cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organization of Semiconductor Memories for Parallel-Pipelined Processors

An organization of interleaved multimodule semiconductor memories is studied to facilitate accessing of memory words by a parallel-pipelined processor. All modules are assumed to be identical and to have address cycle (address hold time) and memory cycle of a and c segment time units, respectively. A total of N(=2n) memory modules are arranged such that there are l(=2b) lines for addresses and m(=2n-b) memory modules per line. For a parallel-pipelined processor of order (s,p) which consists of P parallel processors each of which has s degrees of multiprogramming, there can be up to s · p memory requests in each instruction cycle. Memory request collisions are bound to occur in such a system. Performance is evaluated as a function of the memory configuration. Results show that for reasonably large values of N, high performance can be obtained even in the nonbuffered case when l is a · p or more. Buffering has maximum effect on performance when l is near a · p. When l must be grater than a · p for adequate performance in the nonbuffered case, buffering can be used to reduce l while maintaining performance.
Combinatorial screening of ternary Pt–Ni–Cr catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Abstract Methanol electro-oxidation activity of ternary Pt–Ni–Cr system was studied by using a combinatorial screening method. A Pt–Ni–Cr thin-film library was prepared by sputtering and quickly characterized by a multichannel multielectrode analyzer. Among the 63 different composition thin-film catalysts, Pt 28 Ni 36 Cr 36 showed the highest methanol electro-oxidation activity and good stability. This new composition was also studied in its powder form by synthesizing and characterizing Pt 28 Ni 36 Cr 36 /C catalyst. In chronoamperometry testing, the Pt 28 Ni 36 Cr 36 /C catalyst exhibited “decay-free” behavior during 600 s operation by keeping its current density up to 97.1% of its peak current density, while the current densities of Pt/C and Pt 50 Ru 50 /C catalysts decreased to 14.0% and 60.3% of their peak current densities, respectively. At 600 s operation, current density of the Pt 28 Ni 36 Cr 36 /C catalyst was 23.8 A g noble metal −1 , while that of those of the Pt/C and Pt 50 Ru 50 /C catalysts were 2.74 and 18.8 A g noble metal −1 , respectively.
Verification and Validation for Laminar Hypersonic Flowfields, Part 1: Verification

A validation methodology is applied to the laminar Mach 8 e ow over a spherically blunted cone. Validation of the overall computational model is performed via surface pressure comparisons with experimental data. Careful attention is paid to the submodels in the computational simulations and the assumptions in the experimental data analysis. The computational submodels for molecular viscosity and thermal conductivity are validated by comparisons to experimental data, whereasthevibrational nonequilibrium submodel is validated by comparing to published results using the vibrational master equation. The thermodynamic state of the hypersonic wind-tunnel nozzleisexamined,and argumentsaremadeforthepresenceofasignie cantamountofvibrationalnonequilibrium in thetunnel. Afterextensiveinvestigation, a 1.4% errorwasdiscovered in thefreestream static pressure originally reported in the experiment. Accounting for this error, along with the experimental uncertainty and estimated numerical error, agreement was found for surface pressure within 1.5%. The remaining errors are likely due to e owe eld nonuniformities in the tunnel, which are estimated using tunnel pitot calibration data and the method of characteristics.
Fabrication and performance of a pin fin micro heat exchanger

Nickel micro pin fin heat exchangers can be electroplated directly onto planar or nonplanar metal surfaces using a derivative of the LIGA micromachining process. These heat exchangers offer the potential to more effectively control the temperature of surfaces in high heat flux applications. Of particular interest is the temperature control of gas turbine engine components. The components in the gas turbine engine that require efficient, improved cooling schemes include the gas turbine blades, the stator vanes, the turbine disk, and the combustor liner. Efficient heating of component surfaces may also be required (i.e., surfaces near the compressor inlet to prevent deicing). In all cases, correlations providing the Nusselt number and the friction factor are needed for such micro pin fin heat exchangers. Heat transfer and pressure loss experimental results are reported for a flat parallel plate pin fin micro heat exchanger with a staggered pin fin array, with height-to-diameter ratios of 1.0, with spacing-to-diameter ratios of 2.5 and for Reynolds numbers (based on the hydraulic diameter of the channel) from 4000 to 20,000
Geochemical investigations of selected Eastern United States watersheds affected by acid deposition

The effects of acid deposition on surface waters in eastern United States watersheds having similar size, physiography, climate and land use are related to the composition of the underlying bedrock. Watersheds developed on greenstone, calcareous shale, sandstone, granite, and schist differ in their ability to neutralize acid deposition. Surface waters in watersheds developed on greenstone and calcareous shale are not discernably affected by acidification. Wastersheds developed on sand-stone have little capacity to neutralize acid rain; consequently, stream acidity is similar to that of precipitation. Watersheds developed on granite and schist are intermediate in their capacity to neutralize acid deposition. Bedrock composition appears to be the major property controlling surface-water chemistry in these systems; hydrologic flow paths and the nature of surficial materials and vegetation also influence chemical responses to acid deposition in watersheds.
Pancreatic Juice Prostaglandin E2 Concentrations Are Elevated in Chronic Pancreatitis and Improve Detection of Early Disease

Guarantor of the article: Mark Topazian, MD. Specific author contributions: BK Abu Dayyeh: conception and design, data analysis, drafting of the manuscript. Darwin Conwell: data collection and analysis, critical revision of the manuscript. NS Buttar: data collection and analysis, critical revision of the manuscript. PA Hart, BL Bick, ST Chari, JE Clain, FC Gleeson, MJ Levy, RK Pearson, BT Petersen, S Suleiman, PA Banks, E Rajan, SS Vege: critical revision of the manuscript. V Kadilaya: data collection. LS Lee: data collection. S Chowdhary: data collection. M Topazian: conception and design, data collection, data analysis, critical revision of the manuscript, overall study supervision. All authors: approved the final version of the manuscript. Financial support: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Harvard Digestive Diseases Center (DC, NIH 5 P30 DK034854-24); and NIH NIDDK (DC, 1R21 DK081703-01A2), Burrill Family Research Grant. These entities did not participate in the conception or design of the study, the analysis or interpretation of data, the writing of the manuscript, or approval of the final manuscript. Potential competing interests: None.
Polyphenol oxidase of D'Anjou pears (Pyrus communis L.)

Stability, substrate and inhibitor specificity and electrophoretic properties of a crude polyphenol oxidase (PPO) preparation extracted from d'Anjou pears (Pyrus communis L.) were investigated. The pH optimum of PPO occurs at 7.0. Heat inactivation of PPO followed first order kinetics and approximately 50% of PPO activity was inactivated after heating for 11.7, 6.25, 2.24 and 1.1 min at temperatures of 70°, 75°, 80° and 85°C, respectively. Crude PPO extract was active towards o-dihydroxyphenols, but inactive towards monophenols. Disc electrophoresis revealed eight active isozymes toward catechol, 4-methyl catechol, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, dopamine, d-catechin and DL-dopa. Similar electrophoretic patterns were observed with all substrates. No differences in the electrophoretic patterns were observed between fresh PPO preparations and preparations which had been frozen or dialzyed. Pear PPO was relatively sensitive to most inhibitors tested with the exception of sodium chloride. Of the inhibitors studied L-cysteine and diethyldithiocarbamate were the most effective against pear PPO.
Psychocapital and Shangri-Las: How happiness became both a means and end to governmentality

In this paper a paradox is revealed in the politics of well-being over the means and ends of happiness. That paradox, in brief, is that although happiness is argued to be the ultimate end of all governmentality, in order to serve as that end, it first needs to be translated into a means for bolstering the economy, for only that way can a teleology of happiness gain a foothold in a world which prioritizes economic growth as an end in itself. To show this the paper gives a history of subjective well-being (SWB) research, and contrasts it with the politics of happiness in the UK, where SWB has in the past decade been translated into a discourse around the psychological wealth of the nation via the concepts of mental capital (MC) and mental well-being (MWB).
SU-GG-J-13: A New Self-Consistent Inverse Deformation Field Generator and Its Applications

Purpose: To provide a tool to map image intensity, dose, and contours back‐and‐forth consistently between two images.Method and Materials: A new concept, a self‐consistent Inverse Displacement Vector Field (IDVF) is defined and an algorithm to generate the IDVF is implemented. A deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm was chosen to generate a DVFA‐B between reference image A and study image B . The same DIR algorithm is also used to generate DVFB‐A and our IDVF generator is used to create IDVFB‐A, which is consistent with DVFA‐B. To test whether DVFB‐A or IDVFB‐A better maps information from A‐B back to A for a lung 4D CT dataset, an arbitrary set of points SA is chosen and are warped to SB by using DVFA‐B. DVFB‐A is used to warp SB back to A to get S A D . Similarly, IDVFB‐A is used to warp SB back to A to get S A I . For each point in S A D (or S A I ), we know its original point in SA . Hence, one can calculate the Euclidean distance between each point in S A D (or S A I ) and its original point in SA to quantify the error in the back‐and‐forth image warping. Similarly, dose on A is warped to B and back to A . Results: The IDVF warped points from study back to reference with maximum error about 10 times smaller than using DVFB‐A. Similarly, the IDVFB‐A dose maximum warping error is about 2 times smaller than using DVFB‐A. Conclusion: This work shows that it is possible to generate self‐consistent IDVF with small mapping error. This IDVF is useful to warp contours and dose for IGART. (Work supported by NIH P01CA116602).
The Triphenylethylenes, a Novel Class of Antifungals

ABSTRACT New antifungals are needed, particularly in the developing world, to treat life-threatening fungal infections, such as cryptococcosis. Drug repurposing is one strategy to identify new drug-like compounds, but it is often difficult to identify a mechanism of action. Here we discuss the outstanding effort by Butts et al. to identify calmodulin as an antifungal target of repurposed estrogen receptor antagonists [A. Butts, K. Koselny, Y. Chabrier-Rosello, C. P. Semighini, Y. C. S. Brown, et al., mBio 5(1):e00765-13, 2014, doi:10.1128/mBio.00765-13]. The authors show that these compounds bind to and directly inhibit fungal calmodulin and also reduce fungal burden in an animal disease model. These studies thus establish both the key preclinical efficacy and the antifungal mechanism of action, which will allow these compounds to progress toward development of novel antifungal therapies.
A multi-site field study of crowdsourced contextual help: usage and perspectives of end users and software teams

We present a multi-site field study to evaluate LemonAid, a crowdsourced contextual help approach that allows users to retrieve relevant questions and answers by making selections within the interface. We deployed LemonAid on 4 different web sites used by thousands of users and collected data over several weeks, gathering over 1,200 usage logs, 168 exit surveys, and 36 one-on-one interviews. Our results indicate that over 70% of users found LemonAid to be helpful, intuitive, and desirable for reuse. Software teams found LemonAid easy to integrate with their sites and found the analytics data aggregated by LemonAid a novel way of learning about users' popular questions. Our work provides the first holistic picture of the adoption and use of a crowdsourced contextual help system and offers several insights into the social and organizational dimensions of implementing such help systems for real-world applications.
Recursive computation of a posteriori density functions for arbitrary i.i.d. state noise and its application to impulsive interference mitigation

Studies the a posteriori probability density function of the state of a discrete-time system. By applying the Bayesian law to the state and measurement equations of the stochastic system, the a posteriori density is obtained in closed-form and computed recursively for arbitrary i.i.d. state noise and binary measurement noise (or signal). As an example, the highly impulsive state process driven by the noise with /spl alpha/-stable distribution is estimated and significantly suppressed from the measurement. >
Madan's Cure‐all, I

IN LONDON, 1780, there dropped a learned bombshell among the rakes, abandoned and outwardly respectable (the greater part of the population). It was tided: Thelyphthora; or a Treatise on Female Ruin in Its Causes, Effects, Consequences, Prevention, and Remedy; considered on the basis of the Divine Law: under the following heads, viz. Marriage, Whoredom, and Fornication, Adultery, Polygamy, Divorce; with many other incidental matters; particularly including an Examination of the Principles and Tendency of Stat. 26 Geo. II. c. 33. commonly called the Marriage Act. In Two Volumes
Assessment of branching in polymers from small‐angle x‐ray scattering (SAXS)

Small-angle x-ray scattering from solutions was applied in assessing branching using well-characterized dextran hydrolyzates. It was found that the longitudinal and cross-sectional properties of the polysaccharides vary in a manner predictable by the molecular topology of the chains. A hydrodynamically equivalent linear model for dextran is proposed and it has been shown that this model correctly predicts values of Φ and K, Flory's universal hydrodynamic constant and the Flory–Fox–Schaefgen parameter, respectively.
A Diffusion-Tensor-Based White Matter Atlas for Rhesus Macaques

Atlases of key white matter (WM) structures in humans are widely available, and are very useful for region of interest (ROI)-based analyses of WM properties. There are histology-based atlases of cortical areas in the rhesus macaque, but none currently of specific WM structures. Since ROI-based analysis of WM pathways is also useful in studies using rhesus diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, we have here created an atlas based on a publicly available DTI-based template of young rhesus macaques. The atlas was constructed to mimic the structure of an existing human atlas that is widely used, making results translatable between species. Parcellations were carefully hand-drawn on a principle-direction color-coded fractional anisotropy image of the population template. The resulting atlas can be used as a reference to which registration of individual rhesus data can be performed for the purpose of white-matter parcellation. Alternatively, specific ROIs from the atlas may be warped into individual space to be used in ROI-based group analyses. This atlas will be made publicly available so that it may be used as a resource for DTI studies of rhesus macaques.
Power and Justice in Intergroup Relations

Why do victims of injustice seem so rarely to challenge, rebel against, or press for systematic change in the factors responsible for their condition? This chapter explores certain aspects of this question, employing a wide variety of evidence from the social psychological literature on justice and revolutionary coalitions. Before proceeding, two potential objections to the perspective taken here must be mentioned.
An average weight-distance enumerator for binary expansions of Reed-Solomon codes

An average Hamming weight enumerator is derived for the codewords at each Hamming distance from a received pattern in the set of all possible binary expansions of a Reed-Solomon code. Since these codes may be decoded by list decoders, such as those studied by Sudan (1997), the enumerator can be used to estimate the average number of codewords in the list returned by such a decoder.
Design of Experimental Streams for Simulating Headwater Stream Restoration1

Huang, Jung-Chen, William J. Mitsch, and Andrew D. Ward, 2010. Design of Experimental Streams for Simulating Headwater Stream Restoration. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1-15. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00467.x Abstract: Headwater streams flowing through agricultural fields in the midwestern United States have been extensively modified to accommodate subsurface drainage systems, resulting in deepened, straightened, and widened streams. To restore these headwater streams, partial or total reconstruction of channels is frequently attempted. There are different approaches to reconstructing the channel, yet there is little evidence that indicates which promises more success and there has been no experimental work to evaluate these approaches. This study designs three experimental channels – two-stage, self-design, and straightened channels – on a human-created swale at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, Columbus, Ohio, for long-term evaluation of headwater stream evolution after restoration. The swale receives a continuous flow of pumped river water from upstream wetlands. Using streamflow and stage data for the past 12 years, a channel-forming discharge of 0.18 m3/s was estimated from bankfull discharge, effective discharge, and recurrence interval. These stream channels, after construction, will be monitored to evaluate physical, chemical, and biological responses to different channels over a decade-long experiment. We hypothesize that the three stream restoration designs will eventually evolve to a similar channel form but with different time periods for convergence. Monitoring the frequency and magnitude of changes over at least 10 years is needed to document the most stable restored channel form.
A Generalized Approach for the Control of MEM Relays

In this paper, we show that voltage-controlled, electrostatic and electromagnetic micro-relays have a common dynamic structure. As a result, both types of microelectro-mechanical (MEM) relays are subject to the nonlinear phenomenon known as pull-in, which is usually associated with the electrostatic case. We show that open-loop control of MEM relays naturally leads to pull-in during the relay closing. Two control schemes - a Lyapunov design and a feedback linearization design - are presented with the objectives of avoiding pull- in during the micro-relay closing and improving the transient response during the micro-relay opening. Simulations illustrate the performance of the two control schemes in comparison to the typical open-loop operation of the MEM relay.
Differentiation-specific transcriptional regulation of the ESE-2 gene by a novel keratinocyte-restricted factor

Epithelium specific Ets-2 (ESE-2), an epithelium-specific ETS-domain transcription factor, is highly expressed in differentiated keratinocytes. To understand the molecular mechanisms that govern the cell-type and differentiation-specific expression of ESE-2 in keratinocytes, we have focused our studies on the identification and characterization of its cis-regulatory elements. We first performed DNase I hypersensitive site mapping and demonstrated that the promoter region of ESE-2 is in open chromatin conformation in differentiated keratinocytes. Next, we performed transient transfection assays with several 5' serially deleted constructs containing segments of the ESE-2 promoter. These experiments have led to the identification of a short fragment that shows remarkable sequence conservation between several species and harbors most of the transcriptional activity. Interestingly, a high level of transcriptional activity was only observed when the transfected keratinocytes were induced to differentiate by increasing the calcium concentration in the cell-culture medium. To identify the factors that mediate the transcriptional activity, we analyzed this segment by mutational and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) experiments. Our studies have identified a critical stretch of nucleotides that is important for both basal as well as calcium responsive reporter activity and that binds to a nuclear factor, keratinocyte restricted factor (KRF). KRF is a novel transcription factor that is restricted to nuclear extracts isolated from keratinocytes and that binds to unique DNA sequences, which do not resemble any known consensus binding motif for transcription factors. Our preliminary experiments shed light on the biochemical nature of KRF and set the stage for future studies in identification of KRF and testing its role in governing ESE-2 gene expression in vivo.
Numerical Investigation of Wind Waves in the Persian Gulf: Bathymetry Effects

AbstractThe effects of bathymetry on the process of wind-wave generation in the Persian Gulf have been investigated using a long-term hindcasting analysis. A 5-yr (2004–08) hindcasting procedure is first performed (denoted as origin) by using the Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model and COAMPS wind field data. Two alternative scenarios, in which wave breaking (noBrek) and depth-induced refraction (noRefc) are deactivated, are also generated. By comparing the results from alternative cases with those from the ordinary cases, a 5-yr total energy deviation (TED) is calculated and presented as seasonal contour maps depicting the sensitivity to bathymetry. The results show only ±2% TED found in noBrek, but up to ±20% TED found in noRefc, an order of magnitude larger than depth-induced breaking. Similarly, the seasonal effects of refraction on the nearshore wave-propagating directions can be investigated by comparison between origin and noRefc. The seasonal histograms of mean wave angle are plotted and discu...
Combinatorics of the z ab theorem

Abstract We give a combinatorial proof that the coefficient of zAB in a certain rational function is a sum of two binomial coefficients.
Coevolutionary Analysis Identifies Protein–Protein Interaction Sites between HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase

The replication of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) requires reverse transcription of the viral RNA genome and integration of newly synthesized pro-viral DNA into the host genome. This is mediated by the viral proteins reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN). The formation and stabilization of the pre-integration complex (PIC), which is an essential step for reverse transcription, nuclear import, chromatin targeting, and subsequent integration, involves direct and indirect modes of interaction between RT and IN proteins. While epitope-based treatments targeting IN–viral DNA and IN–RT complexes appear to be a promising combination for an anti-HIV treatment, the mechanisms of IN-RT interactions within the PIC are not well understood due to the transient nature of the protein complex and the intrinsic flexibility of its components. Here, we identify potentially interacting regions between the IN and RT proteins within the PIC through the coevolutionary analysis of amino acid sequences of the two proteins. Our results show that specific regions in the two proteins have strong coevolutionary signatures, suggesting that these regions either experience direct and prolonged interactions between them that require high affinity and/or specificity or that the regions are involved in interactions mediated by dynamic conformational changes and, hence, may involve both direct and indirect interactions. Other regions were found to exhibit weak, but positive correlations, implying interactions that are likely transient and/or have low affinity. We identified a series of specific regions of potential interactions between the IN and RT proteins (e.g., specific peptide regions within the C-terminal domain of IN were identified as potentially interacting with the Connection domain of RT). Coevolutionary analysis can serve as an important step in predicting potential interactions, thus informing experimental studies. These studies can be integrated with structural data to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of HIV protein interactions.
Use of Sticky Traps to Investigate Seasonal Trends in the Spatial Distribution of House Flies and Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

Sticky traps were used to study the densities of male and female house flies ( Musca domestica ) and stable flies ( Stomoxys calcitrans ) at a dairy farm and a beef cattle pasture ca. 5 km apart in central Iowa, USA. Traps were designed to examine the distribution of the 2 species at 3 heights and at various sites. Flies were collected from 1 June to 20 September 1981. Fly densities at the 2 sites fluctuated synchronously within each species. House-fly and stable-fly densities varied independently. The proportion of male house flies was positively correlated with house-fly density. The proportion of male stable flies varied independently of stable-fly density. Stable flies clearly preferred lower perching sites, while house flies discriminated little between heights.
III-N Epitaxial Growth for Nitride Devices

Various GaN-based device structures were grown on (0001) sapphire and 6H-SiC substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The device structures of this study include a variety of p-n junction-based devices, such as InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well green light emitting diodes, GaN p-i-n vertical rectifiers, and GaN/InGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors. This paper describes the epitaxial growth and device performance characteristics of these device structures. We have developed state-of-of-the-art growth techniques for the materials that are critical for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. High-performance InGaN HBTs, high-voltage GaN rectifiers and long-wavelength green LEDs have been epitaxially grown, fabricated, and characterized. The details of the material growth, device fabrication, and device characterization will be presented.
Establishing diagnostic criteria for mania.

There has been general agreement on the symptoms of mania, but the validity of criteria for diagnosing mania have not been studied. The present study evaluates diagnostic criteria for mania by examining their internal construct validity, i.e., whether they are consistent with structure implicit in the concept of diagnostic criteria. Symptom information from 235 patients with varying diagnoses were studied. Elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, hyperactivity, and rapid or pressured speech were found to define a diagnostic classification of mania. Grandiosity and flight of ideas were related to this classification but did not contribute to its definition. Results suggested new diagnostic criteria for mania, with patients being diagnosed manic if they had at least two of the three designated symptoms. Additional information on the presence or absence of grandiosity and/or flight of ideas changed the diagnoses of only seven patients (3 per cent), all of whom had had the lowest certainty of diagnosis based on three symptoms. The entire study was replicated on an independent sample of 182 patients with nearly identical results.
Production and excretion of bilirubin in Gunn rats treated with phenobarbital.

SummaryPhenobarbital causes no significant change in either serum bilirubin concentration or the rate of bilirubin turnover in homozygous Gunn rats. There is only minimal enhancement of bilirubin production from nonhemoglobin sources in the liver, in contrast to the large changes reported for normal animals. These studies indicate that phenobarbital does not stimulate the alternate pathways by which animals unable to conjugate bilirubin excrete bile pigment. Moreover, they raise intriguing questions concerning the production and excretion of the hepatic bilirubin fraction in the Gunn rat.
Toward More Clarity about Coherence in Whitehead’s Metaphysics: A Proposal

What I call ambiguities of system due to the sheer complexity of Whitehead’s metaphysics and his analysis of process in terms of concrescence and transition threaten its coherence in terms of what we know empirically of the quantum and classical dimensions of nature. Ambiguities of equivocation pertaining to Whitehead’s use of the terms “contemporary” and “objectification,” as the latter is employed in relation to prehension and satisfaction, also threaten its coherence. The article proposes ways to reduce these threats and uncertainty about coherence by clarifying ambiguities and by attending to the way Whitehead’s terms are predicated on the quantum and classical dimensions.
Monitoring the Charge Accumulation Process in Polymeric Field-Effect Transistors via in Situ Sum Frequency Generation

Vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy is used to probe the polymer−silica interface of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) organic field-effect transistors (oFETs) in situ during device operation. The VSFG spectra exhibit dramatic changes upon charge accumulation at the buried interface. Proper modeling of the data reveals that the changes in the spectroscopic features are almost exclusively due to changes in the amplitude and relative phase of the nonresonant signal, while the P3HT alkyl CH3 and CH2 vibrations remain unperturbed. We interpret the spectroscopic data in light of vibrationally resonant, electronically resonant, and electric field dependent enhancements that occur upon oxidative doping of the P3HT, as measured by visible to mid-IR spectroelectrochemistry. Notably, we observe electric field enhancement of the VSFG signals at both positive and negative gate biases despite unipolar current−voltage responses, which we attribute to the trapping of electrons at the dielectric interface.
The clinical application of prealbumin

Objective By comparing and analyzing the results of prealbumin(PA) and albumin(ALB) to indicate the importance of PA in many fields of clinical application Methods The technique of liquid phase immunoprecipitation was used to determinate the PA ,and meanwhile used the dye bromcresol green to measure the ALB The calibrator preparations were offered by the Orion Diagnostic Corporation in Finland and the Roche Diagnostic Corporation in USA One hurdred and seventy one of specimens of patients were examined by using automated biochemical analyzing apparatus (AU600) Results There were 9 examples of chronic renal insufficiency and the abnormal percentage of PA was 77 8%,ALB was 77 8%;10 examples of primary nephritic syndrome ,the abnormal percentage of PA was 90 0%,ALB was 72 7%;27 examples of other diseases combined with uraemia,the abnormal percentage of PA was 55 6%,ALB was 7 4%,17 examples of liver cirrhosis,the abnormal percentage of PA was 100%,ALB was 88 2%;21 examples of liver and gallbladder inflammation,the abnormal percentage of PA was 66 7%,ALB was 28 6%;11 examples of digestive system malignant tumors,the abnormal percentage of PA was 90 9%,ALB was 72 7%;15 examples of acute leukemia the abnormal percentage of PA was 40 0%,ALB is 40 0%,15 examples of chronic leukemia,the abnormal percentage of PA is 80 0%,ALB was 6 7%;50 examples of brain trauma,the abnormal percentage of PA is 86 0%,ALB is 48 0% The results of PA are obviously higher than reference interval in primary nephritic syndrome,uraemia and chronic leukemia,and obviously decreasing in chronic renal insufficiency,liver cirrhosis,the liver and the gallbladder inflammation,cancer of digestive system and brain trauma Conclusion Compared with traditional test of ALB,PA is more sensitive as a biochemical test in the diagnostic fields of primary nephritic syndrome uraemia,liver cirrhosis,the liver and the gallbladder diseases,cancer of digestive system and chronic leukemia It is also more accurate and specific than ALB in evaluating the hepatitis and renal function,and can perfectly reflects sensitive stress condition of the body
Survey on semantic Web and Ontology

Semantic Web is a new research direction. The application of Ontology in Semantic Web has just begun. Definition and description languages,methodolgy and related tools,as well as research institutes and achievements on ontology were introduced.
Benign tumors of the skin.

The author suggests that the physician treat benign tumors of the skin by the method most familiar to him, being always mindful of the cosmetic result. For precancerous dermatoses, electrosurgery, electrocautery, electrodesiccation or surgical excision is recommended, according to the type of lesion. The same procedures are advised for various types of benign epithelial neoplasms, with carbon dioxide snow suggested for large hairy pigmented nevi and strawberry hemangiomas, and x-ray therapy for cavernous hemangiomas.
Open repair of incisional ventral abdominal hernias with mesh leads to long-term improvement in pain interference as measured by patient-reported outcomes.

Abstract Background The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System was used to evaluate the effects of open incisional ventral hernia repair on hernia-related pain. Methods All patients who underwent elective repair of a primary or recurrent midline incisional hernia over a 3-year period completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pain surveys and rated their pain intensity on a visual analogue scale. A retrospective review of these patients was performed. Results Seventy-seven patients underwent midline incisional ventral hernia repair and completed preoperative and postoperative surveys. Thirty-eight patients completed surveys at least 6 months after surgery. These patients demonstrated significant improvement in pain interference postoperatively ( P Conclusions Patients with incisional ventral hernias have improvement in pain interference 6 months after open surgical repair. Changes are most pronounced in patients who experience higher magnitudes of pain preoperatively.
Deinococcus Antioxidants are Extremely Radioprotective of Cultured Human Cells

The toxicity of ionizing radiation in diverse cell-types is associated with a high susceptibility to proteome oxidation, but not in extremely resistant bacteria such as Deinococcus radiodurans (DR). Mn2+-peptide antioxidant complexes accumulated in DR specifically protect proteins from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by radiation, preserving enzymatic functions needed to recover from genome damage. We previously reported that protein-free cell extracts of DR protected enzymes and human lymphoblastoid Jurkat T cells from extreme cellular insults caused by γ-rays. Here we show that the levels of radioprotection conferred on Jurkat cells by DR-based rationally-designed peptides far exceed the levels bestowed by D. radiodurans ultrafiltrate. The relative radioprotective efficacy of the peptides on the viability of irradiated Jurkat cells was determined by flow cytometry using SYTOX Blue dye that readily penetrates cells with compromised plasma membranes. The addition of 3 mM DEHGTAVMLK (DP1) as a radioprotector to RPMI medium pre- or post-irradiation increased the viability of Jurkat cells exposed to 100 Gy from ~20% to ~80-90%. The radioprotective efficacy of other designed peptides will be reported. Deinococcus Mn2+ antioxidant complexes could expand pre-exposure prophylactic countermeasures and post-exposure therapeutics in cancer radiotherapy and in radiation emergencies.
Abstract 4317: Black raspberries show potent activity in prevention of experimental squamous cell esophageal cancer compared to a combination of selective COX-2 and iNOS inhibitors

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) remains a major health threat worldwide and preventive strategies are needed. We previously reported that overexpression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are correlated with nitrosamine-induced squamous carcinogenesis of the esophagus and the selective iNOS and COX-2 inhibitors significantly inhibit incidence and progression. We also demonstrated anti-cancer activity of black raspberries (BRB) in a rodent model of esophageal SCC. The objective of the current study was to compare the impact of BRB versus the combination of celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, and S,S’-1,4-phenylene-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)bis-isothiourea (PBIT), a selective iNOS inhibitor, in inhibition of SCC of the esophagus, and to elucidate molecular mechanism of an effective cancer prevention. We found that BRB is superior to the combination of two drugs in suppression of premalignant tissue growth in the rat esophagi. Moreover, rats fed BRB have lower tumor multiplicity than those fed celcecoxib + PBIT. Our data indicated that BRB also shows a potent inhibitory effect on esophageal iNOS and COX-2, in addition to modulating several associated oncogenic cell signaling pathways. We further conducted parallel mechanistic studies in vitro using BRB anthocyanins and the above two drugs. Our findings demonstrated that dietary BRB is superior to the combination of two chemopreventive pharmaceutical agents in prevention of experimental squamous cell esophageal cancer, suggesting the potential value of additional translational studies in developing food-based products using BRB for the prevention of esophageal SCC carcinogenesis in humans (Supported by NIH/NCI R01 CA131073). Citation Format: Ni Shi, Kenneth M. Riedl, Steven J. Schwartz, Xiaoli Zhang, Steven K. Steven, Tong Chen. Black raspberries show potent activity in prevention of experimental squamous cell esophageal cancer compared to a combination of selective COX-2 and iNOS inhibitors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4317.
Mixed cerium-platinum oxides: Electronic structure of [CeO]Ptn (n = 1, 2) and [CeO2]Pt complex anions and neutrals

The electronic structures of several small Ce–Pt oxide complexes were explored using a combination of anion photoelectron (PE) spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Pt and Pt2 both accept electron density from CeO diatomic molecules, in which the cerium atom is in a lower-than-bulk oxidation state (+2 versus bulk +4). Neutral [CeO]Pt and [CeO]Pt2 complexes are therefore ionic, with electronic structures described qualitatively as [CeO+2]Pt−2 and [CeO+]Pt2−, respectively. The associated anions are described qualitatively as [CeO+]Pt−2 and [CeO+]Pt2−2, respectively. In both neutrals and anions, the most stable molecular structures determined by calculations feature a distinct CeO moiety, with the positively charged Ce center pointing toward the electron rich Pt or Pt2 moiety. Spectral simulations based on calculated spectroscopic parameters are in fair agreement with the spectra, validating the computationally determined structures. In contrast, when Pt is coupled with CeO2, which has no ...
Hyperbolic Equations: Finite Differences

This chapter elaborates about finite differences applicable to hyperbolic partial differential equations. A numerical approximation scheme is obtained. Finite differences can be used directly to numerically approximate the solution of a hyperbolic partial differential equation. The technique is to replace all of the derivatives appearing in the given hyperbolic partial differential equation by finite difference approximations. By rearranging the terms in this new equation, an explicit recurrence formula can generally be obtained. A stability analysis can be performed on this recurrence relation to determine the step sizes that will insure convergence of the numerical approximation to the true solution. A frequent problem encountered with this method is having enough starting values to begin iterating the recurrence relation. Starting values can generally be obtained by performing manipulations of the original equation.
Kaplan-Meier Meets Chemical Kinetics: Intrinsic Rate of SOD1 Amyloidogenesis Decreased by Subset of ALS Mutations and Cannot Fully Explain Age of Disease Onset.

Over 150 mutations in SOD1 (superoxide dismutase-1) cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), presumably by accelerating SOD1 amyloidogenesis. Like many nucleation processes, SOD1 fibrillization is stochastic (in vitro), which inhibits the determination of aggregation rates (and obscures whether rates correlate with patient phenotypes). Here, we diverged from classical chemical kinetics and used Kaplan–Meier estimators to quantify the probability of apo-SOD1 fibrillization (in vitro) from ∼103 replicate amyloid assays of wild-type (WT) SOD1 and nine ALS variants. The probability of apo-SOD1 fibrillization (expressed as a Hazard ratio) is increased by certain ALS-linked SOD1 mutations but is decreased or remains unchanged by other mutations. Despite this diversity, Hazard ratios of fibrillization correlated linearly with (and for three mutants, approximately equaled) Hazard ratios of patient survival (R2 = 0.67; Pearson’s r = 0.82). No correlation exists between Hazard ratios of fibrillization and age of ...
The Impact of Hepaticojejunostomy Leaks After Pancreatoduodenectomy: a Devastating Source of Morbidity and Mortality

Hepaticojejunostomy leaks are less frequent than pancreatic leaks after pancreatoduodenectomy, and the current literature suggests comparable outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine if the hepaticojejunostomy leak adversely affected patient outcomes. Consecutive cases of pancreatoduodenectomy (n = 924) were reviewed at a single high-volume institution over an 8-year period (2006–2014). Pancreaticojejunostomy leaks were identified in 217 (23%) patients and hepaticojejunostomy leaks were identified in 24 patients (3%); combined hepaticojejunostomy/pancreaticojejunostomy leaks were identified in 31 patients (3%). Those with hepaticojejunostomy leaks or combined leaks had a significantly increased risk of morbidity when compared to pancreaticojejunostomy leaks or no leak (54 and 58 vs. 34 and 24%, respectively, p < 0.05). The median length of stay was significantly greater for hepaticojejunostomy leaks or combined leaks when compared to pancreatojejunostomy leaks (17 or 14 vs. 9 days, p = 0.001) and those with no leak (17 or 14 vs. 7 days, p = 0.001). Ninety-day mortality for all patients was 3.6%. Hepaticojejunostomy leaks and combined leaks significantly increased 90-day mortality rate (17 and 32%, respectively, p < 0.05). Hepaticojejunostomy and combined leaks after pancreatoduodenectomy are rarer than pancreaticojejunostomy leaks; these patients are at a significantly increased risk of major morbidity and mortality.
Patterns of Care and Survival for Elderly Acute Myeloid Leukemia—Challenges and Opportunities

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly, with a median age of diagnosis in the sixth decade of life. Mortality has declined over the last few years, but this impact is apparent only in the young, fit AML population. Outcomes for the elderly remain poor, with less than 20% 5-year overall survival rates. Hence, there is an unmet need to identify treatment strategies to maximize benefit in this age group. Elderly AML is a difficult entity to treat due to both disease and patient-related factors. Treatment of this group has a lot of inter-physician and inter-institutional variability. Several objective criteria to assess biological age, impact of co-morbidities, and fitness have been published, which could be utilized to make management decisions. For old and unfit AML patients, a variety of novel therapeutic agents are currently being investigated. Objective analysis of biological age should include assessment of fitness, frailty, and co-morbidities in elderly AML. Future areas of research include development of an objective risk-based approach and its validation in clinical trials, development of novel therapeutic agents, and improvement in supportive care measures.
THz Wave Detection by Antenna-Coupled Nanoscale Thermoelectric Converters

We present a terahertz (THz) wave detector based on antenna-coupled single-metal nanoscale thermocouples. The dipole antenna is tuned to receive 600-GHz electromagnetic waves, and the nanoscale thermoelectric converter (NTEC) converts the heat, generated by the dissipated antenna currents to electrical signals. The measured polarization- and thermopile-length-dependent responses of these THz detectors, configured in thermopiles with various lengths, confirms that the measured signal is the result of the heating caused by the radiation-induced antenna currents and detected by the NTEC.
PREFERRED ORIENTATION AND LATTICE REGISTRY EFFECTS OF Nb 3 Sn DIFFUSION LAYERS

Nb3Sn diffusion layers grown on single crystal niobium exhibit physical properties which consistently discriminate between the bcc-(111) orientation substrate and other bcc major symmetry directions. These layers show preferred orientations in their surface region which do not extend into the layer bulk except for the A15-(100) surface texturing, occuring at the Nb-(110). The Nb3Sn-Nb interface character is distinctly different for the Nb-(111) orientation as compared to other orientations around the niobium crystal circumference.
Application of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to the study of skin hydration

The solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique of carbon-13 cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) has been successfully used to obtain high-resolution spectra of whole-thickness, hairy rat skin and to characterize the influence of hydration on the efficiency of cross-polarization and the proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T1ρH). Spectra obtained with hydrated samples, which were obtained with 50% more accumulations, had comparable signal-to-noise ratio relative to spectra obtained with dried skin, indicating a disordering effect with the presence of water. The integrated area of spectra of low-shifted peaks rose more rapidly with increasing contact time relative to the high-shifted peaks for both hydrated and dried skin. In addition, the carbonyl intensity of the hydrated skin relative to dried skin reached a maximum at shorter times, reflecting an efficient relaxation mechanism of the protons. The shift of the peak maximum to shorter mixing times quantitatively reflects the interaction of the protons of water with the carbonyl moiety.
Adenine Metabolism and Nucleic Acid Synthesis: Applications to Microbiological Oceanography

Marine microbial ecology is currently one of the least developed areas of microbiological research. This situation has been, in part, due to the limited availability of methods for evaluating the in situ rates of metabolism and growth of naturally occurring microbial populations. In fact, it may be fair to state that our present understanding of the integrated functioning of marine ecosystems is methods limited. A period of rapid advance in our understanding of microbiological oceanographic processes following the successful development and application of each new experimental approach, is evidence of this limitation.