cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low temperature, 0.1 Tesla magnetometer

Abstract An ac magnetometer designed to operate at fields up to 0.15 T and at temperatures down to 12 K has been constructed. It is designed to measure the magnetization of ferromagnetic foils of iron or gadolinium with thicknesses on the order of 0.5 to 10 mg/cm 2 .
Influence of ligand structure on Fe(II) spin-state and redox rate in cytotoxic tripodal chelators

The Fe coordination chemistry of several tripodal aminopyridyl hexadentate chelators is reported along with cytotoxicity toward cultured Hela cells. The chelators are based on cis, cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane (tach) with three pendant -CH2-2-pyridyl groups where 2-pyridyl is R-substituted thus are named tach-x-Rpyr where x=3, R=Me; x=3, R=MeO; x=6; R=Me. The structures of [Fe(tach-3-Mepyr)]Cl2 and [Fe(tach-3-MeOpyr)](FeCl4) are reported and their metric parameters indicate strongly bound, low-spin Fe(II). The structure of [Fe(tach-6-Mepyr)](ClO4)2 implies steric effects of 6-Me groups push donor Npy's away so one Fe-Npy bond is substantially longer at 2.380(3)A vs. 2.228(3)A for the others, and Fe(II) in the high-spin-state. Accordingly, anions X(-)=Cl or SCN afford [Fe(tach-6-Mepyr)(X)]+ from [Fe(tach-6-Mepyr)]2+ (UV-vis spectroscopy). Consistent with a biological cytotoxicity involving Fe chelation, chelators of low-spin Fe(II) have greater toxicity in the order [IC50(72 h) is in parentheses then the spin-state SS=H (high) or L (low)]: tachpyr=tach-3-Mepyr (6 microM, SS=L) greater, similar tach-3-MeOpyr (12microM, SS=L)>>tach-6-Mepyr (>200 microM, SS=H). Iron-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation with O2 oxidant removes hydrogens from coordinated nitrogen and the adjacent CH2, converting aqueous [Fe(tach-3-Rpyr)]2+ (R=H, Me and MeO) into a mix of low-spin imino- and aminopyridyl-armed complexes, but [Fe(tach-6-Mepyr)]2+ does not react (NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopies). The difference of IC(50) for chelators at different time points (delta IC50=[IC50(24h)-IC50(72 h)]) is used to compare rate of cytotoxic action to qualitative rate of oxidation in the Fe-bound chelator, giving the order, from rapid to slow oxidation and cell killing of: [Fe(tach-3-Mepyr)]2+ (delta IC50=5 microM)>[Fe(tachpyr)]2+ (delta IC50=16 microM)>[Fe(tach-3-MeOpyr)]2+ (delta IC50=118 microM). Thus, those chelators whose Fe(II) complexes undergo rapid oxidation kill cells faster, and those that bind Fe(II) as low-spin are far more cytotoxic.
Transformation of C3H/10T1/2CL8 mouse embryo fibroblasts by ultraviolet irradiation and a phorbol ester.

ULTRAVIOLET light is the major cause of human skin cancer, and papillomas and malignant carcinomas have been induced in the skins of rats and mice by repeated exposure to it1–5. Pound6 reported that although a single short exposure of mouse skin to ultraviolet light did not induce any tumours, when the single exposure was followed by repeated applications of croton oil, many tumours were induced. Thus ultraviolet light acted as an initiator in the two-stage process of skin tumour development7,8. X rays can induce oncogenic transformation of cells in culture9,10, and a preliminary report has appeared on the transformation of hamster embryo cells by ultraviolet light11.
Lab on paper: iodometric titration on a printed card.

A paper test card has been engineered to perform an iodometric titration, an application that requires storage and mixing on demand of several mutually incompatible reagents. The titration is activated when a user applies a test solution to the test card: the dried reagents are reconstituted and combined through a surface-tension-enabled mixing (STEM) mechanism. The device quantifies 0.8–15 ppm of iodine atoms from iodate in aqueous solutions. This is useful, for example, to quantify iodine levels in fortified salt. A blinded internal laboratory validation established the accuracy as 1.4 ppm I and the precision as 0.9 ppm I when the test card was read by newly trained users. Using computer software to process images, the accuracy and precision both improved to 0.9 ppm I. The paper card can also detect substandard β lactam antibiotics using an iodometric back-titration. When used to quantify amoxicillin, good distinction is achieved between solutions that differ by 0.15 mg/mL over a working range of 0–0.9 ...
Development of an Empirical Force Field for Silica. Application to the Quartz-Water Interface

Interactions of pulverized crystalline silica with biological systems, including the lungs, cause cell damage, inflammation, and apoptosis. To allow computational atomistic modeling of these pathogenic processes, including interactions between silica surfaces and biological molecules, new parameters for quartz, compatible with the CHARMM empirical force field were developed. Parameters were optimized to reproduce the experimental geometry of alpha-quartz, ab initio vibrational spectra, and interactions between model compounds and water. The newly developed force field was used to study interactions of water with two singular surfaces of alpha-quartz, (011) and (100). Properties monitored and analyzed include the variation of the density of water molecules in the plane perpendicular to the surface, disruption of the water H-bond network upon adsorption, and space-time correlations of water oxygen atoms in terms of Van Hove self-correlation functions. The vibrational density of states spectra of water in confined compartments were also computed and compared with experimental neutron-scattering results. Both the attenuation and shifting to higher frequencies of the hindered translational peaks upon confinement are clearly reproduced by the model. However, an upshift of librational peaks under the conditions of model confinement still remains underrepresented at the current empirical level.
Bed expansion and bubble wakes in three-phase fluidization

The expansion characteristics of gas-liquid fluidized beds have been measured for beds of glass ballotini and sand with particle sizes ranging from 120 to 775 microns. This data has been used in conjunction with recent measurements of bubble properties to predict the proportion of wake associated with bubbles rising through the bed using a modification of the theory proposed by Ostergaard to explain the contraction observed when gas is introduced into a liquid fluidized bed. Three-pase fluidization has also been observed by photography in a two-dimensional bed and the results are in substantial agreement with the calculations based on expansion behavior and bubble properties. The bubble wakes in a three phase system consist not only of a stable portion carried with the bubbles but also of vortices shed by the bubbles. A simplified model has been used to demonstrate that these vortices may contribute significantly to the observed contraction. On a mesure les proprietes d'expansion de lits fluidises avec gaz et liquide dans le cas de lits formes de petites spheres de verre et de sable dont les dimensions granulo-metriques variaient entre 120 et 775 microns. On a utilise les resultats, en rapport avec des mesures recentes des proprietes des bulles, pour predire le degre de perturbation qui se produit lorsque les bulles s'elevent dans le lit; on a employe a cette fin une modification de la theorie proposee par Ostergaard pour expliquer la contraction qu'on observe lorsqu'on introduit un gaz un lit fluidise avec un liquide. On a aussi observe par photographie une fluidisation a trois phases dans un lit a deux dimensions et les resultats concordent effectivement avec les calculs bases sur le comportement a l'expansion et les proprietes des bulles. Les perturbations causees par les bulles dans un systeme a trois phases consistent non seulement et une portion stable entraǐnee avec les bulles, mais aussi en tourbillons produits par celles-ci. On a utilise un modele simplifie pour demontrer que les dits tourbillons peuvent contribuer d'une maniere appreciable a la contraction observee.
Epidermal cytokinetics, DNA adducts, and dermal inflammation in the mouse skin in response to repeated benzo[a]pyrene exposures.

Abstract Few studies have investigated the chronic cytokinetic effects of carcinogen exposure in the mouse skin. We report two experiments involving the repeated application of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) to the dorsal skin of female Ha/ICR mice. In the first experiment, the cytokinetic, inflammatory, and DNA adduct responses were studied daily over a 9-day period encompassing the fourth and fifth weekly applications of BaP at doses of 16, 32, and 64 μg. The second experiment involved the same cytokinetic measurements at 1, 3, 5, and 8 months, and the weekly BaP doses were 4, 8, and 16 μg. The first study showed that after each application of 32 or 64 μg BaP, there was a wave of slow DNA synthesis in the epidermis which peaked at 24 hr, in coincidence with a wave of BaP–DNA adducts, followed by the appearance of dead and damaged keratinocytes. For the first few days after BaP application there was a depression in the mitotic rate which recovered several days before the next BaP application. There was a predominantly monocytic dermal inflammation throughout the observation period. In the second experiment, at the lower BaP doses, there was proliferative depression at 1 month, without dermal inflammation. With continued exposure, the proliferative depression changed to a dose-dependent increase in the rate of proliferation and dermal inflammation. The level of BaP–DNA adducts was followed in the 4 μg/week dose group, which showed a threefold increase after 4 months with the appearance of inflammation and heightened cell proliferation. These results suggest that the delayed inflammatory reaction, possibly based on a cell-mediated immune reaction to BaP, might have been responsible for the late cytokinetic responses and the associated increase in the level of BaP–DNA adducts.
How to turn around `turnover culture' in IT

To stem the flight of valued IT professionals, recognize how the social contagion of changing jobs to overcome workplace dissatisfaction can infect even the most loyal and productive IT employees. Then listen.
A demonstration of iterative parallel array processing in support of telescope image analysis

In this demonstration, we present AscotDB, a new tool for the analysis of telescope image data. AscotDB results from the integration of ASCOT, a Web-based tool for the collaborative analysis of telescope images and their metadata, and SciDB, a parallel array processing engine. We demonstrate the novel data exploration supported by this integrated tool on a 1 TB dataset comprising scientifically accurate, simulated telescope images. We also demonstrate novel iterative-processing features that we added to SciDB in order to support this use-case.
Does elevated testosterone result in increased exposure and transmission of parasites

Male-biased infection is a common phenomenon in vertebrate-parasite systems and male-biased transmission has been experimentally demonstrated. One mechanism that is hypothesized to create male-biased transmission is the immuno-suppressive effect of testosterone because it increases susceptibility to infection. Testosterone also influences host behaviour and, consequently, may increase exposure to parasites. To test how testosterone could increase exposure and transmission, we undertook a longitudinal mark-recapture study where we experimentally elevated testosterone levels in wild male rodents. Individuals in control populations reduced the average number of contacts over the treatment period, while populations with experimentally elevated testosterone levels maintained the number of contacts between hosts. As a result, the transmission potential was higher in testosterone treated populations compared to controls. Our results indicated that males with high-testosterone levels alter the population-level contacts, producing different social networks and increasing transmission potential compared to those where testosterone is at background levels.
Friction Control in Thin-Film Lubrication

A novel method is proposed for controlling and reducing friction in thin-film boundary lubricated junctions, through coupling of small amplitude (of the order of 1 A) directional mechanical oscilla...
Natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A population-based study, 1976 through 1990.

Background Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease entity characterized by marked heterogeneity in morphology and natural history. Most of our knowledge of the natural history of this disorder derives from the study of hospital-based populations and is influenced by referral bias. Therefore, this population-based study was undertaken to examine the natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy among unselected residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota. Methods and Results Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, confirmed by echocardiography, were identified by use of the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Patients with the echocardiographic features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but with long-standing hypertension requiring drug therapy were categorized as having hypertensive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Baseline clinical details and follow-up events were obtained by retrospective chart review. Thirty-seven patients were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 24 with hypertensive ...
Analysis of Memory Sensitive SPEC CPU2006 Integer Benchmarks for Big Data Benchmarking

Benchmarking for Big Data is done at the system level, but with processors now being designed specifically for Cloud Computing and Big Data applications, optimization can now be done at the node level. The purpose of this work is to analyze three SPEC CPU2006 Integer benchmarks (libquantum, h264ref and hmmer) that were deemed "highly memory sensitive" in other works to determine their potential as Big Data processor benchmarks. Program characteristics like instruction count, instruction mix, locality, and memory footprint were analyzed. Through this preliminary analysis, these benchmarks were determined to be potential Big Data node-level benchmarks, but more analysis will have to be done in future work.
A web-based clinical trial management system for a sham-controlled multicenter clinical trial in depression.

Background Clinical trial investigators and sponsors invest vast amounts of resources and energy into conducting trials and often face daily challenges with data management, project management, and...
An evaluation of time-sample measures of behavior.

Continuous and time-sample measures of the in-seat behavior of a secretary were obtained. Measurement error, i.e., the extent to which the sample measures deviated from the continuous measure, was a function of the frequency of the sample measurements and the criterion used to score an example of the behavior. If the behavior had to be exhibited throughout the observational interval (whole-interval time sampling), there was a consistent underestimate of the continuous measure. If the behavior had to be exhibited only briefly within the observational interval (partial-interval time sampling), there was a consistent overestimate of the continuous measure. And, if the behavior had to be exhibited at the end of the observational interval (momentary time sampling), overestimations and underestimations of the continuous measure occurred about equally often. As expected, the more frequently the sample measures were made the closer was the agreement between the sample and continuous measures. Two conclusions concerning measurement error in interval time sampling were made. The first was that the error will be a function of the mean time per response. The second is that this error will not be consistent across experimental conditions.
Dimensions of variation in urban park preference: A psychophysical analysis

The psychophysical approach to landscape assessment shows how subjective perceptions of landscapes are related to objective physical attributes of the environment. Most research following this approach uses aggregate ratings of landscapes made by panels of observers. Aggregating responses, however, conceals variations in preference among individual members within an observer panel. Using example data from a study of urban park preference, this paper shows how individual variations in preference may be investigated within the framework of the psychophysical approach. Two dimensions underlying observers' ratings of park landscapes are revealed, which are related to the vegetation density and development intensity of the park. Individual preference variations may be represented in visual displays, and characteristics of the raters can be included along with attributes of the landscape in models for predicting environmental preference.
[η2,η5-Dicyclopentadienyldimethylsilane(2–)]bis(tetrahydrofuran-κO)magnesium: an Si-bridged magnesocene

In the title Si-bridged magnesocene, [Mg(C12H14Si)(C4H8O)2], at 87 (2) K, the Mg atom is η5- and η2-bonded to the cyclo­penta­dienyl rings. The Cipso—Si—Cipso angle is 102.63 (6)°.
Phototautomerism in Uracil: A Quantum Chemical Investigation

A detailed study of the molecular geometry and electronic spectra of uracil tautomers, anions, and their hydrated complexes was performed. The geometries were optimized both in the ground and lowest singlet excited states without any symmetry restriction. Ground-state geometries were optimized at the Hartree−Fock level of theory, while the excited states were generated by employing the configuration interaction technique involving singly excited configurations (CIS method). This was followed by excited-state geometry optimization. The nature of the corresponding potential energy surfaces was ascertained via an harmonic vibration frequency analysis. All geometries were found to be minima at their corresponding potential energy surfaces. The 6-311G(d,p) basis set was used for neutral species, and the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set was used for anionic structures. It has been found that, in the gas phase and in aqueous solution at neutral pH, a normal uracil tautomer will phototautomerize to its monoenol tautomer, ...
GROWING UP TRANSNATIONAL: IDENTITY AND KINSHIP IN A GLOBAL ERA

May Friedman and Silvia Schultermandl (eds), GROWING UP TRANSNATIONAL: IDENTITY AND KINSHIP IN A GLOBAL ERA, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011, viii + 266 pp., $29.95 (paper) For as long a...
Assessing bronchodilator responsiveness in infants using partial expiratory flow-volume curves.

Our objective was to compare the effectiveness of maximum forced expiratory flow measured at functional residual capacity (V′maxFRC) and the ratio of flow at 75% of the forced expiratory volume to peak forced expiratory flow (FEF75/FEFpeak) for detecting bronchodilator-related changes in wheezy infants. In 55 infants (mean age, 7.8 ± 3.1 months) with a history of recurrent wheezing, V′maxFRC and FEF75/FEFpeak were measured at baseline and 15 min following nebulized albuterol. Mean results from 4 baseline and 4 postalbuterol partial expiratory flow-volume curves were compared at baseline and following bronchodilator challenge. The strength (relative effect size) of each measure for assessing change was quantified by dividing the mean of the pre- to postdifferences by the standard deviation of the differences. Mean percent predicted V′maxFRC was 41.3 ± 34.3% at baseline and 44.4 ± 34.0% following albuterol. Mean FEF75/FEFpeak was 26.7 ± 13.4% at baseline and 35.8 ± 14.3% following albuterol. The mean percent change from baseline [(post-pre)/pre] in percent predicted V′maxFRC was 18.3 ± 39.3, and for FEF75/FEFpeak, it was 44.1 ± 36.8. The change in FEF75/FEFpeak following albuterol was significantly greater than the change in V′maxFRC (P < 0.0001). The relative effect size for mean percent change from baseline in V′maxFRC was 0.47, and for FEF75/FEFpeak, 1.20. Changes in FEF75/FEFpeak appear to differentiate changes in airway function following administration of a bronchodilator better than do changes in V′maxFRC. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 36:196–201. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Extremal codes are homogeneous

It is shown that all extremal codes are homogeneous. This implies that each punctured code of an extremal code has the same weight distribution, which can be calculated directly from the weight distribution of the parent extremal code. >
Negotiating the community college institutional accountability environment: A Deweyan perspective

Institutional accountability programs may present ethical dilemmas for community college leaders. Some of these dilemmas may be resolved by relying on the authority of the traditional mission. However, in some instances, the mission may be inadequate to check this form of state encroachment. We propose that campus leaders review John Dewey's philosophy of education to gain insights into how their institutions might negotiate dilemmas not addressed by the traditional mission.
Effects of Lung Allocation Score on Waiting List Rankings and Transplant Procedures

The effect of the new lung allocation score on ranking of patients on the waiting list and the number of transplants performed is not known. We assessed this effect on our lung transplant program and conducted a simulation of lung transplants for the first few months of the new system, using the old waiting lists. Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis had improved rankings and patients with emphysema had worse rankings, but the number of transplants for each disease category did not change significantly compared with the simulated transplants.
On Foxʼs m-dimensional category and theorems of Bochner type

Abstract We show that cat m ( X ) = cat ( j m ) , where cat m ( X ) is Foxʼs m-dimensional category, j m : X → X [ m ] is the mth Postnikov section of X and cat ( X ) is the Lusternik–Schnirelmann category of X. This characterization is used to give new “Bochner-type” bounds on the rank of the Gottlieb group and the first Betti number for manifolds of non-negative Ricci curvature. Finally, we apply these methods to obtain Bochner-type theorems for manifolds of almost non-negative sectional curvature.
Temporal and Regional Regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Expression at the Bovine Uterine/Placental Interface

In most mammals trophoblast cells do not express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. This probably protects the placenta from immune attack. We have used immunohistochemistry to study the ontogeny of MHC class I expression by bovine trophoblast and endometrial epithelial cells. The interplacentomal, placentomal arcade and placentomal villous/crypt regions were studied. In the interplacentomal region a substantial proportion of trophoblast cells were class I positive from the sixth month on and about half of the endometrial epithelium was class I positive throughout pregnancy. In the arcade region trophoblast class I expression was first observed in the sixth month, increased slowly and peaked at term. Here there was no endometrial epithelial class I expression until term and then only a small percentage of cells were positive. In contrast, in the placentomal villous/crypt region both trophoblast and endometrial epithelium were class I negative throughout gestation. This study shows that cattle have extensive trophoblast class I expression. Moreover class I expression on placentomal, cryptal endometrial epithelium is shut down. Because binucleate trophoblast cells migrate and fuse with endometrial epithelial cells, total shut down of class I expression in areas of intimate interdigitation may be critical for avoidance of immunological rejection.
Vibrational spectra and conformational behavior of cyclohexylphosphine

The Raman spectra (4000–100 cm−1) of liquid and solid cyclohexylphosphine were recorded, together with the infrared spectra (4000–400 cm−1) of the vapor and solid. Both the Raman and infrared spectra indicate the existence of axial conformers, presumably with gauche and trans orientations of the PH2 group, in addition to the more stable equatorial form. The likelihood of the existence of two equatorial forms of cyclohexylphosphine is discussed, although such a result has not been confirmed experimentally. Variable-temperature experiments monitoring the very weak Raman lines for the axial conformers give enthalpy differences in the range 1.6–1.8 kcal mol−1· A complete set of vibrational assignments is proposed based on data from the PD2 species and analogy with related substituted cyclohexanes.
Orientation dependence of strained-Ge surface energies near (001): Role of dimer-vacancy lines and their interactions with steps

Recent experiments and calculations have highlighted the important role of surface-energy (gamma) anisotropy in governing island formation in the Ge/Si(001) system. To further elucidate the factors determining this anisotropy, we perform atomistic and continuum calculations of the orientation dependence of gamma for strained-Ge surfaces near (001), accounting for the presence of dimer-vacancy lines (DVLs). The net effect of DVLs is found to be a substantial reduction in the magnitude of the slope of gamma vs orientation angle, relative to the highly negative value derived for non-DVL, dimer-reconstructed, strained-Ge(001) surfaces. The present results thus point to an important role of DVLs in stabilizing the (001) surface orientation of a strained-Ge wetting layer.
Outcomes in 144 patients with colorectal cancer treated in a phase I clinic: the MD Anderson Cancer Center experience

Abstract Background Patients with advanced colorectal cancer have a poor prognosis once standard therapies fail. This retrospective study presents the characteristics and outcomes in 144 patients treated in phase I clinical trials. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes in 144 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer referred to the phase I clinic at MD Anderson. Results Median age was 60 years (range, 35-86 years). The median number of previous systemic therapies was 4 (range, 1-7). The median PFS with the last line of conventional systemic treatment was 12.3 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-14.4); the median PFS of the best phase I treatment was shorter at 8.1 weeks (95% CI, 7.9-8.7 weeks; log-rank test, P
Pain in chronic multiple sclerosis

Abstract It has been a common teaching that pain is rare in multiple sclerosis (MS). Our observation of a group of patients with long standing disease suggests that pain is in fact a common symptom. We have shown by means of a questionnaire that 82% of our patients with chronic MS suffered some form of pain and 64% suffered from pain which could be attributed to a neurologic lesion due to the patients' MS.
Power education toolbox (P.E.T): An interactive software package for state estimation

This paper describes an interactive software package that has been developed primarily as an educational tool in studying state estimation, bad data and network observability analysis algorithms. In addition to these functions, the software package also supports a power flow function. Power flow function is useful in creation of consistent measurement data to be used by the state estimator. The essential characteristics of the package is its modular structure which allows both replacement of existing applications and introduction of new ones.
Adaptation of Reordering Models for Statistical Machine Translation

Previous research on domain adaptation (DA) for statistical machine translation (SMT) has mainly focused on the translation model (TM) and the language model (LM). To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous work on reordering model (RM) adaptation for phrasebased SMT. In this paper, we demonstrate that mixture model adaptation of a lexicalized RM can significantly improve SMT performance, even when the system already contains a domain-adapted TM and LM. We find that, surprisingly, different training corpora can vary widely in their reordering characteristics for particular phrase pairs. Furthermore, particular training corpora may be highly suitable for training the TM or the LM, but unsuitable for training the RM, or vice versa, so mixture weights for these models should be estimated separately. An additional contribution of the paper is to propose two improvements to mixture model adaptation: smoothing the in-domain sample, and weighting instances by document frequency. Applied to mixture RMs in our experiments, these techniques (especially smoothing) yield significant performance improvements.
Prostate Cancer–Associated Gene Expression Alterations Determined from Needle Biopsies

Purpose: To accurately identify gene expression alterations that differentiate neoplastic from normal prostate epithelium using an approach that avoids contamination by unwanted cellular components and is not compromised by acute gene expression changes associated with tumor devascularization and resulting ischemia. Experimental Design: Approximately 3,000 neoplastic and benign prostate epithelial cells were isolated using laser capture microdissection from snap-frozen prostate biopsy specimens provided by 31 patients who subsequently participated in a clinical trial of preoperative chemotherapy. cDNA synthesized from amplified total RNA was hybridized to custom-made microarrays composed of 6,200 clones derived from the Prostate Expression Database. Expression differences for selected genes were verified using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Results: Comparative analyses identified 954 transcript alterations associated with cancer ( q Conclusions: Assessments of tumor phenotypes based on gene expression for treatment stratification and drug targeting of oncogenic alterations may best be ascertained using biopsy-based analyses where the effects of ischemia do not complicate interpretation.
Risk of hemorrhage in patients with chronic liver disease and coagulopathy receiving pharmacologic venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.

tudy Objective To evaluate the impact of pharmacologic venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis on risk of hemorrhage while hospitalized in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and concurrent coagulopathy. Design Retrospective, multicenter chart review. Setting Five hospital, university-affiliated network in eastern Pennsylvania. Patients Patients admitted to the network from January 1, 2012, until December 31, 2012, with ICD-9 code consistent with CLD and elevated international normalized ratio of 1.5 or greater not secondary to anticoagulation. Measurements and Main Results Two hundred fifty-six patients met criteria for analysis, with 80 having received pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis and 176 having received no pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. Differences were observed in the primary outcome of overall hemorrhage (composite of major and minor hemorrhage) for patients receiving VTE prophylaxis versus no VTE prophylaxis (17.5% vs 7.4%, p=0.02). Logistic regression revealed covariates independently associated with increased hemorrhage risk were pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.64, p=0.004), increasing international normalized ratio (AOR 1.31, p=0.007), and decreasing platelet count (AOR 0.99, p=0.03). Conclusions Patients with CLD and concurrent coagulopathy receiving pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis are at an increased risk of overall hemorrhage. Clinical implications remain unclear secondary to the difference in rate of overall hemorrhage being driven primarily by a difference in minor hemorrhage. In addition, no difference was demonstrated in many assessed clinically relevant markers.
Apparent prevalence of primary aldosteronism in a referral practice: a retrospective study

Abstract P-568 Key Words: Serum Aldosterone, Plasma Renin Activity, Aldosterone/Renin Ratio
Coherent Single Charge Transport in Molecular-Scale Silicon Nanowires

We report low-temperature electrical transport studies of chemically synthesized, molecular-scale silicon nanowires. Individual nanowires exhibit Coulomb blockade oscillations characteristic of charge addition to a single nanostructure on length scales up to at least 400 nm. Studies also demonstrate coherent charge transport through discrete single particle quantum levels extending across whole devices, and show that the ground-state spin configuration is consistent with the constant interaction model. In addition, depletion of nanowires suggests that phase coherent single-dot characteristics are accessible in the few-charge regime. These results differ from those for nanofabricated planar silicon devices, which show localization on much shorter length scales, and thus suggest potential for molecular-scale silicon nanowires as building blocks for quantum and conventional electronics.
Differential physiological responses of the German cockroach to social interactions during the ovarian cycle

In many animal species, social interactions can influence the morphology, physiology and behavior of individuals, including their rate of development and reproduction. Reproduction in cockroaches is regulated by juvenile hormone III (JH), and social interactions have been shown to accelerate female reproduction in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), by stimulating JH production. However, it is not clear in this or any other insect species whether social facilitation of the reproductive rate occurs throughout the ovarian cycle or only at certain stages. We compared the effects of social interactions during the pre-oviposition period (when JH production is high) and during gestation (when little JH is produced), as well as during the first ovarian cycle (when females are virgin) and the second ovarian cycle (after females had mated). Social interaction with one conspecific female was sufficient to accelerate JH production and oocyte maturation, but this effect was reversed by crowding. Social interactions also accelerated the onset of sexual receptivity in virgin females. However, social interactions failed to shorten gestation, suggesting that social cues stimulate JH production only when the corpora allata (CA) are active and not when CA activity is suppressed by the central nervous system. Females were most responsive to transient social isolation and transient social interactions when 2–3 days old, suggesting that they are particularly sensitive to social interactions when their CA become active. Overall, these results show that all JH-dependent events in the reproductive cycle of B. germanica females are under the strong influence of social interactions.
Genetic architecture of retinal and macular degenerative diseases: the promise and challenges of next-generation sequencing

Inherited retinal degenerative diseases (RDDs) display wide variation in their mode of inheritance, underlying genetic defects, age of onset, and phenotypic severity. Molecular mechanisms have not been delineated for many retinal diseases, and treatment options are limited. In most instances, genotype-phenotype correlations have not been elucidated because of extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, including exome, genome, transcriptome and epigenome sequencing, provide novel avenues towards achieving comprehensive understanding of the genetic architecture of RDDs. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) has already revealed several new RDD genes, whereas RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq analyses are expected to uncover novel aspects of gene regulation and biological networks that are involved in retinal development, aging and disease. In this review, we focus on the genetic characterization of retinal and macular degeneration using NGS technology and discuss the basic framework for further investigations. We also examine the challenges of NGS application in clinical diagnosis and management.
STUDIES IN EXPERIMENTAL SYPHILIS : VI. ON VARIATIONS IN THE RESPONSE OF TREATED RABBITS TO REINOCULATION; AND ON CRYPTOGENETIC REINFECTION WITH SYPHILIS.

Syphilitic rabbits inoculated intratesticularly and treated with arsphenamine before the 69th day of the disease, when reinoculated with the same strain of treponemata and in a manner identical with that of the first inoculation) are capable of responding to the infection in at least five different ways. In addition to exhibiting a local lesion at the site of reinoculation, accompanied by dissemination of the virus, they may show no local lesion at all but present evidence of dissemination of the virus together with the development of a positive Wassermann reaction. In some instances the virus may be recovered from the reinoculation site although no local lesion is produced there and no dissemination of the virus can be shown to take place. An occasional animal treated before the 69th day of the disease remains completely refractory to a second infection. When treatment is postponed to 6 months or more after the original inoculation, reinfection carried out by intratesticular injection is almost always impossible and such animals appear to be entirely refractory. However, if rabbits treated late are reinoculated with the homologous strain by depositing the virus upon a granulating wound on the back, successful reinfections can be accomplished in at least 50 per cent of the test animals. The resistance which develops in rabbits in the course of syphilitic infection is, then, not absolute but relative. It is pointed out that these results cast discredit upon the validity of the reinoculation method as a test of cure in syphilitic infection. It is also suggested upon the basis of these experiments, that the subsequent occurrence of a positive Wassermann reaction in patients with early syphilis in whom the Wassermann reaction has become negative under treatment may not always represent a relapse in the the disease but possibly in some instances a new infection without clinical signs.
Modeling agriculture in the Community Land Model

Abstract. The potential impact of climate change on agriculture is uncertain. In addition, agriculture could influence above- and below-ground carbon storage. Development of models that represent agriculture is necessary to address these impacts. We have developed an approach to integrate agriculture representations for three crop types – maize, soybean, and spring wheat – into the coupled carbon–nitrogen version of the Community Land Model (CLM), to help address these questions. Here we present the new model, CLM-Crop, validated against observations from two AmeriFlux sites in the United States, planted with maize and soybean. Seasonal carbon fluxes compared well with field measurements for soybean, but not as well for maize. CLM-Crop yields were comparable with observations in countries such as the United States, Argentina, and China, although the generality of the crop model and its lack of technology and irrigation made direct comparison difficult. CLM-Crop was compared against the standard CLM3.5, which simulates crops as grass. The comparison showed improvement in gross primary productivity in regions where crops are the dominant vegetation cover. Crop yields and productivity were negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with precipitation, in agreement with other modeling studies. In case studies with the new crop model looking at impacts of residue management and planting date on crop yield, we found that increased residue returned to the litter pool increased crop yield, while reduced residue returns resulted in yield decreases. Using climate controls to signal planting date caused different responses in different crops. Maize and soybean had opposite reactions: when low temperature threshold resulted in early planting, maize responded with a loss of yield, but soybean yields increased. Our improvements in CLM demonstrate a new capability in the model – simulating agriculture in a realistic way, complete with fertilizer and residue management practices. Results are encouraging, with improved representation of human influences on the land surface and the potentially resulting climate impacts.
Insight into the haem d1 biosynthesis pathway in heliobacteria through bioinformatics analysis.

Haem d1 is a unique tetrapyrrole molecule that serves as a prosthetic group of cytochrome cd1, which reduces nitrite to nitric oxide during the process of denitrification. Very little information is available regarding the biosynthesis of haem d1. The extreme difficulty in studying the haem d1 biosynthetic pathway can be partly attributed to the lack of a theoretical basis for experimental investigation. We report here a gene cluster encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of haem d1 in two heliobacterial species, Heliobacillus mobilis and Heliophilum fasciatum. The gene organization of the cluster is conserved between the two species, and contains a complete set of genes that lead to the biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogen III and genes thought to be involved in the late steps of haem d1 biosynthesis. Detailed bioinformatics analysis of some of the proteins encoded in the gene cluster revealed important clues to the precise biochemical roles of the proteins in the biosynthesis of haem d1, as well as the membrane transport and insertion of haem d1 into an apocytochrome during the maturation of cytochrome cd1.
Viral interactions with the Notch pathway

The Notch signaling pathway influences cell fate decisions, proliferation versus differentiation and cell survival. Viruses both utilize and manipulate the differentiation state of infected cells, promote or block cell cycling and employ a variety of mechanisms to evade innate cellular anti-viral responses and promote cell survival. In light of these commonalities, it is perhaps not surprising that several viruses have tapped into the Notch pathway to advance their own life cycles. This first became apparent from studies showing targeting of Epstein-Barr virus proteins to the nuclear effector of Notch signaling CSL (CBF1/RBPJk). More recently the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus RTA protein has been found to bind CSL. Notch pathway interactions have also been described for adenovirus SV40 and human papilloma virus. This review focuses on the herpesvirus protein interactions with the Notch pathway and the insights that these interactions have provided.
On security study of two distance vector routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks

This paper compares the security properties of ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) and destination sequence distance vector (DSDV) protocols, especially the difference caused by on-demand and proactive route queries. The on-demand route query enables the malicious host to conduct real time attacks on AODV. The communication overhead of attacks on DSDV is independent of the attack methods and the width of attack targets. A single false route propagates slower in AODV than in DSDV. The detection of false destination sequence in AODV heavily depends on the mobility of hosts. False distance vector and false destination sequence attacks are studied by simulation. The delivery ratio, communication overhead, and the propagation of false routes are measured by varying the traffic load and the maximum speed of host movement. The anomalous patterns of sequence numbers detected by destination hosts can be applied to detect the false destination sequence attacks.
Secure statistical databases with random sample queries

A new inference control, called random sample queries, is proposed for safeguarding confidential data in on-line statistical databases. The random sample queries control deals directly with the basic principle of compromise by making it impossible for a questioner to control precisely the formation of query sets. Queries for relative frequencies and averages are computed using random samples drawn from the query sets. The sampling strategy permits the release of accurate and timely statistics and can be implemented at very low cost. Analysis shows the relative error in the statistics decreases as the query set size increases; in contrast, the effort required to compromise increases with the query set size due to large absolute errors. Experiments performed on a simulated database support the analysis.
Linear predictive hidden Markov models and the speech signal

A method for modelling time series is presented and then applied to the analysis of the speech signal. A time series is represented as a sample sequence generated by a finite state hidden Markov model with output densities parameterized by linear prediction polynomials and error variances. These objects are defined and their properties developed. The theory culminates in a theorem that provides a computationally efficient iterative scheme to improve the model. The theorem has been used to create models from speech signals of considerable length. One such model is examined with emphasis on the relationship between states of the model and traditional classes of speech events. A use of the method is illustrated by an application to the talker verification problem.
Stem diameter and micromotion of press fit radial head prosthesis: A biomechanical study

Background Aseptic loosening of the stem, ranging from mild periprosthetic lucency to symptomatic loosening leading to implant removal, has been reported in press fit radial head prostheses. Hypothesis The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the stem diameter and insertion force on initial stability with a press fit radial head prosthesis designed for bone ingrowth. Materials and methods Cadaveric radii were implanted with radial head prostheses of increasing stem diameter. The insertion forces for each rasp and stem were measured. Micromotion of the stem at the isthmus of the canal and stem tip were measured under circumstances simulating eccentric loads. Results Insertion forces for all submaximum-sized rasps were similar. However, the insertion force for the maximum-sized rasp was approximately twice as large, and the insertion force for the oversized rasp was twice as large again, potentially indicating that the insertion force may be useful as a guide for determining appropriate stem size. Micromotions of the maximum diameter stem (isthmus, 41 μm; tip, 64 μm) were near the threshold for bone ingrowth, whereas the micromotions of the submaximum stem (isthmus, 253 μm; tip, 394 μm) were above this threshold. Discussion The maximum diameter stem achieved greater stability (minimum micromotion) compared with the submaximum diameter stem. Conclusion The best fixation strength in the press fit radial head prosthesis was achieved by maximum sizing in the neck canal. Level of evidence Basic science study.
Proposed loci of interaction between bombesin and its receptor

The non-coding strand of the bombesin receptor gene, when ‘translated’ 5′ 3′, contains and interrupted sequence of the 10 amino acids of bombesin. This finding forms the basis for proposing the points of contact between bombesin and its receptor as well as a partial conformation of the binding region of the receptor as well as partial conformation of the binding region of the receptor.
La eleccion de tecnica en el cultivo triguero y el atraso de la agricultura española a finales del siglo XIX

La interpretaciA³n tradicional de la agricultura espaA±ola considera que durante medio siglo antes de la guerra civil hubo pocos cambios en la productividad de los factores de producciA³n. AdemAis, la falta de cambios en la agricultura se ha considerado muchas veces, junto con los bajos niveles de vida de muchos productores y una demanda domA©stica insuficiente para estimular la producciA³n industrial, como un cA­rculo vicioso del Â«estancamiento agrA­colaÂ». Las causas principales de la baja productividad en el sector agrario han sido atribuidas a problemas estructurales, como el latifundio y el minifundio, y a los inadecuados mA©todos de cultivo, resultado de inversiones de capital insuficientes.
Plato's Laws: Postlude or Prelude to Socratic Political Philosophy?

In the Laws, some commentators maintain, Plato put forth his own practical political proposals. According to others, the Athenian Stranger says what Socrates would have said. Having examined the dramatic setting, central philosophical doctrines, and political project outlined in the Laws, I conclude that the Athenian Stranger is neither Plato nor Socrates ahistorically transposed to Crete. When the Athenian ends his description of the best possible regime by arguing that its leaders need to investigate the ideas of virtue, the noble and the good, he shows why the emergence of Socratic political philosophy was necessary to achieve true political reform.