cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality and Morbidity in Pre-sensitized Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients With a Positive Donor Crossmatch Utilizing Peri-operative Plasmapheresis and Cytolytic Therapy

Background The difficulty in obtaining a prospective negative donor/recipient crossmatch limits the ability to successfully transplant pediatric heart transplant candidates who show evidence of antibodies to multiple human leukocyte antigens (pre-sensitized patients). Methods We utilized a protocol that included peri-operative plasmapheresis, thymoglobulin and cyclophosphamide in 17 pre-sensitized (panel-reactive antibodies [PRA] >10%) pediatric patients to accept donors for these patients without a prospective crossmatch between 1995 and 2005. A retrospective review of survival, rejection and infection was performed, comparing the frequency of rejection and infection in our patients who were transplanted with a complement-dependent cytotoxic (CDC)-positive donor/recipient crossmatch to those patients transplanted with a negative crossmatch. Results Thirteen of 17 patients were found to have a CDC-positive crossmatch. Actuarial survival after transplantation was 85% at 1 year and 73% at 3 years. Twelve of 13 (92%) of these patients experienced rejection, and 5 of 13 (38%) had recurrent rejection, generally in the first 2 months after transplantation. Rejection was associated with hemodynamic compromise in 58% of first rejection episodes and 67% of episodes of recurrent rejection. The frequency of rejection in these patients was significantly greater than the frequency in patients with a negative crossmatch in the first 6 months after transplantation, but not afterward. The frequency of infection episodes was not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions Heart transplantation in pre-sensitized pediatric recipients with a CDC-positive donor/recipient crossmatch may result in reasonable short-term survival, but with a high frequency of early rejection, often with hemodynamic compromise.
Complete elimination of large café-au-lait birthmarks by the 510-nm pulsed dye laser.

Traditional treatment modalities for cafe-au-lait spots include cryotherapy, dermabrasion, and excision with or without skin grafting. These treatments have shown varying degrees of success and, in some cases, have yielded significant side effects, such as permanent pigmentary alteration and scarring. The 510-nm pulsed dye laser has been shown to selectively destroy melanosomes that make up such epidermal pigmented lesions as cafe-au-lait spots without significant adverse sequelae. Thirty patients with 34 large cafe-au-lait birthmarks received 510-nm pulsed dye laser treatments at 6- to 8-week intervals with energy densities ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 J/cm2. An average of 8.4 laser treatments were necessary to achieve complete elimination of the cafe-au-lait marks under study. No lesional recurrences have been observed 1 year following termination of treatment.
GLUEBALL MASS ESTIMATE BY STRONG COUPLING EXPANSION IN LATTICE GAUGE THEORIES

Abstract In the formalism presented in the previous paper, the plaquette-plaquette correlation functions in arbitrary directions are calculated for Z(2), SU(2) and SU(3) up to order g−8. Approximate restoration of rotational symmetry is observed in the continuum limit for SU(2), but much higher order corrections seem to be required in order to restore the symmetry for SU(3). The scalar glueball mass deduced from the plaquette-plaquette correlation function in the diagonal direction is 0.80 GeV, while the on-axis computation up to order g−16 predicts it to be 0.64 GeV.
Inactivation of MMAC1 in bladder transitional-cell carcinoma cell lines and specimens.

We recently limited the location of a candidate tumor suppressor gene in invasive (T3a/b) bladder transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) to a 2.5-cM region at chromosome 10q23.3. This region harbors the MMAC1/PTEN/TEP1 gene (referred to hereafter as MMAC1), a dual-phosphatase tumor-suppressor gene frequently inactivated in variety of malignant tumors. In the present study, we examined whether MMAC1 is a target for inactivation by mutations and deletions in bladder TCC cell lines and specimens. MMAC1 was inactivated by homozygous deletions and mutations in three (27%) of 11 bladder cancer cell lines. One cell line, UC-3, had homozygous deletions, and two other cell lines, T-24 and UC-9, had missense mutations. T-24 had also a nonsense mutation. However, none of the 33 bladder TCC specimens examined had a mutation or deletion in the coding region. These results suggest that MMAC1 is not the primary target for inactivation in bladder TCC and that another gene, in close proximity to the MMAC1 locus, within this region of frequent allelic losses, may be the target for inactivation. Mol. Carcinog. 29:143–150, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The matrix of endochondral bone differs from the matrix of intramembranous bone

Osseous tissue develops via two distinctly different processes: endochondral (EC) ossification and intramembranous (IM) ossification. The present study tests the hypothesis that each type of osseous tissue contains unique inducing factors for the promotion of cartilage and bone development. Previous work suggests that subcutaneous implants of demineralized EC and IM bone matrices both induce endochondral ossification. Thus, it concludes that the bone growth promotion properties of the respective matrices are very similar. As it was unclear to us why EC and IM bone powders should possess identical osteoinductive properties, we attempted to reproduce these results. We implanted EC (femoral) demineralized bone matrix (DBM), IM (frontal) DBM, or a mixture of the two into the ventral thoracic subcutaneous tissue of 12 to 15-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats. Morphological and radiolabeling techniques in this study demonstrated that implants of EC bone matrix induce bone formation via EC ossification in contrast to implants of IM bone matrix which do not induce EC ossification. Our findings suggest that the matrix of EC bone differs qualitatively from the matrix of IM bone due to their respective abilities to induced cartilage and/or bone formation. These observations differ from those previously reported possibly because our IM DBM preparations were not contaminated with tissues of endochondral origin. In current clinical practice, EC DBM allografts are often used to induce new bone formation in defects involving both IM and EC bone. We conclude that there may be clinical settings in which it would be more appropriate to replace bone originally formed via IM ossification with IM DBM rather than EC DBM.
Selective blockade of the vasodepressor response to prostaglandin F2α in the anaesthetized rabbit

1. The prostaglandin-blocking activity of meclofenamic acid, N-(2,6-dichloro-m-tolyl)anthranilic acid (CI-583), was analysed in the anaesthetized rabbit. PGF(2alpha), PGE(1) and isoprenaline were injected before and after meclofenamic acid infusion.2. Isoprenaline produced a fall in blood pressure, a reduction in oviduct motility and a reduction in uterine motility if the uterus showed marked spontaneous motility. PGF(2alpha) uniformly produced a fall in blood pressure and an increase in both uterine and oviduct contractility. PGE(1) produced a fall in blood pressure, a reduction in oviduct motility and no consistent effect on uterine motility.3. Meclofenamic acid selectively blocked the vasodepressor response to PGF(2alpha). The vasodepressor responses to PGE(1) and isoprenaline as well as the effects of all three agonists on uterine and oviduct contractility were not reduced by treatment with meclofenamic acid.4. Polyphloretin phosphate (PPP) administered to two rabbits in a cumulative dose of 94 mg/kg showed no significant blocking action on the vasodepressor or uterine and oviduct contractor responses to PGE(1) or PGF(2alpha) though this compound, like meclofenamic acid, has been reported to antagonize the actions of PGE(1) and PGF(2alpha) on isolated smooth muscle preparations.
Mitochondrial DNA is synthesized during meiosis and spermiogenesis in the mouse.

Abstract Following intratesticular injection of [3H]thymidine, spermatozoa were isolated from the caput and cauda epididymis of CD-1 mice. Quantitation of the amount of radiolabelled DNA in whole spermatozoa, sperm heads (nuclei) and sperm midpiece-tails (mitochondria) at time intervals 3–36 days postinjection demonstrated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is synthesized during meiosis and early spermiogenesis. mtDNA synthesis terminates in mid-spermiogenesis suggesting that the mitochondrial genome in spermatozoa has a half-life of at least 15 days.
Environmental measurements with a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty radionuclide particulate monitor

A Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA Mark 4) has been developed at PNNL for use in verifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The RASA Mark 4 collects about 20,000 m3 of air per day on a 0.25 m2 filter. This filter is automatically decayed for 24 hours, then advanced to a germanium detector for a 24 hour count. This system has been operated in Richland, WA for a limited period of time in a predeployment testing phase. The germanium-detector gamma-ray spectra have been analyzed by automatic spectral analysis codes to determine Minimum Detectable Concentrations (MDC) for a number of isotopes of interest. These MDC's have been compared to other atmospheric measurements in the field and in the laboratory.
A formal approach for virtual machine migration planning

Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm in information technology. Virtualization is the corner stone for this paradigm in which resources are utilized by running multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a physical host. During the VM's life cycle, the cloud provider may migrate the VM from one host to another host. During the live migration process, some security, capacity, and dependency requirements are subject to violations due to the temporal relationship between migration steps. In this paper, we present a formal approach to plan VM migration; that is to find a sequence of migration steps such that all security, dependency, and performance requirements are met. The migration planning problem is modeled as a Constraints Satisfaction Problem and it is solved using Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) solvers. We provide VMM-Planner, a formal framework that provides a VM migration plan to formally verify the given requirements in all intermediate migration steps.
Stimuli-Responsive Magnetic Nanomicelles as Multifunctional Heat and Cargo Delivery Vehicles

Hybrid nanoarchitectures are among the most promising nanotechnology-enabled materials for biomedical applications. Interfacing of nanoparticles with active materials gives rise to the structures with unique multiple functionality. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles particles SPION are widely employed in the biology and in developing of advanced medical technologies. Polymeric micelles offer the advantage of multifunctional carriers which can serve as delivery vehicles carrying nanoparticles, hydrophobic chemotherapeutics and other functional materials and molecules. Stimuli-responsive polymers are especially attractive since their properties can be modulated in a controlled manner. Here we report on multifunctional thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide)-block-poly(e-caprolactone) random block copolymer micelles as magnetic hyperthermia-mediated payload release and imaging agents. The combination of copolymers, nanoparticles and doxorubicin drug was tailored the way that the loaded micelles were cable to respond to magnetic heating at physiologically-relevant temperatures. A surface functionalization of the micelles with the integrin β4 antibody and consequent interfacing of the resulting nanobio hybrid with squamous head and neck carcinoma cells which is known to specifically over-express the A9 antigen resulted in concentration of the micelles on the surface of cells. No inherent cytotoxicity was detected for the magnetic micelles without external stimuli application. Furthermore, SPION-loaded micelles demonstrate significant MRI contrast enhancement abilities.
Elasticity theory and shape transitions of viral shells

Recently, continuum elasticity theory has been applied to explain the shape transition of icosahedral viral capsids---single-protein-thick crystalline shells---from spherical to ``buckled'' or faceted as their radius increases through a critical value determined by the competition between stretching and bending energies of a closed two-dimensional (2D) elastic network. In the present work we generalize this approach to capsids with nonicosahedral symmetries, e.g., spherocylindrical and conical shells. One key additional physical ingredient is the role played by nonzero spontaneous curvature. Another is associated with the special way in which the energy of the 12 topologically required fivefold sites depends on the ``background'' local curvature of the shell in which they are embedded. Systematic evaluation of these contributions leads to a shape ``phase'' diagram in which transitions are observed from icosahedral to spherocylindrical capsids as a function of the ratio of stretching to bending energies and of the spontaneous curvature of the 2D protein network. We find that the transition from icosahedral to spherocylindrical symmetry is continuous or weakly first order near the onset of buckling, leading to extensive shape degeneracy. These results are discussed in the context of experimentally observed variations in the shapes of a variety of viral capsids.
Understanding the Role of Substrate Elasticity on Intracellular Stresses during Cell Spreading

We present a two-dimensional mathematical model and finite element simulations of a cell interacting with a deformable substrate to better understand how substrate mechanical properties affect cellular mechanical response and spread areas. The cell is treated as an actively deforming hypoelastic material and the substrate is linearly elastic. The model predicts stress and displacement fields in both the cell and the substrate. This model of cell and substrate mechanics is coupled to models describing active cellular deformation due to stress fiber contraction and evolution of focal adhesions. In this work we compare cellular stresses and substrate displacements predicted by the model on substrates of increasing stiffness against two experimental works i) Hersh et. al. 20131 with cardiomyocytes and (ii) Marinkovic et. al. 20122 with hMSc's. The model predicts an increase in compressive stresses within the cell for the two cell types with increasing substrate stiffness between 1kPa-90kPa, which is in agreement with experimental results. Further model predictions of increase in substrate displacements with substrate stiffness are in good quantitative agreement with the experimental results. In addition on softer substrates we predict that increased stress fiber contraction due to a greater compliance of the substrate at the sites of attachment results in smaller spread areas.References:1) Constant beat: Cardiomyocytes adapt their forces by equal contraction upon environmental stiffening, N. Hersch et. al., Biology Open, 2013, 2: 351-361.2) Improved throughput traction microscopy reveals pivotal role for matrix stiffness in fibroblast contractility and TGF-β responsiveness, A.Marinkovic et al., Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012, 303: L169–L180.
RATE OF AND BIAS TO TECHNICAL CHANGE UNDER A REGIME OF ALMOST HOMOGENEITY OF THE PRODUCTION FUNCTION

This paper utilizes the concept of almost homogeneity to obtain a generalization of the elasticity of factor substitution. From this, an expression for the bias to technical change is derived that explicitly includes the individual degrees of input homogeneity. It is shown that the relative values of these homogeneity parameters can affect the magnitude and direction of the factor-saving bias to technical change. These parameters also influence the size of the residual or unexplained component of aggregate output growth.
Characterizing the time course and nature of attentional disengagement effects

Visual features of fixated but irrelevant items contribute to both how long overt attention dwells at a location and to decisions regarding the location of subsequent attention shifts (Boot & Brockmole, 2010; Brockmole & Boot, 2009). Fixated but irrelevant search items that share the color of the search target delay the deployment of attention. Furthermore, eye movements are biased to distractors that share the color of the currently fixated item. We present a series of experiments that examined these effects in depth. Experiment 1 explored the time course of disengagement effects. Experiments 2 and 3 explored the generalizability of disengagement effects by testing whether they could be observed when participants searched for targets defined by form instead of color. Finally, Experiment 4 validated the disengagement paradigm as a measure of disengagement and ruled out alternative explanations for slowed saccadic reaction times. Results confirm and extend our understanding of the influence of features within the focus of attention on when and where attention will shift next.
Microparticles as mediators and biomarkers of rheumatic disease

Microparticles (MPs) are small membrane-bound vesicles that arise from activated and dying cells and enter the blood to display pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic activities. MPs are 0.1–1.0 μm in size and incorporate nuclear, cytoplasmic and membrane molecules as they detach from cells. This process can occur with cell activation as well as cell death, with particles likely corresponding to blebs that form on the cell surface during apoptosis. To measure particle expression, flow cytometry allows determination of particle numbers based on size as well as surface markers that denote the cell of origin; platelet MPs are usually the most abundant type in blood. As shown in in vitro and in vivo systems, MPs can promote inflammation and thrombosis resulting from their content of cytokines like IL-1 and pro-coagulant molecules like tissue factor. Certain particle types can be anti-inflammatory, however, suggesting a range of immunomodulatory activities depending on the cell of origin. Studies on patients with a wide range of rheumatic disease show increased MP numbers in blood, with platelet and endothelial particles associated with vascular manifestations; increased numbers of particles also occur in the joint fluid where they may drive cytokine production and activate synoviocytes. In autoimmune diseases such as SLE and RA, MPs may also contribute to disease pathogenesis by the formation of immune complexes. MPs thus represent novel subcellular structures that can impact on the pathogenesis of rheumatic disease and serve as biomarkers of underlying cellular disturbances.
Nuclear mass inventory, photon dose rate and thermal decay heat of spent research reactor fuel assemblies

As part of the Department of Energy`s spent nuclear fuel acceptance criteria, the mass of uranium and transuranic elements in spent research reactor fuel must be specified. These data are, however, not always known or readily determined. It is the purpose of this report to provide estimates of these data for some of the more common research reactor fuel assembly types. The specific types considered here are MTR, TRIGA and DIDO fuel assemblies. The degree of physical protection given to spent fuel assemblies is largely dependent upon the photon dose rate of the spent fuel material. These data also, are not always known or readily determined. Because of a self-protecting dose rate level of radiation (dose rate greater than 100 ren-x/h at I m in air), it is important to know the dose rate of spent fuel assemblies at all time. Estimates of the photon dose rate for spent MTR, TRIGA and DIDO-type fuel assemblies are given in this report.
Surface chemistry of carbon removal from indium tin oxide by base and plasma treatment, with implications on hydroxyl termination

Abstract The surface chemistry of carbon removal from indium tin oxide (ITO) has been investigated with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and high-resolution energy loss spectroscopy (HR-ELS). A vibrating Kelvin probe (KP) was used to monitor the work function ( Φ ) of ITO after cleaning, either by base-cleaning with alcoholic-KOH or by O 2 plasma-cleaning. Base-cleaning lowered Φ ITO as seen in the KP analysis, whereas plasma-cleaning slightly increased Φ ITO by an oxidative process. The degree of Φ ITO depression by base-cleaning was seen to depend on the initial surface, but the Φ depression itself was nonreductive to the ITO, as seen in the In-MNN AES lineshape. The nonreductive depression of Φ ITO by base-cleaning was further supported by a constant charge carrier density, as estimated from the HR-ELS. Base-cleaning was slightly more effective than the oxygen plasma in removing carbon from the ITO surface. However, base-cleaning preferentially removed graphitic carbon while leaving significant hydrocarbon contaminants, as determined by vibrational analysis with HREELS. All other ITO surfaces retained a significant carbon and hydrocarbon contamination as evidenced by AES and HREELS. There was little evidence of the formation of surface hydroxyl species, as expected for such an inherently contaminated surface as ITO.
Open versus arthroscopic distal clavicle resection.

Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the available literature in an attempt to compare the outcome of open versus arthroscopic distal clavicle resection in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint pathology. Methods From January 1966 to December 2008, Medline was searched for the following key words: "acromioclavicular joint arthritis," "acromioclavicular osteolysis," "distal clavicle excision," "acromioclavicular joint excision," "Mumford," and "clavicle." Inclusion criteria included studies that compared the outcome of open versus arthroscopic distal clavicle resection. Studies that could not be translated into the English language or were not published in a peer-reviewed journal were excluded. Data were abstracted from the studies, including patient demographics, surgical procedure, rehabilitation, strength, range of motion, and clinical scoring system. Results Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria, including 2 Level II studies, 1 Level III and 14 Level IV studies. Arthroscopic distal clavicle excision results in more "good" or "excellent" outcomes compared with the open procedure. Both arthroscopic techniques result in success rates in excess of 90%, with the direct procedure permitting a quicker return to athletic activities. Performing distal clavicle excision in conjunction with either subacromial decompression or rotator cuff repair also has a high degree of success. A trend toward more "poor" results is seen when distal clavicle excision is performed in patients with post-traumatic acromioclavicular instability or in Workers' Compensation patients. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that among patients undergoing distal clavicle excision for acromioclavicular joint pathology, those having an arthroscopic procedure, specifically through the direct approach, can expect a faster return to activities while obtaining similar long-term outcomes compared with the open procedure. Level of Evidence Level III, systematic review.
Quantitation of glipizide and glyburide in tablets using high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract Reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography methods for the quantitation of glipizide and glyburide in tablets have been developed. The methods are accurate and precise with a percent relative standard deviations based on 6 injections of 0.8 and 0.3% for glipizide and glyburide, respectively. The developed methods can be used to test the content uniformity of the tablets. The extraction procedure for the active ingredients from the tablets is very simple. There is no interference from the excipients and the acid hydrolyzed samples showed new peak in the chromatograms.
Pion-nucleus single charge exchange induced by stopped negative pions

The branching ratio (BR) for stopped negative pion induced single charge exchange was experimentally determined for CH{sub 2}, {sup 27}Al, {sup 31}P, {sup 32}S, {sup 45}Sc, and {sup 115}In. The BR for CH{sub 2} agrees with a previous determination; the others can be understood in terms of the shell model structure of the targets. These results will facilitate studies of the effective pion-nucleon isovector interaction in nuclei at threshold energies. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Dynamic LDPC codes for nanoscale memory with varying fault arrival rates

Modern state-of-the-art nanodevices exhibit remarkable electronic properties, but the current assembly techniques yield very high defect and fault rates. Static errors can be addressed at fabrication time by testing and reconfiguration, but soft errors are problematic since their arrival rates are expected to vary over the lifetime of a part. Usual designs consider error correcting codes that tolerate the maximum failure rate expected over the entire lifetime. In this paper, we propose using a special variant of low-density parity codes (LDPCs) — Euclidean Geometry LDPC (EG-LDPC) codes — to enable dynamic changes in the level of fault tolerance. EG-LDPC codes have high error correcting ability (for large words they can approach the optimal Shannon limit) and they are sparse (circuit implementation requires small fan-in). In addition, a special property of EG-LDPC codes enables us to dynamically adjust the error correcting capacity for improved system performance (e.g., lower power consumption) during periods of expected low fault arrival rate. We present a system architecture for nanomemory based on nanoPLA building blocks using EG-LDPCs, where the encoder/decoder could also have faults, and analyze the fault detection and correction capabilities considering dynamic fault tolerance.
Evolution of an epitaxial boundary in gold-silver thin film couples

Abstract The microstructure of a gold-silver thin film couple, grown under conditions expected to yield no epitaxy, was characterized by the conventional TEM as well as STEM. Large gold grains were found to be grown epitaxially on the single crystalline silver layer; the areas between the individual grains consisted of fine crystallites of random orientations, which accommodated most of the misfit and misorientation between two layers. In situ high temperature electron microscopy was used to observe directly the development of a complete epitaxial condition. The mode of this structural evolution was qualitatively similar to that for grain growth in bulk metals.
The Induction of Ornithine Decarboxylase by Nerve Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor in PC 12 Cells

: Both nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor cause an induction of ornithine decarboxylase in the rat pheochromocytoma clone PC12. The induction by nerve growth factor is transcription-dependent and occurs within 4 to 6 h. Antibody studies indicate that nerve growth factor must be present for 2–3 h to obtain full induction. Nerve growth factor is synergistic with either N6,O2-dibutyryl cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (dBcAMP) or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) in the induction. The magnitude of ornithine decarboxylase induction is influenced by the density of the culture. Synchronized cell populations show the greatest sensitivity to nerve growth factor just before, or immediately upon, entering S phase. The induction of ornithine decarboxylase by epidermal growth factor appears to be quite similar to that exhibited by nerve growth factor. Epidermal growth factor is active in the range of ng/ml. The time course of the induction is the same, as is the need for the peptide to remain in contact with the cells for several hours. Putrescine inhibits the induction and dBcAMP and IMBX accentuate it. Cells appear to be sensitive to epidermal growth factor also near the G1/S border. In spite of the marked similarities in these inductions, a maximal level of nerve growth factor plus a maximal level of epidermal growth factor yields greater induction than either alone, indicating the inductions occur by somewhat different mechanisms.
National study of United States emergency department visits for acute pancreatitis, 1993-2003.

Background The epidemiology of acute pancreatitis in the United States is largely unknown, particularly episodes that lead to an emergency department (ED) visit. We sought to address this gap and describe ED practice patterns.
Numerical stability and numerical dispersion of a compact 2-D/FDTD method used for the dispersion analysis of waveguides

The stability condition is derived for the compact two-dimensional finite-difference-time-domain (2-D/FDTD) scheme which was recently proposed for the dispersion analysis of waveguiding structures. It is shown that the upper limit of the Courant number depends on the desirable propagation constant beta and is always smaller than the one for the standard FDTD scheme in two dimensions. The dispersion equation for the numerical scheme is derived also and is used to examine the impact of grid size on the accuracy of the calculated eigenvalues (frequencies) for the dominant and higher-order modes. >
Kernel non-rigid structure from motion

Non-rigid structure from motion (NRSFM) is a difficult, underconstrained problem in computer vision. The standard approach in NRSFM constrains 3D shape deformation using a linear combination of K basis shapes; the solution is then obtained as the low-rank factorization of an input observation matrix. An important but overlooked problem with this approach is that non-linear deformations are often observed; these deformations lead to a weakened low-rank constraint due to the need to use additional basis shapes to linearly model points that move along curves. Here, we demonstrate how the kernel trick can be applied in standard NRSFM. As a result, we model complex, deformable 3D shapes as the outputs of a non-linear mapping whose inputs are points within a low-dimensional shape space. This approach is flexible and can use different kernels to build different non-linear models. Using the kernel trick, our model complements the low-rank constraint by capturing non-linear relationships in the shape coefficients of the linear model. The net effect can be seen as using non-linear dimensionality reduction to further compress the (shape) space of possible solutions.
A Bayesian framework for stable isotope mixing models

Stable isotope sourcing is used to estimate proportional contributions of sources to a mixture, such as in the analysis of animal diets and plant nutrient use. Statistical methods for inference on the diet proportions using stable isotopes have focused on the linear mixing model. Existing frequentist methods provide inferences when the diet proportion vector can be uniquely solved for in terms of the isotope ratios. Bayesian methods apply for arbitrary numbers of isotopes and diet sources but existing models are somewhat limited as they assume that trophic fractionation or discrimination is estimated without error or that isotope ratios are uncorrelated. We present a Bayesian model for the estimation of mean diet that accounts for uncertainty in source means and discrimination and allows correlated isotope ratios. This model is easily extended to allow the diet proportion vector to depend on covariates, such as time. Two data sets are used to illustrate the methodology. Code is available for selected analyses.
The Impact of Self-Heating on Charge Trapping in High- $k$ -Metal-Gate nFETs

In this letter, charge trapping behavior in 22-nm technology high- $k$ -metal-gate SOI CMOS logic devices is analyzed under various bias stress and self-heating conditions. It is observed that the charge trapping is not only dependent on the channel power density during stress, which is controlled by drain bias and device channel length, but is also strongly modulated by the device channel width. Thus, identical power densities in devices with different channel widths result in significantly different charge trapping behaviors. It is shown that device self-heating is strongly influenced by the device channel width and that the channel temperature during the charge injection process significantly impacts the magnitude and stability of the trapped charge. We discuss the implications of the findings for the application of high- $k$ -metal-gate logic devices as embedded memory elements for non-volatile data storage in high- $k$ -metal-gate CMOS technologies without added process complexity.
Multilayer Graphene-Based Carbon Interconnect

3D stacked (or uncorrelated) multilayer graphene (s-MLG) is investigated as a potential material platform for carbon-based on-chip interconnects. S-MLG samples are prepared by repeatedly transferring and stacking the large-area CVD-grown graphene monolayers, followed by wire patterning and oxygen plasma etching of graphene. We observed superior wire conduction of s-MLG over that of monolayer graphene or ABAB -stacked multilayer graphene. Further reduction of s-MLG resistivity is anticipated with increasing number of stacked layers. Electrical stress-induced doping technique is used to engineer the Dirac point, as well as to reduce graphene-to-metal contact resistance, improving the overall performance metrics of the s-MLG system. Breakdown experiments show that the current-carrying capacity of s-MLG is significantly enhanced as compared with that of monolayer graphene.
High-Capacity, Aliovalently Doped Olivine LiMn1–3x/2Vx□x/2PO4 Cathodes without Carbon Coating

A substantial amount of Mn2+ has been aliovalently substituted by V3+ in cation-deficient LiMn1–3x/2Vx□x/2PO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) by a low-temperature (<300 °C) microwave-assisted solvothermal (MW-ST) process. The necessity of a low-temperature synthesis to achieve higher levels of doping is demonstrated as the solubility of vanadium decreases with the formation of impurity phases on heating the samples to ≥575 °C. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals enhanced Mn–O hybridization in the vanadium-doped samples, which is believed to facilitate an increase in capacity with increasing vanadium content in the lattice. For example, a high capacity of 155 mAh/g is achieved above a cutoff voltage of 3 V without any carbon coating for the x = 0.2 sample. The vanadium substitution enhances the overall kinetics of the material by lowering the charge-transfer impedance and increasing the lithium-diffusion coefficient.
Determination of individual metabolites of aromatic compounds in hydrolyzed bile of English sole (Parophrys vetulus) from polluted sites in Puget Sound, Washington.

A number of individual metabolites of aromatic compounds were found in the hydrolyzed bile of five English sole (Parophrys vetulus) captured from polluted sites in Puget Sound, Washington. Metabolites of fluorene, dibenzofuran, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene and benzo-[a]pyrene (BaP) were tentatively identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Identifications of these metabolites were confirmed by comparing their fluorescence excitation/emission and mass spectra to those obtained from metabolites produced after other English sole from a reference site were injected with individual parent aromatic compounds. High concentrations of many of the individual metabolites quantitated (up to 300,000 ng/g) were found in the hydrolyzed bile of sole sampled from polluted sites. None of these metabolites were found in bile of sole sampled from a relatively clean (reference) site in Puget Sound.
House Flies : Mating Ability and Longevity Tests with Wild-Type Males and Irradiated Males from a Male-Producing Strain

Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the competitiveness, longevity, and mating performance of males from a male-producing (MP) strain of Musca domestica L. In comparison with wild-type males from 2 different geographical locations. The results indicated that irradiated MP males were more competitive than wild-type males in mating wild-type females. Moreover, both irradiated and unirradiated MP males lived longer than their. wild-type counterparts, although irradiation reduced the lifespan of the MP files. The irradiated MP males were found to complete an effective mating (elicited a monogamous response from a female) in less time than the wild-type males and they were able to maintain this advantage through 2 successive matings. The use of the MP strain in house fly control programs involving the sterile-male technique is suggested.
Electro-Wetting of a Heated Surface in the Presence and Absence of Gravity to Enhance Liquid Film Boiling Heat Transfer

Liquid film boiling is used in many terrestrial thermal management applications as an effective heat transport mechanism. However, it suffers in micro-gravity applications such as spacecraft thermal management as the gravitational body force is not present. The heater surface dries out as a result and heater temperature increase is unbounded. One way of facilitating liquid film boiling in micro-gravity is to use an electrical field. In this experimental study, we utilize electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping to re-wet the heater surface during liquid film boiling in micro-gravity. EHD conduction involves electrodes embedded onto a surface that generate a pumping force in the dielectric liquid film which causes it to flow in a particular direction in this case liquid is directed toward the heater. The experiments are performed both terrestrially and on board a parabolic flight. Results indicate that activation of the EHD pump enables liquid film boiling to continue in microgravity by maintaining a liquid flow rate to the heater and lowering the surface temperature. It thereby allows us to study the complex liquid-vapor phase change phenomena in the presence of an electrical field in the absence of gravity and furthers our understanding for future application.
Religion and Secularization

EMBERSHIP in American churches is growing at a rate of approximately three percent per year while the population is growing at a rate of one and one-half percent per year. In 1880, 20 percent of the American people were members of American churches. Today 60 percent are stated to be church members.1 In spite of these stated figures no responsible person maintains that the American people are three times as religious today as they were in 1880. Religion is a most complex institution as all who have done research in this area are well aware. The factors that contribute to the increased interest and identification with formal religion are numerous, complex, and interrelated. A number of causal factors have been advanced to explain this increase in religious activity and concern for things religious. Some credit the contemporary interest in religion to the threat of atomic annihilation, as an antidote for, and a revulsion from, the science which can now more easily destroy civilization than create it. Herberg finds the increased interest in religion to arise out of a personal need that modern man has to preserve some remnant of personality and inwardness against the erosions of a mass culture.2 An increasing amount of attention is being directed to the secularization process as a causal factor in the growing interest in religion. Secularization is closely related to the social aspects of religion. MacIver and Page have pointed out that the church is distinguished from other associations by its suprasocial orientation but as a fellowship and brotherhood of believers the church importantly becomes the basis for social intercourse.3 Lynd and Lynd found the Middletown churches of the 1920's to be consciously engaged in secularizing their programs in order to retain the interest and support that the suprasocial orientation and other worldly concern were no longer able to hold.4 Pfautz has postulated a typology of religious groups and has placed them in the order of their increasing secularization as follows: the cult, the sect, the institutionalized sect, the church, the denomination.5 According to Sklare the great paradox exists in that organized religion is being augmented at the very moment that personal behavior becomes increasingly secularized.6
436 COMBINING THE SRC INHIBITOR AZD0530 WITH IONIZING RADIATION YIELDS ADDITIVE EFFECTS WITHOUT MODULATION OF PHOSPHOSITES ON SRC, EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR, OR MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE.

The Src family of proteins are cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases that play an important role in oncogenesis. In particular, members of this family have been shown to regulate cellular migration, proliferation, and differentiation. While Src plays this role in normal cells, some malignancies implicate the kinase in abnormal attachment, motility, and angiogenesis. There are currently several Src kinase inhibitors with oral bioavailability undergoing clinical investigation, including AZD0530. The purpose of this abstract is to report preliminary in vitro data investigating the role of AZD0530 both alone and in combination with radiotherapy. Cells growing in log phase were subjected to a 6-day proliferation assay with drug doses ranging from 0 to 20 μM and ionizing radiation doses ranging from 0 to 6 Gray. Four lung and four head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines fell into sensitive or resistant subsets with AZD0530 IC509s clustering around 1 μM or 10 μM, respectively. When combined with radiation, AZD0530 showed additive but not synergistic effects over a wide range of dose treatments using the Chou-Talalay median effect methods of calculating combination indices. Furthermore, lysates from cells treated with either the IC50 of inhibitor for 24 hours or radiation at 2 Gy were subjected to Western blot analysis to elucidate mechanisms. Under the conditions above, we observed no selective down-regulation of phospho-Src with AZD0530. While ionizing radiation has been shown to amplify pEGFR as well as VEGF in various cancer models, single-dose radiation did not appear to modulate phospho-Src activity either. In addition, after treatment with AZD0530 for 24 hours, we observed no down-regulation in several important growth factor pathways. In particular, we did not observe a decrease in phosphorylation on Src itself, on EGFR, or on MAPK. Src kinase has been shown previously to directly activate cortactin, an actin-associated protein involved in cell motility. In this regard, subsequent blots did show robust down-regulation of phospho-cortactin. Because AZD0530 exhibited a clear effect in the proliferation assays, yet we observed no modulation of the growth pathways, our future studies will investigate these pathways at different time points and with fractionated radiation. While cortactin down-regulation might explain decreased cell motility and invasion, its currently understood function cannot fully account for the observed anti-proliferative effects of AZD0530.
Young Women’s Accounts of Caregiving, Family Relationships, and Personal Growth When Mother Has Mental Illness

Family members often serve as the primary source of care and support for loved ones living with mental illness. Although existing research has examined the role of parents and well siblings in providing care to adult children with mental illness, relatively little is known about the caregiving experiences of adult children with a parent with a psychiatric disability. Guided by a life course perspective, the present qualitative study examined first-person accounts of 10 young women attending college (ages 18–22) who were raised by a mother living with mental illness (depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia). Participants completed individual semi-structured interviews in which they described their experiences of caregiving, role reversal, and felt obligation towards mother, their ties to father and siblings, and their views of the impact of maternal mental illness on their lives. Overall, young adults’ accounts of their relationship with mother could be characterized as either predominately positive or predominately negative. In general, participants’ accounts of their caregiving experiences, views of felt obligation, and supportiveness of family ties differed depending on their reports of the overall quality of the mother–daughter relationship. Adult daughters described positive impacts of maternal mental illness on their own lives, regardless of their accounts of relationship quality with their mothers.
A new proof of Serre’s homological characterization of regular local rings

We give a new proof of Serre’s result that a Noetherian local ring is regular if and only if it has finite global dimension. Our proof avoids the explicit construction of a Koszul complex.
Three-Dimensional Ordered Antibody Arrays Through Self-Assembly of Antibody-Polymer Conjugates.

Three-dimensional (3D) ordered arrays of human immunoglobulin G (IgG) were fabricated using well-defined full-length antibody–polymer conjugates (APCs). The conjugates were prepared through a two-step sequential click approach with a combination of oxime ligation and strain promoted alkyne–azide cycloaddition. They were able to self-assemble into lamellar nanostructures with alternating IgG and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) nanodomains. As a proof-of-concept, these materials were fabricated into thin films and their specific binding ability was tested. The nanostructure not only improves the packing density and the proper orientation of the IgG, but also provides nanochannels to facilitate substrate transport.
Impact of The Real Cost Campaign on Adolescents’ Recall, Attitudes, and Risk Perceptions about Tobacco Use: A National Study

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) The Real Cost campaign advertisements (ads) have targeted U.S. youth with messages designed to prevent and reduce tobacco use. This study examined exposure to The Real Cost campaign, including ad and slogan recall, and associations with attitudes and risk perceptions among U.S. adolescents. We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years (n = 1125) surveyed by phone from October 2014 to June 2015. We assessed aided recall of and attitudes toward four campaign ads and the one slogan. Logistic regression models assessed whether aided recall of The Real Cost ads or slogan was associated with perceived likelihood of serious health consequences of cigarette smoking. Most (88%) adolescents reported seeing or hearing at least one of four ads for The Real Cost, and 54% recalled The Real Cost slogan. The majority of adolescents reported more negative attitudes toward tobacco products after seeing or hearing the ads. Recall of any The Real Cost ad was significantly associated with greater perceptions of serious health consequences of cigarette smoking (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) = 5.58, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.20–25.90). The FDA’s The Real Cost campaign has achieved very high reach and is associated with more negative attitudes toward tobacco products and greater risk perceptions of cigarette smoking among U.S. adolescents.
Practical Leadership in Community Colleges: Navigating Today’s Challenges

Leaders of America’s community colleges have long wanted a practical tool written by practitioners and built on sound theory and experience to guide and assist an emerging group of passionate, comm...
Low-osmolar ionic contrast media was better than nonionic media for ischemic complications of angioplasty

Source Citation Grines CL, Schreiber TL, Savas V, et al. A randomized trial of low osmolar ionic versus nonionic contrast media in patients with myocardial infarction or unstable angina undergoing ...