propagating in silicon waveguides. We also discuss the possibility of using these effects for intensity discrimination and pulse compression.
Drinking among College Students: Are Consumption Rates Increasing?

Alcohol consumption rates of college students in 1981 are compared with a similar sample taken in 1965 using the same measures. No evidence is found for a change in consumption rates among college students during this time interval.
Space missions for automation and robotics technologies (SMART) program

NASA is currently considering the establishment of a Space Mission for Automation and Robotics Technologies (SMART) Program to define, develop, integrate, test, and operate a spaceborne national research facility for the validation of advanced automation and robotics technologies. Initially, the concept is envisioned to be implemented through a series of shuttle based flight experiments which will utilize telepresence technologies and real time operation concepts. However, eventually the facility will be capable of a more autonomous role and will be supported by either the shuttle or the space station. To ensure incorporation of leading edge technology in the facility, performance capability will periodically and systematically be upgraded by the solicitation of recommendations from a user advisory group. The facility will be managed by NASA, but will be available to all potential investigators. Experiments for each flight will be selected by a peer review group. Detailed definition and design is proposed to take place during FY 86, with the first SMART flight projected for FY 89.
Racial/ethnic differences in hypertension and hypertension treatment and control in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).

whites. Among hypertensive MESA participants, the percentage of treated but uncontrolled hypertension in whites (24%) was significantly lower than in African Americans (35%, P .0001), Chinese (33%, P .003), and Hispanics (32%, P .0005), but only African-American race/ ethnicity remained significantly associated with treated but uncontrolled hypertension after controlling for socioeconomic factors (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.07‐1.71). Diuretic use was lowest in the Chinese (22%) and Hispanic participants (32%) and was significantly lower in these groups compared with white participants (47%; P .0001 for both comparisons). Conclusions: Programs to improve hypertension treatment and control should focus on a better understanding of differences in the prevalence of hypertension and hypertension control among minority groups in the United States, especially African Americans, compared with whites, and on techniques to prevent hypertension and improve control in high-risk groups. Am J Hypertens 2004;17:963‐970 © 2004 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.
A voxel-based parallel collision detection algorithm

Two physical objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time.Simulated physical objects do not naturally obey this constraint.Instead, we must detect when two objects have collided---we mustperform collision detection. This work presents a simplevoxel-based collision detection algorithm, an efficient parallelimplementation of the algorithm, and performance results.
A predicted protein-protein interaction network of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.

The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a leading model organism for circadian clock studies. Computational identification of a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network (also known as an interactome) in N. crassa can provide new insights into the cellular functions of proteins. Using two well-established bioinformatics methods (the interolog method and the domain interaction-based method), we predicted 27588 PPIs among 3006 N. crassaproteins. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first identified interactome for N. crassa, although it remains problematic because of incomplete interactions and false positives. In particular, the established PPI network has provided clues to further decipher the molecular mechanism of circadian rhythmicity. For instance, we found that clock-controlled genes (ccgs) are more likely to act as bottlenecks in the established PPI network. We also identified an important module related to circadian oscillators, and some functional unknown proteins in this module may serve as potential candidates for new oscillators. Finally, all predicted PPIs were compiled into a user-friendly database server (NCPI), which is freely available at http://protein.cau.edu.cn/ncpi.
Globin genes on the move

Recent data published in BMC Biology from the globin gene clusters in platypus, together with data from other species, show that β-globin genes transposed from one chromosomal location to another. This resolves some controversies about vertebrate globin gene evolution but ignites new ones.
A GCM Simulation of the Relationship between Tropical-Storm Formation and ENSO

Abstract A low-resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) general circulation model has been integrated for 15 years. In the course of this experiment, the observed month-to-month sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the tropical Pacific Ocean were incorporated in the lower boundary condition. The output from this model run was used to investigate the influence of El Nin-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on the variability of tropical-storm formation. Criteria for detecting tropical cyclogenesis and tropical-storm formation were developed for the model. Tropical storms appearing in the model atmosphere exhibit many typhoonlike characteristics: strong cyclonic vorticity and convergence in the lower troposphere, strong anticyclonic vorticity and divergence near the tropopause, and intense precipitation. It is demonstrated that, despite its coarse resolution, the model is capable of reproducing the observed geographical distribution and seasonal variation of tropical-storm formation. The...
Metabolism of chenodeoxycholate by intestinal mucosa.

The metabolism of 14C-labeled bile salts was studied in vitro during their absorption from infused segments of rat intestine. The transported bile salts were recovered in transudates which were collected from the serosal surface of infused segments. In the jejunum, 36 % of transported [14C]deoxycholate and 48% of transported [14C]chenodeoxycholate were recovered as metabolites which migrated as a seemingly single polar compound on thin layer chromatography; 52 to 72% of these metabolites could be deconjugated by cholylglycine hydrolase to yield original [14C]deoxycholate or [14C]chenodeoxycholate, respectively. The jejunum metabolized 9 times more [14C]chenodeoxycholate than the ileum (38.1 nmoles per hr per g compared with 4.2 nmoles per hr per g), despite the fact that both segments transferred the same amount of radioactivity. In contrast, [14C ]cholate, [14C]glycocholate, and [14C]glycodeoxycholate were transferred intact by the jejunum, ileum, and colon. Human jejunal and rectal mucosa were able to metabolize [14C]chenodeoxycholate to polar metabolites in vitro. Polar metabolites were also found in the portal plasma and jejunal wall 20 min after the feeding of [14C]chenodeoxycholate to bile fistula rats. It is suggested that these results complicate the interpretation of in vitro experiments on absorption of dihydroxy bile salts, and that they indicate that the human small intestine may be able to metabolize chenodeoxycholate.
Examining the Effects of Stiffness and Mass Difference on the Thermal Interface Conductance Between Lennard-Jones Solids

To date, the established methods that describe thermal interface conductance (TIC) and include mode-level dependence have not included anharmonicity. The current intuition is therefore based on the behavior in the harmonic limit, whereby the extent of overlap in the bulk phonon density of states (DoS) (e.g., frequency overlap) dictates the TIC and more frequency overlap leads to higher TIC. Here, we study over 2,000 interfaces described by the Lennard-Jones potential using equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, whereby we systematically change the mass and stiffness of each side. We show that the trends in TIC do not generally follow that of the bulk phonon DoS overlap, but instead more closely follow the vibrational power spectrum overlap for the interfacial atoms. We then identify the frequency overlap in the interfacial power spectra as an improved descriptor for understanding the qualitative trends in TIC. Although improved, the results show that the basic intuition of frequency overlap is still insufficient to explain all of the features, as the remaining variations are shown to arise from anharmonicity, which is a critical effect to include in interface calculations above cryogenic temperatures.
Organizing a Human Factors Educational Event at SAS

In an attempt to increase knowledge and awareness about the many ways in which the human factors teams at SAS contribute to product design, we planned and executed a company-wide usability demonstration event. Twenty-five stations encompassing usability-related demonstrations were featured. Various contests held throughout the duration of the event, as well as a lively, color-coordinated overall design, contributed to the exciting and celebratory nature of the day. The energetic atmosphere of the event attracted hundreds of attendees who enjoyed learning about the integration of human factors into the development of our company's products. Our poster describes the event's planning strategy, design, execution, outcome, and lessons learned.
Effects of Amoxicillin and Augmentin on Cystine-Glutamate Exchanger and Glutamate Transporter 1 Isoforms as well as Ethanol Intake in Alcohol-Preferring Rats

Alcohol dependence is associated with alteration of glutamate transport and glutamate neurotransmission. Glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) is a major transporter that regulates the majority of extracellular glutamate concentration, which is also regulated by cystine-glutamate exchanger (xCT). Importantly, we recently reported that amoxicillin and Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) upreglulated GLT-1 expression in nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) as well as reduced ethanol consumption in male P rats. In this study, we examined the effects of amoxicillin and Augmentin on GLT-1 isoforms (GLT-1a and GLT-1b), xCT and glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) expression in NAc and PFC as well as ethanol intake in male P rats. We found that both compounds significantly reduced ethanol intake, and increased GLT-1a, GLT-1b and xCT expression in NAc. However, only Augmentin increased GLT-1a, GLT-1b and xCT expression in PFC. There were no effects of these compounds on GLAST expression in NAc and PFC. These findings demonstrated that Augmentin and amoxicillin have the potential to upregulate GLT-1 isoforms and xCT expression, and consequently attenuate ethanol dependence.
Smart checklists to improve healthcare outcomes

This paper presents an approach for automatically generating Smart Checklists---context-dependent, dynamically updated views of on-going medical processes based on current activities and previously validated process models of best practices. This approach addresses not only nominal scenarios but includes guidance when exceptional situations arise. The framework for creating these checklists is described, along with an example and discussion of issues.
Tetramer Staining for the Detection of HLA-Specific B cells

HLA-specific B cells can be identified, quantified, and isolated after staining with HLA tetramers. Quantification of these B cells can in turn identify individuals who are sensitized to HLA antigens and the isolation of these cells facilitates a variety of experimental investigations.
Thinking outside the Box: Rotor Modulation in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.

Abstract Ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important and exciting therapy whose results remain suboptimal. Although most clinical trials show that ablation eliminates AF more effectively than medications, it is disappointing that the continued single procedural success remains ≈50% despite the substantial advances that have taken place in imaging, catheter positioning and energy delivery. Focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM), on the other hand, offers the opportunity to precisely define and then ablate patient-specific sustaining mechanisms for AF, rather than trying to eliminate all possible AF triggers. For over a decade, electrophysiologists have described cases in which AF terminates after only limited ablation – usually that cannot be explained by ‘random’ meandering wavelets. Indeed, recent studies from several laboratories show that all forms of clinical AF are typically ‘driven’ by stable electrical rotors and focal sources, not by multiple meandering waves. FIRM mapping enables an operator to place a catheter at typically 1-3 predicted sites in the atria, and with <5-10 minutes of RF ablation, terminate AF and potentially render it non-inducible. Several independent laboratories have now shown that such FIRM ablation alone can terminate or substantially slow AF in >80% of patients with persistent and paroxysmal AF and increase the single procedure rate of AF elimination from 50% with PV isolation alone to >80%. Ongoing studies hint that FIRM only ablation, enabling ablation times in the range observed for typical atrial flutter, may also achieve these high success rates without subsequent trigger ablation. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art on FIRM mapping and ablation.
International Issues in Sponsorship

The focus of this paper is on the international aspects of sponsorship. Sponsorship research is being conducted around the globe, unfortunately, many of the studies conducted by researchers in one country may be unknown by researchers in another. Although many of the studies are local or national in nature, when taken together, the available research allows the examination of international trends. This review of international issues in sponsorship divides studies into two groups: analytic and descriptive studies and empirical studies. Analytic and descriptive studies generally focus on three interrelated topics: the definition, function and measurement of sponsorship. Many definitions have been offered for sponsorship. Some seek to uniquely define sponsorship activities while others explain the difference between advertising and sponsoring. The view of the function, role or goal of sponsorship is equally varied, however, one can say across countries and perspectives that the central focus of sponsorship has been to influence the image of companies and brands. Finally, in analytic studies, the single most discussed topic in sponsorship is its measurement.
Tolerability in the elderly population of high-dose alpha lipoic acid: A potential antioxidant therapy for the eye

Purpose Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant and iron-chelating supplement that has potential benefits for geographic atrophy in dry age-related macular degeneration as well as other eye diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the tolerability of ALA in the elderly population.
Slug protects from apoptosis and reduces invasion in in vitro and in vivo neuroblastoma models.

B185 Neuroblastoma (NB) derives from embryonic neural crest precursors that undergo malignant transformation at some stage of differentiation into neural crest derivatives. Despite intensive multimodal treatment, metastatic NB is still characterized by poor prognosis. Slug is a transcriptional regulator that belongs to a small family of development-regulatory genes. During embryonic development, Slug is involved in the delamination of neural crest cells and in their migration to distant sites. In this study, we assessed the relevance of Slug expression for apoptosis resistance and for invasion potential of NB cells in vitro and in vivo. Slug expression was detectable in 8 out of 10 human NB cell lines analyzed. Two Slug-expressing cell lines (LAN-5 and HTLA-230) were infected with the lentiviral vector pLKO-Slug that encodes a miRNA directed against Slug mRNA. After selection, both pLKO-Slug infected cell lines expressed strongly reduced levels of Slug. The expression of some pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic markers (p53, Bax, Bcl-2), previously described as Slug targets, was analyzed by immunoblotting. Bcl-2 expression was decreased in pLKO-Slug infected cells. Slug down-regulation also caused an increased sensitivity to apoptosis induced by etoposide (1 μM) treatment. Invasion capability of pLKO-Slug infected cells was strongly reduced in Matrigel-coated invasion chambers. Interestingly, the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor Imatinib Mesylate (IM) also reduced invasion of NB cells in similar assays. In vivo, we tested the ability of Slug-down-regulated NB cells to invade using a pseudo-metastatic model. pLKO-Slug HTLA-230 and control (pLKO-GFP infected HTLA-230) cells were injected in the tail vein of SCID mice. Injected animals were divided in 4 groups: pLKO-Slug untreated; pLKO-Slug treated with IM (200 mg/Kg/day); control (pLKO-GFP) untreated; control (pLKO-GFP) treated with IM (200 mg/Kg/day). After 35 days mice were sacrificed and tumor burden was evaluated. Animals injected with pLKO-Slug had fewer tumors than both untreated and IM-treated pLKO-GFP controls. Tumor inhibition was significantly more evident in pLKO-Slug injected animals treated with IM. Our data demonstrate that Slug protects NB cells from apoptosis induced by cytotoxic drugs and increases their invasion capability in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of Slug expression, possibly combined with exposure to IM, could represent a suitable strategy to decrease NB metastatic potential.
Influence of longitudinal position on the evolution of steady-state signal in cardiac cine balanced steady-state free precession imaging.

BackgroundEmerging quantitative cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) techniques use cine balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) to measure myocardial signal intensity and probe underlyi...
ITC 2004 Panel: Cost of Test - Taking Control

At Intel we are very focused on the Cost of Test, but we try to keep it in the proper context and focus on the Cost of Quality. By working with our customers, our Quality and Reliability group establishes required quality metrics for our products and the process steps to monitor outgoing quality. The quality goals are used to drive the test process as a whole and we optimize the steps within the process to minimize cost to Intel. For example, we optimize the content at wafer sort to achieve cost effective packaging yields (note this is NOT ppm level screening), provide feedback to the fab, and provide information to allow process optimization post packaging (for example, optimizing Burn-In). We start with fairly exhaustive flows and content and then quickly minimize them base on manufacturing data (like eliminating extra test sockets, conditions or noneffective or redundant patterns).
Spectacle and the Singularity: Debord and the ‘Autonomous Movement of Non-Life’ in Digital Capitalism

This short essay explores the rise of the machines in the context of capitalism’s tendency towards impoverishment, autocracy, and war. It investigates how Debord’s spectacle and, with it, his reference to the ‘autonomous’ movement of objects and, especially, images help better theorize the development of artificial intelligence and fears of a machine apocalypse within digital capitalism (Debord 1995, 2011). This essay explores the spectacle, not only as a euphemism for mass media, but as capital that demands the autocracy of property (Hardt and Negri 2011), the creation of surplus populations, and, which grows for itself, not for the life of the society that creates it. Subsequently, it explores Debord’s critical engagement with the politics of human obsolescence and ‘surplus’ people and how this can be extended to AI, the rise of the machines, the Singularity, or some other post-human apocalypse (see Haraway 1990). Lastly, this essay explores the struggle against this bleak future through Debord’s celebration of the revolutionary ‘worker’s council’ and its contemporary quandaries of double agents, bots, and trolls. This essay’s reading of Debord’s spectacle approaches its concepts (and puzzles) through the Marxian tradition, against capitalism entirely, not just its media forms. Most importantly, the essay focuses on aspects of Debord’s critique that urge, within the anti-capitalist struggle, to move beyond ‘who is producing value’ to ‘who controls the economy’, and then beyond that to a principle of ‘optimal development’ for all (e.g. Marcuse 1991)—a principle of inclusion, not a scenario of extinction. Extinction by machine apocalypse is, in many ways, the pinnacle of the spectacle. But, to understand why, we must dive deeply into Debord’s critique and the spectacle itself, beyond its prevailing association with ‘false consciousness’ and a simplified ‘fetishism of commodities’ (c.f. Williams [1960] 1980). References Debord, Guy. 1995. The Society of the Spectacle. Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith. Revised ed. New York: Zone Books. Debord, Guy. 2011. Comments on the Society of the Spectacle. 3rd edition. New York: Verso Haraway, Donna. 1990. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. 1st Ed. New York: Routledge. Hardt, Michael, and Antonio Negri. 2011. Commonwealth. Cambridge (USA); London: Belknap. Marcuse, Herbert. 1991. One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society. Boston: Beacon Press. Williams, Raymond. [1960] 1980. Advertising: The Magic System. In Problems in Materialism and Culture, 170–95. London: Verso
Association of positive well-being with reduced cardiac repolarization abnormalities in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract Background The mechanisms by which psychological factors may influence possibly arrhythmia risk are not known. We hypothesized that psychological wellness, measured by the General Well-Being Schedule (GBWS), is associated with less repolarization heterogeneity as measured by T-axis. We also explored whether T-axis was a mediator in the relationship of GWBS with adverse cardiac outcomes. Methods We studied 5533 adults aged 25–74 years without a history of CVD from NHANES I (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) (1971–75). Frontal T-axis was obtained through 12-lead ECG and characterized as normal (15° to 75°), borderline (−15° to 15° or 75° to 105°) or abnormal (>105° or Results The mean ± SD age was 43.1 ± 11.5 years and 55% were women. A 1-SD increase in GWBS score associated with a 23% reduced odds of abnormal T-axis (p Conclusion General well-being is independently associated with less abnormal frontal T-axis and CHD events in otherwise healthy individuals.
Routing at compile time

The rapid evolution of modern C++ programming language has completely changed the way developers write high-performance and robust applications. By modern, we mean C++17, which has revolutionized the “old-fashion” C++98 in many aspects such as meta-programming, concurrency controls, and functional programming. Despite the tremendous progress in language innovation, research on how these advanced features can improve EDA programs is still nascent. In this paper, we introduce a novel routing framework using the technique of generalized constant expression in C++17. Our framework allows a router to take advantage of compile-time computation and thus can save a significant amount of engineering effort that would otherwise be issued every time the program runs. By prescribing computation at compile time, the compiler is able to further produce more optimized codes to run faster than ever before. We have evaluated our framework on classic routing problems and have demonstrated promising performance gain over which is done solely at runtime. Our framework has the potential to change many fundamental EDA building blocks and thus can achieve better tool performance and engineering productivity.
Assessing functional connectivity across 3D tissue engineered axonal tracts using calcium fluorescence imaging.

Objective Micro-tissue engineered neural networks (micro-TENNs) are anatomically-inspired constructs designed to structurally and functionally emulate white matter pathways in the brain. These 3D neural networks feature long axonal tracts spanning discrete neuronal populations contained within a tubular hydrogel, and are being developed to reconstruct damaged axonal pathways in the brain as well as to serve as physiologically-relevant in vitro experimental platforms. The goal of the current study was to characterize the functional properties of these neuronal and axonal networks. Approach Bidirectional micro-TENNs were transduced to express genetically-encoded calcium indicators, and spontaneous fluorescence activity was recorded using real-time microscopy at 20 Hz from specific regions-of-interest in the neuronal populations. Network activity patterns and functional connectivity across the axonal tracts were then assessed using various techniques from statistics and information theory including Pearson cross-correlation, phase synchronization matrices, power spectral analysis, directed transfer function, and transfer entropy. Main results Pearson cross-correlation, phase synchronization matrices, and power spectral analysis revealed high values of correlation and synchronicity between the spatially segregated neuronal clusters connected by axonal tracts. Specifically, phase synchronization revealed high synchronicity of >0.8 between micro-TENN regions of interest. Normalized directed transfer function and transfer entropy matrices suggested robust information flow between the neuronal populations. Time varying power spectrum analysis revealed the strength of information propagation at various frequencies. Signal power strength was visible at elevated peak levels for dominant delta (1-4 Hz) and theta (4-8 Hz) frequency bands and progressively weakened at higher frequencies. These signal power strength results closely matched normalized directed transfer function analysis where near synchronous information flow was detected between frequencies of 2-5 Hz. Significance To our knowledge, this is the first report using directed transfer function and transfer entropy methods based on fluorescent calcium activity to estimate functional connectivity of distinct neuronal populations via long-projecting, 3D axonal tracts in vitro. These functional data will further improve the design and optimization of implantable neural networks that could ultimately be deployed to reconstruct the nervous system to treat neurological disease and injury.