cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of the Staphylococcus aureus Atl AM and GL Murein Hydrolase Activities in Cell Division, Autolysis, and Biofilm Formation

The most prominent murein hydrolase of Staphylococcus aureus, AtlA, is a bifunctional enzyme that undergoes proteolytic cleavage to yield two catalytically active proteins, an amidase (AM) and a glucosaminidase (GL). Although the bifunctional nature of AtlA has long been recognized, most studies have focused on the combined functions of this protein in cell wall metabolism and biofilm development. In this study, we generated mutant derivatives of the clinical S. aureus isolate, UAMS-1, in which one or both of the AM and GL domains of AtlA have been deleted. Examination of these strains revealed that each mutant exhibited growth rates comparable to the parental strain, but showed clumping phenotypes and lysis profiles that were distinct from the parental strain and each other, suggesting distinct roles in cell wall metabolism. Given the known function of autolysis in the release of genomic DNA for use as a biofilm matrix molecule, we also tested the mutants in biofilm assays and found both AM and GL necessary for biofilm development. Furthermore, the use of enzymatically inactive point mutations revealed that both AM and GL must be catalytically active for S. aureus to form a biofilm. The results of this study provide insight into the relative contributions of AM and GL in S. aureus and demonstrate the contribution of Atl-mediated lysis in biofilm development.
The Lack of Binding of VEK-30, an Internal Peptide from the Group A Streptococcal M-like Protein, PAM, to Murine Plasminogen Is due to Two Amino Acid Replacements in the Plasminogen Kringle-2 Domain

VEK-30, a 30-amino acid internal peptide present within a streptococcal M-like plasminogen (Pg)-binding protein (PAM) from Gram-positive group-A streptococci (GAS), represents an epitope within PAM that shows high affinity for the lysine binding site (LBS) of the kringle-2 (K2) domain of human (h)Pg. VEK-30 does not interact with this same region of mouse (m)Pg, despite the high conservation of the mK2- and hK2-LBS. To identify the molecular basis for the species specificity of this interaction, hPg and mPg variants were generated, including an hPg chimera with the mK2 sequence and an mPg chimera containing the hK2 sequence. The binding of synthetic VEK-30 to these variants was studied by surface plasmon resonance. The data revealed that, in otherwise intact Pg, the species specificity of VEK-30 binding in these two cases is entirely dictated by two K2 residues that are different between hPg and mPg, namely, Arg-220 of hPg, which is a Gly in mPg, and Leu-222 of hPg, which is a Pro in mPg, neither of which are members of the canonical K2-LBS. Neither the activation of hPg, nor the enzymatic activity of its activated product, plasmin (hPm), are compromised by replacing these two amino acids by their murine counterparts. It is also demonstrated that hPg is more susceptible to activation to hPm after complexation with VEK-30 and that this property is greatly reduced as a result of the R220G and L222P replacements in hPg. These mechanisms for accumulation of protease activity on GAS likely contribute to the virulence of PAM+-GAS strains and identify targets for new therapeutic interventions.
Stress dependence of the chemical potential of adsorbates

Abstract It is shown that for a gas—alkali halide adsorption system, pressure applied to the substrate changes the contribution to the dispersion force that arises from the interaction of the gas with the substrate in the infrared region. This results in a corresponding stress-dependent change in the chemical potential of the gas.
Passivity and absolute stabilization of a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems

Abstract By using the theory of discrete-time passive systems and the concept of feedback equivalence, we present an approach toward deriving sufficient conditions for the global stabilization of discrete-time nonlinear systems in the form x ( k + 1) = tf ( x ( k )) + g ( x ( k )) u ( k ). The central feature of the approach is that, a unifying set of stability criteria can be obtained and the stability results recover the previous stabilization schemes proposed in the literature.
Survey of current practices in the psychological assessment of limited-english-proficiency handicapped children

Abstract This article discusses current psychological and educational assessment practices used with elementary school limited-English-proficiency (LEP) children, as revealed by a nationwide study of 21 local education agencies (LEAs) that had LEP handicapped children mainstreamed in bilingual education classrooms. Data were obtatained through telephone and personal interviews of bilingual and special education directors, inspection of documents, and site visits. The testing approaches most frequently used with LEP students were the common culture approach (which relies on nonverbal measures) and translated tests. In many of the LEAs, translations were done while testing was in progress. An average of 12 psychological, language, and educational tests were used with each LEP child. The assessment instruments used were not normed on LEP populations. Only a third of the LEAs studied were incorporating multicultural pluralistic approaches in their assessment procedures. The professionals involved in the assessment of LEP children were the same as those used for English-speaking children except that they were bilingual. Most of the LEAs reported serious shortages in bilingual assessment personnel. LEAs have tried to cope with this problem in various ways, including the use of trained or untrained interpreters, the use of central teams or contracted professionals, and the use of nonverbal tests administered by nonbilingual personnel. However, many children remain to be assessed, and LEAs have been forced to establish priorities.
Academic stress of international students attending U.S. universities

This study investigated factors associated with the academic stress experienced by international students (N=412) attending graduate school in the United States. The study was grounded in a cognitive framework in which academic stress is understood as the consequence of students' appraisal of the stressfulness of role demands and their perception of their ability to cope with those demands. These two appraisals, in turn, were posited to be a function of cultural distance, students' social support network, and their role competencies. Results indicated that the primary determinants of the two types of appraisals differed. While self-perceived English-language skills and, to a lesser degree, cultural distance were the predictors of primary appraisal, self-perceived English-language, academic, and problem-solving skills and social support network were the main determinants of secondary appraisal. Implications for how universities might work more effectively with international students are discussed.
Effect of protein orientation on electron transfer between photosynthetic reaction centers and carbon electrodes

A new type of monolayer of photosynthetic reaction centers (RC) with the primary donor facing the carbon electrode has been constructed using a new bifunctional linker and genetically engineered protein. Comparison of protein in two different orientations with linkers binding to the opposite sides of the protein demonstrates the possibility of utilizing the constructed surfaces as photoelectronic devices. The results show improvement of the electron transfer efficiency when RC is bound with the primary donor (P) facing the electrode (P-side). In either protein orientation, electron transfer within the protein is unidirectional and when applying a voltage RC operates as a photorectifier. Electron transfer between the protein and carbon electrodes in the constructed devices is most likely occurring by tunneling.
Optimal pulse-modulated control of time-delay systems†

Necessary conditions are derived for the optimal pulse-modulated control of multi-variable systems with delays depending on time and state. The conditions are obtained in the most general form for aperiodically modulated control signals. They are applied to the particular cases of PA, PW, PA-PW and PPM controllers.
Selectivities for binary mixtures of hydrogen/methane and hydrogen/carbon dioxide in silicalite and ETS-10 by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo techniques

In this study the separation capabilities of silicalite and the titanosilicate molecular sieve ETS-10 for binary mixtures of hydrogen/methane and hydrogen/carbon dioxide were evaluated by equilibrium molecular simulation techniques. This is the first molecular simulation study that presents mixture adsorption isotherms of these components in silicalite and ETS-10, and determines selectivities based on the simulation results. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations were carried out for pure components and binary mixtures for hydrogen/carbon dioxide and hydrogen/methane at 298 K to determine pure and mixture adsorption isotherms. The pure and mixture adsorption isotherms were calculated up to pressures of approximately 2000 bar. The results of this study indicate that the separation of hydrogen from methane or from carbon dioxide in silicalite would be successful, since hydrogen in a 50% bulk mixture does not adsorb unless the pressure is very high, on the order of 500 bar. In contrast, in ETS-10, hydrogen in a 50% bulk mixture adsorbs at a pressure near 10 bar. Simulations of adsorption in ETS-10 show at low, intermediate and high pressures a higher selectivity for the separation of carbon dioxide from hydrogen than the separation of methane from hydrogen. Simulations of adsorption in silicalite show a higher selectivity for the separation of carbon dioxide from hydrogen than the methane/hydrogen separation at high pressures only. Analysis of isosteric heat of adsorption information indicates that silicalite is energetically homogeneous with the adsorbates. In contrast, ETS-10 has energetic heterogeneity, as shown by the decrease of the heat of adsorption with increasing loading.
Immediate laparoscopic cholecystectomy as definitive therapy for acute cholecystitis

The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of immediate laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the management of acute calculous cholecystitis. A prospective data collection was performed on all patients admitted to one surgical service over a 2-year period. The patients were managed by a uniform protocol consisting of (1) preoperative ERCP when common duct stones were suspected; (2) operation within 24 h of diagnosis; and (3) selective operative cholangiography. Previous surgery was not a contraindication to inclusion. The setting was an urban teaching hospital. There were 52 patients, 34 females and 18 males. Nineteen had undergone previous abdominal surgery. Five patients had preoperative ERCP and five had intraoperative cholangiography. The patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy 0.8±0.4 days postadmission. Four (7.7%) were converted to open cholecystectomy. Fifty-eight percent had spillage of bile and/or stones. Patients went home 2.3±1.6 days postoperatively. There were no deaths and two complications: a subhepatic biloma and a superficial wound infection. Follow-up of all patients has revealed no late complications. We conclude: (1) Immediate laparoscopic cholecystectomy is safe and effective for acute cholecystitis even when complicated by previous surgery, inflammatory adhesions, and gangrene. (2) Intraoperative spillage of bile and stones does not lead to an increase in early complications. (3) Cholangiography is needed only when clinically indicated. (4) Laparoscopic cholecystectomy should be the treatment of choice for patients admitted for acute cholecystitis.
Crystal structure of the tris 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone (DMHP) complex with the Fe(III) ion

Abstract Bidentate 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone (DMHP) and its Fe(III) complex have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction at low temperature. Free DMHP is orthorhombic, space group Pbca, Z = 8, a = 7.253(2), b = 12.989(3), c = 13.736(4) A, V= 1293.5(11) A3. Hydrogen -bonding between the hydroxyl and carbonyl oxygen donor stabilizes DMHP in dimeric units. For the Fe(III) chelate, Fe(III) ion is six-coordinate with a distorted octahedral configuration consisting of six bidentate oxygen donor atoms in FeL3 dodecahydrate; each of the coordinated oxygen atoms of the ligand is bridged by a water molecule to adjacent donors. Chains of water molecules bridge between the Fe(III) complex and hexagonal cylinders of water. The FeL3 chelate is trigonal, space group P3, Z = 2, a = 16.614(5), b = 16.614(5), c = 6.831(3) A, V = 1632.9(10) A3. The structures were solved by direct methods and refined by least-squares techniques to R = 5.42% (1367 reflections collected) for the free ligand; and R = 5.59% (3999 independent reflections) for the Fe(III) complex.
Patch Reefs and Interreef Deposits of Silurian McKenzie Formation, West Virginia: ABSTRACT

Coral-stromatoporoid patch reefs are present in the lower part of the McKenzie Formation of the western West Virginia subsurface. Between these organic buildups is a bedded, argillaceous dolomite with very sparse fauna, and underlying the McKenzie is the Keefer Sandstone which served as the firm substrate on which McKenzie benthic communities became established. End_Page 1585------------------------------ During a transgression of the McKenzie sea, areas of thicker Keefer sand stood as submerged topographic highs. The local relief provided optimum sites for the patch reefs to develop and offered better protection to the fauna from being overwhelmed by incoming terrestrial clays. Conversely, the shaly interreef deposits of the McKenzie are present in areas of thinner Keefer Sandstone; they were laid down in turbid, relatively deep water between highs. A minor regression followed as represented by middle McKenzie intertidal sediments, and growth of the patch reefs ceased when the area emerged above the level of low tide. Two southwest-northeast tracts of thicker McKenzie Formation and Keefer Sandstone mark the trends of Keefer topographic highs and associated McKenzie patch reefs. These trends now offer the best potential gas in the Middle Silurian of western West Virginia. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1586------------
Divergent population structure and climate associations of a chromosomal inversion polymorphism across the Mimulus guttatus species complex.

Chromosomal rearrangement polymorphisms are common and increasingly found to be associated with adaptive ecological divergence and speciation. Rearrangements, such as inversions, reduce recombination in heterozygous individuals and thus can protect favourable allelic combinations at linked loci, facilitating their spread in the presence of gene flow. Recently, we identified a chromosomal inversion polymorphism that contributes to ecological adaptation and reproductive isolation between annual and perennial ecotypes of the yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus. Here we evaluate the population genetic structure of this inverted region in comparison with the collinear regions of the genome across the M. guttatus species complex. We tested whether annual and perennial M. guttatus exhibit different patterns of divergence for loci in the inverted and noninverted regions of the genome. We then evaluated whether there are contrasting climate associations with these genomic regions through redundancy analysis. We found that the inversion exhibits broadly different patterns of divergence among annual and perennial M. guttatus and is associated with environmental variation across population accessions. This study is the first widespread population genetic survey of the diversity of the M. guttatus species complex. Our findings contribute to a greater understanding of morphological, ecological, and genetic evolutionary divergence across this highly diverse group of closely related ecotypes and species. Finally, understanding species relationships among M. guttatus sp. has hitherto been stymied by accumulated evidence of substantial gene flow among populations as well as designated species. Nevertheless, our results shed light on these relationships and provide insight into adaptation in life history traits within the complex.
Test volume and application time reduction through scan chain concealment

A test pattern compression scheme is proposed in order to reduce test data volume and application time. The number of scan chains that can be supported by an ATE is significantly increased by utilizing an on-chip decompressor. The functionality of the ATE is kept intact by moving the decompression task to the circuit under test. While the number of virtual scan chains visible to the ATE is kept small, the number of internal scan chains driven by the decompressed pattern sequence can be significantly increased.
Heterotrimeric Kinesin-II Is Required for the Assembly of Motile 9+2 Ciliary Axonemes on Sea Urchin Embryos

Heterotrimeric kinesin-II is a plus end– directed microtubule (MT) motor protein consisting of distinct heterodimerized motor subunits associated with an accessory subunit. To probe the intracellular transport functions of kinesin-II, we microinjected fertilized sea urchin eggs with an anti–kinesin-II monoclonal antibody, and we observed a dramatic inhibition of ciliogenesis at the blastula stage characterized by the assembly of short, paralyzed, 9+0 ciliary axonemes that lack central pair MTs. Control embryos show no such defect and form swimming blastulae with normal, motile, 9+2 cilia that contain kinesin-II as detected by Western blotting. Injection of anti–kinesin-II into one blastomere of a two-cell embryo leads to the development of chimeric blastulae covered on one side with short, paralyzed cilia, and on the other with normal, beating cilia. We observed a unimodal length distribution of short cilia on anti–kinesin-II–injected embryos corresponding to the first mode of the trimodal distribution of ciliary lengths observed for control embryos. This short mode may represent a default ciliary assembly intermediate. We hypothesize that kinesin-II functions during ciliogenesis to deliver ciliary components that are required for elongation of the assembly intermediate and for formation of stable central pair MTs. Thus, kinesin-II plays a critical role in embryonic development by supporting the maturation of nascent cilia to generate long motile organelles capable of producing the propulsive forces required for swimming and feeding.
Subacute Constrictive Pericarditis with Cardiac Tamponade

A 26-year-old man with unsuspected reticulum cell sarcome presented as an instance of concurrent subacute constrictive pericarditis and cardiac amponad. Numerous remarkable features either obscured or illuminated the diagnosis. These included: a relatively acute history, fever, convulsions with elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure, orthopnea, plethora, “Stokes’ collar” neck edema, pulsus paradoxus with initially high diastolic blood pressure, markedly raised systemic venous pressure, electric alternation of the heart responding to pericardiocentesis, disproportionate elevation of pericardial fluid LDH, unprecedented intolerance to post-pericardiocentesis air insufflation. A unique roentgenographic appearance of the induced pneumopericardium gave the essential clue for detection of the combined mechanical impediment of the heart.
Surface modification of gold nanotubules via microwave radiation, sonication and chemical etching

We present here the results of smoothing the rough surface of as-prepared gold tubular nanoshells or nanotubules which were produced by reacting aged gold salts with tetrakis-hydroxymethyl-phosphonium chloride (THPC)-capped gold nanoparticles on amine terminated silica nanowires (SiNWs) or silica nanocoils (SiNCs). These as-prepared rough nanotubules exhibited metallic properties as determined by optical absorption spectroscopy. Microwave radiation, sonication, and chemical etching were used to effectively smooth the surface. Two parameters were used to define the surface smoothness on the nanoscale, and the outcomes of these three surface modification methods were compared.
(18)F-FDOPA PET for differentiating recurrent or progressive brain metastatic tumors from late or delayed radiation injury after radiation treatment.

Brain metastases are frequently treated with radiation. It is critical to distinguish recurrent or progressive brain metastases (RPBM) from late or delayed radiation injury (LDRI). The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic accuracy as well as the prognostic power of 6-18F-fluoro-l-dopa (18F-FDOPA) PET for differentiating RPBM from LDRI. Methods: Thirty-two patients who had 83 previously irradiated brain metastases and who underwent 18F-FDOPA PET because of an MR imaging–based suggestion of RPBM were studied retrospectively. PET studies were analyzed semiquantitatively (lesion-to-striatum and lesion-to-normal brain tissue ratios based on both maximum and mean standardized uptake values) and visually (4-point scale). The diagnostic accuracy of PET was verified by histopathologic analysis (n = 9) or clinical follow-up (n = 74) on a lesion-by-lesion basis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the best diagnostic indices. The power of 18F-FDOPA PET to predict disease progression was evaluated with the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression methods. Results: The best overall accuracy was achieved by visual scoring, with which a score of 2 or more (lesion uptake greater than or equal to striatum uptake) resulted in a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 84.3%. Semiquantitative 18F-FDOPA PET uptake indices based on lesion-to-normal brain tissue ratios were significantly higher for RPBM than for LDRI. Among the various predictors tested, 18F-FDOPA PET was the strongest predictor of tumor progression (hazard ratio, 6.26; P
Vascular stents: Coupling full 3-D with reduced-order structural models

Self-expanding nitinol stents are used to treat peripheral arterial disease. The peripheral arteries are subjected to a combination of mechanical forces such as compression, torsion, bending, and contraction. Most commercially available peripheral self-expanding stents are composed of a series of sub-millimeter V-shaped struts, which are laser-cut from a nitinol tube and surface-treated for better fatigue performance. The numerical stent models must accurately predict location and distribution of local stresses and strains caused by large arterial deformations. Full 3-D finite element non-linear analysis of an entire stent is computationally expensive to the point of being prohibitive, especially for longer stents. Reduced-order models based on beam or shell elements are fairly accurate in capturing global deformations, but are not very helpful in predicting stent failure. We propose a mixed approach that combines the full 3-D model and reduced-order models. Several global-local, full 3-D/reduced-order finite element models of a peripheral self-expanding stent were validated and compared with experimental data. The kinematic constraint method used to couple various elements together was found to be very efficient and easily applicable to commercial FEA codes. The proposed mixed models can be used to accurately predict stent failure based on realistic (patient-specific), non-linear kinematic behavior of peripheral arteries.
Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma With Sarcomatoid Dedifferentiation Treated With Pazopanib: A Case Report

Introduction Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC) is a subtype of nonclear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) that is associated with a good prognosis. ChRCC is believed to be derived from the intercalated cells of the distal nephron and shows histologic overlap with renal oncocytoma. Sarcomatoid dedifferentiation might occur with any ype of RCC and is characterized by development of high-grade pindle cell areas in juxtaposition with more conventional epithelial reas of the tumor. Responses of ChRCC to targeted therapies have een published, but to date there are no reports of treatment with azopanib.
Practical aspects of high speed switched-capacitor decimation filter implementation

A new approach for monolithic CMOS implementation of the low-pass filter function in analog front-ends for receivers in high speed data communications applications is presented. The approach is based on switched-capacitor transversal filter structures employing parallelism and pipelining to increase throughput. Architectures appropriate for filters with both short and long impulse responses are presented along with necessary hardware requirements. Limitations and the effect of non-idealities on the proposed approach are also discussed. >
Image cytometric analysis in pathology

Image cytometry (ICM) is used in surgical pathology to quantify nuclear DNA content, nuclear and cytoplasmic immunostain. DNA aneuploidy is shown to be an independent negative prognostic factor in malignant melanoma, small cell carcinoma of the lung, esophageal, ovarian, endometrial, prostatic, urinary bladder, and papillary thyroid carcinoma. On bladder washings, DNA ploidy by ICM is used as an aid in diagnosis and management of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Quantitation of nuclear immunostain for proliferation markers by ICM has clinical significance in prognosis and management of solid tumors of bladder, breast and ovary, astrocytoma, lymphoma, and malignant melanoma. Angiogenesis, measured by microvessel density is a predictor of prognosis in breast carcinoma and an independent predictor of metastasis for breast carcinoma, malignant melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and prostate carcinoma. Quantitated by ICM, angiogenesis is predictive of the presence or subsequent development of regional lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous carcinomas. Future prospects for ICM in pathology include the standardization of ICM techniques; extended clinical use of DNA ploidy for diagnosis, prognosis and as a help with therapeutic decisions; development of neural networks and quantification of fluorescence in situ hybridization to distinguish benign from malignant lesions of low malignant potential, and three-dimensional reconstruction of morphology from two-dimensional sections measured for prognostic parameters.
Improved elastomeric seal design based on nonhomogeneous material properties

The goal of this research was improving elastomeric seal performance based on seal material design. The specific seal failure mode considered was permanent deformation or compression set of O-rings, and sealing performance degradation due to this process is common to all types of elastomeric seals. The basis for seal design was identified as reducing the elastic strain energy in the seal since it drives the growth of permanent material deformation. The design concept developed was using variation of material behavior over the seal section to manipulate the level and distribution of elastic strain energy. Design studies used finite element analyses with experimentally measured material behavior to quantify effects of varying seal material characteristic on seal performance. Sealing performance was described in terms of compression set and seal-counterface contact pressure. Experimental O-rings were produced based on designs that included regions of less stiff material in the larger surrounding seal section. Performance of new design seals was compared to conventional one-material seals and improved sealing performance was demonstrated. With the modified design seals, both compression set and the rate of sealing contact pressure loss over time were decreased. There was a loss of initial maximum contact pressure with the inclusion of less stiff material regions, but it was shown that this effect can be mitigated by properly locating the softer material in the overall seal section. In summary, properly implemented material variations over the seal will result in lower strain energy content, lower rate of permanent deformation development and decreasing rate of loss of seal-counterface contact pressure.
An advanced accounting service for AIX Systems

Resource usage is important input for a number of IT processes including those related to: financial management, capacity planning; service level management; and configuration management. Accounting systems in traditional UNIX/Linux environments generate a usage record at the end of each process. Administrators periodically use standard accounting system utilities to summarize resource usage using the user and application data recorded with each of these records. Recent advances in dynamic LPAR technologies and service oriented architectures have placed new requirements on the metering of resource usage. In a Dynamic LPAR environment, allocations must be measured and processed to obtain accurate information on resource usage. Transactions performed using service oriented architectures deployed on heterogeneous, distributed systems introduce new challenges for metering resource usage based on transaction classes. In this paper we present the design and implementation of a J2EE-based accounting service which exposes manageability and reporting interfaces for the AIX advanced accounting system. The reporting interface can be used to generate process-based, LPAR-based and transaction-based usage reports.
Novel multimodality imaging techniques for diagnosis and evaluation of arteriovenous malformations

Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are abnormal communications between arteries and veins characterized radiographically by the presence of a nidus and early venous drainage. Estimation of hemorrhage risk and determination of treatment strategy rely on the location and hemodynamic properties of the AVM. This article describes modern noninvasive approaches to diagnosing and evaluating AVMs, including dynamic 4-dimensional computed tomographic and magnetic resonance angiography and perfusion imaging. The role and latest advances in digital subtraction angiography and intraoperative imaging are also described.
A highly integrated two channel MMIC down converter with gain control

A complete MMIC (monolithic microwave IC) down converter with variable-gain control has been fabricated. A 6-8-GHz RF input signal is converted using a fixed 10-GHz LO (local oscillator), to a two-channel 2-4-GHz IF. The die is highly integrated, including an RF preamplifier, a double-balanced mixer, an LO amplifier, a power divider, IF amplification, and two voltage-controlled IF amplifiers which provide variable-gain adjustment. Back vias are utilized to establish grounding for both DC and RF. Probe pads are also included for measuring chip-level performance. A circuit description, the design techniques, and measured performance results are presented. >
Continuous-wave silicon lasers based on stimulated Raman scattering

Using reverse biased p-i-n diode structure, we efficiently reduced nonlinear absorption and achieved continuous-wave lasing in silicon waveguide cavities based on stimulated Raman scattering. We report here the lasing characteristics for different laser cavity configurations.
PLASMIN INHIBITION INCREASES MMP-9 ACTIVITY AND DECREASES VEIN WALL STIFFNESS DURING VENOUS THROMBOSIS RESOLUTION

Introduction. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) resolution involves the plasmin and the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system. This study tested the hypothesis that pharmacological inhibition of the plasmin system would impair DVT resolution and worsen vein wall damage. Methods. A rat model of stasis DVT by inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation was performed with intravenous control saline or aprotinin (AP; 2.8 mg/kg at operation), and harvest of thrombosed IVC at 7 days. After laser Doppler imaging, DVT were separated and weighed, and vein wall stiffness was assessed by tensiometry. Thrombus and vein wall tissue analysis included total collagen by colorimetric assay, cytokines, chemokines, and D-dimer by ELISA, urokinase-plasminogen activator (uPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) by immune-blotting, MMP-2 and -9 by zymography, and neutrophil (PMN) and monocyte (ED-1) leukocytes by immunohistochemistry. Results. DVT weights were 2-fold greater in the AP-treated rats (P < 0.05), but no significant differences in thrombus perfusion, collagen, or D-dimer levels were found. Vein wall stiffness was reduced 50% (P < 0.05), suggesting less biomechanical injury. The total vein wall MMP-9 was increased (P < 0.05) 5-fold in the AP group compared with controls, while MMP-2 was elevated but did not reach significance. No difference was found in vein wall tumor necrosis factor-alpha, tissue growth factor-beta, vein wall or thrombus monocytes, PMN, or uPA/PAI-1 ratio between groups. Discussion. AP inhibition of the plasmin system was associated with larger thrombi but less vein wall injury, but no difference in other measures of resolution, possibly because of increased vein wall MMP-9 activity. These data suggest an important redundant mechanism for DVT resolution.
Modeling the Liquidity Effect: The Limited Participation Model

A tractable limited participation model is developed in order to demonstrate the liquidity effect on interest rates and output. It is also shown that this model can replicate two features of the U.S. economy's response to a positive money shock: an increase in output and a muted response to nominal prices.
Physical Interpretation of Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory

Quantal density functional theory (Q-DFT) and traditional Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) are both descriptions of the S system of noninteracting Fermions whereby the density and energy equivalent to that of the Schrodinger theory of electrons is determined. The KS-DFT description of the model system, however, is distinctly different. Though founded in Schrodinger theory via the two theorems of Hohenberg and Kohn [1], the framework of KS-DFT [2] is mathematical in basis. With the assumption of existence of the S system, the time-independent version is in terms of an energy functional of the ground state density ρ(r). This functional is subdivided into a kinetic and a potential energy component. The local (multiplicative) potential energy of each model Fermion is then defined through the variational principle as the functional derivative of the corresponding potential energy component. The potential energy functional and its functional derivative are implicitly representative of the different many-body correlations that must be accounted for within the S system. In time-independent KS-DFT, these electron correlations, as noted previously, are those due to the Pauli exclusion principle, Coulomb repulsion, and Correlation-Kinetic effects. The explicit dependence of the potential energy functional and of its functional derivative on the various electron correlations, however, is not described by the theory.
Changing Role of Price in Agricultural Marketing

AGRICULTURAL marketing may be defined in terms of a chain of activities performed to bring farm products to their ultimate consumers. Included are such functions as processing and distribution whereby the raw product is transformed into one desired by consumers and then moved to the point of consumer purchase. The responsibilities for deciding how these are to be performed and for carrying out the tasks involved are divided among many different firms. One group of firms, for example, processes fruits and vegetables which were grown by another group of firms, and still others provide transportation and wholesale or retail services. Although these businesses are organized as separate enterprises, their input-output functions are technologically interrelated. That is to say, the level of output that can be achieved at one stage of production may depend, for instance, on the quality of a certain input, which was itself determined by the way resources were used at a previous stage. Consider the situation faced by a fruit canner. The type of product he packs and the speed of the processing operation are both affected by certain quality characteristics of the raw product. To the extent that these features are controllable at all, they are so largely at the farm level. After the farmer has made his production plans and then has grown the crop, the canner's ability to control quality is limited.
Hedgehog signaling indirectly affects tubular cell survival after obstructive kidney injury

Hedgehog (Hh) is an evolutionary conserved signaling pathway that has important functions in kidney morphogenesis and adult organ maintenance. Recent work has shown that Hh signaling is reactivated in the kidney after injury and is an important mediator of progressive fibrosis. Pericytes and fibroblasts have been proposed to be the principal cells that respond to Hh ligands, and pharmacological attenuation of Hh signaling has been considered as a possible treatment for fibrosis, but the effect of Hh inhibition on tubular epithelial cells after kidney injury has not been reported. Using genetically modified mice in which tubule-derived hedgehog signaling is increased and mice in which this pathway is conditionally suppressed in pericytes that express the proteoglycan neuron glial protein 2 (NG2), we found that suppression of Hh signaling is associated with decreased macrophage infiltration and tubular proliferation but also increased tubular apoptosis, an effect that correlated with the reduction of tubular β-catenin activity. Collectively, our data suggest a complex function of hedgehog signaling after kidney injury in initiating both reparative and proproliferative, prosurvival processes.
Molecular mechanisms of lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The exposure of hepatocytes to high concentrations of lipids and carbohydrates and the ensuing hepatocellular injury are termed lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity, respectively. A common denominator is metabolic derangement, especially in regards to intracellular energy homeostasis, which is brought on by glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in tissues. In this review, we highlight the lipids and carbohydrates that provoke hepatocyte injury and the mechanisms involved in lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity, including endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment. Through upregulation of proteins involved in various pathways including PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), CCAAT/enhancer-binding homologous protein (CHOP), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-1 (JNK), Bcl-2 interacting mediator (BIM), p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), and eventually caspases, hepatocytes in lipotoxic states ultimately undergo apoptosis. The protective role of certain lipids and possible targets for pharmacological therapy are explored. Finally, we discuss the role of high fructose and glucose diets in contributing to organelle impairment and poor glucose transport mechanisms, which perpetuate hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by shunting of excess carbohydrates into lipogenesis.
Potassium current in circular smooth muscle of human jejunum activated by fenamates

Thirty-eight cells, freshly isolated from circular smooth muscle of normal human jejunum obtained from nine patients undergoing weight-reduction surgery for morbid obesity, were patch clamped using a perforated patch-clamp technique. A highly potassium-selective voltage-dependent outward current was present in all cells. The current was carried by a 220-pS channel that activated near -75 mV and reached unit open probability at about +10 mV. Blockade of the current by quinidine (50 microM) and tetraethylammonium (25 mM) was accompanied by membrane depolarization to 0 to -3 mV, suggesting that this current was the major determinant of the membrane potential. Flufenamic and mefenamic acid at concentrations comparable with blood levels reached when these drugs are used in clinical therapy as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, activated the potassium outward current and hyperpolarized the membrane potential. The shift in the membrane potential for 250 microM flufenamic acid was -36 +/- 24 (SD) mV. Activation was rapid (seconds) and reversible. It was concluded that normal human jejunal circular smooth muscle cells have a highly potassium-selective outward current, which is the major determinant of the membrane potential and which is activated by fenamates.
Antigenically modified red cells in chickens infected with Newcastle disease.

Summary1. Antisera specific for either NDV or influenza virus-treated chicken erythrocytes were prepared. 2. Virus modified red cells were detected in chickiens infected with NDV by various routes of inoculation by use of the specific antiserum. 3. Hemagglutinins for NDV-treated chicken red cells were also detected in the serum of infected chickens.
The Effect of Cerium on Superplasticity of AL-6CU-0.35 MG-0.2ZR Alloy

The effect of Cerium addition on the superplasticity of Al-6Cu-0.35Mg-0.2Zr alloy is investigated. The superplastic elongation of the alloy is increased from 450% to 500–700% by the addition of 0.5wt% Cerium, with some decrease in superplastic tensile resistance, when the alloy is deformed at 789K(516°C) with a strain rate of 8.33×10−4S−1. Microstructure observation shows that the addition of Cerium decreases the grain growth rate both in static annealing and during superplastic deformation. This is considered to be the result of the enhanced pinning of fine Zirconium-rich precipitates and the additional pinning of Cerium-rich phase particles. TEM and X-ray diffraction analysis show that Cerium in the alloy forms Cerium-rich phases (Al8Cu4Ce and Al4CuCe), and these phase particles join in the pinning of second phase particles on grain boundary, stablizing the microstructure. The addition of Cerium also affects the distribution of Zirconium and Zirconium Aluminide in the alloy.
Long-term Effect of Primary Cleft Rhinoplasty on Secondary Cleft Rhinoplasty in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip-Cleft Palate

Background:The senior author routinely performs primary nasal reconstruction with every cleft lip repair. This addresses the nasal tip asymmetry and simplifies the definitive secondary rhinoplasty in adolescence.Methods:A retrospective chart review was completed of all unilateral cleft secondary rhi
The effects of dietary alterations on 3-methyl-4-methylaminoazobenzene N-demethylase activity.

SummaryThe effects of starvation for 48 hr or feeding a purified diet have been determined on the 3-MMAB N-demethylase activity of the mucosa of the small intestine and the liver. Both of these dietary alterations produce a marked decrease in activity of this enzyme system in the small intestine but do not have a significant effect on liver. These data indicate that most of the 3-MMAB N-demethylase activity in the small bowel is dependent upon the intake of an exogenous inducer or inducers present in the diet.
Study on the Merger and Acquisition Performance and its Influence Factors of Chinese Listed Companies in the Real Estate Industry

Taking the merger and acquisitions(MA)among listed companies in Chinese real estate industry as the research sample,constructs the finance evaluation index system,and analyzes the MA performance and its influence factors by using factor analysis method and multiple regression model. The empirical results show that the company performances generally decrease in the year of MA,and then gradually increase one to three years after the MA;the earnings per share(EPS),liquid money amount and total assets have positive effects on the company performances.
Synthetics in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a review.

SUMMARY Because of a rapidly growing interest in synthetic ligaments, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Committee on the Knee sponsored a seminar in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 1983. Attending this seminar were Knee Committee Members, six invited guest consultants with expertise in collagen metabolism and healing and materials testings, and eight teams of investigators who presented data on eight different devices. In November 1983, the Federal Food and Drug Administration Advisory Panel for Orthopedics held an open meeting in Washington, D.C., on the subject of artificial ligaments. In February 1984, there was an hour and a half symposium on artificial ligaments at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Although there is widespread interest in this subject, it is evident that more scientific information and clinical experience must be accumulated. Uniform methods of evaluation, both biomechanical and clinical, are needed. At present, synthetic materials are being investigated under rigid controls, and none have been released for general clinical use. Indications are limited to cases of chronic instability in which autogenous tissues are insufficient or unusable.
Mindset about Intelligence and Connections to Student Effort: Opportunities for Learning and Action

College students’ self-theories about intelligence can affect their motivations to learn and strongly influence their levels of academic achievement. In this article we describe learning activities we used in a forestry course (35 students) and a horticulture course (25 students) to (1) introduce students to the concept of growth mindset about intelligence; (2) emphasize the link between mindset about intelligence and effort, and (3) encourage students to monitor effort and related achievement. We report on course instruction focused on mindset about intelligence, and assignments for students to document effort and achievement and to reflect on learning. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the semester to document students’ self-reported knowledge, actions, and perceptions related to their mindsets about intelligence and effort. Student responses indicated significant changes for (1) knowledge related to mindset about intelligence, (2) beliefs about effort and actions to overcome impediments to learning, and (3) use of specific strategies to enhance their learning. Student reflections that described specific learning strategies were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of each course. We learned that brief interventions to focus attention on mindset about intelligence and meaningful and mindful effort are effective for encouraging students as they work to identify productive study strategies and take responsibility for their own learning. Impact Statement We purposefully prepared our students to tackle one of two challenging discipline-specific courses by emphasizing mindset about intelligence and meaningful and mindful effort. Based on student surveys and their reflections, our lessons and activities were effective in improving their actions and behaviors in these sometimes difficult classes.
Performance evaluation of multi-core, multi-threaded SIP proxy servers (SPS)

Process schedulers are part of the core functionality of an operating system (OS), and have been enhanced over the years to account for multiple cores in the processors and to support multi-threaded applications. In this study, we investigate the impact of the Linux scheduler's load-balancing algorithm on the performance of multi-threaded OpenSIPS (an open source SIP proxy server, SPS) running on a multi-core processor system. Linux uses the “completely fair scheduler” (CFS) scheduling policy and provides parameters specifically tunable in a multi-core environment. We conducted extensive experiments and analyzed the collected data to characterize the performance of SPS as a function of the number of CPU cores, the number of server threads and the call arrival rate. Based on our analysis, we show how to configure the various scheduler parameters as a function of the number of CPU cores to achieve a significant improvement in SPS performance. We further present a capacity planning model as a tool that service providers may use to obtain a first-order approximation of the capacity of their system that yields a good match to experimental results.