cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Failure analysis of surface-micromachined microengines

Microelectronic failure analysis (FA) has been an integral part of the development of state-of-the-art integrated circuits. FA of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) is moving from its infancy to assume an important role in the successful design, fabrication, performance and reliability analysis for this new technology. In previous work, we focused on the application of several techniques developed for integrated circuit analysis to an earlier version of a surface micromachined microengine fabricated at Sandia. Recently, we have identified important new failure modes in binary counters that incorporate a newer design of the microengine, using a subset of integrated circuit failure analysis techniques including optical microscopy, focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The primary failure mode we have identified is directly related to visible wear on bearing surfaces. In this paper, we describe in detail the characteristics of the failure modes in binary counters. We also compare the failure characteristics with those of an earlier version of the microengine.
A Genetic Model for Understanding Higher Order Visual Processing: Functional Interactions of the Ventral Visual Stream in Williams Syndrome

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a 1.6 Mb microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23 and characterized by hypersocial personality and prominent visuospatial construction impairments. Previous WS studies have identified functional and structural abnormalities in the hippocampal formation, prefrontal regions crucial for amygdala regulation and social cognition, and the dorsal visual stream, notably the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Although aberrant ventral stream activation has not been found in WS, object-related visual information that is processed in the ventral stream is a critical source of input into these abnormal regions. The present study, therefore, examined neural interactions of ventral stream areas in WS. Using a passive face- and house-viewing paradigm, activation and functional connectivity of stimulus-selective regions in fusiform and parahippocampal gyri, respectively, were investigated. During house viewing, significant activation differences were observed between participants with WS and a matched control group in IPS. Abnormal functional connectivity was found between parahippocampal gyrus and parietal cortex and between fusiform gyrus and a network of brain regions including amygdala and portions of prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that abnormal upstream visual object processing may contribute to the complex cognitive/behavioral phenotype in WS and provide a systems-level characterization of genetically mediated abnormalities of neural interactions.
Impact of stem cell marker expression on recurrence of TACE-treated hepatocellular carcinoma post liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is the most effective therapy for cirrhosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but its utility is limited by post-transplant tumor recurrence. Use of the Milan, size-based criteria, has reduced recurrence rate to less than 10% but many patients remain ineligible. Reduction of tumor size with local therapies has been used to “downstage” patients to allow them to qualify for transplantation, but the optimal criteria to predict tumor recurrence in these latter patients has not been established. The existence of a progenitor cell population, sometimes called cancer stem cells (CSCs), has been proposed to be one mechanism accounting for the chemotherapy resistance and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine if transcatheter arterial chemoemolization (TACE) treated tumors have increased CSC marker expression and whether these markers could be used to predict tumor recurrence. Formalin fixed specimens were obtained from 39 HCC liver explants (23 with no treatment and 16 after TACE). Immunohistochemical staining was performed for EpCAM, CD44, CD90, and CD133. Staining for each marker was scored 0–3 by evaluating the number and intensity of positive tumor cells in 5 hpf of tumor in each specimen. TACE treated tumors displayed greater necrosis and fibrosis than non-TACE treated samples but there were no differences in morphology between the viable tumor cells of both groups. In TACE treated specimens, the staining of both EpCAM and CD133 was greater than in non-TACE specimens but CD44 and CD90 were the same. In the TACE group, the presence of high EpCAM staining was associated with tumor recurrence. Four of ten EpCAM high patients recurred while 0 of 6 EpCAM low patients recurred (P = 0.040). None of the other markers predicted recurrence. High pre-transplant EpCAM staining predicted HCC recurrence. This suggests that the abundance of tumor cells with a CSC phenotype may be a critical factor in the likelihood of tumor recurrence in patients receiving liver transplantation after TACE.
Scholasticism Protestant and Catholic: Francis Turretin on the Object and Principles of Theology

During the past two decades scholars have become more appreciatively aware of the medieval scholastic roots of Protestantism and have begun to gain some appreciation, albeit halting, of the scholastic form of Protestantism which dominated the Protestant universities in the seventeenth century. This awareness implies, in the first place, a development beyond the thesis advanced by Lortz and Bouyer that Protestantism was the effect of the decadent nominalist theology of the later Middle Ages. Scholars like Oberman, Hagglund, and Steinmetz have acknowledged much of the continuity but have emphasized the positive character of late medieval thought.
Compositional Effects and Weighting of Nucleotide Sequences for Phylogenetic Analysis

Weighting is an inevitable part of the process of phylogenetic analysis using par? simony, whether done explicitly or not (Sober, 1988; Swofford and Olsen, 1990; Maddison and Maddison, 1992), and a number of differential weighting schemes have been proposed for DNA sequence data (Williams and Fitch, 1989, 1990; Wheeler, 1990; Knight and Mindell, 1993). In con? trast to more traditional notions of char?
Les stratégies d'influence dans les centres d'achat

La recherche sur les strategies d'influence a ete traditionnellement conduite dans des cadres interorganisationnels. En partant de cette tradition, les auteurs se concentrent sur les strategies d'influence utilisees par les dirigeants dans des centres d'achat. Ils developpent un cadre de travail base sur trois dimensions pour classer six strategies d'influence primordiales — les menaces, les promesses, les recommandations, les demandes, les actions legales, l'echange d'informations. En partant de ce cadre de travail, les auteurs soutiennent que l'utilisation d'une strategie d'influence particuliere par un dirigeant est probablement liee a deux classes d'antecedents: les caracteristiques de la source et celles de la cible. De plus, ils en deduisent que l'efficacite des strategies d'influence alternatives est susceptible de varier de facon previsible. Les auteurs examinent l'importance de chacune des six strategies d'influence dans l'etude de 187 decisions d'achat et comparent leurs resultats avec ceux obte...
EXPLICATION AND TEST OF A COGNITIVE MODEL OF COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION: A NEW LOOK AT AN OLD CONSTRUCT

A cognitive model of the processes underlying the arousal of a state of communication apprehension is proposed. This model draws upon current work in cognitive science to specify the nature of the relevant structures and the nature of the processes that operate over those structures. An empirical test of the model indicates strong support in that the interaction of long-term memory contents and perceived evaluative ness of the situation was a significant predictor of anxiety. Additionally, the model allowed the prediction of changes in physiological arousal (heart rate) over time that closely paralleled observed heart rate.
De-ossifying internet routing through intrinsic support for end-network and ISP selfishness

We present the S4R supplemental routing system to address the constraints BGP places on ISPs and stub network alike. Technical soundness and economic viability are equal first class design requirements for S4R. In S4R, ISPs announce links connecting different parts of the Internet. ISPs can selfishly price their links to attract maximal amount of traffic. Stub networks can selfishly select paths that best meet their requirements at the lowest cost. We design a variety of practical algorithms for ISP and stub network response that strike a balance between accommodating selfishness of all participants and ensuring efficient and stable operation overall. We employ large scale simulations over realistic scenarios to show that S4R operates at a close-to-optimal state and that it encourages broad participation from stubs and ISPs.
Chemical and Structural Factors Governing Transparent Conductivity in Oxides

The history, applications, and basic requirements of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are reviewed. Four basic families of TCOs are recognized, including n-type oxides with tetrahedrally-coordinated cations (e.g., ZnO), n-type oxides with octahedrally-coordinated cations (e.g., CdO, In2O3, SnO2, and related binary and ternary compounds), p-type oxides with linearly-coordinated cations (e.g., CuAlO2, Cu2SrO2, and related compounds), and n-type oxides with cage structures (e.g., 12CaO⋅ 7Al2O3). TCO behavior is discussed with attention to structural and chemical factors, especially point defect chemistry, governing carrier generation and transport properties.
Human evolution: The southern route to Asia

Research on human origins has tended to focus on the origins of western Eurasians; only recently have genetic studies examined south and east Asian populations in depth. Recent work suggests that the supposed Aryan invasion of India 3,000-4,000 years ago was much less significant than is generally believed.
A molecular simulation study of cavity size distributions and diffusion in para and meta isomers

Abstract Polysulfone based on bisphenol A has been extensively used as a material for membrane-based gas separation. For polymers with aromatic rings in their backbones, such as polysulfones and polyimides, changing the connecting bond positions from meta to para seems to increase their permeability and diffusivity to gases. Cavity size distributions of three isomer pairs (PSF and 3,4′-PSF, PSF-P and PSF-M, 6FDA-6FpDA and 6FDA-6FmDA) are calculated through molecular simulation. The diffusivity of small molecules in these isomers is also obtained by molecular dynamics. For all three isomer pairs, the average cavity size in para isomers is larger than in meta isomers. The molecular dynamics determined diffusion coefficients of neon in para isomers are also larger than in meta isomers. These results are consistent with the experimental observation that room-temperature gas diffusion in para isomers is faster than in meta isomers.
Solving Recursive Queries Using Depth First Search

Most undergraduate database courses consider Relational Algebra a fundamental prerequisite for learning relational query languages. However, relational algebra lacks of operators for solving recursive queries, and consequently, in some courses, recursive queries are treated as an optional topic. On the other hand, instructors that teach them, employ a logic paradigm approach given by Datalog. Nevertheless, some major database vendors do not follow that style. This article reports on a teaching methodology that identifies graphs associated to recursive structures in entities having unary relationships. Then, it uses depth first search to traverse the graph in order to solve recursive queries.
An investigation of verbal behamor and learning climate in undergraduate engineerimg clmsrooms

The verbal behavioral patterns of twenty university professors instructing undergraduate engineering classes have been investigated utilizing a fourteen category modification of Flanders' system of interaction analysis. On the basis of an internal evaluation criteria, these instructors were divided into three groups: those receiving the highest, middle, and lowest evaluations. The verbal instructional patterns and classroom climates of these three groups are compared. Several significant findings are reported.
An aromatic stacking interaction between subunits helps mediate DNA sequence specificity: operator site discrimination by phage λ cI repressor

Abstract Sequence specific DNA binding by regulatory proteins provides the basis for regulation of initiation of transcription. A great deal of progress has been made toward understanding sequence specific recognition by individual protein subunits. An additional level of control that needs to be understood is that due to coupling between the subunits of oligomeric regulatory proteins. An example is the bacteriophage λ c I repressor, a dimeric protein that regulates the lysogenic to lytic genetic switch of the phage. Two levels of specificity are critical to this regulation. First, like all transcriptional regulators, dimers distinguish operator from non-specific DNA. Direct readout of the DNA sequence by the recognition helix is considered the well understood mechanism for this. However, differential affinity for O R 1, O R 2 and O R 3 is equally critical to the switch because it mediates opposing regulation of divergent promoters. Site specificity at this second level is less well understood. Conformational adaptation by both the repressor and the different operators appears to be important. To evaluate how subunit-subunit interactions are involved in this process, we investigated the effects on both dimer stability and operator binding of amino acid substitutions at the contacts between the symmetrically related helices-5 in the dimer interface. Substitutions for Tyr88 alter dimer stability and greatly perturb differential operator affinity, but generally do not affect operator versus non-operator specificity. The pattern of these effects suggests that the geometry of the face-to-face aromatic stacking interaction between symmetrically related Tyr88 in each subunit, a group in the dimer interface but far removed from the DNA binding interface, plays a critical role in operator discrimination. Conformational changes in the tertiary structure of the subunits appears to be involved. By contrast, the significant effect of I84S substitution is to greatly decrease affinity for all three operators. Presumably, the altered packing of the dimer interface causes a quarternary structural change that moves the two helix-turn-helix motifs out of register with successive DNA major grooves.
Gender equity, sport sponsorship, and participation

Data on sport participation rates and gender equity can be useful to colleges and universities for decision making and ensuring compliance.
Concomitant Larkin-Ovchinikov states in polarized atomic gases

Fermionic superfluids continue to be a topic of current interest and debate in condensed matter and sub-nuclear physics. Recent experiments with laser-cooled atomic gas clouds of fermions seek to explore this physics and point out that discrepancies might arise due to different confining geometries. We reported on realistic numerical simulations with up to 100'000 atoms (a number comparable to that in the actual experiments) that shed light into what might be going on in the laboratory realizations.
Application of the miniature ultracentrifuge in receptor-binding assays

Abstract A new binding assay for membrane receptor systems has been developed employing an air-driven ultracentrifuge (Beckman Airfuge). The main advantages of this method for measurement of radioligand binding in aqueous medium are (i) the rapidity (30 s) in separating the bound from the unbound fraction, (ii) the small volume (100 μl) of assay medium which permits a relatively small excess of ligand over receptor to be employed, and (iii) the simplicity of manipulations which allows a high degree of replication. The variation in a triplicate set of assays is usually less than 0.5%. By virtue of maintaining equilibrium throughout the assay the present method is especially useful for ligands exhibiting rapid reversibility in binding. Binding of [3H]ouabain to several membrane (Na+, K+)-ATPases and binding of [3H]etorphine to the oplate receptor from brain membranes are discussed here. Also the inhibition of [3H]ouabain binding by Tris is discussed.
Vanadium Iron Oxides

An investigation in the ternary system FeVO has been made of the chemical, crystallographic, and magnetic properties of the corundum FeVO3, and the spinels FeV2O4 and Fe2VO4. FeVO3 has been reported in the literature as Fe2+V4+CO3 and antiferromagnetic at room temperature. However, the study reported in this paper shows that these results are incorrect. Oxidation of the spinel FeV2O4 results in the formation of some FeVO3. Conversely, reduction of FeVO3 ultimately forms FeV2CO4+Fe. Therefore both the iron and vanadium are trivalent in the compound Fe3+V3+O3. Furthermore, FeVO3 has a small magnetic moment at room temperature which persists up to approximately 445°K as well as an anomalous rise in the magnetic moment below 150°K. A change in the relative intensity of several lines in the x-ray pattern of the material, which may indicate a shift in the position of the metal atoms was observed down to liquid nitrogen temperatures. However, no change in the symmetry was observed. The magnetic properties of FeV2O4 and Fe2VO4 are also studied. The magnetization curves of both these materials indicate the existence of a magnetic transition at 275°K for Fe2VO4 and 70°K for FeV2O4.
Push or be punished: tobacco industry documents reveal aggression against businesses that discourage tobacco use

OBJECTIVE—To learn how the tobacco industry reacted to businesses' voluntarily enacting policies to discourage tobacco use and minimise exposure of employees and patrons to secondhand smoke. DATA SOURCES—Internal tobacco industry documents discovered among those posted on the internet. Approximately 24 million documents have been posted as of this writing. Information in this article was culled from among these documents, which have been made public as a unique requirement of the state of Minnesota's settlement with the industry. STUDY SELECTION—Those documents were used that offered insight into, and which gave a perspective on, the industry's attitudes and reactions toward other businesses as they adopted tobacco-free policies. CONCLUSIONS—In the wake of widespread acceptance that tobacco use causes illness and death, many individual businesses (and even entire industries) took positive steps to eliminate employees', customers', and facilities' exposure to tobacco smoke. Steps were also taken to discourage tobacco use among employees. Internal tobacco industry documents show that the industry reacted with aggression, and in some cases with retribution, against businesses that voluntarily adopted policies to discourage tobacco use. The intent of these actions appears to be to reverse these policies, with a broader goal of neutralising large scale public and private trends that reflect the decreasing social acceptability of tobacco use. Keywords: tobacco industry; tobacco-free policies; aggression
Early identification of patients with native valve infectious endocarditis at risk for major complications by initial clinical presentation and baseline echocardiography

Early identification of a high risk patient subgroup with infective endocarditis which develops a major complication (emboli, congestive heart failure, surgery for valve replacement, or death) during hospitalization would reduce morbidity, mortality and cost. Thus, for 74 patients with native valve infective endocarditis with documented vegetation by transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiogram, we reviewed 67 variables: history (15), physical examination (9), hematology/miscellaneous (7), chest X-ray (2), electrocardiogram (4), transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiograms (15) and hospital course (15). There were 48 men and 26 women, ages 45 +/- 19 years: 35 intravenous drug abusers and 39 non-users. There were 32 mitral, 21 tricuspid, 20 aortic, and 1 pulmonic valve vegetations; mean vegetation size was 1.4 +/- 0.9 cm2. Over the course of their hospitalization, 14 patients died (19%), 27 developed congestive heart failure (36%), 27 had systemic emboli (36%), and 22 required surgery (30%). The incidence of complications (death, heart failure or embolic events) did not differ between the drug abusers and non-users. Initial complaint of dyspnea on admission predicted the subsequent development of heart failure (P 1.8 cm2 was 100% specific but only 30% sensitive for predicting the development of a complication. Vegetation mobility, shape, and number of cusps involved were not predictive. However, aortic valve vegetations had significantly more complications than those on the mitral valve (P < 0.03). By discriminant function analysis, 87% of major complications were predicted with the patient profile of having aortic valve vegetation, dyspnea on admission, prolonged preadmission fever, and no history of drug abuse; 75% of patients who developed heart failure were predicted by their having aortic valve vegetation, dyspnea, hypotension (systolic < 90 mm Hg), and no history of drug abuse; and 77% of patients requiring surgery were predicted by their having larger vegetation size, rales, and leftward shift of white blood cells. Thus, in native valve bacterial endocarditis with transthoracic echocardiographic documented vegetations, non-drug abusers with aortic vegetations, preadmission prolonged fevers, dyspnea, emboli and larger sized vegetations are at high risk for developing a major complication during their hospitalization.
Calculation of momentum matrix elements using the Green's-function method

A method for calculating the interband momentum matrix elements in the Green's-function method has been obtained, which is applicable to the $l$- and $E$-dependent potentials. This method is convenient in that it requires only the knowledge of wave functions inside the muffin-tin spheres. Numerical results calculated from this method are used to study the dependence of the matrix elements on the number of angular momentum components included. It is found that $lg2$ components are important for the matrix elements.
Ethanol pretreatment enhances NMDA excitotoxicity in biogenic amine neurons: protection by brain derived neurotrophic factor.

Background : Biogenic amine neurons are involved in a number of mental diseases including addiction and alcohol dependence. Because chronic ethanol is known to cause supersensitivity to NMDA excitotoxicity in cortical neurons, this study sought to determine the effect of ethanol treatment on biogenic amine neurons. Methods : To determine if ethanol exposure alters the vitality of hiogenic amine neurons, cultures were prepared from E14 rat brain. After 24 hr in culture, cells were divided into control or ethanol (100 mM) treatment groups, cultured an additional 48 hr, and then half of them exposed to NMDA for 25 min. The NMDA was then removed and cells cultured in fresh media for an additional 24 hr to allow for excitotoxic delayed neuronal death. Cultures were then stained with antibodies to 5-hydroxytryptamine or tyrosine hydroxylase to identify serotonin and dopamine neurons, respectively. Cultures were analyzed for cell number and neuronal morphology. Results : Ethanol treatment alone had no effect on hiogenic amine cell number, soma area, number of neurites, or terminal segments, although the field area of dopamine neurons was decreased. Treatment with 30 μM NMDA had no effect on controls, but significantly decreased dopamine neurons in ethanol-treated cultures as well as reduced soma area, field area, number of neurites and number of terminal segments. Treatment with higher concentrations of NMDA reduced dopamine and serotonin neurons in both controls and ethanol-treated groups, and ethanol treatment significantly enhanced NMDA excitotoxic effects. Treatment with Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) prevented ethanol sensitization to NMDA excitotoxicity. Conclusions : These studies suggest that ethanol treatment sensitizes biogenic amine neurons to excitotoxic insults. Ethanol sensitization of biogenic amine neurons to insults could contribute to the development of mental disease.
Development of x-ray and gamma-ray CZT detectors for homeland security applications

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) continues to progress in quality and cost as a material for the detection of hard X-ray and gamma-ray photons with excellent spatial and energy resolutions. We are developing large-volume (0.5×3.9×3.9 cm 3 ) cross-strip CZT detectors with the objective to combine the excellent performance achieved so far only with pixelated CZT detectors with a reduced number of readout channels. In this contribution, we discuss the spectroscopic performance of large volume CZT detectors from the company Orbotech when contacted as pixelated detectors. Subsequently, we present results obtained when the same substrates where contacted with cross-strip contacts. Finally, we use the results from a simulation study to discuss the optimization of the design of the strip contacts and the readout electronics.
An investigation of the potentially adverse effects of task interspersal

This series of experiments sought to replicate the findings by Charlop, Kurtz, and Milstein (1992) in which presenting the same consequences for maintenance (previously learned tasks) and nonacquired tasks was found to impede learning of the latter during task interspersal. In Experiment 1, we conducted a systematic replication with three children diagnosed with autism. All participants reached mastery criteria for the nonacquired tasks, even though the same consequences were delivered for maintenance and nonacquired tasks. In Experiment 2, we conducted a direct replication of the Charlop et al. (1992) with the same children from Experiment 1. In four of five evaluations, participants reached mastery criterion for the nonacquired task, even though same consequences were provided for maintenance and nonacquired tasks. The results are discussed in the context of the differences between studies that might have contributed to the discrepant findings. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural analysis for assessment of monitoring possibilities: Application to simple power system topologies

Any power system, either an integrated power system in an all-electric ship or a utility power system, needs to be highly reliable. Reliability of a complex system strongly depends on the possibility of detecting faults and isolating them from each other, i.e., on the monitoring potential of the system. The area of power system engineering that is concerned with the fault detection and isolation is called protection. As power systems becoming more and more complex, current standards for their protection should be adjusted accordingly to meet the challenges associated with increased system complexity. The standard approach used in power system protection is local, that is, current and voltage sensors are placed at or near individual breakers that open up to isolate a fault (short circuit). Coordination between breakers is achieved indirectly by setting the voltage or current trip points of the breakers differently so they open up in a desired sequence. Wide-area (global) protection is a new research direction. Wide-area protection schemes provide protection at more unified, global level than local protection schemes, and often operate as a backup level of protection. However, these schemes are usually developed manually, that is, the arrangement of protective actions within areas are made by hand, following heuristic considerations. More systematic and automated approaches are required for successful wide-area protection of larger systems. The objective of the current study is to adapt the model-based fault detection and isolation approach based on structural analysis to power systems in order to evaluate the monitoring potential of a given power system topology (architecture) in a systematic and automated manner. A new methodology is applied to evaluate the monitoring potential of a few simple topologies.
Performance variation adaptive differential signaling via Carbon Nanotube bundles

Carbon Nanotube (CNT) interconnects provide one of the most promising on-chip interconnect techniques for future VLSI systems, although significant process and runtime variabilities remain challenging for CNT interconnects. In this paper, we propose a performance variation adaptive differential signaling scheme, particularly for carbon nanotube bundle on-chip interconnects. Estimation based on published data demonstrate 37% signal propagation performance variation reduction achieved by the proposed scheme implemented in CNT bundles compared with CNT interconnects with the conventional signaling scheme.
Phosphatidic acid regulates signal output by G protein coupled receptors through direct interaction with phospholipase C-β1 ☆

Phosphatidic acid (PA), generated downstream of monomeric Rho GTPases via phospholipase D (PLD) and additionally by diacylglycerol kinases (DGK), both stimulates phospholipase C-beta(1) (PLC-beta(1)) and potentiates stimulation of PLC-beta(1) activity by Galpha(q) in vitro. PA is a potential candidate for integrating signaling by monomeric and heterotrimeric G proteins to regulate signal output by G protein coupled receptors (GPCR), and we have sought to understand the mechanisms involved. We previously identified the region spanning residues 944-957, lying within the PLC-beta(1) C-terminus alphaA helix and flexible loop of the Galpha(q) binding domain, as required for stimulation of lipase activity by PA in vitro. Regulation by PA does not require residues essential for stimulation by Galpha(q) or GTPase activating activity. The present studies evaluated shorter alanine/glycine replacement mutants and finally point mutations to identify Tyr(952) and Ile(955) as key determinants for regulation by PA, assessed by both in vitro enzymatic and cell-based co-transfection assays. Replacement of Tyr(952) and Ile(955), PLC-beta(1) (Y952G/I955G), results in an 85% loss in stimulation by PA relative to WT-PLC-beta(1) in vitro. COS 7 cells co-transfected with PLC-beta(1) (Y952G/I955G) demonstrate a 10-fold increase in the EC(50) for stimulation and a 60% decrease in maximum stimulation by carbachol via Galpha(q) linked m1 muscarinic receptors, relative to cells co-transfected with WT-PLC-beta(1) but otherwise similar conditions. Residues required for regulation by PA are not essential for stimulation by G protein subunits. WT-PLC-beta(1) and PLC-beta(1) (Y952G/I955G) activity is increased comparably by co-transfection with Galpha(q) and neither is markedly affected by co-transfection with Gbeta(1)gamma(2). Inhibiting PLD-generated PA production by 1-butanol has little effect on maximum stimulation, but shifts the EC(50) for agonist stimulation of WT-PLC-beta(1) by 10-fold, producing a phenotype similar to PLC-beta(1) (Y952G/I955G) with respect to agonist potency. 1-Butanol is without effect on carbachol stimulated PLC activity in cells co-transfected with either PLC-beta(1)(Y952G/I955G) or on endogenous PLC activity, indicating that regulation by PA requires direct interaction with the PLC-beta(1) PA-binding region. These data show that endogenous PA regulates signal output by Galpha(q)-linked GPCRs in transfected cells directly through PLC-beta(1). Galpha(q) and PA may co-ordinate to regulate signaling. Regulation by PA may constitute part of a mechanism that routes receptor signaling to specific PLC isoforms.
A paradox of play: autonomy and discipline in video gaming

Playing video games produces experiences of autonomy and freedom---compelling subjective states that contribute to the pleasure of gaming. At the same, time players often create and conscientiously deploy mechanisms of discipline reminiscent of those Foucault wrote about for 19th century prisons. Surveillance, examination, and control of the body are key elements of video gaming practice. Why do we find this seeming paradox between autonomy and discipline in video game play? Based on my empirical research, I examine the paradox, especially how it is technologically mediated, with remarks on its implications for gamification and methodologies for video games studies.
Federal money for R&D levels off

The federal government spent slighdy less money on research and development at U.S. colleges and universities in 1986 than in 1985 after adjustment for inflation, according to figures released by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Despite sizable growth in the early 1980s, federal obligations for geoscience research in 1986 were also about the same as for the previous year. The recent stall comes at a time when the White House and Congress have been scrutinizing what has been widely perceived as a loss of competitiveness in U.S. science and technology. Federal support for science and engineering research and development (R&D) in 1986 was $6.54 billion, while the private sector spent 10 times less, $657 million. Total federal assistance to colleges and universities was $11.6 billion, including $4.2 billion for Pell and Supplemental Education Opportunity grants. The information comes from an early release of an NSF report on federal support of university-based research.
Incidence of coronary stent thrombosis based on academic research consortium definitions.

Stent thrombosis occurs infrequently after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement, but concerns have surfaced that identification of stent thrombosis based solely on angiography may underestimate the true incidence of this complication. The purpose of this study was to compare rates of stent thrombosis using Academic Research Consortium (ARC) definitions. From April 2002 to February 2005, bare-metal stents (BMSs) and DESs were placed at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Rates of ARC definite, probable, and possible stent thrombosis were evaluated. Overall, definite stent thrombosis occurred in 1.4% of BMSs and 1.1% of DESs (p = 0.47); probable stent thrombosis, in 1.0% of BMSs and 0.9% of DESs (p = 0.81); definite plus probable stent thrombosis, in 2.3% of BMSs and 1.9% of DESs (p = 0.48); and possible stent thrombosis, in 6.8% of BMSs and 3.5% of DESs (p 1 year) stent thrombosis were 0.9% for BMSs and 0.06% for DESs (p 1 year) stent thrombosis in DESs compared with BMSs.
Group V Phospholipase A2 Induces Leukotriene Biosynthesis in Human Neutrophils through the Activation of Group IVA Phospholipase A2

We reported previously that exogenously added human group V phospholipase A2 (hVPLA2) could elicit leukotriene B4 (LTB4) biosynthesis in human neutrophils (Han, S. K., Kim, K. P., Koduri, R., Bittova, L., Munoz, N. M., Leff, A. R., Wilton, D. C., Gelb, M. H., and Cho, W. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 11881-11888). To determine the mechanism of the hVPLA2-induced LTB4 biosynthesis in neutrophils, we thoroughly examined the effects of hVPLA2 and their lipid products on the activity of group IVA cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and LTB4 biosynthesis under different conditions. As low as 1 nM exogenous hVPLA2 was able to induce the release of arachidonic acid (AA) and LTB4. Typically, AA and LTB4 were released in two phases, which were synchronized with a rise in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) near the perinuclear region and cPLA2 phosphorylation. A cellular PLA2 assay showed that hVPLA2 acted primarily on the outer plasma membrane, liberating fatty acids and lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), whereas cPLA2 acted on the perinuclear membrane. Lyso-PC and polyunsaturated fatty acids including AA activated cPLA2 and 5-lipoxygenase by increasing [Ca2+]i and inducing cPLA2 phosphorylation, which then led to LTB4 biosynthesis. The delayed phase was triggered by the binding of secreted LTB4 to the cell surface LTB4 receptor, which resulted in a rise in [Ca2+]i and cPLA2 phosphorylation through the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. These results indicate that a main role of exogenous hVPLA2 in neutrophil activation and LTB4 biosynthesis is to activate cPLA2 and 5-lipoxygenase primarily by liberating from the outer plasma membrane lyso-PC that induces [Ca2+]i increase and cPLA2 phosphorylation and that hVPLA2-induced LTB4 production is augmented by the positive feedback activation of cPLA2 by LTB4.
Relative Effects of Individual Dependencies: Further Tests of the Relation Between Power Imbalance and Power Use

Powver-dependence theory proposes that powver use increases with the imbalance of dependencies in a relation. This study tested and supported the prediction that power imbalance is not a unitary variable, and that the dependencies of the weaker and stronger persons in a relation can have very different effects on power use. A laboratory experiment compared orthogonal manipulations of both persons' dependencies across equivalent levels of power imbalance. As predicted, the dependence of the weaker person has a strong and predominantly linear effect on power use, whereas the dependence of the stronger person has a weak and curvilinear effect. The study also tested the prediction that these relations are causally mediated by the reinforcement contingencies that the powerful person establishes to control the other's behavior. These contingencies mediated the effects of the stronger person's dependence, but not the effects of the weaker person's dependence. Implications for power-dependence theory and research are discussed. The idea that an individual's power resides in the dependence of another underlies most treatments of power by social exchange theorists. All social exchange relations involve ties of mutual dependence, which result from the control that individuals have over each other's valued outcomes. Thibaut and. Kelley were the first to explore how control over a person's outcomes could be used to control their behavior, and Richard Emerson (a, c) subsequently developed the implications of power-dependence theory. Emerson's ideas were incorporated in the exchange theories of Blau and Homans as well as Emerson's own (b, c). Power-dependence theory analyzes the relations between depen
Topographic Slope as a Proxy for Seismic Site Conditions and Amplification

We describe a technique to derive first-order site condition maps directly from topographic data. For calibration, we use global 30 arc sec topographic data and V S 30 measurements (here V S 30 , refers to the average shear-velocity down to 30 m) aggregated from several studies in the U.S., as well as in Taiwan, Italy, and Australia. V S 30 values are correlated against topographic slope to develop two sets of parameters for deriving V S 30 : one for active tectonic regions where topographic relief is high, and one for stable shields where topography is more subdued. By taking the gradient of the topography and choosing ranges of slope that maximize the correlation with shallow shear-velocity observations, we can recover, to first order, many of the spatially varying features of sitecondition maps developed for California. Our site-condition map for the low-relief Mississippi Embayment also predicts the bulk of the V S 30 observations in that region despite rather low slope ranges. We find that maps derived from the slope of the topography is often well correlated with other independently-derived, regional-scale site-condition maps, but the latter maps vary in quality and continuity, and subsequently, also in their ability to match observed V S 30 measurements contained therein. Alternatively, the slope-based method provides a simple approach to uniform site condition mapping.
Motion planning for robotic spray cleaning with environmentally safe solvents

Automatic motion planning of a spray cleaning robot with collision avoidance is presented. In manufacturing environments, electronic and mechanical components are traditionally cleaned by spraying or dipping them using chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) solvents. As new scientific data show that such solvents are major causes for stratospheric ozone depletion, an alternate cleaning method is needed. Part cleaning with aqueous solvents is environmentally safe, but will require precision spraying at high pressures for extended time periods. Operator fatigue during manual spraying can decrease the quality of the cleaning process. By spraying with a robotic manipulator, the necessary spray accuracy and consistency to manufacture high-reliability components can be obtained. Our motion planner was developed to automatically generate motions for spraying robots based on the part geometry and cleaning process parameters. For spray cleaning, the requirement to reach hidden surfaces necessitates the addition of a rule-based method to the geometric motion planning. >
Cell surface expression of heat shock protein gp96 enhances cross-presentation of cellular antigens and the generation of tumor-specific T cell memory

Gp96 is an endoplasmic reticular heat shock protein (HSP). We have shown previously that surface expression of gp96 (96tm) on tumor cells led to the activation of dendritic cells and increased anti-tumor immunity. In this report, we have found that protective immunity elicited by 96tm+ tumor cells was tumor-specific and long-lasting. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell memory were elicited. By immunizing with tumor cells loaded with the chicken ovalbumin (ova) model antigen, we demonstrated that the priming of adoptively transferred ova-specific CD8+ T cells could occur across MHC haplotypes. The efficiency of this cross priming can be significantly increased when mice were immunized with whole cells that express both ova and cell surface gp96 (ova+96tm+). Mere mixture of soluble ova with 96tm-expressing tumor cells (ova-96tm+) was insufficient, arguing for further processing of ova and perhaps the participation of 96tm-ova complexes in this process. We further compared the relative efficiency of two whole cell vaccines based on the manipulation of gp96 expression in one system: 96tm+ whole cells and cells that secrete the gp96-Ig fusion protein. We found that both vaccines are effective in a prophylactic model against tumors. Our study has reinforced the notion that the manipulation of the site of expression of HSPs may be an effective approach for cancer immunotherapy.
Juvenile Justice and Substance Use

Summary Laurie Chassin focuses on the elevated prevalence of substance use disorders among young offenders in the juvenile justice system and on efforts by the justice system to provide treatment for these disorders. She emphasizes the importance of diagnosing and treating these disorders, which are linked both with continued offending and with a broad range of negative effects, such as smoking, risky sexual behavior, violence, and poor educational, occupational, and psychological outcomes. The high rates of substance use problems among young offenders, says Chassin, suggest a large need for treatment. Although young offenders are usually screened for substance use disorders, Chassin notes the need to improve screening methods and to ensure that screening takes place early enough to allow youths to be diverted out of the justice system into community-based programs when appropriate. Cautioning that no single treatment approach has been proven most effective, Chassin describes current standards of “best practices” in treating substance use disorders, examines the extent to which they are implemented in the juvenile justice system, and describes some promising models of care. She highlights several treatment challenges, including the need for better methods of engaging adolescents and their families in treatment and the need to better address environmental risk factors, such as family substance use and deviant peer networks, and co-occurring conditions, such as learning disabilities and other mental health disorders. Chassin advocates policies that encourage wider use of empirically validated therapies and of documented best practices for treating substance use disorders. High relapse rates among youths successfully treated for substance use disorders also point to a greater need for aftercare services and for managing these disorders as chronic illnesses characterized by relapse and remission.
Age-related loss of hepatic Nrf2 protein homeostasis: Potential role for heightened expression of miR-146a

Nrf2 regulates the expression of numerous anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic genes. We observed that, paradoxically, Nrf2 protein levels decline in the livers of aged rats despite the inflammatory environment evident in that organ. To examine the cause(s) of this loss, we investigated the age-related changes in Nrf2 protein homeostasis and activation in cultured hepatocytes from young (4-6 months) and old (24-28 months) Fischer 344 rats. While no age-dependent change in Nrf2 mRNA levels was observed (p>0.05), Nrf2 protein content, and the basal and anetholetrithione (A3T)-induced expression of Nrf2-dependent genes were attenuated with age. Conversely, overexpression of Nrf2 in cells from old animals reinstated gene induction. Treatment with A3T, along with bortezomib to inhibit degradation of existing protein, caused Nrf2 to accumulate significantly in cells from young animals (p 2-fold with age (p<0.05). One of these, miRNA-146a, is predicted to bind Nrf2 mRNA. Transfection of hepatocytes from young rats with a miRNA-146a mimic caused a 55% attenuation of Nrf2 translation that paralleled the age-related loss of Nrf2. Overall, these results provide novel insights for the age-related decline in Nrf2 and identify new targets to maintain Nrf2-dependent detoxification with age.
A CASE OF DIABETES, REFRACTORY TO INSULIN, WITH HYPERPLASTIC AND ADENOMATOUS ADRENALS

There is probably no part of the field of morbid anatomy in which the pathologist is more greatly vexed than in the pathology and correlated physiology of the endocrines. There are available a large number of papers dealing with the physiology, chemistry and pharmacology of the ductless glands, yet we are far from a proper evaluation of the role of these organs in the entire body economy. Again, there are many papers dealing with the pathology of this or that organ in correlation with certain clinical signs or even a disease entity. It is easy to say that destruction of the adrenals is correlated with Addison's disease, yet many obstacles must be hurdled before such a statement is accepted as absolute. What about the 15 per cent of cases of clinical Addison's disease that present no destruction of the adrenals demonstrable at autopsy? Why is an extract of the adrenals of little value in the treatment of the disease? Turning to the thyroid, the pathologist speaks of colloid goitres, parenehymatous goitres ...
Completion of RNA synthesis by viral RNA replicases

How the 5′-terminus of the template affects RNA synthesis by viral RNA replicases is poorly understood. Using short DNA, RNA and RNA–DNA chimeric templates that can direct synthesis of replicase products, we found that DNA templates tend to direct the synthesis of RNA products that are shorter by 1 nt in comparison to RNA templates. Templatelength RNA synthesis was also affected by the concentration of nucleoside triphosphates, the identity of the bases at specific positions close to the 5′-terminus and the C2′-hydroxyl of a ribose at the third nucleotide from the 5′-terminal nucleotide. Similar requirements are observed with two bromoviral replicases, but not with a recombinant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. These results begin to define the interactions needed for the viral replicase to complete synthesis of viral RNA.