cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphosynthesis of Gold Nanoplates in Polypeptide Multilayer Films

Multilayer thin films formed from the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of cationic linear polyethyleneimide (LPEI) and anionic polyaspartic acid (pLAA) were used as reactive templates for in situ morphosynthesis of gold nanoplates. Size- and shape-controlled growth was made possible by the specific morphogenic action of the polypeptide pLAA and growth in a spatially confined environment. LPEI, in addition to serving as the counter polyelectrolyte for pLAA in the LbL assembly, also provided the facility for chloroaurate anion (AuCl4−) binding through its protonated amine groups (NH3+). The availability and accessibility of these binding sites were important to particle size control and could be varied by the pH of the pLAA solution used in the LbL assembly. Size-controlled synthesis of gold nanoplates was accomplished by controlling the secondary structure of pLAA in the multilayer film. In particular, an increase in the fraction of pLAA α-helices was found to increase the availability and accessibility of th...
Onset of superconductivity in antiferromagnetic La2NiO4

Abstract We provide evidence for the coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in pure La 2 NiO 4 below the onset temperature T c 0 ≅ 69 ± 1 K . The field dependence of the diamagnetic moment is almost linear up to the highest available field of 15 kOe; the slope varies strongly with temperature. A small remanent magnetic moment in the direction perpendicular to the NiO 2 planes has been observed.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy—indications and technique

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the procedure of choice for the surgical management of most adrenal tumors, including functional and non-functional lesions. The role of laparoscopic adrenalectomy in the management of malignant adrenal tumors is controversial and most adrenocortical cancers are generally treated by open adrenalectomy. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy can be performed by both the anterior or lateral trans-abdominal approach and by the lateral or posterior retro-peritoneal approach, with each method being suitable for specific indications. Although there are no randomized trials comparing laparoscopic with open adrenalectomy, the laparoscopic approach is associated with shorter hospital stay, reduced pain and improved cosmesis. This review discusses the indications and contraindications, technique and outcomes for laparoscopic adrenalectomy.
A DETAILED STUDY OF THE ACCRETION DISK SURROUNDING THE HIGH-MASS PROTOSTAR NGC 7538 S

We present deep high-angular resolution observations of the high-mass protostar NGC 7538 S, which is in the center of a cold dense cloud core with a radius of 0.5 pc and a mass of {approx}2000 M {sub sun}. These observations show that NGC 7538 S is embedded in a compact elliptical core with a mass of 85-115 M {sub sun}. The star is surrounded by a rotating accretion disk, which powers a very young, hot molecular outflow approximately perpendicular to the rotating accretion disk. The accretion rate is very high, {approx}(1.4-2.8) x 10{sup -3} M {sub sun} yr{sup -1}. Evidence for rotation of the disk surrounding the star is seen in all largely optically thin molecular tracers, H{sup 13}CN J = 1 {yields} 0, HN{sup 13}C J = 1 {yields} 0, H{sup 13}CO{sup +} J = 1 {yields} 0, and DCN J = 3 {yields} 2. Many molecules appear to be affected by the hot molecular outflow, including DCN and H{sup 13}CO{sup +}. The emission from CH{sub 3}CN, which has often been used to trace disk rotation in young high-mass stars, is dominated by the outflow, especially at higher K levels. Our new high angular resolution observations show that themore » rotationally supported part of the disk is smaller than we previously estimated. The enclosed mass of the inner, rotationally supported part of the disk (D {approx} 5'', i.e., 14,000 AU) is {approx}14-24 M {sub sun}.« less
The crystal structure of meurigite

The crystal structure of meurigite, ideally [K(H 2 0) 2.5 ] [Fe( 3+ 8 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 7 (H 2 0) 4 ], monoclinic, C2/c, a = 29.018(5), b = 5.1892(6), c = 19.695(3) A, β = 106.987(1)°, Z= 4, from the Santa Rita mine, New Mexico, has been solved and refined to R 1 = 4.69%, wR 2 = 12.6% using 3325 unique [F O > 4σ(F 0 )] reflections collected using a Bruker 6000 SMART CCD diffractometer and synchrotron radiation of wavelength 0.41328 A. The structure of meurigite is a framework consisting of face-sharing octahedral Fe 3+ 2 O 9 dimers, which are linked by sharing comers with comer-sharing dimers and isolated Fe 3+ 0 6 octahedra to form thick slabs of octahedra parallel to the a-c plane. P0 4 tetrahedra further link octahedra within the slabs and also link slabs to one another perpendicular to the a-c plane. Relatively large channels through the framework along the b axis contain disordered K atoms and H 2 O molecules, which take part in two overlapping arrays. Partial vacancies in the Fe and P sites may account for discrepancies between the empirical and ideal chemical formulas. Packing considerations suggest that the empirical formula should be based on the total number of large ions (K + Na + O = 38.5 per formula unit), which for the chemical analysis provided in the original description yields [(K 0.91 Na 0 03 ) Σ0.94 (H20) 2.56 ] Σ.50 [(Fe 3+ 7.52 Al 0.17 Cu 0.03 ) Σ7.72 (P04) 5.48 (C0 3 ) 0.21 (OH) 7.20 (H 2 0) 5.23 ]. The meurigite structure is related to those of other fibrous ferric phosphates with 5 A fiber axes and shows a particularly close relationship with the structure of dufrenite. Crystal chemical evidence suggests that, even if meurigite and phosphofibrite are isostructural, phosphofibrite may qualify as a distinct species based upon its low K content (<0.5 apfu based on a recalculation of the original chemical analysis).
Alterations in neutrophil superoxide production following piroxicam therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Twenty patients with classical rheumatoid arthritis were enrolled in a study to determine the effects of piroxicam therapy on neutrophil function as defined by chemotaxis and superoxide anion (O2-) production. T-lymphocyte chemotaxis was also evaluated in these patients. Leukocytes were obtained from these subjects initially, after two weeks of placebo treatment, and subsequently after four and 10 weeks of piroxicam therapy (20 mg, once daily). Responses were compared to simultaneously tested normal controls and to the patient's own cells obtained at the different time points. Studies showed that four and 10 weeks of piroxicam therapy resulted in significantly suppressed neutrophil O2- production in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (FMLP). O2- production in response to opsonized zymosan was not significantly affected after four weeks of therapy, but was significantly reduced after 10 weeks of therapy when compared to the patient's own cell response after two weeks of placebo treatment. Unlike O2- production, PMN random migration and chemotaxis in response to C5a or FMLP did not differ significantly from normal or untreated patient controls. Analysis of T-lymphocyte migration showed that T-cell random migration or migration to the chemokinetic agent, casein, was not significantly altered by piroxicam therapy. However, when T lymphocytes were tested for chemotaxis in response to lymphocyte-derived chemotactic factor for T cells (LCF), T cell migration was significantly suppressed after 10 weeks of therapy. Furthermore, when T cells from these subjects were cultured for 24 h, random migration was significantly reduced after four and 10 weeks of piroxicam therapy when compared to the patient prior to therapy, and migration in response to LCF was suppressed after four weeks of therapy when compared to normal controls. These data indicate that in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, treatment with piroxicam will significantly suppress PMN O2- production and may also alter the locomotor capacity of T lymphocytes. These actions may contribute to the antiinflammatory effects of piroxicam.
The dielectric function of laser-produced molten Si

Abstract We have measured the complex dielectric function ϵ of picosecond laser-produced molten silicon from the near infrared to the near ultraviolet parts of the spectrum by time-resolved reflectivity measurements. We find that ϵ is well described by a Drude model with the plasma frequency ωp = 2.50 × 1016 rad/s and the relaxation time 1730 1692 τ = 212 × 10−18 s.
Effect of dietary protein status on glucose utilization by the pentose cycle in pig adipose tissue

Abstract We investigated the effects of three levels of dietary protein (12, 18 and 23%) on lipid metabolism in pig adipose tissue (PAT). Eight-week-old male pigs were fasted for 96 hr and then refed for the same period of time. Adipose tissue biopsy samples were obtained and incubated for 3 hr in Hanks' salts containing 5.5 mM [1- 14 C], [6- 14 C], [U- 14 C] and [3- 3 H] glucose as well as 10 mM [2- 14 C] acetate and pyruvate. Fatty acids, CO 2 , lactate and glyceride-glycerol yields were determined. An increase in dietary protein decreased (P 2 evolvement from the Krebs' Cycle. Tritium incorporation into fatty acids from [3- 3 H]glucose was related to 14 CO 2 production from [1- 14 C]glucose and may be used to estimate glucose metabolism through the PC.
Ethanol metabolism is not required for inhibition of LPS-stimulated transcription of inducible nitric oxide synthase

We examined the effect of inhibition of ethanol metabolism on ethanol-mediated suppression of Escherichia coli endotoxin (LPS-induced upregulation of transcription and release of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) from rat alveolar macrophages (AM) in vivo. Ethanol (3.45 and 5.5 g/kg/IP) and t-butanol (3.7 g/kg, IP), given 30 min before intratracheal administration of LPS (1.0 mg/kg), inhibited the upregulation of iNOS mRNA and protein, determined by competitor equalized RT-PCR and Western immunoblot, respectively, but not TNFalpha mRNA in AM obtained 2 h after LPS administration by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). However, ethanol and t-butanol inhibited LPS-stimulated nitrate and nitrite (RNI) and TNFalpha protein in BAL fluid. Pretreatment of rats with 4-methylpyrazole (100 mg/kg, IP) 2 h before, or disulfiram 30 min before, administration of ethanol (3.45 g/kg, IP) failed to attenuate the inhibitory effect on iNOS mRNA or protein. t-Butyl hydroperoxide (100 mg/kg, IP) given to rats 30 min before administration of LPS enhanced LPS-mediated upregulation of iNOS mRNA and TNFalpha protein in AM and BAL fluid. The inhibitory effect of ethanol on iNOS mRNA was not mediated by an interaction with elevated levels of circulating corticosterone because pretreatment of rats with RU-38486 (100 mg/kg, IM), which inhibited prednisolone (50 mg/kg, IM), induced suppression of LPS-stimulated iNOS mRNA, and failed to attenuate ethanol-mediated inhibition of LPS-stimulated iNOS mRNA in AM. We conclude that metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde via alcohol dehydrogenase is not required for ethanol-mediated suppression of LPS-induced iNOS transcription and TNFalpha synthesis/release in AM. Moreover, an interaction of ethanol or acetaldehyde with circulating corticosterone is not involved in ethanol-mediated attenuation of LPS-stimulated iNOS mRNA or protein or TNFalpha protein in the lung. Speculatively, because oxidation of t-butanol to t-butylhydroperoxide results in activation, rather than inhibition, of iNOS and TNF-alpha, the reported ethanol-mediated enhancement of iNOS mRNA may result from the action of the hydroxyethyl radical.
Cost-effectiveness of larviciding for urban malaria control in Tanzania

Background: Larviciding for malaria control can contribute to an Integrated Vector Management (IVM) approach. This intervention is currently supported in settings where breeding habitats are ‘few, fixed, and findable’, such as urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa, but the knowledge base regarding the cost-effectiveness of larviciding is non-existent. Methods: Programme costs and effectiveness data were collected from the Dar es Salaam Urban Malaria Control Programme in Tanzania. Cost-effectiveness ratios (CER) were estimated from the provider and societal perspectives for standard indicators using different malaria transmission scenarios. Results: CER for microbial larviciding were highly dependent on the assumed baseline malaria incidence rates. Using the societal perspective, net CER were estimated (in 2012 US dollars) at $43 (95% uncertainty intervals [UI]: $15-181) per disability-adjusted life year averted (DALY) when malaria incidence was 902 infections per 1,000 individuals, increasing to $545 (95% UI: $337-1,558) per DALY at an incidence of 122 per 1,000. Larviciding was shown to be cost-effective in Tanzania for incidences as low as 40 infections per 1,000 people per year. Conclusion: This is believed to be the first study to estimate the cost-effectiveness of larviciding for urban malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa. The results support the use of larviciding as a cost-effective intervention in urban areas and managers of national malaria control programme should consider this intervention as part of an IVM approach.
The Use of Eggs for New Products

Abstract ONE of the serious problems confronting the poultry industry in the United States is the decrease in per capita consumption of eggs. In 1952 the average person in the United States was reportedly eating 390 eggs per year. In 1965 the per capita egg consumption is expected to drop to 307 (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1963). There are, undoubtedly, several reasons for this drastic drop in egg consumption. After World War II, red meat was in short supply, and many consumers substituted the protein of eggs for red meat. Today, red meat is in ample supply and the incomes of consumers are at record levels, but the consumption of eggs continues to decrease. Eggs have, in the past, been very popular as a breakfast food, but most people do not eat as hearty a breakfast as in years gone by. Many people feel that the main reason for decreasing egg …
Whole exome or genome sequencing: nurses need to prepare families for the possibilities.

Aims A discussion of whole exome sequencing and the type of possible results patients and families should be aware of before samples are obtained. Background To find the genetic cause of a rare disorder, whole exome sequencing analyses all known and suspected human genes from a single sample. Over 20,000 detected DNA variants in each individual exome must be considered as possibly causing disease or disregarded as not relevant to the person's disease. In the process, unexpected gene variants associated with known diseases unrelated to the primary purpose of the test may be incidentally discovered. Because family members’ DNA samples are often needed, gene variants associated with known genetic diseases or predispositions for diseases can also be discovered in their samples. Design Discussion paper. Data sources PubMed 2009–2013, list of references in retrieved articles, Google Scholar. Implications for nursing Nurses need a general understanding of the scope of potential genomic information that may be revealed with whole exome sequencing to provide support and guidance to individuals and families during their decision-making process, while waiting for results and after disclosure. Nurse scientists who want to use whole exome sequencing in their study design and methods must decide early in study development if they will return primary whole exome sequencing research results and if they will give research participants choices about learning incidental research results. Conclusion It is critical that nurses translate their knowledge about whole exome sequencing into their patient education and patient advocacy roles and relevant programmes of research.
Cultural, cognition and human action

To understand culture and cultural evolution we must abandon the atomized and anonymous social environment of neoclassical economics. Culture is a product and a cause of the socialized nature of human action. Examination of the phylogenetic and ontogenetic neural mechanisms that make socialization and culture possible reveals: the ways that culture conserves cognitive resources and makes human interaction possible; and the reason that human culture—but not that of are closest relatives the chimpanzees—is capable of rapid evolution. Understanding the deep cognitive nature of culture explains the sometimes pathological outcomes of cultural evolution and how pathologies may be avoided.
TalkMine and the adaptive recommendation project

TalkMine is an adaptive recommendation system which is both content-based and collaborative, and further allows the crossover of information among multiple databases searched by users. In this way, different databases learn new and adapt existing keywords to the categories recognized by its communities of users. TalkMine is based on several theories of uncertainty, as well as on biologically inspired adaptionist ideas. This system is currently being implemented for the research library of the Los Alamos National Laboratory under the Adaptive Recommendation Project. In the present work we discuss the shortcomings of current recommendation systems for distributed information systems and propose how TalkMine can greatly improve these shortcomings.
Similarity Principles and Intrinsic Geometries: Contrasting Approaches to Interspecies Scaling

We criticize standard allometric approaches on the grounds that they emphasize scaling to one variable at a time, whereas chemically reactive hydrodynamic systems involved in pharmacokinetic phenomena are of higher dimension. We show that attempts based on mechanical similitude to set a dosage that would be equivalent across species (for example, from mouse to humans) lead to ambiguous results. Another failing of standard allometry may be its incapability to accommodate the neoteny of Homo sapiens, even though it helped discover the phenomenon. The retarded development in our species implied by neoteny can most clearly be seen in the evidence that both our brain size and our lifespan lie well above the allometric curve for Class Mammalia for these features. In contrast to allometry, which proposes a search for scaling coefficients through invariant external measurement reference frames, we propose a search for transformations of coordinate space coefficients in an intrinsic geometry for the mammalian body plan.
Attractors to an athletic training career in the high school setting.

Abstract Context: Employment opportunities for athletic trainers (ATs) in the high school setting have increased greatly in the past few years and will most likely continue to increase. Understandi...
Hemin enhances the differentiation of mouse 3T3 cells to adipocytes

Hemin enhances the adipose differentiation of mouse 3T3-F442A cells in a medium containing high levels of adipogenic factor that is present in fetal calf serum or calf serum. This enhancement is more prominent in the presence of insulin. Hemin also promotes adipose differentiation in a medium containing 10% cat serum, which has very little adipogenic factor; this effect is in contrast to that of insulin, which is relatively ineffective in promoting adipose differentiation in this medium. Adipose differentiation of 3T3-F442A cells is inhibited by the addition of aminotriazole, an inhibitor of heme biosynthesis. The inhibition of adipose differentiation by aminotriazole is prevented by the simultaneous addition of hemin and aminotriazole. These results indicate that treatment with hemin can promote the differentiation of fibroblasts to adipocytes in vitro, and they raise the possibility that endogenous heme may have a physiological role in the differentiation of fibroblasts to adipocytes in vivo.
Generalization of Scott's Index of Intercoder Agreement

A generalization of Scott's (1955) index of intercoder agreement is proposed. The generalized index permits assessment of coding reliability based on the agreement of all or any size subset of any number of independent coders. Robert T. Craig is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Theatre, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. Public Opinion Quarterly Vol. 45:260-264 ? 1981 by The Trustees of Columbia University Published by Elsevier North-Holland, Inc. 0033-362X/81/0045-260/$2.50 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.249 on Wed, 03 Aug 2016 05:45:30 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SCOTE'S INDEX OF INTERCODER AGREEMENT 261 pi, is computed as the ratio of the difference between obtained and expected proportions of intercoder agreement to the difference between perfect and expected agreement; that is:
A cylindrical antenna array for MIMO radar applications

A eight-element cylindrical antenna array is presented for MIMO radar applications. Each element is a printed fat dipole that operates at 3GHz. It provides a 360° full angle coverage of the azimuth plane and is able to estimate the direction of a target in any angle. Cramer-Rao Lower Bound for a target's direction is computed for different values of signal to noise ratio. It shows that the antenna array provides stable estimation performance over the entire azimuth plane.
Breathing Patterns: 2. Diseased Subjects

We measured the breathing pattern of normal subjects, asymptomatic smokers, asymptomatic and symptomatic asthmatic patients, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, restrictive lung disease, primary pulmonary hypertension and anxiety state utilizing respiratory inductive plethysmography. Respiratory rate was increased above the normal in smokers and in patients with COPD, restrictive lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, but remained normal in asthmatic patients. Inspiratory times (TI) of one second or less often occurred in patients with COPD, restrictive lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension. Smokers and patients with symptomatic asthma, COPD, restrictive lung disease and pulmonary hypertension showed heightened respiratory center drive as reflected by elevated mean inspiratory flow (VT/TI). Fractional inspiratory time was reduced to a variable extent in smokers, symptomatic asthmatic patients and patients with COPD, and was a weak indicator of airways obstruction. Patients with COPD often had major fluctuations of expiratory timing, periodic fluctuations of end-expiratory level, and asynchrony between rib cage and abdominal movements. Chronic anxiety was characterized by frequent sighs; episodic rapid rates alternating with apneas were less common. We conclude that analysis of breathing patterns provides diagnostic discrimination among normal subjects and disease states.
SUDS: An Infrastructure for Creating Bug Detection Tools

SUDS is a powerful infrastructure for creating dynamic bug detection tools. It contains phases for both static analysis and dynamic instrumentation allowing users to create tools that take advantage of both paradigms. The results of static analysis phases can be used to improve the quality of dynamic bug detection tools created with SUDS and could be expanded to find defects statically. The instrumentation engine is designed in a manner that allows users to create their own correctness models quickly but is flexible to support construction of a wide range of different tools. The effectiveness of SUDS is demonstrated by showing that it is capable of finding bugs and that performance is improved when static analysis is used to eliminated unnecessary instrumentation.
On the algebra of field-dependent gauge transformations

The Whitehead operation on a world sheet foliation gives rise to a symmetryG of String Field Theory. Deformations ofG can also be realized on a generalized sigma-model, a mechanics particle action, and on Yang-Mills theory.
Stationary, transcritical channel flow

A compact (streamwise scale small compared with characteristic length) pressure distribution, which models a ship and is equivalent to a compact bottom deformation of cross-sectional area A,exerts a net vertical force ρgA on, and advances with speed U over, the free surface of a shallow canal of upstream depth H. The hypotheses of weak dispersion, weak nonlinearity and steady, two-dimensional flow in the reference frame of the force yield, through a generalization of Rayleigh's (1876) formulation of the (free) solitary-wave problem, a cnoidal wave downstream of the force matched to a null solution on the upstream side if , at least under the restrictions of weak dispersion and weak nonlinearity. Comparisons with experiment and numerical solutions of the nonlinear initial-value problem provide some confirmation of the cusped solitary wave but suggest that the cnoidal wave may be unstable in the absence of dissipation.
From child maltreatment to adolescent cannabis abuse and dependence: A developmental cascade model

A developmental cascade model tested associations among child maltreatment, internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, social competence, and cannabis abuse and dependence symptoms in a longitudinal cohort (N = 415). Nested structural equation models evaluated continuity and cross-domain influences among broad multi-informant constructs across four developmental periods: age 7 to 9, 10 to 12, 13 to 15, and 15 to 18. Results indicated significant paths from child maltreatment to early externalizing and internalizing problems and social competence, as well as to cannabis abuse and dependence (CAD) symptoms in adolescence. Youth CAD symptoms were primarily related directly to child maltreatment and externalizing problems. Childhood internalizing symptoms contributed to later childhood decreases in social competence, which predicted increases in late adolescent externalizing problems. Using a developmental psychopathology framework, results are discussed in relation to cascade and transactional effects and the interplay between problem behaviors during childhood and development of CAD symptoms during early and late adolescence.
Low-level gate current injections in flash memories initiated by minority carrier collection action of floating terminals

An unintentional channel hot carrier injection phenomenon is reported for flash memory cells. The injection occurs near the source metallurgical junction during electrical erase and is caused by subthreshold leakage current between source and floating drains. This mechanism is initiated by a minority carrier population (electrons) which is generated by impact ionization around the source junction and later collected by the floating drains. Subsequently, when the floating gate potential approaches threshold voltage, these collected electrons drift from the drain toward the source. When they reach the source junction depletion region, they experience carrier multiplications and some hot carriers are injected onto the floating gate. The injected carriers can be either hot holes or hot electrons depending on the magnitude of the floating gate potential. This mechanism affects the final threshold voltage distribution of flash memories, especially when the electric field across the tunnel oxide is low.
Calculation of Nonlinear Thermoelectric Coefficients of InAs 1- x Sb x Using Monte Carlo Method

It was found that the nonlinear Peltier effect could take place and increase the cooling power density when a lightly doped thermoelectric material is under a large electrical field. This effect is due to the Seebeck coefficient enhancement from an electron distribution far from equilibrium. In the nonequilibrium transport regime, the solution of the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation-time approximation ceases to apply. The Monte Carlo method, on the other hand, proves to be a capable tool for simulation of semiconductor devices at small scales as well as thermoelectric effects with local nonequilibrium charge distribution. InAs1� xSbx is a favorable thermoelectric material for nonlinear operation owing to its high mobility inherited from the binary compounds InSb and InAs. In this work we report simulation results on the nonlinear Peltier power of InAs1� xSbx at low doping levels, at room temperature and at low temperatures. The thermoelectric power factor in nonlinear operation is compared with the maximum value that can be achieved with optimal doping in the linear transport regime.
Segmentation of M-FISH Images for improved classification of chromosomes with an adaptive fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm

An adaptive fuzzy c-means (AFCM) clustering based algorithm was developed and applied to the segmentation and classification of multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) images, which can be used to detect chromosomal abnormalities for cancer and genetic disease diagnosis. The algorithm improves the classical fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm by introducing a gain field, which models and corrects intensity inhomogeneities caused by microscope imaging system, flairs of targets (chromosomes) and uneven hybridization of DNA. Other than directly simulating the inhomogeneousely distributed intensities over the image, the gain field regulates centers of each intensity cluster. The algorithm has been tested on an M-FISH database that we established, demonstrating improved performance in both segmentation and classification. When compared with other fuzzy c-means clustering based algorithms and a recently reported region-based segmentation and classification algorithm, our method gave the lowest segmentation and classification error, which will contribute to improved diagnosis of genetic diseases and cancers.
Complex Nakagami Channel Simulator with Accurate Phase and Auto-Correlation Properties

Accurate and systematic channel simulation technique is critical for performance verification of digital transceiver design over wireless channels. Despite the abundant results on Nakagami-m channel simulation techniques available in the literature, the accurate simulation of Nakagami-m fading channels satisfying the prescribed temporal autocorrelation property is still an open problem. Furthermore, the generation of Nakagami sequences satisfying proper phase distribution has not been studied yet. In this paper, we provide a systematic procedure on the reconstruction techniques of Nakagami-m fading autocorrelation property. We propose several new cumulative distribution function (CDF) mapping methods to realize arbitrary pre-specifled Nakagami auto-correlation function and with good numerical stability. In our method, we map the real and imaginary parts of complex Rayleigh fading samples disjointly to form complex Nakagami samples, which solves the phase ambiguity problem. Furthermore, we study the mapping between Rayleigh and Nakagami auto-correlation functions, and design an approach to calculate the original Rayleigh auto-correlation function to realize a specified Nakagami correlation function. Simulation results verify that our approach can accurately reconstruct arbitrary pre-specified auto-correlation property for the Nakagami channel generation, and also satisfy the proper phase property which follows a non-uniform distribution.
An architecture for multilevel secure interoperability

As computer systems become distributed and heterogeneous, there is strong movement in the commercial sector to ease the problems of interoperability and security. Many standards have been proposed for these problems. However, the commercial sector has not shown strong interest in providing cost effective high assurance multilevel security (MLS) solutions to the relatively small communities (e.g., intelligence, military) that require them. We introduce a practical, cost effective, and high assurance secure solution for multilevel distributed and heterogeneous environments using COTS components. The solution is based on an MLS architecture that consists of commercial single level hardware and software, and a few specialized security devices. We show how an MLS CORBA can be constructed from single level CORBAs and two security devices; the NRL Pump and the Starlight Interactive Link. We also introduce the concept of MLS cooperative computing which is a way to semi automate distributed computing among organizations at different security levels.
Reliable MLC NAND flash memories based on nonlinear t-error-correcting codes

Multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memories are very popular storage media because of their power efficiency and big storage density. This paper proposes to use nonlinear t-error-correcting codes to replace linear BCH codes for error detection and correction in MLC NAND flash memories. Compared to linear BCH codes with the same bit-error correcting capability t, the proposed codes have less errors miscorrected by all codewords and nearly no undetectable errors. For example, the proposed (8281, 8201, 11) 5-error-correcting code has no errors of multiplicity six miscorrected by all codewords while the widely used (8262, 8192, 11) linear shortened BCH code has 11 over 6 × A 11 errors in this class, where A 11 ≈ 1014 is the number of codewords of Hamming weight eleven in the shortened BCH code. Moreover, in spite of the fact that the Hamming distance of the proposed code is 2t+1, it can also correct some errors of multiplicity t+1 and t+2 requiring no extra hardware overhead and latency penalty. In this paper, the constructions and the error correction algorithm for the nonlinear t-error-correcting codes are presented. The architecture of the encoder and the decoder for the codes are shown. The error correcting capabilities, the hardware overhead, the latency and the power consumption for the encoder and the decoder will be analyzed and compared to that of the linear BCH codes to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed codes for error detection and correction in MLC NAND flash memories.
The Non-operative Treatment of Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee in Professional Football Players: An Analysis Of Seventy-four Injuries Treated Non-operatively And Twenty-four Injuries Treated Surgically

Seventy-four ligamentous injuries of the knee in professional football players were managed without surgery during thirteen seasons of play. A success rate of 98 per cent in this group was contrasted to a success rate of 74 per cent in twenty-four patients treated with surgery in the same period. The criteria for patient selection included stability of the knee, absence of bone injury, and progressive improvement during conservative therapy. The treatment regimen avoided the use of casts and emphasized motion and exercises.
Free-Riders or Competitive Races? Strategic Interaction across the American States on Tobacco Policy Making:

This article contributes to our understanding of policy diffusion in two ways. First, by explicitly focusing on the competition mechanism of diffusion, I consider how policy externalities contribute to free-rider dynamics or competitive races across the American states. The second contribution is the focus on the interdependence of the early stages of agenda setting as well as policy enactments. Using a unique dataset on four different types of tobacco policies that are introduced and eventually enacted in the states from 1990 to 2010, I find evidence that states engage in free-riding dynamics and that strategic interaction exists in the early stages of agenda setting. There is also evidence that states respond to legitimate policy threats in neighboring states. Overall, the results stress the importance of scholars to explore the conditional nature of policy diffusion dynamics by focusing on variations in policy content and stages of the policymaking process other than policy enactment.
Effects of reflective surfaces on silicon emissivity and temperature measurements

The effects of front-side reflective surfaces on the emissivity and temperature measurement of silicon wafers in a Rapid Thermal Processing chamber with backside heating are examined through optics modeling. Two schemes are contrasted. In (1), the pyrometry detector looks at the back-side of the wafer; in (2), it looks at the front-side of the wafer. In both cases, the temperature errors occur when the reflector's reflectivity deviates from unity. However, the error dependence on the reflector reflectivity exhibits interesting differences in these two schemes. Under the working conditions proposed in this paper, a non-ideal reflector introduces a bigger temperature error in the “backside-detector” scheme than in the “front-detector” scheme. Practical implications of these results are also discussed.
Hesitant geographies of power: The materiality of colonial rule in the Siin (Senegal), 1850–1960:

This essay draws on archival and archaeological sources to examine historical matters of power in the Siin province (Senegal) and their inscription in village landscapes. It focuses specifically on the entanglements of the longue duree binding Siin’s Serer peasantry and the ‘colonial state’. Building on the work of Michel Foucault, the article suggests that historical archaeology is in a prime position to study the construction of colonial rule in African settings, and to shed light on the workings, logics, and ambiguities of state power on imperial margins. Going beyond arguments of domination and resistance, it seeks to examine the intended and unexpected effects of colonial government, how it transformed the lifeworlds of rural Africans while creating conditions for the emergence of new modes of social action.
Heterogeneity of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors 1, 2, 3 in Primary Human Colorectal Carcinoma.

Background: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway plays an important role in growth and progression of human cancer, including colorectal carcinomas (CRC). The key mediators of VEGF signaling are VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3, part of a family of related receptor tyrosine kinases. The relative expression, activity, or interplay among these receptors may determine the response of CRC patients to anti-angiogenic therapies. Materials and Methods: We developed technically sound immunohistochemical (IHC) assays to quantify VEGFR1, 2 and 3, and using a well-annotated CRC tissue microarray (TMA), we carried out comprehensive comparative evaluation of the three VEGFRs in archival primary CRC tissues (n=84). For each TMA core, tumor cell VEGFR1 expression was reported as H-score (range=0-300); vascular VEGFR2/VEGFR3 expression was manually scored as the number of receptor-positive tumor stromal vessels. Each case was defined as VEGFR1/ VEGFR2/VEGFR3-negative, low, medium or high. Results: Based on the differential expression of the three VEGFRs, eight VEGFR staining profiles were observed: Triple VEGFR positive (n=12, 14%), VEGFR1 predominant (n=17, 20%), VEGFR2 predominant (n=7, 8%), VEGFR3 predominant (n=1, 1%), VEGFR1/2 predominant (n=39, 46%), VEGFR1/3 predominant (n=2, 2%), VEGFR2/3 predominant (n=3, 4%), and triple-VEGFR-negative (n=3, 4%). Conclusion: Herein we demonstrated heterogeneity of expression of VEGFRs in human CRC stromal vessels and tumor cells. The observed VEGFR expression-based subsets of human CRCs may reflect differences in biology of pathologic angiogenesis in primary CRC tissues. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of expression of VEGFRs unraveled in this analysis merits independent validation in larger cohorts of primary and metastatic human CRC tissues and in pertinent experimental models treated with various anti-angiogenic therapies.
Mechanism of molecular action of neuroleptics

The discovery of the neurotransmitter function of dopamine in the central nervous system opened the most successful chapter in the pharmacological treatment of psychosis. It is a generally accepted fact that the antipyschotic action of neuroleptics depends upon blockade of D2 receptors, in part because all of currently used neuroleptics share that action, and in part because for all typical neuroleptics there is a tight correlation between D2 receptor affinity and clinical potency. The differencial effect of atypical neuroleptics has been correlated with the ratio of affinities of for the D2 and the 5HT2A receptors. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the lack of motor side effects is due to fast dissociation of the ligand from the D2 receptor. Regardless of the receptor interaction involved, it is evident that ligand-receptor interactions, occuring over miliseconds, cannot fully account for clinical effects observed over weeks or months. Chronic neuroleptic treatment causes structural and morpholog ical changes in striatum, accumbens and prefrontal and limbic cortex that distinguish between typical and atypical drugs, and thar are correlated with sustained changes in the expression of transcription factors, immediate early genes, second messengers and neuropeptides.
Filling characteristics of left ventricle in newborn lambs

An integral component of increased cardiac performance during the immediate newborn period is an increased rate of left ventricular (LV) filling. To determine the factors that facilitate increased ...
Why is Helping Behavior Declining in the United States But Not in Canada?: Ethnic Diversity, New Technologies, and Other Explanations

This paper explores whether there has been a recent decline in helping behavior in the United States. In a lost letter experiment, 7,466 letters were “lost” in 63 urban areas in the United States a...
Allied Commensal Forces against Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Caballero et al. (2017) define a precise, limited consortium of commensal bacteria that restores resistance to colonization by clinically vexing vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species.
Review: Muslims and Islam In U.S. Education: Reconsidering Multiculturalism

This review examines the work of Liz Jackson in her study of the ways Muslims and Islam are treated in public schools in the United States. The review examines the major themes, arguments, and evidence offered by Jackson and additionally offers an evaluation of the work.
Polypeptide growth factor signaling, stromal-epithelial interactions and the emergence of the neuroendocrine phenotype in novel transgenic mouse models of prostate cancer

4298 Accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor, p27, is prognostic for patient outcome in prostate cancer. In order to determine how p27 loss influences tumor progression, we studied the rate and frequency of tumor progression in sibling pairs of p27 +/+ or p27 −/− transgenic mice that are predisposed to prostate tumor development by prostate-specific expression of the SV40 Large T Antigen (LT). Transgenic mice expressing intact LT, but lacking both copies of p27, developed prostate tumors earlier than p27 +/+ mice (T½ = 29 weeks for p27 −/− mice, 48 weeks for p27 +/+ mice). Epithelial cell proliferation rates were 38% higher in p27 −/− mice at 12 weeks, and 78% higher at 26 weeks of age, even when areas of tumor were excluded from counting. On the other hand, apoptotic rates were similar at all time points. We took advantage of the androgen-responsive transgenic promoter to control the onset of oncogene-driven proliferation by castrating sexually immature animals for 21 days, followed by testosterone supplementation. We found that proliferation and cdk2 kinase activity were equally suppressed in castrate p27+/+ and p27−/− animals, and that there was no detectable expression of the LT transgene. However, 5 days after testosterone supplementation, with similar high level induction of LT expression and high proliferation rates in both genotypes, cdk2 activity was significantly higher in the p27−/− prostates. We are performing similar analyses in older mice to clarify whether elevated cdk2 kinase activity is a consistent feature of LT-expressing p27−/− mice and whether this property underlies the more rapid proliferation and tumor progression seen in p27 deficient animals. In order to test whether loss of p27 alone can substitute for the proliferative contribution LT makes by inactivating Rb family members (Rb, p107, and p130), we generated sibling pairs of p27 +/+ and p27 −/− mice that over-express an analogous transgene, differing by a 3 amino acid substitution disrupting the conserved Rb binding site, and which is unable to inactivate the Rb pathway, but which inactivates the p53 pathway. Mice from this mutant line have high levels of transgene expression, but proliferation rates were only minimally increased above that seen in non-transgenic prostates. Tumors did not arise within 52 weeks of observation, regardless of p27 status. In summary, we find that p27 loss collaborates with oncogene-induced tumor development in the prostate, but that loss of p27 does not provide the proliferative impetus sufficient for oncogenesis. Serial analyses are planned to study the relationship between cyclin-dependent kinase activity, proliferation, and tumor progression in this model .
Partitioning net ecosystem carbon exchange of native and invasive plant communities by vegetation cover in an urban tidal wetland in the New Jersey Meadowlands (USA)

Abstract Due to increased loss of wetland areas globally, restoration of wetlands has become common practice and is applied to increase wetland areas as well as improving ecological services of existing wetlands. Although the importance of wetlands in carbon sequestration has been recognized, the effects of restoration activities on CO 2 release and uptake are still unknown. We measured net-ecosystem exchange (NEE) in two sites, a natural site and a restored site, at the New Jersey Meadowlands, an urban tidal wetland, using the eddy-covariance method from 2014 to 2016. These data were used to compare the two sites and understand the effects of restoration on NEE. A procedure was developed to partition measured fluxes between vegetation types, using footprint modeling and light response curves. Following the partitioning, we compared CO 2 fluxes from invasive and native wetland vegetation communities. Separating flux data into vegetation communities and to seasonal and diurnal fluxes revealed patterns in CO 2 fluxes that allowed determining the nature of each vegetation cover as a source or sink for CO 2 . Our results show that CO 2 emissions from the restored wetland were significantly higher than the natural wetland. During restoration, the invasive wetland species Phragmites australis was replaced by the native Spartina alterniflora , which was then found to have an increased CO 2 uptake during summer days, but also higher CO 2 emissions during nights and winters. Therefore, the wetland restoration practice might be responsible for the increased carbon dioxide release. Additionally, allochthonous carbon input from the river to the wetland was found to be larger at the restored site. Thus, during the study, S. alterniflora that was introduced to the restored wetland site was serving as a carbon source, releasing CO 2 to the atmosphere.
CHAPTER 11 – Pathways of Drug Metabolism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses pathways of drug metabolism. The biochemical processes governing drug metabolism largely determine the duration of a drug's action, elimination, and toxicity. Phenobarbital typifies the drugs that are active when administered and then are converted to inactive and more polar metabolites in the liver. Pyrimidine nucleotides exemplify a class of pharmaceuticals designed to be biotransformed in the body from inactive to active cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Among the major enzyme systems affecting drug metabolism, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are dominant. The action of various cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms is predictable in that there are several organic structural elements that are principal targets for metabolic transformations. Many aromatic drugs are hydroxylated either directly through asymmetrical oxygen transfer or through an unstable arene oxide intermediate. In humans, glucuronidation is a high-capacity pathway, sulfation is a low-capacity pathway, and acetylation exhibits high interindividual variability. The glucuronidation pathway often accounts for a major portion of drug metabolites that are found excreted in urine.