cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Timing for success: expression phenotype and local adaptation related to latitude in the boreal forest tree, Populus balsamifera

Timing of seasonal dormancy is among the most important traits allowing forest tree populations to span latitudinal gradients of temperature and growing season length. We used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data to identify gene expression differences between latitude-adapted populations and search for elevated genetic differentiation, a signature of adaptation, between northern and southern populations of Populus balsamifera. RNA was extracted from leaf tissues collected from trees originating from two northern (65° N) and two southern (50° N) populations and growing in a common garden. Leaves for RNA-seq were collected on the same day in late July, when southern trees were actively growing and northern trees had set bud. Transcripts of 2,594 genes were more abundant in actively growing leaves, whereas 1,424 were more abundant in leaves of trees that had set bud. The actively growing southern trees exhibited overexpression of genes in the biological process gene ontology (GO) domain, whereas dormant northern trees exhibited overexpression of genes in the cellular component domain. We identified relatively few genes (641) bearing signatures consistent with local adaptation to latitude for three or more SNPs. Exons from differentially expressed (DE) genes were not more likely than non-DE genes to exhibit patterns of latitudinal differentiation consistent with local adaptation. These results indicate that genes associated with differences in the timing of bud set, which is correlated with initiation of dormancy, were not more likely than other categories to exhibit latitudinal differentiation in exonic regions.
Mutations at the mei-41, mus(1)101, mus(1)103, mus(2)205 and mus(3)310 loci of Drosophila exhibit differential UDS responses with different DNA-damaging agents

Abstract 5 mutagen-sensitive mutants of Drosophila melanogaster , reported to perform normal or only slightly reduced excision repair of UV damage, were examined by an unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay. This assay measures the ability of cultured primary cells, derived from each mutant, to perform the resynthesis step in the excision repair pathway, following damage to cellular DNA by direct-acting alkylating agents, UV or X-irradiation. 2 mutants, classified as completely or partially proficient for both excision and postreplication repair of UV damage, mus(1)103 and mus(2)205 , were found to give positive UDS responses only for UV damage. These mutants exhibit no measurable UDS activity following DNA damage by several different alkylating agents and X-rays. 3 mutants, classified as having no defect in excision repair, but measurable defects in postreplication repair of UV damage, mei-41, mus(1)101 , and mus(3)310 exhibit 3 different response patterns when tested with the battery of agents in the UDS assay. The mutant mei-41 exhibits a highly positive UDS response following damage by all agents, consistent with its prior classification as excision-repair-proficient, but postreplication-repair-deficient for UV damage. The mutant mus(1)101 , however, exhibits a strong positive UDS response following only UV damage and appears to be blocked in the excision repair of damage produced by both alkylating agents and X-irradiation. Finally, mus(3)310 exhibits no UDS response to alkylation, X-ray or UV damage. This is not consistent with its previous classification. Results obtained with the qualitative in vitro UDS assay are entirely consistent with the results from two separate in vivo measures of excision repair deficiency following DNA damage, larval hypersensitivity to killing and hypermutability in the sex-linked recessive lethal test.
Dopamine D1 Receptor Regulation of Phospholipase C

Dopamine is an endogenous catecholamine which exerts its actions by occupancy of specific receptors. Dopamine receptors are classified into two main groups: the two cloned D1-like receptors (D1A and D1B in rats; D1B is also known as D5 in humans) are linked to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, while the three cloned D2-like receptors (D2 or D2A, D3 or D2B, D4 or D2C) are linked to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. All these dopamine receptors originally cloned from the brain are expressed in tissues outside the central nervous system including the kidney. Dopamine regulates many cellular activities, including transmembrane ion transport. Activation of D1-like receptor decreases sodium transport by cAMP dependent and cAMP independent mechanisms. Dopamine, via D1-like receptors, may inhibit Na+/H+ exchange activity in renal brush border membranes by a cAMP independent/Gsα-linked mechanism. Another cAMP independent pathway of sodium transport inhibition is mediated by phospholipase C, which has several isoforms (PLCβ, PLCγ, and PLCδ with several members in each). Catecholamines stimulate expression and activity of phospholipase C isoforms in a concentration, time, and receptor-dependent as well as regional and subcellular compartmental-specific manner. In renal cortical membranes, intrarenal administration of norepinephrine for 3-4h increases PLCβ expression and activity but has no effect on PLCγ activity. In contrast, intrarenal administration of a D1 agonist for 3-4h increases PLCβ1 but decreases PLCγ expression and activity. In membranes from LTK- cells transfected with the rat D1A receptor cDNA, D1 receptor stimulation initially increases and then in 4h decreases PLCγ expression and activity, similar to the results found in renal cortical membranes. The initial increase of PLCγ expression and activity due to D1 receptors is mediated by protein kinase A. (Hypertens Res 1995; 18 Suppl. I: S39-S42)
Brisk and Effective Fluency Instruction for Small Groups

Fluency is known as the bridge between phonics and comprehension. Teachers of reading provide high-quality instruction in phonics and decoding strategies, usually in a small-group format, but may be unsure how to insert fluency instruction into the small-group lesson. This article presents key concepts in fluency instruction and a description of steps teachers can follow to add brisk, brief, and effective fluency instruction to their small-group sessions.
FBI DRUGFIRE program: the development and deployment of an automated firearms identification system to support serial, gang, and drug-related shooting investigations

The FBI DRUGFIRE Program entails the continuing phased development and deployment of a scalable automated firearms identification system. The first phase of this system, a networked, database-driven firearms evidence imaging system, has been operational for approximately one year and has demonstrated its effectiveness in facilitating the sharing and linking of firearms evidence collected in serial, gang, and drug-related shooting investigations. However, there is a pressing need for development of enhancements which will more fully automate the system so that it is capable of processing very large volumes of firearms evidence. These enhancements would provide automated image analysis and pattern matching functionalities. Existing `spin off' technologies need to be integrated into the present DRUGFIRE system to automate the 3-D mensuration, registration, feature extraction, and matching of the microtopographical surface features imprinted on the primers of fired casings during firing.
C2 symmetric amines. III. An asymmetric synthesis of (S,S)-1,3-dialkyl lsoindolines by sequential formamidine alkylation

Abstract Metalation-alkylation of isoindoline 5 in the form of its chiral formamidine, 6 leads to C 2 -dialkylated derivatives in high ee's.
Role for anti-Müllerian hormone in congenital absence of the uterus and vagina.

Molecular genetic techniques were used to determine if mutations in the genes encoding anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) (also known as Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS)) and its receptor (AMHR) are commonly present in patients with congenital absence of the uterus and vagina (CAUV). Twenty-two CAUV patients and 96 control subjects from diverse ethnic groups were studied after obtaining informed consent. Genomic DNA samples prepared from leukocytes were digested separately with several different restriction enzymes, and the resultant fragments were analyzed for restriction fragment melting polymorphisms (RFMPs) by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Electrophoretic mobility of DNA fragments which were 200-700 base pairs in length was compared using polyacrylamide gels that included linear gradients of denaturing solvents designed to separate DNA fragments according to sequence-dependent variation in thermal stability. Two RFMPs were found in the AMH gene in both patients and normal control subjects. One RFMP in the AMHR gene was present at low frequencies in both patients and normal control subjects. No RFMPs specific to CAUV patients were found in either gene. Because no mutations or rare DNA sequence polymorphisms were detected in the AMH and the AMHR genes in this group of CAUV patients, it is unlikely that either gene commonly has an etiologic role in CAUV.
Nanocrystalline mesoporous SMO thin films prepared by sol gel process for MEMS-based hydrogen sensor

MEMS based SnO 2 gas sensor with sol gel synthesized mesoporous nanocrystalline ( 2 nano film is fabricated with the combination of polymeric sol gel chemistry with block copolymers used for structure directing agents. The novel hydrogen sensor has a fast response time (1s) and quick recovery time (3s), as well as good sensitivity (about 90%), comparing to other hydrogen sensors developed. The improved capabilities are credited to the large surface to volume ratio of gas sensing thin film with nano sized porous surface topology, which can greatly increase the sensitivity even at relatively low working temperature. The gas sensing film is deposited onto a thin dielectric membrane of low thermal conductivity, which provides good thermal isolation between substrate and the gas-sensitive heated area on the membrane. In this way the power consumption can be kept very low. Since the fabrication process is completely compatible with IC industry, it makes mass production possible and greatly reduces the cost. The working temperature of the new sensor can be reduced as low as 100°C. The low working temperature posse advantages such as lower power consumption, lower thermal induced signal shift as well as safe detection in certain environments where temperature is strictly limited.
Basic fibroblast growth factor mediates angiogenic activity in early surgical wounds

Background. Wound angiogenesis is believed to be initiated by the early rapid release of preformed growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). However, neither the angiogenic environement of early surgical wounds nor the potential contribution of bFGF to early surgical wound angiogenesis has been investigated. Methods. We collected surgical drain fluid (SDF) from closed suction drains 6 hours to 6 days after operation. SDF was tested for endothelial cell (EC) proliferative and chemotactic activity and for the capacity to stimulate angiogenesis in vivo in the rat corneal assay. bFGF levels of SDF were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neutralizing antibody to bFGF was used to determine the contribution of bFGF to SDF activity. Results. The EC proliferative activity of SDF was maximal on postoperative day 0 (POD 0, 390% that of normal serum) and then fell by 41% on POD 1 and to near serum levels thereafter. SDF from PODs 0 and 1 also showed marked EC chemotatic activity and stimulated rapid formation of new vessels without signs of inflammation when implanted into rat corneas. The temporal appearance of bFGF in these exudates showed a pattern similar to EC proliferative activity, peaking on POD 0 at 854 pg/ml and decreasing 80% by POD 2. Neutralizing antibody to bFGF decreased the proliferative activity of SDF from PODs 0 and 1 to near serum levels and substantially decreased the chemotactic and the in vivo neovascular response to SDFs. Conclusions. Surgical wounds are characterized by a rapid and early angiogenic environment that is mediated in part by bFGF, suggesting that tissue or platelet stores of bFGF may help initiate wound repair.
Traitement hybride d’anévrismes bilatéraux des artères sous-clavières chez un malade atteint du syndrome de Marfan

Un homme de 32 ans avec un syndrome de Marfan se presenta avec des anevrysmes bilateraux asymptomatiques et augmentant de taille des arteres sous-clavieres. Il avait une longue histoire chirurgicale comprenant un remplacement de la crosse aortique et de l’aorte thoracique descendante. L’anevrysme G a ete traite d’abord avec un pontage veineux carotido-vertebral, le debranchement de l’anevrysme, et la cure de l’anevrysme par stentgraft par abord brachial G. L’anevrysme D etait traite en introduisant un stentgraft dans l’artere carotide commune D proximale couvrant l’origine de l’artere sous-claviere D et se terminant dans le pontage innomine prosthetique de deviation par l’intermediaire d’un conduit de l’artere carotide commune G. Un debranchement de l’anevrysme et un pontage carotido-sous-clavier D completait la procedure. Une endofuite proximale de type I etait detectee dans le sac anevrysmal D sur l’angioscanner de controle. Elle fut traitee par sternotomie, pontage aorto-carotidien G, ablation du stentgraft, et fermeture de l’origine de l’artere sous-claviere D. Le malade se remit sans probleme. Les anevrysmes de l’artere sous-claviere sont rares chez les malades presentant une maladie de Marfan. Bien que la durabilite ne soit pas confirmee, la reparation hybride devrait etre consideree chez les malades ayant des anevrysmes de l’artere sous-claviere, pour reduire au minimum la morbidite generalement liee a la reparation ouverte.
117 EFFECT OF RESVERATROL ON THE CULTURE OF PORCINE EMBRYOS

Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene) is a phytoalexin present in a variety of dietary sources including grapes, plums and peanuts. It was shown to exert a wide variety of pharmacological activities ranging from anti-inflammatory effects to immunomodulation and chemoprevention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on porcine embryo development. In vitro-matured pig oocytes were activated by two direct current electric pulses (60 μ seconds each) followed by an incubation with 10 μg mL–1 cycloheximide and 7.5 μg mL–1 cytochalasin B, for 5 h. Activated oocytes (in groups of 10) were then placed in 20 μL drops of Porcine Zygote Medium 3 (PZM-3) supplemented with various concentrations of resveratrol (0 μm, 0.5 μm, 25 μm) and cultured for 7 days. The frequency of blastocyst formation in each group was recorded and compared by Chi-square test; the total cell numbers of the blastocysts from the two best groups (control and 0.5 μm) were counted and compared by Student’s t-test. In addition, expression levels of three genes related to apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3) were quantified in the blastocysts by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The analysis was repeated three times, and differences in gene expression were compared by ANOVA. Differences at P < 0.05 were considered significant. Incubation of parthenotes with 25 μm resveratrol decreased blastocyst formation from 28.1% (n = 89; control group) to 4.5% (n = 66; P < 0.05). However, when parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in the presence of 0.5 μm resveratrol, blastocyst formation increased significantly: whereas only 33.0% of control embryos (n = 312) reached the blastocyst stage, this percentage in the resveratrol-treated group was 43.5% (n = 301; P < 0.05). The average total cell numbers in control and 0.5 μm resveratrol-treated blastocysts were 42.4 ± 2.1 and 44.0 ± 1.9, respectively; the difference was not statistically significant. Finally, lower expression of the Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 genes was observed in the embryos cultured with 0.5 μm resveratrol. Evidences indicated that resveratrol has a dose-dependent effect on cells. At high concentrations resveratrol exerted an antiproliferation effect, whereas at low concentration it promoted cell division. In this study a similar dose-dependent effect of resveratrol was found. The presence of 25 μm resveratrol had a negative effect on embryonic development. However, 0.5 μm resveratrol in the culture medium induced higher blastocyst formation compared with the control group. The presence of resveratrol also affected expression levels of genes related to apoptosis. Decreased levels of Bcl-2 suggest that resveratrol may suppress the mitochondria-related anti-apoptotic activity; whereas down-regulated Caspase-3 indicates a decreased apoptotic activity in the embryos treated with resveratrol. Our results suggest that the treatment of pig embryos with 0.5 μm of resveratrol has a beneficial effect on preimplantation development leading to improved blastocyst formation. The impact of resveratrol on apoptosis needs further investigation.
Moral intuition: its neural substrates and normative significance.

Philosophers use the phrase ‘‘moral intuition” to describe the appearance in consciousness of moral judgments or assessments without any awareness of having gone through a conscious reasoning process that produces this assessment. This paper investigates the neural substrates of moral intuition. We propose that moral intuitions are part of a larger set of social intuitions that guide us through complex, highly uncertain and rapidly changing social interactions. Such intuitions are shaped by learning. The neural substrates for moral intuition include fronto-insular, cingulate, and orbito-frontal cortices and associated subcortical structure such as the septum, basil ganglia and amygdala. Understanding the role of these structures undercuts many philosophical doctrines concerning the status of moral intuitions, but vindicates the claim that they can sometimes play a legitimate role in moral decision-ma
Subaortic septal bulge simulates hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by angulation of the septum with age, independent of focal hypertrophy. An echocardiographic study

Focal hypertrophy of the basal anterior septum occurs not infrequently in elderly patients and is considered by some to be a significant form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; others consider it to be an unimportant anatomic variant associated with an angulated septum, called a septal bulge (SB). We analyzed 94 cases of SB collected prospectively and compared them with 88 patients with extensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 20 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy limited to the entire septum (ASH), and 20 age-matched controls. The SB cases were also divided into three groups, with marked, moderate, or no basal septal hypertrophy associated with the occurrence of an SB. All groups of SB patients had increased fractional shortening compared with controls (0.48 +/- 0.07 versus controls 0.40 +/- 0.07), comparable with HCM (0.48 +/- 0.12), and increased left ventricular outflow tract velocity both at rest and especially after amyl nitrite inhalation (3.42 +/- 1.35 versus 1.55 +/- 0.60 m/sec [controls]). Other features of HCM were not present: normal wall thickness except for the basal septal hypertrophy, no anterior malposition in SB patients, no age-independent reversal of ratio of early to late mitral inflow velocity (E/A), and no decrease in end-diastolic dimension. It is concluded that outflow tract narrowing by an angulated septum is the primary mechanism responsible for the increased outflow tract velocity, rather than the hypertrophic septum. The resultant increase in convective acceleration simulates the dynamics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The focal hypertrophy may be secondary and contributory to the enhanced ventricular dynamics, but it does not appear to be a primary cardiomyopathy.
Amphetamine lowers extracellular GABA concentration in the ventral pallidum.

Abstract In vivo dialysis was performed in the ventral pallidum of the conscious rat, and extracellular levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) measured. Forty minutes following peripheral administration of amphetamine (2.0 mg/kg, s.c.) the extracellular concentration of GABA was significantly reduced, in parallel with a significant elevation in motor activity. These data indicate that a decline in GABA transmission in the ventral pallidum may be important in the initiation of amphetamine-induced motor activity.
Technology sensitivity studies for a Mach 3.0 civil transport

The level of technological sophistication required for the economic viability and environmental acceptability of a Mach 3.0-cruise SST is evaluated, with a view to the development schedule and initial operating date into which the maturity of various essential technologies will translate. Attention is given to the effect of advanced aerodynamic, propulsion, structural and subsystem technologies on takeoff gross weight. A dramatic impact is noted to result from the combination of prospective technological advances in flow laminarization, advanced structures and materials, etc.
Note: High density pulsed molecular beam for cold ion chemistry

A recent expansion of cold and ultracold molecule applications has led to renewed focus on molecular species preparation under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Meanwhile, molecular beams have been used to study gas phase chemical reactions for decades. In this paper, we describe an apparatus that uses pulsed molecular beam technology to achieve high local gas densities, leading to faster reaction rates with cold trapped ions. We characterize the beam's spatial profile using the trapped ions themselves. This apparatus could be used for preparation of molecular species by reactions requiring excitation of trapped ion precursors to states with short lifetimes or for obtaining a high reaction rate with minimal increase of background chamber pressure.
Generalizability of a Simple Approach for Predicting Hospital Admission From an Emergency Department

Objectives: The objective was to test the generalizability, across a range of hospital sizes and demographics, of a previously developed method for predicting and aggregating, in real time, the probabilities that emergency department (ED) patients will be admitted to a hospital inpatient unit. Methods: Logistic regression models were developed that estimate inpatient admission probabilities of each patient upon entering an ED. The models were based on retrospective development ( n= 4,000 to 5,000 ED visits) and validation ( n= 1,000 to 2,000 ED visits) data sets from four heterogeneous hospitals. Model performance was evaluated using retrospective test data sets ( n= 1,000 to 2,000 ED visits). For one hospital the developed model also was applied prospectively to a test data set ( n= 910 ED visits) coded by triage nurses in real time, to compare results to those from the retrospective single investigator–coded test data set. Results: The prediction models for each hospital performed reasonably well and typically involved just a few simple-to-collect variables, which differed for each hospital. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) ranged from 0.80 to 0.89, R 2 correlation coefficients between predicted and actual daily admissions ranged from 0.58 to 0.90, and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistics of model accuracy had p > 0.01 with one exception. Data coded prospectively by triage nurses produced comparable results. Conclusions: The accuracy of regression models to predict ED patient admission likelihood was shown to be generalizable across hospitals of different sizes, populations, and administrative structures. Each hospital used a unique combination of predictive factors that may reflect these differences. This approach performed equally well when hospital staff coded patient data in real time versus the research team retrospectively. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2013; 20:1156–1163 © 2013 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Modeling of substrate‐induced anisotropy in through‐plane thermal behavior of polymeric thin films

Polymeric thin films are widely used in microelectronic applications for a variety of purposes. These films may possess completely isotropic material properties and yet still exhibit anisotropic effects due to the constraining influence of the substrate coupling into the film behavior via the film Poisson ratio. A theoretical model of this effect on the through-plane thermal properties of isotropic thin films for single layer (thin film rigidly clamped) and bilayer (thin film on substrate, e.g., silicon wafer) has been developed based on the assumption that the material follows Hooke's law in all directions. Finite element analyses using ANSYS 5.0A have also been performed to confirm theoretical results both for single-layer and bilayer models. In the case of Poisson ratio of 0.5, the effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in the thickness direction can be as high as three times that of the unconstrained film.
Evaluation of patients with ischemic heart disease by thallium-201 myocardial imaging.

Abstract Thallium-201 myocardial imaging at rest and during exercise has found wide application in the evaluation of patients with suspected ischemic heart disease. Although the reported sensitivity of this technique is approximately 80% and the specificity 90%, the actual sensitivity and specificity are likely to be considerably higher. Only by careful attention to improvements in technical factors and in our ability to determine whether myocardial ischemia is present at rest or during exercise in patients being evaluated in the catheterization laboratory by arteriography will we be able to define the true sensitivity and specificity of this or other new noninvasive techniques.
Effects of a cultured autologous chondrocyte-seeded type II collagen scaffold on the healing of a chondral defect in a canine model.

Abstract Using a previously established canine model for repair of articular cartilage defects, this study evaluated the 15-week healing of chondral defects (i.e., to the tidemark) implanted with an autologous articular chondrocyte-seeded type II collagen scaffold that had been cultured in vitro for four weeks prior to implantation. The amount and composition of the reparative tissue were compared to results from our prior studies using the same animal model in which the following groups were analyzed: defects implanted with autologous chondrocyte-seeded collagen scaffolds that had been cultured in vitro for approximately 12 h prior to implantation, defects implanted with autologous chondrocytes alone, and untreated defects. Chondrocytes, isolated from articular cartilage harvested from the left knee joint of six adult canines, were expanded in number in monolayer for three weeks, seeded into porous type II collagen scaffolds, cultured for an additional four weeks in vitro and then implanted into chondral defects in the trochlear groove of the right knee joints. The percentages of specific tissue types filling the defects were evaluated histomorphometrically and certain mechanical properties of the repair tissue were determined. The reparative tissue filled 88±6% (mean±SEM; range 70–100%) of the cross-sectional area of the original defect, with hyaline cartilage accounting for 42±10% (range 7–67%) of defect area. These values were greater than those reported previously for untreated defects and defects implanted with a type II collagen scaffold seeded with autologous chondrocytes within 12 h prior to implantation. Most striking, was the decreased amount of fibrous tissue filling the defects in the current study, 5±5% (range 0–26%) as compared to previous treatments. Despite this improvement, indentation testing of the repair tissue formed in this study revealed that the compressive stiffness of the repair tissue was well below (20-fold lower stiffness) that of native articular cartilage.
The influence of pressure on petroleum generation and maturation as suggested by aqueous pyrolysis

Because fluid pressures are transient in sedimentary basins over geologic time, the effect of increasing fluid pressure on organic-matter metamorphism is difficult to determine, and conflicting opinions exist concerning its influence. Properly-performed aqueous-pyrolysis experiments can closely simulate hydrocarbon generation and maturation in nature, and thus offer an excellent way to study the influence of pressure. Such experiments, carried out on the Retort Phosphatic Shale Member of the Lower Permian Phosphoria Formation (type II-S organic matter) at different constant temperatures, demonstrated that increasing pressure significantly retards all aspects of organic matter metamorphism, including hydrocarbon generation, maturation and thermal destruction. This conclusion results from detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses of all products from hydrocarbon generation, from the C1 to C4 hydrocarbon gases to the asphaltenes, and also from analyses of the reacted rocks. We have documented that our aqueous-pyrolysis experiments closely simulated natural hydrocarbon generation and maturation. Thus the data taken as a function of pressure have relevance to the influence of normal and abnormal fluid pressures as related to: 1) depths and temperatures of mainstage hydrocarbon generation; 2) the thermal destruction of deposits of gas or light oil, or their preservation to unexpectedly high maturation ranks; and 3) the persistence of measurable to moderate concentrations of C15+ hydrocarbons in fine-grained rocks even to ultra-high maturation ranks.
SE7 Implantable and Prosthetic Devices: Life-Changing Circuits

Advances in the miniaturization of electronics and an increased understanding of neurophysiology during the twentieth century have led to a rapid growth in neurological technologies ‐ circuits that communicate directly with the human nervous system. Today, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits form the heart of implantable devices that restore hearing to the profoundly deaf and calm the tremors of Parkinson’s disease. Technologies to stimulate paralyzed muscles and restore vision to the blind are becoming a reality as well. Yet circuits that must operate within the body present enormous technical challenges. Power dissipation is extremely limited since excess heat can damage surrounding tissue, and power typically must be delivered wirelessly. The speakers in this special session have backgrounds spanning technology and medicine, and bring a multidisciplinary perspective to this exciting field. Dr. Denison will provide an overview of pacemaker development and show how this well-established technology is leading to new circuits for “deep brain” stimulation to treat disorders such as Parkinson’s or epilepsy. Prof. Loeb will describe small, implantable ASICs for neuromuscular stimulation. Prof. Seligman will discuss cochlear implants ‐ one of the most successful neural interfaces developed in the past few decades ‐ which restore hearing to tens of thousands of deaf persons worldwide. Prof. Liu will describe efforts to restore functional vision to patients who suffer from retinal degeneration. This session will introduce attendees to the challenging field of biomedical microelectronics that promises to improve the quality of life for millions of people in the coming decades. ISSCC 2007 / DISCUSSION SESSIONS / SE7
A necessary condition for controlled approximation

A necessary condition is given on the Fourier transforms of a finite family of functions in Rsso that the finite family and their translates will approximate an arbitrary function within certain precision.
Chip-Based Enrichment and NanoLC−MS/MS Analysis of Phosphopeptides from Whole Lysates

Protein phosphorylation may be the most widespread and possibly most important post-translational modification (PTM). Considering such a claim, it should be no surprise that huge efforts have been made to improve methods to allow comprehensive study of cellular phosphorylation events. Nevertheless, comprehensive identification of sites of protein phosphorylation is still a challenge, best left to experienced proteomics experts. Recent advances in HPLC chip manufacturing have created an environment to allow automation of popular techniques in the bioanalytical world. One such tool that would benefit from the increased ease and confidence brought by automated 'nanoflow' analysis is phosphopeptide enrichment. To this end, we have developed a reusable HPLC nanoflow rate chip using TiO 2 particles for selective phosphopeptide enrichment. Such a design proved robust, easy to use, and was capable of consistent performance over tens of analyses including minute amounts of complex cellular lysates.
Geodetically inferred coseismic and postseismic slip due to the M 5.4 31 October 2007 Alum Rock earthquake

On 31 October 2007 the M 5.4 Alum Rock earthquake occurred near the junction between the Hayward and Calaveras faults in the San Francisco Bay Area, producing coseismic and postseismic displacements recorded by 10 continuously operating Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments. The cumulative postseismic displacements over the four months following the earthquake are linearly related to the cumulative number of aftershocks and are comparable in magnitude to the coseismic displacements. The postseismic signal suggests that, in addition to afterslip at seismogenic depths, localized right-lateral/reverse slip occurred on dipping shallow fault surfaces southwest of the Calaveras. The spatial distribution of slip inferred by inverting the GPS data is compatible with a model in which moderate Calaveras fault earthquakes rupture locked patches surrounded by areas of creep, afterslip, and microseismicity (Oppenheimer et al. , 1990). If this model and existing Calaveras fault slip rate estimates are correct, a slip deficit remains on the 2007 Alum Rock rupture patch that may be made up by aseismic slip or slip in larger earthquakes. Recent studies (e.g., Manaker et al. , 2005) suggest that at depth the Hayward and central Calaveras faults connect via a simple continuous surface illuminated by the Mission Seismic Trend (MST), implying that a damaging earthquake rupture could involve both faults (Graymer et al. , 2008). If this geometry is correct, the combined coseismic and postseismic slip we infer for the 2007 Alum Rock event predicts static Coulomb stress increases of ∼0.6 bar on the MST surface and on the northern Calaveras fault ∼5 km northwest of the Alum Rock hypocenter.
On piecewise quadratic control-Lyapunov functions for switched linear systems

In this paper, we prove that a discrete-time switched linear system is exponentially stabilizable if and only if there exists a stationary hybrid-control law that consists of a homogeneous switching-control law and a piecewise-linear continuous-control law under which the closed-loop system has a piecewise quadratic Lyapunov function. Such a converse control-Lyapunov function theorem justifies many of the earlier controller-synthesis methods that have adopted piecewise-quadratic Lyapunov functions and piecewise-linear continuous-control laws for convenience or heuristic reasons. Furthermore, several important properties of the proposed stabilizing control law are derived and their connections to other existing controllers studied in the literature are discussed.
Modeling nonconventional sampling schemes with a combined discrete-continuous language

Combined discrete-continuous simulation languages can provide a convenient and flexible structure for modeling a wide variety of nonconventional sampled-data control problems. Using the language SIMAN, it is shown how to model fixed, random, and signal-dependent nonconventional sampling schemes including a nonsynchronous multirate system with a PID controller.
Age and education effects and norms on a cognitive test battery from a population-based cohort: the Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Team

Objectives: Performance on cognitive tests can be affected by age, education, and also selection bias. We examined the distribution of scores on several cognitive screening tests by age and educational levels in a population-based cohort. Method: An age-stratified random sample of individuals aged 65+ years was drawn from the electoral rolls of an urban US community. Those obtaining age and education-corrected scores ≥21/30 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were designated as cognitively normal or only mildly impaired, and underwent a full assessment including a battery of neuropsychological tests. Participants were also rated on the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. The distribution of neuropsychological test scores within demographic strata, among those receiving a CDR of 0 (no dementia), are reported here as cognitive test norms. After combining individual test scores into cognitive domain composite scores, multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations of cognitive t...
INTERACTION OF ALIPHATIC AMINES WITH MONTMORILLONITE TO ENHANCE ADSORPTION OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

X-ray powder diffraction studies were performed with propyl-, dodecyl-, and dodecyldiam- monium bentonites saturated with aqueous mixtures of eleven organic pollutants at concentrations of 0.01 to 100%. The alkylammonium salt treatment separated the montmorillonite unit layers, which increased the interlamellar volume and exposed the interlamellar surfaces for adsorption of the organic pollutants. Washing the salt-treated clays with distilled water removed excess, physically adsorbed al- kylammonium ions that could interfere with adsorption of the organic pollutants. Adsorption isotherms conducted at organic pollutant concentrations of 100 and I000 rag/liter indicated the three alkylam- monium montmorillonites, especially propylammonium montmorillonite, were effective adsorbents from aqueous solution, but to a lesser extent than adsorbents currently used in the water and wastewater fields.
Chemically forced dormancy termination mimics natural dormancy progression in potato tuber meristems by reducing ABA content and modifying expression of genes involved in regulating ABA synthesis and metabolism

The length of potato tuber dormancy depends on both the genotype and the environmental conditions during growth and storage. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been shown to play a critical role in tuber dormancy control but the mechanisms regulating ABA content during dormancy, as well as the sites of ABA synthesis, and catabolism are unknown. Recently, a temporal correlation between changes in ABA content and certain ABA biosynthetic and catabolic genes has been reported in stored field tubers during physiological dormancy progression. However, the protracted length of natural dormancy progression complicated interpretation of these data. To address this issue, in this study the synthetic dormancy-terminating agent bromoethane (BE) was used to induce rapid and highly synchronous sprouting of dormant tubers. The endogenous ABA content of tuber meristems increased 2-fold 24 h after BE treatment and then declined dramatically. By 7 d post-treatment, meristem ABA content had declined by >80%. Exogenous [ 3 H]ABA was readily metabolized by isolated meristems to phaseic and dihydrophaseic acids. BE treatment resulted in an almost 2-fold increase in the rate of ABA metabolism. A differential expression of both the StNCED and StCYP707A gene family members in meristems of BE-treated tubers is consistent with a regulatory role for StNCED2 and the StCYP707A1 and StCYP707A2 genes. The present results show that the changes in ABA content observed during tuber dormancy
Structure of the Distal Human Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (hGnRH) Gene Promoter and Functional Analysis in GT1-7 Neuronal Cells

To assess potential species-specific expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), the distal human (h) GnRH promoter was cloned, characterized and tested in gene transfer studies. The nucleotide sequence of approximately 3.8 kb of 5'-flanking region was determined. Homology to the rat (r) GnRH sequence was observed in the proximal promoter region between -551 h (-424 r) and the transcriptional start site and within multiple distal promoter regions. In contrast, there was little similarity in the sequences between -1131/-551 h and -1031/-424 r. A deletion panel of 5'-flanking hGnRH promoter constructs was made and tested in transient transfection assays in GnRH-producing mouse GT1-7 neuronal cells. The largest hGnRH promoter construct (-3832/+5 h) exhibited high levels of reporter activity, similar to that observed with the largest rGnRH construct (-3026/+116 r). However, in contrast to the rat gene, deletion of distal promoter sequences of the hGnRH promoter to -1971, -1131 or -551 did not result in a decrease in luciferase reporter activity. Further truncation to -350 resulted in a 3-fold decrease in luciferase activity. There was no preferential use of the putative upstream hGnRH start site in neuronal cells. DNase I protection assays showed unique protection patterns with nuclear extracts from GT1-7 and Gn10 neuronal cells and the hGnRH and rGnRH promoter fragments. These data suggest the presence of different cis-acting elements and transacting factors that mediate species-specific neuronal GnRH expression.
Kinetic Studies on Segmented Tubular Stainless Steel Crevices at High Temperature

Abstract Currents flowing between the electrically separated equipotential sections of segmented tubular crevices showed complex behavior at 288 C and during cooling. Dependence of these currents o...
Improved breast cancer prognosis through the combination of clinical and genetic markers

Motivation: Accurate prognosis of breast cancer can spare a significant number of breast cancer patients from receiving unnecessary adjuvant systemic treatment and its related expensive medical costs. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential value of gene expression signatures in assessing the risk of post-surgical disease recurrence. However, these studies all attempt to develop genetic marker-based prognostic systems to replace the existing clinical criteria, while ignoring the rich information contained in established clinical markers. Given the complexity of breast cancer prognosis, a more practical strategy would be to utilize both clinical and genetic marker information that may be complementary. Methods: A computational study is performed on publicly available microarray data, which has spawned a 70-gene prognostic signature. The recently proposed I-RELIEF algorithm is used to identify a hybrid signature through the combination of both genetic and clinical markers. A rigorous experimental protocol is used to estimate the prognostic performance of the hybrid signature and other prognostic approaches. Survival data analyses is performed to compare different prognostic approaches. Results: The hybrid signature performs significantly better than other methods, including the 70-gene signature, clinical makers alone and the St. Gallen consensus criterion. At the 90% sensitivity level, the hybrid signature achieves 67% specificity, as compared to 47% for the 70-gene signature and 48% for the clinical makers. The odds ratio of the hybrid signature for developing distant metastases within five years between the patients with a good prognosis signature and the patients with a bad prognosis is 21.0 (95% CI:6.5--68.3), far higher than either genetic or clinical markers alone. Availability: The breast cancer dataset is available at www.nature.com and Matlab codes are available upon request. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Binary classification by stochastic neural nets

We classify points in R/sup d/ (feature vector space) by functions related to feedforward artificial neural networks. These functions, dubbed "stochastic neural nets", arise in a natural way from probabilistic as well as from statistical considerations. The probabilistic idea is to define a classifying bit locally by using the sign of a hidden state-dependent noisy linear function of the feature vector as a new (d+1)th coordinate of the vector. This (d+1)-dimensional distribution is approximated by a mixture distribution. The statistical idea is that the approximating mixtures, and hence the a posteriori class probability functions (stochastic neural nets) defined by them, can be conveniently trained either by maximum likelihood or by a Bayes criterion through the use of an appropriate expectation-maximization algorithm. >
Embryonic core complexes in narrow continental rifts: The importance of low-angle normal faults in the Rio Grande rift of central New Mexico

The Rio Grande rift in central New Mexico provides an excellent location to study the interaction between high-angle and low-angle (15°–35°) normal faults during crustal extension. Here we evaluate the relative importance of low-angle normal faults (LANFs) in the Albuquerque basin of central New Mexico with goals of testing two conflicting models of rift geometry and producing evolutionary models for the northern and southern parts of the basin. Using physiographic relationships, field observations, structural data analysis, and thermal history modeling, we document two brittle LANF systems on salients in adjacent opposite-polarity half-grabens. These fault systems were both active ca. 20–10 Ma and are locations of maximum fault slip as indicated by thickness of sedimentary fill in adjacent sub-basins and highest elevation rift flanks. Average fault dip increases basinward, and outbound faults were abandoned while intrabasinal faults cut Quaternary units, supporting an evolutionary model where master normal faults initiated at a higher dip, were shallowed by isostatic footwall uplift in regions of highest slip, and became inactive while younger normal faults emerged basinward. These geometrical and kinematic observations are predicted by the rolling-hinge model for the formation of LANFs. This mechanism has been widely applied to core complexes in highly extended terranes (e.g., Basin and Range), regions of orogenic collapse, and mid-ocean ridges, and it is shown here to also be applicable to narrow continental rifts of modest (∼35%) extension. Similarities to core complexes include a physiographic expression of domal uplifts, evolution of a master detachment horizon that initiated as a breakaway, and isostatically rotated low-angle normal faults. Although the degree of extension was too low to juxtapose ductile footwall rocks against brittle hanging-wall rocks, if extension had progressed in the Albuquerque basin, eventually a mature metamorphic core complex would have formed, similar to those preserved in the adjacent Basin and Range Province. The Rio Grande rift, therefore, provides a snapshot of the embryonic stages of core complex formation, bridging the gap between mature core complexes and incipient extensional environments.