cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eukaryotic RNA polymerase I promoter binding is directed by protein contacts with transcription initiation factor and is DNA sequence-independent

RNA polymerase I binding to the eukaryotic ribosomal RNA gene promoter-transcription initiation factor (TIF) complex was examined by in vitro transcription and footprinting of a series of spacer mutants. Polymerase binds efficiently to the TIF-promoter complex independently of the DNA sequence in the polymerase interaction region and initiates transcription a fixed distance downstream of the TIF binding site on AT-rich templates. Methidiumpropyl-EDTA.FE(II) footprinting confirms minimal contacts between polymerase and DNA. We infer that polymerase is directed to the promoter by a DNA sequence-independent mechanism, solely by protein-protein contacts with TIF. An initiation step subsequent to binding requires special sequence characteristics in the transcription start site region.
Johnny Appleseed: wardriving to reduce interference in chaotic wireless deployments

Many areas have dense deployments of 802.11 wireless access points, often with little or no planning of the best choices of channel assignments. As a result, there is often very high interference due to poor channel assignments. One contributing factor is that many access points are deployed with the absolute minimum of configuration effort, which means they are assigned to the channel the manufacturer has chosen, as a default. In many cases, such minimal effort deployments also mean that the access point uses the manufacturer-default password. Inspired by Johnny Appleseed, a 19th century American altruist who wandered the wilderness planting apple trees for the use of others, we investigate a method by which an altruistic wardriver moving through a dense wireless deployment could take advantage of such minimally configured access points. Where possible, he could use the default passwords to log into the system and change the channel assignment to better suite the surrounding environment, reducing interference for all. We examine this solution in simulation using real data gathered by wardrivers in several locations. We demonstrate that even with some conservative assumptions on the number of access points our Johnny Appleseed could alter, simple single-pass algorithms can result in a 10% reduction of total interference in a dense wireless deployment. We discuss the legal and ethical implications of the approach.
Scalability study of In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As HEMTs for 22nm node and beyond logic applications

Compound semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have recently gained a lot of interest for future high-speed, low-power logic applications due to their high mobility and high effective carrier velocity [1]. Conventional In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As HEMTs with 50 to 150nm gate-length (L G ) have been experimentally demonstrated [2] with excellent device performance. In this paper, (i) we use two-dimensional numerical drift-diffusion simulations [3] to model the conventional In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As HEMTs with different L G from 15 to 200nm and investigate its scalability for future logic applications. (ii) An accurate estimation of effective mobility (μ eff ) and effective carrier velocity (injection) is presented, highlighting the relevance of ballistic mobility in these short-channel HEMTs. (iii) Due to degradation in performance of the conventional scaled In 0.7 Ga 0.3 As HEMT at L G =15nm, three novel HEMT device architectures are studied and the design for the ultimate scaled transistor is proposed.
An optimization approach for dispatching and relocating EMS vehicles

We consider the problem of dispatching and relocating EMS vehicles during a medical emergency such as a influenza outbreak when the demand for EMS vehicles increases. In order to better utilize EMS vehicles’ capacity and based on our discussions with EMS personnel, we assume that ambulances can serve more than patient where appropriate. Specifically, a vehicle transporting a high-priority patient cannot serve another patient until service to the high-priority has been completed. However, a vehicle transporting a low-priority patient can be rerouted to pick up one more patient. The objective is to minimize the total travel costs, the penalty of not meeting response time window for patients, and the penalty of not covering census tracts. Integer linear and nonlinear program models and an approximation model are proposed. Numerical examples show that the proposed solution algorithm implemented with general-purpose solvers is efficient for solving large size problems, and thus is suitable for use in a real ti...
Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction cells isolated from old animals exhibit reduced capacity to support the formation of microvascular networks.

Abstract Adipose-derived regenerative and stem cells, defined collectively as the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), support the formation of neovascular networks at the site of implantation. The effect of advancing age on SVF cell population effectiveness towards stimulated neovascularization was evaluated. Methods SVF was enzymatically isolated from adipose of young (ySVF, 4 months) or old (oSVF, 24 months) Fisher-344 rats, combined with type I collagen and polymerized. Encapsulated SVF was implanted subcutaneously into young Rag1 mice for two or four weeks. Angiogenic function of age-dependent SVF was also extensively evaluated in vitro using standard assays. Results In vitro studies indicated no difference in angiogenic function between ySVF and oSVF (viability, proliferation, migration, and tube-formation). At two weeks post-implantation, there was no age-related difference in percent apoptosis in explanted constructs. By four weeks post-implantation, oSVF implants displayed 36% less total vessels/mm 2 , 43% less perfused vessels/mm 2 , and exhibited greater percent apoptosis compared to ySVF (n ≥ 12). Blocking thrombospondin-1 (Thbs-1), a protein found to be highly expressed in oSVF but not ySVF, increased the percent of perfused vascular volume and vessel diameters in oSVF constructs after two weeks compared to oSVF implants treated with control antibody. Conclusions Advancing donor age reduces the potential of adipose-derived SVF to derive a mature microcirculation, but does not hinder initial angiogenesis. However, modulation of Thbs-1 may improve this outcome. This data suggests that greater pruning, dysfunctional structural adaptation and/or poor maturation with initiation of blood flow may occur in oSVF.
A hybrid model for indexical use in natural language

Abstract We describe a system for modeling indexical reference. Because the system is based on a perceptual account of the determination of indexical reference, it uses a connectionist device for picking out the referent from simulated backgrounds. However, inputs from natural language to the system, and outputs about the reference of indexicals from the connectionist device, are processed by a sequential device, a semantic network based on conceptual graphs. After giving an overall outline of the project, we discuss some details and problems in the conceptual graph processing
Can Robotic Surgery be Done Efficiently While Training Residents

Introduction Robotic surgery is a rapidly growing area in surgery. In an era of emphasis on cost reduction, the question becomes how do you train residents in robotic surgery? The aim of this study was to determine if there was a difference in operative time and complications when comparing general surgery residents learning robotic cholecystectomies to those learning standard laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Methods A retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing robotic and laparoscopic cholecystectomy by surgical residents between March 2013 and February 2014 was conducted. Demographic data, operative factors, length of stay (LOS), and complications were examined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The significance was set at p Results A total of 58 patients were included in the study (18 in the robotic cholecystectomy group and 40 in the laparoscopic group). Age, diagnosis, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score were not significantly different between groups. There was only 1 complication in the standard laparoscopic group in which a patient had to be taken back to surgery because of an incarcerated port site. LOS was significantly higher in the standard laparoscopic group (mean = 2.28) than in the robotic group (mean = 0.56; p Conclusion Robotic training in general surgery residency does not amount to extra OR time. LOS in our study was significantly longer in the standard laparoscopic group.
Static Analysis of Binary Executables Using Structural SVMs

We cast the problem of identifying basic blocks of code in a binary executable as learning a mapping from a byte sequence to a segmentation of the sequence. In general, inference in segmentation models, such as semi-CRFs, can be cubic in the length of the sequence. By taking advantage of the structure of our problem, we derive a linear-time inference algorithm which makes our approach practical, given that even small programs are tens or hundreds of thousands bytes long. Furthermore, we introduce two loss functions which are appropriate for our problem and show how to use structural SVMs to optimize the learned mapping for these losses. Finally, we present experimental results that demonstrate the advantages of our method against a strong baseline.
BEHAVIOR OF HYPOCHLORITE AND OF CHLORAMINE-T SOLUTIONS IN CONTACT WITH NECROTIC AND NORMAL TISSUES IN VIVO

1. The fall in chlorine concentration of Dakin's hypochlorite solution is more rapid in contact with necrotic than in contact with normal tissue. 2. The fall in chlorine concentration of chloramine-T solution is very slight when applied to necrotic tissue and is negligible when applied to normal tissue. 3. The action of the hypochlorite solution on tissue results in the separation of particles of necrotic tissue, hair, epithelial scales, coagulated serum, etc., and a gradual digestion of these substances, taking place over a period of at least 17 hours. 4. The fall in the chlorine concentration of the hypochlorite solution is not complete until the particles are completely dissolved. 5. Chloramine-T solution, 2 per cent, has no erosive effect comparable with that exhibited by the hypochlorite solution. 6. Repeated exposures to the three solutions show the hypochlorite solution to be superior in its cleansing ability on necrotic tissue. 7. The hypochlorite solution is much more irritating to normal rabbit skin than chloramine-T solution or the alkaline control solution. 8. Therefore, the irritating effects must be due to the readily available chlorine.
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much

By now, it is common knowledge that an addictive relationship with alcohol changes your emotional and physical well-being for the worse. But it is less clear where to draw the line for moderate alcohol intake, which is often considered not to be unhealthy. Although some studies have reported that moderate drinking improves overall cognition, others have come to the opposite conclusion. In addition, it is unclear how other variables such as the drinkers’ sex or exact amount of alcohol intake affect the cognitive process. In this new study, Anderson and colleagues set out to model moderate alcohol consumption in Sprague-Dawley rats and to explore its effects on neuron development in the adult rodent hippocampus. As a first step, the authors found that in both female and male rats, a liquid diet containing 4% (v/v) ethanol led to average blood alcohol concentrations of slightly higher than 0.08%, a threshold commonly used in humans as a legal limit for operating a motor vehicle. They then injected rats with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), which proliferating cells incorporate into their newly synthesized DNA as a thymidine analog, to visualize the development of new neurons in the hippocampus. After 2 weeks on the 4% ethanol diet, BrdU-labeled neurons were markedly decreased compared with those seen in animals on an ethanol-free liquid diet, suggesting that alcohol hampered neurogenesis. The authors also demonstrated that the blood alcohol concentrations attained in their rat experiments did not interfere with the animals’ motor control and associative learning. Here, the “rotarod” test—a treadmill exercise for rodents—assessed their ability to stay balanced on the device without falling off. Electromyography of eye blink responses measured how fast the animals could be conditioned to blink when white noise was presented as a stimulus, a process that requires training and relies on hippocampal function. For male and female rats, performance on both of these tests was unaffected by alcohol content in the diet. The authors propose that moderate alcohol consumption might harm the plasticity of the brain, a characteristic that seems to rely on lifelong neurogenesis. Surely, many open questions remain. If the loss in neuron development induced by moderate alcohol consumption does not affect motor and learning skills, what are the relevant functional measures to assess alcohol-induced physiological dysfunction? This study marks a provocative step in the quest to define what moderate alcohol consumption does to your brain. M. L. Anderson et al ., Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Neuroscience , 12 August 2012 (10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.018). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306452212008457?v=s5
Genetics and new approaches to cancer therapy.

The past two decades have been golden years for the genetics of cancer. It has become clear through the work of countless laboratory groups that both inherited and sporadic cancers arise through defects or misregulations of their genomes. Several dozen dominantly acting oncogenes have been identified, shown to be deregulated in human tumors and to positively influence one or another aspect of tumor development or behavior in experimental systems. A smaller, but still substantial, number of recessively mutated tumor suppressor genes have also been identified which, in defective form, predispose to malignancy, both in people and in genetically manipulated rodent models. The cartography of the order, accumulation and interactions of genetic lesions during tumor initiation and progression has reasonable detail for many human tumor types. Such information is proving to be tremendously valuable in diagnosis and in grouping patients into prognostic categories. There is every reason to believe that the continued use of increasingly sophisticated genomic and proteomic technologies will add another order of magnitude to the precision of such conclusions. One of the major reasons to have embarked on this sifting through the genomes of tumor cells has been the belief that tumor-specific defects will provide safer and more effective targets for therapy. While progress in this arena has been somewhat slower in pace, there are several examples now, such as drugs or antibodies targeting HER2, Bcr-Abl or the wild-type epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, to raise cautious optimism for the validity of this belief. It is now conceivable that future therapies will select combinations of drugs tailored to individual tumors and targeting with exquisite specificity different players in the same metabolic pathways or different pathways altogether. There are obvious advantages to such approaches: (i) the tumor-specificity of the targets should lead to a greater therapeutic window and less toxicity; (ii) the use of combination therapies may limit acquired resistance; and (iii) many of the defective pathways in tumor cells also affect drug or radiation sensitivities so that combined therapies using conventional and designed agents may be especially effective. In this Commentary, I would like to use an example from our own work to illustrate how basic genetics can lead to the identification of such a tumor-specific target, understanding of its mechanism of action and informed creation of therapeutics specifically aimed at it. This work has focused on the role of
Flexible silicon interconnects for microelectromechanical systems

Flexible, multilead silicon-substrate cables have been developed for connection to a variety of sensors and microelectromechanical systems. These cables are fully shielded, have been fabricated with multiple strands, and are very flexible due to the thin (2.5- mu m) silicon substrate that supports the leads. Five-lead cables with a total thickness of 5 mu m have been fabricated with lengths ranging from 2.5 to 5 cm. These cables are very flexible and yet very strong. Soak tests in buffered saline under electrical and mechanical stress show leakage currents in the sub-picoamp range after over 175 days under +or-5-V bias. Cables integrated into multichannel silicon neural recording probes have been implanted in guinea pigs and remain functional after over four months in-vivo, maintaining impedance levels in the 3-9-M Omega range. The authors present the structure and process for these shielded cables and review the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the cables, including the results of biased soak tests in saline. >
Intraflagellar transport—the “new motility” 20 years later

Intraflagellar transport is the rapid, bidirectional movement of protein complexes along the length of most eukaryotic cilia and flagella. Discovery of this intracellular process in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii 20 years ago led to a rapid discovery of cellular mechanisms that underlie a large number of human ciliopathies. Described herein are the events that led to this discovery.
Product Evaluations and Injury Assessments as Related to Preferences for Explicitness in Warnings

Increasing concern about the impact on-product safety information has on sales of a product has focussed attention on consumer decision making as a new area within which to carry out warnings research. Examples of this new research domain include efforts aimed at exploring the relationships between anticipated purchase decisions and the level of detail with which a warning describes consequences of using a product. The level of detail with which consequences are described in a warning is referred to as the explicitness of the warning. In the research reported here, an attempt was made to examine purchase preferences for explicit warnings in the context of cost-benefit tradeoffs made among fictitious products varying in societal value and potential harm. Seventy-three subjects were presented with brief written descriptions of seven products, each having associated with it a unique injury. Explicit and nonexplicit warnings accompanied each product description. Using a questionnaire, subjects evaluated each ...
The Social Context of Performance Appraisal: A Review and Framework for the Future

Performance appraisal research over the last 10 years has begun to examine the effects of the social context on the appraisal process. Drawing from previous theoretical work, we developed a model of this process and conducted a systematic review of the relevant research. This review of over 300 articles suggests that as a field we have become much more cognizant of the importance of the social context within which the performance appraisal process operates. First, research has broadened the traditional conceptualization of performance appraisal effectiveness to include and emphasize ratee reactions. Second, the influence that the feedback environment or feedback culture has on performance appraisal outcomes is an especially recent focus that seems to have both theoretical and applied implications. Finally, there appears to be a reasonably large set of distal variables such as technology, HR strategies, and economic conditions that are potentially important for understanding the appraisal process, but whic...
Use of a mechanical roller-crimper as an alternative kill method for cover crops

Cover crops have long been recognized as a beneficial component of many cropping systems; however, their use is still not commonplace. Usage may be increased by identifying more cost-effective and environment-friendly techniques for cover-crop management. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using a mechanical roller-crimper as-an alternative method for killing cover crops. The study location was in east-central Alabama, using a split-split plot experimental design with four replications and 3 site-years during 1999–2000. Rye, wheat and black oat were evaluated in terms of ease of kill and optimum time of kill using a roller-crimper, two herbicides (paraquat and glyphosate) at their labeled rate, and two reduced chemical (half label rate) combinations of the same chemicals with the roller-crimper. Four Feekes' scale growth stages were used to determine optimum time of kill; 8.0 (flag leaf), 10.51 (anthesis), 10.54 (early milk) and 11.2 (soft dough). Plant growth stage was the main determining factor for effectiveness of the roller-crimper for killing the cover crops. At the flag leaf stage, the roller-crimper provided only 19% kill across all covers over the 3 site-years. After plants reached anthesis, the roller-crimper with half-rate herbicide combinations equaled the effectiveness of herbicides alone at their label rate, averaging 94% kill. By the soft dough growth stage, all kill methods were equally effective due to accelerating plant senescence (95% mean kill across kill methods). Use of the roller-crimper alone after anthesis can decrease costs by as much as $26.28 per ha, while providing a kill rate equivalent to that of herbicide treatment alone.
Origin of aromatic character in porphyrinoid systems

The aromatic nature of porphyrins is commonly attributed to the presence of an [18]annulene substructure. However, this viewpoint has been disputed. Drawing on a range of examples of carbaporphyrinoid systems from the author's own studies, the [18]annulene model is shown to be a self-consistent and insightful approach for considering the aromatic properties of these porphyrin analogs. Benziporphyrins provide a continuum of porphyrinoid structures that range from nonaromatic to highly aromatic species and the presence of 18π electron delocalization pathways provides an excellent explanation for the variations in their properties. The same type of analysis is applied to carbaporphyrins, tropiporphyrins, azuliporphyrins, N-confused porphyrins, pyrazoloporphyrins and dicarbaporphyrins. Nevertheless, these properties might also be explained by a 22π electron delocalization model proposed by Schleyer. The [18]annulene model gains further support from the properties of dideazaporphyrins which cannot take part in this type of 22π electron delocalization but nevertheless retain porphyrin-like aromatic properties. These results support the concept that porphyrins are bridged [18]annulenes.
Photocatalytic Carbon-Nanotube–TiO2 Composites

The literature and advances in photocatalysis based on the combination of titania (TiO2) and carbon nanotubes is presented. The semiconductor basis for photocatalysis is introduced for anatase and rutile. Furthermore, the proposed mechanisms of catalytic enhancement resulting from the pairing of the titania semiconductor with either metallic, semiconducting, or defect-rich carbon nanotubes (CNT) is discussed. Differences are apparent for the mixtures and chemically bonded CNT–TiO2 composites. The article then highlights the recent advances in the synthesis techniques for these composites and their photocatalytic reactions with organic, inorganic, and biological agents. Finally, various applications and challenges for these composite materials are reported.
Low- and high-dose fluticasone propionate in asthma; effects during and after treatment

The dose dependency of the effects of inhaled corticosteroids on markers of asthmatic airway inflammation have not been well studied. There is a need to study the dose/response effects on this inflammation. In order to determine the dose/response effects of fluticasone propionate (FP), 24 asthmatic subjects were randomized to low- (100 microg x day(-1)) or high-dose (1,000 microg x day(-1)) FP for six weeks followed by placebo for 3 weeks. During treatment, the median increase in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)was 12% in the high-dose group (p 0.05 between groups); the median decrease in the percentage of sputum eosinophils was 93% in the high-dose group (p 0.05 between groups). Symptoms, salbutamol use, morning peak flow, provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20), sputum eosinophil cationic protein concentration and tryptase activity improved significantly in both groups (p<0.05), but only the improvement in salbutamol use was greater in the high-dose group (p<0.05). During the run-out, the improvements in FEV1 and PC20 were rapidly reversed in both groups, but the improvements in peak flow and tryptase activity persisted; the improvement in sputum eosinophil concentration persisted only in the high-dose group (p<0.05). It was concluded that dose/response effects for FP are not easily demonstrable because low-dose FP is quite effective. For most outcomes, the effects of high- and low-dose FP are relatively short-lived after treatment is stopped. This finding raises questions about the extent to which inhaled corticosteroids are disease-modifying in asthma.
Effects of vortex shedding on Maglev suspension systems

Vortex shedding occurs on a Maglev train when there is sufficiently high-speed wind blowing perpendicularly on it. The vortex shedding will cause the suspension to fluctuate and, in the event of strong wind, may even cause the suspension to vibrate to failure. In this paper, a simplified model that only considers the vertical motion of the train is used to illustrate the effects of the vortex shedding. Under a given suspension control system, it is shown through simulation that winds of different speeds cause different degrees of performance degradation of the control system.
Effect of Pine Pollen on Settling Behavior of Frankliniella occidentalis and Frankliniella fusca (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Tomato and Peanut

Pollen was found to significantly influence the host leaf selection and settling behaviors of certain thrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). The effect of slash pine pollen (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) on the settling of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (western flower thrips) and Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) (tobacco thrips) was studied with leaf choice tests in peanut and tomato. In choice tests, F. occidentalis settling behavior was increased by seven-fold with the addition of pine pollen, but F. fusca was not significantly affected. In the flower thrips, the effect of pollen decreased over time without the renewal of pollen, suggesting thrips consumption of the pollen grains. These results support the idea that slash pine pollen has a greater impact on flower thrips (F. occidentalis) behavior than foliage thrips (F. fusca) behavior.
Cytosolic and nuclear distribution of PPARγ2 in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

In light of the pivotal role that PPARγ2 plays in the expression of fat specific genes (e.g., A-FABP), we have examined the hypothesis that a rise in PPARγ2 protein is required for the expression of A-FABP, and that the acceleration of fat cell differentiation by the thiazolidinedione agent, pioglitazone (PIOG), reflects an increase in the abundance of PPARγ2 mRNA and protein. Western analyses surprisingly revealed that undifferentiated 3T3-L1 fibroblasts contained significant levels of PPARγ2 protein; that the amount of total cellular PPARγ2 only increased 2-fold during differentiation; and that the levels of PPARγ2 protein and mRNA were not increased by PIOG even though fat cell differentiation was accelerated by PIOG as revealed by a 20-fold increase in A-FABP expression. Cell fractionation studies revealed that PPARγ2 was evenly distributed between the cytosolic and nuclear compartments in both undifferentiated and differentiating 3T3-L1 cells. Immunocytochemical studies with a PPARγ2-specific antibody indicated that PPARγ2 was diffusely distributed throughout the cytosol of undifferentiated 3T3-L1 cells, but as the differentiation progressed, the PPARγ2 became focused around the developing lipid droplets. In contrast to PPARγ2, undifferentiated 3T3-L1 cells contained no measurable quantities of RXRα, but once fat cell differentiation was initiated by treatment with IBMX and dexamethasone, the cellular content of RXRα increased several fold. The rise in RXRα content paralleled the induction of A-FABP, but the expression of RXRα was not enhanced by PIOG. Although the amount of PPARγ2 and RXRα was unaffected by PIOG, gel shift assays revealed that PIOG stimulated PPARγ2/RXRα binding to the adipose response element of A-FABP by 5-fold in less than 12 h. Apparently, RXRα rather than PPARγ2 is the pivotal trans-factor essential for the initiation of terminal fat cell differentiation. However, the high cytsolic content of PPARγ2 and its association with the lipid droplet of differentiating 3T3-L1 cells suggests PPARγ2 may possess a cytosolic function in the developing fat cell. —Thuillier, P., R. Baillie, X. Sha, and S. D. Clarke. Cytosolic and nuclear distribution of PPARγ2 in differentiating 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. J. Lipid Res. 1998. 39: 2329–2338.
Understanding diboson anomalies

We conduct a model-independent effective theory analysis of hypercharged fields with various spin structures towards understanding the diboson excess found in LHC run I, as well as possible future anomalies involving $WZ$ and $WH$ modes. Within the assumption of no additional physics beyond the standard model up to the scale of the possible diboson resonance, we show that a hypercharged scalar and a spin 2 particle do not have tree-level $WZ$ and $WH$ decay channels up to dimension 5 operators, and cannot therefore account for the anomaly, whereas a hypercharged vector is a viable candidate provided we also introduce a ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ in order to satisfy electroweak precision constraints. We calculate bounds on the ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ mass consistent with the ATLAS/CMS diboson signals as well as electroweak precision data, taking into account both LHC run I and II data.
Effect of UV irradiation on adsorption/desorption of oxygen and water on carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotube (CNT) films composed of semiconducting single wall nanotubes (s-SWNTs), metallic single wall nanotubes (m-SWNTs), and multiwall nanotubes (MWNTs) were exposed to O 2 and H 2 O vapor in the dark and under UV irradiation. Changes in the film conductivity and mass were measured in situ. We find that UV irradiation increases the resistive response of CNT films to O 2 and H 2 O by more than an order of magnitude. In m-SWNT and MWNT films, UV irradiation changes the sign of the resistive response to O 2 and H 2 O by generating free charge carriers. S-SWNTs show the largest UV-induced resistive response and exhibit weakening of van der Waals interactions with the QCM crystal when exposed to gas/vapor.
Cyberthreat Analysis and Detection for Energy Theft in Social Networking of Smart Homes

The advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has become indispensable in a smart grid to support the real time and reliable information exchange. Such an infrastructure facilitates the deployment of smart meters and enables the automatic measurement of electricity energy usage. Inside a community of networked smart homes, the total electricity bill is computed based on the community-wide energy consumption. Thus, the coordinated energy scheduling among smart homes is important since the energy consumptions from some customers can potentially impact bills of others. Given a community of networked smart homes, this paper analyzes the energy theft cyberattack, which manipulates the energy usage metering for bill reduction and develops a detection technique based on Bollinger bands and partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). Due to the high complexity of the POMDP-solving process, a probabilistic belief-state-reduction-based adaptive dynamic programming technique is also designed to improve the detection efficiency. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed technique can successfully detect 92.55% energy thefts on an average while effectively mitigating the impact to the community. In addition, our probabilistic belief-state-reduction-based adaptive dynamic programming technique can reduce the runtime by up to 55.86% compared to that without state reduction.
Not in My “Backyard Abolitionism”: Vigilante Rescue against American Sex Trafficking

In 2008, the San Francisco-based antitrafficking nonprofit organization Not for Sale launched a campaign advocating “backyard abolitionism,” training American citizens to seek out and identify vict...
Excretion of Radio-Sodium Following Intravenous Administration in Man

After the first extensive internal use of naturally radioactive compounds in man by Proescher and others,1, 5 Seil, et al.,6 estimated that from 40% to 60% was lost from the body, chiefly through the feces. A progressive diminution in the rate of excretion was indicated by Schlundt and his group,7 who found that patients retained 4.3% 6 months after administration and 1.9% 6 months later. Sehlundt and Failla8 found 24 μgm. and 14 μgm. respectively in 2 women 12 years after oral ingestion of radium, with respective coefficients of excretion of .005% and .0025%. Prolonged retention has been reported in many cases of industrial radium poisoning.9, 10Following the announcement by Curie and Joliot11 of the preparation of an artificial radioactive isotope of nitrogen in 1934, Lawrence and his co-workers12 produced relatively large amounts of radioactive isotopes of many elements using their magnetic resonance accelerator. Radio-sodium became available for clinical study at the University of California Hospital ...
Extending the Density Functional Tight Binding Method to Carbon Under Extreme Conditions

We report herein on simulations of carbon under pressures up to 2000 GPa and 30 000 K using the density functional tight binding method (DFTB) with a parameter set we have specifically designed for these conditions. The DFTB method can provide a high throughput simulation capability compared to Kohn–Sham density functional theory while retaining most of its accuracy. We fit the DFTB repulsive energy to measured and computed diamond isothermal compression data and show that this yields accurate compression curves for diamond, graphite, and the BC8 phase, as well as material properties for all three phases. We then show that our new repulsive energy yields predictions of the Hugoniot of diamond shock compressed to the conducting liquid that are within the range of different experimental measurements. Our results provide a straightforward method by which DFTB can be extended to studies of covalently bonded materials under extremely high pressures and temperatures such as the interiors of planets and other la...
Fire as an Element of Style: A Review of Charles Blow's Fire Shut Up in My Bones

“The first memory I have in the world is of death and tears” (Blow, 2014, p. 5) is the first sentence of the first chapter of a cripplingly beautiful and bitterly sweet memoir of Black male subject...
Modulation of Bcl-x Alternative Splicing Induces Apoptosis of Human Hepatic Stellate Cells

Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to chronic viral hepatitis and, more recently, from fatty liver diseases. Activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) represent a key aspect of fibrogenesis and are associated with progressive reduction of HSC apoptosis. Bcl-x, an antiapoptotic member of Bcl-2 gene family, plays a role in apoptosis regulation in mammalian cells. Through alternative splicing, the Bcl-x gene yields two major protein isoforms with opposing functions, antiapoptotic Bcl-xL and proapoptotic Bcl-xS. This study aimed to investigate the role of Bcl-x and its alternate splicing in HSC apoptosis. The results indicated that the expression of Bcl-xL was dramatically higher than Bcl-2 in activated human HSCs. The relative expression of Bcl-xL over Bcl-xS increased gradually when HSCs were activated in cell culture, which was consistent with the increase in apoptosis resistance of activated HSCs. Redirection of Bcl-x splicing by an antisense oligonucleotide from the antiapoptotic isoform to the proapoptotic isoform induced death of HSCs without other apoptosis stimuli. We conclude that Bcl-x plays a role in regulation of HSC apoptosis and modulation of Bcl-x alternative splicing may become a novel molecular therapy for liver fibrosis.
Development of Self-Assembled Biomimetic Boc-Protected Peptide-Polymer Based Nanovehicles for Targeted Delivery to Tumor Cells

Although effective, chemotherapeutic drugs often cause undesired side-effects. Thus, encapsulating chemotherapeutic drugs into nanoscale drug delivery vehicles (DDVs) has the potential to reduce side effects and promote targeted delivery. By mimicking ABA like block-co-polymer systems, we have developed a new amphiphilic biomimetic co-polymer Boc-Ile-PEG-Ile-Boc which was found to readily self-assemble into nanomicelles within hydrophilic shell structures. To facilitate targeting tumor cells, the nanoassemblies were bound to folate, leading to the formation of core shell like structures (IBP-F). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), were then embedded followed by functionalization with a second layer of folate. The final DDV system abbreviated (IBP-F-Au-F) formed a multi-layered nanostructure that was capable of efficiently encapsulating the anti-tumor drug tamoxifen. For comparison, we also examined the efficacy of the IBP-F assemblies as DDVs in the absence of AuNPs and a second folate layer. Release profiles showed an initial burst release, followed by sustained release. The DDVs were found to be biocompatible. Upon encapsulating the DDVs with tamoxifen, cell proliferation was inhibited over a period of 72 hours for both DDVs, while non-cancerous dermal fibroblasts continued to proliferate, thus indicating specific targeting ability of the DDVs. Confocal microscopy studies conducted in the presence of human breast cancer cells, MDA-MDB 231 revealed that the drug loaded assemblies were successfully internalized within the cells. SPR analysis demonstrate that IBP-F-Au-F had a higher affinity for breast cancer cells over non-cancerous keratinocyte cells. Thus, we have developed a new family of DDVs that selectively targets tumor cells.
Lipidic nanoparticle CPT-11 in a bioluminescent orthotopic pancreas cancer model

5648 Efforts to treat pancreas cancer have been hampered by a lack of effective therapeutic options as well as predictive preclinical models. We hypothesized that nanoparticle agents encapsulating potent cytotoxic compounds may be useful against pancreatic cancer; and that antibody-targeted versions directed against EGFR may further increase efficacy against EGFR-overexpressing pancreatic cancers. We applied a liposome-based drug loading and stabilization technique to generate nanoliposomal CPT-11, a novel lipidic nanoparticle agent containing the prodrug CPT-11 (irinotecan) that has entered clinical trials. In addition, Fab9 fragments of C225 were conjugated to nanoliposomal CPT-11 to generate EGFR-targeted immunoliposomal CPT-11. Another objective of this study was to develop a bioluminescent-based orthotopic xenograft model of pancreas cancer with EGFR-overexpression to test this therapeutic approach. COLO357, a human pancreatic cell line, was passaged multiple times in vivo to generate the sub-line L3.6pl. This cell line was subsequently modified by lentiviral transduction to generate a firefly luciferase-expressing cell line, L3.6pl-T. L3.6pl-T cells were injected, during surgery, directly into the pancreas of a nude mouse to generate a tumor xenograft. Following ip administration of luciferin, animals were immediately imaged using a Xenogen IVIS 100 bioluminescent imager, and subsequently imaged at weekly intervals. Tumor burden was quantified by measuring luminescence. The signal was quantified by defining regions of interest (ROIs) and measuring photons/sec/str. Agents evaluated in this model included EGFR-targeted immunoliposomal CPT-11, nanoliposomal CPT-11, free drug or vehicle control. All treatments were administered i.v. by tail vein beginning at 7 days post- tumor implantation and continued weekly for a total of three treatments. Both nanoliposomal CPT-11 and immunoliposomal CPT-11 showed potent antitumor activity, including durable tumor regressions, and were markedly superior to the equivalent dose of free drug. While both nanoparticle constructs were highly potent, the immunoliposome agent appeared to provide more prolonged duration of responses than the non-targeted version. Systemic toxicity was not observed with any treatment. We conclude that nanoparticle-mediated delivery of CPT-11 via nanoliposomal CPT-11 or anti-EGFR immunoliposomal CPT-11 greatly enhances antitumor efficacy in the orthotopic COLO357 pancreatic xenograft model. This therapeutic approach offers potential advantages for pancreatic cancer treatment, and this type of model system may be useful in preclinical evaluation.
An assessment of uncertainty in volume estimates for stands reconstructed from tree stump information.

Assessment of pre-harvest stand conditions after unplanned tree removals often requires reconstruction of the stand based on stump information. Prediction of diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) from stump measurements is a common practice because d.b.h. is usually a necessary precursor for estimating diameter distributions and predicting tree volume. Although not a widespread exercise, tree volumes are sometimes predicted directly from stump dimensions. Regardless of the approach taken, statistical models are invariably used in some manner and the model predictions are erroneously assumed to be without error. In this study, several methods for tree volume prediction arising from stump information were evaluated for the contribution of model-related uncertainty to the error in population estimates of total volume. When the entire population was enumerated, the model-related uncertainty was 1–2 per cent of the estimate depending on the volume estimation method. Sampling approaches based on individual stumps and 0.042 ha plots were evaluated, where the total uncertainty due to both model and sampling error was considerably larger when using the plot-based method. Generally, the smallest amount of error was present when predicting d.b.h. and then estimating tree volume from d.b.h. The uncertainty was largest for estimation of tree volume directly from stump dimensions when sampling proportions were ~0.35 or smaller; otherwise, the largest uncertainty resulted from prediction of d.b.h. and merchantable height which were both used as predictor variables in the volume model.
Data-driven regions of interest for longitudinal change in three variants of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Author(s): Binney, Richard J; Pankov, Aleksandr; Marx, Gabriel; He, Xuanzie; McKenna, Faye; Staffaroni, Adam M; Kornak, John; Attygalle, Suneth; Boxer, Adam L; Schuff, Norbert; Gorno-Tempini, Maria-Luisa; Weiner, Michael W; Kramer, Joel H; Miller, Bruce L; Rosen, Howard J | Abstract: IntroductionLongitudinal imaging of neurodegenerative disorders is a potentially powerful biomarker for use in clinical trials. In Alzheimer's disease, studies have demonstrated that empirically derived regions of interest (ROIs) can provide more reliable measurement of disease progression compared with anatomically defined ROIs.MethodsWe set out to derive ROIs with optimal effect size for quantifying longitudinal change in a hypothetical clinical trial by comparing atrophy rates in 44 patients with behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 30 with the semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), and 26 with the nonfluent variant PPA (nfvPPA) to atrophy in 97 cognitively healthy controls.ResultsThe regions identified for each variant were generally what would be expected from prior studies of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Sample size estimates for detecting a 40% reduction in annual rate of ROI atrophy varied substantially across groups, being 103 per arm in bvFTD, 31 in nfvPPA, and 10 in svPPA, but in all groups were less than those estimated for a priori ROIs and clinical measures. The variability in location of peak regions of atrophy across individuals was highest in bvFTD and lowest in svPPA, likely relating to the differences in effect size.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that, while cross-validated maps of change can improve sensitivity to change in FTLD compared with a priori regions, the reliability of these maps differs considerably across syndromes. Future studies can utilize these maps to design clinical trials, and should try to identify factors accounting for the variability in patterns of atrophy across individuals, particularly those with bvFTD.
Sexual Harassment and the Construction of Ethnographic Knowledge

It is not uncommon for women researchers to experience sexualized interactions, sexual objectification, and harassment as they conduct fieldwork. Nevertheless, these experiences are often left out of ethnographers’ “tales from the field” and remain unaddressed within our discipline. In this article, we use women's experiences with harassment in the field to interrogate the epistemological foundations of ethnographic methodology within the discipline of sociology. Based on more than 50 qualitative interviews, we examine three “fixations” of contemporary ethnography that inform women ethnographers’ understandings of and reactions to harassment in the field. These fixations are solitude, danger, and intimacy. Our data show that these fixations not only put researchers in danger but also have implications for the construction of ethnographic knowledge. They contribute to silence surrounding sexual harassment, and are motivated by and reproduce androcentric norms that valorize certain types of fieldwork. We argue that acknowledging and analyzing experiences with harassment and other unwanted sexual attention in the field is part of a more fully developed understanding of ethnographic research itself.
The Developmental Course of Achievement Motivation: A Need-Based Approach

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the need-based approach for the developmental course of achievement motivation. This chapter examines the development of achievement motivation from a protracted perspective, overtime, and focuses in particular on the positive, affective elements of motivation—the enjoyment of intellectual discovery; pride in a job well done. To achieve the developmental viewpoint, researchers employ a retrospective methodology in which college students recalled the events and experiences that, in hindsight. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the nature of intrinsic motivation and especially its relationship to the various extrinsic rewards that dominate classroom life, including grades, praise, and gold stars. The present developmental inquiries are nested within a broader set of interlocking questions, all of which were triggered by a puzzling observation that formed the original impetus for this entire undertaking. The chapter concludes that the goal is best served when teachers and students become allies, not adversaries, with teachers acting as mentors and resources for students as they prepare for the future.
Current status, opportunities, and challenges of cover cropping for sustainable dryland farming in the southern Great Plains.

Cropping systems that integrate cover crops into crop rotations, reduce tillage intensity and frequency, and maintain residue cover have the potential to improve agricultural sustainability in dryl...