cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protection in operating systems

A model of protection mechanisms in computing systems is presented and its appropriateness is argued. The “safety” problem for protection systems under this model is to determine in a given situation whether a subject can acquire a particular right to an object. In restricted cases, it can be shown that this problem is decidable, i.e. there is an algorithm to determine whether a system in a particular configuration is safe. In general, and under surprisingly weak assumptions, it cannot be decided if a situation is safe. Various implications of this fact are discussed.
Elimination of baseline artifacts in spectra and their integrals

Abstract An analysis is presented of the effects upon spectra of the four-pole Butterworth filters commonly used in the audiofrequency sections of a spectrometer. When such spectra are of a width comparable to the filter cutoff frequency (and thereby to the Nyquist sampling frequency), the transient response of the filters to the signals themselves is responsible for gross distortion of the spectral baseline. However, by adjusting the receiver dead time, is is shown that it is possible to sample signals at the crossing points of the filter ringing, and thereby to reduce greatly the artifacts in the baseline. This reduction, in turn, allows spectral integrals with negligible baseline slope to be obtained.
Generalized OFDM (GOFDM) for ultra-high-speed optical transmission

We propose a coded N-dimensional modulation scheme suitable for ultra-high-speed serial optical transport. The proposed scheme can be considered as a generalization of OFDM, and hence, we call it as generalized OFDM (GOFDM). In this scheme, the orthogonal subcarriers are used as basis functions and the signal constellation points are defined over this N-dimensional linear space. To facilitate implementation, we propose using N-dimensional pulse-amplitude modulation (ND-PAM) as the signal constellation diagram, which is obtained as the N-ary Cartesian product of one-dimensional PAM. In conventional OFDM, QAM/PSK signal constellation points are transmitted over orthogonal subcarriers and then they are multiplexed together in an OFDM stream. Individual subcarriers, therefore, carry N parallel QAM/PSK streams. In the proposed GOFDM scheme instead, an N-dimensional signal constellation point is transmitted over all N subcarriers simultaneously. When some of the subcarriers are severely affected by channel impairments, the constellation points carried by those subcarriers may be lost in the conventional OFDM. In comparison, under such conditions, the overall signal constellation point will face only small distortion in GOFDM and it can be recovered successfully using the information on the other high fidelity subcarriers. Furthermore, because the channel capacity is a logarithmic function of signal-to-noise ratio but a linear function of the number of dimensions, the spectral efficiency of optical transmission systems can be improved with GOFDM.
Migraine diagnosis and pathophysiology.

Purpose of review This article describes current knowledge regarding headache, especially migraine, and includes information on genetics, anatomy, pathophysiology, and pharmacology in order to demonstrate their relevance to clinical phenomenology. Recent findings Animal models show that drugs effective in migraine prevention may work by raising the threshold for initiating cortical spreading depression and may also attenuate the response to simulation. Summary Great advances have been made in diagnosing and understanding migraine over the past several decades. Tools such as the International Classification of Headache Disorders assist in making diagnoses. Although blood vessel changes do occur in migraine, they are not timelocked to the occurrence of head pain. Cortical spreading depression is at least one trigger for the events that occur in migraine. Migraine may be due to the interplay of host susceptibility and various triggers. Nitric oxide and calcitonin gene-related peptide are important mediators, and estrogen seems to "ramp up" the system.
Distribution of transferrin and ferritin binding in normal and multiple sclerotic human brains

Delivery of iron to the brain traditionally has been considered the responsibility of transferrin. However, transferrin receptors in brain are located primarily within gray matter areas rather than in the iron rich white matter tracts. In this report we present the first demonstration of ferritin binding sites in human brain and provide evidence that these binding sites are primarily in white matter tracts. This distribution of ferritin binding is opposite of that seen for the distribution of the transferrin receptor in normal adult human brain. Ferritin binds to human brain tissue in a competitive and saturable manner with a dissociation constant of 0.35 nM and a binding site density of 116.7 fmol/mg protein. In brain tissue from multiple sclerotic (MS) patients the normal pattern of transferrin and ferritin binding distributions is disrupted. Ferritin binding is absent in the lesion itself and in the immediate periplaque region within the white matter but returns to normal as the distance from the lesion becomes greater. In direct contrast to ferritin binding, transferrin binding in the MS tissue is present in the white matter tracts, but only in the periplaque region. The periplaque region also contains transferrin receptor positive cells (as determined by immunocytochemistry) morphologically consistent with oligodendrocytes. Gray matter binding of transferrin in MS patients appears normal. These data provide the initial evidence of ferritin binding in human brain, address the enigma of the apparent absence of an iron delivery system to the iron-rich white matter, and suggest loss of ferritin binding is involved in or is a consequence of demyelination associated with MS.
Optical Design Using New Computer Technology

Recent dramatic increases in the cost /performance ratio of computers are beginning tohave some impact on the field of optical design. Although the mainstream of opticaldesign still utilizes large computers, production programs that run on minicomputers arenow well established, and we have written programs of somewhat limited scope that run ondesktop systems.Advances in computer technology to date have been mostly in hardware, specifically inlow -cost central processing units and large semiconductor memory systems, for which pricesare currently decreasing at a rate of 30% /year, with the prospect of even greater ratesin the future. Although there have been major developments in various computer peri-pherals, none have had so great an impact as those in memories and processors. Curiouslyenough, these advances have been made possible to a large extent by improvements inphotofabrication technology, which, in turn, have been enabled by the availability ofimproved microcircuit lenses designed using computers!Granted that computer technology will continue to advance at its present rate forawhile, it becomes apparent that systems of unprecedented power will become available ina few years, and one may inquire as to how best to use such systems for optical design.There appear to be two areas in which significant improvement in optical design programsstill remains to be made: optimization, and man -machine interaction.In spite of twenty year's efforts, nobody has really solved the optimization problemin optical design. With very few exceptions, current optimization programs utilize adamped- least -squares method based on a linearization of the problem; the method is knownto stagnate under certain conditions, and only finds local minima. The availability oflarge systems makes further research on this problem of interest.Concerning man -machine interaction, today's programs leave a great deal to be desiredwith regard to ease of use and comprehension of output by human designers. In the realworld of optical design, where the quality of a design depends on close interactionbetween designer and computer, the addition of friendly interfaces can be of significantimportance. Here, the availability of large low -cost memory systems will permit the useof interactive graphics on a routine basis in optical design programs, and this may bemore significant in practice than advances in numerical analysis.
The santalo point of a planar convex set

Abstract An algorithm is described to determine the minimum area polar set of a planar convex polygon described in terms of its vertices. We adopt a result due to Santalo to verify our minimizing solution, and then demonstrate the search procedure on a few examples.
Overview of the U.S. rare isotope accelerator proposal

Abstract The Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) is the highest priority of the nuclear physics community in the United States for a major new facility. RIA is a next generation facility for basic research with radioactive beams that utilizes both standard Isotope-separator On-line (ISOL) and in-flight fragmentation methods with novel approaches to handle high primary-beam power and remove existing limitations in the extraction of short-lived isotopes. A versatile primary accelerator, a 1.4-GV, CW superconducting linac designed to simultaneously accelerate several heavy-ion charge states, will provide beams from protons at 900 MeV to uranium at 400 MeV/u at power levels of 400 kW. The wide variety of primary beams allows various production and extraction schemes to be used to optimize production of specific isotopes. These isotopes, at unprecedented intensities, are available for research at a broad range of energies. They can be delivered at ion source energy for stopped-beam studies, reaccelerated by a second superconducting linac, or directly separated in-flight for use at energies up to 500 MeV/u. The post accelerator uses a unique injection scheme, based on CW low-frequency RFQs, for efficient acceleration of singly charged heavy ions with masses up to 240 amu from ion source energy.
Two Cases of Coincident Carcinomas of the Head and Neck and the Uterine Cervix

Abstract Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an independent risk factor for select head and neck carcinomas and most uterine cervix carcinomas. We report two patients with synchronous diagnoses of cervical cancer and HPV-related head and neck cancer. Case. One patient was a 53-year-old woman with regionally metastatic tonsillar carcinoma treated surgically and with adjuvant radiation. Abnormal vaginal bleeding developed. Gynecologic examination showed advanced cervical carcinoma. The other patient was a 78-year-old woman surgically treated for carcinoma of the left anterior nose. Five months later, symptoms of recurrent nasal carcinoma and concurrent vaginal bleeding developed. Gynecologic examination showed advanced cervical carcinoma. Conclusions. These cases of coincident tumors demonstrate possible systemic susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of HPV. The common association of HPV with both uterine cervix cancers and select head and neck cancers should prompt early evaluation of gynecologic or upper aerodigestive tract symptoms for patients with known HPV-related cancers.
K3036.58 in the μ opioid (MOP) receptor is important in conferring selectivity for covalent binding of β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA)

Abstract β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA) is an irreversible μ opioid (MOP) receptor antagonist and a reversible agonist of κ opioid (KOP) receptor. β-FNA binds covalently to the MOP receptor at Lys233 5.39 , which is conserved among opioid receptors. Molecular docking of β-FNA showed that K303 6.58 in the MOP receptor and E297 6.58 in the KOP receptor played distinct roles in positioning β-FNA. K303 6.58 E MOP receptor and E297 6.58 K KOP receptor mutants were generated. The mutations did not affect β-FNA affinity or efficacy. K303 6.58 E mutation in the MOP receptor greatly reduced covalent binding of [ 3 H]β-FNA; however, E297 6.58 K did not enable the KOP receptor to bind irreversibly to β-FNA. Molecular modeling demonstrated that the e-amino group of K303 6.58 in the MOP receptor interacted with C O of the acetate group of β-FNA to facilitate covalent bond formation with Lys233 5.39 . Replacement of K303 6.58 with Glu in the MOP receptor resulted in repulsion between the COOH of Glu and the C O of β-FNA and increased the distance between K233 5.39 and the fumarate group, making it impossible for covalent bond formation. These findings will be helpful for design of selective non-peptide MOP receptor antagonists.
The effect of vibration on psychophysically derived work frequencies for a riveting task

Abstract A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine maximum acceptable task frequencies (MAF) for males performing a simulated riveting task at different wrist postures and applied force levels using an operational rivet gun. Twelve healthy males from a university population served as subjects. Results indicated that MAF decreased significantly with a deviation in wrist posture and an increase in applied force. These results were supported by various physiological variables and ratings of perceived exertion. It was also determined that decrements in MAF due to vibration were 36% while decrements due to wrist posture were 19%. This would indicate that vibration, as a risk factor in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, is of more concern than wrist posture. Implication of the findings are discussed in the body of the paper. Relevance to industry Ergonomic intervention may decrease the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders thus reducing workers compensation costs and lost productivity of the worker.
A neonate with the Pelger-Huët anomaly, cleft lip and palate, and agenesis of the corpus callosum, with a chromosomal microdeletion involving 1q41 to 1q42.12.

We observed a neonate with cleft lip and palate, 13 sets of ribs, agenesis of the corpus callosum, slightly small penis, hypoglycemia, and what initially appeared to be a marked leukocyte ‘left shift’ on complete blood count, but which was actually a Pelger–Huet anomaly. A chromosomal microdeletion was identified at1q41-42.12.
Acute Hepatitis and Personality Change in a 31-Year-Old Man Taking Prohormone Supplement SUS500

Background For decades, anabolic-androgenic steroids have been abused to enhance muscle growth. The harm inflicted by these compounds is well documented. Objective The authors investigated and report on a case in which a male patient self-prescribed some newer dietary supplements, about which less is known. Method The authors report on a case of hepatitis and aggressive personality changes in a 31-year-old man taking purported prohormone agent SUS500 and other, newer supplements. Results Diagnosis was based on history, mental status exam, and laboratory findings. With discontinuation of all supplements and supportive care, the patient’s personality changes resolved, and normal liver function returned. Conclusion The authors conclude that newer anabolic supplements may cause some of the same side effects as traditional steroid hormones.
Supporting the dementia family caregiver: The effect of home care intervention on general well-being

Objectives: Although high volumes of literature have been written on interventions in dementia home care, only a poor efficiency has been proved. Nevertheless, caregivers often express strong feelings of satisfaction about the proposed support. In this meta-analytic review, a quantitative analysis of the effect of the different types of professional dementia home care interventions was made. Method: A systematic literature search, covering the years 1980 until 2007, was performed using Medline, Embase, Cochrane DSR, Dare, CCTR, and ACP Journal Club). Limitations on publication type were determined as randomized controlled trial and controlled trial. Results: Psychosocial intervention in dementia home care was found to be beneficial in a non-significant way on caregivers’ burden. An almost negligible decrease in depression was found in the psychosocial intervention arm while multidisciplinary case management contributed to a larger though insignificant decrease of depression in caregivers. Respite care was...
Painful lymphadenopathy and fulminant sepsis in a previously healthy 16-year-old girl.

A n abrupt onset of fever, chills, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting developed in a previously healthy 16-year-old girl. Viral gastroenteritis was diagnosed, and fluids and hydroxyzine were prescribed. Her symptoms persisted, and she developed painful, and swollen right axillary and cervical lymph nodes. She returned to her physician 3 days after onset of symptoms, and examination revealed a temperature of 37.6°C and lymphadenitis. Infectious mononucleosis was the clinical diagnosis, and propoxyphene-acetaminophen and ice packs were prescribed for the painful adenopathy. She returned the next day with continued painful lymph nodes, increasing weakness, numbness, and tingling sensation of both arms, and blurred vision. She lived with her father, mother, and younger brother in a semi-rural area along the base of the Rocky Mountains where there are a variety of wild rodents in the vicinity of their home. A Labrador family dog often accompanied her on hikes and jogs and would often examine animal burrows. A few days prior to her illness, which occurred in August, she moved a “stunned-looking” rodent on a nearby road. All other family members were healthy except for the dog who had a febrile illness 2 days prior to the patient’s onset of illness. The dog was treated with tetracycline and recovered. On examination, her temperature was 39.2°C, pulse was 140 beats/min, respiratory rate was 36 breaths/min, and BP was 80/50 mm Hg. Significant findings on examination included dry oral mucosa, tonsillar hypertrophy, and erythema with marked exudates; bilateral tender, enlarged anterior cervical, right supraclavicular and axillary nodes; and splenomegaly. Laboratory data were notable for a WBC count of 12,500/ L, with 43% neutrophils, 24% bands, 21% lymphocytes, 9% monocytes, and 3% metamyelocytes; platelet count was 41,000/ L, and serum sodium concentration was 124 mEq/L. Chest radiographic findings on hospital admission were normal.
Loss of Raf kinase inhibitor protein promotes cell proliferation and migration of human hepatoma cells.

Background & Aims: The Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has been identified as a suppressor of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Loss of RKIP function promotes tumor metastasis in prostate cancer and melanoma. The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)–mediated MAPK cascade is often activated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the role of RKIP in the molecular pathogenesis of these tumors is unknown. This study was performed to evaluate the role of RKIP in the development of HCC. Methods: The levels of RKIP expression in HCC tumor and corresponding peritumoral tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The underlying mechanisms of RKIP were assessed with immunoblot analysis, Raf kinase activity assay, cell proliferation, and migration assays after either overexpression or knockdown of RKIP expression in HCC cell lines. Results: RKIP expression is down-regulated in human HCC compared with adjacent peritumoral tissues. Low RKIP levels were correlated with enhanced extracellular signal–regulated-kinase (ERK)/MAPK pathway activation. Reconstitution experiments antagonized IGF-I–mediated MAPK pathway activation, resulting in reduced nuclear accumulation of phospho-ERK. In contrast, knockdown of RKIP expression using small interfering RNA induced activation of the ERK/MAPK pathway. Ectopic expression of RKIP altered HCC cell proliferation and migration. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that down-regulation of RKIP expression is a major factor in activation of the IGF-I/ERK/MAPK pathway during human hepatocarcinogenesis.
Chemical vapor deposition of methane for single-walled carbon nanotubes

We report the synthesis of high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes SWNT by chemical vapor deposition CVD of methane at 10008C on supported Fe O catalysts. The type of catalyst support is found to control the formation of individual 23 or bundled SWNTs. Catalysts supported on crystalline alumina nanoparticles produce abundant individual SWNTs and small bundles. Catalysts supported by amorphous silica particles produce only SWNT bundles. Studies of the ends of SWNTs lead to an understanding of their growth mechanism. Also, we present the results of methane CVD on supported NiO, CoO and NiOrCoO catalysts. q 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The Trade Union Movement and the Redistribution of Power in Postwar Germany

Introduction, 535. — I. A working class movement, 536. — II. "The long arm of the union in the plant," 537. — III. Industrial peace and political warfare, 539. — IV. The working classes, 541. — V. Alternatives, 542. — VI. The essential decisions, 545. — VII. The new order — joint economic pluralism, 552. — VIII. The new order at work, 558. — IX. Conclusion, 562.
Learning Multiple Tasks with a Sparse Matrix-Normal Penalty

In this paper, we propose a matrix-variate normal penalty with sparse inverse co-variances to couple multiple tasks. Learning multiple (parametric) models can be viewed as estimating a matrix of parameters, where rows and columns of the matrix correspond to tasks and features, respectively. Following the matrix-variate normal density, we design a penalty that decomposes the full covariance of matrix elements into the Kronecker product of row covariance and column covariance, which characterizes both task relatedness and feature representation. Several recently proposed methods are variants of the special cases of this formulation. To address the overfitting issue and select meaningful task and feature structures, we include sparse covariance selection into our matrix-normal regularization via l1 penalties on task and feature inverse covariances. We empirically study the proposed method and compare with related models in two real-world problems: detecting landmines in multiple fields and recognizing faces between different subjects. Experimental results show that the proposed framework provides an effective and flexible way to model various different structures of multiple tasks.
On the constant-current error in skin resistance measurement.

A substantial reduction in skin resistance (SR) is produced by a rise in induced voltage. This indicates that with a constant-current circuit, variations in voltage can have a significant effect on the SR level. Therefore, SR levels obtained with a constant-current and constant-voltage circuits were compared for a group of Ss. The higher the SR level, the greater the discrepancy between the constant-current and constant-voltage measurements. The use of a constant-voltage circuit when measuring high SR levels is recommended.
GridFoRCE: A Comprehensive Resource Kit for Teaching Grid Computing

A comprehensive suite of pedagogical resources is presented that will enable an instructor to embed grid computing concepts in a traditional distributed system course. Rapidly advancing Internet technologies and ever expanding application domains have created excitement in teaching distributed systems. Many fundamental concepts developed decades earlier, such as remote procedure calls and multithreading, have come to play key roles in modern distributed systems. Standards such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) have been developed to enable interoperability among heterogeneous distributed systems. However, a plethora of new paradigms, a wide variety of technological choices, and short cycles of technological obsolescence challenge the introduction of these important concepts into a distributed systems course. This paper describes how the author addressed these challenges in teaching grid computing. The paper also provides details of the resources developed during this process. The pedagogical resource kit developed includes course curriculum, lecture notes, a set of laboratory assignments, a Globus Toolkit-based experimental grid adapted to classroom assignments, and valuable lessons learned from the course offerings during the past two years. The material provided in this paper is expected to help to "jumpstart" educators considering the introduction of grid computing into their curricula
Safety of mechanical thrombectomy and intravenous tissue plasminogen activator in acute ischemic stroke. Results of the multi Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia (MERCI) trial, part I.

BACKGROUND: The MERCI (Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia) trial reported efficacy of the Merci Retriever for opening intracranial vessels in patients ineligible for intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Patients who receive IV tPA but do not recanalize may also benefit from thrombectomy, but the revascularization efficacy and safety of this strategy has not been reported. METHODS: Multi MERCI is an ongoing international, multicenter, prospective, single-arm trial of patients with large vessel stroke treated within 8 hours of symptom onset. Patients were enrolled who had received IV tPA but did not recanalize or who were ineligible for IV tPA. Primary outcome was vascular recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] score II/III) and safety. RESULTS: One hundred eleven patients received the thrombectomy procedure. Mean age ± SD was 66.2 ± 17.0 years, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 19 ± 6.3. Thirty patients (27%) received IV tPA before intervention. Treatment with the Retriever alone resulted in successful recanalization in 60 of 111 (54%) treatable vessels and in 77 of 111 (69%) after adjunctive therapy (IA tPA, mechanical). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) occurred in 10 of 111 (9.0%). Clinically significant procedural complications occurred in 5 of 111 (4.5%) patients. The symptomatic ICH rate was 2 of 30 (6.7%) in patients pretreated with IV tPA and 8 of 81 (9.9%) in those without ( P > .99). CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical thrombectomy after IV tPA seems as safe as mechanical thrombectomy alone. Mechanical thrombectomy with both first- and second-generation Merci devices is efficacious in opening intracranial vessels during acute ischemic stroke in patients who are either ineligible for IV fibrinolytic therapy or have failed IV fibrinolytic therapy.
The effectiveness of geometry features on multi-resolution diffeomorphic demons registration in the implementation of human cortex surface parcellation

Fast automated labeling of the human cerebral cortex remains a challenging problem. We have implemented a completely automated pipeline to analyze brain morphology. For labeling of the cerebral cortex, a spherical diffeomorphic demons registration is used to drive an atlas surface into correspondence with the subject surface. This study focuses on identifying features or combination of features that will provide optimal correspondence between the atlas and subject. A multi-resolution scheme is used for the surface registration procedure. The roles of anatomical features in multi-resolution surface registration have been evaluated by using them across all resolutions of the registration procedure as well as combining them from low to high anatomical detail corresponding to the registration refinement. We found that combining features from low to high anatomical features provided the best automated labeling of the surface. The mean Dice metric for the four lobar regions studied was 0.85 using the combined features.
Critical Leadership and Music Educational Practice

The difference between systemic change and the micro level engagements or modest kinds of successes that teachers hope for is a largely unaddressed issue in music education policy and leadership. This article outlines a few propositions that place the notion of critical leadership as a central element in music and education focusing on the notion that any educative action must amplify our capacity to ‘hear’ others, and empower a sense of autonomy where teachers can expand their ability to enact their speech and see that speech rendered credible by others.
Direct N-body simulations with a recursive center of mass reduction and regularization

We report on an investigation of the core collapse of an initially bound system of 1024 point masses based on a new numerical method which incorporates a recursive center of mass reduction of the N-body system and includes regularization of the two body encounters. A tree which organizes the point masses into a logarithmic hierarchy is the primary feature of the numerical algorithm. The spatial structure of the tree allows for rapid force calculation while the associated temporal structure allows for variable time steps. Simulations are calculated for several core collapse times in an effort to follow the end point evolution of the system. The point-like nature of the interactions are maintained throughout the simulations.
Die Strukturen von Nucleinsäureanaloga und Antisense‐Oligonucleotiden

Die Hybridisierung komplementarer Oligonucleotide ist ein Schlusselvorgang bei wertvollen Forschungsmethoden in vielen Gebieten einschlieslich Genetik, Molekularbiologie und Zellbiologie. Ein Antisense-Molekul fur ein bestimmtes Segment einer Sense-Messenger-RNA ermoglicht zum Beispiel ein selektives Abschalten der Genexpression, und die Polymerase-Kettenreaktion erfordert komplementare Primer, damit sie ablauft. Grose Hoffnungen setzt man auch in den moglichen therapeutischen Nutzen von Antisense-Verbindungen bei der Behandlung verschiedener Krankheiten einschlieslich Krebs. Gegenstand intensiver Forschung sind die Mechanismen der Aufnahme von Antisense-Verbindungen in die Zelle und ihrer Weiterleitung zu spezifischen Orten innerhalb der Zelle, ein verbessertes Verstandnis der Art und Weise, wie diese Verbindungen die Produktion von Proteinen hemmen, sowie die Optimierung der chemischen Stabilitat von Antisense-Verbindungen und der thermodynamischen Stabilitat der Duplexe die sie mit den mRNAs bilden. Die letzten beiden Punkte haben besonders Chemiker motiviert, nach Oligonucleotidanaloga mit verbesserten Bindungseigenschaften fur die Hybridisierung mit RNA und hoherer Bestandigkeit gegenuber Abbau durch Nucleasen zu suchen. In den letzten Jahren fuhrte diese Forschung zu einer Vielzahl neuer chemischer Modifikationen von DNA und RNA, die sowohl das Zucker-Phosphat-Ruckgrat als auch die Nucleobasen betreffen. Bisher befasten sich jedoch nur wenige Forschungen mit den genauen Ursachen von Stabilitatsgewinn oder -verlust bei Nucleinsaureanaloga, die an RNA binden. Obwohl sehr viele thermodynamische Daten zusammengetragen wurden, versteht man die durch die Modifikationen in Hybrid-Duplexen induzierten Umordnungen der Struktur nur schlecht. Bei vielen modifizierten Oligonucleotiden ist die Chemie des Anbringens und Entfernens von Schutzgruppen und der Kupplung inzwischen mit den Standardvorschriften der DNA-und RNA-Synthese vereinbar. Dies ermoglicht es, modifizierte Nucleinsaurefragmente oder gemischte Oligonucleotide, die Modifikationen an ausgewahlten Stellen enthalten, in fur Untersuchungen der dreidimensionalen Struktur geeigneten Mengen herzustellen. Solche Untersuchungen sollten die strukturchemischen Ursachen fur die beobachteten Affinitats- und Spezifitatsveranderungen der Bindung bei bestimmten Modifikationen aufzeigen; sie konnen die Entwicklung von Antisense-Verbindungen der zweiten und dritten Generation in die richtige Richtung lenken. Daruber hinaus liefert die Verfugbarkeit einer zuvor unvorstellbaren Fulle an modifizierten Bausteinen und die Erforschung ihrer Strukturen die Moglichkeit, die Strukturen nativer DNA und RNA besser zu verstehen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag sind die Ergebnisse der in unserem Labor in den letzten drei Jahren durchgefuhrten Kristallstrukturuntersuchungen mit modifizierten Nucleinsaurefragmenten und die daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zusammengestellt.
Cardiac toxicity in association with chemotherapy and radiation therapy in a large cohort of older patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Background The study's objective was to investigate the risks of developing cardiac disorders following the administration of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The study consisted of 34 209 patients aged ≥65 years with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I–IV NSCLC identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result-Medicare linked database (1991–2002) who were free of cardiac disorders at NSCLC diagnosis. Results There were significant associations between the use of chemotherapy/radiation and the risks of developing ischemic heart disease, conduction disorders, cardiac dysfunction, and heart failure. The absolute risks for cardiac dysfunction increased with the administration of chemotherapy-only and radiation-only, and incrementally with chemoradiation. Men, blacks, older patients, those with higher comorbidity scores, and advanced disease were at higher risk. The risk for ischemic heart disease increased when radiation/chemoradiation were rendered to the left lung and both lungs and for cardiac dysfunction, radiation administered to the left lung. Conclusions There were significant associations especially for cardiac dysfunction with use of chemotherapy/radiation therapy and risks of developing cardiac toxicity in NSCLC patients. The risks of treatment-associated cardiac toxicity, specifically ischemic heart disease and cardiac dysfunction, were greatest among those with left-sided lung tumors.
KQML & FLBC: contrasting agent communication languages

Communication languages for agents and otherwise have been designed to minimize the size of the message and to function more as data-passing protocols. Little emphasis has been placed on the flexibility of the languages or the transparency of the message's meaning. The author analyzes the recently defined formal semantics of KQML, which is used as the exemplar of agent communication languages. Based on this, he then specifies an FLBC message whose effects would be more or less equivalent. The purpose of this is to compare standard agent based languages (KQML in this case) with one that more directly represents the meaning of the message. The results indicate that the latter type of language makes message composition more powerful, message decomposition feasible, and has the by-product of instantly defining many more possibly useful messages.
Plastic Mulches for the Production of Vegetable Crops

Abstract The development of polyethylene as a plastic film in 1938 and its subsequent introduction as a clear and black plastic mulch in the early 1950s revolutionized the commercial production of selected vegetable crops. Throughout the succeeding years and to the present day, research, extension and industry personnel, together with growers, have documented the advantages of using different plastic mulches as one component of a complete “intensive” vegetable production system. Although a variety of vegetables can be grown successfully using plastic mulches, muskmelons, honeydews, watermelons, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, sweet corn, and Cole crops have shown significant increases in earliness, total yield, and improved quality. Research since the 1950s continued on field evaluation of new formulations of degradable, first photo and now bio, wavelength-selective, and a wide array of various colored plastic mulches and on cropping systems to best utilize these specific improvements. The use the plastic mulches for the production of vegetable crops continues to increase throughout the United States and the world.
A review on protein oligomerization process

Enzymes or proteins are commonly present in oligomeric forms for active biological functions. The formation of protein oligomers, either in nature or by artificial means, can take place via covalent bonding or through weak-bond-network associations. Disulfide bonds are more common in forming covalent protein oligomers. Covalent bound protein oligomers usually have additional elements introduced, while proteins associated through weak-bond-networks usually do not involve any additional bound chemical groups. Proteins are commonly present in stable forms or folds. Oligomerization can occur when stable proteins unfold, creating exposed interfaces for association interactions. One well-known process of weak-bond-network oligomerization is domain swapping (DS). Separating the two touching/interacting domains creates opportunities for similar interactions with different protein molecules, leading to oligomerization. Both disulfide bonding and DS oligomerization can be dynamic (or reversible) at least at low Degree of Polymerizations (DPs). The dynamic nature of the protein oligomerization is important for bioactivity control. The morpheein model and the polymorph model are thus important in quantifying enzyme catalyzed biotransformations. Disulfide bonding and DS can act together to form supramolecules. The formation of supramolecules, such as amyloids, in nature can be benign or harmful. Industrial applications of protein oligomerization exploit the special functions /properties of the resultant supramolecules, such as multiple biofunctions, niche structure, etc..
Research Supporting Policy Advocacy in an Anti-Welfare Environment: The TANF Time Limit Law in Maine

This article presents a case study of policy practice in action. It reviews the place of policy practice and advocacy in the social work profession and education and reports on a state-level example of collaboration between advocacy groups and academics to promote socially just welfare policies. After years of relatively progressive welfare policies in Maine, a conservative governor and legislature passed the State’s first 60-month time limit law in 2011. The author conducted research documenting the impact of the law and used the findings in legislative advocacy, thereby modeling for her students the importance of the policy practice role.
Review: Digital Hadrian’s Villa Project by Bernard Frischer and John Fillwalk

Bernard Frischer and John Fillwalk Digital Hadrian’s Villa Project Indiana University and Ball State University http://vwhl.clas.virginia.edu/villa Over the past twenty years, advances in information technologies have transformed how we navigate daily life, in ways too radical and comprehensive to summarize here. The same tools that have revolutionized personal communications, public records, and the myriad machinations of commerce have arguably also changed the practice of scholarship: we can now download PDFs of academic articles from anywhere in the world. Conference presentations can now take place remotely via live streaming, and social media tools have augmented the dissemination and assessment of research in ways that have broadened and accelerated prior paradigms of academic discourse. Despite all these changes, such innovations in scholarly practice pale next to the existing potential of digital tools in common use and those on the cusp of ubiquity. Today, the same Internet browser that enables us to locate books held in libraries across the globe also has the intrinsic capacity to scrutinize the contents of every page in every book. The emergence of Big Data, developed in part to facilitate the secure transfer of trillions in financial transactions daily, could also be put to use analyzing millions of archival artifacts in the same twenty-four-hour period. The same computational forces harnessed …
Rousseau's Impossible Patriotism

Some notable contemporary political theorists (Rorty, Schaar, Taylor) insist that patriotism is indispensable to democratic political communities. Laden with necessary affect, patriotism furnishes citizens with a sense of loyalty, commitment, devotion, and purpose on which democracies depend and would otherwise lack. In the absence of patriotism, then, the polity has little, if any, chance of flourishing. Rousseau approaches the subject with an even greater sense of urgency. Rorty, Schaar, and Taylor write within a context of democratic triumph and consolidation, however much democracy may be impoverished or suffering. Rousseau, on the other hand, writes in and of a world where democracy fights for its life. It’s not just that the founding of a democratic community represents a precarious achievement rather than a perfected solution. It’s that democracy finds itself under siege from the moment of birth until its death at the putative end of history, largely if not exclusively from within. This is the fragile context within which Rousseau’s theorization of democracy, citizenship, and patriotism unfolds. Turning to Discourse on Political Economy, Poland, Discourse on the Virtue Most Necessary for a Hero, and On the Social Contract, patriotism, which takes standard and startling forms in Rousseau, turns out to be both vital and noxious to democracy, even to life itself.
The Virtuous Circle of Justice: Richard Dawson's 'Justice as Attunement. Transforming Constitutions in Law, Literature, Economics, and the Rest of Life'

This is my review of Richard Dawson's, Justice as Attunement. Here, from the introduction to the review, is a description of the book and of the review. "Although he does not express it in these terms, in approaching justice through attunement Richard Dawson is thinking of justice as a certain form of truth, a way of thinking about it far from common for our time although it may have been common in times past. In doing this, he is trying to make our language reveal that which we have used to conceal for a very long time, and the challenge of this, if not impossible, is certainly daunting. This book then is an act of courage, and to read it well I think you must read it as such. There is no way to say in propositional terms what he wants to say. What he must do instead, if he is to be true to this form of justice, is to offer readers of this alphabetical lexicon not ordinary definitions, but performative ones: carefully chosen unsettling experiences of the words one might wish to use if propositional terms were possible, experiences that, as he puts it, can 'transform' these words and, in doing so, 'transform' his readers in their understanding of justice. In a culture wedded to 'It is what it is!' Dawson, with each word he explores, gently insists: 'No, it isn't'.All this is to say that this is a very difficult book to review. Its form is as a lexicon of twenty-four words, most of which are central to the work of James Boyd White, and also central for Dawson for an 'attunement' to justice. Analogous uses of each word are explored through carefully selected literary, legal, philosophical, political, historical, economic, and other texts in order to determine the word's role in this attunement. Now, doing this as a lexicon is certainly interesting and creative, but it is also straightforward enough. The way in which each entry works, the way each relates to the others, the way each works upon us, and the way all this relates to justice, however, is quite another matter."
Review: Shaker in Chicago: Three Exhibitions on Shaker Art, Design, and Architecture

Shaker in Chicago: Three Exhibitions on Shaker Art, Design, and Architecture Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago 7 February–26 April 2015 Curators mounting exhibitions of Shaker objects typically walk a fine line. Do they display these objects as functional artifacts or as exceptional works of art? Shaker in Chicago , mounted by the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), attempted to do both, a challenging task, and was not entirely successful in achieving its goal. Although the Shakers produced objects highly regarded by scholars and collectors for their aesthetic value, such as chairs, tables, and oval boxes, they did not think of their products as works of art. Instead, they saw their creations as reflections of their religious and social beliefs as well as means to shape and control behavior in Shaker communities. Shaker in Chicago consisted of three exhibitions. The first two, Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection , organized by Hancock Shaker Village and toured by International Arts & Artists, and As It Is in Heaven: The Legacy of Shaker Faith and Design , organized by LUMA, were combined in a series of five galleries. The third exhibition, Order in All Things: Community and Identity in Shaker Architecture , also mounted by LUMA, was located in a separate, but adjacent, corridor gallery. Gather Up the Fragments and As It Is in Heaven relied primarily on the extensive collection assembled by Edward Deming Andrews (1894–1964) and Faith Young Andrews (1896–1990) beginning in …
Quantifying Emergency Department Visits From Sport and Recreation: Focus on the Lower Extremity and Knee, 1997–2009

Context: Few authors have reported nationally representative data on the number of sport and recreation (SR) injuries resulting in emergency department (ED) visitation. The existing studies have only provided 1 or 2 years of data and are not longitudinal in nature. Objective: To use a novel algorithmic approach to determine if ED visitation is due to SR, resulting in a substantially larger longitudinal dataset. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Hospital. Patients or Other Participants: The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a stratified random-sample survey of US hospital EDs was combined for years 1997–2009. There were 15 699 unweighted patient visits determined to be from SR. Main Outcome Measure(s): A custom algorithm classified SR visits based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification E-code and pattern recognition of narrative text. Sport and recreation visits were assessed by age and categorized according to broad injury clas...
Experimental Optimization of Parallel 3D Overlapping Domain Decomposition Schemes

Overlapping domain decomposition is a possible convenient technique for solving complex problems described by Partial Differential Equations in a parallel framework. The performance of this approach strongly depends on the size and the position of the overlap since the overlapping has a positive impact on the number of iterations required by the numerical scheme and the relatively flexible and judicious choice of the interface may lead to a reduction of the communication time. In this paper we test the overlapping domain decomposition method on the finite element discretization of a diffusion reaction problem in both idealized and real 3D geometries. Results confirm that the detection of the optimal overlapping in real cases is not trivial but has the potential to significantly reduce the computational costs of the entire solution process.
Controlled n-Type Doping of Carbon Nanotube Transistors by an Organorhodium Dimer.

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transistors are among the most developed nanoelectronic devices for high-performance computing applications. While p-type SWCNT transistors are easily achieved through adventitious adsorption of atmospheric oxygen, n-type SWCNT transistors require extrinsic doping schemes. Existing n-type doping strategies for SWCNT transistors suffer from one or more issues including environmental instability, limited carrier concentration modulation, undesirable threshold voltage control, and/or poor morphology. In particular, commonly employed benzyl viologen n-type doping layers possess large thicknesses, which preclude top-gate transistor designs that underlie high-density integrated circuit layouts. To overcome these limitations, we report here the controlled n-type doping of SWCNT thin-film transistors with a solution-processed pentamethylrhodocene dimer. The charge transport properties of organorhodium-treated SWCNT thin films show consistent n-type behavior when characterized...