cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated parameter extraction software for silicon and high-voltage silicon carbide power diodes

This paper presents an automated parameter extraction software package developed for constructing silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) power diode models, which is called DIode Model Parameter extrACtion Tools (DIMPACT). This software tool extracts the data necessary to establish a library of power diode component models and provides a method for quantitatively comparing between different types of devices and establishing performance metrics for device development. To verify the accuracy of DIMPACT, the extracted model parameter sets are incorporated into the circuit simulation software to compare model predictions with measured static and transient diode characteristics. In this paper, the DIMPACT parameter extraction results are demonstrated for a 45 V, 15 A Si Schottky diode; a 600 V, 200 A Si PiN diode; a 10 kV, 5 A SiC Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diode; and a 10 kV, 20 A SiC PiN diode. The validation results indicate that the model parameters extracted using DIMPACT are accurate.
Enthalpy Relaxation of Photopolymerized Thiol-Ene Networks: Structural Effects

Physical aging behavior of photopolymerized thiol−ene networks was investigated by measuring the extent of enthalpy relaxation in terms of network density and molecular structure. The homogeneous network structure of the thiol−enes, having narrow glass transition temperature ranges, showed characteristic temperature and time dependency relationships for enthalpy relaxation. All thiol−ene films annealed at different temperatures (Ta) for 1 h according to the isochronal method showed maximum enthalpy relaxation peaks at approximately Tg − 10 °C by DSC. The extent of enthalpy relaxation as a function of annealing time (ta) was obtained by the isothermal aging method. Correlations between the extent of enthalpy relaxation and the heat capacity difference at Tg were made and related to thiol−ene chemical group rigidity and network linking density. Pendulum hardness values for a selected thiol−ene film showed a clear change in hardness upon aging, indicating sub-Tg mechanical relaxation, consistent with the rel...
Growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Biofilms

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of human tuberculosis, has an extraordinary ability to survive against environmental stresses including antibiotics. Although stress tolerance of M. tuberculosis is one of the likely contributors to the 6-month long chemotherapy of tuberculosis (1), the molecular mechanisms underlying this characteristic phenotype of the pathogen remain unclear. Many microbial species have evolved to survive in stressful environments by self-assembling in highly organized, surface attached, and matrix encapsulated structures called biofilms (2-4). Growth in communities appears to be a preferred survival strategy of microbes, and is achieved through genetic components that regulate surface attachment, intercellular communications, and synthesis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) (5,6). The tolerance to environmental stress is likely facilitated by EPS, and perhaps by the physiological adaptation of individual bacilli to heterogeneous microenvironments within the complex architecture of biofilms (7). In a series of recent papers we established that M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis have a strong propensity to grow in organized multicellular structures, called biofilms, which can tolerate more than 50 times the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid and rifampicin (8-10). M. tuberculosis, however, intriguingly requires specific conditions to form mature biofilms, in particular 9:1 ratio of headspace: media as well as limited exchange of air with the atmosphere (9). Requirements of specialized environmental conditions could possibly be linked to the fact that M. tuberculosis is an obligate human pathogen and thus has adapted to tissue environments. In this publication we demonstrate methods for culturing M. tuberculosis biofilms in a bottle and a 12-well plate format, which is convenient for bacteriological as well as genetic studies. We have described the protocol for an attenuated strain of M. tuberculosis, mc(2)7000, with deletion in the two loci, panCD and RD1, that are critical for in vivo growth of the pathogen (9). This strain can be safely used in a BSL-2 containment for understanding the basic biology of the tuberculosis pathogen thus avoiding the requirement of an expensive BSL-3 facility. The method can be extended, with appropriate modification in media, to grow biofilm of other culturable mycobacterial species. Overall, a uniform protocol of culturing mycobacterial biofilms will help the investigators interested in studying the basic resilient characteristics of mycobacteria. In addition, a clear and concise method of growing mycobacterial biofilms will also help the clinical and pharmaceutical investigators to test the efficacy of a potential drug.
Human adaptation to high altitude: regional and life-cycle perspectives.

Studies of the ways in which persons respond to the adaptive challenges of life at high altitude have occupied an important place in anthropology. There are three major regions of the world where high-altitude studies have recently been performed: the Himalayas of Asia, the Andes of South America, and the Rocky Mountains of North America. Of these, the Himalayan region is larger, more geographically remote, and likely to have been occupied by humans for a longer period of time and to have been subject to less admixture or constriction of its gene pool. Recent studies of the physiological responses to hypoxia across the life cycle in these groups reveal several differences in adaptive success. Compared with acclimatized newcomers, lifelong residents of the Andes and/or Himalayas have less intrauterine growth retardation, better neonatal oxygenation, and more complete neonatal cardiopulmonary transition, enlarged lung volumes, decreased alveolar-arterial oxygen diffusion gradients, and higher maximal exercise capacity. In addition, Tibetans demonstrate a more sustained increase in cerebral blood flow during exercise, lower hemoglobin concentration, and less susceptibility to chronic mountain sickness (CMS) than acclimatized newcomers. Compared to Andean or Rocky Mountain high-altitude residents, Tibetans demonstrate less intrauterine growth retardation, greater reliance on redistribution of blood flow than elevated arterial oxygen content to increase uteroplacental oxygen delivery during pregnancy, higher levels of resting ventilation and hypoxic ventilatory responsiveness, less hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, lower hemoglobin concentration, and less susceptibility to CMS. Several of the distinctions demonstrated by Tibetans parallel the differences between natives and newcomers, suggesting that the degree of protection or adaptive benefit relative to newcomers is enhanced for the Tibetans. We thus conclude that Tibetans have several physiological distinctions that confer adaptive benefit consistent with their probable greater generational length of high-altitude residence. Future progress is anticipated in achieving a more integrated view of high-altitude adaptation, incorporating a sophisticated understanding of the ways in which levels of biological organization are articulated and a recognition of the specific genetic variants contributing to differences among high-altitude groups. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 41:25–64, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Group I Introns: New Molecular Mechanisms for mRNA Repair

Using ribozymes to repair transcripts may yield new therapeutic approaches to genetic disease
Global challenges in energy and water supply: the promise of engineered osmosis.

Engineered processes that cleverly exploit osmosis may provide just the answer to the global need for affordable clean water and inexpensive sustainable energy.
Toward Capitalism or Away from Russia?: Early Stage of Post-Soviet Economic Reforms in Belarus and the Baltics

While at the start of systemic economic transformations in Eastern Europe, both indigenous reformers and Western observers tended to interpret the events as a rationally conceived and executed replacement of an economic system of inferior performance by another one whose superiority was proven, the developments that followed the disintegration of the Soviet polity did not support this view. Shortly after the former Soviet republics gained independence, they exhibited marked variations in speed and sometimes direction of market transformation that could not be satisfactorily explained within the framework of economic theories used by promoters of reforms. In this paper I compare the early stages of economic transformation in Belarus, where reforms were eventually abandoned, with the three Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), which are the most successful emerging market economies among the former Soviet republics. In this comparison I will attempt to highlight non-economic factors that might have contributed to this difference.
Pilus assembly by Agrobacterium T-DNA transfer genes

Agrobacterium tumefaciens can genetically transform eukaryotic cells. In many bacteria, pili are required for interbacterial DNA transfer. The formation of pili by Agrobacterium required induction of tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid-encoded virulence genes and growth at low temperature. A genetic analysis demonstrated that virA, virG, virB1 through virB11, and virD4 are the only Ti plasmid genes necessary for pilus assembly. The loss and gain of pili in various mutants correlated with the loss and gain of transferred DNA (T-DNA) transfer functions, which is consistent with the view that Agrobacterium pili are required for transfer of DNA to plant cells in a process similar to that of conjugation.
Variations in seroprevalence and host factors for bovine anaplasmosis in Illinois.

Hungerford, L.L. and Smith, R.D., 1997. Variations in seroprevalence and host factors for bovine anaplasmosis in Illinois. Veterinary Research Communications, 21 (1), 9-18.
Processivity of the Kinesin-2 KIF3A Results From Rear-Head Gating and Not Front-Head Gating

The kinesin-2 family motor KIF3A/B works together with dynein to bidirectionally transport intraflagellar particles, melanosomes, and neuronal vesicles. Compared with kinesin-1, kinesin-2 is less processive, and its processivity is more sensitive to load, suggesting that processivity may be controlled by different gating mechanisms. We used stopped-flow and steady-state kinetics experiments, along with single-molecule and multimotor assays to characterize the entire kinetic cycle of a KIF3A homodimer that exhibits motility similar to that of full-length KIF3A/B. Upon first encounter with a microtubule, the motor rapidly exchanges both mADP and mATP. When adenosine 5′-[(β,γ)-imido]triphosphate was used to entrap the motor in a two-head-bound state, exchange kinetics were unchanged, indicating that rearward strain in the two-head-bound state does not alter nucleotide binding to the front head. A similar lack of front head gating was found when intramolecular strain was enhanced by shortening the neck linker domain from 17 to 14 residues. In single-molecule assays in ADP, the motor dissociates at 2.1 s−1, 20-fold slower than the stepping rate, demonstrating the presence of rear head gating. In microtubule pelleting assays, the KDMt is similar in ADP and ATP. The data and accompanying simulations suggest that, rather than KIF3A processivity resulting from strain-dependent regulation of nucleotide binding (front head gating), the motor spends a significant fraction of its hydrolysis cycle in a low affinity state but dissociates only slowly from this state. This work provides a mechanism to explain differences in the load-dependent properties of kinesin-1 and kinesin-2.
Effect of hadron dynamics on the proton lifetime

A detailed, quantitative re-examination of the effect of hadron dynamics on baryon decay, modeled in terms of Skyrme-field tunneling, indicates that any hadronic suppression should be quite mild. This appears to be another illustration of the 'Cheshire-cat' phenomenon, that variation of the apportionment between description of the nucleon as a bag of quarks and description as a Skyrme field configuration has little influence on many nucleon properties. Perhaps the largest remaining uncertainty in evaluating the decay rate has to do with the overlap between a specified quark-antiquark configuration and a final meson state.
A Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study of the Reactions of Group 6 Metal Atoms with Carbon Dioxide

Group 6 metal atoms, generated by laser ablation, react with CO2 to give the insertion products OMCO and O2M(CO)2 (M = Cr, Mo, or W) which have been isolated in argon matrices and identified by the...
Use of boundary element method for the determination of tool shape in electrochemical machining

The problem of cathode shape determination for a given anode shape in electrochemical machining is considered. An algorithm based on the boundary integral equation technique and non-linear optimization for this inverse problem is developed. The additional flux condition at the anode is used as the constraint in this ill-posed problem. Through an iterative process, the shape of the cathode is determined by minimizing a functional. The algorithm is tested on two examples. It is shown that the algorithm is consistently superior compared to published numerical techniques based on the embedding method or the method of the lines.
SEARCH FOR A MECHANISM FOR THE INCREASED SENSITIVITY OF 5-BROMOURACIL- SUBSTITUTED DNA TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION.

Abstract 1. 1. The 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA's of Escherichia coli 15T− and T3 coliphage were labeled in thymine and 5-bromouracil with different isotopes and exposed to 280 nm radiation. Acid and enzymic hydrolysates of the substituted DNA's of the above organisms were analyzed for photoproducts by paper chromatography. 2. 2. The same four or five photoproducts, derived from 5-bromouracil, were detected in the acid hydrolysate of the irradiated DNA's under all conditions tested, including irradiation in vivo and in vitro and in the presence and absence of cysteamine. 3. 3. No product containing both the 5-bromouracil and thymine labels could be detected. 4. 4. Quantitative differences in the distribution of photoproducts were obtained under the various conditions of irradiation. Cysteamine, when present during irradiation, caused a decrease in the formation of uracil but had little effect on the total photodecomposition of 5-bromouracil. Also, an increase in dose caused an increase in the contribution of uracil to the total photoproducts. 5. 5. At low doses there is relatively little difference between the photosensitivity of 5-bromouracil and thymine in DNA. 6. 6. Exposure in solution to 254 nm radiation only slightly affects the chromatographic mobility of the photoproducts derived from 5-bromouracil. 7. 7. The excision in vivo of thymine-containing dimers from the irradiated DNA is unaffected by the presence of 5-bromouracil in the DNA. 8. 8. The relatively smaller numbers of thymine-containing dimers in irradiated DNA substituted with 5-bromouracil are quantitatively explicable in terms of the random substitution of bromouracil for thymine. 9. 9. The implication of these data is discussed with reference to the suggested mechanisms of the radiation sensitization of DNA by 5-bromouracil substitution.
Relativistic scattering in an external quasistatic electric field

The problem of the relativistic scattering of a charged particle in an external electric field is considered and an approximation is derived which represents the transition amplitude in terms of the on-shell field-free scattering amplitude. The field is assumed to be a slowly varying function of time, falling to zero in the remote past and distant future. It is also assumed that the field is weak enough, and the collision time short enough, that the energy of the particle is not appreciably affected by the field during the collision; in practice this represents a mild restriction on the applicability of the method. The derivation, in many respects similar to earlier treatments of scattering in a low-frequency external plane-wave field, makes use of Schwinger's proper-time representation of the external-field Green's function. In addition to the field-free amplitude the approximation requires as input the modified plane waves describing the motion of the charged particle in the field before and after the collision; these asymptotic states are shown to be adequately represented in the WKB approximation.
Exploratory data analysis of three sexual behaviour surveys: implications for HIV-1 transmission in the U.K.

Recently, the number of European and North American heterosexually transmitted AIDS cases has begun to increase. It appears that injecting drug users may be acting as an important infection source for heterosexual transmission, and that the HIV-1 epidemic may be slowly diffusing out into the general population. Therefore, the question arises, as to whether there will be an extensive heterosexually transmitted epidemic in Europe or North America. The possibility of such an epidemic occurring depends upon three factors: sexual mixing patterns, the prevalence and the distribution of specific risk factors, and changes in risk behaviours. To assess the potential for an extensive sustained heterosexually transmitted epidemic it is necessary to estimate these three factors by conducting large-scale linked behavioural and seroprevalence surveys. Unfortunately, such surveys have yet to be conducted in any country. However, a limited amount of sexual behaviour data are available from three small studies that have been conducted in the U.K. Although each of the studies suffers from methodological imperfections, together they may be used as the basis for a preliminary assessment of the potential effects of heterosexual transmission in the U.K. In this paper I discuss the results from an exploratory analysis of these data; the results are organized into five sections: (i) assessment of the prevalence and distribution of specific risk behaviours; (ii) determination of covariates of risk behaviours (and hence characterization of the subgroups that may be at risk); (iii) assessment of age-dependent sexual mixing patterns; (iv) assessment of sexual behaviour changes; and (v) calculation of epidemiological parameters. The validity and the reliability of the data from the three studies are assessed. The analysis suggests that it is possible that a heterosexually transmitted HIV-1 epidemic could occur in the U.K. Hence, it is essential to conduct longitudinal surveys that collect linked seroprevalence and behavioural data.
Phonatory air flow characteristics of adductor spasmodic dysphonia and muscle tension dysphonia.

The purpose of this study was to determine if phonatory air flow characteristics differed among women with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), and normal phonation....
SOLUBLE ST2 AND GALECTIN-3 ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLINICAL DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS

Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is common in asymptomatic older adults and predicts the development of subsequent heart failure (HF). We examined the association of biomarkers of cardiac stress (soluble ST2 [sST2]) and fibrosis (Galecin-3 [Gal-3]) with DD in older adults. Gal-3 and sST2 were measured in
Exchange distortion and postcollision interaction for intermediate-energy electron-impact ionization of argon

Measurements of fully differential cross sections for electron impact ionization of atoms have been performed for over 30 years. However, only within the last ten years has agreement between experiment and theory been achieved for ionization of hydrogen and helium. For the heavier inert gases, reasonably good agreement between experiment and theory has only been achieved for high incident energies while serious discrepancies are common for intermediate and low incident energies. It is believed that a major source of the problem stems from an improper/inadequate treatment of exchange distortion (ED) and the effects of post-collision interactions (PCIs). In this paper, two different methods for including ED are examined\char22{}one based upon the $R$ matrix (close-coupling) approach and one originating from the single-configuration Hartree-Fock approach. In general, these two methods predict significant, but different, ED effects. The importance of PCI is studied by including the final-state Coulomb interaction directly in the final-state wave function. This procedure guarantees that PCI effects will be included to all orders of perturbation theory. For intermediate energies, PCI is an important effect and leads to an overall improvement in the agreement between experiment and theory.
Childhood physical abuse and respiratory disease in the community: the role of mental health and cigarette smoking.

Introduction: Previous studies have found an association between child abuse and respiratory disease in some pop- ulations, but the mechanisms remain unknown, and this association has not been examined in a representative com- munity-based sample. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood physical abuse and the odds of respiratory disease and to investigate the role of depression, anxiety, and pack-years of smoking in this association. Methods: Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Survey (n = 3,032), a representative sample of adults aged 25-74 years. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between childhood abuse and current respiratory disease (past 12 months) and to examine whether pack-years of smoking, depression, and anxiety disorders mediated the relationship. Results: Individuals who often experienced childhood abuse had a significantly increased odds of respiratory disease (odds ratio (OR) = 1.87 (1.21, 2.90)). The association was attenuated, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and pack-years of smoking, and was no longer significant after adjusting for depression and anxiety disorders. Conclusions: These results are consistent with previous data suggesting a significant association between childhood abuse and respiratory disease and extend existing knowledge by providing initial evidence that demographic differences, depression and anxiety disorders, and lifetime cigarette smok- ing may mediate this observed relationship. Results require replication with longitudinal data in large community-based samples. Future studies that can explore potential biological mechanisms underlying the observed associations, such as immune factors, are needed next to better understand these relationships.
Effects of the Keyword Mnemonic Strategy on Vocabulary Acquisition and Maintenance by Learning Disabled Children

Sixty-four 12-year-old students identified as learning disabled poor readers were participants in a study designed to test the efficacy of using an imposed keyword strategy to teach 50 word meanings. Based on a measure of receptive language, 32 students with “high” and 32 with “low” receptive vocabularies were assigned randomly to one of four conditions: keyword-image, picture context, sentence-experience context, or control. Seven learning disabilities teachers were responsible for instructing all four methods to appropriate students. Vocabulary items were presented 10 at a time over a 5-week period, and definition recall was assessed during four time phases on a multiple-choice test. Results of the three-way ANCOVA indicated that keyword condition students significantly outperformed students assigned to all other conditions. In addition, students taught via the keyword method recalled significantly more word meanings during the initial time phase and maintained significantly higher levels of vocabulary ...
Bayesian Meta-Experimental Design: Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in New Antidiabetic Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

Recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration for the evaluation of new therapies in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) calls for a program-wide meta-analysis of cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. In this context, we develop a new Bayesian meta-analysis approach using survival regression models to assess whether the size of a clinical development program is adequate to evaluate a particular safety endpoint. We propose a Bayesian sample size determination methodology for meta-analysis clinical trial design with a focus on controlling the type I error and power. We also propose the partial borrowing power prior to incorporate the historical survival meta data into the statistical design. Various properties of the proposed methodology are examined and an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm is developed to sample from the posterior distributions. In addition, we develop a simulation-based algorithm for computing various quantities, such as the power and the type I error in the Bayesian meta-analysis trial design. The proposed methodology is applied to the design of a phase 2/3 development program including a noninferiority clinical trial for CV risk assessment in T2DM studies.
Impacts of frequency, thin-film, barrier thickness, and temperature on interconnect resistance and propagation delay

This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the impacts of frequency, thin-film, barrier-thickness, and temperature on the resistance of interconnects in high performance integrated circuits. It has been demonstrated that variations of these parameters leads to significantly higher interconnect resistance, which in turn increases the propagation delay. Simulation results show that the resistance could go up as much as by 55% and the delay could increase as much as by 50.5%. These observations illustrate the importance of taking these effects into consideration during circuit characterization and timing analysis.
RAPD markers suggest genotypic effects on forager specialization in a eusocial wasp

Genetic variability within insect societies may provide a mechanism for increasing behavioral diversity among workers, thereby augmenting colony efficiency or flexibility. In order to assess the possibility that division of labor has a genetic component in the eusocial wasp Polybia aequatorialis, I asked whether the genotypes of workers within colonies correlated with behavioral specialization. Workers specialized by foraging for one of the four materials (wood pulp, insect prey, nectar, or water) gathered by their colonies. I collected foragers on 2 days from each of three colonies and identified the material the foragers were carrying when collected. I produced random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers from the genomic DNA of these foragers and estimated genotypic similarity of foragers based on sharing of variable RAPD marker bands. Contingency tests on 20 variable loci per colony showed statistically significant (P <0.05) biases in RAPD marker frequencies among forager types in the three colonies. Patterns of association of RAPD marker bands with specializations were constant in two colonies, but changed between collection days in one colony. RAPD marker biases suggest that division of labor among workers includes a genetic component in P. aequatorialis. Colony-level selection on variation in division of labor is a possible factor favoring the evolutionary maintenance of high genotypic variability (low relatedness) in epiponine wasp colonies and in other eusocial insects.
First male sperm precedence in multiply-mated females of the cooperative spider Anelosimus studiosus (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Patterns of sperm usage in multiply-mated females have profound fitness consequences for males, and create strong selective pressure on male behavior. In the cooperative theridiid spider Anelosimus studiosus Hentz 1850 adult males are tolerated in females' webs, and females have been observed to mate multiply with different males. In this experiment, virgin females were mated with two different males on consecutive days under controlled conditions to determine paternity patterns and behavioral responses of males to non-virgin females. The paternity of broods was analyzed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs). Fifteen broods were analyzed and complete first male sperm precedence was found. Mating behavior differed between first and second males with the first males attempting fewer intromissions, but having a longer total time of intromission. This suggests that the second males are either prevented from normal copulation, or are reacting to the different condition of the females. The sperm precedence pattern is discussed with respect to its ramifications for male behavior, juvenile inclusive fitness, and the evolution of cooperative behavior.
Hello World (Illuminated Script)

"Hello world (illuminated script)" is projection-based virtual reality art that illustrates the illumination of the eye over the surface of a painting. The painted surface is constructed and deconstructed as the visitor's gaze experiences the multiple aspects of a face on the screen. The facial images transform as if they are journeying forward into the eye and back again. The portraiture is based on eastern orthodox iconography.
A complex‐difference phase‐contrast technique for measurement of volume flow rates

Magnetic resonance (MR) phase-difference methods work well for measuring volumetric flow rates when the vessel diameter is large compared with the in-plane voxel dimensions. For small vessels (eg, coronary arteries), partial-volume effects introduce substantial errors in the measured volume flow rate. To correctly measure flow rates through a voxel, both the fraction of the voxel containing moving spins and the phase shift imparted to those spins must be known. The authors propose a flow measurement method that combines information obtained with both the complex-difference and phase-difference processing techniques and thereby provides the fractional volume occupied by the moving spins and the phase of those spins. The complex-difference flow map method proposed results in improved accuracy of MR phase-contrast flow measurements in the presence of partial-volume effects.
Nuclear versus cytoplasmic localization of filamin A in prostate cancer: immunohistochemical correlation with metastases.

Purpose: We previously showed that nuclear localization of the actin-binding protein, filamin A (FlnA), corresponded to hormone-dependence in prostate cancer. Intact FlnA (280 kDa, cytoplasmic) cleaved to a 90 kDa fragment which translocated to the nucleus in hormone-naive cells, whereas in hormone-refractory cells, FlnA was phosphorylated, preventing its cleavage and nuclear translocation. We have examined whether FlnA localization determines a propensity to metastasis in advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer. Experimental Design: We examined, by immunohistochemistry, FlnA localization in paraffin-embedded human prostate tissue representing different stages of progression. Results were correlated with in vitro studies in a cell model of prostate cancer. Results: Nuclear FlnA was significantly higher in benign prostate (0.6612 ± 0.5888), prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN; 0.6024 ± 0.4620), and clinically localized cancers (0.69134 ± 0.5686) compared with metastatic prostate cancers (0.3719 ± 0.4992, P = 0.0007). Cytoplasmic FlnA increased from benign prostate (0.0833 ± 0.2677), PIN (0.1409 ± 0.2293), localized cancers (0.3008 ± 0.3762, P = 0.0150), to metastases (0.7632 ± 0.4414, P < 0.00001). Logistic regression of metastatic versus nonmetastatic tissue yielded the area under the receiver operating curve as 0.67 for nuclear-FlnA, 0.79 for cytoplasmic-FlnA, and 0.82 for both, indicating that metastasis correlates with cytoplasmic to nuclear translocation. In vitro studies showed that cytoplasmic localization of FlnA induced cell invasion whereas nuclear translocation of the protein inhibited it. FlnA dephosphorylation with the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 facilitated FlnA nuclear translocation, resulting in decreased invasiveness and AR transcriptional activity, and induced sensitivity to androgen withdrawal in hormone-refractory cells. Conclusions: The data presented in this study indicate that in prostate cancer, metastasis correlates with cytoplasmic localization of FlnA and may be prevented by cleavage and subsequent nuclear translocation of this protein.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin receptors regulate transcription of the cytochrome P1-450 gene.

The environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) dioxin, produces a diverse set of biological responses which, in some cases, reflects the altered expression of specific genes. An intracellular receptor protein binds TCDD saturably and with high affinity and mediates several of TCDD's biological effects. In mouse hepatoma cells, TCDD induces aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity by activating the transcription of the cytochrome P1-450 gene. Studies of receptor-defective variant cells indicate that the activation of cytochrome P1-450 gene transcription requires functional TCDD receptors. Analysis of the DNA that flanks the 5′-end of the mouse cytochrome P1-450 gene reveals at least three control regions: a promoter, an inhibitory element, and a dioxin-responsive element (DRE). Therefore, expression of the cytochrome P1-450 gene represents a balance between negative and positive control. The DRE contains two discrete, non-overlapping DNA domains that respond to TCDD. Each TCDD-responsive domain acts independently of the other, each requires TCDD receptors for function, and each has the properties of a transcriptional enhancer. For example, the function of the DREs is relatively independent of both their location and their orientation with respect to the promoter. Together, the DREs and the TCDD-receptor complex constitute a dioxin-responsive enhancer system. Exposure of cells to TCDD results in the protection of a specific DNA domain from exonuclease digestion. This protection requires TCDD receptors. The protected domain maps to a DRE. This observation implies that the TCDD-receptor complex interacts with the DRE to activate the transcription of the cytochrome P1-450 gene.
A thermodynamic model for structure‐H hydrates

A statistical thermodynamics model based on the original work of van der Waals and Platteeuw is presented for structure-H hydrates. The model is an extension of the hydrate prediction method generalized by Parrish and Prausnitz for structure-I and II hydrates. Four structure-H-forming systems, methane + adamantane, methane + neohexane, methane + isopentane, and methane + methylcyclohexane, were considered. Optimized Kihara core parameter are presented for each of the large hydrocarbon guest molecules. The optimized reference chemical potential difference and reference enthalpy difference for structure-H hydrates are also presented. The results show good agreement with the experimentally determined phase-equilibria conditions. A sensitivity analysis is presented for the parameters in the model, and their relative order of influence on the accurate evaluation of the equilibrium pressure is determined.
Phosphorylation of p62 by cdk1 Controls the Timely Transit of Cells through Mitosis and Tumor Cell Proliferation

The protein scaffold and signaling regulator p62 is important in critical cellular functions, including bone homeostasis, obesity, and cancer, because of its interactions with various signaling intermediaries. p62 is overexpressed in human cancers and is induced during cell transformation. Its genetic ablation inhibits lung tumorigenesis in vivo and cell proliferation in culture by regulating the TRAF6/NF-κB signaling cascade to control reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis. Here we show that cdk1 phosphorylates p62 in vitro and in vivo at T269 and S272, which is necessary for the maintenance of appropriate cyclin B1 levels and the levels of cdk1 activity necessary to allow cells to properly enter and exit mitosis. The lack of cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of p62 leads to a faster exit from mitosis, which translates into enhanced cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in response to Ras-induced transformation. Therefore, p62 emerges as a node for the control of not only cell survival but also cell transit through mitosis.
The Concept of Constituency: Political Representation, Democratic Legitimacy, and Institutional Design

The Concept of Constituency: Political Representation, Democratic Legitimacy, and Institutional Design. By Andrew Rehfeld. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 280p. $75.00. Most democratic theorists do not spend much time defining, let alone discussing, the concept of constituency. They assume that what is crucial to democratic institutions is the manner in which votes are distributed (equally and justly), not how democratic institutions define and draw electoral constituencies. Andrew Rehfeld's insightful and important book challenges these assumptions. For Rehfeld, democratic theorists need to think about constituency because constituencies are “the quintessential institution of official exclusion”: How democratic institutions define constituencies determines whose interests are catered to and whose interests are ignored.
Identification and Characterization of an RTX Toxin in the Emerging Pathogen Kingella kingae

Kingella kingae is an emerging bacterial pathogen that is increasingly recognized as the causative agent of a variety of pediatric diseases, including septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. The pathogenesis of K. kingae disease is believed to begin with colonization of the upper respiratory tract. In the present study, we examined interactions between K. kingae and cultured respiratory epithelial cells and observed potent cytotoxicity, detected by both microscopy and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays. Experiments with synovial and macrophage cell lines revealed cytotoxicity for these cell types as well. Using mariner mutagenesis and a screen for loss of cytotoxicity, a genetic locus encoding an RTX toxin system was identified. Disruption of the K. kingae RTX locus resulted in a loss of cytotoxicity for respiratory epithelial, synovial, and macrophage cell lines. DNA sequence analysis demonstrated that the RTX locus is flanked by insertion elements and has a reduced G+C content compared to that of the whole genome. Two relatively less invasive Kingella species, K. oralis and K. denitrificans, were found to be noncytotoxic and to lack the RTX region, as determined by LDH release assays and Southern blotting. We concluded that K. kingae expresses an RTX toxin that has wide cellular specificity and was likely acquired horizontally. The possible roles for this toxin in the pathogenesis of K. kingae disease include breaching of the epithelial barrier and destruction of target tissues, such as synovium (joint lining).
Ecstasy use among college undergraduates: gender, race and sexual identity

We examined a random sample (N=3606) of undergraduates at one large midwestern university and explored correlates of ecstasy use and how use varied by gender, race, and sexual identity. Approximately 10% of the sample used ecstasy in their lifetime; 7% had used within the past year and 3% within the past month. Ecstasy was the second most likely illicit drug to be used, marijuana being the first. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that while men and women were equally likely to have used ecstasy, excessive partying, sexual identity, and grade point average were strongly correlated with ecstasy use. After adjusting for several factors, the number of sexual partners increased the likelihood of ecstasy use, as did self-reported sexual identity; gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were more than two times as likely to have used ecstasy in the past year. Significant relationships existed between ecstasy use and other substance use such as binge drinking, marijuana use, and cigarette smoking. Implications for interventions are discussed.
Compact electric field sensors based on indirect bonding of lithium niobate to silicon microrings

An electric field sensor based on the indirect bonding of submicrometer thin films of lithium niobate to silicon microring resonators is presented using benzocyclobutene as an intermediate bonding layer. The hybrid material system combines the electro-optic functionality of lithium niobate with the high-index contrast of silicon waveguides, enabling compact and metal-free electric field sensors. A sensor is designed and fabricated using ion-sliced z-cut lithium niobate as the top cladding of a 20 μm radius silicon microring resonator. The optical quasi transverse magnetic mode is used to access the largest electro-optic coefficient in the lithium niobate. Optical characterization of the hybrid device results in a measured loaded quality factor of 13,000 in the infrared. Operation of the device as an electric field sensor is demonstrated by detecting the fringing fields from a microstrip electrical circuit operating at 1.86 GHz. The demonstrated sensitivity to electric fields is 4.5 V m-1 Hz-1/2.
Rolling/Sliding of a Vibrating Elastic Body on an Elastic Substrate

The rolling/sliding in the presence of friction of a vibrating elastic body on an elastic substrate is studied. It is shown that the longitudinal components of the velocity of the center of mass of the body and of the resultant frictional force are not affected by the vibration process. However, the normal vibration of the body influences the slip velocities and the distribution of frictional forces. For the problem of a harmonically oscillating long cylinder rolling/sliding on the flat surface of an elastic substrate, the time histories of the width of the contact zone and the length of adhesion subzone are computed. It is shown that the local frictional forces and slip velocities oscillate, and that the set of admissible values of the external frictional forces and moments providing the rolling/sliding regime is smaller under conditions of normal vibrations than that when the cylinder does not vibrate.
Detailed characterization of diesel-ignited propane and methane dual-fuel combustion in a turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine

This paper presents an experimental analysis of dual-fuel combustion based on the performance, emissions, and in-cylinder combustion measurements with gaseous propane or gaseous methane as the primary fuel and diesel as the pilot fuel. Two different sets of experiments were performed on a 1.9 litre four-cylinder engine at a constant engine speed of 1800 r/min: first, constant-pilot-quantity experiments, allowing the primary fuel concentration and the brake mean effective pressure to vary; second, constant-brake-mean-effective-pressure experiments, allowing the percentage energy substitution of the primary fuel and the pilot quantity to vary. In the constant-pilot-quantity experiments, the apparent heat release rate profiles showed the influence of the preignition chemistry and gaseous fuel burn rates on the dual-fuel combustion phasing and duration, the fuel conversion efficiency, and the engine-out emissions. With a fixed pilot quantity, the nitrogen oxide emissions were either reduced or unaffected while the smoke levels were increased or unaffected with increasing primary fuel concentration. The carbon monoxide and total unburned hydrocarbon emissions decreased and the fuel conversion efficiency increased as the pilot quantity or the primary fuel concentration was increased. Overall, diesel–propane combustion yielded higher carbon monoxide emissions, lower total unburned hydrocarbon emissions, and slightly higher fuel conversion efficiencies than diesel–methane combustion did. In the constant-brake-mean-effective-pressure experiments, at a brake mean effective pressure of 2.5 bar, diesel–propane and diesel–methane combustion behaved very similarly, the primary differences being in the preignition chemistry and the ignition delay trends. At a brake mean effective pressure of 2.5 bar, the nitrogen oxide and smoke emissions were simultaneously reduced while the carbon monoxide and total unburned hydrocarbon emissions were increased. At a brake mean effective pressure of 10 bar (a baseline diesel fuel conversion efficiency of 38%), diesel–propane fueling was prone to rapid earlier combustion while diesel–methane combustion was slower. For diesel–methane combustion at a brake mean effective pressure of 10 bar, the fuel conversion efficiency decreased to 37.1% as the percentage energy substitution was increased to 51%. For diesel–propane combustion at a brake mean effective pressure of 10 bar, the fuel conversion efficiency increased to 39% as the percentage energy substitution was increased to 46%. At high-brake-mean-effective-pressure–high-percentage-energy-substitution and large-pilot-quantity–high-equivalence-ratio conditions, diesel–propane combustion showed an apparent departure from the classical three-phase dual-fuel combustion to a distributed volumetric combustion process that resembled a “diesel-regulated homogenous-charge-compression-ignition-like” combustion process.
Protein Kinase A Binds and Activates Heat Shock Factor 1

Background Many inducible transcription factors are regulated through batteries of posttranslational modifications that couple their activity to inducing stimuli. We have studied such regulation of Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), a key protein in control of the heat shock response, and a participant in carcinogenisis, neurological health and aging. As the mechanisms involved in the intracellular regulation of HSF1 in good health and its dysregulation in disease are still incomplete we are investigating the role of posttranslational modifications in such regulation.
MOCA - "Improving Home Improvement"

C l i n M e d International Library Citation: Fishkin S (2014) MOCA – “Improving Home Improvement”. Int J Anesthetic Anesthesiol 1:003e Received: August 08, 2014: Accepted: August 11, 2014: Published: August 13, 2014 Copyright: © 2014 Fishkin S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ISSN: 2377-4630
2005 Research Consortium Graduate Student Award Winner

This abstract will be among those presented in the Pedagogy II Free Communications session scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 2005, from 10:15–11:30 a.m.).
Probabilistic consistency norms and quantificational credences

In addition to beliefs, people have attitudes of confidence called credences. Combinations of credences, like combinations of beliefs, can be inconsistent. It is common to use tools from probability theory to understand the normative relationships between a person’s credences. More precisely, it is common to think that something is a consistency norm on a person’s credal state if and only if it is a simple transformation of a truth of probability (a transformation that merely changes the statement from one about probability to one about credences). Though it is common to challenge the right-to-left direction of this biconditional, I argue in this paper that the left-to-right direction is false for standard versions of probability theory. That is, I make the case that there are consistency constraints on credal states that are not simple transformations of truths of standard versions of probability theory. I do so by drawing on a newly discovered type of credal attitude, a quantificational credence, and by showing how the consistency norms on this attitude can’t be represented as simple transformations of truths of standard versions of probability theory. I conclude by showing that a probability theory that could avoid the result would have to be strikingly different from the standard versions—so different that I suspect many would hesitate to call it a theory of probability at all.