cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microfibrillar cardiomyopathy: An infiltrative heart disease resembling but distinct from cardiac amyloidosis☆

Microfibrils-small, ubiquitous components of the extracellular matrix in many tissues-generally have not been recognized as causing infiltrative heart disease, except in a group of cardiac transplant patients treated with cyclosporin. Microfibrils are often associated with elastic tissue and contain the glycoprotein fibrillin, the P component of amyloid, and bound fibronectin. A genetically determined abnormality of fibrillin caused by point mutations of fibrillin genes recently was reported as the cause of Marfan's syndrome. However, to date, no abnormalities of increased fibrillin tissue deposition have been observed. In the last two years, while examining right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies, in four patients we noted abnormal histology distinct from the usual type of congestive cardiomyopathy but with a strong resemblance to amyloidosis. The patients presented with unexplained ventricular tachycardia (N = 3) and/or congestive heart failure (N = 2). Biopsies revealed subendocardial, interstitial, and perivascular hyaline eosinophilic fibrillar material that did not stain with Congo red. Electron microscopy revealed that this material was organized into bundles of tangled microfibrils composed of twisted and tubular structures measuring up to 17 nm wide, which did not resemble amyloid or cyclosporin-associated microfibrils. Immunoelectron microscopy of the index case, using monoclonal antibody to fibrillin, specifically identified these structures as fibrillin microfibrils; fibronectin also was bound to the interstitial microfibrils. We believe that the subendocardial and interstitial deposition of microfibrils in these four symptomatic patients may represent a new type of infiltrative cardiomyopathy, similar to but distinct from cardiac amyloidosis. We do not know yet if this disorder is genetic or acquired, or if the prognosis is better than that of cardiac amyloidosis. However, atypical cases of primary cardiac amyloidosis should be reevaluated in light of these findings.
Novel Chromophores and Buried Charges Control Color in mFruits

mFruits are second-generation monomeric red fluorescent proteins (mRFPs) that have improved brightness and photostability compared to the first-generation mRFP1. The emission and excitation maxima are distributed over the remarkably large ranges of about 550-650 and 540-590 nm, respectively; however, the variations in the spectra can be traced to a few key amino acids. Spectroscopic and atomic resolution crystallographic analyses of three representatives, mOrange, mStrawberry, and mCherry, reveal that different mechanisms operate to establish the excitation and emission maxima. Evidently, they all undergo the second oxidation step to produce an acylimine linkage in the polypeptide backbone. In comparison to the progenitor DsRed, direct covalent modification to this linkage (mOrange) and indirect modification of the chromophore environment (mStrawberry and mCherry) produce strong blue- and red-shifted variants. The blue shift of mOrange is induced by an unprecedented covalent modification of the protein backbone. The electron-density map indicates the formation of a third heterocycle, 2-hydroxy-dihydrooxazole, upon the reaction of Thr 66 Ogamma with the polypeptide backbone, which in turn reduces the conjugation of the carbonyl at position 65 with the rest of the chromophore. In mStrawberry and mCherry, the movement of charged Lys 70 and protonation of Glu 215 are proposed to modify the chromophore electron-density distribution, inducing the red shift. pH-dependent spectral shifts of mCherry and mStrawberry appear to result from the titration of Glu 215, although, for mStrawberry, partial cyclization of Thr 66 may contribute at high pH.
Direct Visualization of Surfaces from Computed Tomography Data

Abstract : The application of direct volume visualization techniques to the presentation of CT data is explored. No surface detection or fitting of geometric primitives is involved. Images are formed by directly shading each data sample and projecting it onto the picture plane. The visualizations in this study are based on a hybrid physical model incorporating aspects of both surfaces and semi-transparent gels. Using a surface model, shading calculations are performed at every voxel with local gradient vectors serving as surface normals. In a separate step, surface classification and enhancement operators are applied to obtain a partial opacity for every voxel. Independence of shading and classification calculations insures an undistorted presentation of 3-D shape. The use of non-binary classification operators insures that small or poorly defined features are not lost. The resulting colors and opacities are merged from back to front along view rays using volumetric composing, an approximation to the visibility calculations required to render a semi-transparent gel. The technique is simple and fast, yet produces images exhibiting smooth surface silhouettes and few other aliasing artifacts. The use of selective blurring and super-sampling to further improve image quality is also described.
Nanoscale single-crystal vanadium oxides with layered structure by electrospinning and hydrothermal methods

Abstract The application of electrospinning technique in hydrothermally producing single-crystal vanadium oxide nanorods is described. Vanadium oxide nanorods with a width of less than 100 nm have been formed at the sites of the electrospun composite fibers which themselves lack a crystalline structure. Lithium cations can be incorporated into the compounds by changing the aqueous solution during the hydrothermal process. X-ray powder diffraction indicates that both nanorods have a lamellar structure, with the interlayer distance in lithium vanadium oxide being shorter than in the vanadium oxide. Each nanorod exhibits single-crystal electron diffraction pattern. The morphology is controlled by the electrospinning process as shown by TEM and SEM studies. The vanadium oxidation state in the lithium vanadium oxide nanorods is + 4.75, as determined by both chemical analysis and magnetic measurements. The electrochemical capability is discussed together with the structural and composition study.
Applications Of Mirrors, Supermirrors And Multilayers At The National Bureau Of Standards Cold Neutron Research Facility

It is expected that thin-film mirrors, multilayers and supermirrors will play an important role as optical elements to transport, focus, monochromate, and polarize neutrons at the cold neutron research facility which is presently under construction at the National Bureau of Standards. In this paper, specific applications of these reflecting devices to three instruments, a spin-polarized, inelastic scattering spectrometer with novel, adjustable resolution properties, a focussing small angle scattering machine, and a neutron reflectometer will be described.
Platinum(II) polypyridines: A tale of two axes

Abstract There are many possible applications for luminescent platinum terpyridine (trpy) complexes, but the emission quantum yield and lifetime vary greatly depending upon the design. One reason is that potentially emissive metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) states occur at relatively high energies because a planar coordination geometry is not the best supporting environment for a Pt(III) center. At the same time, strain in the Pt–N sigma bond framework often results in low-lying d–d excited states that effectively quench the emission. One way of differentially lowering the energy of the emitting state, and thereby reducing the effect of d–d states, involves delocalizing the π*(trpy) acceptor orbital onto a 4′-aryl substituent. Delocalizing the ‘hole’ orbital is an alternative approach capable of producing dramatic results. Thus, with the addition of an electron-rich group like –NMe2 or 1-naphthyl to the 4′-position of trpy ligand, the emitting state takes on intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) character and the excited-state lifetime extends to tens of microseconds in dichloromethane solution. In some systems introduction of a π-donating co-ligand enhances the emission yield, and when the co-ligand is a very electron-rich group like an ethynylarene, the emitting state takes on an admixture of ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (LLCT) character. Finally, it is possible to destabilize deactivating states by incorporating an ethynylalkane as a strong-field co-ligand, or by utilizing a carbometalating derivative of the trpy ligand. Complexes of the latter support another type of ILCT excitation because of the presence of the formally anionic phenyl moiety, and the emission energy vary greatly depending upon which ligand axis contains the Pt–C bond.
Role relations between children who are mentally retarded and their older siblings: observations in three in-home contexts.

Abstract Older nonhandicapped siblings and same-sex younger mentally retarded siblings (n = 16 sibling pairs) were observed in their homes during toy play, snack, and television-viewing, as were an equal number of comparison sibling pairs, matched for age, gender, and family characteristics. Role relationships between mentally retarded children and older siblings were asymmetrical, with older siblings assuming frequent teacher, manager, and helper roles. Older sisters, in particular, participated in frequent teaching. Amount of interaction between siblings was directly related to the contexts in which they were observed. Non-handicapped siblings engaged each other more as playmates. Interactional correlates of language and adaptive competencies of the mentally retarded children are presented, as are correlations between the age of the siblings and the roles they assume with each other.
The Formation of a Boundary between Normal-Conducting and Superconducting Metal

An experiment is described in which a superconducting sample is arranged so that part of it is in the normal state and part of it is superconducting. The boundary surface is thus a single, large area rather than the complicated boundaries that exist between normal and superconducting regions when a sample is in the intermediate state. We find that there is a large difference between the magnetic field at which the superconducting-normal state transition occurs and the magnetic field at which the normal-state-superconducting transition occurs. These results are in agreement with the thermodynamic theory of the phase transition. The thermodynamic theory, coupled with an assumption about the nature of the surface energy between superconducting and normal metal is used to show how the hysteresis determines the ratio of this surface energy to a characteristic dimension of the superconductor. A measure of this ratio is given in the temperature region between 3.37\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 3.68\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for superconducting tin.
REMEDIATE: A scalable fault-tolerant architecture for low-power NUCA cache in tiled CMPs

Technology scaling and process variation severely degrade the reliability of Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs), especially their large cache blocks. To improve cache reliability, we propose REMEDIATE, a scalable fault-tolerant architecture for low-power design of shared Non-Uniform Cache Access (NUCA) cache in Tiled CMPs. REMEDIATE achieves fault-tolerance through redundancy from multiple banks to maximize the amount of fault remapping, and minimize the amount of capacity lost in the cache when the failure rate is high. REMEDIATE leverages a scalable fault protection technique using two different remapping heuristics in a distributed shared cache architecture with non-uniform latencies. We deploy a graph coloring algorithm to optimize REMEDIATE's remapping configuration. We perform an extensive design space exploration of operating voltage, performance, and power that enables designers to select different operating points and evaluate their design efficacy. Experimental results on a 4×4 tiled CMP system voltage scaled to below 400mV show that REMEDIATE saves up to 50% power while recovering more than 80% of the faulty cache area with only modest performance degradation.
Functional Expression of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Na+/Galactose (vSGLT) Cotransporter in Xenopus laevis Oocytes

We have successfully expressed a bacterial cotransporter in a functional form in the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system. The goals were to compare the kinetics and selectivity of the cotransporter expressed in oocytes with those obtained in bacteria and in proteoliposomes, and to determine if it is possible to measure the electrical properties of the bacterial cotransporter expressed in oocytes. The Vibrio parahaemolyticus Na+/galactose cotransporter (vSGLT) expressed in oocytes has functional properties that are similar to those expressed in bacteria and those of the purified cotransporter reconstituted into liposomes. vSGLT is a Na+-dependent transporter that is saturable with Na+ (K(0.5)=17 mM) and D-galactose (K(0.5)=237 microM) and is sensitive to both D-fucose and phlorizin. In addition, vSGLT in oocytes shows a sugar specificity in the order of D-galactose >D-fucose > D-glucose, distinguishing it from the animal members of the Na+/glucose cotransporter family. The level of transport by vSGLT in oocytes is lower overall (V(max) approximately 10 pmol/oocyte/hour) compared to other plant and animal cotransporters (V(max) approximately 1000 pmol/oocyte/hour). The low level of expression does not permit us to carry out electrophysiological studies of the bacterial cotransporter. This study shows the potential and unique advantages of utilizing a eukaryotic oocyte expression system to study bacterial cotransporters.
Design Issues in Implementing a Portable Sample Tracking and Analysis Research Support (STARS) System for PCR Based Microarray Research

Using a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) process to design and produce DNA microarray slides necessitates tracking thousands of samples over a long period of time. In addition, up-to-date information about the samples must be readily available when analyzing experiments done with the resulting microarray slides. A human chromosome 22 project (HC22) at Yale's Center for Excellence in Genomic Sciences (CEGS) used manual sample tracking and handcrafted data files for analyzing the array. The difficulties of manual sample tracking on this project limited the array layout and increased the development time. For subsequent microarray development projects at the Yale CEGS it was decided to build the comprehensive Sample Tracking and Analysis Research Support (STARS) System described herein. The system had to be portable since there are many projects at Yale and elsewhere that require automated microarray sample tracking. Informatics issues in designing and implementing CEGS/STARS are described. The system tracks plates, PCR scoring, microarray slides, and slide printings as core features. CEGS/STARS can support multiple projects and currently there are three sample tracking projects based on the same code and data base design: HC22 and HPR (human promoter) for projects in the Yale CEGS Center, and FLY for projects in the Yale School of Medicine Drosophila Center. In addition to the core tracking features, CEGS/STARS also tracks the biological experiments performed with the resulting microarrays. CEGS/STARS enhances the PCR-based array production protocol with a "cherry picking" algorithm that supports dynamic spot site decisions. Other features include: laboratory robot script generation, lab equipment file generation, automated PCR process scoring, automated links to bioinformatics data analysis tools, annotation and re-annotation of DNA fragments, links to genome databases, and publishing results to GEO. The advanced features of the system are currently being used to produce a human genome promoter array, a drosophila tiling array, and a drosophila promoter array. The source code is available to interested researchers.
Fallacies in the coordinated management of meaning: A philosophy of language critique of the hierarchical organization of coherent conversation and related theory

This paper argues that there are serious philosophical flaws and equivocations inherent in the hierarchical model of meaning proposed within the theory of the coordinated management of meaning. By making all the terms of their hierarchy conform to the notion of “episodic” communication, Pearce and his associates reintroduce basic errors about the nature of meaning. These errors include the failure to distinguish between semantic and pragmatic meaning and illocutionary versus perlocutionary acts, distinctions that have been profitably addressed by language philosophers. Some tentative revisions in our thinking about conversational dynamics are offered.
Single-cycle gas panel assembly

A single-cycle process has been developed in which the two halves of a gas panel are assembled, sealed, and filled in a continuous, automatically sequenced, controlled-ambient furnace. The entire fabrication operation, including seal, degas, backfill, and tip-off, may be accomplished in a single thermal cycle. During heat-up, the panel parts and furnace chamber are degassed in a programmed cyclic fill (to 20 mm of Hg) and pump-down (to 100 µm of Hg). The panels are sealed in a clean-air ambient at a temperature of 495 ± 5°C. Prior to backfilling with a purified Penning gas mixture and tip-off of the panel, the same gas is used in a cyclic fill and evacuate process to remove air and other contaminants. The entire panel fabrication program takes about 8 hours. Details of equipment construction and operation are presented, as well as advantages of the process compared to conventional gas panel fabrication processes.
Enhanced Performance and Stability in Pneumatic Servosystems With Supplemental Mechanical Damping

The authors present a model-based analysis of a position-velocity-acceleration-controlled pneumatic actuator that indicates that supplementing the pneumatic actuator with mechanical damping can significantly increase the gain margin, tracking accuracy, and disturbance rejection of a closed-loop-controlled pneumatic servoactuator. In order to validate the model-based analysis and purported performance and stability benefits provided by supplemental damping, experiments were performed on a single-degree-of-freedom pneumatic servosystem. Measurements conducted on the experimental setup, which validate the respective improvements in stability margin, tracking accuracy, and disturbance rejection, are described.
Chopper-Modulated Locked in Amplified Gas Chromatography—Electroantennography Part II: Signal Processing and Performance Comparisons

A new method that improves gas-chromatography-electroantennographic detection through lock-in amplification is demonstrated. Here, measurements of antennal responses to major pheromone component, $Z11$ -16:Ald, are performed under more optimal conditions, using saline electrical connections to excise antennae from male H. subflexa. Matched filtering in colored noise is applied to traditional enhanced graphics adapter recordings, allowing the signal to noise ratio of to be increased by about 6.1 dB (uncertainty is dependent on dosage). A dose-response model, including model parameter uncertainties is then used to estimate and compare performance in terms of naive error rates involved in the detection of insect responses to GC peaks. Results indicate that relative performance is dosage dependent. Without a visible flame ionization detector (FID) reference peak for determining elution time, the model predicts the detection limit (placed at 5.0% expected naive error rate) to be approximately 12 times lower using chopper modulation than when using traditional methods. At the highest traditional dosage tested, 10 pg, the equivalent chopper modulated dosage is estimated to be about 92 times lower. When a reference FID peak is clearly visible, the predicted detection limit (at 5.0% expected naive error rate) is expected to be approximately 7 times lower using chopper modulation than when using traditional methods. At the traditional dosage of 10 pg, the predicted equivalent chopped dosage is estimated to be about 66 times lower.
Mechanical behavior of aluminum and Al-Cu(2%) thin films☆

Abstract Stress-strain and creep curves were obtained for aluminum and Al-Cu(2%) metallizations 1 μm thick deposited on silicon substrates. The biaxial stress-strain curves were generated by bulge testing, while creep was measured in uniaxial tension. Annealing treatment of aluminum films revealed only small changes in grain size and had only little influence on the film strength. The activation energy for creep of aluminum films rose with annealing temperatures. The stress-strain curves for Al-Cu(2%) films evinced the effects of heterogeneous precipitation hardening followed by homogeneous precipitation hardening at 250°C. Steady state creep of aluminum films had activation energies that were lower than those of Al-Cu(2%) metallizations.
Axial length measurement and its relation to intraocular lens power calculations

Abstract The axial length was measured in five hundred consecutive cases using the Kretz 7200 MA ultrasound unit and an immersion technique. The reproducibility of the measurements was within ±0.2 mm when performed manually, and within ±0.05 mm when performed electronically. Intraocular lens power calculations were performed using a modification of Colenbrander's formula. We predicted within +1 diopter in 78.8% of the cases. The accuracy was up to 83% when the axial length ranged between 23.0 and 25.0 mm. Stronger power lenses were implanted in shorter eyes and weaker power lenses in longer eyes, necessitating the use of a fudge factor. Surgeons using an immersion technique for axial length measurements should use formulas yielding stronger power lenses, such as Binkhorst's formula or our modification of Colenbrander's formula, with a fudge factor for short and long eyes.
Imaging Interactions between Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease.

: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), two common disorders of aging, are related in ways that extend beyond their coincident co-occurrence. Thus, there is a need to understand how the two pathological processes interact to contribute to dementia. In this article, we review two recent studies from our laboratory that use MRI and PET to begin to reveal the nature and mechanisms of the relationship between AD, CVD, and dementia.
Scalable Combinatorial Tools for Health Disparities Research

Despite staggering investments made in unraveling the human genome, current estimates suggest that as much as 90% of the variance in cancer and chronic diseases can be attributed to factors outside an individual’s genetic endowment, particularly to environmental exposures experienced across his or her life course. New analytical approaches are clearly required as investigators turn to complicated systems theory and ecological, place-based and life-history perspectives in order to understand more clearly the relationships between social determinants, environmental exposures and health disparities. While traditional data analysis techniques remain foundational to health disparities research, they are easily overwhelmed by the ever-increasing size and heterogeneity of available data needed to illuminate latent gene x environment interactions. This has prompted the adaptation and application of scalable combinatorial methods, many from genome science research, to the study of population health. Most of these powerful tools are algorithmically sophisticated, highly automated and mathematically abstract. Their utility motivates the main theme of this paper, which is to describe real applications of innovative transdisciplinary models and analyses in an effort to help move the research community closer toward identifying the causal mechanisms and associated environmental contexts underlying health disparities. The public health exposome is used as a contemporary focus for addressing the complex nature of this subject.
The effect of county-level prison population growth on crime rates

Research Summary: Prior macro-level studies examining the impact of prison population growth on crime rates have produced widely varying results. Studies using national-level time series data find large impacts of prison growth on crime, whereas those using state panel data find more modest ones. Critics of the former studies maintain that the estimates are implausibly large, arguing that the effects are instead due to analysts' inability to control for potential confounding factors. Conversely, critics of the latter studies argue that they underestimate the total impacts of imprisonment by failing to account for potential free-riding effects. This study uses panel data for 58 Florida counties for 1980 to 2000 to reexamine the link between prison population growth and crime. Unlike previous studies, we find no evidence that increases in prison population growth covary with decreases in crime rates. Policy Implications: Our findings suggest that Florida policymakers carefully weigh the costs and benefits of their continued reliance on mass incarceration against the potential costs and benefits of alternatives. If the costs of mass incarceration do not return appreciable benefits, i.e., a reduction in crime, it is time to reconsider our approach to crime and punishment. Other research offers evidence of crime prevention programs operating inside the criminal justice system and in communities that hold promise for reducing crime; our findings indicate that policymakers carefully consider these options as a way to achieve their goals.
Children and Adolescents With Same-Gender Parents: A Meta-Analytic Approach in Assessing Outcomes

Given the societal, political, and cultural divide on the topic of same-gender parenting, there is a need for a stronger body of evidence that accurately identifies outcomes for children and adolescents of gay and lesbian parents. In addition, attention should be paid to the validity of the argument that parenting capabilities are gender-exclusive and children need both a mother and a father. The present study was a quantitative synthesis of the available literature to investigate the effects of parental gender and sexual identity on child and adolescent outcomes. An electronic search of relevant databases resulted in 33 unpublished and published studies (N of children = 5,272) that included a comparison of same-gender or different-gender parents and their children. Results indicated several significant findings for the parent-child relationship and child gender role behavior outcomes. Other outcomes, including child sexual orientation, cognitive abilities, psychological adjustment, and gender identity, w...
Post-pattern-inspection strategy

Rapid yield ramp up in wafer processing fabs has become the most important task for process and yield engineers. In-line process monitoring using inspection tools are the traditional approaches to monitor excursion within the process line. Minor gains in yield ca increase revenue per wafer significantly, hence defect detection and defect feedback into process line is becoming the corner stone of fab yield success. Number of mask levels are becoming important to process fabs. Monitoring these mask levels so as to detect defects and feed information to the process line has become crucial to process yield. In order for this to happen a good understanding of the defects caused at the mask levels is important. An attempt will be made to discus the various types of defects present in the photomask levels and their relationships to their in-line detection. The discussion deals with scum defects, isolated bridging defects, pattern aspect ratio, and isolated and dense region patterning issues.
Dementia: what is behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia?

In an era of etiology-specific therapies, defining the criteria for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia is essential. How do we determine whether bad manners, laziness, or unsolicited friendliness represents the earliest presentation of this condition? Diagnostic criteria are being actively evaluated to help establish a foundation for diagnostic decisions regarding this and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Publication trends in occupational therapy

Articles appearing in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy over the past decade were reviewed and categorized according to the nature of the article. Seven categories were identified: descriptive, survey, case and field study, correlational, quasi-experimental, true experimental, and practical. Data analysis revealed that there has been a significant change in the type of articles published before and after 1978. This change appears to be confined to certain categories. Specifically, there has been an increase in articles of a quasi-experimental nature and a decrease in articles of a purely descriptive type. The implications of increased research publications in the occupational therapy literature are discussed.
The mechanism of DNA ejection in the Bacillus anthracis spore-binding phage 8a revealed by cryo-electron tomography.

Abstract The structure of the Bacillus anthracis spore-binding phage 8a was determined by cryo-electron tomography. The phage capsid forms a T = 16 icosahedron attached to a contractile tail via a head–tail connector protein. The tail consists of a six-start helical sheath surrounding a central tail tube, and a structurally novel baseplate at the distal end of the tail that recognizes and attaches to host cells. The parameters of the icosahedral capsid lattice and the helical tail sheath suggest protein folds for the capsid and tail-sheath proteins, respectively, and indicate evolutionary relationships to other dsDNA viruses. Analysis of 2518 intact phage particles show four distinct conformations that likely correspond to four sequential states of the DNA ejection process during infection. Comparison of the four observed conformations suggests a mechanism for DNA ejection, including the molecular basis underlying coordination of tail sheath contraction and genome release from the capsid.
Energy transfer cassettes in silica nanoparticles target intracellular organelles

Lipophilic energy transfer cassettes like 1 and 2 are more conveniently synthesized than the corresponding hydrophilic compounds, but they are not easily used in aqueous media. To overcome the latter issue, cassettes 1 and 2 were separately encapsulated in silica nanoparticles (ca. 22 nm) which freely disperse in aqueous media. Photophysical properties of the encapsulated dyes 1–SiO2 and 2–SiO2 were recorded. The nanoparticles 1–SiO2 permeated into Clone 9 rat liver cells and targeted only the ER. A high degree of energy transfer was observed in this organelle such that most of the light fluoresced from the acceptor part, i.e. the particles appeared red. Silica nanoparticles 2–SiO2 also permeated into Clone 9 rat liver cells and they targeted mitochondria but were also observed in endocytic vesicles (lysosomes or endosomes). In these organelles they fluoresced red and red/green respectively. Thus the cargo inside the nanoparticles influences where they localize in cells, and the environment of the nanoparticles in the cells changes the fluorescent properties of the encapsulated dyes. Neither of these findings were anticipated given that silica nanoparticles of this type are generally considered to be non-porous.
The first evidence for triple cation binding by multi-ring macrocyclic polyethers: an electrospray ionization mass spectral study

Unequivocal evidence was obtained for three-cation complexation by three-crown, bola-amphiphilic systems by use of the electrospray ionization mass spectrometric technique.
Studies of isolated synovial lining cells of rheumatoid and nonrheumatoid synovial membranes

Synovial membranes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritides were digested with tryps.n to produce suspensions of synovial cells. The cells were stained by the direct fluorescent antibody technique for IgG, IgM and the β1c (C3) component of complement, using fluorescein and rhodamine isothiocyanate-labeled antisera. A characteristic diffuse staining pattern for IgG and β1c was observed in the cytoplasm of the phagocytic lining cells of rheumatoid synovium. In seropositive patients, inclusions containing IgG, IgM, and β1c were also stained in these cells. The role of these immunoglobulins, localized in the lining cells, is discussed in relation to rheumatoid inflammation.
SafetyNET -- designing and implementing a technology support program for students

With the explosion of viruses and spyware, universities face the challenge of assisting students with maintaining and troubleshooting their own personal computers. To address this challenge, Millersville University developed a SafetyNET program funded through their student technology fee. The program's goal is to minimize computer downtime by offering computer software support, information, and education to all currently enrolled students.Millersville University addressed design challenges including scope of support, appropriate location for the SafetyNET center, and full-time and student staff. Some of our implementation issues included advertising this new service, developing tools and procedures, and assessing the success of the program.Some of our future ideas include developing a larger SafetyNET center where we can provide small group training sessions, discussions, and entertainment events as well as coordinating and collaborating with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs for various activities.
PetaBricks: a language and compiler based on autotuning

We have always known that a given problem can be solved using multiple algorithms; and the best solution for each input or architecture may require a different algorithm. However, currently there is no simple way for the programmer to express or the compiler to take advantage of all the available algorithmic choices for a problem. In this talk I will present PetaBricks, a new implicitly parallel language and compiler where having multiple implementations of multiple algorithms to solve a problem is the natural way of programming. The PetaBricks compiler autotunes programs by making the best fine-grained algorithmic choices. Choices also include different automatic parallelization techniques, data distributions, algorithmic parameters, transformations, and blocking. I will also introduce an online autotuner for PetaBricks that can speedup programs even when half the processing resources are used for autotuning.
On spin reorientation phenomena ― metastability

Abstract All possible spin reorientation transitions in anisotropic magnetic materials are described for the case where the first (K1) and second order (K2) anisotropy constants are monotonic functions of temperature and are assumed to change sign only once. The corresponding free energy diagrams are used to show the spin reorientation process. The effect of metastability (where K2 is negative) and the expected thermomagnetic hysteresis in such cases is also discussed.
THE RÔLE OF HYPERSENSITIVITY IN THE PRODUCTION OF EXPERIMENTAL MENINGITIS I. EXPERIMENTAL MENINGITIS IN TUBERCULOUS ANIMALS

1. When living or dead tubercle bacilli and their products are placed in direct contact with the leptomeninges of hypersensitive (tuberculous) animals, there is a definite clinical and pathological response. 2. The clinical response is characterized by an onset of weakness, twitchings, convulsions and death of the animal within 6 to 12 hours. 3. Histologically the central nervous system shows an extensive polymorphonuclear exudate distributed throughout the subarachnoid spaces of the brain and extending into the perivascular spaces. 4. The intensity of the response is directly proportional to the quantity of visceral tuberculosis or to the dose of tuberculin employed. 5. When small quantities of tuberculin are employed so as to permit the animal to survive longer than 24 hours, there is an exudate found in the sulci and at the base of the brain which is characterized by small lymphocytes. 6. The non-tuberculous animals when inoculated with tuberculin or tubercle bacilli revealed no clinical or pathological response. The tuberculous animals, on the other hand, when inoculated with glycerine broth always responded by a definite but slight polymorphonuclear exudate. 7. The possible relationship of the allergic state to postinfectious complications of the central nervous system is discussed.
Making Sense of Methods and Measurement: Rigor in Qualitative Research

In previous columns, we explored a variety of topics applied to quantitative research. Here we describe the process of qualitative research and how to assess the methodological rigor of this type of study. Morse (1991) identified three key characteristics that differentiate qualitative from quantitative research methods. First, qualitative research takes a more ‘‘emic’’ perspective than quantitative, meaning that the participant provides the truth and meaning instead of the researcher. Second, this type of method is based on a holistic approach to the participant, assuming the importance of the participants’ values, beliefs, and experiences and their perspective of the phenomena under study. Third, qualitative methods are inductive and interactive. This means that the researcher may adapt the inquiry process during the study as he or she better understands the phenomena of interest. In quantitative data analysis, numbers and statistical calculations (often performed by statistical software) are used to condense large amounts of data into interpretable results. By contrast, qualitative data analysis often requires more complex, tedious, and time-consuming examination. These processes revolve around the deep, generative exploration of large volumes of written data. In most qualitative research studies, the data collection and data analysis are occurring simultaneously. As new information is collected and analyzed, the previous analyses and interpretation results may be modified. It is sometimes difficult for nurse researchers who are trained in quantitative methods to evaluate the rigor of
A statistical analysis of yield loss in material requirements planning systems

Abstract In most of the research done on material requirements planning (MRP) systems it has been assumed that production and assembly operations incur no yield loss. This assumption has been dropped and performance of popular lot-size adjustment rules borrowed from the single-stage reject allowance problem has been tested in an MRP environment. Both the effect of the rules on the component inventory, and their ability to meet the master production schedule requirements have been analysed. An appropriate statistical design has been presented.
Mechanisms of pathogenesis in herpetic immunoinflammatory ocular lesions

This article reviews possible mechanisms by which ocular infections with herpes simplex virus result in a blinding immunoinflammatory lesion in the cornea. We conclude that this immunoinflammatory response involves multiple immune mechanisms including autoimmunity.
Conventional external-beam radiation therapy alone or with androgen ablation for clinical stage III (T3, NX/N0, M0) adenocarcinoma of the prostate

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of clinical Stage III (T3, N0/NX, M0) prostate cancer treated by conventional radiation alone or with adjuvant androgen ablation. Methods and Materials: Three hundred forty-four men with T3, N0/NX, M0 adenocarcinoma of the prostate who received conventional radiation alone (260) or with androgen ablation (84) were analyzed for relapse or rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), using univariate and multivariate techniques. Results: With a median follow-up of 68 months, the 260 men treated with radiation alone had a 10-year actuarial rate of relapse or rising PSA of 76%. Pretreatment PSA level (≤ 10 ng/ml vs. > 10 ≤ 20 ng/ml vs. > 20 ng/ml) and radiation dose ( 10 ng/ml had relapse rates exceeding 50% even at doses of 70 Gy. At a median follow-up of 44 months, the 84 patients treated with radiation and androgen ablation had a 6-year biochemical failure rate of 22%. The only significant determinant of outcome in this group was pretreatment PSA; patients with PSA ≤ 80 ng/ml had a 6-year failure rate of only 12% compared to a failure rate of 53% for those with PSA > 80 ng/ml. The outcome for those treated with combined modalities was significantly better than for those treated with radiation alone in all PSA strata. Conclusion: Conventional radiation alone has little curative potential for Stage III disease. Doses
Toward a theory of landscape aesthetics

Abstract Philosophers of aesthetics have tended to limit their subject to include only objects of art. In contrast to art objects, landscape include elements of both art and nature. In this article, I expand the scope of aesthetics to embrace landscapes. This is accomplished by linking pragmatic and humanistic aesthetic theories in a framework suggested by Jungian psychology. The framework has two interrelated components called the cultural theory and the biological theory. Diverse empirical observations are presented in support of the cultural and biological theories and implications for landscape planning are explored.
Superfluidity in4He adsorbed in porous silica

We have measured the superfluid density of4He adsorbed in silica of 25 A pore diameter for various film coverages using a torsion oscillator technique. The experiment shows that the superfluid density near the full pore coverage is entirely determined by the phonon excitation, with the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition playing no role.
Personality Correlates of Aggression Evidence From Measures of the Five-Factor Model, UPPS Model of Impulsivity, and BIS/BAS

Although many studies of personality and aggression focus on multidimensional traits and higher order personality disorders (e.g., psychopathy), lower order, unidimensional traits may provide more precision in identifying specific aspects of personality that relate to aggression. The current study includes a comprehensive measurement of lower order personality traits in relation to three forms of aggression: reactive, proactive, and relational. Traits related to interpersonal antagonism and impulsivity, especially impulsive behavior in the context of negative affect, were consistently related to aggression across multiple indices. These findings suggest that certain lower order traits are of critical importance to understanding who engages in aggressive behavior and why this behavior occurs.
Dielectric and Ferroelectric Properties of Modified BiFeO3-PbTiO3 Thin Films Derived from Sol-gel Processing

In this paper, thin films of La- modified (Bi,La)FeO3-PbTiO3 (BLF-PT) morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) solid solutions have been prepared by using sol-gel processing. A thin Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) template layer was introduced to make BLF-PT thin films adhere tightly to the platinized silicon (Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si) substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that BLF-PT thin films were of the perovskite structure without detectable pyrochlore phase annealing at 650–750°C. The cross sectional and plain view images of or our specimen were observed by using the scan electrical microscope (SEM). The room temperature dielectric constant K and tanδ were of ∼800 and 4% respectively, for BLF-PT thin films using a measurement frequency of 1 kHz. Our preliminary experiments indicated that the sol-gel derived BLF-PT thin films have good insulation resistance and measurable dielectric and ferroelectric responses.
Facing Prejudice Implicit Prejudice and the Perception of Facial Threat

We propose that social attitudes, and in particular implicit prejudice, bias people's perceptions of the facial emotion displayed by others. To test this hypothesis, we employed a facial emotion change-detection task in which European American participants detected the offset (Study 1) or onset (Study 2) of facial anger in both Black and White targets. Higher implicit (but not explicit) prejudice was associated with a greater readiness to perceive anger in Black faces, but neither explicit nor implicit prejudice predicted anger perceptions regarding similar White faces. This pattern indicates that European Americans high in implicit racial prejudice are biased to perceive threatening affect in Black but not White faces, suggesting that the deleterious effects of stereotypes may take hold extremely early in social interaction.
LUMPY: a probabilistic framework for structural variant discovery

Comprehensive discovery of structural variation (SV) from whole genome sequencing data requires multiple detection signals including read-pair, split-read, read-depth and prior knowledge. Owing to technical challenges, extant SV discovery algorithms either use one signal in isolation, or at best use two sequentially. We present LUMPY, a novel SV discovery framework that naturally integrates multiple SV signals jointly across multiple samples. We show that LUMPY yields improved sensitivity, especially when SV signal is reduced owing to either low coverage data or low intra-sample variant allele frequency. We also report a set of 4,564 validated breakpoints from the NA12878 human genome. https://github.com/arq5x/lumpy-sv.
Nucleotide Synthesis De Novo

Nucleosides are composed of a heterocyclic ring (defined as the base) that is attached to a ribose. Addition of a phosphate to a nucleoside, at carbon 5 of the ribose, produces a nucleotide. Nucleotides function as ubiquitous building blocks for the synthesis of all nucleic acids, and also function in enzymatic reactions as cofactors and as a source of energy. These central metabolic roles require their continued biosynthesis from readily available precursors, and this process is defined as de novo nucleotide synthesis. The synthesis of purines starts with ribose-phosphate, to which are attached the individual atoms of the heterocyclic base in a stepwise fashion. Pyrimidine synthesis starts with the stepwise formation of the base, to which is then added the ribose-phosphate. Bases and nucleosides may also be recycled in salvage pathways. Key Concepts: Nucleotides form the building blocks for the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic information. They also serve as cofactors in many metabolic reactions. All four ribonucleoside triphosphates are important sources of energy for metabolic reactions, though ATP – being more abundant – is the most common cosubstrate in many metabolic reactions. Nucleotides are so essential to metabolism that genetic defects generally are lethal, and for humans only a few gene defects are observed, at a low frequency. Many of the enzymatic reactions in the de novo biosynthesis of nucleotides are combined as two or more reactions catalysed by a single multidomain protein. This has made nucleotide biosynthesis more efficient. For a few of the biosynthetic steps alternate enzymatic strategies have emerged between bacteria and vertebrates, and for such unique bacterial enzymes these present possible targets for drugs as selective antibiotics. Keywords: nucleotide; biosynthesis; purine; pyrimidine; multifunctional protein