cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimalist protein design: a beta-hairpin peptide that binds ssDNA

A 28-residue beta-hairpin dimer (WKWK)2 with two Trp and two Lys residues on one face of each beta-sheet was shown to form a complex with single-stranded oligonucleotides at low micromolar concentrations. Each beta-hairpin of the dimer contains a cross-strand Trp-Trp pair in a diagonal orientation which has previously been shown to create a cleft for the intercalation of aromatic guests such as adenine (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9580). The beta-hairpin dimer binds 5-residue ssDNA sequences 5'-AAAAA-3', 5'-TTTTT-3', and 5'-CCCCC-3' in water with dissociation constants in the range of 12-30 muM. A weak energetic preference for binding to sequence 5'-AAAAA-3' was observed, which is believed to result from stronger stacking interactions between Trp and the adenine base. The interaction of 5'-AAAAA-3' with the Lys and Trp residues of the peptide was evident by NMR, and a 1:1 association was demonstrated. The recognition of an 11-residue ssDNA sequence occurred with a dissociation constant of 3 muM under near-physiological ionic strength and pH, demonstrating that the beta-hairpin dimer binds ssDNA as strongly as many naturally occurring proteins. The salt dependence of the interaction of the 11-residue oligonucleotide with the peptide dimer indicates that Trp-nucleobase stacking interactions contribute about -4 kcal/mol to recognition, which is much greater than the contribution of nonionic interactions in unstructured peptides containing Trp. Moreover, recognition of the ssDNA demonstrated reduced salt dependence relative to the corresponding duplex, resulting in selectivity for ssDNA under high salt conditions. Peptide (WKWK)2 is a relevant mimic of OB-fold (oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding) proteins which bind ssDNA on the surface of a beta-sheet.
Ephrin-B2 expression in the proprioceptive sensory system

Recent studies have shown that ephrin-B2 on sensory afferent fibers from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) controls transmission of pain sensation to the spinal cord. We examined ephrin-B2 expression in mouse DRG and spinal cord using an ephrin-B2/s-galactosidase chimeric allele. We found that ephrin-B2 is expressed exclusively in proprioceptive neurons and fibers in neonates, while expression in lamina III and IV of the adult spinal cord was observed in addition to that in the deeper laminae. We confirmed that ephrin-B2 protein causes co-clustering of EphB2 and glutamate receptors in spinal cord neurons. Our data are consistent with a role for ephrin-B2 in transmission of positional information to the CNS, and thus suggest a role in synaptic plasticity of spinal cord locomotor circuits that are known to be sensitive to proprioceptive sensory input after spinal cord injury.
Safety and cognitive effect of frontal DC brain polarization in healthy individuals

Background: Data from the human motor cortex suggest that, depending on polarity, direct current (DC) brain polarization can depress or activate cortical neurons. Activating effects on the frontal lobe might be beneficial for patients with frontal lobe disorders. This phase 1 study tested the safety of frontal DC, including its effects on frontal and other brain functions. Methods: The authors applied 20 minutes of anodal, cathodal, or sham DC to the left prefrontal cortex in three groups of right-handed subjects and looked for effects on global measures of processing and psychomotor speed, emotion, and verbal fluency, a measure of local cortical function. In one experiment (n = 30), the authors tested before and after 1 mA DC and monitored EEG in 9 subjects. In two other experiments using 1 mA (n = 43) and 2 mA (n = 30), the authors tested before and then starting 5 minutes after the onset of DC. Results: All subjects tolerated DC well. There were no significant effects on performance with 1 mA DC. At 2 mA, verbal fluency improved significantly with anodal and decreased mildly with cathodal DC. There were no clinically significant effects on the other measures. Conclusions: Limited exposure to direct current polarization of the prefrontal cortex is safe and can enhance verbal fluency selectively in healthy subjects. As such, it deserves consideration as a procedure to improve frontal lobe function in patients.
Autocrine effect of DHT on FGF signaling and cell proliferation in LNCaP cells: role of heparin/heparan-degrading enzymes.

BACKGROUND LNCaP cells are androgen-sensitive human prostate cancer cells. They are characterized by a bell-shaped growth curve in response to increasing doses of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in culture. At a low concentration of DHT (0.1 nM), these cells show an increase in proliferation, but their growth is arrested at a high concentration (100 nM) of DHT. Results of our previous study demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of DHT at a high concentration was mediated through the action of TGF-β1. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism of the proliferative effect of DHT in LNCaP cells. METHODS AND RESULTS DHT stimulated LNCaP proliferation only when cells were cultured in the presence of serum. In serum-free cultures, the characteristic DHT-induced proliferation was not observed. The addition of neutralizing antibody against FGF-2 (basic fibroblast growth factor) was able to inhibit this DHT-induced proliferation. These results suggest that the proliferative effect of DHT was mediated through the action of FGF-2. However, results of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction indicated that LNCaP cells did not express FGF-2 message. As a result, the source of FGF-2 in these cultures must be the serum supplemented in the culture media. FGF-2 can bind to heparin sulfate chains within the extracellular matrix (ECM). In cultures treated with exogenous heparin, the proliferative effect of DHT was abolished. These results led to the development of the hypothesis that DHT treatment mediates the release of FGF-2 entrapped in the ECM through increased heparinase activity. The addition of heparinase to cultures of LNCaP cells, in the absence of DHT, was able to stimulate cell proliferation. Moreover, 0.1 nM DHT caused a significant increase in heparinase activity. CONCLUSIONS These results provide a possible mechanism for DHT action in LNCaP cells. In the absence of DHT, FGF-2 in culture was trapped in the extracellular matrix and was not available to interact with LNCaP cells. However, in the presence of 0.1 nM DHT, heparinase activity in the culture was elevated and, as a result, it liberated the trapped FGF-2 which, in turn, stimulated proliferation in LNCaP cells. Prostate 44:124–132, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pollen germination and pollen tube growth in the marine angiosperm, Zostera marina L.

Abstract The marine angiosperms have adapted to a hydrophilous pollination mode, in which pollen is released and captured underwater. There has been some misunderstanding as to the fate of pollen following capture on stigmas. To address this question, naturally shed pollen grains were transferred to stigmas of carpellate flowers of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass). These pollinated carpels were stained for callose, using aniline blue and examined under epifluorescence microscopy. Pollen germination, which occurred 2 h after pollination, first appeared as protuberances on the pollen (the so-called ‘beaded pollen’). Once the tubes penetrated the stigma they grew straight through to the stylar canal and into the locule. At the funiculus of the uniovulate ovary, the pollen tube paths diverged and became disorganized as the tubes grew in many directions around the ovule towards the rear of the locule. Pollen tubes then grew towards the micropyle, and continued directly into the egg apparatus, where fluorescence was observed, indicating fertilization.
The replete pediatrician and the etiology of lower respiratory tract infections. Presidential address to the Society for Pediatric Research.

The Replete Pediatrician and the Etiology of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Presidential Address to the Society for Pediatric Research [1]
Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk)-dependent Calcium Signals Mediate Efficient CpG-induced Exocytosis of Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα) in Innate Immune Cells

Pattern recognition receptors expressed by cells of the innate immune system initiate the immune response upon recognition of microbial products. Activation of pattern recognition receptors result in the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNFα and IL-6. Because these cytokines promote disparate effector cell responses, understanding the signaling pathways involved in their regulation is critical for directing the immune response. Using macrophages and dendritic cells deficient in spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), we identified a novel pathway by which TNFα trafficking and secretion are regulated by Syk following stimulation with CpG DNA. In the absence of PLCγ2, a Syk substrate, or the calcium-responsive kinase calcium calmodulin kinase II, CpG-induced TNFα secretion was impaired. Forced calcium mobilization rescued the TNFα secretion defect in Syk-deficient cells. In contrast to its effect on TNFα, Syk deficiency did not affect IL-6 secretion, suggesting that Syk-dependent signals participate in differential sorting of cytokines, thus tailoring the cytokine response. Our data report a novel pathway for TNFα regulation and provide insight into non-transcriptional mechanisms for shaping cytokine responses.
BRITISH BUS DEREGULATION: COMPETITION AND DEMAND COORDINATION

Abstract Our framework formally explains some of the recent curious events surrounding deregulation of the British local bus industry. The winner-takes-all nature of this market induces competitive providers to engage in predatory or preemptive behavior in scheduling and pricing. Unlike previous works, we explicitly model consumers' responses to firms' schedule announcements. We show that the market is unstable if demand is uncoordinated, but stable otherwise. Our results highlight the important role played by demand-coordinating mechanisms in local bus markets and our results suggest that pure-strategy Nash equilibria exist in models a-la-Hotelling (1929) whenever demand is effectively coordinated.
Hot forging with heat treatment of BiPbSrCaCuO

Abstract Bulk Bi1.80Pb0.34Sr1.87Ca2.02Cu3.0Oy (2223) superconductors with a relative density of about 90% were prepared by hot pressing. The hot-pressed sample was then hot-forged at 840°C and a pressure of 9.8 MPa in air for 50 h, and was also heat-treated at 885°C for 15 min during hot forging. The values of critical current density, Jc, were 70, 150 and 600 A/cm2 at 77 K and 1 kOe for these samples, respectively. For heat-treated sample, the value of Jc at 77 K and 0 Oe was estimated to be 7000–10000 A/cm2 from the magnetic field dependence of Jc. It was concluded that one of the reasons for the increase in Jc in this sample was the disappearance of a Bi, Pb-rich phase, probably the 2212 phase as observed in scanning tranmission electron microscopy. The Bi, Pb-rich phase decomposed to SrCaCuO phases and a phase with the elements Bi and Pb by the short period heat treatment at 885°C. Subsequently the latter phase, apparently a liquid phase, was extruded from sample by uniaxial pressure. The 2223 phase scarely decomposed by a heat treatment at 885°C in air for 15 min when unizxial pressure was applied. On the contrary, in the case of no uniaxial pressure, the same heat treatment caused the decomposition of the 2223 phase to the 2212 phase and other phases. It was found that residual defects existed near sub-grain boundaries in the 2223 grains in as hot-pressed samples observed by transmission electron microscopy. The sub-grain boundaries were produced by the generation and propagation of dislocations along the a-b-plane due to bending stress during hot pressing. The disorder near sub-grain boundaries was relieved by a short period heat treatment at 885°C. This was an additional reason for the increase in Jc in the heat-treated sample.
Use of medetomidine-zolazepam-tiletamine with and without atipamezole reversal to immobilize captive California sea lions.

From June 1998 to August 1999, 39 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) were immobilized at a rehabilitation center in northern California (USA) using medetomidine plus zolazepam and tiletamine (MZT), alone and in combination with isoflurane, with atipamezole reversal. Animals were given 70 μg/kg medetomidine with 1 mg/kg of a 1:1 solution of tiletamine and zolazepam intramuscularly. Mean (±SD) time to maximal effect was 5 ± 3 min. At the end of the procedure, animals were given 200 μg/kg atipamezole intramuscularly. Immobilization and recovery times were, respectively, 28 ± 18 and 9 ± 7 min for 15 animals maintained with MZT alone and 56 ± 47 and 9 ± 6 min for 18 animals intubated and maintained with isoflurane. One mortality occurred during anesthesia. Other disadvantages of the MZT combination included some prolonged ataxia, weakness and disorientation during recovery. However, the use of MZT resulted in faster induction and a more reliable plane of anesthesia that was reversible with atipamezo...
LINEWIDTH OF FOUR-LEVEL MICROCAVITY LASERS

We use standard quantum laser theory to examine the linewidth of lasers with a four-level atomic gain medium as a function of the spontaneous emission rate into the lasing mode and the decay rates from the upper and lower lasing levels. We find that the laser linewidth ceases to exhibit the customary decrease with increased photon number when a critical photon number, proportional to the ratio of the decay rate from the lower lasing level to the rate of spontaneous emission into the lasing mode, is reached. This critical photon number would decrease as the size of the optical cavity is decreased. In addition we show that, in general, the laser linewidth depends critically on the ratio of the overall decay rates from the upper and lower lasing levels.
Minimal Period Estimates of Periodic Solutions for Superquadratic Hamiltonian Systems

In this paper, we study the minimal period problem for the first-order Hamiltonian systems which may not be strictly convex. By using variational methods and the iteration formula of the Maslov-type index theory, we obtain estimates of the minimal period of the corresponding nonconstant periodic solutions.
The effect of halides on the equilibrium and reactivity of aspartate aminotransferase.

Abstract For the pork heart, extramitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1), the “half-reaction” equilibrium, amino acid + phosphopyridoxal enzyme ⇌ keto acid + phosphopyridoxamine enzyme, is displaced in favor of the phosphopyridoxamine enzyme by the addition of halide ions. The order of effectiveness is I − > Br − > Cl − > F − . A kinetic analysis of this equilibrium with alanine and pyruvate as substrates showed that halide ions (0.01–0.1 m ) both increase the rate of the forward reaction and decrease the rate of the reverse reaction. Chloride ions decrease the rate of the reverse reaction by competitively inhibiting the formation of an intermediate enzyme-pyruvate complex. The rate of the forward reaction is proportional to the alanine concentration up to 0.5 m alanine, indicating that the initial combination of alanine with the enzyme is the rate-limiting step in this direction. The activation by anions must therefore involve the initial binding of the substrates to the enzyme. Chloride ions also cause a marked activation of the enzyme in the presence of glutarate by displacing the inhibitory glutarate from the enzyme. These results indicate that some enzyme activations may be due to relieving a preexisting inhibition by ligand substitution reactions. The finding that aspartate aminotransferase has an anion-sensitive “half-reaction” equilibrium, or redox potential, suggests that transaminases may function in both active and passive transport of anions across membranes.
Functional Life Skills, Academic Skills, and Friendship/Social Relationship Development: What Do Parents of Students with Moderate/Severe/Profound Disabilities Value?

A pilot study was conducted to verify empirically the educational activity preferences of 68 parents of students with moderate and severe/profound mental disabilities. Parents were surveyed to determine the relative value they place on the three areas of functional life skills, academic skills, and friendship/social relationship development in the educational programs of their sons/daughters. Parents of students with moderate disabilities rated functional life skills most highly, while parents of students with severe/profound disabilities rated friendship/social relationship development most highly. Furthermore, parents of students with moderate disabilities rated each curricular area as more important than did parents of students with severe/profound disabilities.
The missing zinc: p53 misfolding and cancer.

The p53 tumor suppressor is a transcription factor that contains a single zinc ion near its DNA binding interface. Zn2+ is required for site-specific DNA binding and proper transcriptional activation. In addition to its functional significance, zinc plays a dominant role in determining whether p53 folds productively or misfolds. Insufficient zinc and excess zinc cause p53 to misfold by distinct mechanisms which both result in functional loss. The zinc-binding status of p53 in the cell is impacted significantly by the presence of tumorigenic mutations and by metal ion homeostasis. This review discusses mechanisms by which zinc modulates folding and misfolding of p53, how improper metal binding and release leads to loss of function and cancer, and how misfolding can be rescued by metallochaperones.
A transient infrared and isotopic study of methanation over Ni/Al2O3

Methanation of CO/H2 mixtures over a 10% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst has been studied by infrared spectroscopy and several isotopic techiques. Emission spectra revealed the presence of both linear and bridge-bonded CO during reaction, but no reactive HCO or CH species were observed. Isotopic substitution experiments were conducted in a gradientless microreactor. These show that a heterogeneous layer of CHx also accumulates. The probable value of x is zero. As much as 0.6 monolayer has been observed, but the amount depends on the reaction conditions. The global rate of methanation is controlled by a competition between the formation and the hydrogenation of this species, not by a single rate-determining step.
Worlds of Fantasy

The authors review books of fantasy recently published for children. Included is an essay by award-winning author Avi, who discusses the fantasy genre and his new books, Poppy's Return and The Book Without Words.
High time resolution observations of HF cross-modulation within the D region ionosphere

[1] High-frequency cross-modulation is employed to probe the D region ionosphere during HF heating experiments at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) observatory. We have adapted Fejer's well-known cross-modulation probing method to determine the extent of ionospheric conductivity modification in the D region ionosphere with high (5 μsec) time resolution. We demonstrate that the method can be used to analyze D region conductivity changes produced by HF heating both during the initial stages of heating and under steady state conditions. The sequence of CW probe pulses used allow the separation of cross-modulation effects that occur as the probe pulse propagates upward and downward through the heated region. We discuss how this probing technique can be applied to benefit ELF/VLF wave generation experiments and ionospheric irregularities experiments at higher altitudes. We demonstrate that large phase changes equivalent to Doppler shift velocities >60 km/s can be imposed on HF waves propagating through the heated D region ionosphere.
"Seismic Hazard and Risk Analysis" by Robin K. McGuire

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) is the methodology used to estimate how often some chosen level of earthquake ground motion can be reached or exceeded at one or more places of interest. It synthesizes knowledge about where earthquakes occur, how often they occur, and how big they can be; knowledge of the ground motion that is excited by earthquakes and how it changes with earthquake magnitude, distance, and (occasionally) azimuth; and the uncertainties that attend both the models of seismogenesis and the models of ground-motion excitation/propagation (epistemic uncertainty), as well as the intrinsic variability in the way earthquakes actually occur and in the way that ground motion actually happens (aleatory uncertainty). Risk analysis involves the calculation of loss, generally reckoned through damage and loss functions in terms of dollars of replacement costs and/or loss that will be equaled or exceeded per year, given the hazard analysis. Novices to hazard and risk analysis should note that seismic hazard—or any other natural hazard—cannot be reduced; natural hazard analysis is simply a quantitative assessment of what nature serves up in the way of earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, droughts, and the like. Risk, however, …
Therapeutic manipulations in uremic bleeding.

Currently 80,000 patients are maintained by chronic dialysis in the United States, a figure that, however, only represents a small fraction of the overall population who experience acute or chronic impairment in renal function. It is well recognized that such patients with acute or chronic renal failure exhibit an increased tendency to bleed.1 The clinical significance of this complication is that hemorrhagic episodes remain a major contributory factor to the morbidity and mortality associated with uremia.2 Mucosal bleeding, particularly of the gastrointestinal tract, is perhaps the most frequent manifestation of the hemorrhagic diathesis; other manifestations include ecchymoses, epistaxis, hemorrhagic pericarditis, and subdural hematoma. The incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with established acute renal failure is approximately 30% to 40%,3 and in one major study accounted for 30% of the overall mortality.2 In the setting of chronic renal failure, hemorrhagic complications tend to be more frequent than those recorded in acute renal failure with an incidence of 60% in nondialyzed patients and 75% in dialyzed patients.4 In view of the impressive morbidity associated with this complication of acute and chronic renal failure, new approaches to the management of uremic bleeding merit brief commentary. Definition of the principal hemostatic defect remains elusive despite the fact that several abnormalities of primary hemostasis have been detected. These include defective platelet factor-Ill generation,5 subnormal platelet aggregation,6 prostacyclin/thromboxane A2 imbalance,7,8 and alterations in the activities of certain coagulation factors.9 Of the various laboratory tests available for assessing hemostasis, the bleeding time, which reflects the combined effects of (1) platelet function; (2) factor VIII: von Willebrand's factor (FVIII:VWF) activity; (3) hematocrit; and (4) vascular contractility, appears to correlate best with the likelihood of actual clinical hemorrhage in the uremic patient.10
State medical board members' beliefs about pain, addiction, and diversion and abuse: a changing regulatory environment.

Abstract Three national surveys were conducted in 1991, 1997, and 2004 to evaluate state medical board members’ knowledge and attitudes about prescribing opioid analgesics for pain management. Topics addressed include perceived legality of prolonged opioid prescribing, characteristics of addiction, prevalence of medication abuse and diversion, and perceived importance and influence of medical board policy. Questions were added in 2004 to determine board members’ views about law enforcement involvement in physician investigations and prosecutions. This study assesses medical regulators’ current beliefs and compares the 2004 responses with previous responses to determine how knowledge and attitudes about prescribing opioids have changed in recent years. Survey results show that board members have a greater understanding of pain management issues, particularly regarding characteristics of addiction and the legality of prolonged opioid prescribing for chronic noncancer pain. During the last 15 years, there has been substantial regulatory policy development, with medical boards adopting regulations, guidelines, or policy statements to provide guidance to licensees about using opioids to treat pain. However, many board members believe that federal and state law enforcement agencies have increased criminal investigations and prosecutions of physicians. We discuss appropriate regulatory and law enforcement responses to opioid prescribing violations, and suggest crucial next steps. Perspective The authors examine the evolution of state medical board members’ knowledge and attitudes about prescribing opioid analgesics to treat chronic pain, demonstrate that medical regulators believe that there have been increased criminal investigations and prosecutions of physicians for their prescribing practices, and suggest ways to avoid unwarranted criminal prosecutions.
Information sharing mechanisms in parallel programs

Most parallel programming models provide a single generic mode in which processes can exchange information with each other. However, empirical observation of parallel programs suggests that processes share data in a few distinct and specific modes. We argue that such modes should be identified and explicitly supported in parallel languages and their associated models. The paper describes a set of information sharing abstractions that have been identified and incorporated in the parallel programming language Charm. It can be seen that using these abstractions leads to improved clarity, expressiveness, efficiency, and portability of user programs. In addition, the specificity provided by these abstractions can be exploited at compile-time and at run-time to provide the user with highly refined performance feedback. >
P-024 Scepter C™ Balloon Occlusion Device use for Liquid Embolisation of Vascular Malformations, a Pilot Study

Objective The Scepter C™ balloon occlusion catheter (Microvention, Tustin CA) is an endovascular device designed with a polyurethane balloon that elongates with inflation to allow it to conform to the lumen of the target vessel. The device has a double lumen, allowing passage over a 0.014-inch guidewire, and/or passage of Onyx embolisation distal to the balloon. We reviewed our initial use of this device as a conduit for liquid embolisation of vascular malformations as compared to the Marathon™ microcatheter (ev3, Plymouth, MN) alone, outlining indications for and outcomes with use. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent Onyx embolisation of an arterovenous malformation or a dural A-V fistula from October 2011 to February 2013 at the University of Kentucky Hospital. Results 14 Scepter C™ devices were used in 8 patients over the course of 10 endovascular interventions. We compared this to 8 patients treated with 11 embolisations over the course of 9 interventions without balloon assistance. Technical success was achieved in 13/14 (93%) deployments of the balloon. There were no complications related to Scepter C™ use. Scepter C™ permitted distal navigation, while facilitating faster Onyx injection with more extensive and distal casting. This led to a trend of decreased fluoro time per embolisation with Scepter C™, though not statistically significant (23.0 ± 8.8 min vs 34.0 ± 10.4 min). There were no cases of Onyx fixation of the device in the parent artery; no significant tension was required to remove the device after Onyx injection. This represents a significantly different experience from the typically used Onyx microcatheter (Marathon), which carries a known risk of tip-adhesion to the Onyx cast. We detail technical nuances used to maximise the benefits of the Scepter C™ for such applications. Conclusions The Scepter C balloon catheter has, thus far, proven to be a safe and effective device for the endovascular treatment of vascular malformations through Onyx embolisation. A larger prospective study should be undertaken to ascertain any potential advantages or disadvantages compared to the current standard delivery catheters. Disclosures S. Grupke: None. A. Alhajeri: None. J. Fraser: None.
Pharmacy Fellowship Programs in the United States: Perceptions from Fellows and Preceptors.

This paper reports on a survey that assesses preceptor and fellow attitudes, expectations, activities, and recommendations for pharmacy fellowships. Two separate questionnaires, one for preceptors and one for fellows were developed. Sixty-six of 117 preceptors (56 percent) responded and 57 fellows returned completed questionnaires. There was some degree of discrepancy between preceptors and fellows in the activities perceived as being accomplished during fellowship training. A significantly lower percentage of fellows believed they were involved in the initial and later stages of research including grant submission, IRB submission, research presentation, and manuscript submission as compared to preceptors perceptions of their fellows’ activities. In addition, fellows indicated that a larger percentage of their time was devoted to clinical service and clerkship student supervision versus the time the preceptors thought their fellows were involved in these activities. The most commonly listed strengths and weaknesses of fellowship programs according to the fellow was appropriate time devoted to clinical research and too much time devoted to clinical practice, respectively. Forty-nine percent of preceptors listed the number of potential research projects as the major strength of their program with difficulty in finding funding as the major limitation. The majority of fellows who responded to the questionnaire were very satisfied with their fellowship experience and most of the preceptors felt that fellowship review by a committee such as the American College of Clinical Pharmacy would be valuable to their program.
Accelerating Monte Carlo based SSTA using FPGA

Monte Carlo based SSTA serves as the golden standard against alternative SSTA algorithms, but it is seldom used in practice due to its high computation time. In this paper, we accelerate Monte Carlo based SSTA using the FPGA platform. A simple dataflow pipeline technique will not work well due to the excessive usage of FPGA logic slices. We leverage the recently proposed pattern matching method to identify common circuit structures, and further use a mathematical programming based formulation to explore the trade-off between performance and logic slices consumption. The proposed design provides two orders of magnitude speedup compared to the CPU-based implementation.
Thinking Skills in the Classroom: A Needed Basic in Education

(1982). Thinking Skills in the Classroom: A Needed Basic in Education. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 60-63.
Vesicular stomatitis virus as a flexible platform for oncolytic virotherapy against cancer

Oncolytic virus (OV) therapy is an emerging anti-cancer approach that utilizes viruses to preferentially infect and kill cancer cells, while not harming healthy cells. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a prototypic non-segmented, negative-strand RNA virus with inherent OV qualities. Antiviral responses induced by type I interferon pathways are believed to be impaired in most cancer cells, making them more susceptible to VSV than normal cells. Several other factors make VSV a promising OV candidate for clinical use, including its well-studied biology, a small, easily manipulated genome, relative independence of a receptor or cell cycle, cytoplasmic replication without risk of host-cell transformation, and lack of pre-existing immunity in humans. Moreover, various VSV-based recombinant viruses have been engineered via reverse genetics to improve oncoselectivity, safety, oncotoxicity and stimulation of tumour-specific immunity. Alternative delivery methods are also being studied to minimize premature immune clearance of VSV. OV treatment as a monotherapy is being explored, although many studies have employed VSV in combination with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other OVs. Preclinical studies with various cancers have demonstrated that VSV is a promising OV; as a result, a human clinical trial using VSV is currently in progress.
Design Considerations and Dynamic Technique for Digitally Controlled Variable Frequency DC-DC Converter

A dynamic algorithm to avoid limit cycle oscillation problems and to improve stability in digitally controlled power converters with variable switching frequency operation is presented in this paper. Employing Variable switching frequency at light loads is one way to improve the efficiency of DC-DC converters. However, varying the switching frequency digitally introduces additional considerations that do not exist in variable frequency analog controllers. In this paper a dynamic algorithm to maintain system stability and dynamics at different switching frequencies and to avoid limit cycle oscillation problems is discussed and experimentally verified.
Insect-inspired, Actively Compliant Hexapod Capable of Object Manipulation

Insects, in general, are agile creatures capable of navigating uneven and difficult terrain with ease. The leaf-cutter ants (Atta), specifically, are agile, social insects capable of navigating uneven and difficult terrain, manipulating objects in their environment, broadcasting messages to other leaf-cutter ants, performing collective tasks, and operating in cooperative manners with others of their kind [9][12]. These traits are desirable in a mobile robot. However, no robots have been developed that encompass all of these capabilities. As such, this research developed the Biologically-Inspired Legged-Locomotion Ant prototype (BILL-ANT-p) to fill the void. This paper discusses the features, development, and implementation of the BILL-Ant-p robot, quantifies its capabilities for use as a compliant mobile platform that is capable of object manipulation.
Laryngotracheal consequences of pediatric cardiac surgery.

Objective To determine the incidence and character of clinically significant laryngotracheal anomalies in pediatric patients undergoing surgical repair of congenital cardiac defects at a tertiary care center. Design Single-center retrospective review. Patients The charts of pediatric patients who required surgical treatment for congenital heart disease over a 4-year period were reviewed. Forty-eight of 1957 patients were seen in inpatient consultation by the otolaryngology service. The parameters studied included cardiac diagnosis, reason for consultation, findings on examination, and follow-up. Results There were 16 (33%) cases of subglottic stenosis, which were graded according to the Cotton-Myer classification system as follows: grade 1 (n=8); grade 2 (n=3); and grade 3 (n=5). Three of the 16 patients with subglottic stenosis required tracheotomy and 4 required laryngotracheal reconstruction. Nine (19%) of the 48 patients were diagnosed as having unilateral true vocal cord paralysis and 3 (6%) as having bilateral paralysis. With the exception of 1 patient, all patients with true vocal cord paralysis on the left side had undergone repair of the aortic arch. Conclusions Pediatric patients with congenital cardiac disease are predisposed to laryngeal anomalies owing to (1) frequent intubation, (2) prolonged ventilatory support, and (3) recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. In our patients, subglottic stenosis was the most common laryngeal abnormality. When recognized early, in the eschar phase, most of these cases can be managed with sequential endoscopic debridement, which is conceptually similar to debridement that is performed after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Established stenosis requires more vigorous intervention, the invasive degree of which depends on the length and circumference of the narrowing. Unilateral vocal paralysis tends to be a self-limited problem, while an elegant solution to bilateral paralysis remains elusive.
APPLYING THE TECHNICS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS TO THE DELIVERY OF DENTAL SERVICES*

Dr. Boggs, after a search of the literature and a report of the experience of the Indian Health Service with analyses of cost-effectiveness, has submitted his conclusion about the usefulness of such analyses.
Gramática para la composición 2nd ed. by WHITLEY, M. STANLEY, & LUIS GONZÁLEZ

The article reviews the book "Gramatica para la composicion," 2nd ed., by M. Stanley Whitley and Luis Gonzalez.
La modernizacion del catastro colombiano

El catastro actual esta soportado en una concepcion multi-finalitaria, como consecuencia de la suma de servicios y de informacion que proporciona, lo que significa que, ademas de servir de soporte fiscal y economico, se convierte en fuente de informacion para el ordenamiento territorial, la administracion de tierras, los servicios publicos y los censos nacionales. Al igual que los paises con catastros mas avanzados, algunas instituciones catastrales colombianas estan utilizando tecnologias y metodologias modernas, acercandose a la vision de un catastro que se consolide como un Sistema de Informacion de Tierras.
SiC Power Electronics Packaging Prognostics

Electronic packages may be subjected to a wide array of potential failure modes throughout their useful lifetimes. Package design for SiC power electronic devices must account for a number of these potential failure modes, especially those due to the high operating temperatures and power levels at which the semiconductor must operate. High temperature SiC package design is still a relatively immature technology with little information published which discusses package failure. Conversely, the current generation of Si-based packaging technology is quite mature and, therefore, may be capable of providing useful insight with regards to the dominant failures that may be seen in the operational life of SiC and Si high power packaging. A literature survey completed produced considerable information relating to the many known failure mechanisms for Si-based electronic packages. Using the information obtained from this survey, a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was completed and failure modes considered to have high probability of occurrence in a SiC- based package were identified. The dominant failure modes targeted were bond wire fatigue, solder joint fatigue and encapsulant breakdown. Life models for the fatigue failures were developed using forms of the Coffin-Manson relationship. A life model for encapsulant breakdown was also developed using dielectric fatigue and Partial Discharge (PD) mechanisms through the Dissado-Mazzanti-Montanari (DMM) model and PD model, respectively. These above models will then be used to prognosticate the electronic packaging.
The Craft of Bureaucratic Neutrality: Bureaucratic Power and Strategic Neutrality

One of the core questions of governance is whether citizens and their elected representatives can control the apparatus of the state. In the contemporary era, where administrative agencies staffed by unelected bureaucrats must implement broad and uncertain mandates, control of how agencies execute the law has gained even greater significance. At the same time, extensive political “meddling” in the details of policy implementation threatens to yield agencies so hamstrung by external intervention that they are incapable of effectively executing policy. Political control, in short, may come at the cost of capable public administration. This chapter examines the dominant accounts within political science and public administration of whether and how elected officials and interest groups shape bureaucratic decisions. These perspectives include the assertion that the bureaucracy is ungovernable or guided by bureaucrats' professional training and beliefs, theories of congressional dominance and agency design, and claims of direct and indirect interest group capture. These viewpoints are used, in both academic and common discourse, to explain “why government agencies act the way they do.” They highlight, among other factors, internal bureaucratic norms, the influence of congressional committees and legislative statutes, and interest group power in explaining how agencies enforce the law. They do little to explain regulatory enforcement and implementation, however, because they understate the linkages between the internal management of bureaucracy and external political conflict.
Mixed-space approach for calculation of vibration-induced dipole-dipole interactions

By explicitly taking into account the effects of vibration-induced dipole-dipole interactions between periodic supercells, we derive an efficient formulation to calculate the phonon frequencies of an ionic crystal. We demonstrate that the vibration-induced dipole-dipole interactions lead to a constant contribution to the interatomic force constant in real space. It recovers the result of Cochran and Cowley [Cochran and Cowley, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 23, 447 (1962)] at the long wavelength limit. Using MgO as the prototype, we demonstrate that a 16-atom $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2$ supercell of the primitive unit cell is sufficient to obtain the phonon dispersions when the dipole-dipole interactions are considered. We find that not properly taking into account the dipole-dipole interaction leads to oscillations along the (0,0,q) direction for the longitudinal optical phonon dispersion in a 128-atom elongated $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}16$ supercell with a cubic structure.
Geometric Phase Holograms - fabricating generalized polarization gratings enabling arbitrary wavefront control with perfect efficiency

We report on methods to create arbitrary birefringence profiles with liquid crystal and photo-alignment materials, which lead to elements (holograms) with nearly arbitrary phase control via the geometric phase with ~100% efficiency, for UV/VIS/IR wavelengths.
Limited divergence in the spatially subdivided population of the Hawaiian mushroom Rhodocollybia laulaha

Here we report the first population genetic examination of a fungus in Hawaii and, to our knowledge, the only investigation of a saprotrophic fungal population distributed across an oceanic archipelago. Rhodocollybia laulaha fruits abundantly in the native rain forests of Hawaii from June through December. Its range includes the geographic extent of the Hawaiian Archipelago; however, this range is highly fragmented because of the discontinuous distribution of the native forest habitat where R. laulaha occurs. We hypothesized that significant patterns of population structure would be recovered within the geographic range of the Hawaiian mushroom R. laulaha resulting from divergence between isolated subpopulations. We tested for population structure and related inferred patterns of restricted gene flow to geographic distance, major geographic features such as mountain peaks and oceans, elevation zones, and spore morphology. We included 120 R. laulaha collections using data from the rRNA IGS1 region, two microsatellite loci, and 184 AFLP loci. Analyses of these genetic data suggest limited genetic structure among R. laulaha subpopulations in Hawaii correlated mostly with geographic distance. Patterns associated with specialization to elevation or spore morphology were not recovered. The limited geographic structure observed in R. laulaha is consistent with relatively recent population fragmentation.
Codling Moth: Influence of Temperature and Daylight Intensity on Periodicity of Daily Flight in the Field

Timed catches of Laspcyrcsia pomonella (L.) were made in sex-pheromone traps over two seasons at San Jose and over one season at Placerville, Calif., where timed catches were made also in ultraviolet light traps. The mating-flight response appeared to be circadian and entrained to the daily photoperiod. Where not limited by other factors, this daily response began about three hours before sunset and extended to about two hours after sunset. High temperatures (above approximately 80°F) as well as low (below ca. 55°F) changed this pattern by limiting the response, and thus the observed periodicity varied considerably with time of season and with location. Temperature thresholds for the light trap were approximately the same as for the Pheromone trap. Low temperatures were more limiting in the early season on the light trap than on the pheromone trap, because the low-temperature threshold was often attained after some catches were made in the pheromone traps but before daylight intensity was sufficiently low for attraction by light traps. Later in the season, high temperatures often limited the duration of the daily mating flight, but they seldom limited duration of catch in the light traps. Clearly, catches in either type trap did not consistently reflect actual population abundance.
The potential for adaptive maintenance of diversity in insect antimicrobial peptides

Genes involved in immune defence are among the fastest evolving in the genomes of many species. Interestingly, however, genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have shown little evidence for a...
Phenotypic Relationship between Roots and Important Shoot Agronomic Traits Using a RIL and Two Derived Backcross Populations of Super Rice Xieyou 9308

A RIL population of Xieyou 9308 and two derived backcross populations derived from the RIL backcrossing with its recurrent parents were used in this study. Morphological traits were investigated including seven root parameters and ten shoot parameters under water culture and field experiment, respectively. The phenotypic correlation between root traits and shoot traits was analyzed within XBR, RIL, and ZHR populations, carried out by ANOVA and correlation analysis utilizing DPS software. In both environments, the two recurrent parents showed significant difference in all traits. Transgressive-segregation and continuous dis-tribution for all the traits were observed in three populations under two conditions. The root length (RL) correlated positively with five root traits including total root length (TRL), dry root weight (DRW), root surface area (RSA), root volume (RV), number of root tip (RT). However, the correlations between root diameter (RD) and the other six traits were negative. Six shoot agronomic traits including heading date (HD), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), grain yield per plant (GYPP), number of spikelets per panicle (SPP), and grain setting density (GSD) showed a significantly positive correlation with the root traits while the other four aboveground traits correlated with root traits negatively. All the ten shoot traits correlated with RD negatively. The goal of this work was therefore to provide some reliable information for hybrid breeding, and an useful selection criteria for super rice combination based on root morphological traits.
Investigation on status of iodine nutrition among medical workers in a district of Guangzhou

Objective To investigate the situations of iodine nutrition in medical workers whose occupational exposure to iodine disinfectants from Luogang district of Guangzhou.Methods According to 1: 1 pair between doctors and nurses,360 medical workers were randomly sampled in 4 hospitals and 5 community health service centers.Results The median of urinary iodine(MUI) of health workers in Luogang was 212.3μg/L; 20.0% of the subjects had iodine deficiency(100μg/L),and 18.6% had excessive iodine intake(≥300μg/L).The level of iodine nutrition of medical workers in Luogang was significantly higher than the average of adult persons in Guangzhou.There was a significant difference on the constituent ratio of frequency among doctors and nurses.Urinary iodine level of medical workers from hospital was significantly higher than that of those from community health service centers.Conclusion The iodine nutrition of medical workers in Luogang meet a higher level rather than adequate intake,monitoring and prevention of thyroid diseases induced by iodine should be strengthened in health workers so as to protect their health.