cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Projects Portfolio Selection Framework Combining MCDA UTASTAR Method with 0–1 Multi-Objective Programming

The evaluation of projects portfolio effectiveness is a complex and diverse topic linked to the strategic planning, the efficiency of project implementation teams, the social and economic environment, the availability of resources etc. The appropriate projects selection constitutes one of the key points to ensure the total portfolio success by including different selection criteria regards not only to projects efficiency but also to their effectiveness. Efficiency reflects whether the project management team used effectively the organization’s resources in order to accomplish the initial plan and project goals, while effectiveness determines whether the results of a project meet the objectives set by the organization’s top management team. In this chapter we are discussing an approach for the selection and evaluation of projects portfolio based on two multicriteria methodological frames: (a) The Multi Criteria UTA(*) method of Disaggregation—Aggregation approach (D-A) with which the alternative actions are evaluated according to the business strategic objectives and (b) the Multi-objective (0–1) Linear Programming techniques, which are utilised to select a subset of the alternative projects considering the estimated with the D-A approach multicriteria global values of the alternative projects, the additional objectives related to the external environment, the internal and external policy restrictions, the availability of resources and the specific market conditions. The incorporation of stochastic criteria into the analysis to evaluate the alternative projects under uncertainty is also presented in the following sections. The aforementioned approaches are illustrated through a case study concerning the projects portfolio selection of a contraction firm.
American hockey league attendance: A study of fan preferences for fighting, team performance, and promotions

Due to recent deaths of known enforcers in professional hockey, the role of fighting in the sport has come under increased scrutiny. This study examines the role of fighting, along with other factors, as it relates to attendance in the top developmental minor league for the NHL, the American Hockey League (AHL). AHL fans are shown to respond favorably to fighting, with more fans attending games when the home team fights more often. Fans are also shown to respond to the opponent and to a wide of promotions, which were tabulated from team websites and included in the model.
DIADS: addressing the my-problem-or-yours syndrome with integrated SAN and database diagnosis

We present DIADS, an integrated DIAgnosis tool for Databases and Storage area networks (SANs). Existing diagnosis tools in this domain have a database-only (e.g., [11]) or SAN-only (e.g., [28]) focus. DIADS is a first-of-a-kind framework based on a careful integration of information from the database and SAN subsystems; and is not a simple concatenation of database-only and SAN-only modules. This approach not only increases the accuracy of diagnosis, but also leads to significant improvements in efficiency. DIADS uses a novel combination of non-intrusive machine learning techniques (e.g., Kernel Density Estimation) and domain knowledge encoded in a new symptoms database design. The machine learning component provides core techniques for problem diagnosis from monitoring data, and domain knowledge acts as checks-and-balances to guide the diagnosis in the right direction. This unique system design enables DIADS to function effectively even in the presence of multiple concurrent problems as well as noisy data prevalent in production environments. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach through a detailed experimental evaluation of DIADS implemented on a real data center testbed with PostgreSQL databases and an enterprise SAN.
Communication: Proton exchange in low temperature co-mixed amorphous H 2 O and D 2 O films: The effect of the underlying Pt(111) and graphene substrates.

Isotopic exchange reactions in mixed D2O and H2O amorphous solid water (ASW) films were investigated using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Nanoscale films composed of 5% D2O in H2O were deposited on Pt(111) and graphene covered Pt(111) substrates. At 130 K, we find that the reaction is strongly dependent on the substrate with the H/D exchange being significantly more rapid on the Pt(111) surface than on graphene. At 140 K, the films eventually crystallize with the final products on the two substrates being primarily HOD molecule on Pt(111) and a mixture of HOD and unreacted D2O on graphene. We demonstrate by pre-dosing H2 and O2 on Pt(111) that the observed differences in reactivity on the two substrates are likely due to the formation of hydrogen ions at the Pt(111) surface that are not formed on graphene. Once formed the mobile protons move through the ASW overlayer to initiate the H/D exchange reaction.
Critical Care Viral Infections

Abstract Viral infections are a common cause of critical illness, particularly of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Most are managed by supportive care alone. Early identification is critical to proper care to facilitate antimicrobial de-escalation. A small subset of viruses has directed treatment, and critical care providers should be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of influenza, herpes simplex meningoencephalitis, and viral hepatitis. Antivirals can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with each of these illnesses.
Kinetic analysis of liquid phase photocatalysis and photolysis: A frequent disguise!

Abstract Studies of phenol photocatalyzed oxidation and of organic dye photolyzed or photocatalyzed destruction which explored variable initial concentrations, Co, often assumed pseudo first order behavior, and fitted data to a semilog plot of concentration, C(t) vs time, and found that the apparent first order rate constant decreases with increasing Co. We show from multiple literature examples that this behavior often disguises a true zero order initial rate of reaction. We recommend a re-analysis of existing literature reporting first order rate constants which vary with initial reactant concentration, Co.
Advancing Global Citizenship Education Through Global Competence and Critical Literacy: Innovative Practices for Inclusive Childhood Education:

This article presents a critical policy overview of inclusive education and global citizenship education (GCED) and offers two innovative childhood education practices that support inclusion of chi...
A molecular fluorophore in citric acid/ethylenediamine carbon dots identified and quantified by multinuclear solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

The composition of fluorescent polymer nanoparticles, commonly referred to as carbon dots, synthesized by microwave-assisted reaction of citric acid and ethylenediamine was investigated by 13 C, 13 C{1 H}, 1 H─13 C, 13 C{14 N}, and 15 N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. 13 C NMR with spectral editing provided no evidence for significant condensed aromatic or diamondoid carbon phases. 15 N NMR showed that the nanoparticle matrix has been polymerized by amide and some imide formation. Five small, resolved 13 C NMR peaks, including an unusual ═CH signal at 84 ppm (1 H chemical shift of 5.8 ppm) and ═CN2 at 155 ppm, and two distinctive 15 N NMR resonances near 80 and 160 ppm proved the presence of 5-oxo-1,2,3,5-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-7-carboxylic acid (IPCA) or its derivatives. This molecular fluorophore with conjugated double bonds, formed by a double cyclization reaction of citric acid and ethylenediamine as first shown by Y. Song, B. Yang, and coworkers in 2015, accounts for the fluorescence of the carbon dots. Cross-peaks in a 1 H─13 C HETCOR spectrum with brief 1 H spin diffusion proved that IPCA is finely dispersed in the polyamide matrix. From quantitative 13 C and 15 N NMR spectra, a high concentration (18 ± 2 wt%) of IPCA in the carbon dots was determined. A pronounced gradient in 13 C chemical-shift perturbations and peak widths, with the broadest lines near the COO group of IPCA, indicated at least partial transformation of the carboxylic acid of IPCA by amide or ester formation.
Leptomeningeal disease as a manifestation of CLL.

e17019 Background: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia is a lymphoproliferative disorder which can have variable course from being indolent to aggressive. Reported annual incidence of Chronic Lymphocytic ...
Enhancing the Electrocatalytic Activity of Pd/M (M = Ni, Mn) Nanoparticles for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Media through Electrochemical Dealloying

We have developed a facile and effective electrochemical dealloying strategy to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of Pd-M (M = Ni, Mn) nanoparticles for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a...
Infectious pathways of SARS-cov-2 in renal tissue

Coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world and caused significantly pandemic mobility and mortality. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) usually infects lungs first and involves other organs including kidneys subsequently. Acute kidney injury and proteinuria in patients with COVID19 are resulted from the direct infection of the spikycrowned viruses to proximal tubules and podocytes, leading to acute tubular injury and collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Therefore treatment strategy should target against the direct infection of SARS-CoV2 to the renal tissue.
SIX2 Regulates Human β Cell Differentiation from Stem Cells and Functional Maturation In Vitro

Summary Generation of insulin-secreting β cells in vitro is a promising approach for diabetes cell therapy. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are differentiated to β cells (SC-β cells) and mature to undergo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, but molecular regulation of this defining β cell phenotype is unknown. Here, we show that maturation of SC-β cells is regulated by the transcription factor SIX2. Knockdown (KD) or knockout (KO) of SIX2 in SC-β cells drastically limits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in both static and dynamic assays, along with the upstream processes of cytoplasmic calcium flux and mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, SIX2 regulates the expression of genes associated with these key β cell processes, and its expression is restricted to endocrine cells. Our results demonstrate that expression of SIX2 influences the generation of human SC-β cells in vitro.
The Victim-Offender Overlap in Intimate Partner Violence: Considering the Role of Self-control

Although a growing body of literature in the field of criminal justice documents the relationship between victimization and offending, only recently has this knowledge been applied to the study of ...
The Digital Dystopias of Black Mirror and Electric Dreams: by Steven Keslowitz, Jefferson, NC, McFarland and Company, 2020, 303 pp., $39.95 (paper), ISBN: 978-1-47667-868-9

It might be best to begin this review of Digital Dystopias by describing what the book is not. It’s not a serious work of television studies: author Steven Keslowitz makes no attempt to place the s...
Borrowing and Non-Borrowing among International Courts

Why do some international courts and judges extensively cite decisions from other courts whereas others do not? I examine what light theories of transjudicial communication shed on this question. I then confront these theoretical expectations with a global analysis of cross-citation patterns and an in-depth analysis of citations to and from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This yields four conclusions. First, contrary to its transnationalist reputation, the ECtHR rarely cites other courts in majority judgments, although ECtHR judges do so regularly in separate opinions. Second, ideology matters. ECtHR judges who are more inclined towards an expansive interpretation of the Convention (“activists”) are more likely to use external citations. Third, there are large asymmetries in the extent to which international courts rely on each other’s jurisprudence. This finding is contrary to the hypothesis that transjudicial communication is driven by reciprocity principles. Fourth, the evidence is consistent with the notion that judges sometimes refrain from citing external sources for strategic reasons.
Comparative effectiveness of biologics and targeted therapies for psoriatic arthritis.

Objective To quantify comparative effectiveness of interleukin (IL)−12/23 antagonist (ustekinumab), IL-17A antagonists (secukinumab and ixekizumab), PDE4 inhibitor (apremilast) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol and golimumab) for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods We adapted a deidentified claims-based algorithm validated for inflammatory arthritis treatments to compare treatments among a retrospective cohort of commercially insured and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with PsA from October 2013 to April 2019 in the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. Main outcomes include (1) treatment effectiveness, based on: adherence, adding or switching biologic or PDE4, addition of new non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, increase in biologic or PDE4 dose or frequency and glucocorticoid use and (2) percentage of each group fulfilling the effectiveness algorithm. We used Poisson regression with robust variance stratified by prior PsA biologic exposure and adjusted for potential confounders. Results Of 2730 individuals with PsA, 327 received IL-12/23, 138 IL-17A’s, 624 PDE4 and 1641 TNF-α’s. Effectiveness criteria were fulfilled among 63 (19.3%) IL-12/23 recipients, 40 (29.0%) IL-17A recipients, 160 (25.6%) PDE4 recipients and 530 (32.3%) TNF-α recipients. Among biologic-naive individuals, IL-12/23 was less effective than TNF-α’s with fully adjusted relative risk (aRR) compared with TNF-α’s of 0.63 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.89). Among biologic-experienced individuals, PDE4 recipients were less effective than TNF-α’s (aRR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.96). Conclusions TNF-α’s appeared more effective than IL-12/23’s for biologic-naive individuals, and PDE4’s for biologic-experienced individuals. These results may help inform treatment choice for individuals with PsA.
An eight-year analysis of child labor trafficking cases in the United States: Exploring characteristics, and patterns of child labor trafficking.

Background Child labor trafficking in the U.S. has proven to be difficult to research and very little is known about the scope, severity, or common characteristics of child labor trafficking situations. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore if child labor trafficking exists in the U.S. through investigating the labor trafficking cases filed from 2011 to 2018. Once identified, the contributing vulnerability factors and case outcomes were analyzed to build new knowledge about child labor trafficking in the U.S. Participants and settings This study explores 34 cross-section child labor trafficking criminal cases in the U.S. resulting in 52 child labor trafficking victims being identified. Methods Cross sectional child labor trafficking case data collected through online searches were analyzed and described. Results The majority of the cases (73.5%, n = 25) were child labor trafficking only while 26.5% (n = 9) were both sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Fifty-eight percent of the victims were children from countries outside of the U.S. Victims in more than half of the cases (n = 18) identified their relationship with their traffickers as "friendly strangers/acquaintances". Techniques for recruitment and retention used by the child labor traffickers included psychological, physical, and sexual violence along with offering shelter to the victims. Conclusions Recommendations include the need to increase research and awareness about child labor trafficking in the United States, to develop and implement civil child protection, and to improve child victim benefits and compensation in the United States.
2 Automaticity of Encoding and Episodic Memory Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the automaticity of encoding and episodic memory processes. After decades of being on the fringe of basic memory research, research on adult age differences in memory has joined the mainstream of that research in recent years. These differential aging effects are an example of a dissociation of the kind in which an independent variable has very different effects on different forms of memory. In this case, the independent variable is age variation rather than an experimental variable such as one manipulating level of processing. As the number of independent variables producing such dissociations increases, the conviction that different forms of memory are involved, increases. The importance of adult age variation in this process distinction may be illustrated by the results obtained by Kausler and Puckett. Their young adult and elderly adult subjects received both a paired-associate learning task and a frequency judgment task.
A real elementary approach to the master recurrence and generalizations

The master theorem provides a solution to a well-known divide-and-conquer recurrence, called here the master recurrence. This paper proves two cook-book style generalizations of this master theorem. The first extends the treated class of driving functions to the natural class of exponential-logarithmic (EL) functions. The second extends the result to the multiterm master recurrence. The power and simplicity of our approach comes from re-interpreting integer recurrences as real recurrences, with emphasis on elementary techniques and real induction.
Wafer-level packaging of aluminum nitride RF MEMS filters

Aluminum nitride (AlN) radio frequency (RF) MEMS filters utilize piezoelectric coupling for high-performance electrical filters with frequency diversity in a small form factor. Furthermore, the compatibility of AlN with CMOS fabrication makes AlN extremely attractive from a commercial standpoint. A technological hurdle has been the ability to package these suspended resonator devices at a wafer level with high yield. In this work, we describe wafer-level packaging (WLP) of AlN MEMS RF filters in an all silicon package with solder balls on nickel vanadium / gold (NiV/Au) bond pads that are subsequently ready for flip chip bonding. For this integration scheme, we utilize a 150 mm device wafer, fabricated in a CMOS foundry, and bond at the wafer level to a cavity silicon wafer, which hermetically encapsulates each device. The cavity wafer is then uniformly plasma etched back using a deep reactive ion etcher resulting in a 100 µm thick hermetic silicon lid encapsulating each die, balled with 250 µm 90/10 Pb/Sn solder balls and finally diced into individually packaged dies. Each die can be frequency-trimmed to an exact frequency by rapid temperature annealing the stress of the metallization layers of each resonator. The resulting technology yields a completely packaged wafer of 900 encapsulated die (14 mm2 by 800 µm thick) with multiple resonators and filters at various frequencies in each package.
Using cosmology to constrain the topology of hidden dimensions

A four-dimensional universe, arising from a flux compactification of Type IIB string theory, contains scalar fields with a potential determined by topological and geometric parameters of the internal -hidden- dimensions. We show that inflation can be realized via rolling towards the large internal volume minima that are generic in these scenarios, and we give explicit formulae relating the microscopic parameters (e.g., the Euler number of the internal space) to the cosmological observables (e.g., the spectral index). We find that the tensor-to-scalar ratio, the running of the spectral index, and the potential energy density at the minimum are related by consistency relations and are exponentially small in the number of e-foldings. Further, requiring that these models arise as low-energy limits of string theory eliminates most of them, even if they are phenomenologically valid. In this context, this approach provides a strategy for systematically falsifying stringy inflation models.
Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) Clones

Artificial chromosome vector systems have facilitated mapping and sequencing of complex genomes at an increasingly rapid pace. They include cloned DNA fragments ranging from 50 kb to more than 1 million base pairs, as well as sequences that render them capable of growth in yeast or bacteria. Traditional bacterial cloning systems have remained important for the study of relatively short clones, but for the cloning of very large DNA segments artificial chromosomes have completely replaced earlier bacterial systems, including lambda phage-based cosmids. Keywords: YACs; BACs; PACs; artificial chromosomes; cloning vectors
The GABA receptors

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid neurotransmitter, is widely distributed throughout the neuraxis. Two pharmacologically and molecularly distinct GABA receptors have been identified, GABAA and GABAB. GABAA receptors are pentameric ligand-gated chloride-ion channels, whereas GABAB receptors are heterodimeric G protein-coupled sites. Although GABAA receptor subtypes can display pharmacological differences, the two molecularly distinct GABAB receptors have similar substrate specificities, limiting the ability to selectively manipulate this site. Gene deletion and point mutation studies have revealed the importance of GABA receptors in neural development and function, with subtle modifications in subunit amino acid composition having profound effects on behavioral phenotype and responses to drugs. The characterization of GABAA receptors has contributed substantially to the knowledge about allosteric regulation of ligand-gated ion channels. Such information is invaluable in defining precisely the mechanisms of action of numerous drugs, such as the benzodiazepines, and toxic agents. Research on GABAB receptors has proven the existence of dimeric metabotropic receptors and has provided the chemical tools necessary for defining such systems. The characterization of the pentameric GABAA and dimeric GABAB receptors has been crucial for understanding the neurobiological basis of some nervous system disorders. Given the importance of GABA in central nervous system function, further work on its receptors is likely to yield novel therapeutics for treating a host of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
An example of practical component testing

Studying real world software development practices benefits student learning of software engineering concepts. Results of a survey on component testing conducted by a student show how some software developers in industry actually perform component testing and how important they feel certain testing techniques are.
The postmodern politics of context definition : Competing reality frames in the Hill-Thomas spectacle

Building on Murray Edelman's (1988) analysis of the socially constructed nature of postmodern mass-mediated “political spectacles,” this research utilizes a Gamsonian framing analysis approach to examine the rhetorical themes and symbolic images employed by political proponents and opponents of the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas during the 1991 televised “sexual harassment” hearings. Because this dramatic national spectacle centered around the relative credibility of two opposed personalities in the public mind, the research focuses on the content of media images of the “real” Clarence Thomas and the “real” Anita Hill that were constructed for public consumption by the two opposed political camps in their attempts to sway mass opinion. Rhetorical motifs used by the “Hill” and “Thomas” political camps to frame the public debate are identified and classified based on newspaper and network television coverage of the events and on congressional transcripts. The impact of these symbolic messages in framing the context within which Americans ultimately gauged the “reality” status of Hill's and Thomas's respective truth claims is discussed, with particular emphasis on the intense symbolic contest that occurred between gender-based and race-based frames and on the implications for emerging styles of political discourse in postmodern society.
Purification of "colony-forming" cells from immature rat testis.

Abstract Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) enhances colony formation (as a result of reaggregation) by dissociated 10-day-old rat testis cells in primary culture. The purpose of this study was to examine various cytological characteristics of the FSH-responsive cells and develop techniques for their purification. The ability of testis cells to form colonies in response to FSH (5 μg/ml) was tested at various ages and was found to be maximal at 15 days of age. No colony formation occurred at ages greater than 20 days. Using colony formation as an assay for the FSH-responsive cells, techniques were developed for their purification. Colony cells were purified on a continuous bovine serum albumin (BSA) step gradient (1 ml/step). In fractions purified in this manner and subsequently cultured 24 h with FSH (5 μg/ml) 99.4% of attached cells were colony cells. Light and electron microscopy indicated that the colony cells (1) were one cell type; (2) were not germinal cells; (3) ultrastructurally resembled in situ Sertoli cell of the immature rat testis; and (4) contained a nucleolus with satellite karyosomes, structures which are characteristic of rat Sertoli cells. The mitotic index of the purified cells was 0.014% following 24 h in 10 −5 M colchicine. Based on these data, it was concluded that the FSH responsive cells in culture are Sertoli cells.
Supermultiplet classification of higher intrashell doubly excited states of H − and He

We compute new estimates of energy levels of doubly excited states with two electrons in the same shell, for all principal quantum numbers $N\ensuremath{\le}5$ and angular momentum values $0\ensuremath{\le}L\ensuremath{\le}2N\ensuremath{-}2$ in ${\mathrm{H}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and He. We investigate the structure of these intrashell spectra using a recent "supermultiplet" approach which orginates in the O(4) shell structure of one-electron atoms. We provide new interpretations of the electron correlation underlying the O(4) states and supermultiplets of two-electron atoms; this accounts qualitatively for approximate separability of rotationlike and vibrationlike progressions of levels found in the computed spectra. Certain diamond-shaped patterns of supermultiplet energies are found to contain near degeneracies of levels with $\ensuremath{\Delta}L=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2$; this accounts in part for level clustering we find in the unresolved spectra. Our investigation of scaling of the apparent rotational and vibrational parts of the energy with higher $N$ shows consistency with a simple model of the atom which has electrons on the surface of a spherical shell, with radius $R\ensuremath{\simeq}{N}^{2}$. We investigate the model group theoretically, and find two different O(4) groups which describe angular electron correlation in limiting cases of large or small shell radius for each principal quantum number $N$. A third O(4) group is related to intrashell radiative transitions.
Unusual left atrial enlargement with patent ductus arteriosus.

Abstract A case is described of a 37-year-old woman with a large patent ductus arteriosus associated with unusual enlargement of the left atrium. Although significant left atrial enlargement is most commonly a reflection of organic mitral valve disease, the left atrium can nevertheless enlarge under the influence of a variety of other stimuli, including left-to-right central shunts of the ductus type. The degree of enlargement in this case, however, clearly reached the proportion seen in mitral valve disease.
Novel beam-scanning techniques for low-cost commercial applications

Applications of millimeter-wave radar, imaging, and communication technology requires cost- effective implementation of intelligent scanning antenna systems. Recent ideas based on switched-beam, traveling wave, and coupled-oscillator or injection-locking techniques show promise for reducing complexity and cost of conventional phased-array systems. This paper focuses on coupled-oscillator techniques and remaining technical challenges for practical implementation of these ideas.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Leader-follower consensus over numerosity-constrained random networks

In this work, we study a discrete-time consensus protocol for a group of agents which communicate over a class of stochastically switching networks inspired by fish schooling. The network model incorporates the phenomenon of numerosity, that plays a prominent role in the collective behavior of animal groups, by defining the individuals' perception of numbers. The agents comprise leaders, which share a common state, and followers, which update their states based on information exchange among neighboring agents. We establish a closed form expression for the asymptotic convergence factor of the protocol, that measures the decay rate of disagreement among the followers' and the leaders' states. Handleable forms of this expression are derived for the physically relevant cases of large networks whose agents are composed of primarily leaders or followers. Numerical simulations are conducted to validate analytical results and illustrate the consensus dynamics as a function of the number of leaders in the group, the agents' persuasibility, and the agents' numerosity. We find that the maximum speed of convergence for a given population can be enhanced by increasing the proportion of leaders in the group or the agents' numerosity. On the other hand, we find that increasing the numerosity has also a negative effect as it reduces the range of agents' persuasibility for which consensus is possible. Finally, we compare the main features of this leader-follower consensus protocol with its leaderless counterpart to elucidate the benefits and drawbacks of leadership in numerosity-constrained random networks.
Immunohistochemical detection of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) in cervical squamous intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous carcinoma

Abstract Premalignant and invasive squamous lesions of the uterine cervix were surveyed for the immunohistochemical detectability of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), believed to be the most potent of a novel group of proteins designated inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). IAPs bind and prevent the activation of apoptosis-mediating caspases. Recent cancer biologic studies have implicated IAPs in therapeutic resistance and tumor aggressiveness. XIAP in particular is considered a highly promising target for drug discovery. Forty-four formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded archival tissue sections were deparaffinized; subjected to citrate-based antigen retrieval; and immunostained with anti-XIAP monoclonal antibody (clone 48, BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif) diluted 1:250, 4°C × 72 hours; and developed using EnVision-Plus (Dako, Carpinteria, Calif) and diaminobenzidine as chromagen. Particulate or heterogeneous cytoplasmic staining was considered positive. Normal squamous epithelium was XIAP-positive in 7 of 34 cases (20.6%). Preinvasive intraepithelial lesions were positively stained in 54.5% of cases. Nineteen of 22 invasive squamous carcinomas were positive (86.4%). The intensity and extensiveness of XIAP immunostaining varied among individual cases, but trended upward with loss of tumor differentiation: 8 of 9 cases with strong staining were poorly differentiated carcinomas. The present study suggests the characteristic link between poor tumor differentiation and more aggressive clinical behavior could in some malignancies be based upon the concomitant induction of XIAP. Induction of XIAP appears to occur in a subset of intraepithelial lesions; in others, XIAP is detected only upon progression to invasive carcinoma. Detection of enhanced XIAP expression may also pinpoint those lesions that might benefit from pharmacologic disruption of XIAP's actions.
Laser Chemical Etching Method For Drilling Vias In GaAs

AbstractRapid drilling of vias in thick wafers (381 um) of GaAs has been achieved by a laser assisted etching process. The technique utilized a CW visible argon ion laser and an etchant gas of low pressure C12. Data on thedependence of the etch rate on the laser power, wavelength and C12 gas pressure are presented.IntroductionWe report the rapid drilling of vias in thick wafers of GaAs by means ofa laser assisted chemical etching technique which utilizes a visible CW argon ion laser and a gas -phase etchant (C12) at low pressure. The controlledetching of elemental and compound semiconductors is important in fabricatingmany microelectronic structures including integrated optical elements andmicrowave devices1 -3. The most recent publication1 describes a process for GaAs via hole drilling which maintains the wafer in an aqueous solution duringthe laser irradiation. Only thin wafers ( -5 mils) were drilled through but at a rate of 30 um /min which is less than 1/50 that achieved with our
Population differences of aspartate aminotransferase and peptidase in the bay mussel Mytilus edulis.

Summary This investigation has demonstrated considerable heterogeneity among populations and some heterogeneity within populations in the distribution of alleles at two variant loci of Mytilus edulis. Although the causes of this variation remain obscure, some speculations have been made on the basis of available data. A cline for aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) alleles has been observed on the Pacific Coast. An immigration model has been proposed to explain the atypical ecological and genetic characteristics of large mussels found on Amchitka Island, Alaska. Marked differences were found in the distribution of peptidase alleles among collections from Southern California, the North Pacific Ocean, and New Jersey. Deviations from random distribution of phenotypes observed in comparisons made between large and small mussels from the New Jersey collection may reflect selection operating on these loci in this population.
Structure activity relationships and quantitative structure activity relationships for the flavonoid-mediated inhibition of breast cancer resistance protein

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a newly identified ABC transporter, which plays an important role in drug disposition and represents an additional mechanism for the development of MDR. Flavonoids, a major class of natural compounds widely present in foods and herbal products, have been shown to be BCRP inhibitors. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the SAR and derive a QSAR model for flavonoid-BCRP interaction. The EC(50) values for increasing mitoxantrone accumulation in MCF-7 MX100 cells for 25 flavonoids, from five flavonoid subclasses, were determined in this study or obtained from our previous publication [Zhang S, Yang X, Morris ME. Combined effects of multiple flavonoids on breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2)-mediated transport. Pharm Res 2004;21(7):1263-73], and ranged from 0.07+/-0.02 microM to 183+/-21.7 microM. We found that the presence of a 2,3-double bond in ring C, ring B attached at position 2, hydroxylation at position 5, lack of hydroxylation at position 3 and hydrophobic substitution at positions 6, 7, 8 or 4', are important structural properties important for potent flavonoid-BCRP interaction. These structural requirements are similar but not identical to those for potent flavonoid-NBD2 (P-glycoprotein) interaction, indicating that inhibition of BCRP by flavonoids may involve, in part, the binding of flavonoids with the NBD of BCRP. In addition, a QSAR model consisting three structural descriptors was constructed, and both internally and externally validated, suggesting the model could be used to quantitatively predict BCRP inhibition activity of flavonoids. These findings should be useful for predicting BCRP inhibition activity of other untested flavonoids and for guiding the synthesis of potent BCRP inhibitors for potential clinical application.
AUTOCORRELATION ANALYSIS OF GROSS LEARNING SCORES

This study applies autocorrelation methods to the analysis of gross learning scores on the rotary pursuit task. Autocorrelation analysis is one method of time series analysis, and an excellent discussion of autocorrelation and spectral analysis is given by Abelson (1) who includes an adequate bibliography. The term autocorrelation is used to designate the method and theoretical functions, while the term serial correlation is used for the autocorrelation function that is computed from a sample of data. The serial correlation function is a plot of r, the correlation coefficient, against T, the degree of separation of correlated scores in the time series. For example, in the time series 1, 4, 3, 8, 7, 3, 2, 5, 9, 8, 9, 4, 2, . . . , the serial correlation for T = 0 would be obtained by correlating the following pairs of measures: 1-1, 4-4, 3-3, 8-8, etc. For T = 1, the correlation would be computed for 1-4,4-3, 3-8, 8-7, etc.; for T = 2, the pairs would be 1-3, 4-8, 3-7, 8-3, 7-2, etc.; for T = 3, the pairs would be 1-8, 4-7, 3-3, 8-2, 7-5, etc.; and for T = 4, the pairs would be 1-7, 4-3, 3-2, etc. The course of learning is described by a series of measures of performance, and like any time series, the learning series may be described in terms of autocorrelation analysis, Fourier analysis, or other standard time series techniques. If a time series consists of random variations in a stationary state, the time averages are the same as the statistical averages, and a detailed analysis is possible. Learning, of course, is not a stationary process but shows progressive changes in performance measures. It is not easy to handle progressive changes in a time series, but there are many standard procedures for handling constant drifts, secular, and seasonal trends in time data that have been developed in the analysis of economic statistics. Although the autocorrelation and spectral analysis of learning data may turn out to be complicated by absence of stationary
Binary Optics and Beyond: Where Do We Go from Here?

Reviewed is the development of the U.S. binary optics project and its evolving extensions. From its inception it pursued two goals: The development of optics technologies based on circuit fabrication and the immediate insertions of that technology into systems. The approach in the project was very different from the usual government funded research effort. I will outline new applications and suggest further research.
Lead level in foremilk and neurobehavioral development of neonates

Abstract Background Recently, it has been reported that blood lead level lower than 24 μmol/L can lead to learning and cognitive deficits. Objective To investigate the relationship of lead level in foremilk and early neurobehavioral development of neonates taking lead level in foremilk as lead exposure index. Design A controlled observation. Setting Maternal and Child Health Center, Shanxi Children's Hospital. Participants Totally 128 neonates of full-term normal delivery, 76 male and 52 female, from Shanxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Center and Jiexiu Maternal and Child Health Center were involved in this study. All the involved neonates had no peripartal ischemic/hypoxic history. The corresponding puerperants were aged (27±5)years. They had no various acute and chronic diseases during pregnancy, and family history of neurological disease as well as occupational lead exposure. Informed consents of detected items were obtained from the puerperants. Methods Determination of lead level in foremilk: Altogether 128 foremilk samples, 1 mL each, were collected between January and February 2005. The same amount of violet acid was added to each sample. After foremilk was fully dissolved, 0.2 mL solution was taken for determining lead level with atomic absorption spectrometer in graphite stove. The determined process strictly followed the internal quantity control of laboratory and was involved in the blind quality control of Institute of Environmental Health of Chinese Academy. Participants grouping: Totally 128 neonates were involved, and the normal reference value of lead level of foremilk was 0.06–0.48 μmol/L. The involved neonates were assigned into high-level lead group (≥ 0.24 μmol/L, n =60) and low-level lead group ( n =68). Assessment of neurobehavioral development of neonates: Neurobehavioral development level of neonates who was born 24 to 72 hours was assessed with 20-item neonatal neurobehavioral determination method, which involved behavioral ability (6 items), passive muscular tension (4 items), active muscular tension (4 items), primitive reflection (3 items) and general evaluation (3 items). Each above-mentioned scoring had 3 scales (0,1 and 2 points). The full mark of 20 items was 40 points. Neurological behaviors of neonates might be unabnormal when scoring was Main outcome measures Assessment results of neurobehavioral development of neonates in high- and low-level lead neonates. Results After lead-level determination, the involved neonates in two groups participated in the final analysis. Neurobehavioral total scores of neonates of high-level lead group were lower than those in the low-level lead group [(35.9±1.3) points vs. (37.7±1.4) points, P vs. (1.8±0.5) points, P vs. (3.3±2.2) minutes, P Conclusion 0.24 μmol/L lead level in foremilk has certain relationship with neurobehavioral development. The main influenced manifestations are shortened duration of neonatal head erection and actively contracted extensor, i.e . cervical curved ability is weakened.
Escapes from herbivory in relation to the structure of mangrove island macroalgal communities

Some shallow habitats that surround mangrove islands exhibit abruptly discontinuous macrophyte boundaries; in other regions, plant distributional patterns are less defined. Where distinct boundaries do occur, fleshy algae predominate on the roots of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, which do not contact the bottom sediments (“hanging roots”), while calcifying algae dominate on the substratum-penetrating roots and banks (=embedded-root habitat) surrounding the mangrove thickets. Considerable natural-history and floristic information reveals that the fleshy hanging-root species are not specialists, for that type of habitat. Experimental transplants showed that on banks and embedded roots where there typically are abundant macroherbivores (particularly sea urchins), most fleshy algae are eliminated. The dominants of the hanging-root habitat (e.g, Acanthophora spicifera, Spyridia filamentosa, Caulerpa racemosa var. Occidentalis) are 6–20 times more susceptible to herbivores than the dominants of the embedded-root habitat (e.g., Halimeda opuntia f. triloba, H. monile). Consequently, we suggest the former are relegated to the spatial refugia from herbivores (=non-coexistence escapes) provided by the hanging roots. Factors associated with these palatability differences include higher average calorific values (6.5 times) of the fleshy hanging-root dominants, greater proportions of organic content (2.6 times) and the general absence of calcification. The dominants of the embedded-root habitat show reduced edibility as a probable consequence of low calorific values, heavy calcification and potential herbivore-detering secondary metabolites. Correlative evidence and preliminary experimental results tentatively indicate that, in the absence of macroherbivores, the hanging-root dominants, which exhibit production rates 4.7 times greater than the dominants of the embedded-root habitat, are better competitors for space. We suggest that variations in herbivory are responsible, in part, for maintaining greater algal diversity in mangrove systems. At a study site with abundant sea urchins, five algal species were found only in the embedded-root habitat three species were confined to the hanging roots, while three others occurred in both. At an urchin-free site, no macrophytes were found only on embedded-root substrata, while one (in trace amounts) was found only on hanging-root habitat and eight occurred in both. We predict that in the absence of herbivores, the species assemblage characteristic of the hanging-roots would exclude many of the dominants from the embedded-root habitat.
Reasons for Living and Suicide Ideation in Young Adults from Divorced and Non-Divorced Homes

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for living in young adults (17 to 24) from divorced and non-divorced homes. Participants included 281 individuals (128 men, 153 women). Eighty-nine subjects were reared in divorced homes. The Reasons for Living Inventory, a Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire with items to assess age, gender, parental marital status, and various questions related to being reared in a divorced home were administered to all participants. Results of the study revealed a main effect for suicide ideation status on the total score of the RFL, with non-ideators reporting significantly higher reasons for living than ideators. No main effects were found for gender or parent marital status. Thus, the adaptive cognitive characteristics which are measured by the RFL were no different in young adults who were reared in divorced homes when compared to those reared in non-divorced homes.
Demonstration of Countercurrent Diffusion Exchange in the Vasa Recta of the Renal Medulla.

SummaryThe accumulations of Rb86 and I131 albumin were compared in the cortex, outer medulla and papilla of 6 hydro-penic anesthetized mongrel dogs. Only one-half as much rubidium as albumin appeared in the papilla in 20 seconds of perfusion, while almost twice as much appeared in the outer medulla and 5 times as much in the cortex. In 3 hydropenic dogs perfused with Na22Cl and I131 albumin the Na22+ was similarly excluded from the papilla. These data suggest that the vasa recta do indeed function as countercurrent exchangers to maintain the high renal medullary solute concentrations and gradient, necessary to conserve body water.The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs. Jean B. Young and Mr. Thomas F. Doyle.
Differential changes in substance P and somatostatin in brain nuclei of rats exposed to hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract Concentrations of immunoreactive substance P (SPir) and immunoreactive somatostatin (SSir) were determined in discrete brain nuclei of normal rats and rats exposed to acute hypovolemic hypotension (8 ml/300 g body weight). SPir in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the caudal and rostral parts of the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) were significantly reduced 2 h after hemorrhage, but no changes were found in any of the brain nuclei when examined 5 min after the same bleeding. SSir in the NTS and nucleus ambiguus (NA) were reduced by 50–60% 2 h after the hemorrhage, as compared either to intact rats or rats examined 5 min after bleeding. In the forebrain, significantly lower concentrations of SSir were found in the nucleus supraopticus at both 5 min and 2 h after shock and in the PVN of rats 2 h after shock. These data suggest a role for SPir and SSir in central adaptation to hypovolemic hypotension and further indicate that functions regulated by these neuropeptides might be substantially affected by shock states.
Vibratory Compaction: III, Rate of Entry

A STUDY OF THE RATES AT WHICH FINE PARTICLES CAN BE VIBRATORILY INFILTRATED INTO A COLUMN MATRIX OF PACKED COARSER PARTICLES IS REPORTED. INFILTRATION AND COMPACTION RATES OF ANGULAR TETRAHEDRA, ROUNDED TETRAHEDRA, AND SPHERES WERE COMPARED. THE DEPENDENCE OF INFILTRATION RATE ON RATIO OF THE SIZES OF MATRIX TO INFILTRATING PARTICLES AND THE INTERPARTICLE VOID FRACTION IN THE MATRIX WERE FOUND. THE INFLUENCE OF ACCELERATION AND FREQUENCY OF VIBRATION ON FILTRATION RATE WAS ALSO DETERMINED. /AUTHOR/