cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE AGONY OF POLITICS: THE NIETZSCHEAN ROOTS OF FOUCAULT'S THOUGHT

he politics of Michel Foucault remain controversial, mainly because they remain ambiguous. His critics charge that the ambiguity is symptomatic of a theory that fosters moral abandon and political impotence. This predicament is frequently attributed to Nietzsche's influence. I outline the critics' charges and investigate to what extent Foucault's thought evidences Nietzschean roots. Specifically, I examine Nietzsche's glorification of struggle and seek to demonstrate that a valorization of struggle constitutes the core of Foucault's political thought.
Experience with a practical hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy regime

n-field failure is still the most common problem for the radiation oncologist and there is significant room for improvement, even though newer techniques of tumor localization and sophisticated means of dose delivery could decrease marginal failures and improve tolerance. Models are evolving trying to understand the mechanisms of in-field failure. Accelerated tumor repopulation has been suggested as a cause of local failure. 1 Withers et al l suggest that the optimal treatment course should be approximately 4 weeks. We approximated that with 79.2 Gy in 4.5 weeks. Recently, experience originating in Mount Vernon Hospital 2'3 (described elsewhere in this issue) has apparently improved duration of survival and possibly local control in locally advanced bronchogenic carcinoma. That fractionation scheme uses three fractions per day separated by 6 hours, without the weekend breaks. The acute reactions are significant, and most of the treatments were given outside of the typical United States radiation oncology departmental hours of operation. Stimulated by this experience with continuous, hyperf rac t iona ted , accelerated radio therapy (CHART), 1'2 several investigators collaborated to develop a feasible program modifying CHART to practice in the United States. Our past experience using high doses of radiation, multiple treatment aids, and precision therapy in bronchogenic cancer have been disappointing. The local control rate at our institution has been 32% for patients with locally advanced bronchogenic cancer (AJC stages III and IV), with a 5-year, disease-free
Isolation and characterization of a macromolecular aggregate associated with bilirubin

Abstract 1. 1. A macromolecular aggregate associated with bile pigments has been isolated from human gallbladder and hepatic bile, using isopycnic gradient ultracentrifugation in caesium chloride. Sixty-six percent of the total bile pigments, 66% of the total cholesterol, 69% of the total phospholipids and 65% of the total bile salts present in bile were associated with this polymolecular aggregate. 2. 2. The percentage contribution of each of the components measured in the macromolecule was 14.5% cholesterol, 16% phospholipids, 66% bile salts, 3% bile pigments and 0.5% protein. 3. 3. The molecular weights of the macromolecular aggregate varied with the source of the bile, being from 11000 to 20000 in hepatic bile; from 35000 to 75000 in bile samples from gallbladders containing gallstones; and from 65000 to 75000 in bile samples from normal gallbladders. The molecular weight of the aggregate varied with the concentration of the bile. Heavier complexes were present in the more concentrated bile samples. 4. 4. It was suggested that the macromolecule represented the micellar aggregation of cholesterol, phospholipids, bile salts and pigment in bile.
A fourth-order nonlinear boundary-value problem and an integral-type sign condition

The fourth-order nonlinear boundary-value problem -d^4u/dx^4 +g(x,u) = e(x), 0 < x < @p, u'(0) = u'(@p) = u''' (0) = u''' (@p) = 0, associated to the unstable static equilibrium of an elastic beam which is supported by sliding clamps when the nonlinearity g(x,u) satisfies an integral sign condition instead of the usual asymptotic pointwise sign condition, is studied. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for the existence of a solution when g(x,u) is nondecreasing in u.
The shear-stress intensity factor for a centrally cracked stiff-flanged shear web

By use of the principle of superposition the stiff-flanged shear web is modeled mathematically by an infinite elastic strip with fixed longitudinal edges. The shear-stress intensity factor for a central longitudinal crack is calculated for various values of the ratio of strip width to crack length, h/a, in the range ≦. The interaction of the crack with the boundaries is illustrated by boundary shear-stress distributions for three values of h/a. Some implications of the results for the design of damage-tolerant shear webs are discussed briefly.
Telomere length, aging, and somatic cell turnover.

Telomeres are unique protein–DNA structures that comprise the termini of eukaryotic linear chromosomes (for review see references ([1][1]), ([2][2])). Telomeric DNA does not contain protein-encoding genes but rather consists of G-rich hexanucleotide repeats that in vertebrate cells are (TTAGGG)n
Active surveillance: Does serial prostate biopsy increase histological inflammation?

Active surveillance (AS) is an appropriate management strategy for men with low-risk prostate cancer. Most protocols recommend repeated prostate biopsy every 12–24 months. The purpose of this paper is to describe histological inflammation patterns in men on AS who underwent serial prostate biopsy for disease monitoring. We reviewed records of men on AS from January 1999 through February 2011 who had a diagnostic plus ⩾1 repeat transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies performed at our institution. The type and degree of inflammatory infiltrate were grossly reviewed and scored for each patient’s biopsy by a single pathologist. Relationship of inflammation severity and number of serial biopsies was assessed using a repeated measures mixed model. Unpaired t-test and χ2-square analysis assessed variance in degree of inflammation and location of inflammation relative to cancer grade progression defined as Gleason sum increase. Fifty-six men met study inclusion criteria. Mean age was 62.1 (6.5) years, 71% were stage cT1c, 79% had a PSA level <10 ng ml−1, and 98% had diagnostic Gleason sum ⩽6. A small, statistically significant increase in maximum chronic inflammation (CI) scores with greater number of repeat biopsies was observed. CI scores were not associated with number of biopsies based on upgrade status. The main limitation to our study is our small sample size. Potential unmeasured confounders, such as unreported antibiotic use or symptomatic prostatitis, may have also affected our findings. In this pilot study of 56 men on AS for localized prostate cancer, degree of chronic histological inflammation increased with greater number of prostate biopsies, but was not associated with subsequent risk of grade progression.
Quenched‐in Electrical Resistivity of Dilute Binary Alloys

The quenched-in electrical resistivity of dilute binary alloys has been calculated, assuming that the alloy system contains single vacancies, di-vacancies, single solutes (impurities), di-solutes, and solute—vacancy pairs in an otherwise perfect matrix. Some numerical computations have been made for dilute binary alloys of Au. By assuming that the electrical resistance of a point defect in the paired or associated state is less than that of the unpaired or single state, it is shown that the solutes do have a significant effect on the quenched-in electrical resistivity if the perturbation introduced into the alloy by the solutes is large. For instance, the change of the binding energy or the concentration of solute-vacancy pairs will change the slope of the curves in the logarithmic resistivity vs. reciprocal temperature plot and the contribution due to di-solutes will give rise to a non-linearity of the curves at lower quenching temperatures. The results are discussed in the light of experimental observations. Der eingefrorene elektrische Widerstand von verdunnten binaren Legierungen wird berechnet, wobei berucksichtigt wird, das das Legierungssystem isolierte Leerstellen, Doppelleerstellen, isolierte Fremdstorstellen, Doppel-Fremdstorstellen und Fremdstorstellen—Leerstellenpaare in einer sonst perfekten Matrix enthalt. Einige numerische Berechnungen wurden fur verdunnte binare Legierungen von Au durchgefuhrt. Durch die Annahme, das der elektrische Widerstand eines Punktdefekts im gepaarten oder assoziierten Zustand kleiner ist als im ungepaarten oder isolierten Zustand, wird gezeigt, das die Beimischungen einen bedeutenden Einflus auf den eingefrorenen elektrischen Widerstand haben, wenn die Storung, die durch die Beimischungen in die Legierung eingebracht wird, gros ist. Zum Beispiel werden die Anderung der Bindungsenergie oder der Konzentration von Fremdstorstellen-Leerstellenpaaren den Anstieg der Kurven in der logarithmischen Darstellung des Widerstands uber der reziproken Temperatur andern und der Beitrag der Doppel-Fremdstorstellen wird zu einer Nichtlinearitat der Kurven bei niedrigeren Abschreckungstemperaturen fuhren. Die Ergebnisse werden im Vergleich zu experimentellen Beobachtungen diskutiert.
Ingenol Mebutate for the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are common premalignant lesions that have the potential to evolve into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) if left untreated. There are many modalities available to treat AKs, including localized and field therapies; however, each modality presents unique treatment challenges. Topical ingenol mebutate gel, derived from the sap of the plant Euphorbia peplus, has been recently FDA-approved as a field therapy for treatment of AKs. Ingenol mebutate has a dual mechanism of action, combining rapid direct cell death with a neutrophil-mediated immune response to target the atypical keratinocytes of AKs. Its efficacy, safety, and tolerability have been demonstrated in its clinically relevant sustained clearance and long-term lesion reduction. Additionally, its short treatment schedule of either 2 or 3 consecutive days increases compliance. We present the most recent and significant clinical studies investigating the use of topical ingenol mebutate for the treatment of AKs.
A note on the inverse kinematic problem

Abstract In this paper, a new formulation for the inverse kinematic problem in cartesian coordinates is developed, to analyze the movement of a robot arm with multiple links from one point in space to another point. In this model the only decision variables are the coordinates of each joint of the robot arm with respect to the base of the robot arm, and the only necessary information besides the geometric parameters of the robot arm are the coordinates of the origin and the destination points in space.
A statistical sampling approach for measurement of fracture toughness parameters in a 4330 steel by 3-D femtosecond laser-based tomography

Abstract A new approach using statistically random material volume sampling has been developed to model the variability of fracture toughnesses in steels. A recently developed femtosecond laser-based serial sectioning (FSLSS) technique was utilized to collect 3-D datasets showing the distribution of titanium nitride (TiN) phases in a 4330 high strength steel. Random volumes were sampled from widely spaced regions within the bulk steel specimen. Plastic zone sized volumes were sampled from the 3-D reconstructions to produce statistically representative volume elements containing TiN particles. Fracture toughness was calculated for 48 different plastic zone sized volumes using two different toughness models. Weibull analysis was performed to relate the modeled fracture toughness to the probability of occurrence. Variability in the fracture toughness gave a Weibull modulus of m = 1.4–1.5, similar to the variability measured in 22 bulk sample specimens analyzed by Ruggieri et al. for a similar steel.
Patterns of Fluoro-Gold Entry into Rat Molar Enamel, Dentin, and Pulp

Permeabilities of enamel and dentin are not fully understood despite their importance for caries, restorative materials, and pulp-dentin-enamel interactions. We have found that Fluoro-Gold is useful for examining tooth permeability, and we designed studies to test the effects of aging, injury, neural function, and dentinal repair on its influx into vital rat teeth. We used fluorescence microscopy and immunocytochemistry to show that Fluoro-Gold rapidly penetrates enamel, the dentin-enamel junction, and outer dentinal acellular tubules, and then concentrates in odontoblasts, where it remains for weeks. As predicted, influx was greatest in immature teeth, and formation of reparative dentin impeded it. We expected that denervation would disrupt influx, because of neural regulation of dentinal fluid movement, but it did not. Damage to odontoblasts under injured dentin caused increased influx and efflux of Fluoro-Gold. Analysis of our data suggests that permeabilities of enamel and dentin to Fluoro-Gold are age-related, inter-dependent, and regulated by odontoblasts.
Do anorexia and bulimia nervosa occur on a continuum? A taxometric analysis

We investigated the question of whether anorexia and bulimia nervosa occur on a continuum versus being discrete classes using two taxometric procedures: Mean Above Minus Below a Cut (MAMBAC) and Maximum Covariance (MAXCOV) analysis. Participants were N = 959 women diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa (n = 165), bulimia nervosa (n = 562) or atypical eating disorder (n = 18) or were nonclinical controls (n = 214). Indicators for the taxometric analyses were derived from the Eating Disorder Inventory, and we also included body mass index (BMI). Results replicated earlier taxometric findings in that both purging and nonpurging types of bulimia seemed qualitatively different from normative eating behavior. The distinction between restricting and binge-eating/purging types of anorexia nervosa also seemed to be qualitative rather than quantitative. However, results most consistently supported the conclusion that anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purging type, occurs on a continuum with bulimia nervosa (both purging and nonpurging types) and that the two types of bulimia nervosa differ in degree rather than in kind. Overall, the results suggest that anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purging type, is more qualitatively distinct from anorexia, restricting type, than from either type of bulimia nervosa, perhaps suggesting that these disorders should be reclassified in future editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Facilitation of the growth of protein crystals by heterogeneous/epitaxial nucleation

A preliminary exploration has been made of the effect of inorganic crystals on the nucleation of protein crystals. Four representative proteins were crystallized by the vapor diffusion technique in the presence of fifty species of inorganic crystals. A substantial decrease in critical supersaturation was caused by thirty nucleants for canavalin and by seven to fifteen nucleants for the other proteins. Several cases of anomalous morphology were observed, as well as one instance of epitaxy, i.e., lysozyme on apophyllite. It has thus been shown that inorganic crystals can be used as heterogeneous nuclei or epitaxial substrates for facilitating reliable and controlled nucleation in automated protein crystal growth experiments.
Population-based registries are important in sarcoma: an editorial regarding "incidence patterns of primary bone cancer in Taiwan (2003-2010)".

be representative of populations elsewhere in the world. Specifically, Southeast Asia accounts for an inordinately large proportion of the world’s population, and the description of sarcoma incidence in this region is necessary to define unique risk factors and allow for comparison to other locations. Furthermore, this study describes a homogenous population of Han Chinese (the largest ethnic group in the world) and further study may be performed in other places of similar ethnicity to explore the impact of environmental factors (exposure to carcinogens, diet, hormonal factors, etc.) while controlling for race. It should be emphasized that the conclusions drawn from population-based registries are primarily hypothesis generating. Although many interesting observations spur thought and theory, it is really just a starting point. Curious or enticing findings should be used to design studies relevant to the real question: how can we improve patient care? In this study, for instance, the authors describe an increasing incidence of bone cancer over the study period. The underlying cause of this observation is not clear and could be due to many factors. Perhaps it is due to changes
Memory devices utilizing resonant tunneling in nanocrystalline silicon superlattices

In this paper, we present a definitive experimental observation of resonant carrier tunneling in nanocrystalline Si-SiO/sub 2/ superlattices, and discuss utilization of our findings in memory devices. The paper gives an example of negative differential conductivity associated with hole tunneling in a 10 period 45 /spl Aring/ Si/15 /spl Aring/ SiO/sub 2/ superlattice, and summarizes the properties of nanocrystalline Si superlattice based memory device prototypes. The device properties, including operating voltage, endurance, retention time and dynamic leakage, are discussed.
Cooperative and Antagonistic Contributions of Two Heterochromatin Proteins to Transcriptional Regulation of the Drosophila Sex Determination Decision

Eukaryotic nuclei contain regions of differentially staining chromatin (heterochromatin), which remain condensed throughout the cell cycle and are largely transcriptionally silent. RNAi knockdown of the highly conserved heterochromatin protein HP1 in Drosophila was previously shown to preferentially reduce male viability. Here we report a similar phenotype for the telomeric partner of HP1, HOAP, and roles for both proteins in regulating the Drosophila sex determination pathway. Specifically, these proteins regulate the critical decision in this pathway, firing of the establishment promoter of the masterswitch gene, Sex-lethal (Sxl). Female-specific activation of this promoter, SxlPe, is essential to females, as it provides SXL protein to initiate the productive female-specific splicing of later Sxl transcripts, which are transcribed from the maintenance promoter (SxlPm) in both sexes. HOAP mutants show inappropriate SxlPe firing in males and the concomitant inappropriate splicing of SxlPm-derived transcripts, while females show premature firing of SxlPe. HP1 mutants, by contrast, display SxlPm splicing defects in both sexes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show both proteins are associated with SxlPe sequences. In embryos from HP1 mutant mothers and Sxl mutant fathers, female viability and RNA polymerase II recruitment to SxlPe are severely compromised. Our genetic and biochemical assays indicate a repressing activity for HOAP and both activating and repressing roles for HP1 at SxlPe.
The evolving role of carbon finance in promoting renewable energy development in China

Abstract The world is negotiating what the international climate change regime will look like after 2012—the year that current Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets expire—and the future of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is under discussion. Critics claim the scale of reductions that the CDM is driving in the developing world is insufficient from a scientific perspective if we are to avoid dangerous climate change, that the project-by-project crediting process is inefficient, and that the reductions being achieved are not “additional”—meaning they would have happened anyway and thus should not be financially supported. Yet, the efficacy of CDM must be examined in the broader context of carbon mitigation in the developing world and the actions that are taking place. This paper examines the role that the CDM has played in promoting renewable energy development in China in order to assess how international carbon finance can best be used to help promote emissions mitigation in the developing world. It also assesses how several options under consideration for reforming the current structure of the CDM in particular and developing country engagement in general may impact renewable energy development in China in the coming years.
Parole; The Consumer's Perspective:

With the dominance of rehabilitation currently being evaluated, this study sought to learn from the consumers of correctional policies in one state, the effect of parole on their lives. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of the inmates in Connecticut's maximum security facility to learn about the effects of sentencing and parole policies while incarcerated as to ascertain their preferences should reforms be undertaken. The research found that most prisoners reject the idea that rehabilitation can be achieved in prison, find indeterminate sentences a source of frustration, and view the Parole Board as an unauthorized agent of punishment. Given the absence of fixed release dates, the inmates spend much of their time speculating on what they can do to impress the Parole Board. There was a high degree of agreement that participation in treatment programs and having job prospects impressed the Board. These consumers of the rehabilitative philosophy believe that you must "play the game" in order to wi...
Approximating the Inertia of the Adjacency Matrix of a Connected Planar Graph That Is the Dual of a Geographic Surface Partitioning

This article addresses the calculation of the inertia of an adjacency matrix (i.e., the number of positive, zero, and negative eigenvalues) associated with a connected, undirected planar graph. A formula is derived that is an upper bound for the number of negative eigenvalues of this matrix, based upon standard matrix trace results, coupled with the use of nonextreme eigenvalue averages, and requiring calculations of the pair of extreme eigenvalues and the number of zero eigenvalues. The number of positive eigenvalues can be calculated easily from this specific result. Assessment of this formula is in terms of selected regular two-dimensional tessellations and in terms of a set of empirical surface partitioning, commonly employed in spatial analyses. Proposed correction factors allow a modification of this formula to estimate more precisely the associated inertia of an adjacency matrix. Este articulo aborda el calculo de la inercia de una matriz de adyacencia, (es decir, el numero de valores propios (eigenvalues) positivos, cero y negativos) asociados a un grafo conexo plano no orientado (connected undirected planar graph). Se deriva una formula que es el limite superior del numero de valores propios negativos de esta matriz basandose en los resultados estandar de la traza de la matriz (matrix trace) junto con el uso de los promedios de valores propios no extremos y que requiere calculos del par de valores propios extremos y del numero de valores propios cero. El numero de valores propios positivos se puede calcular facilmente a partir de este resultado. Se evalua esta formula en terminos de mosaicos regulares bidimensionales y en terminos de un conjunto de superficies de particion (surface partitioning) empiricas comunmente empleados en analisis espaciales. Los factores de correccion propuestos permiten modificar esta formula para estimar con mayor precision la inercia de una matriz de adyacencia. 本文讨论了联通非有向平面图邻接矩阵的惯性逼近（即正的，零以及负的特征值的个数）问题。基于标准矩阵迹的结果，综合利用非极值特征值的平均值，通过计算极值特征值对和零特征值个数，构建了邻接矩阵中负特征值上界计算公式。正特征值的个数可以简单地从上述结果中直接计算。采用空间分析中常用的规则二维格网化选取，以及一系列的经验曲面剖分对该公式的评估。所提出的修正指数允许对该公式进行修正，从而更精确地估计邻接矩阵惯性。
The Effect of Calcium Sprays and Fruit Thinning on Bitter Pit Incidence and Calcium Content in ‘Honeycrisp’ Apple

ABSTRACT ‘Honeycrisp’ is a recently released cultivar of apple (Malus x domestica) developed by the University of Minnesota, now in high demand by growers and consumers. This cultivar is susceptible to bitter pit, especially when the trees are young and the fruit load is low. The effects of calcium (Ca) sprays, fruit thinning, vegetative growth, fruit and leaf nutrient concentration on bitter pit incidence, and two sampling methods for nutrient analysis were studied. Bitter pit incidence was associated with several variables, including Ca and phosphorus (P) concentrations in leaves and fruits, magnesium (Mg) concentration in leaves, and yield parameters. Fruit Ca concentration and content for the growing season were modeled, which allowed the determinations of Ca levels associated with bitter pit incidence. Our data suggest that plug analysis was less sensitive than fruit-segment analysis for finding differences in Ca concentrations.
Granular cell tumor (choristoma) of the neurohypophysis: two cases and a review of the literature.

We are unaware of previous descriptions of the MR appearance of granular cell tumors. We present two cases of this rare neoplasm and a review of the literature
Modification of a Centrifugal Separator for In‐Well Oil‐Water Separation

Abstract A liquid–liquid centrifugal separator has been modified for possible application as a downhole method for separating crude oil from produced water. Centrifugal separators of various sizes (from 2‐ to 25‐cm rotor diameter) have been built and operated over the past decades at various U.S. Department of Energy facilities. These units have several characteristics that make them attractive for downhole applications, including excellent phase separation, reliability in remote applications with >20,000 h of operation prior to maintenance, and the ability to handle high volumetric throughput with a very low residence time. These separators consist of a rotating cylinder in which the two phases are separated and a stationary housing that collects the separated streams. This paper discusses some of the aspects of the alterations required for downhole operation. Specifically, we discuss modifications of the exterior housing allowing for greater flow through the system. The system presented here improves th...
Organochlorine compounds and breast cancer risk

A number of epidemiologic studies on organochlorines (OCs) and breast cancer risk have been published. The majority (n = 18) measured OCs in adipose tissue, primarily from mammary biopsies in cancer cases and controls with benign breast disease, and studied incident disease. Seven of these studies each included fewer than 50 cases and controls and had limited capacity for covariate adjustment. Eleven studies used serum samples collected from 6 months to 25 years prior to diagnosis. An additional 13 studies (2 with some overlap) used serum collected at or after diagnosis. Regardless of the medium used to measure OC levels, studies conducted to date do not provide consistent evidence that any of the OCs ex- amined thus far play a role in the initial breast cancer risk. This paper provides a compound specific review with discussion of how the lack of evidence for adverse effects might be ex- plained by factors related to study design, or by variation in risk across subgroups. The sum of the evidence does not implicate any OC compound as significantly related to risk of occurrence of breast cancer. The evidence base is greatest for dichlorodiphenyl- trichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). Limited research has been done on individual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their isomers. The studies of OC exposure reflect current exposure levels of chemicals banned as long ago as 20 years. Although the information is extremely limited and not without major design flaws, the asso- ciation between OCs and disease severity and progression is interesting and worthy of fur- ther examination. More studies are needed on OCs other than DDTs in developing countries where use is more recent or continuing, especially given that most estrogenic OCs are not persistent. It is possible that other pathways may be involved, including activity related to cytochrome P450 (CYP) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST); there is limited research to date on this hy- pothesis. In developed countries, a body mass index (BMI)/weight loss model may warrant further analysis, perhaps using existing data. OC exposures cannot reliably be related to trends in breast cancer incidence, as other known risk factors for breast cancer, such as childbearing and lactation, have changed along with OC residues during this timeframe. Changes in screening and treatment over time also complicate making such links. Ecologic data relating high-exposure countries to high breast cancer mortality rates do not suggest a strong link. Breast cancer rates are not generally higher in parts of the world with high DDE levels. Countries with relatively similar levels of PCBs, such as Great Britain and Japan, have very different breast cancer rates.
Integrated droplet routing in the synthesis of microfluidic biochips

Microfluidic biochips are revolutionizing many areas of biochemistry and biomedical sciences. Several synthesis tools have recently been proposed for the automated design of biochips from the specifications of laboratory protocols. However, only a few of these tools address the problem of droplet routing in microfluidic arrays. These methods typically rely on post-synthesis droplet routing to implement biochemical protocols. Such an approach is not only time-consuming, but it also imposes an undue burden on the chip user. Moreover, post-synthesis droplet routing does not guarantee that feasible droplet pathways can be found for area-constrained biochip layouts; non-routable fabricated biochips must be discarded. We present a droplet-routing-aware automated synthesis tool for microfluidic biochips. Droplet routability, defined as the ease with which droplet pathways can be determined, is estimated and integrated in the synthesis flow. The proposed approach allows architectural-level design choices and droplet-routing-aware physical design decisions to be made simultaneously. We use a large-scale protein assay as a case study to evaluate the proposed synthesis method.
High energy density capacitors

Metallized film capacitors with energy densities as high as 3 J/cc and stored energy as high as 260 kJ per unit are now commercially available. These capacitors can be custom-designed for specific applications so as to minimize the size and weight of the capacitance for the lifetime and duty required. Applications requiring pulsed energy discharge times of 10 microseconds to 10 milliseconds are typical, but DC filtering and other types of duty can also be addressed. Packaging options include industry-standard drawn steel cans, proprietary molded plastic cases, and large welded steel cases. The performance of these capacitors as a function of voltage and size will be described.
Clock distribution networks in synchronous digital integrated circuits

Clock distribution networks synchronize the flow of data signals among synchronous data paths. The design of these networks can dramatically affect system-wide performance and reliability. A theoretical background of clock skew is provided in order to better understand how clock distribution networks interact with data paths. Minimum and maximum timing constraints are developed from the relative timing between the localized clock skew and the data paths. These constraint relationships are reviewed, and compensating design techniques are discussed. The field of clock distribution network design and analysis can be grouped into a number of subtopics: 1) circuit and layout techniques for structured custom digital integrated circuits; 2) the automated layout and synthesis of clock distribution networks with application to automated placement and routing of gate arrays, standard cells and larger block-oriented circuits; 3) the analysis and modeling of the timing characteristics of clock distribution networks; and 4) the scheduling of the optimal timing characteristics of clock distribution networks based on architectural and functional performance requirements. Each of these areas is described the clock distribution networks of specific industrial circuits are surveyed and future trends are discussed.
Systematic and single cell analysis of Xenopus Piwi-interacting RNAs and Xiwi.

Piwi proteins and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are essential for germ cell development, but analysis of the molecular mechanisms of these ribonucleoproteins remains challenging in most animal germ cells. To address this challenge, we systematically characterized Xiwi, a Xenopus Piwi homologue, and piRNAs from Xenopus eggs and oocytes. We used the large size of Xenopus eggs to analyze small RNAs at the single cell level, and find abundant piRNAs and large piRNA clusters in the Xenopus tropicalis genome, some of which resemble the Drosophila piRNA-generating flamenco locus. Although most piRNA clusters are expressed simultaneously in an egg, individual frogs show distinct profiles of cluster expression. Xiwi is associated with microtubules and the meiotic spindle, and is localized to the germ plasm—a cytoplasmic determinant of germ cell formation. Xiwi associates with translational regulators in an RNA-dependent manner, but Xenopus tudor interacts with Xiwi independently of RNA. Our study adds insight to piRNA transcription regulation by showing that individual animals can have differential piRNA expression profiles. We suggest that in addition to regulating transposable elements, Xiwi may function in specifying RNA localization in vertebrate oocytes.
Hair Sampling Techniques for River Otters

River otter (Lontra canadensis) populations have been difficult to monitor and information on densities is lacking throughout their range. To obtain DNA-based population estimates of river otters we developed 2 traps to capture hair; a modified body-snare and a modified foot-hold trap. Of 82 traps activated 77 captured hairs (94%). Traps snagged 3–20 guard hairs per capture. Our capture rates of otter hair ranged from one capture per 3.6 trap nights to one capture per 156.6 trap-nights. Our traps provide an effective, noninvasive technique for obtaining hair DNA from individual river otters.
Inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A2 alpha protects against focal ischemic brain damage in mice

It is postulated that inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) alpha (cPLA(2)α) can reduce severity of stroke injury. This is supported by the finding that cPLA(2)α-deficient mice are partially protected from transient, focal cerebral ischemia. The object of this study was to determine the effect of cPLA(2)α inhibition with arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (ATK) on stroke injury in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 1h of focal cerebral ischemia followed by 24 or 72 h of reperfusion. Mice were treated with ATK or vehicle by intermittent intraperitoneal injection or continuous infusion via an implanted infusion pump. ATK injections 1h before and then 1 and 6h after the start of reperfusion significantly reduced infarction volumes in striatum and hemisphere after 24h of reperfusion. ATK did not reduce injury if it was not administered before onset of ischemia or was not administered after 6h of reperfusion. Intermittent doses of ATK failed to reduce infarct volume after 72 h of reperfusion. Continuous infusion with ATK throughout 72h of reperfusion significantly reduced cortical and whole hemispheric infarct volume compared to vehicle treatment. Following ischemia and reperfusion, ATK treatment significantly reduced brain PLA(2) activity. These results are the first to demonstrate a therapeutic effect of cPLA(2)α inhibition on ischemia and reperfusion injury and define a therapeutic time window. cPLA(2)α activity augments injury in the acute and delayed phases of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury. We conclude that cPLA(2)α inhibition may be clinically useful if started before initiation of cerebral ischemia.
Very-Low Voltage (VLV) and VLV Ratio (VLVR) Testing for Quality, Reliability, and Outlier Detection

A new implementation of Very-Low Voltage (VLV) and Minimum Voltage (Min_Vdd) testing, the VLV Ratio test (VLVR) is proposed to improve product quality and reliability by detecting fabrication and test outliers. The VLVR technique was also used to assist in the diagnosis of a stress induced failure mechanism in a 0.13 micron Low Power (LP) CMOS process.
Acute and Chronic Effects of an Adrenergic Beta-Receptor Blocking Agent (Propranolol) in Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias

The effects of intravenous and oral administration of propranolol, an adrenergic beta-receptor blocking agent, have been studied in 29 patients with various cardiac arrhythmias. The ventricular responses in chronic or paroxysmal ectopic supraventricular arrhythmias were decreased at rest or during exercise. Sinus tachycardias were regularly slowed. Two supraventricular tachycardias and one ventricular tachycardia, all consistently precipitated by exogenous stimuli, were prevented. Six instances of digitalis-induced arrhythmias were responsive to treatment. Propranolol, especially when given orally, is of definite value in selected disturbances of cardiac rhythm. Reasonable caution should be exercised, however, because of the risk of precipitation of congestive heart failure or hypotension in patients with limited cardiac reserves.
Bromination of phenothiazine tranquilizers: A method for sensitive and specific detection

Abstract Low concentrations of promazine, acepromazine, and triflupromazine in blood samples from horses are determined by electron capture gas chromatography of their brominated derivatives. The method is specific, rapid, and sensitive.
Chronic Illness Management

This chapter aims to develop directions for health behavior research on the management of chronic illness. As the preceding chapters in this volume richly demonstrate, there has been an impressive structure of investigation within the field of health behavior research, which has elucidated how people feel, believe, and act in regard to their health. Particularly well known are the studies insnired bv the health belief model.
The effect of potential electronic nicotine delivery system regulations on nicotine product selection

Aims To estimate the effect of potential regulations of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among adult smokers, including increasing taxes, reducing flavor availability and adding warning labels communicating various levels of risk. Design We performed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among a national sample of 1200 adult smokers. We examined heterogeneity in policy responses by age, cigarette quitting interest and current ENDS use. Our experiment overlapped January 2015 by design, providing exogenous variation in cigarette quitting interest from New Year resolutions. Setting KnowledgePanel, an online panel of recruited respondents. Participants A total of 1200 adult smokers from the United States. Measurements Hypothetical purchase choice of cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy and a disposable ENDS. Findings Increasing ENDS prices from $3 to $6 was associated with a 13.6 percentage point reduction in ENDS selection (P < 0.001). Restricting flavor availability in ENDS to tobacco and menthol was associated with a 2.1 percentage point reduction in ENDS selection (P < 0.001). The proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning label was associated with a 1.1 percentage point reduction in ENDS selection (P < 0.05) and the MarkTen warning label with a 5.1 percentage point reduction (P < 0.001). We estimated an ENDS price elasticity of −1.8 (P < 0.001) among adult smokers. Statistically significant interaction terms (P < 0.001) imply that price responsiveness was higher among adult smokers 18–24 years of age, smokers who have vaped over the last month and smokers with above the median quitting interest. Young adult smokers were 3.7 percentage points more likely to choose ENDS when multiple flavors were available than older adults (P < 0.001). Young adult smokers and those with above the median cigarette quitting interest were also more likely to reduce cigarette selection and increase ENDS selection in January 2015 (P < 0.001), potentially in response to New Year's resolutions to quit smoking. Conclusions Increased taxes, a proposed US Food and Drug Administration warning label for electronic nicotine delivery systems and a more severe warning label may discourage adult smokers from switching to electronic nicotine delivery systems. Reducing the availability of flavors may reduce ENDS use by young adult smokers.
ICP8 Filament Formation Is Essential for Replication Compartment Formation during Herpes Simplex Virus Infection.

UNLABELLED Herpes simplex virus (HSV) dramatically reorganizes the infected-cell nucleus, leading to the formation of prereplicative sites and replication compartments. This process is driven by the essential viral single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein ICP8, which can form double-helical filaments in the absence of DNA. In this paper, we show that two conserved motifs, FNF (F1142, N1143, and F1144) and FW (F843 and W844), are essential for ICP8 self-interactions, and we propose that the FNF motif docks into the FW region during filament formation. Mammalian expression plasmids bearing mutations in these motifs (FNF and FW) were unable to complement an ICP8-null mutant for growth and replication compartment formation. Furthermore, FNF and FW mutants were able to inhibit wild-type (WT) virus plaque formation and filament formation, whereas a double mutant (FNF-FW) was not. These results suggest that single mutant proteins are incorporated into nonproductive ICP8 filaments, while the double mutant is unable to interact with WT ICP8 and does not interfere with WT growth. Cells transfected with WT ICP8 and the helicase-primase (H/P) complex exhibited punctate nuclear structures that resemble prereplicative sites; however, the FNF and FW mutants failed to do so. Taken together, these results suggest that the FNF and FW motifs are required for ICP8 self-interactions and that these interactions may be important for the formation of prereplicative sites and replication compartments. We propose that filaments or other higher-order structures of ICP8 may provide a scaffold onto which other proteins can be recruited to form prereplicative sites and replication compartments. IMPORTANCE For nuclear viruses such as HSV, efficient DNA replication requires the formation of discrete compartments within the infected-cell nucleus in which replication proteins are concentrated and assembled into the HSV replisome. In this paper, we characterize the role of filament formation by the single-stranded DNA binding protein ICP8 in the formation of prereplicative sites and replication compartments. We propose that ICP8 protein filaments generate a protein scaffold for other cellular and viral proteins, resulting in a structure that concentrates both viral DNA and replication proteins. Replication compartments may be similar to other types of cellular membraneless compartments thought to be formed by phase separations caused by low-affinity, multivalent interactions involving proteins and nucleic acids within cells. ICP8 scaffolds could facilitate the formation of replication compartments by mediating interactions with other components of the replication machinery.
Modeling the Impacts of Reducing Agricultural Water Supplies: Lessons from California’s Bay/Delta Problem

Increasing demand for water by the environment and urban consumers, coupled with the difficulty of developing new water supplies, is forcing farmers in the western United States to cope with reduced surface water deliveries. This chapter presents a methodology for measuring the impacts of water supply reductions on irrigated agriculture. There is an important tradeoff to be addressed in constructing an impact model: the analysis must be sufficiently disaggregated to measure the distributional effects of policy changes that are important in agriculture, and at the same time it must recognize growers’ multidimensional response to changes in surface water availability. Because it is impractical to develop a single impact model incorporating all affected growing regions and all dimensions of grower response, this chapter presents three alternative but complementary impact models and argues that the use of several impact models simultaneously is a promising approach to agricultural policy analysis. The models are applied to the problem of improving water quality in the San Francisco Bay/Delta estuary by reducing diversions of surface water to agriculture. The analysis demonstrates that the cost of improving water quality depends on how the supply reductions are allocated among users and that the costs to agriculture can be dramatically reduced by a water market.
What is Jeopardy

This article analyzes the 2012 case of Blueford v. Arkansas. Blueford was tried for murder for allegedly shaking his girlfriend’s baby to death. He claimed that it was an accident. He was tried for capital murder (death penalty waived), first degree murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide. The jury was told to consider the charges in order of seriousness, beginning with capital murder, and not moving on to first degree murder until it had reached a conclusion on capital murder, etc. After a time the jury announced that it could not reach a verdict. The judge asked the status of the case and the foreman announced that they had unanimously agreed that it was not capital murder or first degree murder but were hung 9-3 for conviction on manslaughter. After further consideration they were still hung and the judge declared a mistrial under “manifest necessity” without further discussing the status of the negotiations. The Court held that it was OK to retry Blueford for capital and first degree murder because, despite the foreman’s announcement, there had been no final resolution of those charges.
Motional effects of trapped atomic or ionic qubits

We investigate theoretical decoherence effects of the motional degrees of freedom of a single trapped atomic/ionic electronically coded qubit. For single bit rotations from a resonant running wave laser field excitation, we found the achievable fidelity to be determined by a single parameter characterized by the motional states. Our quantitative results provide a useful realistic view for current experimental efforts in quantum information and computing.
Mobile devices as interfaces for steering cloud-based high-performance computations

As mobile devices have been steadily overtaking the personal computer as a primary computing platform, mobile applications deliver increasingly complex functionality. Furthermore, for next generation mobile applications to be proactive in their functionality, they need to be able to collect and process massive amounts of context-sensitive information on the fly. Leveraging high-end computing resources offers a promising avenue to address these emerging computational needs of mobile computing, both improving performance and saving battery power. These computational resources can now be conveniently accessed via standardized cloud-based interfaces. However, several research challenges must be addressed to be able to seamlessly use mobile devices as convenient interfaces for steering cloud-based high-performance computations. This position paper presents our view of the research agenda that must be followed to achieve these objectives as well as reports on our initial efforts in this endeavor.
Unusually long duration and delayed penetrance in a family with FTD and mutation in MAPT (V337M)

Mutations in the MAPT gene coding for the tau protein are one of the most common causes of familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In a previously described family with the V337M mutation in MAPT, we now report an affected woman who died at age 92 with a >40 year duration of symptoms, more than three times the mean disease duration in her family (13.8 years). Neuropathology showed the typical findings of a diffuse tauopathy. Conversely, her 67-year-old son with the same mutation remains asymptomatic more than 15 years beyond the mean age of onset in the family (51.5 years). These two cases demonstrate the marked variability in onset and duration of familial FTD and underscore the difficulties of discussing these issues with patients and families. The presumed genetic and environmental factors influencing these parameters remain largely unknown. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.