cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biosensors and Microfluidic Systems

Tribological issues have received little attention in microfabricated system. Although work on miniature mechanical devices was initiated in the early 1970’s with the suspended beam and rotating electrostatic motor, issues of surface interactions in these structures has prevented their reliable operation. The application of the technology for the miniaturization of integrated circuits has also found utility in the miniaturization of chemical analysis systems (Manz et al., 1995). Semi-automated chemical analysis systems have been commercialized (Ruzicka and Hansen, 1988) and the key advantages of further reduction in size is the higher through-put of analyses can be achieved resulting in lower cost per analysis. Therefore application of microfabrication technologies facilitates the fabrication of miniature analysis systems. Furthermore, the economic benefits from batch fabrication processes will make miniature, light weight, portable, low cost analysis systems possible. In fluidic devices, the range of scaling does not offer the benefits as the volume of analyte becomes too small. Two issues arise, that of increased surface tension and pressure drop in miniature channels, and the fact that statistically there needs to be enough of the analyte molecule for the sensor to function. Many assays in biomedical analysis are at low concentration and hence volumes of at least 10 nL are required. The issues of control of sample volume without loss due to evaporation and sample reproducibility are important to solve in designing these systems. Miniature fluid handling systems can be applied to a variety of applications. Those in which the fluid is the primary component in microdialysis and drug delivery, for miniature hydraulics for the transmission of power, and in precision manufacturing for dispensing fluids in a controlled manner. The range of chemical analysis systems that can be miniaturized is likewise very broad.
Tracking antibiotic resistance genes in soil irrigated with dairy wastewater.

Abstract The application of dairy wastewater to agricultural soils is a widely used practice to irrigate crops and recycle nutrients. In this study, small-scale field plots were irrigated monthly (6 times) with dairy wastewater (100%), wastewater diluted to 50% with irrigation (canal) water, and diluted wastewater spiked with copper sulfate (50 mg Cu L−1), while control plots were irrigated with canal water. In addition, half of all plots were either planted with wheat or were left as bare soil. Biweekly soil samples were collected during this period and processed to determine the occurrence and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes [blaCTX-M-1, erm(B), sul1, tet(B), tet(M), and tet(X)] and a class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Only sul1 and tet(X) were detected in soil (3 out of 32 samples) before the wastewater treatments were applied. However, the occurrence and relative abundance (normalized to 16S rRNA gene copies) of most genes [erm(B), intI1, sul1, and tet(M)] increased dramatically after wastewater irrigation and levels were maintained during the entire study period. blaCTX-M-1 was the only gene not detected in wastewater-treated soils, which is likely related to its absence in the dairy wastewater. Relative gene levels in soil were found to be statistically similar among the treatments in most cases, regardless of the wastewater percentage applied and presence or absence of plants. The key result from this study is that dairy wastewater irrigation significantly enlarges the reservoir of ARGs and intI1 in soils, while detection of these genes rarely occurred in soil irrigated only with canal water. In addition, elevated levels of Cu in the wastewater and treated soil did not produce a concomitant increase of the ARG levels.
AERO: An Objective Peripheral Edema Measurement Device

Peripheral edema is of ten assessed by medical prof essionals to gain insights about development of many patient conditions. Currently, doctors assess edema by pushing on the swollen area of a patient. The difficulty with this method is the inconsistency assessment results between different physicians due to the subjective nature of the practice. The proposed solution uses AERO (or Air Edema RepOrting), a mobile, handheld device consisting of a high-speed camera with a macro lens, LED light, and compressed air to create edema indentation and capture images of the skin /tissue response. A MATLAB program analyzes these images and determines the correct level of edema. AERO was tested with a LifeformOR pitting edema trainer (four pieces of skin sample that represent the four edema levels). Various system configurations, such as the air pressure, camera to sample distance, and air incidence angle, were examined and optimal parameters were identified. Results demonstrated that AERO was able to distinguish the four levels of edema sample pads. This solution can potentially provide a quantified, standard evaluation of peripheral edema for both home and health care environments.
2052: Empirical assessment of a theatrical performance on attitudes and behavior intentions toward research: The informed consent play

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Exposure to theatrical performances holds promise for addressing bioethical issues, but there has been little empirical examination of the impact of dramatic presentation on audiences’ attitudes. This study assessed the short-term impact of the play, Informed Consent, on perceptions of trust, willingness to donate biospecimens, attitudes toward harm and privacy among the general public and in faculty, medical and undergraduate students within an academic medical center in the intermountain west. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Surveys were administered before and after a staged reading of the play by professional actors. Pre and post survey responses were linked for each participant. Survey items included the short form Trust in Medical Researchers, and single item questions about group identity, of genetic testing in children, and willingness to donate biospecimens. In total, 3 additional questions about harm, consent, and ethical investigator behavior as represented in the play were asked in the post survey. In addition, respondents were given the option to answer open-ended questions through email. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Out of the 481 who attended the play, 421 completed both the pre and post surveys, and 166 participants completed open-ended questions online ~1 week after the play. Across all participants, there were significant declines for Trust in Medical Researchers and for the survey item “is it ethical for genetic testing in children for adult onset conditions,” (p<0.001 for both) following the play. There was a significant increase in agreement to improve group identity protections (p<0.001) and no differences on willingness to donate biospecimens to research (p=0.777). When differences were analyzed by race of the participant, non-White participants (n=68) compared with White participants (n=344) were less willing to donate biospecimens in general (p<0.001). Further, non-White participants’ willingness to donate biospecimens decreased (p=0.049) after viewing the play while the white participants’ willingness to donate was unchanged. Qualitative data provided extensive contextual data supporting these perspectives. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This is one of the first studies to empirically examine the impact of a theatrical performance on both attitudes and behavioral intentions toward research and clinical research participation. Some attitudes changed following the play performance, but there were no significant differences on intention to donate biospecimens for research overall. Future research can further address the value and impact of theatrical performances and other creative arts as tools to engage the public and investigators in dialogue about the ethical issues and complexities in clinical research and further evaluation of the impact of performances on attitudes about research and ethics. Creative arts may be used to motivate investigators and study participants to confront fundamental questions about research participation and trust.
Global, Postcolonial Theatre

This chapter considers characteristic aspects of African theatre, through artists in Anglophone countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa (with black and white artists fighting apartheid). It explores theatre in Caribbean and Latin American nations: Martinique, Trinidad, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. It maps distinctive developments in Canada, including French Canadian and “physical theatre” artists. It considers indigenous theatre in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. It maps major developments in Asian-Pacific countries: Australia and New Zealand (including feminist, queer, and ethnic theatre), India, China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It explores theatre across the Middle East, in Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Israel.
Pitch of Sinusoids and Complex Tones Above 10 kHz

Pitch, although seemingly straightforward in its everyday usage, is quite difficult to define precisely. For example, the ANSI (1960) definition of pitch, “…that attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds may be ordered on a scale extending from high to low,” requires only ordinal properties. Certain aspects of timbre (e. g. “sharp-dull”) also comply with this definition. This possible pitch-timbre confusion is also inherent in operational definitions of pitch based on “pitch-matching” or forced-choice frequency-discrimination procedures. The aspect of pitch which would seem to uniquely define it, and which is most closely related to its everyday usage, is the aspect known variously as “tonality,” “chroma,” and “musical pitch,” i. e. that aspect which carries melodic information. This aspect involves the ability of observers to utilize precise frequency-ratio information. It is manifest in the ability of musically-naive observers to recognize familiar melodies, and in the ability of musically-trained observers to produce and recognize specific musical intervals (frequency ratios).
An Ecology of Conflicts

The scale and socio-technical complexity of contemporary architectural production poses challenges to researchers and practitioners interested in their description and analysis. This paper discusses the novel use of network analysis techniques to study a dataset comprising thousands of design conflicts reported during design coordination of a large project by a group of architects using BIM software. We discuss in detail three approaches to the use of network analysis techniques on these data, showing their potential to offer topological insights about the phenomenon of contemporary architectural design and construction, which complement other forms of architectural analysis.
Analysis of lipoprotein transport depletion in Vibrio cholerae using CRISPRi.

Genes necessary for the survival or reproduction of a cell are an attractive class of antibiotic targets. Studying essential genes by classical genetics, however, is inherently problematic because it is impossible to knock them out. Here, we screened a set of predicted essential genes for growth inhibition using CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) knockdown in the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae. We demonstrate that CRISPRi knockdown of 37 predicted essential genes inhibits V. cholerae viability, thus validating the products of these genes as potential drug target candidates. V. cholerae was particularly vulnerable to lethal inhibition of the system for lipoprotein transport (Lol), a central hub for directing lipoproteins from the inner to the outer membrane (OM), with many of these lipoproteins coordinating their own essential processes. Lol depletion makes cells prone to plasmolysis and elaborate membrane reorganization, during which the periplasm extrudes into a mega outer membrane vesicle or “MOMV” encased by OM which dynamically emerges specifically at plasmolysis sites. Our work identifies the Lol system as an ideal drug target, whose inhibition could deplete gram-negative bacteria of numerous proteins that reside in the periplasm.
CD73 Promotes Age-Dependent Accretion of Atherosclerosis.

Objective: CD73 is an ectonucleotidase which catalyzes the conversion of AMP (adenosine monophosphate) to adenosine. Adenosine has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant. The impact of...
Tissue-type plasminogen activator selectively inhibits multiple toll-like receptors in CSF-1-differentiated macrophages

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is a major activator of fibrinolysis, which also attenuates the pro-inflammatory activity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and in vivo in mice. The activity of tPA as an LPS response modifier is independent of its proteinase activity and instead, dependent on the N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor (NMDA-R), which is expressed by BMDMs. The major Toll-like receptor (TLR) for LPS is TLR4. Herein, we show that enzymatically-inactive (EI) tPA blocks the response of mouse BMDMs to selective TLR2 and TLR9 agonists, rapidly reversing IκBα phosphorylation and inhibiting expression of TNFα, CCL2, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6. The activity of EI-tPA was replicated by activated α2-macroglobulin, which like EI-tPA, signals through an NMDA-R-dependent pathway. EI-tPA failed to inhibit cytokine expression by BMDMs in response to agonists that target the Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs), NOD1 and NOD2, providing evidence for specificity in the function of EI-tPA. Macrophages isolated from the peritoneal space (PMs), without adding eliciting agents, expressed decreased levels of cell-surface NMDA-R compared with BMDMs. These cells were unresponsive to EI-tPA in the presence of LPS. However, when PMs were treated with CSF-1, the abundance of cell-surface NMDA-R increased and the ability of EI-tPA to neutralize the response to LPS was established. We conclude that the anti-inflammatory activity of EI-tPA is selective for TLRs but not all PRRs. The ability of macrophages to respond to EI-tPA depends on the availability of cell surface NMDA-R, which may be macrophage differentiation-state dependent.
Forensic human identification using skin microbiome genetic signatures

Abstract The field of microbial forensics has expanded from a focus on biodefense and biocrime attribution to include various metagenomics and microbiome applications made possible by advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics. Recent developments in metagenomics and microbiome research with application to the forensic sciences include estimation of the postmortem interval, body fluid identification, recent geolocation, and human identification. This chapter summarizes the work on the use of human microbiome markers to potentially identify individuals, who may have shed their microbes while touching objects. These microbial forensics applications may substantially enhance capabilities to characterize trace biological samples for human identification.
Motor Evoked Potentials

This chapter discusses motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded by transcranial electrical stimulation (TCES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TCMS). It describes anatomy of the central motor pathways and physiology of the D and I waves. Intraoperative monitoring of MEPs using TCES is now widely used for spinal cord and posterior fossa surgeries. Anesthetic considerations, TCES parameters, stimulation derivations, muscles utilized for MEP recordings, alarm criteria, and safety issues are discussed in detail. Even though TCMS is approved in the United States only for the treatment of depression, it has extensive diagnostic and therapeutic applications worldwide. Various diagnostic parameters of MEPs elicited by TCMS including central motor conduction time, MEP latency and amplitude, triple stimulation technique, magnetic stimulation threshold, silent period, evaluation of cortical inhibition and facilitation, long-interval intracortical inhibition, and use of paired stimuli are discussed. The TCMS parameters applied as diagnostic tools in clinical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, strokes, and myelopathies are described. Finally, some of the therapeutic applications of TCMS particularly in psychiatric disorders are discussed.
The use of the supravital method in a study of cells susceptible to damage in smears of normal and regenerating bone marrow.

Cells susceptible to damage during smearing were identified in the different cellular compartments of normal and regenerating bone marrow of the guinea pig by comparing differential counts on fixed dry smears and on supravitally stained wet preparations. The comparisons are considered valid since 1) the number of damaged cells was negligibly low in supravital preparations; 2) it could be shown that cell classification and 3) cell distribution corresponded on the two types of preparations. In smears of normal marrow the majority of damaged cells were myeloid cells, although the most fragile cell appeared to be the monocyte. In normal marrow, erythroblasts and lymphoid cells did not damage in significant numbers. During recovery from sublethal irradiation the number of damaged cells increased significantly in each cell compartment at the time when that compartment commenced its regeneration. In contrast to normal marrow, at the time of lymphoid regeneration 60 per cent of transitional cells had damaged and at the start of erythroid and myeloid regeneration 40-50 per cent of erythroid and myeloid cells were concealed on smears by damage. Labeling with 3 H-thymidine indicated that in smears of normal as well as of regenerating marrow, a large proportion of cells susceptible to damage in the various cell compartments was capable of proliferation.
Sorting-Selecting Modulation Technique for Double-Capacitor Sub-Modules based Modular Multi-Level Converters

Sub-Modules (SM) are basic building blocks in Modular Multi-level converters (MMC). Multiple Sub-Module topologies with two capacitors per SM are reported in the literature. These SMs are termed as Double-Capacitor Sub-Modules (DCSM) in this paper. The motivation behind the evolution of these DCSMs includes the introduction of DC-side short circuit withstanding capability and reduction in the effective number of devices per SM. Some DCSMs has the feature to have a parallel connection of its capacitors. This helps in reducing the SM capacitor voltage ripple at lower switching frequencies. In this paper, a sorting-selecting based modulation scheme for different DCSMs is presented. The traditional sorting-selecting modulation technique either inserts or bypasses SMs depending on the arm current direction. However, the sorting-selecting algorithm used for DCSMs needs to decide the operating mode of the inserted SM as well. The algorithm to select the SMs is improvised for DCSMs with capacitor paralleling feature. This proposed algorithm helps in the decision making of the series/parallel capacitor connection in the inserted DCSM. A detailed analysis of the proposed sorting-selecting algorithm is performed along with the simulation studies to validate the scheme.
The Origin of QSO Mg II λ2796 Lines

We have started a systematic spectroscopic survey of stars in the η Carina nebula using the echelle mode of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). The Mg IIλ2796/λ2803 lines seen in our R ~ 100000, spectra of the star CPD-59°2603 show a remarkable similarity with the intervening Mg II system seen in QSO absorption spectra. Such a comparison can shed light on the nature and origin of lines seen in QSO’s.
The gold standard: a critique of Friedman, Mundell, Hayek and Greenspan from the free enterprise perspective

Argues that the gold standard is the only monetary regime consistent with the philosophy of free enterprise and assesses the contributions of Friedman, Mundell and Hayek to monetary theory as supporters of the free market but opponents of the gold standard. Critically reviews the basic ideas of each and notes that Greenspan, while apparently endorsing the gold standard, has not actually used his position as chairman of the US Federal Reserve System to move towards it. Lists some economists who support both free enterprise and the gold standard as a “vital aspect of political economy”.
Personalized EEG Feature Selection for Low-Complexity Seizure Monitoring.

Approximately, one third of patients with epilepsy are refractory to medical therapy and thus can be at high risk of injuries and sudden unexpected death. A low-complexity electroencephalography (E...
AutoOED: Automated Optimal Experiment Design Platform.

We present AutoOED, an Optimal Experiment Design platform powered with automated machine learning to accelerate the discovery of optimal solutions. The platform solves multi-objective optimization problems in time- and data-efficient manner by automatically guiding the design of experiments to be evaluated. To automate the optimization process, we implement several multi-objective Bayesian optimization algorithms with state-of-the-art performance. AutoOED is open-source and written in Python. The codebase is modular, facilitating extensions and tailoring the code, serving as a testbed for machine learning researchers to easily develop and evaluate their own multi-objective Bayesian optimization algorithms. An intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) is provided to visualize and guide the experiments for users with little or no experience with coding, machine learning, or optimization. Furthermore, a distributed system is integrated to enable parallelized experimental evaluations by independent workers in remote locations. The platform is available at this https URL.
High Power Density 1 MHz 3 kW 400 V-48 V LLC Converter for Datacenters with improved Core Loss and Termination Loss

Power consumption of data centers is increasing rapidly over recent years. Recently, 48V power architecture has attracted more interest in data centers as it offers more efficient architecture. This paper focuses on the implementation of the DC-DC stage of the 3 kW power supply unit. Full-bridge regulated LLC converter is designed with a matrix of two transformers. This paper focuses on the magnetic design of the PCB-based transformer and resonant inductor of the LLC converter. The dimensional effects on core loss are discussed and evaluated. A matrix of two transformers implemented on UI core with rectangular core shape is proposed to minimize the eddy core loss of the transformer core. The termination of the secondary Full-bridge rectifier is also optimized to reduce the conduction loss of the transformer. A low-profile prototype of the designed converter is demonstrated with a peak efficiency of 98% and power density of 700W/in3.
A Simple Model of Torts and Moral Wrongs

According to the “standard model” of torts and moral wrongs—the model implicit in leading moral theories of tort law—tort law imposes genuine duties that are distinct from, and only roughly coincide with, our preexisting moral duties. A “tort,” on this model, is a distinctive kind of wrong—the breach of a tort-generated duty. In this Article, I argue that moral theories of tort law should tell a simpler story—one that dispenses with the domain of distinct, tort-generated duties. According to what I call the “simple model” of torts and moral wrongs, tort law aims to recognize and respond directly to moral wrongs. Because tort law recognizes only certain moral wrongs, however, and then only in a coarse-grained, institutional way, tort law understandably diverges from other forms of moral assessment and accountability. All the same, a “tort” is simply a moral wrong in which tort law takes a distinctive kind of interest, on this model, not a distinctive kind of wrong. I aim to show that the simple model provides a more natural and illuminating way to think about the relationship between tort law and interpersonal morality. And I argue that the model can fit and explain the law that we have, contrary to what some have supposed. Along the way, I seek to illustrate that the simple model has important implications for tort theory, and inescapable practical significance too.
Familial Mentor Support and Black Youths’ Connectedness to Parents Across Adolescence:

This mixed method study explored whether and how familial mentor support may have influenced the parent-adolescent relationship, and whether the impact of familial mentor support on the parent-adol...
Photon Polarization Dependence of Superelastic Electron Scattering by Laser-Excited Barium

Superelastic scattering of 30- and 100-eV electrons from the 6s6p 1P state of Ba 138 prepared by plane-polarized dye laser pumping has been observed for the first time. A Coherent Radiation CR 599 dye laser operating in a single-frequency mode using Rh 110 dye was used to pump up to 30% of the collimated barium beams into the 1P state. Conventional double hemispherical electron optics was used to achieve the high-energy resolution, incident electron beam collimation, and background discrimination necessary for this experiment. Preliminary measurements indicate that a simple dipole approximation is sufficient to explain the photon polarization dependence of the observed superelastic electron scattering intensity.
A Multiagent Architecture for Developing Medical Information Retrieval Agents

Information that is available on the world wide web (WWW) is already more vast than can be comprehensibly studied by individuals and this quantity is increasing at a staggering pace. The quality of service delivered by physicians is dependent on the availability of current information. The agent paradigm offers a means for enabling physicians to filter information and retrieve only information that is relevant to current patient treatments. As with many specialized domains, agent-based information retrieval in medical domains must satisfy several domain-dependent constraints. A multiple agent architecture is developed and described in detail to efficiently provide agent-based information retrieval from the WWW and other explicit information resources. A simulation of the proposed multiple agent architecture shows a 97% decrease in information overload and an 85% increase in information relevancy over existing meta-search tools (with even larger gains over standard search engines).
The LLAMA Middleware Support for Accountable Service-Oriented Architecture

Enterprises are turning to SOA for the flexible deployment of business processes. While current monitoring tools can detect service execution problems in an enterprise's servers and report such problems to human decision makers, they may not closely monitor the external services they use, diagnose the root cause of process problems, and automatically reconfigure the process to replace faulty services. This paper presents the LLAMA middleware support for service process monitoring, run-time management, and configuration. Instances of accountability agents are deployed to selectively monitor some services' performance. These agents in turn allow LLAMA's Accountability Authority (AA) to diagnose process problems and apply any necessary reconfiguration. The project also builds tools to simplify the setup and deployment of LLAMA components. Our experimental results indicate that using LLAMA contributes only a modest amount of system overhead, and that the diagnosis process is swift and sufficiently accurate.
Erratum to: Parsing Physiological Functions of Erythropoietin One Domain at a Time.

Erratum to: Neurotherapeutics DOI 10.1007/s13311-015-0384-4 Appropriate credit for discovery of a peptide component of erythropoietin that elicits neuroprotection without stimulating erythropoiesis rightfully belongs to Anthony Cerami and colleagues. They have published a series of papers over the past decade on the identification of the peptide (1), mapping its receptor (2), and even translating the work into clinical trials (3,4,5). It is important that their work is recognized in Neurotherapeutics.
Identification and characterization of antidepressant-sensitive serotonin transporter proteins using site-specific antibodies

Serotonin (5HT) transporters (SERTs) are responsible for clearance of synaptic and plasma 5HT and are molecular targets for multiple therapeutic and addictive compounds. Recently brain and peripheral SERT cDNAs have been cloned and characterized functionally in transfected cells. Antipeptide (S365) and anti-fusion protein (CT-2) antibodies, directed at epitopes poorly conserved among other Na+/Cl- cotransporters, have been prepared to facilitate the identification and characterization of SERT proteins in native and transfected cells. Immunoprecipitations and immunoblots of rat/human SERT-transfected HeLa cells reveal specific SERT-immunoreactive glycoproteins absent from extracts of vector-transfected cells and absent when incubations were conducted using peptide- or fusion protein-absorbed antibody. In SDS-PAGE of membranes prepared from rat midbrain and cortex, SERTs migrate as single 76 kDa polypeptides with a relative abundance consistent with the known distribution of 5HT neurons and axonal projections. SERT-immunoreactive proteins are also detectable in platelet and pulmonary membranes, sites of peripheral 5HT uptake, but not in liver. Our studies also indicate that brain and platelet SERTs are formed from identical polypeptides differing significantly in their extent of N-linked glycosylation. Immunocytochemistry performed on rat brain sections with CT-2 antibody revealed SERT expression associated with brainstem raphe nuclei in a pattern virtually identical to that obtained by labeling adjacent sections with 5HT antisera. SERT-immunoreactive fibers were found to be widely distributed throughout the rodent brain, with highest density in forebrain regions known to receive a dense serotonergic innervation. In a similar manner, CT-2 antibody also detects endogenous expression of human SERT proteins, providing an opportunity for future studies on the modulation of transporter protein expression in neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
Osteochondrodystrophy (ocd): A New Autosomal Recessive Mutation in the Mouse

Osteochondrodystrophy (ocd) is a new autosomal recessive mouse mutation characterized by a short, slightly domed head, reduced body size, disproportionately shortened long bones of the legs, supination of the forefeet, and short thickened tail. Histologically, the epiphyses are thinner than normal. The columnar organization of the proliferative zone of cartilage is disorderly, with pleomorphic and occasionally necrotic chondrocytes. Osteochondrodystrophy has been mapped to a position near the centromere of mouse chromosome (Chr) 19.
High-Throughput Online Hash Table on FPGA

Hash tables are widely used in many network applications such as packet classification, traffic classification, and heavy hitter detection, etc. In this paper, we present a pipelined architecture for high throughput online hash table on FPGA. The proposed architecture supports search, insert, and delete operations at line rate for the massive hash table which is stored in off-chip memory. We propose two hash table access schemes: (1) the first scheme assigns each hash entry multiple slots to reduce the hash collision rate; each slot can store the corresponding hash key of the hash entry; (2) the second scheme has a higher hash collision rate but a lower off-chip memory bandwidth requirement than the first scheme. Both schemes guarantee the line rate processing when using the memory devices with sufficient access bandwidth. We design an application specific data forwarding unit to deal with the potential data hazards. Our architecture ensures that no stalling is required to process any sequence of concurrent operations while tolerating large external memory access latency. On a state-of-the-art FPGA, the proposed architecture achieves 66-85 Gbps throughput while supporting a hash table of various number of entries with various key sizes for various DRAM access latency. Our design also shows good scalability in terms of throughput for various hash table configurations.
1060PANTI-ANGIOGENIC THERAPY INDUCES T-LYMPHOCYTE INFILTRATION ASSOCIATED WITH POOR SURVIVAL IN METASTATIC RENAL CELL CARCINOMA PATIENTS

ABSTRACT Aim: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an immunogenic and proangiogenic cancer. Recently, anti-angiogenic therapy has been widely used for RCC management. The interaction between immune cell infiltration and anti-angiogenic treatment in RCC, and its association with patient survival, is unknown. We assessed the interaction between anti-angiogenic therapy and immune cell infiltration, and determined their impact on clinical outcome. Methods: Tissue microarrays (TMA) with triplicate cores for each case were generated from formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissues from 33 unaffected kidneys, 41 untreated primary RCC, 42 bevacizumab and 39 sunitinib pretreated primary RCC from patients with metastatic RCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the infiltration of immune cells. Staining quantitation was performed using a Vectra multispectral system (Perkin Elmer, Waltham, MA). Results: Compared with normal kidney tissues, RCC tissues harbor more infiltrated immune cells, including CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, granzyme B+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages (p 0.05), and macrophage infiltration was not associated with patient survival (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our study shows that anti-angiogenic therapy increases T cell infiltration in primary RCC tumors of a subset of patients with metastatic disease, and this T cell infiltration is associated with worse clinical outcome. These findings will guide further studies on the mechanistic drivers of T cell infiltration and the impact of these cell populations on therapy response. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Shareholder Empowerment and Board of Directors Effectiveness

We develop a model to examine implications of empowering shareholders to replace the board of directors. We find that empowerment can benefit shareholders by providing incentive for boards to act in the best interests of the shareholders. Our results, however, also highlight unintended consequences. On one hand, boards might respond to the threat of replacement by taking action to extend their tenure at the expense of shareholders. On the other hand, empowerment might also lead to the replacement of boards that add value to firms. We find conditions under which empowerment either benefits or harms shareholders. In particular, we find conditions under which empowerment exacerbates the agency problems it is seemingly intended to address. We also discuss empirical implications of our main findings.
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Promotes Histone H3 Phosphorylation on Serine-10

FSH promoted the rapid phosphorylation of the nuclear protein histone H3 in immature rat ovarian granulosa cells under experimental conditions that lead to cellular differentiation and not proliferation. FSH-stimulated histone H3 phosphorylation correlated with cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) activation and translocation of the PKA catalytic subunit to a nuclear-enriched fraction and was inhibited by the PKA inhibitor H89, and histone H3 phosphorylation was stimulated in cells treated with agents that raise intracellular cAMP levels such as forskolin and 8-bromo-cAMP. FSH-stimulated histone H3 phosphorylation in granulosa cells mapped to ser-10, a site previously identified as the PKA phosphorylation site in various mitotically active cells as the mitosis-specific phosphorylation site. Injection of the FSH analog PMSG to immature rats, which is known to stimulate granulosa cell proliferation as well as differentiation, also promoted histone H3 phosphorylation on ser-10 in granulosa cells. These resu...
A technique for the rapid diagnosis of atrial tachycardia in the electrophysiology laboratory.

Abstract OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if the atrial response upon cessation of ventricular pacing associated with 1:1 ventriculoatrial conduction during paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is a useful diagnostic maneuver in the electrophysiology laboratory. BACKGROUND Despite various maneuvers, it can be difficult to differentiate atrial tachycardia from other forms of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. METHODS The response upon cessation of ventricular pacing associated with 1:1 ventriculoatrial conduction was studied during four types of tachycardia: 1) atrioventricular nodal reentry (n = 102), 2) orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia (n = 43), 3) atrial tachycardia (n = 19) and 4) atrial tachycardia simulated by demand atrial pacing in patients with inducible atrioventricular nodal reentry or orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia (n = 32). The electrogram sequence upon cessation of ventricular pacing was categorized as “atrial-ventricular” (A-V) or “atrial-atrial-ventricular” (A-A-V). RESULTS The A-V response was observed in all cases of atrioventricular nodal reentrant and orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia. In contrast, the A-A-V response was observed in all cases of atrial tachycardia and simulated atrial tachycardia, even in the presence of dual atrioventricular nodal pathways or a concealed accessory atrioventricular pathway. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, an A-A-V response upon cessation of ventricular pacing associated with 1:1 ventriculoatrial conduction is highly sensitive and specific for the identification of atrial tachycardia in the electrophysiology laboratory.
A study of energetic solar flare X-rays

A new series of solar flare energetic X-ray events has been detected by an ionization chamber on the OGO-I and OGO-III satellites in free space. These X-rays lie in the range 10–50 keV, and a study has been made of their relationship to 3 and 10 cm radio bursts and with the emission of electrons and protons observed in space. The onset times, times of maximum intensity and total duration are very similar for the radio and X-ray emission. Also, the average decay is similar and usually follows an exponential type behavior. However, this good correlation applies most often to the ‘flash’ phase of flares, whereas subsequent surges of activity from the same eruption may produce microwave emission or further X-ray bursts not closely correlated. An approximate proportionality is found between the total energy content of the X-rays and of the 3 and 10 cm integrated radio fluxes. These measurements suggest that the X-ray and microwave emission have a common energizing process which determines the time profile of both. The recording of electrons greater than 40 keV by the Interplanetary Monitoring Probe (IMP satellite) has been found to correlate very well with flares producing X-ray and microwave emission provided the propagation path to the sun is favorable. There is evidence that the acceleration of solar protons may not be closely associated with the processes responsible for the production of microwaves, X-rays, and interplanetary electrons. The OGO ionization chamber responds to energies (10–50 keV) intermediate between the soft X-rays giving SID disturbances (1–10 keV) and energetic quanta previously measured with balloons (50–500 keV). Proposed source mechanisms should be capable of covering this range of energies including the most energetic quanta occasionally observed.
How media choice affects learner interactions in distance learning classes

Abstract In this research we explore aspects of learning, social interaction and community across online learning, also known as distance learning, in higher education. We measure the impact of online social networking (OSN) software versus traditional learning management system (LMS) software. Guided by a theoretical model for how individuals learn and interact within online communities, we measure student perceptions of learning, social interaction and course community before and after our interventions. Survey instruments measure perceived learning, social interaction and community, which we further explore using social network analysis (SNA). Survey results identified that students experienced higher levels of perceived social interaction and course community and, overall, had higher levels of satisfaction with OSN software than those using LMS software. Along this line, SNA results corroborated that OSN software yielded a higher number of interactions, providing a more engaging learning experience.
Postreinforcement changes of steady potentials in premotor cortex of monkeys

Abstract Slow potential changes were recorded from premotor cortex and several subcortical regions during a reaction time foreperiod experiment. When reinforced trials were alternated in blocks of 5 trials with unreinforced trials, the cortical DC potential increased in negativity to about −300 μV over the course of reinforced trials and declined to baseline during nonreinforced trials. Change in the cortical potential occurred after ingestion of liquid reinforcement was completed. Since positive potentials have been reported to appear in posterior cortex during reinforcement, the frontal potential was thought to be a frontally unique phenomenon and was referred to as postingestion frontal negativity (PIFN). No similar changes occurred in subcortical sites.
In vivo photoacoustic (PA) mapping of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a contrast agent

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), a less invasive alternative to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), is routinely used in clinic for staging breast cancer. In SLNB, lymphatic mapping with radio-labeled sulfur colloid and/or blue dye helps identify the sentinel lymph node (SLN), which is most likely to contain metastatic breast cancer. Even though SLNB, using both methylene blue and radioactive tracers, has a high identification rate, it still relies on an invasive surgical procedure, with associated morbidity. In this study, we have demonstrated a non-invasive single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-enhanced photoacoustic (PA) identification of SLN in a rat model. We have used single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a photoacoustic contrast agent to map non-invasively the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in a rat model in vivo. We were able to identify the SLN non-invasively with high contrast to noise ratio (~90) and high resolution (~500 μm). Due to the broad photoacoustic spectrum of these nanotubes in the near infrared wavelength window we could easily choose a suitable light wavelength to maximize the imaging depth. Our results suggest that this technology could be a useful clinical tool, allowing clinicians to identify SLNs non-invasively in vivo. In the future, these contrast agents could be functionalized to do molecular photoacoustic imaging.
Prostate biopsy grading errors: a sampling problem?

Potential reasons for discordance between the Gleason score in biopsies and surgical specimens are: 1) pathological interpretation bias, and 2) sampling effects. The importance of sampling effects in grading errors was examined in a series where the number of biopsy cores obtained was high. Biopsies were obtained using a technique whereby 18 directed cores were systematically obtained and mapped out within the gland. Gleason scores from biopsies and matched prostatectomy specimens were compared among 28 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer. A pooled database from 10 series (n = 2,687) served as a baseline for comparison in the accuracy of Gleason score grading. With the present biopsy technique, an exact Gleason score match was achieved in 57% of cases, compared with the pooled database (PD) mean of 42% (P = 0.055), and was within 1 point in 93% of cases compared with 78% (PD) (P = 0.029). Upgrading of biopsies was seen in 35% of cases, compared with 43% (PD) (P = 0.19). With respect to Gleason score 7, an exact match was present in 78% of cases, compared with 63% (PD) (P = 0.17), and upgrading was 0%, compared with 20% (PD) (P = 0.07). The data suggest a significant reduction in grade errors by minimizing sampling effects, one that it is of the same order of magnitude as the reduction achieved from consensus pathologic evaluation. In our study, seven patients (25%) would have had their cancers missed altogether with sextant biopsies. Sampling effects may contribute significantly to grading errors in prostate needle biopsies, although a larger study is needed to confirm this. A methodology which adopts a higher number of cores combined with a consensus pathologic evaluation could potentially reduce grading errors substantially. The optimal number of cores remains to be determined in a larger study. Int. J. Cancer (Radiat. Oncol. Invest.) 90, 326–330 (2000). © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Spatially resolved diffraction using a Soller Collimator–Imaging plate assembly

Abstract A series of multiple foil collimators have been constructed to perform spatially resolved diffraction using a synchrotron radiation X-ray source and a two-dimensional X-ray detector. Slit gap sizes of 0.75, 0.25 and 0.125 mm were evaluated. A thin vanadium foil (BCC) on bulk titanium (HCP) was studied as a test system. This system simulates an α-Ti (HCP)→β-Ti (BCC) transformation in the heat affected zone of Ti fusion welds. Diffraction lines from both V(2 0 0) and Ti(1 0 2) were measured in the gap aligned with the V/Ti boundary. With improvements in the mounting of the slits, a spatial resolution of at least 0.12 mm will be possible.
Models for the Archean thermal regime

Different regonalized thermal evolution models are presented. The models are used to determine the concentration of heat-producing elements such as U, Th, and K, which are required to have a present-day mantle potential temperature of 1350 C starting from a high temperature of 2000 C, 4.5 billion years ago and to calculate the thermal structure of the continental lithosphere through time. The parameterized equations for the various convective regimes considered, are discussed. It is shown that only the models with layered mantle convection and a continental lithosphere of fixed thickness (greater than or equal to 175 km) are able to satisfy the constraints of some part of the lithosphere being in the diamond stability field during the Archean and an interior temperature greater than 1600 C during the Archean to account for the high-magnesian komatiites of that period.
Dynamic and equilibrium batch column sorption studies of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions using iron oxide carboxymethyl cellulose (FeO-CMC) nanocomposites

The present study investigates the utility of iron oxide impregnated nanoparticles of carboxymethyl cellulose for removing Cr (VI) ions from aqueous solutions by batch and continuous (fixed bed) column adsorption. The maximum adsorption of Cr(VI) on FeO-CMC was observed at 2–3 pH for initial metal ion concentration of 10 mg L –1 . At a bed height of 1.0 cm and flow rate of 0.4 mLmin –1 , the metal removal capacity of FeO-CMC for Cr(VI) in the concentration range 5 to 15 mg L –1 was found between 57.0% to 87.5%. The sorption capacity from BDST per unit bed volume (N0) and rate constant of adsorption (Ka) were calculated to be 13.95 mg L –1 and 0.188 Lmg –1 min –1 , respectively. The characterisation of the prepared nanoparticles was accomplished by FTIR, TEM, and ζ -potential measurements. The obtained results suggest that the prepared nanoparticles of (FeO-CMC) were effective adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal.