cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proenzyme Forms of Prostate-Specific Antigen in Serum Improve the Detection of Prostate Cancer

Introduction: Pro or precursor forms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) have emerged as potentially important diagnostic serum markers for prostate cancer detection. Immunoassays were developed to measure specific proPSA forms containing propeptides of 2, 4, and 7 amino acids [(-2)proPSA, (-4)proPSA, and (-7)proPSA, respectively]. Methods: Research-use dual monoclonal antibody immunoassays using europium-labeled detection monoclonal antibodies were developed for each form of proPSA. Sera from patients with prostate cancer or benign prostate disease containing 4–10 μg/L PSA were assayed and analyzed by area under the ROC curve (AUC) for specificity and sensitivity. Results: The proPSA forms had quantification limits of 0.015–0.025 μg/L in serum, with cross-reactivities 40% proPSA, whereas only 8% of noncancer samples did ( P 25% free PSA, the (-2)proPSA had an AUC of 0.77 (0.66–0.86), with 90% sensitivity and 36% specificity at 0.04 μg/L. Conclusions: The percentage of proPSA gave better cancer detection in the 4–10 μg/L range than did percentage of free PSA and complexed PSA. (-2)proPSA significantly discriminated cancer in men whose serum had >25% free PSA, for whom there is currently no good marker for cancer detection.
New Mentzelias (Loasaceae) from the Intermountain Region of Western United States

Abstract Three new species and two new varieties of Mentzelia belonging to the multistemmed subshrub group of section Bartonia are described. Typical of the group, they are narrow endemics occurring in relatively barren clay soils in the Intermountain Region of interior western U.S. Mentzelia tiehmii and Mentzelia argillicola are from Nevada, Mentzelia memorabalis from northern Arizona, Mentzelia multicaulis variety uintahensis from northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado, and Mentzelia multicaulis variety flumensevera from central Utah. Communicating Editor: Aaron Liston
Development of Diagnostic Concentrations for Insecticide Resistance Monitoring in Soybean Looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Using an Artificial Diet Overlay Bioassay

Diagnostic concentrations for several standard and experimental insecticides were determined for a laboratory reference strain of soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), using an insecticide diet overlay bioassay to evaluate the relative susceptibility of field (P) and F1 generations of four field-collected strains of third-, fourth-, and fifth-instar soybean loopers in 1996 and 1997. Diagnostic concentrations were defined as concentrations that killed 90-95% of the susceptible individuals and were 5 ppm for permethrin, 1,300 ppm for thiodicarb, 60 ppm for chlorfenapyr, 5 ppm for emamectin benzoate, and 60 ppm for spinosad. Field strains exhibited significantly greater percentage survival than the laboratory reference strain in the permethrin bioassays in 1996 and 1997 in both the P and F1 generation bioassays and in the thiodicarb bioassays in 1997. Larvae exposed to diagnostic concentrations of the experimental insecticides chlorfenapyr, emamectin benzoate, and spinosad usually did not exhibit significantly higher percentage survival than the reference strain.
Adaptive cruise control system design and its impact on highway traffic flow

This paper deals with the design of new adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems that can improve traffic flow while at the same time ensuring safe operation on today's highways. ACC systems are commonly designed to maintain a constant time-gap (CTG) between vehicles during vehicle-following. In this paper, a new inter-vehicle spacing policy that is a nonlinear function of vehicle speed is developed. The new spacing policy, referred to as a variable time-gap (VTG) policy, leads to stable traffic flow and a higher capacity. Practical advantages of using the new spacing policy are demonstrated through traffic simulations. However, a detailed analysis of safety shows that the traditional CTG policy is superior in several scenarios. The VTG policy is then modified by explicitly taking inter-vehicle relative velocity into account in the definition of desired spacing. The resulting new spacing policy is shown to provide stable traffic flow, a higher capacity and the same level of safety as the CTG policy.
Oral Treatment of Cowpox and Vaccinia Virus Infections in Mice with Ether Lipid Esters of Cidofovir

Four newly synthesized ether lipid esters of cidofovir (CDV), hexadecyloxypropyl-CDV (HDP-CDV), octadecyloxyethyl-CDV (ODE-CDV), oleyloxypropyl-CDV (OLP-CDV), and oleyloxyethyl-CDV (OLE-CDV), were found to have enhanced activities against vaccinia virus (VV) and cowpox virus (CV) in vitro compared to those of CDV. The compounds were administered orally and were evaluated for their efficacies against lethal CV or VV infections in mice. HDP-CDV, ODE-CDV, and OLE-CDV were effective at preventing mortality from CV infection when treatments were initiated 24 h after viral inoculation, but only HDP-CDV and ODE-CDV maintained efficacy when treatments were initiated as late as 72 h postinfection. Oral pretreatment with HDP-CDV and ODE-CDV were also effective when they were given 5, 3, or 1 day prior to inoculation with CV, even when each compound was administered as a single dose. Both HDP-CDV and ODE-CDV were also effective against VV infections when they were administered orally 24 or 48 h after infection. In animals treated with HDP-CDV or ODE-CDV, the titers of both CV and VV in the liver, spleen, and kidney were reduced 3 to 7 log10. In contrast, virus replication in the lungs was not significantly reduced. These data indicate that HDP-CDV or ODE-CDV given orally is as effective as CDV given parenterally for the treatment of experimental CV and VV infections and suggest that these compounds may be useful for the treatment of orthopoxvirus infections in humans.
Suppression of Hidden Order and Emergence of Ferromagnetism in URu2-xRexSi2

Measurements on URu2-xRexSi2 single crystals indicate that substitution of Re for Ru in URu2Si2 reduces the transition temperature of the hidden order state and quickly destroys superconductivity. At intermediate Re concentrations, weak ferromagnetism emerges and non Fermi liquid (NFL) behavior is observed in the low-temperature specific heat and electrical resistivity. A scaled Arrott analysis of the magnetization indicates the onset of ferromagnetism at x =0.15, where the hidden order disappears, and that the quantum phase transition is associated with novel critical exponents.
Role of Nuclear Factor-ĸB in Breast and Colorectal Cancer

The purpose of this review article is to highlight articles and new research regarding the link between NF-ĸB and several cancers. This review presents the most up-to-date NF-ĸB research and how it links this important transcription factor with hematology and oncology. It was written by conducting a thorough search of Pubmed as well as several journals such as Cancer, Nature, Science, Cell and those of one of the authors. The articles relating to the link between NF-ĸB and cancer were used to write this review. The results of this study clarified that there is a critical link between NF-ĸB and cancer. NF-ĸB has often been implicated in a variety of different diseases and it plays a variety of roles in cell survival, differentiation, and proliferation of cells. In cancer, NF-ĸB plays a pivotal role by facilitating oncogenesis as well as metastasis. A thorough understanding of NF-ĸB and its role in cancer can lead to future studies and drug development which could provide a novel option in the treatment of this disease.
Multi-agent Kalman consensus with relative uncertainty

In this paper, we propose discrete-time and continuous-time consensus update schemes motivated by the discrete-time and continuous-time Kalman filters. With certainty information encoded into each agent, the proposed consensus schemes explicitly account for relative confidence/reliability of information states from each agent in the team. We show mild sufficient conditions under which consensus can be achieved using the proposed consensus schemes in the presence of switching interaction topologies.
Functional duality of merlin: A conundrum of proteome complexity

Merlin and ezrin proteins belong to the same gene family, i.e., MERM containing merlin, ezrin radixin and moesin. Members of this family possess an extensive homology in their amino acid sequences. It has been shown that merlin is a tumor suppressor, while ezrin is a promoter in tumor progression. The expression of these two proteins is commonly found inversely proportional to each other in cancer cells, i.e. down-regulation of merlin concomitant with over-expression of ezrin and vice versa. However, when determining merlin and ezrin in ovarian carcinoma cells, we have observed that both merlin and ezrin could be over-expressed simultaneously in some ovarian cancer (OVCA) cell lines and OVCA ascites cells, suggesting that merlin could be an oncoprotein rather than a tumor suppressor protein in certain OVCA cells. The functional duality of merlin might represent a paradigm in proteome complexity and is especially important in investigating multifactorial diseases such as cancer.
Facebook Is an Effective Strategy to Recruit Low-income Women to Online Nutrition Education

Abstract Objective Nutrition education research recruitment expense and effort are substantial; sample selection is crucial for intervention assessment. Effectiveness and cost of Facebook to recruit low-income women to an online nutrition program were examined, including biopsychosocial characteristics of Facebook responders. Methods An ad appeared on the Facebook page of low-income women, 18-45 years old, living in Pennsylvania to invite access to an online nutrition program. Eligible persons completed surveys about food-related behaviors including eating competence, food security, and assistance program use. Results Of 465 people who clicked on the ad, 81 completed the eligibility survey, and 62 were eligible; 52 completed a preprogram survey. Completers were mostly white (79%), overweight/obese (mean body mass index 36.2 ± 12.9), and not eating competent (75%). Low-income status was identified for 75% (n = 39) of completers. Total recruitment cost over 19 days was $596.71. Conclusions and Implications Facebook appears to be an effective tool to recruit low-income women to nutrition education projects.
Experimental study on the mechanical properties of AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy sheets under various loading conditions

In order to fully characterize the plasticity and fracture of magnesium AZ31B-H24 sheets, a set of mechanical experiments (105 in total) were performed under different loading conditions, including monotonic uniaxial tension, notch tension, in-plane uniaxial compression, wide compression (or called biaxial compression), plane strain compression, through-thickness compression, in-plane shear, punch test, and uniaxial compression–tension reverse loading. Both the plastic strain histories and stress responses were obtained under the above loading conditions, which give a comprehensive picture of mechanical behaviors of this material. An orthotropic yield criterion involving two linear anisotropic transformation tensors, CPB06ex2, in conjunction with its associated flow rule, and a modified semi-analytical Sachs isotropic hardening model was fully calibrated to describe both the anisotropy in plastic flow and tension–compression asymmetry in stress–strain behaviors. An all-strain based modified-Mohr–Coulomb fracture model, transformed from a stress triaxiality based model, was applied to describe the calibrated fracture locus. Applying a linear transformation to the plastic strain tensor, a non-conjugated anisotropic equivalent strain was proposed to characterize anisotropic fracture behaviors. Good correlations were achieved between experimental results and model predictions in terms of material yield strengths, strain hardening curves, plastic flow directions and ductile fracture strains.
Nomenclature and Classification, Principles of

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the principles of nomencalture and classification. Nomenclature is a system of names along with the procedures for creating and maintaining that system. Classification is the structure for nomenclature, being the model on which names are arranged. Names form the essential language of biology and are the means that we use to communicate about science. To avoid a Tower of Babel, a common system of nomenclature is required, especially an effective, efficient, system that has a minimal cost. The information that is embedded in nomenclature comes from the classification used. As noted, classifications consist of hierarchically nested groups of taxa, with the basic unit being the taxa ranked as species. Paradigms are theories about scientific knowledge and its organization. The first classifications developed by Linnaeus and Fabricius were largely based on Aristotelian essentialism/typology. Things were grouped together because they shared the essences of the group, which is the type. Later, when evolution was articulated as a paradigm, classifications were based on phylogeny, which is the genealogical hypothesis of relationship. More recently, when computers began to appear, classifications were proposed on the basis of statistical measures of overall or phenetic similarity. Finally, different ways of deciphering phylogeny were developed, and so, different ways of translating phylogenetic information into a hierarchical classification were proposed (phylogenetic vs. cladistic methods). Over the past half-century, much has been written about the relative merits of phenetics, evolutionary systematics, and cladistics, but the inescapable conclusion for predictive and, therefore, maximally informative classifications, is that the cladistic paradigm is mandatory. Schuh provides a good summary of the arguments for cladistic classifications.
Applying institutional theory to the adoption of electronic health records in the U.S.

Institutional forces can explain the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in ambulatory medical practices in the U.S.Prior to U.S. government incentives, mimetic forces had a slightly lesser effect on adoption than normative forces.Coercive forces introduced with the U.S. government incentives/penalties rival normative forces.Normative forces have continually influenced EHR adoption decisions. This study uses institutional theory to explain adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in ambulatory medical practices in the U.S. Health care is a highly institutionalized industry, subject to multiple regulatory forces, high levels of professionalism, and growing network externalities that can influence adoption decisions. We found that mimetic forces were more critical predictors when there was greater uncertainty, coercive forces were significant predictors after the U.S. government established incentives, and normative forces have continually influenced adoption. This study demonstrates the impact of the institutional effect of government policies and industry norms on adoption of critical technologies.
The Precision Medicine Initiative and Pervasive Health Research

In January 2015, President Barack Obama announced the formation of the Precision Medicine Initiative. The initiative plans to assemble a massive cohort of over one million US residents, followed longitudinally, using mobile and pervasive technologies as one data gathering methodology. Establishing such an unusual research cohort creates new opportunities and challenges in mobile and pervasive health research.
Literary History, a “Usable Past,” and Space

Literary histories are paradoxically among the most disregarded and influential of books. Except for some of the writers and editors, hardly anyone reads them cover to cover, yet at one time or another everyone connected with literature consults them. Of books on a shelf, literary histories usually remain untouched the longest; and this because they express the "Tradition" (with a capital "T"), which we invariably assimilate mainly by reading over the years reading, however, again largely shaped by said "Tradition." Such books, in short, are frequently neglected and overlooked, but they are nonetheless important volumes, for, more than other types of literary works, they establish the accepted parameters of a literature. Whether we subscribe to the idea explicitly or not, most students of literature in practice adhere to Van Wyck Brooks's view that in establishing a literary "Tradition" we should aim to create a "usable past." Where differences arise is in determining usefulness; and because I understand that presently there are several moves afoot to rewrite the literary history of the United States, I would like to make several observations that should be taken into account in these or other such future endeavors.
VISUAL ACUITY DEVELOPMENT IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN WITH RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

The Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity (CRYO-ROP) study is a multicenter study involving 23 centers and more than 100 physicians and study center coordinators throughout the United States. The goal of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of retinal ablative cryotherapy for the prevention of retinal detachment and blindness in infants with severe ROP. More than 4, 000 infants with birth weights <1251 grams were enrolled in the natural history portion of the study between January 1986 and November 1987. Approximately two-thirds of the infants developed ROP and one-third did not. Two hundred ninety-one infants developed severe ROP and were enrolled in the randomized trial of cryotherapy. All infants in the randomized trial and more than 1, 000 of the remaining infants in the natural history part of the study had retinal status evaluated at ages 3 months and 1 year using fundus photographs, and at 3 months, 1, 2, 31/2, 41/2, and 51/2 years by physician's examination of the posterior pole of the retina. Visual acuity was evaluated using the Teller acuity card procedure at ages 1, 2, 31/2, 41/2, and 51/2 years, using the crowded HOTV letter acuity chart or cards at 31/2 and 41/2 years, and using the ETDRS logMAR letter acuity charts at 51/2 years. Testing was with optical correction, if needed.This paper describes visual acuity results from children who were participants in the CRYO-ROP study. The first section presents data from the large number of children in the natural history cohort, showing that the development of grating visual acuity depends on the severity of cicatricial ROP (e. g., abnormally straightened temporal retinal blood vessels, macular ectopia, retinal fold or detachment). The second part presents at comparison of grating acuity results with HOTV letter acuity results collected a ages 31/2 and 41/2 years from children in the natural history portion of the study. The final section presents results for grating acuity, HOTV letter acuity, and ETDRS letter acuity testing conducted at ages 1, 31/2 and 51/2 years, respectively, in eyes that underwent cryotherapy for severe ROP, as compared with eyes that had severe ROP but did not undergo cryotherapy. Data at all three ages were consistent in showing a clear benefit of cryotherapy in preserving visual function. However, the data also indicated that eyes in which cryotherapy has prevented blindness often do not develop visual acuity that is within the normal range when a child reaches 31/2 to 51/2 years of age.
Posterior fossa giant tumefactive perivascular spaces: 8-year follow-up in an adolescent

Background Cystic masses in the posterior fossa are ominous appearing lesions with broad differential diagnosis. Giant tumefactive perivascular spaces (GTPS) are rarely occurring pathological findings in the posterior fossa with unclear etiology and ill-defined long-term prognosis. Case description We present a case of a 15-year-old male diagnosed with posterior fossa GTPS. The patient remained asymptomatic during the 8-year follow-up after diagnosis with the serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing no change in the size and morphology of the lesion. Conclusion This case supports prior literature on supratentorial GTPS suggesting that the natural history of GTPS is mostly benign. Identification of GTPS in the posterior fossa could prevent the patient from unnecessary surgery or other aggressive treatment modalities.
Sex Role Portrayals in Advertising

Are women and men critical of the way they are shown in ads, and how does this affect their attitudes toward products?
Simulative Research of On-Line Fault Location for 35 kV Power Cable

Using 35kV XLPE power cable as the prototype,a model of 35kV power cable system is built by electromagnetic simulation tool PSCAD/EMTDC. With this model the simulations of fault current waveforms under various neutral grounding modes are performed. Simulation results show that the power cable system with neutral non-effective grounding can also produce effective fault traveling wave. The authors analyze the factors affecting fault allocation accuracy of power cable. By use of local modulus maxima method in wavelet transform,the break point of fault traveling wave is detected. By means of the built power cable system the multi-kinds of fault conditions are simulated and fault point locations are calculated to validate the feasibility of applying traveling wave method to on-line fault location,in addition,some suggestions for practical application of one-and two-terminal fault location algorithms are proposed.
The Sustainability of the Current RMB Exchange Rate Regime: An Analysis Based on the Hypothesis of"Vanishing Intermediary Exchange Rate Regime"

The hypothesis of"vanishing intermediary exchange rate regime"has been used by the main stream of economics to justify the exchange rate regime selection for developing countries.The hypothesis suggests that developing countries should adopt the"corner solution"of exchange regime.This paper analyzes the sustainability of China's current exchange regime by focusing on the feasibility of"corner solution"in China and concludes that it is infeasible for China under the circumstance of low level of monetary policy implementation,the economic structural adjustment,employment pressure and the imperfect financial system.The current exchange rate regime of "soft pegging"to dollar is the best choice for China both currently and in the near future.
Securing Marketing Support from Channel Members: Insights from an Empirical Study

How can manufacturers foster middlemen cooperation and marketing support for their products? This paper presents empirical findings from the U.S. automobile channel to help us address this question. We argue that the key is to develop marketing programs that in turn make support financially desirable for middlemen. We explore, in the car industry, how different manufacturer strategies affect dealer profits and reactions, and how these effects vary with dealer characteristics.
George Urdang Medal remarks.

L'A. decrit l'histoire de la pharmacie et du developpement de l'industrie pharmaceutique en Russie au XX e siecle
Modeling the physiological state of the inoculum and CO2 atmosphere on the lag phase and growth rate of Listeria monocytogenes.

In previous studies, the growth of L. monocytogenes has been modeled under different CO2 headspace concentrations; however, the inoculum cells were always in the stationary phase. In this study, the growth of L. monocytogenes under different CO2 concentrations as affected by the physiological state of the cells was investigated. Exponential-growth-phase, stationary-phase, dried, and starved cells were prepared and inoculated at 5°C into brain heart infusion broths that had been preequilibrated under atmospheres of 0, 20, 40, 60, or 80% CO2 (the balance was N2). Lag-phase duration times (LDTs) and exponential growth rates were determined by enumerating cells at appropriate time intervals and by fitting the data to a three-phase linear function that has a lag period before the initiation of exponential growth. Longer LDTs were observed as the CO2 concentration increased, with no growth observed at 80% CO2. For example, the LDTs for exponential-phase, stationary-phase, starved, and dried cells were 2.21, 8.2...
Do religiosity and spirituality really matter for social, mental, and physical health?: A tale of two samples

ABSTRACTSome prior research has found that religiosity and spirituality can be related to health. However, the relationships are inconsistent, measures of religiosity and spirituality are often problematic and conflated with the health outcomes they are supposed to predict, and very little research on this topic specifies which aspects of health supposedly benefit from religiosity and spirituality. Using two sets of survey data (Sample 1 N = 347; Sample 2 N = 404), we examined whether religiosity and spirituality had direct or indirect effects on physical, mental, and/or social health. We found that spirituality, when conceptualized as belief and experience of the supernatural, had no direct or indirect effect on physical, mental, or social health. Religiosity had a small but significant direct effect on social health in one sample but not the other. We consider our findings in relation to religious privileging in the United States and how proreligious biases can lead to health inequalities.
Unternehmensführung und ihr Verhältnis zur F&E

Der neue Vorstandsvorsitzende des Unternehmens Intercontinental AG zitiert gerne von Clausewitz: „Es ist also nach unserer Einteilung die Taktik die Lehre vom Gebrauch der Streitkrafte im Gefecht, die Strategie die Lehre vom Gebrauch der Gefechte zum Zweck des Krieges“13.
3-D In-Bi-Sn Electrodes for Lab-on-PCB Cell Sorting

We present a microfluidic lab-on-printed circuit board (PCB) device containing alloy vertical electrodes for sorting microparticles using dielectrophoresis. The device consists of a hydrodynamic prefocuser and an electronic sorting region. Lining the two sidewalls of the electronic sorting region are regularly spaced rectangular metal electrodes reaching from the floor to the ceiling of the flow channel that bridge electric field lines laterally across the channel. The size and distribution of these vertical electrodes are arranged asymmetrically such that the resultant electric field forms sharp electric field gradients across the channel; specific geometries were optimized using finite element methods. Particles entering the device are initially focused on a single stream as they pass through the prefocuser. Subsequently, they are exposed to the lateral electric field gradient and separate into streams based on their size and dielectric properties. Validation was performed by dielectrophoretically separating live cells from dead cells. Importantly, the system presented can be readily integrated with various external sensors and actuators using commercially available components owing to the device’s integration into a PCB.
The biology and function of fibroblasts in cancer

Cancer is associated with fibroblasts at all stages of disease progression. This Review discusses the pleiotropic actions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on tumour cells and postulates that they are likely to be a heterogeneous and plastic population of cells in the tumour microenvironment. Among all cells, fibroblasts could be considered the cockroaches of the human body. They survive severe stress that is usually lethal to all other cells, and they are the only normal cell type that can be live-cultured from post-mortem and decaying tissue. Their resilient adaptation may reside in their intrinsic survival programmes and cellular plasticity. Cancer is associated with fibroblasts at all stages of disease progression, including metastasis, and they are a considerable component of the general host response to tissue damage caused by cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) become synthetic machines that produce many different tumour components. CAFs have a role in creating extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and metabolic and immune reprogramming of the tumour microenvironment with an impact on adaptive resistance to chemotherapy. The pleiotropic actions of CAFs on tumour cells are probably reflective of them being a heterogeneous and plastic population with context-dependent influence on cancer.
Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Pathophysiology of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a neurovascular complication of diabetes and is the leading cause of new cases of legal blindness in the United States. Diabetic retinopathy may become the leading cause of visual impairment globally, including low-income and middle-income countries. Some risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include long duration of diabetes mellitus, poor glycemic control, uncontrolled hypertension, obesity, ethnicity (e.g., higher risk in South Asians and Hispanics vs. whites), low socioeconomic status, and genetic risk factors. The pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy is complex and involves oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which result in microvascular and neuronal dysfunction. Neuronal dysfunction precedes the clinically observable microvascular complications of microaneurysms, hemorrhage, retinal edema, vascular occlusion, venous beading and loops, retinal neovascularization, vitreous hemorrhage, and fibrovascular proliferation with retinal detachment. A number of cytokines play important roles in disease pathogenesis including vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1b. In model systems, some of the inflammatory mediators remain elevated even after blood glucose is normalized, which may explain the clinical observation that diabetic retinopathy can remain active even when blood glucose is controlled. As the pathophysiology of the disease is better defined, more disease targets will be identified for drug development.
Non-Depot ACTH for Infantile Spasms

The effects and side-effects of non-depot ACTH therapy in 18 children with infantile spasms are reported from the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
A MMIC 2.4 GHz transmitter and 5.78 GHz receiver for wireless LAN applications

Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) technology using GaAs offer high performance and very low cost for the production of Wireless-LAN IC components. This paper reports the development of a 2.4 GHz transmitter and a 5.78 GHz receiver. The transmitter upconverts a 360 MHz frequency, applying a gain of 50 dB, with 24 dBm output. The receiver downconverts to 180 MHz and has 50 dB gain and a 4 dB noise figure (NF).
Expression of Alternatively-Spliced Human Tissue Factor, but Not Full-Length Tissue Factor, Enhances Tumor Growth and Tumor-Associated Vasculature.

Abstract It is well-established that cancer is associated with activation of the blood coagulation system, with associated thrombosis as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Increased expression of Tissue Factor (TF) by cancer cells correlates with a more aggressive grade and clinical course. It is widely presumed that activation of coagulation facilitates cancer growth, and in mouse models, anticoagulation can reduce development of lung metastases. Yet primary tumors are not reduced in a fibrinogen knock-out mouse host, and most importantly, anticoagulation has not been shown to reduce tumor growth in cancer patients. We therefore studied the effect of expression of full-length Tissue Factor (FLTF) and alternatively-spliced human Tissue Factor (asHTF) in a mouse model of human pancreatic cancer. Due to the loss of exon 5, asHTF has a truncated extracellular domain with incomplete procoagulant activity. And due to a frame shift, exon 6 does not code for the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail of FLTF, but codes for a novel peptide sequence. asHTF is soluble and of unknown function. We show that 5 of 6 human pancreatic cancer cell lines tested expressed both FLTF as well as asHTF. The MiaPaca-2 line did not express detectable mRNA or protein of either TF isoform. We generated mammalian expression vectors for both FLTF and asHTF, and established Miapaca-2 clones, stably expressing FLTF, asHTF, or control clones with an empty vector. As anticipated, conditioned media from all FLTF clones shortened the whole blood clotting times by approximately 75%. Conditioned media from control cells and asHTF expressing cells had no effect on clotting times. To evaluate the effect of the TF isoforms on primary tumor growth, 5 X 106 cells from three independent clones of stably transfected clones of FLTF, asHTF, or control clones were injected into the flanks of nude mice (4 mice per clone). At 31 days, the mice were sacrificed and tumor mass measured. Tumors grew in 10 of 12 control mice, but were small (mean tumors 90 mg, SEM 21 mg). Interestingly, FLTF was associated with reduced primary tumor growth; only 4 of 12 developed measurable tumors (mean tumors 10 mg, SEM 4 mg, p = 0.002). In contrast, asHTF expression was associated with enhanced tumor growth; 12 of 12 animals developed tumors (mean tumors 390 mg, SEM 102 mg, p=0.018). In animals with asHTF expressing tumors, circulating asHTF protein was observed in the plasma. The asHTF tumors had increased vascular density compared with controls, suggesting a role of asHTF promoting angiogenesis. In contrast to the prevailing paradigm, our data suggest that FLTF, with procoagulant activity, not only fails to promote primary tumor growth, but may actually inhibit tumor growth. In contrast, asHTF, may be the more important TF isoform in the enhancement of tumor growth.
Plant Community Composition After 75 Yr of Sustained Grazing Intensity Treatments in Shortgrass Steppe

Abstract Plant community responses to livestock grazing lack conformity across studies, even those conducted within similar ecosystems. Variability in outcomes can often be traced back to short-term or mid-term weather patterns, differences in grazing timing or intensity, or interactive effects of management and weather. Long-term experimental data are needed to determine how grazing intensity affects plant community composition in semiarid ecosystems where precipitation is low and highly variable. However, long-term grazing intensity experiments, particularly experiments with more than two grazing intensity treatment levels, are quite rare. We capitalized on one of the longest-term grazing studies, with 75 yr of sustained stocking rate treatments (none, light, moderate, and heavy), to identify long-term effects of livestock grazing on plant community composition in shortgrass steppe. Plant community composition was similar between moderately and heavily grazed pastures after 75 yr of continuous, season-long (May to October) grazing treatments, and heavy grazing did not extirpate cool-season perennial graminoids. These findings support the long-term sustainability of livestock grazing in the shortgrass steppe, which has high resistance to season-long heavy grazing. Conversely, ungrazed and lightly grazed pastures experienced relatively large shifts in plant community composition, especially in the past 25 yr. Light or no grazing was associated with increased abundance of cool-season perennial graminoids, as well as several weedy and invasive species. Moreover, across most grazing treatments, several aspects of plant community composition have been shifting directionally during the past 25 yr, which recent experiments in this grassland suggest may be a response to increasing atmospheric (CO2). The shortgrass steppe is not only tolerant of fairly high grazing intensities but also likely requires some level of grazing to resist invasion by weedy annuals and to maintain cover of blue grama, a highly drought-tolerant species.
Spatial Organization of Transcription in E. Coli using Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Transcription, the process of converting genetic information stored in DNA to RNA, lies at the heart of gene expression. Transcription has been studied extensively in-vitro to probe its mechanistic detail, however, these conditions differ from the complex environment inside a living cell. Spatial distributions of molecular components have recently been shown to be an important facet of gene regulation in prokaryotic systems. We investigated the spatial distributions of various molecular components of transcription in E. coli (genes, RNA Polymerase (RNAP), elongation factors, nascent transcripts), and their physical correlation with each other, to gain insight into the regulation of gene expression at the global, cellular level. Previously, it has been shown that E. coli RNAP form a few clusters per cell under fast growth. We used super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to investigate RNAP distribution under various growth conditions to better characterize their spatial patterns. We found that RNAP forms distinct clusters under fast growth that are largely retained in cells put under different global transcription regimes (i.e. stringent response, inhibition of gyrase). RNAP clusters are the most homogeneously distributed in cells without active transcription via rifampicin treatment. Additionally, we used multi-color super-resolution imaging to correlate the spatial localization of RNAP clusters with DNA sites, nascent rRNA and elongation factor NusA to further elucidate the underlying make-up of RNAP clusters. Our results show that RNAP clusters are highly co-localized with NusA, thus are likely composed of elongation complexes. Interestingly, while RNAP clusters have a relatively high level of colocalization with nascent rRNA, and rrn DNA sites in fast growing cells, RNAP clusters are retained under conditions where the level of rRNA synthesis is reduced (SHX, deletion of rrn), this indicates a connection between rRNA synthesis and RNAP clusters, but also points to the independence of formation of RNAP clusters from active rRNA synthesis.
Tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl]methyl metal complexes, [TismPriBenz]M: a new class of metallacarbatranes, isomerization to a tris(N-heterocyclic carbene) derivative, and evidence for an inverted ligand field

The tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl]methyl ligand, [TismPriBenz], has been employed to form carbatrane compounds of both the main group metals and transition metals, namely [TismPriBenz]Li, [TismPriBenz]MgMe, [TismPriBenz]Cu and [TismPriBenz]NiBr. In addition to the formation of atranes, a zinc compound that exhibits κ3-coordination, namely [κ3-TismPriBenz]ZnMe, has also been obtained. Furthermore, the [TismPriBenz] ligand may undergo a thermally induced rearrangement to afford a novel tripodal tris(N-heterocyclic carbene) variant, as shown by the conversion of [TismPriBenz]Cu to [κ4-C4-TismPriBenz*]Cu. The transannular M–C bond lengths in the atrane compounds are 0.19–0.32 A longer than the sum of the respective covalent radii, which is consistent with a bonding description that features a formally zwitterionic component. Interestingly, computational studies demonstrate that the Cu–Catrane interactions in [TismPriBenz]Cu and [κ4-C4-TismPriBenz*]Cu are characterized by an “inverted ligand field”, in which the occupied antibonding orbitals are localized more on carbon than on copper.
Covering Mass Shootings: Journalists’ perceptions of coverage and factors influencing attitudes

Using data from a national survey of US newspaper journalists (N = 1318), this study examines attitudes toward news coverage of mass shootings. Following Shoemaker and Reese’s hierarchical model, the analysis also considers how individual characteristics, journalistic practices, and organizational factors influence these attitudes. Participants generally agreed that coverage had become routine. Journalists were largely supportive of coverage of perpetrators and were ambivalent about acknowledging a relationship between media coverage and a contagion, or “copycat,” effect. A participant’s age was generally the strongest predictor of attitudes toward media reporting on mass shootings. Findings also indicate differences in attitude according to job title, role perception, and whether or not a journalist had covered a mass shooting. A majority of respondents appeared to favor traditional, “neutral” approaches to coverage of mass shootings; however, journalists also wanted to see more comprehensive reporting, ...
Associations between lobster phyllosoma and gelatinous zooplankton in relation to oceanographic properties in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Lobster phyllosoma are known to associate with large cnidarian medusae; however, direct quantitative observations are difficult because gelatinous zooplankton are extremely fragile, and the phyllosoma easily detach from their host when sampled by plankton nets. We provide the first large scale quantitative information of the distribution of this association using an in situ imaging system, with synoptic measurements of water column properties. All phyllosoma were identified as slipper lobsters (Scyllarus chacei) and were associated with previously unreported “hosts” such as small hydromedusae, doliolids, and siphonophores in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Along the shelf, phyllosoma were more likely to be present at greater depths and higher salinities. Approximately 30% of the 347 lobster phyllosoma imaged were attached to at least one gelatinous organism, and salinity and depth were positively related to the probability of attachment on 30 October, but did not show a significant relationship for the other days of sampling. Many of the phyllosoma were larger than the gelatinous organisms to which they were attached, and some gelatinous zooplankton showed damage likely from feeding by the phyllosoma. In this coastal environment, gelatinous zooplankton tended to be more abundant in the same offshore region where phyllosoma occurred, so these gelatinous “hosts” may provide a steady food supply in the more oligotrophic waters on the outer shelf. Similar complex interactions among zooplankton may influence the life histories of other species, hindering our ability to forecast ecosystem level processes until the population level consequences of species interactions are fully understood.
Benefits and Harms of Plant-Based Cannabis for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review

Background Cannabis is available from medical dispensaries for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in many states of the union, yet its efficacy in treating PTSD symptoms remains uncertain. Purpose To identify ongoing studies and review existing evidence regarding the benefits and harms of plant-based cannabis preparations in treating PTSD in adults. Data sources MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and other sources from database inception to March 2017. Study selection English-language systematic reviews, trials, and observational studies with a control group that reported PTSD symptoms and adverse effects of plant-based cannabis use in adults with PTSD. Data extraction Study data extracted by 1 investigator was checked by a second reviewer; 2 reviewers independently assessed study quality, and the investigator group graded the overall strength of evidence by using standard criteria. Data synthesis Two systematic reviews, 3 observational studies, and no randomized trials were found. The systematic reviews reported insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about benefits and harms. The observational studies found that compared with nonuse, cannabis did not reduce PTSD symptoms. Studies had medium and high risk of bias, and overall evidence was judged insufficient. Two randomized trials and 6 other studies examining outcomes of cannabis use in patients with PTSD are ongoing and are expected to be completed within 3 years. Limitation Very scant evidence with medium to high risk of bias. Conclusion Evidence is insufficient to draw conclusions about the benefits and harms of plant-based cannabis preparations in patients with PTSD, but several ongoing studies may soon provide important results. Primary funding source U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. (PROSPERO: CRD42016033623).
Porous Silicon Photonics at Unity Confinement Factors for Biosensing Applications

We report a porous silicon photonics platform that addresses the evanescent limitations of guided wave surface adlayer biosensors. Devices are realized through an inverse fabrication process and ultra-high sensitivity to small molecule adlayers is demonstrated.
Technical Note—An Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to Estimate the Parameters of the Markov Chain Choice Model

We develop an expectation-maximization algorithm to estimate the parameters of the Markov chain choice model. In this choice model, a customer arrives into the system to purchase a certain product....
A 3-player zero-sum differential game

In this paper a zero-sum pursuit-evasion differential game involving three players is considered. How game play changes when a third defending player assists the evader by intercepting the pursuer is analyzed. Specifically, the game in the state-space region where capture of the evader by the faster pursuer is nevertheless preordained is addressed by evaluating the performance of heuristic strategies.
Self-Esteem and the Extended Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The self may be viewed as a collection of symbols created within a social framework, a collection that has some inherent fluidity (cf. Baumeister, 1991; Wicklund & Gollwitzer, 1982). The fluidity of the self may be seen as following from its ability to assimilate symbols from the social environment and add to the self-definition as required by social feedback, as well as from its ability to adjust and perhaps delete symbols as they become unworkable. Of particular importance for global self-esteem is the subset of self-symbols pertaining to “important things I do well,” i.e., the performance domain of the self (James, 1890; Rosenberg, 1979) (but for a discussion of possible cross-cultural differences, see also Markus & Kitayama, 1991). Importantly, the performance domain of the self may undergo adjustment in relation to the performance of close others through a series of processes described by the self-evaluation maintenance (SEM) model (Tesser, 1988). SEM processes can therefore be seen as being directly involved in the manipulation of the fundamental building blocks of global self-esteem, particularly as it relates to changes in self-definition.
Speech Recognition and Production by Machines

The fields of speech recognition and speech production (text-to-speech) have made great progress since the early 1990s. The technologies are now at the point of becoming commercially viable, and a number of products are currently available. The early years of the twenty-first century should see a marked increase in the proliferation of these technologies into consumer products. Progress in both technologies has been characterized by rapid incremental improvement rather than any theoretical breakthroughs. Both technologies are based on stochastic models and have benefited greatly from increased computing and data resources. This article explains the techniques used and present performance data for current state-of-the-art systems. It concentrates on the basic speech-to-text and text-to-speech mechanisms, and does not address natural language understanding or generation.