cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GUS transformation of the maize fungal endophyte Fusarium moniliforme

Visual markers detectable by histochemical staining have been developed for analysing the time course and tissue specificity of maize infections by Fusarium moniliforme. Three F. moniliforme strains, RRC 374, MRC 826 and RRC PAT, were transformed with a plasmid, pHPG, containing the gusA reporter gene which codes for β-glucuronidase (GUS) and the hph gene for hygromycin resistance as the selectable marker. Introduction of plasmid DNA into germinating conidia yielded 1.2 × 10−7 transformants per conidium; expression of both gusA and hph was however, transient. Stable transformants were obtained using protoplasts as the recipient, but transformation frequency was reduced. Southern blot and PCR analyses confirmed incorporation of pHPG into the genome of all three F. moniliforme strains with gusA properly inserted in MRC 826 and RRC PAT, but apparently disrupted in RRC 374. The growth pattern for transformed F. moniliforme isolates and the parental wild types followed a sigmoid curve on minimal and enriched media. Hygromycin totally inhibited growth for wild type isolates, but not of transformants. Transformed isolates maintained the ability to infect the maize plant. Thus, this study is the first report of F. moniliforme transformed with a visibly detectable reporter gene to use for analysing this endophyte-host interaction of world-wide importance to animal and human health.
Wave-Lengths of Mercury 198

The wave-lengths of 26 visible and ultraviolet radiations from H80198g have been measured to eight figures relative to 5460.7532A, provisionally adopted for the green line. A water-cooled electrodeless lamp containing two milligrams of artificial H80198g served as a light source when excited with radio waves of 100 Mc frequency. This lamp illuminated a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a large quartz spectrograph with which the interference patterns were photographed. Measurements of these patterns yielded relative wave-lengths with probable errors usually less than 0.0001A. In addition to demonstrating that H80198g 5460.7532A provides a practically perfect primary standard of length, this paper presents preliminary values of 27 superior spectroscopic standards which show that differences among vacuum wave numbers recur within the accuracy of the measurements, and that all the existing dispersion curves for air are incorrect.
Elasticities in AIDS Models

In the literature, a variety of approaches have been used to calculate demand elasticities in almost ideal demand system (AIDS) models of demand. It is common to estimate the linear approximate almost ideal demand system (LA/AIDS) instead of the AIDS. When the LA/AIDS is estimated, all of the previously reported approaches to compute elasticities are theoretically incorrect. This paper presents correct formulas for LA/ AIDS elasticities and illustrates the potential errors from using incorrect computing The almost ideal demand system (AIDS) of Deaton and Muellbauer (1980a,b) has become popular in recent years (Anderson and Blundell; Blanciforti and Green 1983a,b; Blanciforti, Green, and King; Chalfant; Eales and Unnevehr; Fujii, Khaled, and Mak; Fulponi, Heien and Willett; Murray; Parsons; Ray). A variety of approaches to computing elasticities has been used, and some of the approaches may lead to significant errors. This paper clarifies the differences between alternative approaches to estimating demand elasticities in AIDS models.
Latency reduction for CD-ROM and CLV disks

In a conventional magnetic storage subsystem, rotational latency is a major component of the basic service time for an I/O access. In CD-ROMs, where the rotational speed is one order of magnitude slower than that of magnetic disks, latency's role is even greater. While simple latency techniques using data replication have already been proposed for conventional magnetic disks, such techniques can not be directly applied to CD-ROMs, because, unlike conventional magnetic disks which are consist angular velocity (CAV) devices, CD-ROMs employ the constant linear velocity (CLV) scheme. Instead of many concentric tracks, there is only one long continuous spiral per surface. In this paper, a data replication technique for reducing average latency is proposed for CD-ROMs and other CLV disks. This technique is analyzed in terms of the reduction in average latency and the impact on storage capacity. >
Angular distribution of hadrons in two-jet events

Abstract Well-known simple arguments suggest that the distribution of hadrons in an e + e − two-jet event should be approximately invariant under boosts along the jet axis. One consequence of this is the rapidity plateau. In this paper, stronger predictions based on this invariance are made for the angular distribution of hadrons, and its relationship to fan invariance is discussed. Comparison of these predictions with experiment is fair.
Robust 6T Si tunneling transistor SRAM design

SRAMs based on tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs) consume very low static power, but the unidirectional conduction inherent to TFETs calls for special care when designing the SRAM cell. In this work, we make the following contributions, (i) We perform the first study of 6T TFET SRAMs based on both n-type and p-type access transistors and determine that only inward p-type TFETs are suitable as access transistors. However, even using inward p-type access transistors, the 6T TFET SRAM achieves only the write or the read operation reliably, (ii) In order to improve the reliability of 6T TFET SRAMs, we perform the first study of four leading write-assist (WA) and four leading read-assist (RA) techniques in TFET SRAMs. We conclude that the 6T TFET SRAM with GND lowering RA is the most reliable 6T TFET SRAM during write and read, and we verify that it is also robust under process variations. It also achieves the best performance and reliability, as well as the least static power and area, in comparison to other existing TFET SRAM structures. Further, it not only has comparable performance and reliability to the 32nm 6T CMOS SRAM, but also consumes 6–7 orders of magnitude lower static power, making it attractive for low-power high-density SRAM applications.
Simulation results on A/D converter dithering

Dithering improves the linearity of A/D converters (ADCs). Wagdy and Goff (1994) have developed a criterion for assessing the deviation of ADC transfer characteristics from the unity-gain line. This criterion is based on a closed-form formula for the deviation factor "D" derived from the characteristic function of the ADC quantization error function. This approach was extended further by Wagdy (1996) to include nonideal ADCs. The results in that work pertain to additive dither, but a closed-form formula for subtractive dither may be very difficult to derive. In this paper, the ADC is modeled and dither is simulated using a software random number generator. First, additive dithering with continuous (analog) uniform (rectangular) probability density function (RPDF) is considered. The cases of an ADC with no errors, single-bit error, or multi-bit errors are investigated. Results are in excellent agreement with the previous ones, which validates the formulae therein. Second, the author presents new results using discrete (digital) rectangular dither (DRPDF). This dither type is generated via a D/A converter (DAC) whose number of bits, k, is greater by "del" than the ADC number of bits, m. For various values of "del", subtractively-dithered ADCs outperform additively-dithered ones as far as "D" is concerned. Also, the effect of increasing "del" on "D" for an ADC is investigated for the subtractive dither case, thus providing some quantitative results which are useful for the designer.
Fluorescence photon-density waves in optically diffusive media

Abstract Intensity-modulated light launches traveling photon-density waves into optically diffusive media. In the presence of a fluorophore, excitation photon-density waves generate fluorescence photon-density waves that can be quantitatively described using diffusion theory. We examine a number of limiting cases of the fluorescence photon-density wave to clarify its physical meaning and its implications in quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy of diffusive media. Our discussion may guide the development of experimental protocols for quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy in optically diffusive media.
PMU-based system identification for a modified classic generator model

The paper proposes to use PMU measurements (voltage phasor, real and reactive powers) for system identification. A second-order synchronous generator model with real and reactive power as input and voltage phasor as output will be developed in this paper based on the two-axis synchronous generator dynamic model. Parameters of the model will be identified based on the PMU measurements using least square estimation technique. Two case studies are presented: a synchronous generator estimation and a power subsystem estimation. In both cases, the system will be represented by the proposed model with parameters identified from PMU measurements. Time-domain simulation results will validate the accuracy of the proposed model and its identification. The contribution of this paper is twofold: i) A model suitable for PMU measurement based identification is developed; ii) better accuracy of system parameter estimation can be achieved using the proposed model compared to the classical model.
Prediction of nonlinear acoustic effects at biomedical frequencies and intensities

Abstract Some fundamentals of nonlinear acoustics are reviewed to facilitate their consideration in biomedical ultrasound. The phenomena described include acoustic nonlinearity, finite amplitude distortion, shock formation, harmonic components, nonlinearly induced absorption, saturation, and the influence of these effects on ultrasonic beams. The simplified results of several theoretical derivations are presented and employed in illustrative calculations and plots. These maybe used to ascertain the importance of nonlinear effects in applications involving plane waves, spherically diverging waves, and spherically converging (focused) waves. A discussion of relevant experiments is given, along with some comments on possible consequences in diagnostic, surgical, and theraputic applications.
Online Counseling Reviewing the Literature From a Counseling Psychology Framework

This article reviews the online-counseling literature with an emphasis on current applications and considerations for future research. It focuses on primary themes of counseling psychology including the history of process-outcome research and multiculturalism. It explores current gaps in the literature from a counseling psychology framework, including the field’s focus on normal and developmental challenges and tasks, client strength and resilience, education and career development, prevention and wellness, and multiculturalism. In general, current evidence indicates that online counseling may be a viable service option for some clients, especially those who are typically isolated; however, questions remain regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of online counseling.
A lumped model analysis of noise in semiconductor devices

A clear picture of the noise properties of semiconductor devices may be gained through a study of lumped models. When a semiconductor device is represented by a lumped model it is found that all the noise may be accounted for by associating a noise-current generator with each of the conductances appearing in the lumped model. The expressions describing these noise-current generators are easily found and the determination of the device noise properties involves only lumped model analysis. Such analysis applied to a diode model and a transistor model yields results which are in agreement with the results of other authors and with experimental measurements cited by them. The mechanisms considered in this paper do not, however, account for the so-called 1/f noise.
Moving out of poverty: Expanding mobility and choice through tenant‐based housing assistance

Abstract Historically, federal housing policy has contributed to the concentration of poverty in urban America. Moving out of poverty is not the right answer for every low‐income family, but tenant‐based housing assistance (Section 8 certificates and vouchers) has tremendous potential to help families move to healthier neighborhoods. This article explores the role of tenant‐based housing assistance in addressing the problem of concentrated inner‐city poverty. The Section 8 program by itself does not ensure access to low‐poverty neighborhoods, particularly for minority families. Supplementing certificates and vouchers with housing counseling and search assistance can improve their performance; a growing number of assisted housing mobility initiatives are now in place across the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should continue to fund these initiatives and increase their number over time. HUD should also strengthen incentives for all housing authorities to improve location...
Occurrence and distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in industrial and domestic sewage sludge

Sewage sludge samples collected from 43 different domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants and petrochemical industries that discharge to the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), which are highly toxic and carcinogenic towards humans and animals. The measured total PCDD/F toxic equivalency (TEQ) ranged between 0.73 and 7348.40 pg/g dry weight. The mean TEQ of PCDD/Fs in industrial sludge was approximately 40 times higher than that in sewage sludge. The PCDD homolog concentrations in the industrial samples were higher than those observed at the wastewater treatment plants by a factor of 10, with total heptachlorodibenzodioxin (HpCDD) exhibiting the maximum concentration in most of the samples. Among the PCDF homologs, total heptadichlorodibenzofuran (HpCDF) dominated the total homolog concentration in sludge from the wastewater treatment plants, whereas total tetradichlorodibenzofuran (TeCDF) dominated the industrial sludge samples. Overall, the total PCDD/F TEQ in sludge samples was much higher than that in effluent samples from the same facility. A linear correlation (R (2) = 0.62, p value < 0.068) was found indicating that sludge sampling can be used as a surrogate for effluent concentrations in wastewater treatment plants but not for industrial discharges.
ETHICALLY BASED MEDICAL DECISION MAKING IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: Residency Teaching Strategies

The requirements of medical education have enormously increased. The fundamental sciences upon which medicine depends have been greatly extended.… The education of the medical practitioner under these changed conditions makes entirely different demands in respect to both preliminary and professional training. HENRY S. PRITCHETT, APRIL 16, 1910 INTRODUCTION TO ABRAHAM FLEXNER'S REPORT ON MEDICAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
Energy Conservation and Efficiency

In a strict sense, the term “energy conservation” is a misnomer. As demonstrated in Chap. 3 with the First Law of Thermodynamics, energy is conserved by nature. “Energy conservation” does not require any action by engineers or by the general population. What is usually meant by this colloquial term is the eventual conservation of natural primary energy resources, when we perform tasks that are necessary for the functioning of the human society. The colloquial “energy conservation” may be more scientifically expressed as exergy conservation , minimum exergy destruction or minimum entropy production while the societal tasks are being performed. The use of the exergy concept and exergetic calculations ultimately lead to the minimum consumption of primary energy resources and, finally, to the conservation of natural resources. While most of the other chapters in this book pertain to the supply side of the energy equation, conservation and improved efficiency are directly related to the demand side. By “conserving energy” and forgoing the use of a fraction of primary energy sources for the performance of societal tasks, the human society demands less primary sources that supply the global energy demand. As a result, less primary energy is demanded and consumed and the natural resources that supply this energy are conserved. In this chapter we distinguish between conservation and higher efficiency, we apply the concept of exergy in order to perform tasks with the minimum possible exergy destruction and we present several examples of methods that lead to the lesser consumption of natural resources in the areas of transportation and comfort in buildings. These methods include the use of fluorescent or LED devices for lighting, geothermal heat pumps for heating and air-conditioning, evaporative cooling, and electric cars.
'Trust' This: A 'Fitting' Solution to the Pay-for-Play Dilemma

With seemingly everyone in collegiate athletics reaping the benefits of student-athletes’ hard work and sweat equity, the time has come to share the wealth with student-athletes. A multitude of proposals exists for how to compensate student-athletes, but few provide the flexibility and minimization of potential risk to the NCAA as well as a trust. Increasing litigation and calls for reformation of the NCAA’s policies have led this author to review some of the proposed solutions and compare those solutions to implementation of a proposal that establishes a trust for student-athletes to distribute to those athletes after graduation. This article examines some of the legal issues that have dissuaded the NCAA from instituting a full-fledged solution and examines how a trust might solve or minimize the NCAA’s risk from in various areas of the law.
Myomectomy at the time of cesarean delivery.

Introduction Myomectomy at the time of cesarean delivery has been traditionally discouraged. Recent literature has challenged this view. We present two cases of large subserosal fibroids that underwent removal without complication at the time of cesarean delivery.
Modeling of heat extraction from variably fractured porous media in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Modeling of heat extraction in Enhanced Geothermal Systems is presented. The study builds on recent studies on the use of directional wells to improve heat transfer between doublet injection and production wells. The current study focuses on the influence of fracture orientation on production temperature in deep low permeability geothermal systems, and the effects of directional drilling and separation distance between boreholes on heat extraction. The modeling results indicate that fracture orientation with respect to the well-pair plane has significant influence on reservoir thermal drawdown. The vertical well doublet is impacted significantly more than the horizontal well doublet.
The Political Economy of International Monetary Policy Coordination

The economic rationale for international monetary policy coordination is not strong. This is the conclusion of not only the traditional Mundell–Fleming literature, but also the more recent new open economy macroeconomics literature on international monetary coordination. Yet a broader political economy approach illustrates that national currency policy can impose nonpecuniary externalities on partner nations. This is especially the case with major policy-driven misalignments, which cannot easily be countered by other governments. For example, one country's substantially depreciated currency can provoke powerful protectionist pressures in its trading partners so that exchange rate policy spills over into trade policy in potentially damaging ways. Inasmuch as one government's policies create these sorts of costs for other countries, there is a case for global governance. This might include some institutionalized mechanism to monitor and publicize substantial currency misalignments.
The occurrence of antibodies to Naegleria species in wild mammals

Individuals from 13 wild mammalian species collected in southwestern Tennessee were serologically positive for anti-Naegleria spp. antibodies (ANA). This is the first report of ANA in wild mammals. Interspecific differences in the occurrence of ANA and titers indicate that wild mammals have differing degrees of contact with Naegleria spp. based on ecological or behavioral adaptations, and possibly the innate ability of a species to produce ANA. Intraspecifically, it appears that if a mammal is exposed to Naegleria spp. in the environment, titers of ANA will not significantly differ, regardless of age or sex. Adults of many species had significantly higher occurrences of ANA. Populations of juvenile wild mammals are probably at higher risk than adults to naeglerial infection in the environment, not because of lower titers, but because their chance of having ANA is less than adults. Differences in the occurrence of ANA in wild mammals may also reflect how humans are exposed to Naegleria spp. in the environment.
[Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and bone. Control of CKD-MBD from the viewpoint of the medical cost]

Pharmacoeconomics (PE) , which contribute to the decisions on the population rather than the patient level such as policy making, provides us with the cost and value of a given drug. In the midst of terrible economic climate, medications for CKD-MBD are reviewed from the viewpoint of PE in this manuscript. DCOR trial is the only study in maintenance hemodialysis patients with mortality as a primary endpoint, which compared expensive sevelamer hydrochloride and economical calcium containing phosphate binders, showing no difference in mortality between these drugs. This means that calcium containing phosphate binders are more cost-effective. Cost utility analysis from the United States revealed that parathyroidectomy became more cost-effective at 16 months than cinacalcet hydrochloride, which theoretically have to be continued throughout life. The effect of active vitamin D on mortality is controversial, since there has not been any prospective randomized controlled trial. Taking these findings into account, cinacalcet should be indicated only in those patients who have secondary hyperparathyroidism refractory to conventional therapy and for whom parathyroidectomy is not a good indication. Furthermore, when cinacalcet have to be used, we should give priority to calcium containing phosphate binders rather than expensive sevelamer from the viewpoint of the medical cost. Moreover, the doses of cinacalcet should be minimized by administering inexpensive vitamin D concomitantly.
Listening to Deaf Culture: A Reconceptualization of Difference Analysis Under Title VII

This article at 13 Hofstra Labor Law Journal 269 (1996) considers and critiques the treatment of difference under federal antidiscrimination law by discussing and applying key insights from the "Deaf Culture" movement and its scholarship.
Effect of a Best Practice Alert on Gestational Weight Gain, Health Services, and Pregnancy Outcomes

Objective To examine whether an electronic medical record "best practice alert" previously shown to improve antenatal gestational weight gain patient education resulted in downstream effects on service delivery or patient health outcomes. Methods This study involved secondary analysis of data from an intervention to improve provider behavior surrounding gestational weight gain patient education. Data were from retrospective chart reviews of patients who received care either before (N = 333) or after (N = 268) implementation of the intervention. Pre-post comparisons and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze downstream effects of the intervention on health outcomes and obesity-related health services while controlling for potential confounders. Results The intervention was associated with an increase in the proportion of prenatal patients who gained weight within Institute of Medicine guidelines, from 28 to 35 % (p < .05). Mean total gestational weight gain did not change, but variability decreased such that post-intervention women had weight gains closer to their gestational weight gain targets. The intervention was associated with a 94 g decrease in mean infant birth weight (p = .03), and an increase in the proportion of overweight and obese women screened for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes before 20 weeks gestation, from 13 to 25 % (p = .01). Conclusions for Practice The electronic medical record can be leveraged to promote healthy gestational weight gain and early screening for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Yet most patients still need additional support to achieve gestational weight gain within Institute of Medicine guidelines.
Sequelae of Cerebral White Matter Injury

Diffusion tensor MRI was used to evaluate the effects of cerebral white matter (WM) injury on subsequent microstructural brain development in 20 premature infants studied at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Osmotic and heat stress-dependent regulation of MLK4β and MLK3 by the CHIP E3 ligase in ovarian cancer cells.

Abstract Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 (MLK3), a member of the MLK subfamily of protein kinases, is a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that activates MAPK signalling pathways and regulates cellular responses such as proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. MLK4β, another member of the MLK subfamily, is less extensively studied, and the regulation of MLK4β by stress stimuli is not known. In this study, the regulation of MLK4β and MLK3 by osmotic stress, thermostress and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibition was investigated in ovarian cancer cells. MLK3 and MLK4β protein levels declined under conditions of prolonged osmotic stress, heat stress or exposure to the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GA); and MLK3 protein declined faster than MLK4β. Similar to MLK3, the reduction in MLK4β protein in cells exposed to heat or osmotic stresses occurred via a mechanism that involves the E3 ligase, carboxy-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). Both heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and CHIP overexpression led to polyubiquitination and a decrease in endogenous MLK4β protein, and MLK4β was ubiquitinated by CHIP in vitro . In untreated cells and cells exposed to osmotic and heat stresses for short time periods, small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of MLK4β elevated the levels of activated MLK3, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPKs. Furthermore, MLK3 binds to MLK4β, and this association is regulated by osmotic stress. These results suggest that in the early response to stressful stimuli, MLK4β-MLK3 binding is important for regulating MLK3 activity and MAPK signalling, and after prolonged periods of stress exposure, MLK4β and MLK3 proteins decline via CHIP-dependent degradation. These findings provide insight into how heat and osmotic stresses regulate MLK4β and MLK3, and reveal an important function for MLK4β in modulating MLK3 activity in stress responses.
Time-symmetric integration in astrophysics

Calculating the long term solution of ordinary differential equations, such as those of the $N$-body problem, is central to understanding a wide range of dynamics in astrophysics, from galaxy formation to planetary chaos. Because generally no analytic solution exists to these equations, researchers rely on numerical methods which are prone to various errors. In an effort to mitigate these errors, powerful symplectic integrators have been employed. But symplectic integrators can be severely limited because they are not compatible with adaptive stepping and thus they have difficulty accommodating changing time and length scales. A promising alternative is time-reversible integration, which can handle adaptive time stepping, but the errors due to time-reversible integration in astrophysics are less understood. The goal of this work is to study analytically and numerically the errors caused by time-reversible integration, with and without adaptive stepping. We derive the modified differential equations of these integrators to perform the error analysis. As an example, we consider the trapezoidal rule, a reversible non-symplectic integrator, and show it gives secular energy error increase for a pendulum problem and for a Henon---Heiles orbit. We conclude that using reversible integration does not guarantee good energy conservation and that, when possible, use of symplectic integrators is favored. We also show that time-symmetry and time-reversibility are properties that are distinct for an integrator.
hERG1a and hERG1b potassium channel subunits directly interact and preferentially form heteromeric channels

Voltage-activated human ether-a-go-go–related gene (hERG) potassium channels are critical for the repolarization of cardiac action potentials and tune-spike frequency adaptation in neurons. Two isoforms of mammalian ERG1 channel subunits, ERG1a and ERG1b, are the principal subunits that conduct the IKr current in the heart and are also broadly expressed in the nervous system. However, there is little direct evidence that ERG1a and ERG1b form heteromeric channels. Here, using electrophysiology, biochemistry, and fluorescence approaches, we systematically tested for direct interactions between hERG1a and hERG1b subunits. We report 1) that hERG1a dominant-negative subunits suppress hERG1b currents (and vice versa), 2) that disulfide bonds form between single cysteine residues experimentally introduced into an extracellular loop of hERG1a and hERG1b subunits and produce hERG1a–hERG1b dimers, and 3) that hERG1a and hERG1b subunits tagged with fluorescent proteins that are FRET pairs exhibit robust energy transfer at the plasma membrane. Thus, multiple lines of evidence indicated a physical interaction between hERG1a and hERG1b, consistent with them forming heteromeric channels. Moreover, co-expression of variable ratios of hERG1a and hERG1b RNA yielded channels with deactivation kinetics that reached a plateau and were different from those of hERG1b channels, consistent with a preference of hERG1b subunits for hERG1a subunits. Cross-linking studies revealed that an equal input of hERG1a and hERG1b yields more hERG1a–hERG1a or hERG1a–hERG1b dimers than hERG1b–hERG1b dimers, also suggesting that hERG1b preferentially interacts with hERG1a. We conclude that hERG1b preferentially forms heteromeric ion channels with hERG1a at the plasma membrane.
Enhanced Electrical Field Stimulated Nitrergic and Purinergic Vasoreactivity in Distal vs Proximal Internal Pudendal Arteries.

Abstract Background The internal pudendal arteries (IPAs) supply blood to the penis and are highly susceptible to vascular remodeling in rodent models of diabetes, hypertension, aging, and chronic kidney disease, thus contributing to erectile dysfunction. Interestingly, vascular remodeling primarily occurs in the distal and not in the proximal IPA, suggesting distinct local physiologic signaling differences within the IPA. Aim To examine the role of purinergic signaling and neurotransmitter release by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in the regulation of proximal and distal IPA vascular tone. Methods Proximal and distal IPAs were mounted in wire myographs and vascular responses to phenylephrine, acetylcholine, and 2-(N,N-diethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide, diethyl-ammonium salt (DEA NONOate) were measured. EFS-mediated contraction and non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) relaxation were evaluated in the absence and presence of a nitric oxide synthase antagonist. Purinergic agonist and NANC relaxation responses were assessed in the presence and absence of P2X1 and P2Y1 antagonists. Protein expression of P2X1 and P2Y1 receptors was measured by western blot. Main Outcome Measures Proximal and distal IPA contraction and relaxation were measured during increasing agonist administration and EFS in the presence and absence of antagonists. Results Proximal and distal IPA concentration response curves to phenylephrine, acetylcholine, and DEA NONOate did no differ. Interestingly, distal IPA exhibited greater EFS-mediated contraction and NANC relaxation compared with proximal IPA. Nitric oxide synthase inhibition completely inhibited distal IPA NANC relaxation but did not affect proximal IPA relaxation. P2X1 or P2Y1 receptor antagonism during NANC relaxation increased distal IPA relaxation but decreased proximal IPA relaxation. Combined P2X1 and P2Y1 receptor antagonism had no effect on proximal IPA relaxation but significantly increased distal IPA NANC relaxation. Clinical Translation Understanding neurovascular regulation of IPA vascular tone through nitrergic and purinergic mechanisms could yield new therapeutic targets to improve IPA blood flow and treat vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. Strengths and Limitations This study is the first to illustrate the differences in mechanisms responsible for regulating vascular tone in the proximal and distal IPAs. All presented findings are currently limited to ex vivo vascular function. Conclusion The regulation of vascular tone differs regionally in the IPA. The distal IPA is controlled through neurotransmitter-mediated NO-dependent mechanisms and increased sensitivity to purinergic P2X1 and P2Y1 receptor inhibition. Odom MR, Pak ES, Brown DA, Hannan JL. Enhanced Electrical Field Stimulated Nitrergic and Purinergic Vasoreactivity in Distal vs Proximal Internal Pudendal Arteries. J Sex Med 2017;14:1285–1296.
Quantifying information leakage in a processor caused by the execution of instructions

Covert/side channel attacks based on electromagnetic (EM) emanations are difficult to detect because they are practiced wirelessly. Hence, quantifying information leakage is crucial when designing secure hardware and software. To address this problem, this paper establishes a connection between the signal energy available to an attacker in electromagnetic side/covert channel and capacity of the covert/side channel. We first present a mathematical relationship between electromagnetic side-channel energy (ESE) of individual instructions and measured side-channel signal power, assuming that all instructions have equal execution time. Then, we use this measure to calculate the transition probabilities needed for estimating capacity. Furthermore, we consider each instruction as a codeword and relate our model to Shannon's capacity. Finally, we provide practical examples to demonstrate the severity of covert/side channel due to EM emanations.
Teaching Historical Fiction: Hilary Mantel and the Protestant Reformation

This chapter analyzes Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy as a case study for what historical fiction can contribute to our understanding of history. In particular, I will attend to what her novels reveal about the complex processes of historical and religious change that occurred during the Protestant Reformation, which marked its 500th anniversary in late 2017. Guided by my experience teaching Mantel’s fiction in courses on contemporary British fiction and historical fiction at a large regional university in the USA, I examine the ways that literature offers a unique perspective on major historical developments in religion and theology, especially by giving readers an opportunity to encounter, and indeed inhabit, religious interiority. By showing how new religious ideas and sensibilities develop, how they come into conflict with older viewpoints, and how they are by turns absorbed, adopted, challenged, resisted or rejected, Mantel discloses how religion is subject to the same historical contingencies as anything else. Far from being timeless and unchanging, it is contextual and more often than not syncretistic.
Potent effects of roniciclib alone and with sorafenib against well-differentiated thyroid cancer

Activation of cyclin-dependent kinase activity is frequently observed in many human cancers; therefore, cyclin-dependent kinases that promote cell cycle transition and cell proliferation may be potential targets in the treatment of malignancy. The therapeutic effects of roniciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor for papillary and follicular thyroid cancer (designated as well-differentiated thyroid cancer), were investigated in this study. Roniciclib inhibited cell proliferation in two papillary and two follicular thyroid cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Roniciclib activated caspase-3 activity and induced apoptosis. Cell cycle progression was arrested in the G2/M phase. Roniciclib treatment in vivo retarded the growth of two well-differentiated thyroid tumors in xenograft models in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, the combination of roniciclib with sorafenib was more effective than either single treatment in a follicular thyroid cancer xenograft model. Acceptable safety profiles appeared in animals treated with either roniciclib alone or roniciclib and sorafenib combination therapy. These findings support roniciclib as a potential drug for the treatment of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer.
Cryopreserved oocyte banking: Its prospects and promise

Cryopreservation of human oocytes has been integrated into the repertoire of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART), heralding a significant treatment option for women. Its application provides fertility preservation to counter declining ovarian reserve with age, opportunity to purposefully delay reproduction, allow allocation of oocytes for freezing and storage rather than insemination during a treatment cycle to forestall creation of supernumerary embryos, and catalyzes the establishment of donor oocyte banks with their provision of wider variety in donor types, greater convenience in time and logistics, and reduced expense to the recipient. A review of the effort to achieve a method for cryopreserving and thawing human oocytes that yields high recovery, survival, fertilization, embryo development, and implantation rates is provided in conjunction with a model for creating a donor oocyte bank. The implications of this most recent of assisted reproductive techniques are considered in the context of the projected expectations of future generations of patients seeking ART to build their families.
Der Baum der Erkenntnis

Obwohl mir bewusst war, dass es mir niemals gestattet wurde, eine akademische Laufbahn einzuschlagen, betrieb ich weiter Mathematik. Mark Saul beschreibt dies in seinem Artikel (wobei er die Verkleinerungsform meines Vornamens, Edik, verwendet)
STRAP: Secure TRansfer of Association Protocol

When several internet-of-things devices are required to be installed in a smart home, significant effort is required to provide each device with the association information for the home's wireless router. We design and build a novel protocol called Secure Transfer of Association Protocol (STRAP), which securely bootstraps connectivity between a set of deployed WiFi devices and a home's wireless router. We show that STRAP works in a variety of environments and is faster than conventional methods for connecting WiFi devices to home wireless routers.
The euphausiid prey field for blue whales around a steep bathymetric feature in the southern California current system

Author(s): Nickels, CF; Sala, LM; Ohman, MD | Abstract: Euphausiids are important prey for many marine organisms and often occur in patchy aggregations. Euphausiid predators, such as blue whales, may become concentrated in the vicinity of these aggregations. We investigated an area called Nine Mile Bank (NMB) near San Diego, California, defined by an area of steep bathymetry, to determine whether the frequent whale sightings in that locality can be explained by the distribution of euphausiids across the bank and by the vertical distribution of euphausiids in the water column. Thysanoessa spinifera, the strongly preferred blue whale prey euphausiid in this area, was consistently more abundant on the bank or inshore of it than offshore. In contrast, Euphausia pacifica, a minor blue whale prey item, was much more abundant and distributed across the study region. Adults of both species were concentrated in a stratum corresponding to the feeding depth of blue whales. Other euphausiids that form a negligible part of the blue whale diet also showed no association with NMB. Both blue whales and their primary prey species Thysanoessa spinifera were more abundant on or inshore of the bank than offshore, suggesting that the bank may serve as an offshore limit of high prey abundance that helps to concentrate blue whales.
Bi-functional air electrode fabrication, performance and stability evaluation

Abstract Perovskite Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ (SSC) based bifunctional (BF) air electrodes were fabricated by dry fibrillation mixing, wet tape processing and hot plate pressing method using Vulcan XC-72 carbon black as conductive support, polytetrafluoroethylene as binder and Ni exmet (or Ni foam) as current collector. The BF air electrodes exhibited encouraging performance and cycle-ability. Under the test condition of room temperature (20–22 °C), 6 M KOH and 50 mA/cm2, the obtained oxygen evolution reaction (OER) potential was around 0.67 V and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) potential was around −0.20 V vs. Hg/HgO reference electrode. Number of cycle of 2 h (approximately) duration reached over 180 cycles at 20 mA/cm2 using a copper exmet as negative Zn electrode substrate. The Zn air battery prototype showed coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency around 95–98% and 50–52%, respectively. It was found that using Ni-foam reinforced BF air electrode structure further improved the stability of the electrode, especially for the OER. Performance degradation of approximately 1.5% and 15% were observed for the OER and the ORR, respectively over a test period of 300 h. The electrode performance degradation was explained due to KOH wetting-through the backing layer causing electrode flooding. Active SSC material de-binding and carbon support oxidation were also observed in this study.
Developmental Xist induction is mediated by enhanced splicing.

X-inactive-specific transcript (Xist) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) essential for inactivating one of the two X chromosomes in mammalian females. Random X chromosome inactivation is mediated by Xist RNA expressed from the inactive X chromosome. We found that Xist RNA is unspliced in naive embryonic stem (ES) cells. Upon differentiation, Xist splicing becomes efficient across all exons independent of transcription, suggesting interdependent or coordinated removal of Xist introns. In female cells with mutated polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (Ptbp1), differentiation fails to substantially upregulate mature Xist RNA because of a defect in Xist splicing. We further found both Xist129 and XistCAS RNA are unspliced in Mus musculus 129SvJ/Mus castaneous (CAS) hybrid female ES cells. Upon differentiation, Xist129 exhibits a higher splicing efficiency than XistCAS, likely contributing to preferential inhibition of the X129 chromosome. Single cell analysis shows that the allelic choice of Xist splicing is linked to the inactive X chromosome. We conclude post-transcriptional control of Xist RNA splicing is an essential regulatory step of Xist induction. Our studies shed light on the developmental roles of splicing for nuclear-retained Xist lncRNA and suggest inefficient Xist splicing is an additional fail-safe mechanism to prevent Xist activity in ES cells.
Three-Dimensional Monolithic FinFET-Based 8T SRAM Cell Design for Enhanced Read Time and Low Leakage

FinFETs have replaced planar MOSFETs due to their superior performance, power efficiency, and scalability. However, even FinFETs are expected to reach their scaling limits due to physical limits, process variations, and short-channel effects. As an alternative to device scaling, 3-D integrated circuits (ICs) can increase the number of transistors in a chip in the same footprint area. Among 3-D technologies, monolithic 3-D integration promises the highest density, performance, and power efficiency owing to its high-density monolithic intertier vias. A transistor-level monolithic implementation enables an independent optimization of transistor layers. However, it requires a new 3-D cell library. In this paper, we propose two new 3-D monolithic FinFET-based 8T SRAM cells and compare them with previously reported 6T and 8T SRAM cells implemented in 2-D/3-D. Both the proposed cells use pFinFET access transistors for better area efficiency in 3-D and low leakage current. One of the proposed cells utilizes independent-gate pFinFETs as pull-up transistors whose back gates are tied to the supply voltage for better writeability. This cell has 28.1% and 43.8% smaller footprint area, 31.6% and 43.2% smaller leakage current, and 53.2% and 29.0% lower read time compared with conventional 2-D 6T SRAM and 2-D 8T SRAM cells, respectively.
The Effect of Brand–Health Issue Fit on Fast-Food Health-Marketing Initiatives

AbstractRecognizing that fast-food brands are increasingly interested in featuring health and wellness values in their marketing, this study investigated the effect of perceived brand–health issue ...
Units of information on dynamic message signs: a speed pattern analysis

A single unit of information is an answer to any anticipated question a motorist may ask. Such questions include: “What happened? Where? What do I do?” This study, a first of its kind, analyzes the optimum number of units of information Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) should display to influence driver speeding behavior. A 155-mi2 virtual road network of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD-295) in Maryland was developed for use with a medium-fidelity driving simulator, and 65 participants took part in the study. Six scenarios featured DMSs displaying 2–7 units of information, interchangeably, and a total of 296 simulation sessions were conducted. Mean speeds are calculated over five different phases: the initial speed area, visible area, readable area, lost legibility area and post DMS area. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc analysis showed that participants tend to accelerate as soon as they lose sight of the DMS displaying 2–3 units of information and continue to do so after they pass the DMS. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis reveals that participants older than 55 slow down the most when they encounter DMSs with 6–7 units of information. Participants in the age group of 26–35 tend to increase speeds, especially when a DMS displays 2–4 units of information. This suggests that the comprehension time is low when there are fewer units of information on a DMS. Too little information may be unclear or ambiguous whereas too much may be hard to comprehend and cause drivers to slow down.
INTRODUCTION: ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

(2001). INTRODUCTION: ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Physical Geography: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 275-276.
In Situ Support of ILC Precursors.

Summary Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are tissue-resident lymphocytes that promote immunity to pathogens at mucosal barriers, but the mechanisms regulating their development within tissues remain poorly understood. In this issue of Immunity, Oherle et al. identify a niche in the neonatal airway where stromal cell-derived insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) supports the proliferation of ILC precursors and protects from infection.
Influence of BMI on outcomes of high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone induction therapy for AML.

7106 Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) affects thousands of Americans every year. With approximately 35.7% of the U.S. adult population being obese, it is important to understand how a patie...