cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One-electron oxidation of DNA by ionizing radiation: competition between base-to-base hole-transfer and hole-trapping

The distance of hole migration through DNA determines the degree to which radiation-induced lesions are clustered. It is the degree of clustering that confers to ionizing radiation its high toxicity. The migration distance is governed by a competition between hole transfer and irreversible trapping reactions. An important type of trapping is reactions that lead to the formation of deoxyribose radicals, which are precursors to free base release (fbr). Using HPLC, fbr was measured in X-irradiated films of d(CGCGCGCGCG)(2) and d(CGCGAATTCGCG)(2) as well as three genomic DNAs: M. luteus, calf thymus, and C. perfringens. The level of DNA hydration was varied from Gamma = 2.5 to 22 mol waters/mol nucleotide. The chemical yields of each base, G(base), were measured and used to calculate the modification factor, M(base). This factor compensates for differences in the GC/AT ratio, providing a measure of the degree to which a given base influences its own release. In the DNA oligomers, M(Gua) > M(Cyt), a result ascribed to the previously observed end effect in short oligomers. In the highly polymerized genomic DNA, we found that M(Cyt) > M(Gua) and that M(Thy) is consistently the smallest of the M factors. For these same DNA films, the yields of total DNA trapped radicals, G(tot)(fr), were measured using EPR spectroscopy. The yield of deoxyribose radicals was calculated using G(dRib)(fr) = approximately 0.11 x G(tot)(fr). Comparing G(dRib)(fr) with total fbr, we found that only about half of the fbr is accounted for by deoxyribose radical intermediates. We conclude that for a hole on cytosine, Cyt(*+), base-to-base hole transfer competes with irreversible trapping by the deoxyribose. In the case of a hole on thymine, Thy(*+), base-to-base hole transfer competes with irreversible trapping by methyl deprotonation. Close proximity of Gua protects the deoxyribose of Cyt but sensitizes the deoxyribose of Thy.
Stress-induced Expression of the γ Subunit (FXYD2) Modulates Na,K-ATPase Activity and Cell Growth

In kidney, the Na,K-ATPase is associated with a single span protein, the γ subunit (FXYD2). Two splice variants are differentially expressed along the nephron and have a differential influence on Na,K-ATPase when stably expressed in mammalian cells in culture. Here we used a combination of gene induction and gene silencing techniques to test the functional impact of γ by means other than transfection. NRK-52E cells (of proximal tubule origin) do not express γ as a protein under regular tissue culture conditions. However, when they were exposed to hyperosmotic medium, induction of only the γa splice variant was observed, which was accompanied by a reduction in the rate of cell division. Kinetic analysis of stable enzyme properties from control (α1β1) and hypertonicity-treated cultures (α1β1γa) revealed a significant reduction (up to 60%) of Na,K-ATPase activity measured under Vmax conditions with little or no change in the amounts of α1β1. This effect as well as the reduction in cell growth rate was practically abolished when γ expression was knocked down using specific small interfering RNA duplexes. Surprisingly, a similar induction of endogenous γa because of hypertonicity was seen in rat cell lines of other than renal origin: C6 (glioma), PC12 (pheochromocytoma), and L6 (myoblasts). Furthermore, exposure of NRK-52E cells to other stress inducers such as heat shock, exogenous oxidation, and chemical stress also resulted in a selective induction of γa. Taken together, the data imply that induction of γa may have adaptive value by being a part of a general cellular response to genotoxic stress.
MEMS-integrated 0.22THz TWT amplifier using an ultra-wide plasmonic band structure

An 0.22 THz sheet beam TWT amplifier is under development in the DARPA HiFIVE program. In our prior work, FDTD-PIC simulation predicted that the plasmonic band circuit of a staggered double grating array produces 150 to 275 W, corresponding to 3–5.5 % efficiency, at 0.22 THz over ~ 30 % bandwidth with greater than 12 dB/cm growth rate, assuming a beam power of 5 kW. Subsequent Ka-band dispersion and attenuation measurements for proof-of-concept have shown excellent agreement with both a theoretical model and simulation analysis, showing a 25 % active bandwidth and 0.15 dB/cm attenuation. A scandate nano-powder (SC 2 O 3 -W) cathode developed at UCD has successfully demonstrated 80 A/cm2 space charge limited emission current at 1150 °C and currently it is planned to incorporate it in the electron gun and PCM magnet design. The 0.22THz circuit has been fabricated by both UV LIGA and high precision CNC machining with ~ 2–3 µm dimensional tolerance and ~ 50–100 nm surface roughness and its cold-test setup has been completed. The MEMS-fabricated THz plasmonic wave circuit will be tested for its dispersion and attenuation measurement.
Domain Boundary and Domain Switching in a Ceramic Rare-Earth Orthoniobate LaNbO4

By using TEM and X-ray diffraction, the domain structure in ceramic LaNbO{sub 4} has been studied. It has been found that the domains have two different orientations, separated by a boundary with irrational Miller indexes between (20{bar 4}){sub I}/(402){sub II} and (20{bar 6}){sub I}/(602){sub II} lattice planes, which is in good agreement with the boundary indexes calculated from elasticity theory and spontaneous strain tensor. The orientation relationship between the domains has been determined as a rotation of 95.6{degree} about the [010] axis. A model for domain boundary configuration, a diffuse boundary with a transition zone, has been proposed according to TEM diffraction patterns and HRTEM images. Based on this domain boundary model, a domain switching mechanism is suggested, and the corresponding driving force for domain switching is considered.
Acoustic Measurement of Fiber Properties

The reactive sound and motion of textile fibers after breaking under tensile loading was recorded using audio signal recorders and high-speed photographic equipment. A measurable, prominant acoustic pulse is generated by the initial, longitudinal snap-back of the fiber. The intensity of this pulse was found to be linearly related to recoverable, elastic elongation and energy of the fiber.
Congestion, pollution, and benefit-to-cost ratios of US public transit systems

This paper presents a broad set of benefit-cost analyses of the public transit systems of 81 urbanized areas. The calculated sources of benefits are to riders and the reduction of congestion costs. Other sources of benefits are shown to be quite small. Costs are calculated based upon operating costs and adjustment factors to account for capital costs and the excess burden of taxes used to support public transit. For the medium estimates the aggregate benefit-cost ratio is 1.34. Only 23 of the urbanized areas have a benefit-cost ratio of one or greater for the medium estimates, but these were mainly the largest in population and transit use. Even for the high estimates, the benefit-cost ratio was less than one for almost half the areas considered.
Design and Procedures of the Schizophrenia Research Project: Subjects; Measures; and General Methods of Statisical Analysis

This section describes in detail the sample used in this study. The subjects are described in terms of the selection criteria, social demographic characteristics, and diagnostic classification. In addition, comparisons of the present sample with New York State age and sex statistics for schizophrenics in psychiatric facilities are presented.
The neural correlates of attempting to suppress negative versus neutral memories

We performed an event-related fMRI study comparing attempts at suppressing recall of negative versus neutral memories. The hippocampus is crucial for successful explicit recall. Hippocampal activation has been shown to decrease during the suppression of previously learned neutral words. However, different effects may occur in the case of emotional memories. Participants first learned 40 word pairs consisting of a cue and either a neutral or a negative target. During fMRI scanning, the participants were shown the cues and were instructed to recall the targets or to suppress the targets, using attentional distraction. Similar right-lateralized frontoparietal regions were activated more during suppression than during recall, regardless of emotion. However, we show for the first time that lowered hippocampal activation occurs during the suppression of neutral, but not negative, words. Coinciding with this sustained hippocampal activation, the amygdala, insula, anterior cingulate, and fusiform gyrus showed greater activation during the suppression of negative memories than during suppression of neutral memories. Thus, during attempts to suppress negative memories, regions involved in the emotional and sensory aspects of memory reactivate, along with regions indexing conscious recall. Revealing the neural correlates and mechanisms of the suppression of negative memories has relevance for disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, in which traumatic memories often intrude and are associated with avoidance. Supplemental materials for this article may be downloaded from http://cabn.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.
Assessment and Social Construction: Conflict or Co-Creation?

Summary Assessment procedures in social work emerged within the historical context of modernist empiricism. They are lodged in assumptions of objectivity, measurement accuracy, value neutrality and scientific expertise. Within the context of postmodern constructionism, the grounds for traditional assessment are thrown into question. While such critique may seem to threaten the assessment tradition, such a conclusion is unwarranted. Rather, one may locate within the assessment tradition and constructionist writings converging lines of thought. Through the collaborative extension of two assessment exemplars—the genogram and the ecomap—we suggest new and more promising potentials for assessment practices in social work.
On the Recoverability of Choice Behaviors with Random Coefficients Choice Models in the Context of Limited Data and Unobserved Effects

Random coefficients choice models are seeing widespread adoption in marketing research, partly because of their ability to generate household-level parameter estimates with limited data. However, the power of such models may tempt researchers to trust that they continue to produce reasonable estimates, when in fact either model misspecification or insufficient data limits the models' ability to recover household-level parameters successfully. If household-level choice behaviors are not recovered successfully, managerial decisions such as marketing-mix planning and targeting, direct marketing, segmentation, and forecasting may not produce the desired results. This study addresses the following questions. First, can random coefficients choice models correctly identify markets characterized by preference and response heterogeneity, state dependence, the use of alternative decision heuristics that result in reduced choice sets, and combinations of these effects? If so, how much data is required, and is this realistic given the size of data sets typically used in marketing analyses? Which model selection criteria should be used to identify these markets? When there is spurious market identification, which parameters contribute to the spurious result? An extensive simulation experiment is conducted wherein random coefficients logit models with varying specifications of parameter heterogeneity, state dependence effects, and choice set heterogeneity are applied to 128 experimental conditions. The results show which types of markets can be identified reliably and which cannot. Based on the results of the simulation, the authors develop a model selection heuristic that identifies the correct market in 81% of the experimental conditions. In contrast, strict application of the best model selection criterion alone results in correct market identification in at most 34% of experimental conditions. Interestingly, we find that the amount of data (number of households or number of purchases per household) does not affect our ability to identify the correct market type with this heuristic, so there is a good chance of identifying the correct market type even when little data is available.
Requirements for a scientific mission‐oriented information center

Planning for a mission-oriented information center requires determination by the interested scientific group of: the subject area to be covered; the type and number of persons to be served; the kind of services desired, i.e., parameters of the customer's need, form of copy desired (original article, microform, abstract), how frequently services are desired; the extent of coverage in estimated number of articles; and what professional and financial support can be counted on. As a method of obtaining many of the answers, the interested group can provide B A I T as background information (Bibliography, Abstracts, Indexes, and Translation), using several of the newer techniques. For example, in preparing indexes, key-word techniques should be used, and a citation index should be prepared in the crucial subject area.
Probabilistic self-localization for mobile robots

We describe probabilistic self-localization techniques for mobile robots that are based on the principle of maximum-likelihood estimation. The basic method is to compare a map generated at the current robot position with a previously generated map of the environment in order to probabilistically maximize the agreement between the maps. This method is able to operate in both indoor and outdoor environments using either discrete features or an occupancy grid to represent the world map. The map may be generated using any method to detect features in the robot's surroundings, including vision, sonar, and laser range-finder. We perform an efficient global search of the pose space that guarantees that the best position is found according to the probabilistic map agreement measure in a discretized pose space. In addition, subpixel localization and uncertainty estimation are performed by fitting the likelihood function with a parameterized surface. We describe the application of these techniques in several experiments.
Emotional disclosure interventions for chronic pain: from the laboratory to the clinic

Life stress and the avoidance of negative emotions may contribute to chronic pain. The technique of written or spoken emotional disclosure can reverse emotional avoidance and improve health, and 18 randomized studies have tested it among people with chronic pain. We review these studies to provide guidance for the clinical use of this technique. The benefits of emotional disclosure for chronic pain are quite modest overall. Studies in rheumatoid arthritis show very limited effects, but two studies in fibromyalgia suggest that disclosure may be beneficial. Effects in other populations (headaches, cancer pain, pelvic pain, abdominal pain) are mixed. Moderator findings suggest that some patients are more likely to benefit than others. Emotional disclosure has been tested in well-controlled efficacy trials, leaving many unanswered questions related to translating this technique to practice. Issues needing further study include determining disclosure’s effects outside of randomized controlled trials, identifying the optimal pain populations and specific individuals to target for disclosure, presenting a valid rationale for disclosure, selecting the location and method of disclosure, and choosing between cognitive–behavioral or emotional disclosure techniques.
An Exploration of the Hygiene and Motivator Aspects of WebQual Constructs in Predicting Website Reuse

Most existing studies of Web site characteristics and their impact on intentions have assumed a linear relationship between them. However, motivational theories suggest that while some characteristics have linear effects, others will act as either hygiene factors or motivator factors and have non-linear effects. Drawing on motivational theory and WebQual constructs, this study looks at different methods of testing for hygiene and motivator factors and proposes a different technique that could clarify misleading results. Linear regression, quadratic regression, and piecewise regression are used in the study. The results show the hygiene effect of trust and suggest that piecewise linear regression may be superior to quadratic regression in this context.
Manipulation planning with Workspace Goal Regions

We present an approach to path planning for manipulators that uses Workspace Goal Regions (WGRs) to specify goal end-effector poses. Instead of specifying a discrete set of goals in the manipulator's configuration space, we specify goals more intuitively as volumes in the manipulator's workspace. We show that WGRs provide a common framework for describing goal regions that are useful for grasping and manipulation. We also describe two randomized planning algorithms capable of planning with WGRs. The first is an extension of RRT-JT that interleaves exploration using a Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) with exploitation using Jacobian-based gradient descent toward WGR samples. The second is the IKBiRRT algorithm, which uses a forward-searching tree rooted at the start and a backward-searching tree that is seeded by WGR samples. We demonstrate both simulation and experimental results for a 7DOF WAM arm with a mobile base performing reaching and pick-and-place tasks. Our results show that planning with WGRs provides an intuitive and powerful method of specifying goals for a variety of tasks without sacrificing efficiency or desirable completeness properties.
Class-based approach to disambiguating levin verbs

Lapata and Brew (Computational Linguistics, vol. 30, 2004, pp. 295–313) (hereafter LB04) obtain from untagged texts a statistical prior model that is able to generate class preferences for ambiguous Lewin (English Verb Classes and Alternations: A Preliminary Investigation, 1993, University of Chicago Press) verbs (hereafter Levin). They also show that their informative priors, incorporated into a Naive Bayes classifier deduced from hand-tagged data (HTD), can aid in verb class disambiguation. We re-analyse LB04's prior model and show that a single factor (the joint probability of class and frame) determines the predominant class for a particular verb in a particular frame. This means that the prior model cannot be sensitive to fine-grained lexical distinctions between different individual verbs falling in the same class. We replicate LB04's supervised disambiguation experiments on large-scale data, using deep parsers rather than the shallow parser of LB04. In addition, we introduce a method for training our classifier without using HTD. This relies on knowledge of Levin class memberships to move information from unambiguous to ambiguous instances of each class. We regard this system as unsupervised because it does not rely on human annotation of individual verb instances. Although our unsupervised verb class disambiguator does not match the performance of the ones that make use of HTD, it consistently outperforms the random baseline model. Our experiments also demonstrate that the informative priors derived from untagged texts help improve the performance of the classifier trained on untagged data.
Modeling the Pneumatic Subsystem of an S-cam Air Brake System

This paper deals with the development of a fault-free model of the pneumatic subsystem of an air brake system that is used in commercial vehicles. Our objective is to use this model in brake control and diagnostic applications. The development of a diagnostic system would be useful in automating enforcement inspections and also in monitoring the condition of the brake system in real-time. This paper presents a detailed description of the development of this model and of the experimental setup used to corroborate this model for various realistic test runs.
Electrical characterization of MOSIS-fabricated circuit elements

SPICE parameters and other data useful for analog design were determined for the MOSIS 2 mu m-double-metal double-poly p-well process. The channel-length modulation parameter LAMBDA and noise parameter KF were extracted for various sizes of n- and p-type MOSFETs with poly1 and poly2 gates. the zero-bias threshold voltage, bulk threshold parameters, saturation transconductance, lateral diffusion, and width correction of poly2 transistors were extracted. A vertical bipolar transistor is characterized. >
Evidence for Increased Serum Glutamic Oxalacetic Transaminase (SGO-T) Activity Following Graded Myocardial Infarcts in Dogs

Elevation in serum concentration of the enzyme, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, (SGO-T), is an accurate index of myocardial infarction in dogs. The enzyme rises in a rough proportion to the extent of myocardial necrosis. The test is a sensitive guide to myocardial injury. Infarcts less than 1 Gm. in weight result in a significant alteration in serum concentration of the enzyme. Concentrations of the enzyme in infarcted muscle are markedly lower than in normal muscle, suggesting that seepage through damaged cells causes the rise in serum concentration. Experimental and clinical myocardial injury result in similar abnormalities.
Endophytic fungal β-1,6-glucanase expression in the infected host grass

Mutualistic fungal endophytes infect many grass species and often confer benefits to the hosts such as reduced herbivory by insects and animals. The physiological interactions between the endophytes and their hosts have not been well characterized. Fungal-secreted proteins are likely to be important components of the interaction. In the interaction between Poa ampla and the endophyte Neotyphodium sp., a fungal β-1,6-glucanase is secreted into the apoplast, and activity of the enzyme is detectable in endophyte-infected plants. Sequence analysis indicates the β-1,6-glucanase is homologous to enzymes secreted by the mycoparasitic fungi Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma virens. DNA gel-blot analysis indicated the β-1,6-glucanase was encoded by a single gene. As a secreted protein, the β-1,6-glucanase may have a nutritional role for the fungus. In culture, β-1,6-glucanase activity was induced in the presence of β-1,6-glucans. From RNA gel blots, similar β-1,6-glucanases were expressed in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra L. subsp. fallax [Thuill] Nyman) infected with the endophyte species Neotyphodium coenophialum and Epichloe festucae, respectively.
Mechanism-Based Inactivation of Human Cytochrome P450 3A4 by Two Piperazine-Containing Compounds

Human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is responsible for the metabolism of more than half of pharmaceutic drugs, and inactivation of CYP3A4 can lead to adverse drug-drug interactions. The substituted imidazole compounds 5-fluoro-2-[4-[(2-phenyl-1H-imidazol-5-yl)methyl]-1-piperazinyl]pyrimidine (SCH 66712) and 1-[(2-ethyl-4-methyl-1H-imidazol-5-yl)methyl]-4-[4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]piperazine (EMTPP) have been previously identified as mechanism-based inactivators (MBI) of CYP2D6. The present study shows that both SCH 66712 and EMTPP are also MBIs of CYP3A4. Inhibition of CYP3A4 by SCH 66712 and EMTPP was determined to be concentration, time, and NADPH dependent. In addition, inactivation of CYP3A4 by SCH 66712 was shown to be unaffected by the presence of electrophile scavengers. SCH 66712 displays type I binding to CYP3A4 with a spectral binding constant (Ks) of 42.9 ± 2.9 µM. The partition ratios for SCH 66712 and EMTPP were 11 and 94, respectively. Whole protein mass spectrum analysis revealed 1:1 binding stoichiometry of SCH 66712 and EMTPP to CYP3A4 and a mass increase consistent with adduction by the inactivators without addition of oxygen. Heme adduction was not apparent. Multiple mono-oxygenation products with each inactivator were observed; no other products were apparent. These are the first MBIs to be shown to be potent inactivators of both CYP2D6 and CYP3A4.
Thimerosal Induces DNA Breaks, Caspase-3 Activation, Membrane Damage, and Cell Death in Cultured Human Neurons and Fibroblasts

Thimerosal is an organic mercurial compound used as a preservative in biomedical preparations. Little is known about the reactions of human neuronal and skin cells to its micro- and nanomolar concentrations, which can occur after using thimerosal-containing products. A useful combination of fluorescent techniques for the assessment of thimerosal toxicity is introduced. Short-term thimerosal toxicity was investigated in cultured human cerebral cortical neurons and in normal human fibroblasts. Cells were incubated with 125-nM to 250-microM concentrations of thimerosal for 45 min to 24 h. A 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) dye exclusion test was used to identify nonviable cells and terminal transferase-based nick-end labeling (TUNEL) to label DNA damage. Detection of active caspase-3 was performed in live cell cultures using a cell-permeable fluorescent caspase inhibitor. The morphology of fluorescently labeled nuclei was analyzed. After 6 h of incubation, the thimerosal toxicity was observed at 2 microM based on the manual detection of the fluorescent attached cells and at a 1-microM level with the more sensitive GENios Plus Multi-Detection Microplate Reader with Enhanced Fluorescence. The lower limit did not change after 24 h of incubation. Cortical neurons demonstrated higher sensitivity to thimerosal compared to fibroblasts. The first sign of toxicity was an increase in membrane permeability to DAPI after 2 h of incubation with 250 microM thimerosal. A 6-h incubation resulted in failure to exclude DAPI, generation of DNA breaks, caspase-3 activation, and development of morphological signs of apoptosis. We demonstrate that thimerosal in micromolar concentrations rapidly induce membrane and DNA damage and initiate caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human neurons and fibroblasts. We conclude that a proposed combination of fluorescent techniques can be useful in analyzing the toxicity of thimerosal.
Degradation of Urea in Concentrated Aqueous Solution

Abstract The degradation of urea in 2.00, 4.00, 6.00, and 8.00 M aqueous solutions was studied at 25.0, 35.0, and 45.0°. Data were obtained by measuring the specific conductivity of the solutions at 6‐hr. intervals over 3.5 days. The results show that the degree of degradation is extremely small and that the overall process conforms to a first‐ and second‐order reversible reaction. Rate constants were determined for the forward and reverse reactions and compare favorably to values reported by other workers for the separate reactions.
Thrombotic disease in critically ill children.

Objectives To summarize a) epidemiology of arterial and venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, and deep venous thrombosis in children; b) the risk factors for thrombosis in the pediatric intensive care unit; c) diagnostic techniques for arterial/venous thromboembolism; and d) the current recommendations for management and prevention of thromboembolic disease in critically ill children. Data source Literature review, using National Library of Medicine PubMed and the following terms: arterial, venous thromboembolism; deep venous thrombosis; pulmonary embolism; thrombosis; as well as citations of interest from these articles. Study selection Both pediatric and adult literature addressing thrombotic disease were reviewed. Data extraction and synthesis Articles were chosen for more extensive discussion when containing prospective studies, guidelines for practice, or data in critically ill patients. When data in children were unavailable, applicable data in adults were referenced. Due to the paucity of data in critically ill children, available adult and pediatric data were combined with institutional experience to provide suggestions for current practice and future inquiry. Conclusions Increasing awareness regarding the recognition and current approaches to management and prevention of thromboembolic disease in children is needed among pediatric intensivists, so outcome of these life-threatening processes might be improved.
Post‐annealing effects on trapping behaviors in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Trapping effects in AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are investigated using dynamic current-voltage (I-V) measurements with different quiescent biases and pulse widths to examine post-annealing effects after Schottky gate formation. The results show that trapping/detrapping phenomena by traps with emission/capture time constants of shorter than 10 μs are dominant in non-annealed devices. The devices annealed at 400 °C for 10 minutes in a furnace exhibit significantly smaller current dispersion and have a smaller number of traps. However, after post-annealing, a small number of traps with a time constant of longer than 10 μs are created or activated. Further annealing at 400 °C leads to increase in current dispersion, indicating that more traps with an emission time constant >10 μs are created. These traps induced by post-annealing are responsible for the trapping effects when pulse width ≥10 μs.
High‐Energy Electron Diffraction

High-energy electrons have very short wavelengths associated with particle waves and electron diffraction is used to probe the atomic structure of both inorganic and organic materials. Electrons have a large scattering cross section and can be focused into small probes by magnetic lenses. This makes electron diffraction very useful for studying “small” crystals, surfaces, or material's microstructure. The principles and the modern aspects of electron diffraction are described here with the intention to provide an introduction that both the novice and the expert will find useful as a guide for electron diffraction. The chapter starts with an introduction to different electron diffraction techniques. This is followed by the background theories which are useful for the interpretation of diffraction patterns. Experimental procedures are described at the end of the technical background. The applications section has a large collection of examples from relatively straightforward tasks to more advanced ones that are under development for their promises. Experimental details are provided when it is appropriate to give some idea of what it takes to do electron diffraction. Keywords: electron diffraction; diffraction techniques; diffraction theory; structure determination; nanostructure characterization; high resolution electron microscopy
Service Visibility Across Lines Of Business

This paper introduces the use of service science to maximize profitability by providing service transparency across lines of business in a financial operating environment. The concept of a live collector that runs in the cloud is presented. The collector gives information visibility, context mediation, and presentation facilities on a dynamic basis by employing the principles of cloud computing. The subject of cloud computing is introduced in the paper.
Negative Refraction and Subwavelength Imaging in Photonic Crystals

The prelims comprise: Introduction Negative Refraction in Photonic Crystals Subwavelength Imaging with Photonic Crystals Conclusions References
Human Rights: Human rights in a hostile climate

According to mainstream science, humanity faces a time of emerging global environmental crises. Massive increases in economic output and human population over the last two centuries or so are putting increasing pressure on natural systems, including those basic to the support of human and other forms of life, such as climate, fresh water, oceans and natural habitat. In this context, hard questions arise about how a human rights approach can help us to understand and act on these concerns. This chapter investigates such questions through the example of global climate change. It makes three central claims. First, climate change and similar problems pose a profound ethical challenge to existing institutions and theories. Second, a human rights approach can play a role in addressing this challenge through its articulation, development and defense of a basic but often neglected ethical intuition. Nevertheless, third, there remains much to be done. In particular, early work tends to overplay the initial advantages of human rights as such, and underestimate the role played by specific conceptions of human rights that are much more controversial and ambitious. Moreover, current human rights paradigms are not directed to the central characteristics of the profound challenge. Given all this, a practical and theoretical reorientation is needed. This has implications for the evolving project of political philosophy on a global, intergenerational and ecological scale.
The Judgment in Novartis v. India: What the Supreme Court of India Said

As part of a series of amendments to the India Patents Act that took effect on January 1, 2005, the Parliament of India adopted Section 3(d). This statutory provision has been in force for more than seven years. A challenge brought by Novartis to the constitutionality of the provision and to its compatibility with the WTO TRIPS Agreement (World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) was rejected by the High Court at Madras in 2007. That judgment was not appealed. On 1 April 2013, the Supreme Court of India rendered judgment on an appeal by Novartis against rejection by the India Patent Office of a product patent application for a specific compound, the beta crystalline form of imatinib mesylate. Imatinib mesylate is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and is marketed by Novartis as “Glivec” or “Gleevec”. Affirming the rejection, the Supreme Court confirmed that the beta crystalline form of imatinib mesylate failed the test of Section 3(d). The Court clarified that efficacy as contemplated under Section 3(d) is therapeutic efficacy.This judgment has attracted worldwide press coverage. It has received severe criticism from a number of originator pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, and from the US Chamber of Commerce, to the effect the judgment of the Indian Supreme Court has dealt a harsh blow against the future of innovation, particularly in India. It is somewhat difficult to know why this decision interpreting Section 3(d) should come as a major surprise to anyone. Perhaps more important, it is difficult to understand what it is about the Supreme Court judgment that might so offend the sensibility of patent lawyers or government policymakers. The judgment is well-crafted, with close attention to the facts presented, and appears to take a balanced view of the matters brought before the Court. This essay discusses what the Supreme Court of India said, with concluding reference to some policy considerations.
The cerebral venous system and the postural regulation of intracranial pressure: implications in the management of patients with cerebrospinal fluid diversion

Loss of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs commonly in daily neurosurgical practice. Understanding the altered physiology following CSF loss is important for optimization of patient care and avoidance of complications. There is overwhelming evidence now that the cerebral venous system plays a major role in intracranial pressure (ICP) dynamics especially when one takes into account the effects of postural changes, atmospheric pressure, and gravity on the craniospinal axis as a whole. The CSF and cerebral venous compartments are tightly coupled in two important ways. CSF is resorbed into the venous system, and there is also an evolved mechanism that prevents overdrainage of venous blood with upright positioning known as the Starling resistor. With loss of CSF pressure, this protective mechanism could become nonfunctional which may result in posture-related venous overdrainage through the cranial venous outflow tracts leading to pathologic states. This review article summarizes the relevant anatomic and physiologic basis of the relationship between the craniospinal venous and CSF compartments in the setting of CSF diversion. It is hoped that this article improves our understanding of ICP dynamics after CSF loss, adds a new dimension to our therapeutic methods, stimulates further research into this field, and ultimately improves our care of these patients.
Hyphal Modifications of Sphaerulina Pedicellata: Appressoria or Hyphopodia?

(1975). Hyphal Modifications of Sphaerulina Pedicellata: Appressoria or Hyphopodia? Mycologia: Vol. 67, No. 5, pp. 1035-1038.
Structural and Electrochemical Investigation of Na+ Insertion into High-Voltage Spinel Electrodes

The emerging interest in Na+-ion batteries should increase the relative importance of higher voltage positive electrodes as a response to the lower voltage imparted by the Na/Na+ redox reaction relative to that of Li/Li+. The 4.7 V LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 spinel is already an attractive candidate for high-voltage lithium-ion positive electrodes, and its host structure, λ-Mn0.75Ni0.25O2, could be of even greater importance for Na batteries. The electrochemical and structural characteristics of higher-voltage NaxMn1.5Ni0.5O4 relative to NaxMn2O4 during ion insertion are investigated for the first time. High-resolution electrochemistry, coupled with in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction, is utilized to provide initial insights into the mechanism of Na+ insertion. Distinct electrochemical challenges brought forth by Na+ ion insertion into the spinel structure are also discussed in detail.
Microbial Contamination in Pre-Operational Central Air Conditioning Systems of Metro Line 2 in Xi’an

[Objective]To collect the background date of microbial contamination of the air conditioning systems of metro line 2 before operation for future monitoring.[Methods]The central air conditioning systems of 16 metro stations were monitored for 3 consecutive days,twice a day,morning and afternoon.The monitoring indicators included total bacterial count,β-hemolytic streptococcus,and total fungi on the inner surface of duct and in wind duct,as well as Legionella pneumophila in cooling and condensate water.[Results]The qualification rates on the inner surface of duct and in wind duct were 44.7% and 59.4% for the total fungi,and 100.0% and 96.6% for the total bacterial count,respectively.No β-hemolytic streptococcus was detected.Of the 32 samples of cooling water and condensate water detected,the positive rate of Legionella pneumophila were 28.1% and 0%,respectively(P0.05).The mean of total fungi in wind duct of station concourses and platforms were 413cfu/m3 and 625cfu/m3,respectively(P0.01),and those on the inner surface of duct were 620 cfu/m3 and 527cfu/m3,respectively(P0.01).There were no statistical differences in other indicators between platforms and concourses(P 0.05).[Conclusion]The bacteria levels in central air conditioning systems of metro line 2 in Xi’an are well within the accepted limits,but fungi contamination is found.It is suggested that related departments strengthen surveillance on the air conditioning systems of metro stations.
A Multi-level Index Lookup Algorithm and Its Implementation

Routing lookup is an important technology for IP transmission network and IP-based packet switching network. Although the multi-branch trie tree lookup algorithm is a fast and efficient routing lookup algorithm, it also makes large memory consuming. A multi-level index lookup algorithm, i.e., an improved multi-branch trie tree lookup algorithm, is proposed. It expands the original two-level index to multi-level index, and introduces a continuous flag bit storage method that is able to extremely reduce memory overhead of routing index table while not obviously affecting the lookup efficiency.
Towards a New Generation of Expert Systems for Design of Large Structures

A new approach is presented for development of expert systems for design of large structures. It is based on the use of numerical mathematical optimization techniques and knowledge obtained via machine learning. As an example of this approach, a prototype expert system is presented for optimum design of bridge trusses subjected to moving loads.
A case of autoimmune induced necrotizing myopathy

A 31-year-old female, with no previous past medical history, presented to the emergency department (ED) two weeks after falling while moving furniture complaining of increasing weakness and swelling. Initially, she had minor ankle pain after falling but this progressed to bilateral ankle pain and eventually bilateral shoulder pain. Creatine Kinase (CK) levels were drawn and results showed a level of 30,186. She was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and aggressive IV hydration was initiated. After 3 weeks, her CK levels did not decrease below 15,000. A muscle biopsy was performed and revealed a necrotizing myopathy with high probability of autoimmune etiology .
Dyadic Contrast Function for the Forward Model of Diffraction Tomography of Thin Cylindrical Objects

A forward model for diffraction tomography is derived for the case of thin cylindrical objects by introducing a dyadic contrast function that takes into account depolarization phenomena, which were not previously addressed. As a result, polarimetric measurements may be used to distinguish between dielectric or metallic thin cylindrical objects. In the case of metallic objects, it is also possible to reconstruct their direction.
T cell receptor-mediated protein geranylgeranylation controls transforming growth factor-beta-induced Foxp3 expression by regulating the induction of Smad6/7 (50.40)

TGF- β plays a critical role as a differentiation factor for the generation of Foxp3 + induced T regulatory cells (iTregs) from naive T cells. To evaluate the potential role of the mevalonate pathway in the control of iTreg development, we have used the mevalonate pathway inhibitor, Simvastatin. When CD4 + Foxp3 - T cells were activated with anti-CD3/CD28, the addition of Simvastatin increased the induction of Foxp3 + T cells. A marked synergistic induction of Foxp3 expression was observed when Simvastatin was added to the induction cultures with a suboptimal concentration of TGF-β. The action of Simvastatin was not mediated by enhancement of Smad3 phosphorylation, but was associated with marked inhibition of induction of the Smad 6/7 proteins. The synergistic effect was mediated at the level of mRNA transcription and was associated with increased DNA demethylation of the Foxp3 promoter. The effects of Simvastatin and TGF-βon the induction of Foxp3 expression were reproduced by the addition of an inhibitor of protein geranylgeranylation, but not an inhibitor of protein farnesylation. These studies demonstrate that protein geranylgeranylation represents of one of the key regulatory steps in the generation of iTregs by TGF-β. Pharmacologic manipulation of the mevalonate pathway may represents one mechanism for the induction of iTregs in vivo.
Yestercode: Improving code-change support in visual dataflow programming environments

In this paper, we present the Yestercode tool for supporting code changes in visual dataflow programming environments. In a formative investigation of LabVIEW programmers, we found that making code changes posed a significant challenge. To address this issue, we designed Yestercode to enable the efficient recording, retrieval, and juxtaposition of visual dataflow code while making code changes. To evaluate Yestercode, we implemented our design as a prototype extension to the LabVIEW programming environment, and ran a user study involving 14 professional LabVIEW programmers that compared Yestercode-extended LabVIEW to the standard LabVIEW IDE. Our results showed that Yestercode users introduced fewer bugs during tasks, completed tasks in about the same time, and experienced lower cognitive loads on tasks. Moreover, participants generally reported that Yestercode was easy to use and that it helped in making change tasks easier.
Fetal Acetylcholine Receptor Inactivation Syndrome and Maternal Myasthenia Gravis

Three brothers with facial diplegia and a myasthenic mother are reported from McGill University, Canada; University of Oxford, UK; and Columbia University, New York.
The Voice of the Customer: A User's Guide to Customer Surveys

Firms conduct customer surveys to gather their customers’ voice in order to fully understand their perceptions, judgments, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Among firms, the practice of surveying customers is widespread. However, if conducted incorrectly, surveys can lead to significant errors in companies’ conclusions. This note describes the different types of customer surveys a firm might conduct. It also summarizes the range of the issues a firm must resolve, such as the survey method (phone, mail, email), the data analysis technique (univariate, bivariate, multivariate), the survey content (items to be used), and the survey type (cross sectional, longitudinal, tracking). Readers should develop a better understanding of the different ways such surveys can be a powerful tool for gathering customers’ voices.
Genomics Research for a New Age

Abstract Cardiometabolic diseases are major contributors to mortality and morbidity, and their burden displays global and regional disparities. Gene-environment interactions contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. Population differences in genetic structure, ancient environmental pressures that shape the human genome, and early life environmental adversities (e.g., in utero conditions) all contribute to observed disparities in global cardiometabolic diseases. The genetic and sociocultural diversity of global populations presents opportunities for discovering genomic loci that influence cardiometabolic diseases as illustrated by a few genetic, epigenetic, and population-genetic discoveries leading to notable understanding of disease mechanisms. However, African, Latin American and Hispanic, and indigenous peoples represent
On coupling fluid plasma and kinetic neutral physics models

Abstract The coupled fluid plasma and kinetic neutral physics equations are analyzed through theory and simulation of benchmark cases. It is shown that coupling methods that do not treat the coupling rates implicitly are restricted to short time steps for stability. Fast charge exchange, ionization and recombination coupling rates exist, even after constraining the solution by requiring that the neutrals are at equilibrium. For explicit coupling, the present implementation of Monte Carlo correlated sampling techniques does not allow for complete convergence in slab geometry. For the benchmark case, residuals decay with particle number and increase with grid size, indicating that they scale in a manner that is similar to the theoretical prediction for nonlinear bias error. Progress is reported on implementation of a fully implicit Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov coupling scheme. The present block Jacobi preconditioning method is still sensitive to time step and methods that better precondition the coupled system are under investigation.
A random metasurface for an all polarizations flat lens

Using full wave simulations and a transmission matrix approach, we design and then realize random metasurface lenses with anisotropic nanorods, and show that we can obtain a diffraction limited focal spot for all polarizations.