cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of myosin adenosinetriphosphatase and myosin content in cultured heart cells

An assay specific for myosin ATPase in whole-cell extracts of cultured heart cells has been developed. Myosin ATPase is measured by the production of Pi from ATP in the presence of high ionic strength (0.5 M KCl) at pH 9.1. Enzyme activity is maximal with 10 mM CaCl2 and completely inhibited with 5 mM MgCl2. Spontaneously beating myocytes grown in the presence of 10% newborn calf serum and 0.1 mM 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine show a significant rise in myosin ATPase between Days 1 and 4 in culture. The measurement of myosin ATPase allows for the quantitation of cellular myosin content, and can be used to assess changes in myosin content that occur during growth, development, and cellular repair.
Molecular and Meso- and Macroscopic Properties of Hierarchical Nanocrystalline ZSM-5 Zeolite Prepared by Seed Silanization

Surface-passivating silanization of protozeolitic units has been shown to be an effective strategy for the preparation of ZSM-5 nanocrystals, showing a controlled aggregation degree and a hierarchical porosity. ZSM-5 zeolite materials are thus obtained with adjustable and relatively uniform mesoporosities that have a strong influence on resulting macroscopic reaction properties, especially for macromolecular reagents. The mean sizes of the nanounits and, therefore, the textural and accessibility of these materials can be varied by changing the precrystallization conditions and the concentration of the seed-silanization agent. In addition to conventional characterization techniques, solid-state two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy measurements and the application of the NLDFT model to the argon adsorption isotherms have allowed both the local and the mesoscopic compositions, as well as the structures of the hierarchically porous ZSM-5 materials, to be established. The resultin...
A Concise, Selective Synthesis of the Polyketide Spacer Domain of a Potent Bryostatin Analogue

[reaction: see text] A concise, asymmetric synthesis of the polyketide spacer domain portion (C1-C13) of a highly potent bryostatin analogue was developed. The route utilizes asymmetric hydrogenation methodology to install the C3, C5, and C11 stereocenters, while a substrate directed syn reduction sets the C9 stereocenter. The spacer domain 1 is obtained in 10 steps with a 25% overall yield and is readily incorporated into the synthesis of 2.
Effect of Fluorine Co-Implant on Boron Diffusion in Germanium Preamorphized Silicon During Post-LSA Rapid Thermal Annealing

Fluorine co-implant has been shown to reduce boron transient enhanced diffusion and deactivation when coupled with conventional spike rapid thermal anneals (RTA). For ultrashallow junction formation beyond the 45 nm technology node, non-melt laser spike anneal (LSA) is a promising diffusion-less annealing candidate. In this paper, the effect of fluorine co-implant on boron diffusion during LSA and the subsequent post-LSA thermal budget is evaluated. Silicon wafers were implanted with germanium, fluorine, and subsequently boron ions. Non-melt LSA was carried out at a temperature range from 1150 to 1350°C, followed by RTA at 825°C for 30 s. Secondary ion mass spectrometry confirms that in the presence of fluorine, retarded boron diffusion is observed at LSA temperatures below 1250°C. As the LSA temperature is increased or when a subsequent soak RTA is carried out, enhanced boron diffusion is observed. The reduced boron diffusivity at LSA temperatures below 1250°C is attributed to the efficient capture of interstitials released from the end-of-range defects by fluorine-vacancy clusters during the millisecond anneal. As the thermal budget is increased, excess interstitials caused by the fluorine implant are released, thus increasing the boron diffusion.
The National Cancer Institute's perspective and agenda for promoting awareness and research on alternative therapies for cancer.

The widespread use of a variety of nutritional, psychologic, and natural medical approaches, collectively termed complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has been well documented. Recent surveys demonstrate that between 9% and 91% of U.S. patients with cancer use CAM therapies at some time after their diagnosis. However, there is a paucity of data available to indicate whether these CAM practices are efficacious and safe. Despite, or possibly because of, this controversy there has been considerable growth of interest in CAM by the American public. This interest has also resulted in a growth of research resources. Concurrently there has been an expansion of interest in the conventional medical establishment manifested by the creation of Departments of CAM or Integrative Medicine in respected conventional medical institutions, privately funded research centers and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM)/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Communication between conventional and unconventional practitioners is beginning. These changes are leading to a conversion of the dialogue about CAM from a focus on "quackery" to an exploration of the potential for novel therapeutics and the beginnings of focused, rigorous research. The National Cancer Institute is establishing programs to increase the amount and quality of CAM cancer research, support the production of high-quality CAM cancer information, and facilitate the dialogue between CAM practitioners and cancer researchers.
Nucleobase‐induced supramolecular polymerization in the solid state

Supramolecular polymerization, that is, the self-assembly of polymer-like materials through the utilization of the noncovalent bond, has been a developing area of research over the last decade. In this article, we report the synthesis of nucleobase-terminated (N 6 -anisoyl-adenine and thymine) low-molecular-weight poly(tetrahydrofuran) macromonomers (<2000 g mol - 1 ). The adenine-derived supramolecular telechelic polymer self-assembled in the solid state to yield materials with film- and fiber-forming capabilities. This material was thermally reversible and exhibited a ceiling temperature, above which a drop in viscosity was observed and fibers could no longer be obtained.
MULTIBLOCK EULER COMPUTATION OF TRANSONIC FLOW ABOUT A GENERIC AIRCRAFT CONFIGURATION

SUMMARY An implicit, upwind numerical scheme is presented for computing the unsteady transonic flowfield around complex aircraft configurations. This scheme solves the time-dependent Euler equations with a finite volume method that incorporates a high resolution Riemann solver to define the interface fluxes. A multiblock domain decomposition appproach is used to partition the computational domain into a completely arbitrary arrangement of blocks. However, this work is restricted to C1-continuous grid lines across block boundaries. Consequently, block-block interfaces are treated such as to mimic interior block communication, thus introducing no additional spatial differencing error. Computational results have been obtained for a complete wing-pylon-store configuration with the store in the captive and vertical launch positions. The numerical results for both stationary and dynamic grids have shown favorable agreement with experimental data.
The Effects of a Promoter of Cell Differentiation and Selected Hormones on Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Using an In Vitro Cell System

The influence of factors that can regulate cellular developmental or metabolic processes in host tissue on cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication in vitro was determined. Hydrocortisone treatment of cells before viral infection resulted in a 12- to 13-fold increase in the expression of immediate early proteins at 4 h after virus inoculation. The addition of a phorbol diester 1.5 h after CMV infection resulted in an 8- to 13-fold increase in production of viral progeny. In contrast, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin treatment generally resulted in a 25%-72% suppression of both CMV-specific proteins and progeny. Effects on CMV infection with either progesterone or estradiol were minor and generally suppressive. The stimulating or suppressive effects of these factors on CMV replication in vitro may be important to CMV reactivation in humans. Further study of regulatory factors may lead to the development of therapeutic approaches to the prevention of CMV reactivation in patients at risk for severe disease.
Low-dose bioactivity of xenoestrogens in animals: fetal exposure to low doses of methoxychlor and other xenoestrogens increases adult prostate size in mice.

The hormonal activity of natural estrogens is influenced by the degree to which they bind to serum proteins. In the pregnant female and in the fetus, greater than 99% of estradiol may be bound by serum binding proteins. Therefore, even though total serum levels of estradiol appear very high in fetuses, we have found that in rodent fetuses, there is a very low free concentration of estradiol (0.2 pg/ml). Naturally occurring variation in fetal serum estradiol predicts differences in numerous postnatal traits, including prostate size. In addition, when this low level of free estradiol was experimentally increased from 0.2 to 0.3 pg/ml during the last third of fetal life, treated male mice showed an increase in adult prostate weight. Fetal exposure to low doses of xenobiotic estrogens by feeding to pregnant females, including the compounds methoxychlor (20 and 2000 μg/kg body weight), DES (0.02 to 2 μg/kg body weight) and bisphenol A (2 and 20 μg/kg body weight), also led to increased prostate weight in adult...
The role of nuclear scanning in head and neck surgery

A number of procedures in nuclear medicine are available to assist the surgeon in evaluating pathologic conditions of the head and neck. Gallium-67 citrate scanning is occasionally useful in determining the extent of head and neck tumors but rarely can it detect an occult tumor and it cannot distinguish between an infection and a tumor. Technetium-99m pertechnetate can be used to evaluate diseases of the salivary glands including parotitis, duct obstructions, and tumors. Iodine 123 and technetium-99m pertechnetate are commonly used to obtain images of the thyroid, but some malignant thyroid nodules will accumulate technetium-99m pertechnetate and the suspicious character of the nodule may be only appreciated by iodine scanning. The use of iodine 131 is generally limited to the detection of a substernal thyroid, therapeutic thyroid ablation, and the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Bone scanning has been used experimentally to evaluate the healing of mandibular bone grafts and to detect local extension of primary head and neck tumors to skull and facial bones.
A study of urban housing demolitions as sources of lead in ambient dust: demolition practices and exterior dust fall.

Demolition of older housing for urban redevelopment purposes benefits communities by removing housing with lead paint and dust hazards and by creating spaces for lead paint-free housing and other community resources. This study was conducted to assess changes, if any, in ambient dust lead levels associated with demolition of blocks of older lead-containing row houses in Baltimore, Maryland (USA). In this article we present results based on dust-fall samples collected from fixed locations within 10 m of three demolition sites. In subsequent reports we will describe dust lead changes on streets, sidewalks, and residential floors within 100 m of the demolition sites. Geometric mean (GM) lead dust-fall rate increased by > 40-fold during demolition to 410 micro g Pb/m2/hr (2,700 micro g Pb/m2 per typical work day) and by > 6-fold during debris removal to 61 micro g Pb/m2/hr (440 micro g Pb/m2 per typical work day). Lead concentrations in dust fall also increased during demolition (GM, 2,600 mg/kg) and debris removal (GM, 1,500 mg/kg) compared with baseline (GM, 950 mg/kg). In the absence of dust-fall standards, the results were compared with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) dust-lead surface loading standard for interior residential floors (40 micro g/ft2, equivalent to 431 micro g/m2); daily lead dust fall during demolition exceeded the U.S. EPA floor standard by 6-fold on average and as much as 81-fold on an individual sample basis. Dust fall is of public health concern because it settles on surfaces and becomes a pathway of ambient lead exposure and a potential pathway of residential exposure via tracking and blowing of exterior dust. The findings highlight the need to minimize demolition lead deposition and to educate urban planners, contractors, health agencies, and the public about lead and other community concerns so that society can maximize the benefits of future demolition activities nationwide.
The Nuclear Peninsula

The Nuclear Peninsula. FRANCOISE ZONABEND. J. A. Underwood, trans. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993. xii + 138 pp., illustrations, notes, index.
Plagiocephalometry: a non-invasive method to quantify asymmetry of the skull; a reliability study

Deformational plagiocephaly (DP) in newborns and very young children is a common problem in daily practice. The intrarater and interrater reliability of plagio- cephalometry (PCM), a new, non-invasive, inexpensive instrument to assess and quantify the asymmetry of the skull, is evaluated at the outpatient Department of Phys- ical Therapy of the Bernhoven Hospital at Veghel, The Netherlands. Using a thermoplastic material to mould the outline of the infant's skull, a reproduction of the skull shape is performed on paper, allowing for accurate ceph- alometric measurements. Fifty children (aged 0-24 months), with or without positional preference of the head, and with or without DP, were measured three times by two separate, experienced pediatric physical therapists. Intraclass corre- lation coefficients (ICC) regarding the measurements of the drawn lines were all above 0.92 (intrarater reliability) and 0.90 (interrater reliability). The ICCs of the plagio- cephaly indicators ear deviation (ED), antero-sinistra� antero-dextra (ASAD), postero-dextrapostero-sinistra (PDPS) and oblique diameter difference (ODD) were 0.88, 0.57, 0.92 and 0.96, respectively, for the intrarater reliability and 0.90, 0.65, 0.94 and 0.96, respectively, for the interrater reliability. The ICCs of the two indices oblique diameter difference index (ODDI) and cranial proportional index (CPI) were 0.97 and 0.96, respectively, for the intrarater reliability and 0.95 and 0.92, respec- tively, for the interrater reliability. The limits of agreement according to Bland Altman, comprising 95% of the dif- ferences between two measurements (2 sd), were 4.3 mm (ED), 5.9 mm (ASAD), 3.0 mm (PDPS), 3.4 mm (ODD), 2.7% (ODDI) and 4.5% (CPI) for the intrarater reliability, and 3.7 mm (ED), 5.2 mm (ASAD), 2.4 mm (PDPS), 3.3 mm (ODD), 2.9% (ODDI) and 5.8% (CPI) for the interrater reliability. Conclusion: We conclude that PCM is an easy-to-apply, non-invasive and reliable measurement instrument to assess skull asymmetry with good clinical accuracy and low application costs. PCM might serve as an instrument to be used in all levels of care for children with DP, and might provide information concerning the natural course of DP, as well as the assessment of the effects of conservative treatment strategies on DP.
Unit versus Ad Valorem Taxes in Multiproduct Cournot Oligopoly

The welfare dominance of ad valorem taxes over unit taxes in a single-market Cournot oligopoly is well known. This article extends the analysis to multimarket oligopoly. Provided all ad valorem taxes are equal and positive, unit costs are constant, firms are active in all considered markets, and a representative consumer has convex preferences, ad valorem taxes are shown to dominate in multiproduct equilibrium. Conditions exist, however, under which economic efficiency declines upon replacing specific taxes with ad valorem taxes that preserve output levels. We discuss the roles of unit cost covariances across multiproduct firms, and also of complementarity in demand, in determining the extent of cost efficiencies arising under ad valorem taxation. For goods that are complementary or independent in demand, conditions are found such that industry profits decline upon use of ad valorem taxes.
Chromatin Modifications by Methylation and Ubiquitination: Implications in the Regulation of Gene Expression

It is more evident now than ever that nucleosomes can transmit epigenetic information from one cell generation to the next. It has been demonstrated during the past decade that the posttranslational modifications of histone proteins within the chromosome impact chromatin structure, gene transcription, and epigenetic information. Multiple modifications decorate each histone tail within the nucleosome, including some amino acids that can be modified in several different ways. Covalent modifications of histone tails known thus far include acetylation, phosphorylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination, and methylation. A large body of experimental evidence compiled during the past several years has demonstrated the impact of histone acetylation on transcriptional control. Although histone modification by methylation and ubiquitination was discovered long ago, it was only recently that functional roles for these modifications in transcriptional regulation began to surface. Highlighted in this review are the recent biochemical, molecular, cellular, and physiological functions of histone methylation and ubiquitination involved in the regulation of gene expression as determined by a combination of enzymological, structural, and genetic methodologies.
Forecast Skill and Farmers' Skills: Seasonal Climate Forecasts and Agricultural Risk Management in the Southeastern United States

During the last 10 yr, research on seasonal climate forecasts as an agricultural risk management tool has pursued three directions: modeling potential impacts and responses, identifying opportunities and constraints, and analyzing risk communication aspects. Most of these approaches tend to frame seasonal climate forecasts as a discrete product with direct and linear effects. In contrast, the authors propose that agricultural management is a performative process, constituted by a combination of planning, experimentation, and improvisation and drawing on a mix of technical expertise, situated knowledge, cumulative experience, and intuitive skill as farmers navigate a myriad of risks in the pursuit of livelihood goals and economic opportunities. This study draws on ethnographic interviews conducted with 38 family farmers in southern Georgia, examining their livelihood goals and social values, strategies for managing risk, and interactions with weather and climate information, specifically their responses to seasonal climate forecasts. Findings highlight the social nature of information processing and risk management, indicating that both material conditions and valuebased attitudes bear upon the ways farmers may integrate climate predictions into their agricultural management practices. These insights translate into specific recommendations that will enhance the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of seasonal climate forecasts among farmers and will promote the incorporation of such information into a skillful performance in the face of climate uncertainty.
Identifying Empirically Supported Treatments What If We Didn't?

The conclusion of the Division 12 Task Force's report on empirically supported treatments raises 3 questions: (a) Is it desirable for the profession to specify what treatments are effective? (b) Do the criteria, either selected by the Task Force or modified by others, represent a reasonable way of identifying effective treatments? (c) Would different and less controversial conclusions have been reached if the criteria used were broadened to include naturalistic and quasi-experimental studies? It is concluded that the Task Force's selection of criteria, particularly as modified by D. L. Chambless and S. D. Hollon (1998), was a reasonable response to these pressures. Findings from studies using less stringent and controlled research designs suggest that the proposals may have resulted in less palatable conclusions than those offered in its original report.
Yeast ubiquitin-like genes are involved in duplication of the microtubule organizing center.

KAR1 is required for duplication of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae microtubule organizing center, the spindle pole body (SPB) (Rose, M.D., and G.R. Fink, 1987. Cell. 48:1047-1060). Suppressors of a kar1 allele defective for SPB duplication were isolated in two genes, CDC31 and DSK2 (Vallen, E.A., W.H., M. Winey, and M.D. Rose. 1994. Genetics. 137:407-422). To elucidate the role of DSK2 in SPB duplication, we cloned the gene and found it encodes a novel ubiquitin-like protein containing an NH2 terminus 36% identical to ubiquitin. The only other known yeast ubiquitin-like protein is encoded by the nucleotide excision repair gene RAD23 (Watkins, J.F.,P. Sung, L. Prakash, and S. Prakash. 1993. Mol. Cell. Bio. 13:7757-7765). Unlike ubiquitin, the NH2-terminal domain of Dsk2p is not cleaved from the protein, indicating that Dsk2p is not conjugated to other proteins. Although the DSK2-1 mutation alters a conserved residue in the Dsk2p ubiquitin-like domain, we detect no differences in Dsk2p or Cdc31p stability. Therefore, DSK2 does not act by interfering with ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation of these proteins. Although DSK2 is not essential, a strain deleted for both DSK2 and RAD23 is temperature sensitive for growth due to a block in SPB duplication. In addition, overexpression of DSK2 is toxic, and the DSK2-1 allele causes a block in SPB duplication. Therefore, DSK2 dosage is critical for SPB duplication. We determined that CDC31 gene function is downstream of DSK2 and KAR1. Dsk2p is a nuclear-enriched protein, and we propose that Dsk2p assists in Cdc31 assembly into the new SPB.
'When the Trouble Started': The Story of Frontiero v. Richardson

This chapter for Women and the Law Stories (Elizabeth M. Schneider & Stephanie M. Wildman, eds., 2010) tells the story of Frontiero v. Richardson from its origins on an Air Force base in Alabama to its rich and complicated role in American constitutional law and social movement history. The Frontiero litigation provides a lens through which to explore cooperation and conflict among civil rights lawyers; the legal strategy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and other feminist advocates; and internal debates among lower court judges and Supreme Court Justices about the nature of sex discrimination, judicial review, and constitutional change. Frontiero’s legacies are manifold, touching on the development of equal protection standards of review; the allocation of government benefits; military equality; gay rights; reproductive freedom; and the relationship between constitutional amendment advocacy and judicial interpretation.
Archival Reference and Access: Syllabi and a Snapshot of the Archival Canon

This study investigates the nature and scope of archival reference and access education within a select number of Library and Information Science programs with specializations in archives and preservation that are accredited by the American Library Association. To do so, syllabi for archival courses offered in the 2009–2010 academic year were examined to produce a profile of the important topics, readings, and assignments in the area of archival reference and access. Implications of the findings for the archival profession and for master's level graduate archival education are also discussed.
Functional morphology of the coelomocytes of the larval oysters (Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea gigas)

The functional morphology of the coelomocytes of larval oysters, Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas, based on observations of live animals and histological and ultrastructural examination of tissues, is presented. Two predominant types of coelomocytes were found in the larval oysters. One, the SER cell, not found in the adult oyster, is large with a spheroidal nucleus, and exhibits basophilic cytoplasm which consists of abundant smooth endoplastic reticulum. This cell appears to participate in metabolic conversion processes. The other predominant cell type, the phagocyte, appears identical to the phagocyte observed in the adult oyster. Both differential cell types were observed from one day post fertilization to metamorphosis, the oldest stage studied.
Defibrillation efficacy estimation using Bayesian estimation theory

An implanted cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) detects ventricular fibrillation (VF), a potentially fatal lack of electrical coordination in the heart, and then discharges a capacitor though the heart, in the hope of restoring normal rhythm. One of the clinical difficulties with implanting an ICD is efficacy estimation, estimating the correct capacitor charging voltage. Current techniques require repeated inductions of VF, and yield inaccurate and poorly defined estimates. The authors have optimized these standard efficacy estimators using Bayesian estimation theory, reducing their root-mean-square (RMS) error from 26% to 11%. They are currently developing a completely novel approach. Preliminary simulations suggest that 1 VF induction with the new approach gives efficacy-estimates with RMS errors as low as for 2 VF inductions using standard approaches. >
Chromatographic Kinetics and the Phenomenon of Tailing

Abstract This paper contains a reformulation of the kinetic equations that describe transport in a chromatographic column, to allow the possibility of describing adsorption at different types of sites. It is shown that in place of the partial differential equation that is the usual starting point for any analysis, one obtains a partial integro-differential equation. While only a formal solution to this equation is possible, the central limit theorem of probability guarantees that in a wide variety of cases the solution for an isolated peak will approach the Gaussian form, so that (∗) is applicable. Next the conditions necessary to insure the appearance of tailing or permanent asymmetry in an isolated peak are considered. Two models that lead to tailing are considered. In the first there is a single adsorption phase, but the residence time distribution has an infinite variance. The second consists of a random distribution of first-order rate constants.
The Copernican Controversy

If the geostatic world view provides the intellectual background for the Copernican controversy, and the latter provides the conceptual background for the Galileo affair, then the exposition of the geostatic world view (Chapter 1) must now be followed by an exposition of the Copernican controversy. In accordance with our stress on critical reasoning, this controversy will be described in terms of the arguments in favor and the arguments against the key claim of the Copernican system, the thesis that the earth moves. Now, it is obvious that this key Copernican thesis is the contradictory of the main Ptolemaic claim that the earth stands still. Thus, as a first approximation, the arguments in favor of Copernicanism are also arguments against the geostatic world view, and the arguments against the Copernican system are also arguments in favor of the geostatic thesis. Moreover, if we define an objection to some position to be an argument against that position, then we can also say that the focus of this chapter will be the arguments and the objections on both sides of the Copernican controversy.
Proadrenomedullin NH2-terminal 20 peptide has direct vasodilator activity in the cat

The mechanism by which proadrenomedullin NH2-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) decreases vascular resistance was investigated in the hindlimb vascular bed in the cat. Injections of PAMP, a shortened form of the peptide PAMP-(12-20), and adrenomedullin (ADM) into the hindlimb perfusion circuit elicit dose-related decreases in perfusion pressure. The order of potency was ADM > PAMP > PAMP-(12-20), and the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist CGRP-(8-37) had no effect on vasodilator responses to PAMP or ADM. Vasodilator responses to PAMP were increased in duration by the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor Rolipram, whereas inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase had no effect. Vasodilator responses to PAMP were not altered by treatment with alpha-receptor or adrenergic nerve terminal blocking agents and were similar in innervated and denervated hindlimb preparations. Responses to PAMP were similar when vasoconstrictor tone was increased by stimulation of the sympathetic nerves or infusion of phenylephrine and were not altered by the passage of time. These data suggest that PAMP dilates the hindlimb vascular bed by a direct cAMP-dependent mechanism and that inhibition of norepinephrine release plays little if any role in mediating responses to the peptide in the regional vascular bed of the cat.
Genomics-Based Tools and Technology

Over 16 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year, ranking it as the number one killer of men and women in the United States (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Further, heart disease and stroke kill twice as many women than all forms of cancer combined (8). This chapter introduces genomics tools and technologies that have been instrumental in defining the genetic-based causes of cardiovascular disease, determining the critical genes and signaling pathways governing the transition of the normal heart to failure, and discovering novel drug and device-based therapies to treat cardiovascular disease. The genomics approaches discussed are currently considered “high throughput,” but as technology continues to develop and drive this field, it is anticipated that another level of high throughput will be reached that will far surpass current capabilities. Some state-of-the-art technologies and strategies that are on the horizon are also described.
Positive expiratory pressure and oscillatory positive expiratory pressure therapies

Airway clearance techniques, historically referred to as chest physical therapy, have traditionally consisted of a variety of breathing maneuvers or exercises and manual percussion and postural drainage. The methods and types of airway clearance techniques and devices have rapidly increased in an effort to find a more efficacious strategy that allows for self-therapy, better patient adherence and compliance, and more efficient durations of care. Mechanically applied pressure devices have migrated from European countries over the last several decades to clinical practice in the United States. I conducted a comprehensive MEDLINE search of two such devices: positive expiratory pressure (PEP) and oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) and their role in airway clearance strategies. This was followed by a comprehensive search for cross-references in an attempt to identify additional studies. The results of that search are contained and reported in this review. From a methods standpoint, most of the studies of PEP and OPEP for airway clearance are limited by crossover designs and small sample sizes. While PEP and OPEP do not definitively prove superiority to other methods of airway clearance strategies, there is no clear evidence that they are inferior. Ultimately, the correct choice may be an airway clearance strategy that is clinically and cost effective, and is preferred by the patient so that adherence and compliance can be at the very least supported.
SOI Based Voltage Regulator for High-Temperature Applications

Developments in automotive (particularly hybrid-electric vehicles), aerospace, and energy production industries have led to expanding research interest in integrated circuit (IC) design toward high-temperature applications. A high-voltage, high-temperature silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process allows for circuit design to expand into these extreme environment applications. Nearly all electronic devices require a reliable supply voltage capable of operating under various supply voltages and load currents. These supply voltages and load currents can be either DC or time-varying signals. In this work, a stable supply voltage for embedded circuits is generated on chip via a voltage regulator producing a stable 5-V output voltage. Although applications of this voltage regulator are not limited to gate driver circuits, this regulator has been developed to meet the demands of a gate driver IC. The voltage regulator must be able to provide reliable output voltage over an input range from 10 V to 30 V, a temperature ...
Cube Slices, Pictorial Triangles, and Probability

(1991). Cube Slices, Pictorial Triangles, and Probability. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 219-241.
Protective effect of fibrinogen on accelerator globulin.

SummaryEvidence is presented which indicates that fibrinogen serves as a buffer or protector substance to Ac-globulin. The removal of fibrinogen from plasma by the addition of thrombin or by freezing and subsequent thawing enhances Ac-globulin activity. The data provide a probable explanation for the conversion of an inactive pro-enzyme accelerator in plasma to an active accelerator in defibrinated plasma and in serum.
Genetics of Antibiotic Resistance in Corn Silks to the Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Antibiotic resistance in Corn, Zea mays L., silks results in the production of small larvae of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), extends the development period and reduces the fecundity of the pest insect. The genetic basis of the antibiotic silk resistance was studied using silks from individual plants of resistant and susceptible inbreds and progeny in six generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1, and BC2). Results of the scaling and chi-square tests for ‘Ab18 (susceptible) × Zapalote Chico’ (resistant) and ‘GT114 (resistant) × GT119’ (susceptible) indicated the additive-dominance model was unsatisfactory. The nature of the underlying genetic control of the antibiotic silk resistance to Corn earworm in the two crosses appears to be more Cornplicated and perhaps controlled by several pairs of genes at different loci.
An updated description of the collections and history of The New York Botanical Garden Herbarium (NY): 1995–2015

In celebration of The New York Botanical Garden’s 125th anniversary, we present an updated description of the specimen holdings and activities of The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden (NY) from 1995 to 2015. During this time, the collection grew to approximately 7.8 million specimens, a new International Plant Sciences Center was built to house the Herbarium and LuEsther T. Mertz Library, many plant families and other taxonomic groups grew in scope and taxonomic comprehensiveness, Southeast Asia developed as a new focus of collecting activities, and the Herbarium emerged as a leader in specimen digitization.
Analyzing and Improving Means of Ideological Quality of University Teachers

University teachers are teachers,experts and scholars with ideological and moral quality,the ideals and beliefs of the quality of life,and professional guidance and training of persons.For the ideological status of the quality of university teachers,how to improve their quality in an effective way is the most important issue.
Multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9- and TAR-Mediated Promoter Engineering of Natural Product Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Yeast

The use of DNA sequencing to guide the discovery of natural products has emerged as a new paradigm for revealing chemistries encoded in bacterial genomes. A major obstacle to implementing this approach to natural product discovery is the transcriptional silence of biosynthetic gene clusters under laboratory growth conditions. Here we describe an improved yeast-based promoter engineering platform (mCRISTAR) that combines CRISPR/Cas9 and TAR to enable single-marker multiplexed promoter engineering of large gene clusters. mCRISTAR highlights the first application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to multiplexed promoter engineering of natural product biosynthetic gene clusters. In this method, CRISPR/Cas9 is used to induce DNA double-strand breaks in promoter regions of biosynthetic gene clusters, and the resulting operon fragments are reassembled by TAR using synthetic gene-cluster-specific promoter cassettes. mCRISTAR uses a CRISPR array to simplify the construction of a CRISPR plasmid for multiplex CRISPR and a s...
The Influence of W-DLC and CrxN Thin Film Coatings on Impact Damage between Bearing Materials

ABSTRACTIn this work, the effect of hard tribological coatings was studied in terms of mitigating impact damage between tungsten carbide spherical elements and two different types of steel substrates. The coatings included a hard, highly elastic Tungsten-incorporated diamond-like carbon (W-DLC) coating at two different thicknesses and a harder, less elastic CrxN coating. Impacts were created using a drop-test rig described herein and characterized in three ways: a measure of the coefficient of restitution during impact, investigation of the impact site using an optical interferometer, and fixed ion beam cross sections of select impacts for observation of subsurface damage within the coating and substrate. It was found that hard coatings on softer substrates such as 440C steel were able to mitigate surface damage up to a certain impact speed, depending on the coating, but were unable to influence the coefficient of restitution. On harder substrates like 52100 alloy steel, the coatings were found to increas...
Conformity and Obedience

Conformity and Obedience are intrinsic components of social life. Laboratory studies have identified essential constituents of each with the Asch studies in conformity and the Milgram research in obedience being fundamental. Related to these is authoritarianism. Survey research by Kelman and Hamilton and research in the military by Shalit identify other research approaches to understanding the role of conformity and obedience. However, Goldhagen, among others, has questioned the central role of these influences in mass killing. Some historical examples are provided and the prognosis for the role of obedience and conformity in the twenty-first century is briefly discussed.
Multiple Time-of-Flight/Time-of-Flight Events in a Single Laser Shot for Improved Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry Quantification.

Quantitative matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) approaches have historically suffered from poor accuracy and precision mainly due to the nonuniform distribution of matrix and analyte across the target surface, matrix interferences, and ionization suppression. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) can be used to ensure chemical specificity as well as improve signal-to-noise ratios by eliminating interferences from chemical noise, alleviating some concerns about dynamic range. However, conventional MALDI TOF/TOF modalities typically only scan for a single MS/MS event per laser shot, and multiplex assays require sequential analyses. We describe here new methodology that allows for multiple TOF/TOF fragmentation events to be performed in a single laser shot. This technology allows the reference of analyte intensity to that of the internal standard in each laser shot, even when the analyte and internal standard are quite disparate in m/z, thereby improving quantification while ma...
Binding in English and South Slavic and the Parameterized DP Hypothesis

Despic (2013) argues that Serbian binding data provide support for the Parameterized DP Hypothesis (e.g., Fukui 1988, Corver 1992, Zlatic 1997, Boskovic 2003, 2005, 2008). His key claim is that the differences in binding possibilities observed between English and Serbian result from the presence of a DP layer in the former vs. its absence in the latter.1 Apparent determiners in Serbian are claimed to be NP-adjoined elements (with category left unspecified).2 In this squib, I show that Despic's analysis makes incorrect predictions about Serbian and closely related Slavic languages: Bulgarian and Macedonian.
Hope In The Midst Of Suffering: A Buddhist Perspective

This paper is based on an interfaith panel I was on from June 17, 2016 at the Society for Pastoral Theology conference. Each of the five panel participants read papers written by the two keynote speakers.1 The first paper, written by Joretta L. Marshall, was called Collaborating Hope: Joining the In-Between Spaces, and the second, written by John Caputo, was called Hoping Against Hope: The Possibility of the Impossible. I enjoyed reading both papers, and found many correlations between the theologies written in these papers and my own understanding and practice of Buddhism. I was asked to give some reflections on “hope” from the Buddhist perspective. What I say here about hope is based on my own worldview, study, and practice. Know that my understanding may change, and my perspective does not necessarily reflect Buddhism as a whole, although it may reflect the whole.
Metamaterial-based high efficiency absorbers for high temperature solar applications(Conference Presentation)

Operation of concentrated solar power receivers at higher temperatures (<700°C) would enable supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles for improved power cycle efficiencies (<50%) and cost-effective solar thermal power. Unfortunately, radiative losses at higher temperatures in conventional receivers can negatively impact the system efficiency gains. One approach to improve receiver thermal efficiency is to utilize selective coatings that enhance absorption across the visible solar spectrum while minimizing emission in the infrared to reduce radiative losses. Existing coatings, however, tend to degrade rapidly at elevated temperatures. In this paper, we report on the initial designs, fabrication, and characterization of spectrally selective metamaterial-based absorbers for high-temperature, high-thermal flux environments important for solarized sCO2 power cycles. Metamaterials are structured media whose optical properties are determined by sub-wavelength structural features instead of bulk material properties, providing unique solutions by decoupling the optical absorption spectrum from thermal stability requirements. The key enabling innovative concept proposed is the use of structured surfaces with spectral responses that can be tailored to optimize the absorption and retention of solar energy for a given temperature range. In this initial study we use Tungsten for its stability in expected harsh environments, compatibility with microfabrication techniques, and required optical performance. Our goal is to tailor the optical properties for high (near unity) absorptivity across the majority of the solar spectrum and over a broad range of incidence angles, and at the same time achieve negligible absorptivity in the near infrared to optimize the energy absorbed and retained. To this goal, we apply the recently developed concept of plasmonic Brewster angle to suitably designed nanostructured Tungsten surfaces. We predict that this will improve the receiver thermal efficiencies by at least 10% over current solar receivers.
The peritextual literacy framework: Using the functions of peritext to support critical thinking

Abstract The peritextual literacy framework (PLF) is a tool for accessing, evaluating, and comprehending the content of media using elements that frame the body of a work and mediate its content for the user. Paratextual elements are the focus of research in classification, bibliometrics, reader’s advisory work, and in studies of authorship and publication. However, paratextual theory is just beginning to be acknowledged in LIS. The PLF closes a gap in paratext theory by categorizing the functions of peritext into six types: production, promotional, navigational, intratextual, supplemental, and documentary. The PLF is unique that it provides both a framework for further research on peritext, as well as a pedagogical tool that supports teaching in the areas of information literacy, media literacy and analysis, critical thinking, reading, and media design and production.
Laser-based water depth measurement system deployed via unmanned aerial vehicle

We introduced a laser-based noncontact shallow water depth measurement technique from a flying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The water depth is measured by imaging two laser beam spots scattered from the surface and bottom of the water. The effect of water surface waves and UAV tilt angles to the depth measurement has been studied for practical applications. We have further developed this laser-based detection system consisting of a green laser, a global positioning system, a camera with a narrow field of view lens, a laser range finder, and a single-board computer. The measurement system onboard of a UAV flying over a small lake has demonstrated satisfactory water depth measurement capability. The low-cost light weight UAV-based water depth measurement should benefit water depth monitoring, mapping, and reporting in a hazardous environment offering flexibility, mobility, and remote control safe operation.
Review of Factors, Methods, and Outcome Definition in Designing Opioid Abuse Predictive Models.

Objective Several opioid risk assessment tools are available to prescribers to evaluate opioid analgesic abuse among chronic patients. The objectives of this study are to 1) identify variables available in the literature to predict opioid abuse; 2) explore and compare methods (population, database, and analysis) used to develop statistical models that predict opioid abuse; and 3) understand how outcomes were defined in each statistical model predicting opioid abuse. Design The OVID database was searched for this study. The search was limited to articles written in English and published from January 1990 to April 2016. This search generated 1,409 articles. Only seven studies and nine models met our inclusion-exclusion criteria. Results We found nine models and identified 75 distinct variables. Three studies used administrative claims data, and four studies used electronic health record data. The majority, four out of seven articles (six out of nine models), were primarily dependent on the presence or absence of opioid abuse or dependence (ICD-9 diagnosis code) to define opioid abuse. However, two articles used a predefined list of opioid-related aberrant behaviors. Conclusions We identified variables used to predict opioid abuse from electronic health records and administrative data. Medication variables are the recurrent variables in the articles reviewed (33 variables). Age and gender are the most consistent demographic variables in predicting opioid abuse. Overall, there is similarity in the sampling method and inclusion/exclusion criteria (age, number of prescriptions, follow-up period, and data analysis methods). Intuitive research to utilize unstructured data may increase opioid abuse models' accuracy.