cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring Patient Decision Making Regarding Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Background The standard treatment for chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is lifelong oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated that some patients with a sustained deep molecular response to TKI therapy can safely stop therapy and remain in a treatment-free remission. TKI discontinuation is now offered to select patients in routine clinical care. In order to better support patient decision making, we explored patients' views on TKI discontinuation and the factors patients consider when making this decision. Materials and methods Patients were recruited from three U.S. academic cancer centers. Qualitative interviews were recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. Results We interviewed 22 patients, half of whom wanted to try TKI discontinuation. Eleven factors relevant to the decision emerged, and patients weighed these factors differently. Commonly mentioned factors included perceived risk of relapse, TKI side effects, financial considerations, polypharmacy, and willingness to change something that was working (status quo). There were notable differences in patients' understanding of the likelihood of achieving a treatment-free remission, with patients who did not want to stop TKIs more accurately reporting the risk of relapse than patients who wanted to stop. Conclusion This is a novel decision that will become more common as the prevalence of patients with well-controlled CML continues to increase. These results highlight the need for patient education and decision support so that patients and providers can make shared decisions that are informed and values based. Implications for practice The standard treatment for chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is lifelong oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Clinical trials have shown that some patients with a sustained deep molecular response to TKI therapy can safely stop therapy and remain in a treatment-free remission. TKI discontinuation is now being offered to patients outside of clinical trials. This study explored factors that patients who are eligible to try TKI discontinuation considered when making this decision. Factors relevant to the decision included risk of relapse, side effects, financial considerations, polypharmacy, and willingness to change something that was working. This is a novel decision that will become more common as the prevalence of patients with well-controlled CML continues to increase. These results highlight the need for decision support and outline the factors that should be included so that patients and providers can make shared decisions that are informed and values based.
Achieving Platform Dominance

Most business model innovations are platform plays. Platforms are business models and enabling infrastructure that create value for multiple, complementary constituencies through powerful network effects. Tipping dynamics can produce a dominant platform in a particular application, content, or market domain. This paper explores three questions of importance for platform entrepreneurs, investors, and users. Why do dominant platforms often emerge? What are the secrets of their success? How can you win the race for platform dominance? It uses the combination of a causal loop model and case studies to analyze the dynamics that shape the lifecycle of a platform. Past research emphasizes the economic value created by platforms. We highlight the value created by social features, e.g., sharing, conversation, collaboration, and influence, the importance of social network effects, and the role of functional features in enabling the social dynamics of platforms. This paper considers three critical phases of a platform’s development, each with its own signature dynamics. The three phase model highlights the strategic imperatives for successful platform development. The dominant dynamics at each phase are different, but set the stage for the subsequent phase. These evolving dynamics should define the focus and objectives of a platform development strategy.
Economic Consequences of Risk Disclosures: Evidence from Crowdfunding

On September 20, 2012 the rewards-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.com added a "risks and challenges" section to all project pages. While the section header became a mandatory part of the pl...
8 – Evolutionary Relationships

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a review of the phylogeny of Caribbean herpetofauna. The West Indies hosts at least 585 species of reptiles and amphibians in some 70 genera representing Anura, Testudinata, Sauria, Serpentes and Crocodylia. Given the large numbers of taxa for a quite definable biogeographic unit, the task of estimating the phylogenetic relationships within these groups is not a simple one. It has become more important to continue this task with the current and looming extinction crises and the consequent necessity to understand global biodiversity. The great majority of the West Indian anurans are endemics and two genera of bufonids are found in the West Indies, one of which is endemic. The genus Leptodactylus is represented in the West Indies by five species, three of which are endemic and two are South American. The morphologically peculiar and phylogenetically enigmatic squamate group is represented in the West Indies by two genera, Amphisbaenea and Cadea, and 14 species.
Lidar-based system for high-precision localization and real-time 3D map construction

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is considered as the core of building high-precision three-dimensional environmental maps. For this, we proposed a high-precision laser-based SLAM system. Aiming at the problem that the point cloud data obtained from laser is not representative and the iterative closest point method for calculating pose transformation is time-consuming, we proposed an efficient and stable matching algorithm. It uses fused feature points to align with the occupancy grid submaps with less registration error and is less time-consuming. Then, to address the problem in which the registration result falls into the local optimum early, we proposed a quadratic registration algorithm. This method effectively improves the initial value of the registration process. Finally, a time consistency and global consistency loop detection algorithm are used to reduce the cumulative error. The system we proposed has been tested on the University of Michigan North Campus Long-Term dataset and Cartographer dataset. Experiments show that our system has good accuracy under low-speed motion conditions (speeds ranging from 1 to 2 m / s).
Rapid tissue oxygenation mapping from snapshot structured-light images with adversarial deep learning

Significance: Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) is a powerful technique for mapping tissue oxygen saturation over a wide field of view. However, current SFDI methods either require a sequence of several images with different illumination patterns or, in the case of single-snapshot optical properties (SSOP), introduce artifacts and sacrifice accuracy. Aim: We introduce OxyGAN, a data-driven, content-aware method to estimate tissue oxygenation directly from single structured-light images. Approach: OxyGAN is an end-to-end approach that uses supervised generative adversarial networks. Conventional SFDI is used to obtain ground truth tissue oxygenation maps for ex vivo human esophagi, in vivo hands and feet, and an in vivo pig colon sample under 659- and 851-nm sinusoidal illumination. We benchmark OxyGAN by comparing it with SSOP and a two-step hybrid technique that uses a previously developed deep learning model to predict optical properties followed by a physical model to calculate tissue oxygenation. Results: When tested on human feet, cross-validated OxyGAN maps tissue oxygenation with an accuracy of 96.5%. When applied to sample types not included in the training set, such as human hands and pig colon, OxyGAN achieves a 93% accuracy, demonstrating robustness to various tissue types. On average, OxyGAN outperforms SSOP and a hybrid model in estimating tissue oxygenation by 24.9% and 24.7%, respectively. Finally, we optimize OxyGAN inference so that oxygenation maps are computed ∼10 times faster than previous work, enabling video-rate, 25-Hz imaging. Conclusions: Due to its rapid acquisition and processing speed, OxyGAN has the potential to enable real-time, high-fidelity tissue oxygenation mapping that may be useful for many clinical applications.
Heightened ACE Activity and Unfavorable Consequences in COVID-19 Diabetic Subjects

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) can manifest as fever, cough, and shortness of breath and is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Occasionally, these patients may present with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Patients with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as older age groups, are known to have a more severe disease progression and poor prognosis. In this review article, we attempt to better understand the disease process in diabetics and also discuss potential mechanisms by which diabetes may play a role in disease severity. This includes the effect of diabetes on the immune response and immune dysregulation. The role of diabetes mellitus in molecular processes including augmenting Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE 2) levels is also discussed as potential mechanisms to explain the grave prognosis seen in these patients.
Elevated production of reactive oxygen species is related to host plant resistance to sugarcane aphid in sorghum.

Sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) is a phloem-feeding insect that severely affects the growth and productivity of sorghum and other related crops. While a growing body of knowledge is accumulat...
Loss of SNORA73 reprograms cellular metabolism and protects against steatohepatitis.

Dyslipidemia and resulting lipotoxicity are pathologic signatures of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Excess lipid causes cell dysfunction and induces cell death through pleiotropic mechanisms that link to oxidative stress. However, pathways that regulate the response to metabolic stress are not well understood. Herein, we show that disruption of the box H/ACA SNORA73 small nucleolar RNAs encoded within the small nucleolar RNA hosting gene 3 (Snhg3) causes resistance to lipid-induced cell death and general oxidative stress in cultured cells. This protection from metabolic stress is associated with broad reprogramming of oxidative metabolism that is dependent on the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling axis. Furthermore, we show that knockdown of SNORA73 in vivo protects against hepatic steatosis and lipid-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Our findings demonstrate a role for SNORA73 in the regulation of metabolism and lipotoxicity. Lipid induced stress contributes to metabolic diseases. Here the authors identify small nucleolar RNA 73 (SNORA73) in a screen for genes that protect against lipotoxicity and show that deficiency of SNORA73 reprograms oxidative metabolism and protects against steatohepatitis in mice.
Location of Series Capacitors in High-Voltage Transmission Systems [includes discussion]

Over-all system economy can be improved by means used specifically to increase the power limits of high-voltage, large-conductored transmission lines.1-24 Important methods for increasing the stability limits of high-voltage transmission systems are: 1. Intermediate switching stations, with and without series capacitor compensation. 2. Intermediate systems. 3. Automatic circuit reclosing. 4. Switched shunt capacitors and reactors. 5. Generator excitation systems. This paper reviews and compares four possible methods of applying series capacitors, together with intermediate switching stations for improving the transient stability limit of high-voltage systems. The function of intermediate switching stations to improve the stability limits of transmission lines is primarily that of removing transmission line faults by disconnecting a smaller line section with a correspondingly smaller shock than if intermediate switching stations were not used. Detailed studies of intermediate switching stations have been previously reported24 which indicate that they can be economical for lines as short as 50 miles. Series capacitors reduce the over-all line reactance, and hence allow a larger stable transfer of power. Series capacitors can also be applied to obtain better load division21,22 on parallel lines having different conductor resistances and/- or different lengths, although series capacitors applied for this purpose show only marginal economic benefits. In general, series capacitors appear to be economical for increasing the stability limit of lines about 200 miles or longer. There has been, however, some divergence of opinion as to the most economical location for the series capacitors in the transmission system.
Behavior‐Analytic Experimental Strategies and Motivational Processes in Persons with Mental Retardation

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews experimental strategies, drawn from behavior‐analytic research, that bear on questions of extrinsic motivation in individuals with intellectual disabilities. The chapter reviews strategies for the analysis of feedback properties with emphasis on procedures for the empirical determination of reinforcer function. It also reviews experimental strategies for the evaluation of individual differences in sensitivity to feedback dynamics. The basic behavior‐analytic research literature includes highly developed and extensively researched methodologies for quantitative analyses of behavioral allocation in circumstances that model some of the complexities of typical educational situations. The chapter describes experimental strategies for analyses of behavioral persistence. This comparatively new line of research examines environmental variables related to behavioral resistance to change. It also describes successful adaptations of basic behavior-analytic research methods to examine this aspect of motivation in persons with mental retardation.
National Security and the Biological Research Community

As terrorists show their potential to exploit scientific discoveries, the scientific community has begun to respond by discussing how to preserve the openness of scientific information while upholding national security. In this Policy Forum, [Atlas][1] discusses some of the difficult questions that need to be faced and calls for a conference like the historic Asilomar meeting in which scientists steered the course of research into recombinant DNA technology. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5594/753
Protein Structure Prediction using String Kernels

Abstract : With recent advances in large-scale sequencing technologies, there has been an exponential growth in protein sequence information. Currently, the ability to produce sequence information far out-paces the rate at which one can produce structural and functional information. Consequently, researchers increasingly rely on computational techniques to extract useful information from known structures contained in large databases, though such approaches remain incomplete. As such, unraveling the relationship between pure sequence information and three-dimensional structure remains one of the great fundamental problems in molecular biology. In this report, the authors aim to show several ways in which researchers try to characterize the structural, functional, and evolutionary nature of proteins. Specifically, they focus on three common prediction problems: secondary structure prediction, remote homology, and fold prediction. They describe a class of methods employing large margin classifiers with novel kernel functions for solving these problems, supplemented with a thorough evaluation study.
Nonlinearity Analysis and Wavelet Package Transform of Measured Chatter Vibrations in Grinding Process

In grinding process, chatter vibrations known as self-excited vibrations, become increasingly problematic and must be avoided. Firstly, experimental measurements of chatter vibrations in a numerical control (NC) grinding machine tool are introduced for the case of a special alloy workpiece being carried on. Then, frequency spectra of chatter vibrations are analyzed. The wavelet package transform technique is used to describe original chatter signals in the term of scaled energy of frequency bands. At last, fractal dimensions of the reconstructed signals in consecutive frequency bands of chatter vibrations are calculated. These results are helpful for understanding of the nonlinearity of chatter vibrations.
Design and in vivo analysis of potent non-thiol inhibitors of farnesyl protein transferase.

Inhibitors of farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase) based upon a pseudotripeptide template are described that comprise an imidazole group substituted with a hydrophobic substituent. (1,5)-Disubstitution of the imidazole group is shown to be the optimal array that leads to potent and selective inhibitors of FPTase. A variety of aryl and isoprenyl substituents are shown to afford effective inhibitors, and the mechanism by which these compounds inhibit FPTase has been investigated. The biochemical behavior of these compounds suggests that they bind to FPTase at the site usually occupied by the protein substrate. In experiments in cell culture, the methyl ester prodrugs of these inhibitors are cell permeant and potently inhibit the posttranslational modification of H-Ras protein. Additionally, these molecules revert the phenotype of ras transformed cells as evidenced by their ability to slow the growth of ras transformed cell lines in soft agar. One of the inhibitors, as its methyl prodrug, was evaluated in t...
Evaluating Aerosol Aspiration Efficiency in Fast-moving Air

Sampling representative aerosol particles in fast-moving air is a challenging task. Aerosols are significantly more massive than gas molecules, thus they might not follow air streamlines well and could be more easily subjected to sampling errors. This work examines the physical factors that govern the aspiration efficiency of an aerosol sampling probe in unidirectional moving air, and explores the plausible sampling deviations under various high air velocity scenarios. The particle sizes of 0.5 and 5 μm are of particular interest due to their use in defining air cleanliness levels in ISO 14644-1[1] and FED-STD-209.[2]* Our analytical results indicate that significant sampling errors could occur for 5-μm particles when a thick-walled sampling probe is used, or when the air velocity at the sampling probe inlet does not match the velocity of the incoming air (i.e., anisokinetic sampling). The aspiration efficiency of 0.5-μm particles, on the other hand, is nearly 100% due to sufficiently small inertia of the...
The fungal treasure chest: Spore origins?

Abstract Secondary metabolite production in fungi is a complex process coupled with morphological development ( Calvo et al. , 2002 ). Secondary metabolites, considered to afford fitness attributes to the producing organism ( Rohlfs et al. , 2007 ), have tremendous importance to humankind in that they display a broad range of useful antibiotic and pharmaceutical activities as well as less desirable immunosuppressant and toxic activities. A 2005 literature survey of fungal metabolites, covering 1500 compounds that were isolated and characterized between 1993 and 2001, showed that more than half of the molecules had antibacterial, antifungal or antitumor activity ( Pelaez et al. , 2005 ).
Assessment of serum (1→3)-β-D-glucan concentration as a measure of disease burden in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Serum (1→3)-β-d-glucan concentrations were serially measured in the presence and absence of antifungal therapy in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Serum (1→3)-β-d-glucan was detected early during the course of infection, and reductions in this biomarker were associated with improved survival in animals treated with antifungal agents.
Burkitt's lymphoma of the skull base presenting as cavernous sinus syndrome in early childhood

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the skull base presenting with neuro-ophthalmologic abnormalities or cavernous sinus involvement is very rare in children. We have found only 13 reported cases of cavernous sinus involvement by lymphoma [1]. We report the case of the youngest child diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma of the cavernous sinus and sphenoid sinus, whose first presentation was cavernous sinus syndrome with neuro-ophthalmologic findings.
Two sides of one river: nationalism and ethnography in Galicia and Portugal

Imagination and intrigue guide the reader through the tour de force that is Two sides of one river. The 10 chapters of Medieros's translated dissertation-turned-book encompass over a century and a ...
Analysis of actin and actin-related protein 3 (ARP3) gene expression following induction of hyphal tip formation and apolar growth in Neurospora.

The genes encoding actin and ARP3 in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa were cloned and sequenced. The actin structural gene is interrupted by four introns and encodes a polypeptide of 375 amino acids, which shows very high degree of identity with actin from other sources. N. crassa ARP3 is 439 amino acids in length and is 71% to 80% identical to ARP3s from five other organisms, while actin is 40% to 50% identical to these same ARP3s. Transcript levels for actin and ARP3 decrease upon induction of asexual development (i.e. conidiation) and subsequently increase slightly when conidia are being formed. A concentration of filamentous actin is typically seen at sites of growth in eukaryotic organisms and, using indirect immunofluorescence, we showed that filamentous actin is localized primarily to hyphal tips in N. crassa. To determine if the level of actin increases in response to an increase in the number of growth sites and in the area of the growing surface, we used the temperature-sensitive mutants cot-1 and mcb. Growth of the cot-1 and mcb mutants at restrictive temperature induces hyphal tip formation and a loss of growth polarity, respectively. Unexpectedly, almost no increase in actin levels is observed following a >20-fold increase in the number of hyphal tips or an increase in the area of the growing surface resulting from a loss of growth polarity. The results suggest that the level of actin monomers within N. crassa hyphae is sufficient to accommodate the need for additional actin patches and filaments that arises when the number of hyphal tips and the area of growing surface per unit length of hypha greatly exceeds that in wild-type.
Effects of interferon on the production of murine mammary tumor virus by mammary tumor cells in culture.

A cell line established from the mammary tumor of a GR mouse produces murine mammary tumor virus upon stimulation- with dexamethasone in vitro. Treatment of these stimulated GR cells with 50 U/ml of partially purified mouse interferon inhibited the extracellular virus production by about 80% as measured by virus-associated reverse transcriptase activity or by metabolic labeling of the virus with [3H]uridine or 14C-amino acids. There was no inhibition of cellular RNA or protein synthesis under these conditions. The same effects were observed when the same dose of pure mouse interferon was used. Though the interferon-treated cells produced fewer extracellular virus particles, the intracellular levels of viral RNA as measured by hybridization analyses and the intracellular levels of the major viral envelope and core proteins as measured by radioimmunocompetition assays were not lowered in the interferon-treated cells. Electron microscopy of thin sections from the control and interferon-treated cells revealed no gross differences in any subcellular structures including that of the viruses. Scanning electron microscopy showed, however, an increased number of virus particles on the cell surface of the interferon-treated cells. These results suggest that the impairment of extracellular mammary tumor virus production by interferon treatment of GR cells is caused by an interferon-induced block at a very late stage of virus morphogenesis.
Utilization of redundancy in ROI reconstruction with backprojection filtration from fan-beam truncated data

In fan-beam computed tomography (CT), one may be interested in image reconstruction in a region of interest (ROI) from truncated data acquired over an angular range less than half-scan data. We developed recently a backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm to reconstruct an ROI image from reduced scan data containing data truncations. In a reduced scan, the truncated data may still contain redundancy. In this work, we describe a new algorithm that can exploit data redundancy in truncated data for potentially suppressing the aliasing and noise artifacts in reconstructed images. We have performed numerical studies to demonstrate the BPF algorithm.
Jones and Mueller polarization matrices for random media

Abstract This paper is concerned with an analysis of the effects of fluctuations in a scattering medium on an incident plane quasimonochromatic wave of specified degree of polarization. We have determined the output degree of polarization, transmittance (gain), and output Stokes parameters of light after a scattering. It appears that optical measurements by means of polarized light are useful to describe disorder induced by the fluctuations in such a medium in the frame of the Jones or Mueller calculus.
Measurements from an aerial vehicle: a new tool for planetary exploration

Aerial vehicles fill a unique planetary science measurement gap, that of regional-scale, near-surface observation, while providing a fresh perspective for potential discovery. Aerial vehicles used in planetary exploration bridge the scale and resolution measurement gaps between orbiters (global perspective with limited spatial resolution) and landers (local perspective with high spatial resolution) thus complementing and extending orbital and landed measurements. Planetary aerial vehicles can also survey scientifically interesting terrain that is inaccessible or hazardous to landed missions. The use of aerial assets for performing observations on Mars, Titan, or Venus will enable direct measurements and direct follow-ons to recent discoveries. Aerial vehicles can be used for remote sensing of the interior, surface and atmosphere of Mars, Venus and Titan. Types of aerial vehicles considered are airplane "heavier than air" and airships and balloons "lighter than air". Interdependencies between the science measurements, science goals and objectives, and platform implementation illustrate how the proper balance of science, engineering, and cost, can be achieved to allow for a successful mission. Classification of measurement types along with how those measurements resolve science questions and how these instruments are accommodated within the mission context are discussed.
Rational Cooperation and the Nash Bargaining Solution

In a recent article, McClennen (Synthese 187:65–93, 2012) defends an alternative bargaining theory in response to his criticisms of the standard Nash bargaining solution as a principle of distributive justice in the context of the social contract. McClennen rejects the orthodox concept of expected individual utility maximizing behavior that underlies the Nash bargaining model in favor of what he calls full rationality, and McClennen’s full cooperation bargaining theory demands that agents select the most egalitarian strictly Pareto-optimal distributional outcome that is strictly Pareto-superior to the state of nature. I argue that McClennen’s full cooperators are best described as reasonable agents whose rationality is constrained by moral considerations and that McClennen’s bargaining theory is moralized in this regard. If, by contrast, the orthodox concept of rationality is assumed and plausible assumptions are made about human nature and social cooperation, then a modified version of the standard Nash bargaining solution, which I call the stabilized Nash bargaining solution (Moehler in Utilitas 22:447–473, 2010), is justified. From the perspective of rational agents, the stabilized Nash bargaining solution can accommodate McClennen’s criticisms of the standard Nash bargaining solution in the context of the social contract and, for such agents, it can serve as a principle of distributive justice in deeply morally pluralistic societies.
Air Stagnation Cases in the Eastern United States during 1985

Abstract The number and location of stagnation days within the eastern United States, as estimated mainly from a surface geostrophic-wind criterion, is presented by month and for the year 1985. The number of “grid-point days” of stagnation was exactly the same in 1985 as in 1984, a year with relatively little stagnation. However, the stagnation in 1985 occurred mainly over the mid-Atlantic states whereas in 1984 it occurred mainly over the Southeast.
Characteristics of adenine nucleotide fluxes and transport in human tumor mitochondria.

The efflux of adenine nucleotides from three human tumor mitochondria has been investigated with mitochondria prelabeled with radioactive ATP. Uncouplers induce a large efflux of adenine nucleotides from mitochondria from human hepatoma and oat cell carcinoma while efflux from astrocytoma mitochondria is less. This efflux does not require exchangeable anions, i.e., adenine nucleotides or pyrophosphate, in the extramitochondrial medium, and is not sensitive to atractyloside. The efflux is more extensive with dinitrophenol and CCCP than with valinomycin-K+, and may account for the differential effects of the two types of uncouplers on uncoupler-stimulated ATPase of tumor mitochondria previously reported by us. Dinitrophenol and CCCP do not elicit any efflux of adenine nucleotides from normal liver mitochondria. Efflux of orthophosphate from tumor mitochondria is also greater with dinitrophenol and CCCP; however, the more interesting finding is that the concentration of orthophosphate in these mitochondria is unusually high, i.e., 10–40-times greater than the intramitochondrial phosphate concentration of liver mitochondria. Atractyloside sensitive transport of ATP and ADP in human tumor mitochondria has also been determined. Vmax values for both ADP and ATP transport are lower than those obtained with liver mitochondria, especially with ADP transport. ATP transport in tumor mitochondria is not affected by CCCP in contrast to the 4–5-fold stimulation observed in liver mitochondria.
Nutrient concentration of corn as effected by poultry manure

Abstract The elemental composition of corn was evaluated during the 1973 growing season in an experiment with various rates of poultry manure. In general, the nutrient concentration of plant tissue reflected poultry manure applications with the exception of Mg which declined and Ca, Fe and Na which appeared to be largely unaffected. The elemental concentrations in the corn tissue were not in a toxic range however, the nutrient balance was changed by poultry manure application. Sampling of corn early in the growing season can be quite valuable with respect to predicting nutrient concentration of more mature corn for Mg, Mn, B and Zn, but it leaves much to be desired for the other elements tested.
Improved Wetting of Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductors Used in Electrochemical Devices with Ternary Air Braze Filler Metals

This paper reports on the wetting behavior, reactivity, and long-term electrical conductance of a series of ternary filler metals being considered for brazing lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) based oxygen separation membranes. Mixed ionic/electronic conducting perovskite oxides such as LSCF and various doped barium cerates are currently being considered for use in high-temperature electrochemical devices such as oxygen and hydrogen concentrators and solid oxide fuel cells. However to take full advantage of the unique properties of these materials, reliable joining techniques need to be developed. Furthermore, if the proposed joining technique were to yield a hermetic ceramic-to-metal junction that was also electrically conductive, it would additionally benefit the device by allowing current to be drawn from or carried to the electrochemically active mixed conducting oxide component without requiring an separate current collector. A newly developed brazing technique known as air brazing is one such method of joining. In its present form, air brazing uses a silver-copper oxide based filler metal that can be melted directly in air to form a compliant joint that is electrically conductive. Recently, it has been shown that the addition of titania can enhance the wetting behavior of Ag-CuO filler metals on alumina. Here the effectmore » of this wetting agent on the surface wettability, long-term electrical resistance at 750°C, and reactivity with La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3- (LSCF-6428 or LSCF) substrates is discussed.« less
Student Background, School Climate, School Disorder, and Student Achievement: An Empirical Study of New York City's Middle Schools.

ABSTRACT This study develops and tests a school disorder and student achievement model based upon the school climate framework. The model was fitted to 212 New York City middle schools using the Structural Equations Modeling Analysis method. The analysis shows that the model fits the data well based upon test statistics and goodness of fit indices. The model accounts for 82% of the variance of student achievement scores on state standardized examinations. The study supports the model hypothesis that poverty and minority status of student population predict school disorder. Lower level of student SES is also associated with lower level of academic achievement directly, and indirectly mediated through school disorder. School disorder affects student academic achievement directly and indirectly mediated by student attendance rate. The effect of school size is in the hypothesized direction, i.e., smaller schools tend to have lower disorder and higher learning. Nevertheless, the effect is small and statistical...
Optically Induced Measurement of Electron and Hole Drift Velocities in a Germanium 〈100〉 CDMS Detector at 50 mK

We report on precise drift velocity measurements of electrons and holes in 50 mK, ultrapure (≈1010 net shallow impurities per cm3) germanium 〈100〉 CDMS dark matter detectors as a function of electric field up to 4 V/cm. A laser diode connected to an optical fiber extending from room-temperature to the detector creates electron-hole pairs on one surface of the crystal. High-speed electronics measure the drift current as the generated carriers travel to the opposite face of the crystal. CDMS detectors measure the ionization and phonon response of particle interactions within the crystal. Stable charge collection is necessary for successful background discrimination when looking for a possible dark matter signal. While biased, however, ionization performance degrades over time due to the build-up of space charge. Free electrons and holes created by particle interactions are subject to drift-diffusion dynamics occurring simultaneously with the trapping of carriers to localized surface and bulk states. The combination of these processes determine the evolution of space charge within the crystal, making it important that we understand carrier transport under our unique operating condition of low-temperature and low-field. We find good agreement between our measured drift velocities and our theoretical predictions, indicating carrier scattering is dominated by spontaneous phonon emission. In addition, we present preliminary measurements of effective longitudinal carrier trapping lengths for both n-type and p-type crystals at 50 mK.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING EMPLOYEES' WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT MOBILITY OPPORTUNITIES

This study investigated the influence of 1,076 state employees' career stage, family characteristics, job tenure and specialization, and perceptions of job favorability, movement, and career development opportunities on willingness to accept upward, lateral, and downward mobility opportunities. Results indicated that employees in early career stages with little community tenure who perceived a lack of congruence between their current jobs and their "ideal" jobs and expressed little desire to remain in their current jobs were more willing to accept mobility opportunities. Few differences were noted in regression models across different mobility opportunities. Implications for future research regarding employee mobility are discussed.
The Kowledge-Based Simulation System

To answer what-if questions, KBS uses artificial intelligence techniques to model complex organizations, recognize cause-and-effect relations, and generates scenarios automatically.
Endothelium-derived relaxing factor inhibits constrictor responses of large cerebral arteries to serotonin.

Summary: Endothelium-derived relaxing factor [EDRF, nitric oxide (NO) or a NO-containing compound] influences basal tone of cerebral blood vessels and mediates vasodilation in response to several stimuli. It is not known whether EDRF also modulates responses to cerebral vasoconstrictor stimuli in vivo. Our goal was to determine whether formation of EDRF inhibits constrictor responses of large cerebral arteries to serotonin. We measured cerebral blood flow (microspheres) and pial microvascular pressure (servo null) in anesthetized rabbits and calculated resistance of large cerebral arteries. Responses to an inhibitor of NO formation, NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 3 mg/kg i.v.), were examined. L-NNA produced an increase in resistance of large arteries and total cerebral vascular resistance of approximately 15% (p < 0.05 for both variables) and a small decrease in cerebral blood flow (35 ± 9 vs. 32 ± 7 ml min-1 100 g-1, mean ± SD, p < 0.05). Under control conditions, infusion of serotonin (10 µg kg-1 min-1, into the left atrium) produced an increase in resistance of large arteries. Following treatment with L-NNA, the change in resistance of large arteries in response to serotonin was increased more than twofold (0.20 ± 0.17 vs. 0.43 ± 0.21 mm Hg ml-1 min 100 g, p < 0.05). In contrast, L-NNA did not alter the increase in resistance of large arteries during hypocapnia. L-arginine inhibited the effects of L-NNA on baseline cerebral vascular resistance and on responses of large arteries to serotonin. Thus, formation of EDRF (NO) from L-arginine (a) has a modest influence on cerebral blood flow under basal conditions and (b) inhibits constriction of large cerebral arteries to serotonin, but not hypocapnia.
New applications and innovations in the electrophoretic separation of proteins from the eye lens core (nucleus).

Abstract 1. 1. The electrophoretic separation of proteins from the eye lens core (nucleus) has been a useful procedure in population and taxonomic studies. 2. 2. The possibility exists that this method may be applied to obtaining behavioral, environmental, and perhaps other types of information. 3. 3. Because of the increasing usefulness of this approach with nuclear lens proteins, efforts to optimize the methodology are continually being made. 4. 4. A complete system, incorporating new developments and applied to four fish species, is described in this report.
Protein kinase C regulates FADD recruitment and death-inducing signaling complex formation in Fas/CD95-induced apoptosis

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) triggers cellular signals that inhibit Fas/CD95-induced cell death in Jurkat T-cells by poorly defined mechanisms. Previously, we have shown that one effect of PKC on Fas/CD95-dependent cell death occurs through inhibition of cell shrinkage and K(+) efflux (Gomez-Angelats, M., Bortner, C. D., and Cidlowski, J. A. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19609-19619). Here we report that PKC alters Fas/CD95 signaling from the plasma membrane to the activation of caspases by exerting a profound action on survival/cell death decisions. Specific activation of PKC with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate or bryostatin-1 induced translocation of PKC from the cytosol to the membrane and effectively inhibited cell shrinkage and cell death triggered by anti-Fas antibody in Jurkat cells. In contrast, inhibition of classical PKC isotypes with Go6976 exacerbated the effect of Fas activation on both apoptotic volume decrease and cell death. PKC activation/inhibition did not affect anti-Fas antibody binding to the cell surface, intracellular levels of FADD (Fas-associated protein with death domain), or c-FLIP (cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein) expression. However, processing/activation of both caspase-8 and caspase-3 and BID cleavage were markedly blocked upon PKC activation and, conversely, were augmented during PKC inhibition, suggesting a role for PKC upstream of caspase-8 processing and activation. Analysis of death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) formation was carried out to examine the influence of PKC on recruitment of both FADD and procaspase-8 to the Fas receptor. PKC activation blocked FADD recruitment and caspase-8 activation and thus DISC formation in both type I and II cells. In contrast, inhibition of classical PKCs promoted the opposite effect on the Fas pathway by rapidly increasing FADD recruitment, caspase-8 activation, and DISC formation. Together, these data show that PKC finely modulates Fas/CD95 signaling by altering the efficiency of DISC formation.
Image optimization for maskless lithography

This paper discusses image optimization challenges posed by a mirror based pattern generation scheme. We address defocus related image drift encountered with mirror based maskless lithography. While off-grid contacts printed with piston mirrors are most severely affected most other features can be printed with minimum loss of telecentricity. A novel double-piston mirror architecture based on a combination of tilting and piston mirrors is introduced. It operates as a pseudo-tilt mirror but also has the advantage of allowing strong phase-edges due to pure-phase wavefront modulation. Exposure latitude versus depth-of-focus process window curves of typical features show that the new mirror design behaves as well as tilting mirror. An image optimization algorithm is presented that iteratively updates the mirror array phase-map to optimally print dense layout, accounting for inter and intra feature proximity effects.
Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in bone marrow transplant patients

We reviewed the findings in 2381 consecutive autopsies, a series containing 91 bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients, and found 45 cases of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE). The overall prevalence of NBTE was 1.9%. NBTE was present in seven BMT patients, for a prevalence of 7.7%. The rate of NBTE in BMT patients was significantly greater than the rate of NBTE in the general autopsy population (P less than 0.001). The frequency of NBTE was not increased in patients with the individual underlying diseases for which BMT was a possible treatment (the BMT candidate diseases [BMTCD]). When rates of NBTE were compared in patients with BMTCD, there was a significantly higher rate in patients who had received BMT than in those who had not (P less than 0.02). These findings indicate that NBTE occurs with greater frequency in BMT patients and that there may be features of the BMT regimen that predispose patients to develop NBTE. Although several factors related to BMT are discussed as potential contributors to the increased prevalence of NBTE, we were not able to demonstrate an association between NBTE and any single factor. Since NBTE is an important cause of arterial embolization, an awareness of the increased frequency of NBTE in BMT patients is important for clinicians who must interpret neurologic and other abnormalities in BMT recipients.
Stability of Cry3Bb1 protein in soils and its degradation in transgenic corn residues

As the land area planted with transgenic crops expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) continues to increase, and more farmers adopt reduced and no-till practices, the quantity of residues remaining in the fields that may contain Bt proteins is likely to increase considerably. We evaluated the potential of the Cry3Bb1 protein, active against the corn rootworm, to persist in soils with various pH and clay contents at seven sites in NY, USA under different climate conditions, where 15 Bt corn varieties were grown. The within seasonal dynamics of the Cry3Bb1 protein in soils and its decomposition in Bt corn residues were assessed in detail over two years at one site in Aurora, NY, USA. Results showed that soils with higher clay contents had lower Cry3Bb1 extraction efficiencies, but greater protein persistence; while pH was not correlated with any of them. The protein persistence in soils was also inversely correlated with the precipitation. In Aurora, NY, USA, the Cry3Bb1 protein was detectable in rhizosphere soils at anthesis, but not at planting and was barely detectable at pre-harvest. The Cry3Bb1 protein varied in its concentration among different types of transgenic corn residues, lowest in roots, and decomposed nearly completely after 3.5 months. Overall, soil clay content and precipitation were important for the stability or detection of the Cry3Bb1 protein in tested soils. The rapid decomposition of the Cry3Bb1 protein in corn residues and its short persistence in soils indicate that the exposure level of Cry3Bb1 protein to soil-dwelling organisms is likely to be low and transitory. However, the low concentration of Cry3Bb1 protein in roots may hasten the evolution of pest resistance and cause economic losses.
Excitation patterns in three-dimensional electrical impedance tomography

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive technique that aims to reconstruct images of internal electrical properties of a domain, based on electrical measurements on the periphery. Improvements in instrumentation and numerical modeling have led to three-dimensional (3D) imaging. The availability of 3D modeling and imaging raises the question of identifying the best possible excitation patterns that will yield to data, which can be used to produce the best image reconstruction of internal properties. In this work, we describe our 3D finite element model of EIT. Through singular value decomposition as well as examples of reconstructed images, we show that for a homogenous female breast model with four layers of electrodes, a driving pattern where each excitation plane is a sinusoidal pattern out-of-phase with its neighboring plane produces better qualitative images. However, in terms of quantitative imaging an excitation pattern where all electrode layers are in phase produces better results.