cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Properties of Al Thin Films as Measured by Bulge Testing

Free-standing rectangular Al thin films have been fabricated using sputter deposition and standard micromachining techniques. Mechanical properties and residual stresses of both asdeposited and annealed Al films were measured by bulge testing. The films were loaded into the plastic deformation regime, and then unloaded and reloaded several times. The pressure and deflection of the thin films were recorded and used to generate stress-strain curves. The planestrain elastic modulus, flow stress and plastic behavior of the Al thin films were used to characterize the mechanical response of these films. The Al films were measured to have a plane-strain modulus that is slightly lower than the literature values for a {111} textured film. The Von-Mises equivalent yield stress was measured to be higher in the annealed films but much more significant strain hardening was observed in the as-deposited films. A plastic hysteresis was observed on unloading and reloading stress-strain curves of the as-deposited Al films but not the annealed films.
Carbon Accumulation on Target Surfaces Irradiated by Protons

We show that the observed beam spot consists of accumulated carbon. The accumulation is the same on the front and back surface of a thin target, and is proportional to the bombardment time at current densities greater than ? 2?A/cm2. In our energy range of investigation (100-300 keV), the accumulation rate is independent of energy, but does vary with the temperature of the target. For targets at ? 15°C, the accumulation rate for an oil diffusion pumped target chamber is ? 2?g/cm2-hr or 2A/min, which corresponds to a retention of one carbon atom per incident proton. Cooling a shield surrounding the target, or heating the target to 150°C, reduces this accumulation rate by an order of magnitude.
Antibody Response to Achromobacter xylosoxidans during HIV Infection Is Associated with Lower CD4 Levels and Increased Lymphocyte Activation

Inflammation during HIV infection is associated with worse disease outcomes and progression. Many mechanisms have been indicted, including HIV itself, coinfections, and gut microbial translocation. Concerning microbial translocation, we hypothesized that adaptive immune responses to a specific bacterial species known to be present in gut-associated lymphoid tissue are higher among HIV-infected individuals than among HIV-uninfected controls and are associated with T cell activation and lower CD4 T cell counts. By characterizing the IgG response to Achromobacter xylosoxidans, we found that HIV-infected participants who were immunoresponsive (n = 48) had significantly lower CD4 percentages (P = 0.01), greater CD4 activation (percentages of RA(-) CD38(+)) (P = 0.03), and higher soluble CD14 (P = 0.01). HIV-positive individuals had higher anti-A. xylosoxidans IgG titers than HIV-uninfected individuals (P = 0.04). The results suggest an abnormal adaptive immune activation to gut microflora during HIV infection.
Antidepressant monotherapy for bipolar type II major depression.

Objectives: Bipolar type II (BP II) disorder is thought to be distinct from BP I disorder on genetic and biological grounds, and it is not merely a milder form of the illness. It affects 1.5–2.5% of the US adult population, and is characterized by highly recurrent depressive episodes with a substantial morbidity from alcoholism and non-affective psychopathology, and a higher suicide rate than either BP I or unipolar depression. Treatment recommendations for BP II depression are based upon concerns over drug-induced manic-switch episodes, and suggest using either a mood stabilizer alone or a combination of an SSRI plus a mood stabilizer. Recent evidence, however, indicates that the rate of manic switch episodes may be modest in BP II patients. Recent studies have provided evidence that antidepressant monotherapy may be an effective initial and long-term treatment for BP II major depression with a low manic-switch rate. Methods: In this article, we review the recent literature on BP II disorder, with a focus on the treatment of BP II major depression. Results: We present a summary of data from recent studies by our group and others indicating that antidepressant monotherapy for BP II depression may be safe and effective with a low manic-switch rate. Conclusion: Antidepressant monotherapy may be beneficial for some patients with BP II major depression.
A multiblock Navier–Stokes algorithm using equal-order quadratic finite elements

A new multiblock pressure-based finite element algorithm has been developed. This methodology implements quadratic interpolation for both the elemental velocity and pressure fields. A direct streamline upwinding scheme previously developedby the authors is used to model the non-linear inertia effects. Details of the algorithm and its multiblock foundation are provided along with validating test cases. The results presented clearly demonstrate the accuracy of this new approach and the differences in the pressure field for an element using quadratic versus the traditional bi linear approximation of the pressure field.
Thymic hyperplasia in a child treated with growth hormone.

Abstract Objective To report a case of thymic hyperplasia diagnosed three months after initiation of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of GH deficiency. Design Retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate the temporal relationship between treatment with GH and thymic enlargement in a 7-year-old girl who had a history of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the nasopharynx diagnosed at the age of 3 years. Results The diagnosis of GH deficiency was made based on clinical and auxological criteria, an insufficient response to clonidine–arginine stimulation testing (peak GH level of 4.8μg/L) and low insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level (30ng/mL, −2.7 SD). The patient was started on GH at a dose of 0.3mg/kg/week. At the initiation of treatment with GH, the baseline growth velocity was 0.8cm/year (−6.0 SD) and height was 112.5cm (−1.7 SD). After three months of treatment with GH, her height increased by 4.2cm (from −1.7 to −1.2 SD), and the IGF-1 level from −2.7 SD to −1.1 SD. A chest CT performed at that time for recurrence surveillance showed 89% increase in thymic volume relative to previous scan before treatment with growth hormone. A thoracoscopic biopsy of the thymus was performed and revealed hyperplasia with normal thymic architecture without evidence of malignancy. Conclusions The timing of the development of thymic hyperplasia, along with data from in vitro and in vivo animal studies showing that GH and IGF-1 can directly stimulate growth of the thymus, suggests that GH contributed to the development of thymic hyperplasia in this patient.
Studies in hypertensive heart disease

Abstract An impressive body of evidence points to myocardial anoxemia and ischemia as the probable causes of angina pectoris. Coronary insufficiency is now regarded as the major cause of such ischemia. The importance of aortic insufficiency, thyrotoxicosis, and anemia, as predisposing factors, has been stressed. From an analysis of the anatomic observations in a group of cases of angina pectoris associated with hypertension and a group without hypertension, it appears that other factors, not yet emphasized in the literature, play a role in the production of the anginal syndrome in cases of essential hypertension. The significance of these factors is discussed in the present communication. The anatomic basis of angina pectoris, as disclosed by the very exact injection-dissection techique of Schlesinger, 1 has been described else-where. In the present study, routine autopsy protocols were used; admittedly, this method yields data which are less reliable than those made available by the above-mentioned technique. They have the advantage, however, of making possible a study of a much larger series of cases.
Endocarditis in Six Horses

Six horses (five males) aged three months to fourteen years had endocarditis at necropsy. Two of the horses had a clinical diagnosis of valvular endocarditis with negative blood cultures. Single or complex valvular involvement was present in five horses. One horse had non-infectious thrombi associated only with the chordae tendineae. Mitral valves were affected in four horses, and aortic semilunar valves were affected in two. Infarcts had occurred in the kidneys and the myocardium of four horses. Bacteria were isolated postmortem from the valvular vegetations of two horses; Candida parapsilosis was isolated and demonstrated morphologically in a third horse.
Stochastic dynamics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics of a bistable chemical system: the Schlögl model revisited

Schlogl's model is the canonical example of a chemical reaction system that exhibits bistability. Because the biological examples of bistability and switching behaviour are increasingly numerous, this paper presents an integrated deterministic, stochastic and thermodynamic analysis of the model. After a brief review of the deterministic and stochastic modelling frameworks, the concepts of chemical and mathematical detailed balances are discussed and non-equilibrium conditions are shown to be necessary for bistability. Thermodynamic quantities such as the flux, chemical potential and entropy production rate are defined and compared across the two models. In the bistable region, the stochastic model exhibits an exchange of the global stability between the two stable states under changes in the pump parameters and volume size. The stochastic entropy production rate shows a sharp transition that mirrors this exchange. A new hybrid model that includes continuous diffusion and discrete jumps is suggested to deal with the multiscale dynamics of the bistable system. Accurate approximations of the exponentially small eigenvalue associated with the time scale of this switching and the full time-dependent solution are calculated using Matlab. A breakdown of previously known asymptotic approximations on small volume scales is observed through comparison with these and Monte Carlo results. Finally, in the appendix section is an illustration of how the diffusion approximation of the chemical master equation can fail to represent correctly the mesoscopically interesting steady-state behaviour of the system.
EnviroTrack: towards an environmental computing paradigm for distributed sensor networks

Distributed sensor networks are quickly gaining recognition as viable embedded computing platforms. Current techniques for programming sensor networks are cumbersome, inflexible, and low-level. We introduce EnviroTrack, an object-based distributed middleware system that raises the level of programming abstraction by providing a convenient and powerful interface to the application developer geared towards tracking the physical environment. EnviroTrack is novel in its seamless integration of objects that live in physical time and space into the computational environment of the application. Performance results demonstrate the ability of the middleware to track realistic targets.
Large-scale recombinant adeno-associated virus production

Since recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) was first described as a potential mammalian cell transducing system, frequent reports purportedly solving the problems of scalable production have appeared. Yet few of these processes have enabled the development of robust and economical rAAV production. Two production platforms have emerged that have gained broad support for producing both research and clinical grade vectors. These processes differ fundamentally in several aspects. One approach is based on adherent mammalian cells and uses optimized chemical transient transfection for introducing the essential genetic components into the cells. The other approach utilizes suspension cultures of invertebrate cells. Baculovirus expression vectors are used for introducing the AAV genes into the cells. In addition, the baculovirus provides the helper functions necessary for efficient AAV DNA replication. The use of suspension cell culture provides an intrinsically more scalable platform system than using adherent cells. The upstream processes for suspension cultures are amenable for automation and are easily monitored and regulated to maintain optimum conditions that produce consistent yields of rAAV. Issues relating to developing new and improving existing rAAV production methods are discussed.
High gray whale relative abundances associated with an oceanographic front in the south-central Chukchi Sea

We describe gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) distribution in the south-central Chukchi Sea in relation to environmental factors during two 5-day surveys in June and September of 2003. Whale counts per 10-min scan (an index of relative abundance) ranged from 0 to 41 in June and from 0 to 28 in September. CTD data showed an ocean front around 67.81N with strong horizontal gradients in temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a concentration and water-column stability. Highest whale abundance indices occurred in or near the front in both periods. Preliminary qualitative assessment of biological communities in the study area suggests that infaunal clams, echinoderms, euphausids, chaetognaths and Arctic cod were common, while ampeliscid amphipods, the previously abundant infauna (and likely prey) in the nearby Chirikov Basin feeding area, were not dominant. Euphausids may be a prey for gray whales in this area. We suggest that frontal systems may play an important role in eastern North Pacific gray whale foraging grounds. Further study is needed to fully describe the role of frontal systems in gray whale foraging grounds. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An Investigation of the Action of Ouabain on the Sodium Efflux in Barnacle Muscle Fibres

Measurements of radiosodium efflux were carried out on single fibres from the barnacle Balanus nubilus or B. aquila, using the micro-injection technique. 10-4 M ouabain caused an average fall of 68% of the Na efflux, the minimal effective concentration being ca. 10-7 M. Internal application of 4 × 10-3 M ouabain was without effect. Abolition of the ouabain-sensitive component with ouabain, followed by raising the external K concentration to 30 mM, resulted in a marked rise in the residual Na efflux. Stimulation of the ouabain-insensitive Na efflux was also seen after reducing the external pH, as well as after microinjecting CaCl2 but not MgCl2. Uncoupling of the active transport system by K removal, followed by external application of ouabain, and subsequent acidification of the bathing medium, led to stimulation which was considerably greater than that taking place when the Na efflux was uncoupled by K removal and then stimulated by external acidification.
Receiver spurious responses&#8212;Computer improves receiver design

This paper will review the processes of spurious response generation in land-mobile receivers. The various types of spurious responses will be discussed. Formulas required to calculate the spurious response frequencies will be presented, and the use of a computer for spurious-response frequency prediction will be outlined. These computer spurious-response frequency predictions can be used as an aid in designing systems to avoid spurious. In addition, these predictions may be used by the receiver designer to minimize spurious. Several different methods of minimizing receiver spurious responses will be discussed since the various spurious mechanisms require different methods of reduction.
Evaluating arrival rate uncertainty in call centers

Inbound call center operations are challenging to manage, in large part because there is considerable uncertainty in estimates of arrival rates, which vary over time. We have developed a general purpose simulation model for inbound call center operations which supports time varying and uncertain arrival rates along with variable staffing. We out-line the conceptual and technical design of the simulation model. We then define and conduct an initial experiment that uses the model to evaluate the impact of arrival rate uncertainty on call center performance. We find that arrival rate uncertainty creates significant planning challenges for managers attempting to satisfy tight performance targets, particularly one-sided performance measures. We also find that abandonment rate has a major impact on call center performance.
Decreased variability of expired CO2 yield in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by alterations in ventilation-to-perfusion (V/Q) matching and gas exchange capacity. The aim of this study was to examine the breath-by-breath variability in the expired CO2 volume (VCO2) and to assess its value in describing disturbances of gas exchange in BPD. Methods: Lung function parameters from 181 healthy infants (128 term, 53 preterm) and 87 infants with BPD (46 mild, 55 moderate, 32 severe) were compared. Expiratory capnograms were obtained by mainstream capnography over 100 consecutive tidal breaths. The ratio of VCO2 to expiratory volume (Ve) was used as measure of the expired CO2 yield per breath. The tho-dimensional (2D) domain area of the VCO2/Ve embedding plot (1-breath lag) and the domain area of the VCO2-Ve scatter plot (both calculated by an ellipse-fiting method) were used as indicators of the variability in CO2 yield. Results: BPD infants had smaller 2D VCO2/Ve domains (median [IQR]: 7.8 [4.9-11.6] vs. 10.6 [7.1-15.3]; P Conclusions: Infants with BPD presented significantly lower breath-by-breath variability in CO2 yield, a finding that may reflect disease-related disturbances in V/Q matching and gas exchange capacity.
COLLISION AVOIDANCE GUIDANCE FOR FORMATION-FLYING APPLICATIONS

Several proposed space science missions require deployment of a number of spacecraft to form a single functional unit or a formation flying spacecraft. There are many applications of a formation flying spacecraft; variable baseline optical space interferometry is one of them. These missions require frequent formation reconfigurations where the relative spacecraft positions must be changed. Spacecraft-to-spacecraft separations can range from a few meters to several kilometers during such formation reconfigurations. It is mission critical to avoid collisions between spacecraft as they move in space. In this paper we present an optimal formation pathplanning approach which is suitable for implementation on-board, on a single spacecraft. The optimal collisionavoidance problem is formulated as a parameter optimization problem where the translation paths taken by each spacecraft are parameterized as high order splines. This parameterization results in an optimization problem whose size is proportional to the number of spacecraft in the formation. An iterative algorithm to solve the problem on-board is proposed. Properties of optimal control are also identified. Examples are given for representative formation reconfigurations for the cases of a two spacecraft formation (the Space Technology-3 mission) and five spacecraft formation (the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission).
The Search for Ideas in Historical Investigation

There has been over the last several decades an active campaign for the use of systematic methods in historical research, particularly for the verification of contentions by the most rigorous means that our information and our analytical tools, quantitative ones when possible, can provide. It is probably correct to say that by now this battle is largely won, in principle at least. Few historians still object to formal arrangement of the evidence or to counting, even if many of them do not do things quite this way themselves. Methods that a generation ago were regarded as outrageous and on the lunatic fringe of scholarship are no longer controversial. It is true that a few diehards in the profession still protest against these innovations. On the other hand, some at the opposite end of the methodological spectrum contend that we have not gone far enough-that historical projects have not maintained acceptable technical standards and that ventures of historians into formal methods have been elementary and intellectually sloppy (Kousser, 1977). It is proper that these questions should be raised and no doubt there is room for improvement. Yet at least scholars have become aware of the value of systematic research and have begun to discuss in constructive fashion what needs to be done to make it more effective.
GROWTH OF BACTERIAL CLINICAL ISOLATES IN CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS FLUID

Clinical bacterial isolates (105 colony forming units/mi) were inoculated into sterile unused and used continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) fluid, incubated for 24 hours at 3SOC and obs...
The effect of isoproterenol on pyrimidine biosynthesis in the salivary gland and heart of rats.

SummaryMultiple injections of isoproterenol (ISO) (5 mg/kg, s.c.) administered twice daily to rats increased wet tissue weight, total RNA content, and the incorporation of 14C-labeled amino acids into protein of heart and submaxillary glands. The activities of aspartic transcarbamylase and orotidine-5′-phosphate pyrophosphorylase-decarboxylase (measured together) were enhanced in submaxillary glands and in hearts. Dihydroorotase activity could not be detected in heart but was enhanced in the salivary glands taken from rats treated with ISO. These enzymes are considered to be involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. Incorporation of uridine-3H into salivary gland and heart RNA was enhanced after 2 doses of ISO but then decreased to control (salivary gland) or to below control (heart) with more prolonged ISO treatment
Public Warnings in Counterterrorism Operations: Managing the 'Cry-Wolf' Effect

Public warnings have the potential to be a powerful tool to mitigate the threat from terrorism: the public is alerted, and in response, the terrorist may defer or deflect his attack. Paradoxically, warnings can be a victim of their own success. The absence of an attack may be misconstrued by the warning recipients as a false alarm, leading to warning fatigue and a dampened response to future warnings -- also referred to as the "cry-wolf" effect. To capture this phenomenon, we model the interaction between the defender and the terrorist using a dynamic game-theoretic framework. We find that a more effective warning shifts emphasis from the direct benefit of mitigating losses from an attack, to the indirect benefit of inducing the terrorist to defer his attack to a later time. We examine the implications of this finding in the context of defending a single location, and two locations. For instance, we find that the frequent occurrence of false alarms does not necessarily imply political gamesmanship; an increase in the terrorist's readiness can result in a lower frequency of terrorist attacks; issuing a joint warning across two locations can be optimal even when the asymmetry in their vulnerability is high. Our results clarify conventional wisdom, and hence, have important policy implications.
Band diagram for low-k/Cu interconnects: The starting point for understanding back-end-of-line (BEOL) electrical reliability

Abstract The starting point for describing the electrostatic operation of any semiconductor device begins with a band diagram illustrating changes in the semiconductor Fermi level and the alignment of the valence and conduction bands with other interfacing semiconductors, insulating dielectrics and metal contacts. Such diagrams are essential for understanding the behavior and reliability of any semiconductor device. For metal interconnects, the band alignment between the metal conductor and the insulating intermetal and interlayer dielectric (ILD) is equally important. However, relatively few investigations have been made. In this regard, we have investigated the band alignment at the most common interfaces present in traditional single and dual damascene low- k /Cu interconnect structures. We specifically report combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) measurements of the Schottky barrier present at the ILD and dielectric Cu capping layer (CCL) interfaces with the Ta(N) via/trench Cu diffusion barrier. We also report similar measurements of the valence and conduction band offsets present at the interface between a-SiN(C):H dielectric CCLs and low- k a-SiOC:H ILDs (porous and non-porous). The combined results point to metal interfaces with the CCL having the lowest interfacial barrier for electron transport. As trap and defect states in low- k dielectrics are also important to understanding low- k /Cu interconnect reliability, we additionally present combined electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) measurements to determine the chemical identity and energy level of some electrically active trap/defect states in low- k dielectrics. Combined with the photoemission derived band diagrams, the EPR/EDMR measurements point to mid-gap carbon and silicon dangling bond defects in the low- k ILD and CCL, respectively, playing a role in electronic transport in these materials. We show that in many cases the combined band and defect state diagrams can explain and predict some of the observed reliability issues reported for low- k /Cu interconnects.
Treatment of MRI-Diagnosed Trigeminal Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors by Stereotactic Radiotherapy in Dogs.

Author(s): Hansen, KS; Zwingenberger, AL; Theon, AP; Pfeiffer, I; Kent, MS | Abstract: BackgroundStereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is an emerging technique for treating tumors in animals.ObjectivesTo assess the outcome of dogs with suspected intracranial trigeminal nerve peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) treated with SRT.AnimalsEight dogs with presumptive PNST.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of dogs identified by searching UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital medical records for dogs treated with SRT for a presumed PNST. Presumptive diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging. SRT was delivered in 3 dose fractions of 8 Gray (Gy) on consecutive days or every other day to a total dose of 24 Gy.ResultsMedian disease-specific survival was 745 days (range: 99-1375 days, n = 6). No signs of acute adverse effects of radiation treatment were recorded. Late radiation effects versus tumor progression could not be confirmed histopathologically because of few animals undergoing necropsy.Conclusions and clinical importanceThis study provides preliminary evidence that dogs with PNST benefit from SRT in terms of long-term survival. The treatment appears to be well tolerated and requires fewer anesthetic events for animals compared to full-course radiation.
Fog Networking: An Enabler for Next Generation Internet of Things

Fog networking, an emerging concept in the context of cloud computing, is an idea to bring computation, communication and storage near to edge devices. Fog computing can offer low latency, geographically distributed mobile applications, and distributed control systems. On the other side, Software defined networking is a concept to make networking flexible and programmable. These two technologies together can create flexible and scalable networks to handle heterogeneous and massively increasing applications of IoT. In this paper we discuss how these two technologies can interplay with each other to be enabler of next generation IoT. We discuss that why these technologies are important for IoT and what current architectures are available to support IoT.
Biochemical Defects of Polymorphonuclear and Mononuclear Phagocytes Associated with Disease

As its title indicates, the intent of this chapter is to review the known biochemical defects of human neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages that predispose to disease, in particular, to recurrent infections. The review will be organized along the lines of the principal functions of phagocytic cells in host defense— Chemotaxis, ingestion, and microbicidal activity—in an effort to place the biochemical abnormalities in the perspective of function and, thereby, to emphasize molecular -functional interactions wherever possible. The better substantiated disorders will be listed in tables, and those for which there exists some understanding of a molecular basis will be described in the text. When defects in more than one function coexist in the same disorder, somewhat arbitrary categorization will be made on the basis of apparent relative severity of the defects and the clinical pattern of infection. Since description of the clinical syndromes and functional abnormalities has greatly exceeded elucidation of their underlying molecular basis, this attempt to logically organize disorders of phagocyte function can be considered only tentative. Some description of the sites of infection and the infecting organisms will be included, in the hopes that integration of biochemical, functional, and clinical information might lend some insight into basic principles of leukocyte physiology and host defense against infection.
Lipid Mediators in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a syndrome of severe asthma and rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis with exacerbations of baseline eosinophil-driven and mast cell-driven inflammation after nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug ingestion. Although the underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood, dysregulation of the cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism is thought to be key. Central features of AERD pathogenesis are overproduction of proinflammatory and bronchoconstrictor cysteinyl leukotrienes and prostaglandin (PG) D2 and inhibition of bronchoprotective and antiinflammatory PGE2. Imbalance in the ratio of these lipid mediators likely leads to the increased eosinophilic and mast cell inflammatory responses in the respiratory tract.
Role of Molecular Flexibility and Colloidal Descriptions of Proteins in Crowded Environments from Small-Angle Scattering.

Small-angle scattering is a powerful technique to study molecular conformation and interactions of proteins in solution and in amorphous solids. We have investigated the role of multiple protein configurations in the interaction parameters derived from small-angle scattering for proteins in concentrated solutions. In order to account for the wide configurational space sampled by proteins, we generate ensembles of atomistic structures for lysozyme and monoclonal antibodies, representing globular and flexible proteins, respectively. While recent work has argued that a colloidal approach is inadequate to model proteins, because of the large configurational space that they sample in solution, we find a range of length scales where colloidal models can be used to describe solution scattering data while simultaneously accounting for structural flexibility. We provide insights to determine the length scales where isotropic colloidal models can be used, and find smoothly varying sets of interaction parameters tha...
The Acetylation of AML1-ETO Is Required for Leukemogenesis.

Abstract 1588 Transcription factors and histones are similarly modified through acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination and methylation, which impact on the transcriptional regulation of gene expression and various biological processes in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. The t(8;21) associated AML1-ETO fusion protein is found in 40% of the FAB M2 subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, but how the post-translational modification of AML1-ETO affects its leukemogenicity is largely unknown. Here we show that AML1-ETO directly interacts with the lysine acetyltransferase, p300, via the region containing NHR1 domain and that p300 can acetylate two lysine residues in AML1-ETO and AML1-ETO (exon 9a) in human and mouse leukemia cells. To understand the biological effects of AML1-ETO acetylation, we used human CD34+ cord blood cells as a preleukemia model. The maintenance of CD34+ cells by the acetylation defective form of AML1-ETO was 5 fold less than with AML1-ETO (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Association of the development of bone metastases with the development of brain metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

e13030 Background: In patients (pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is unknown whether pts with bone metastases are predisposed to the development of brain metastases. The impact of bevacizumab (Bev) on the development of bone and brain metastases is not fully characterized. Methods: Retrospective review of pts with stage IV NSCLC without brain metastasis at diagnosis was undertaken. The primary endpoint was to determine whether the development of bone metastases is predictive of the development of brain metastases. Secondary endpoints involved the proportion of pts who developed brain and/or bone metastases while being treated with Bev. Data were analyzed using competing risks methods. Results: A total of 175 pts (52% males, median (range) age: 60 y (35-80)) were studied. Of whom 79% received Bev and 21% did not receive Bev as part of their treatment. Overall 34% of pts had bone metastases at the start of therapy. Pts with pre-existing bone metastases tended to develop new bone disease more ...
Have Postwar Fiscal Stimulus Policies Met the “Timely, Targeted, and Temporary” Principle?

President Barack Obama noted that fiscal stimulus polices should follow three T’s—timely, targeted, and temporary. This paper examines the government’s fiscal response to eleven postwar recessions in light of the three T’s. We find that the record is mixed at best. On average it took 10.9 months before a recession’s start and the first major countercyclical fiscal policy action. Additionally, in half of the eight recessions in which fiscal policy was attempted, the level of real per capita government spending was nearly three times its trend level four years after the recession was over—i.e. the stimulus was not temporary. Finally, with respect to targeted, while some countercyclical policies have been designed to help sectors that were particularly harmed during a recession, we find many cases whereby recessions provided politicians an avenue in which to implement policies that were part of their long-run reform agenda rather than being carefully targeted countercyclical fiscal policy.
Meteorological Impacts on Urban Sulfate Levels

Sulfate levels in Boston, Mass. demonstrated a high correlation with meteorological parameters indicative of long-range transport of aerosols. Two-hour average samples of total sulfate and total suspended particulate were collected at three urban sites. Meteorological data including barometric pressure, absolute humidity, and wind direction were obtained for each sampling interval. High correlations between sulfate levels and the meteorological variables support the hypothesis that elevated sulfate levels in the northeast are derived from atmospheric reactions associated with long distance transport of particulate-laden air masses. A sulfate prediction model based on multiple linear regression is presented.
Portfolio Selection and the Capital Asset Pricing Model

In the context of determining an optimal portfolio to recommend to two hypothetical investors, this strucutuerd analysis leads students through a series of steps examining return data for three stocks. The analysis first explores the effects of portfolio formation on returns and volatility. With the addition of a market index and a bond portfolio, students easily recognize how portfolios from from these to investment vehicles may be optimal. The analysis then explores stock betas as a measure of risk and the statistical properties of those betas. At the conclusion, students will have a practical understanding of the capital asset pricing model.
Directed Evolution as a Probe of Rate Promoting Vibrations Introduced via Mutational Change.

In this article, we study with transition path sampling and reaction coordinate analysis how directed evolution in the Kemp eliminase family of artificial enzymes makes differential use of rapid rate promoting vibrations as a component of their chemical mechanism. Even though this family was initially created by placing the expected active site in a fixed protein matrix, we find a shift from largely static to more dynamic active sites that make use of donor–acceptor compression as the evolutionary process proceeds. We see that this introduction of dynamics significantly shifts the order of processes in the reaction. We also suggest that the lack of “design for dynamics” may help explain the relatively low proficiency of such designed enzymes.
Microembolization Distal to a Basilar Artery Aneurysm Treated with Detachable Coils: A Case Study:

IntroductionSince 1991, treatment of cerebral saccular aneurysms with coils by means of an endovascular approach has become increasingly used as an alternative to surgery. After this procedure, thr...
Embryonic regeneration by relocalization of the Spemann organizer during twinning in Xenopus

The formation of identical twins from a single egg has fascinated developmental biologists for a very long time. Previous work had shown that Xenopus blastulae bisected along the dorsal-ventral (D-V) midline (i.e., the sagittal plane) could generate twins but at very low frequencies. Here, we have improved this method by using an eyelash knife and changing saline solutions, reaching frequencies of twinning of 50% or more. This allowed mechanistic analysis of the twinning process. We unexpectedly observed that the epidermis of the resulting twins was asymmetrically pigmented at the tailbud stage of regenerating tadpoles. This pigment was entirely of maternal (oocyte) origin. Bisecting the embryo generated a large wound, which closed from all directions within 60 minutes, bringing cells normally fated to become Spemann organizer in direct contact with predicted ventral-most cells. Lineage-tracing analyses at the four-cell stage showed that in regenerating embryos midline tissues originated from the dorsal half, while the epidermis was entirely of ventral origin. Labeling of D-V segments at the 16-cell stage showed that the more pigmented epidermis originated from the ventral-most cells, while the less-pigmented epidermis arose from the adjoining ventral segment. This suggested a displacement of the organizer by 90°. Studies with the marker Chordin and phospho-Smad1/5/8 showed that in half embryos a new D-V gradient is intercalated at the site of the missing half. The displacement of self-organizing morphogen gradients uncovered here may help us understand not only twin formation in amphibians, but also rare cases of polyembryony.
A New High-Performance Gadonanotube-Polymer Hybrid Material for Stem Cell Labeling and Tracking by MRI.

A gentle, rapid method has been developed to introduce a polyacrylic acid (PAA) polymer coating on the surface of gadonanotubes (GNTs) which significantly increases their dispersibility in water without the need of a surfactant. As a result, the polymer, with its many carboxylic acid groups, coats the surface of the GNTs to form a new GNT-polymer hybrid material (PAA-GNT) which can be highly dispersed in water (ca. 20 mg·mL−1) at physiological pH. When dispersed in water, the new PAA-GNT material is a powerful MRI contrast agent with an extremely short water proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) which results in a T1-weighted relaxivity of 150 mM−1·s−1 per Gd3+ ion at 1.5 T. Furthermore, the PAA-GNTs have been used to safely label porcine bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for magnetic resonance imaging. The labeled cells display excellent image contrast in phantom imaging experiments, and transmission electron microscopy images of the labeled cells reveal the presence of highly dispersed PAA-GNTs within the cytoplasm with 1014 Gd3+ ions per cell.
Natural Enemies of Forest Insects

Herbivorous forest insects are preyed upon by a variety of insectivorous organisms, including birds, mammals, reptiles, spiders, mites, other insects, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. These carnivorous organisms can play an important role in maintaining sparse pest populations or in suppressing incipient outbreaks. The forest manager should therefore understand how these organisms operate in forest ecosystems.
Redox Titration of the Slow Electrochromic Phase in Chloroplasts

The amplitude of the slow phase of the electrochromic bandshift has been measured as a function of redox potential between +200 and -200 mV. Reduction of a quinone-like donor with an Em=+100 mV is required for generation of the slow phase. 80–100% of the amplitude of this signal with a t1/2 = 4–7 msec is observed at -200 mV, where cyt b 6, as well as any electron acceptor for it, would be fully reduced. At this potential, there is a small, slower absorbance change that might correspond to b 6 oxidation, and has a t1/2 = 10–15 msec. It is concluded that the slow phase of the electrochromic bandshift does not arise from the operation of a mechanism involving turnover of cyt b 6.
Reporter Genes in Cell Based ultra High Throughput Screening

Pharma research in most organizations is organized in discrete phases together building a “value chain” along which discovery programs process to finally drug candidates for clinical testing. The process envisioned to identify targetspecific modulators lacking several side effects. Following a technical assessment of the targets “drugability”, the probability to identify small molecule modulators, and technical feasibility target-specific assays are developed to probe the corporate compound collection for meanful leads. “High-Throughput-Screening” (HTS) started roughly one decade ago with the introduction of laboratory automation to handle the different assay steps typically performed in microtiter plates. Today a large arsenal of screening technologies is available for researchers in industry and academia to set up uHTS or HTS assays. Here the use of reporter genes offer an alternative for following signal transduction pathways from receptors at the cell surface to nuclear gene transcription in living cells.
Factors contributing to the black/white colorectal cancer survival disparity in nonelderly patients.

3587Background: Previous studies reported that black/white survival disparities among elderly colorectal cancer (CRC) patients largely reflect differences in tumor presentation rather than differen...
Family Violence, Trauma and Social Learning Theory

Family violence is a historical social problem that continues to exist among modern societies. The authors of this paper identify how children learn violent behaviors and continue to teach these be...
Endoscopic-Assisted Resection of Anterior Foramen Magnum Meningiomas through a Midline Suboccipital Subtonsillar Approach

Objective This study was aimed to demonstrate the resection of anterior foramen magnum meningiomas through an endoscopic-assisted posterior midline suboccipital subtonsillar approach. Design This study was designed with illustration of the surgical steps and safety of this approach. Setting Evidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cleft between the tumor and brainstem on MRI was studied ( Fig. 1A and B ). Preoperative tracheotomy was considered in cases of preoperative dysphagia to prevent any further neurological deterioration due to the bilateral access through the lower cranial nerves corridors. Semisitting position with extensive electrophysiological neuromonitoring and transesophageal echocardiogram was adopted. A standard midline incision with bilateral suboccipital craniotomy and C1-laminotomy was performed ( Fig. 2A ). After partial resection and elevation of the tonsils, tumor was debulked unilaterally around the lower cranial nerves and the vertebral artery, devascularized from the clival dura and then dissected from the brainstem ( Fig. 2B, C ). Endoscopic-assisted removal of its anterior portion followed. The same procedure was repeated from the opposite site for the contralateral portion, before approaching the purely anterior part with endoscope assistance ( Fig. 2D ). Participants Four consecutive patients were included in the study. Main Outcome Measures Grade of tumor resection and outcome (mRS) were primary measurement of this study. Results Clinical outcome and grade of resection are comparable to other series of patient treated with other foramen magnum approaches ( Fig. 1C and D ). Conclusion Anterior foramen magnum meningiomas can be safely removed through this relatively faster midline suboccipital approach with bilateral exposure of lower cranial nerves (CNs) and vertebral arteries and lower approach-related morbidity (no condyle drilling). The surgical corridor is created by the tumor during debulking reducing need for brain retraction and the removal of the anterior dural attachment coagulated under the microscope is verified and completed endoscopically with pituitary curettes (Simpson's grade II) ( Fig. 1C and D ). The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/9eACAJVwQBs .
High Force Generation Using Inflatable Toroidal Soft Robot Actuators

Pneumatic and fluidic soft robotic actuators are often used for their force and motion generation capabilities, while leveraging the advantages of their soft construction, such as inherent compliance, low weight, and environmental adaptability. This paper presents a novel toroidal soft actuator design that produces increased force without increasing the external size of the actuator, the fluid pressure, or the strength of the materials holding the fluid. A model of the actuator is presented, relating design and operational parameters to axial force generation. A toroidal actuator is fabricated and compared to a McKibben actuator in axial force production. The experiments demonstrate that the toroidal design increases the force produced; in the prototype actuators, this force increase is approximately 45%. The forces estimated by the model are compared to the experimental results, and they are found to be representative, with only small errors.
Nanoscale Organization of Vesicle Release at Central Synapses

Presynaptic boutons support neurotransmitter release with nanoscale precision at sub-millisecond timescales. Studies over the past two decades have revealed a rich tapestry of molecular players governing synaptic vesicle fusion at highly specialized release sites in the active zone (AZ). However, the spatiotemporal organization of release at active synapses remains elusive, in part owing to the extremely small size of the AZ and the limited resolution of conventional approaches. Recent advances in fluorescence nanoscopy have revolutionized direct investigation of presynaptic release organization and dynamics. We discuss here recent nanoscopy-based studies of the molecular architecture, the spatial organization and dynamic regulation of release sites, and the mechanisms of release site replenishment. These findings have uncovered previously unknown levels of structural and functional organization at central synapses, with important implications for synaptic transmission and plasticity.
The Value of Participatory Action Research in Corrections: Introduction to the Special Issue

Criminological research largely relies on surveys or administrative data to study people involved in the criminal justice system, either as clients or as staff (Kleck et al., 2006; Woodward et al.,...
Hedgehog signaling is required for endomesodermal patterning and germ cell development in Nematostella vectensis

Abstract Two distinct mechanisms for primordial germ cell (PGC) specification are observed within Bilatera: early determination by maternal factors or late induction by zygotic cues. Here we investigate the molecular basis for PGC specification in Nematostella, a representative pre-bilaterian animal where PGCs arise as paired endomesodermal cell clusters during early development. We first present evidence that the putative PGCs delaminate from the endomesoderm upon feeding, migrate into the gonad primordia, and mature into germ cells. We then show that the PGC clusters arise at the interface between hedgehog1 and patched domains in the developing mesenteries and use gene knockdown, knockout and inhibitor experiments to demonstrate that Hh signaling is required for both PGC specification and general endomesodermal patterning. These results provide evidence that the Nematostella germline is specified by inductive signals rather than maternal factors, and support the existence of zygotically-induced PGCs in the eumetazoan common ancestor.