cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critical Properties of Bulk-Doped BaFe2As2 Pnictides for Magnet Design

A comprehensive study of upper critical ( Hc 2) and irreversibility magnetic fields ( H irr) in (Ba0.6K0.4)Fe2As2 (critical temperature $T_{c} = \text{38.3 K}$ ), Ba(Fe 0.95Ni0.05)2As2 ( Tc = 19.2 K), Ba(Fe0.94 Ni0.06)2As2 ( Tc = 18.5 K), Ba(Fe0.92 Co0.08)2As2 ( Tc = 23.2 K), and Ba(Fe0.91 Co0.09)2As2 ( Tc = 25.3 K) polycrystalline bulk pnictide superconductors with different average grain sizes was made in pulsed fields at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The magnetic field–temperature ( Hc 2– T ) phase diagrams with Hc 2 as high as 65 T at 28 K for the K-doped samples and critical current density $(J_{c})$ measurements as high as 105 A/cm2 for the smallest, submicrometer grain size samples were obtained. The high Hc 2, H irr, and $J_{c}$ data show the suitability of these materials for magnet design as their mechanical strength and random grain alignment show promise in the manufacturing of next-generation magnets.
Internet Intimacy: Authenticity and Longing in the Relationships of Millennial Young Adults:

In this paper, I use interviews with forty-two millennial young adults in the United States to explore their understandings of the role of digital media technologies in their relationship lives. De...
Tumor-associated myeloid cells promote tumorigenesis of non-tumorigenic human and murine prostatic epithelial cell lines

The etiology of prostate cancer is poorly understood, but it is a multi-step process that has been linked to environmental factors that induce inflammation within the gland. Glands of prostate cancer patients frequently contain multiple zones of disease at various stages of progression. The factors that drive disease progression from an indolent benign stage to aggressive disease are not well-defined. Prostate inflammation and carcinoma are associated with high levels of myeloid cell infiltration; these cells are linked to disease progression in other cancers, but their role in prostate cancer is unclear. To determine whether myeloid cells contribute to prostate cancer progression, the ability of prostate tumor-associated CD11b+ cells (TAMC) to drive prostate epithelial cell tumorigenesis was tested. Co-culture of CD11b+ TAMC with non-tumorigenic genetically primed prostate epithelial cells resulted in stable transformation and induction of tumorigenesis. RNA sequencing identified the IL-1α pathway as a potential molecular mechanism responsible for tumor promotion by TAMC. Inhibition of IL-1α delayed growth of TAMC-induced tumors. Further analysis showed that IL-1α inhibition led to decreased angiogenesis within tumors, suggesting that IL-1α promotes prostate tumor progression, potentially through augmentation of angiogenesis.
Protective role of Trpc6 knockout in the progression of diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a chronic kidney pathology that leads to end-stage renal disease. Previous studies from our laboratory indicate that there is an association between the development...
Community and Street-Scale Supports for Walking in the US Virgin Islands Before the 2017 Hurricanes.

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of community and street-scale design features that promote walking across the US Virgin Islands (USVI).Methods. In May 2016, the USVI Department of Health, w...
Introduction: Started from the Bottom…

Oware introduces the topic of rap through the lens of the 2016 presidential election in the United States. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spark a new wave of politicization in rap music. Using the election as a backdrop, Oware provides an overview of the key components of hip hop culture—breakdancing, graffiti writing, and rapping—turning an eye towards three figures who frame the topical areas within the monograph: Afrika Bambaataa, Sylvia Robinson, and Roxanne Shante. Bambaataa politicizes the music through his creation of the Zulu Nation. Sylvia Robinson commodifies the art form. Finally, Roxanne Shante expresses a female subjectivity replicated by contemporary women rappers. These individuals provide the foundation for a genre that tackles gendered norms, racialized inequality, and social change in the United States.
On similarity of nests in hilbert space and in Banach spaces

These notes are intended to be expository. We will give an account of much of the work that has been done to date on similarity theory for nest algebras of operators acting on Hilbert space, on some related results for more general reflexive operator algebras, and on some similarity results for nest algebras in the classical Banach spaces. For perspective, we will give definitions and discuss concepts in an abstract Banach space setting whenever possible, and then restrict to special cases (mainly Hilbert spaces) for exposition of concrete results.
Modelling alternative structures for time critical corporate adaptation

Our goal is to relate the organizational structure of a firm to the structure of the problem environment in which it operates. To this end a formal model of a prototypical organization adapting to changes in its problem environment is presented. Based upon distributed computer system concepts, the organization is modelled as a hierarchically co-ordinated modular system. The model firm's environment is time critical, i.e., it generates a sequence of problems which must be solved within a limited time after arrival. Interpreted for technologically-based firms, problems represent technology related product development opportunities, and the problem deadlines bound response windows within which opportunities must be capitalized upon. We study the ability of the organization to adjust its structure to accomodate changes in the parameters of its problem environment. In this context, organizational flexibility is characterized and shown to be in a trade-off relation to speed of response. Implications are suggested for the controversy surrounding the relative innovation potential of small firms versus large corporations.
Right-sided bacterial endocarditis and endarteritis; a clinical and pathologic study.

Abstract A study of the clinical and pathologic features of twenty-three cases of bacterial endocarditis encountered at the Mayo Clinic in the period from 1911 through 1955, in which the right side of the heart or pulmonary artery was predominantly involved, disclosed the following points of significance: In nineteen cases the vegetations were exclusively right-sided in location, while in the four remaining cases there were lesser vegetations also present on the left. The clinical course was usually acute. The results of blood cultures were positive in seventeen of eighteen patients from whom specimens were obtained. The causative organism was identified by other means in two additional cases. Among the nineteen cases in which bacteria were isolated, the endocarditis was due to M. pyogenes eleven times, D. pneumoniae three times, Str. viridans twice and N. gonorrhoeae, and Str. hemolyticus and Str. faecalis once each. Following the advent of antibiotics the proporton of the infections due to M. pyogenes increased from 45 per cent to 75 per cent. Cardiac murmurs were noted less often than in left-sided endocarditis, being detected in only 35 per cent of the cases. Other features of bacterial endocarditis, such as signs of infection, anemia, positive blood cultures and microhematuria together with evidence of pulmonary infarction should suggest right-sided vegetations despite the lack of a cardiac murmur. Tricuspid endocarditis represented 65 per cent of the total cases. Palpable splenomegaly and peripheral embolization were less frequent than with bacterial endocarditis in general. Septic pulmonary infarction was an almost constant finding, and renal lesions often occurred. In the majority of instances right-sided bacterial endocarditis followed some operative procedure or some other obvious source of infection such as cutaneous sepsis. When it appeared to develop spontaneously there was usually a pre-existing valvular deformity and Str. viridans was the responsible organism. Death usually resulted from extensive pulmonary infarction and septicemia.
Replicating the Recovery following the 2014 South Napa Earthquake using Stochastic Process Models

Post-earthquake recovery models can be used as decision support tools for pre-event planning. However, due to a lack of available data, there have been very few opportunities to validate and/or cal...
Stylised Fact of the Changing Inequality-Growth Landscape

The causal relationships between country-level economic development and inequality remain a matter of considerable debate and policy interest. This chapter contributes to the literature on this topic by presenting the results of short-run and long-run Granger causality tests in both directions. Countries are classified according to the combination of positive and negative one-way and two-way causal relations found to be statistically significant. This challenges universal theories by distinguishing between 11 clusters of countries according to the Inequality-Growth causal nexus they display over time. The empirical findings on the existence of distinctive features of each of the regional groups can be consistent with the main arguments of the varieties of (welfare) capitalism in a way that each regional group may have largely been institutionalised by stronger (or weaker) (re)distribution systems and/or by inequality enabling (or restraining) growth potential. The findings are also consistent with the theory of an ‘N’-shaped relation between national income per person and inequality: in other words, it confirms that for many high-income countries growth is associated with rising inequality.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia-associated pulmonary hypertension

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a neonatal pathology in which intrathoracic herniation of abdominal viscera via diaphragmatic defect results in aberrant pulmonary and cardiovascular development. Despite decades of study and many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of CDH, morbidity and mortality remain high, largely due to pulmonary hypertension (PH), along with pulmonary hypoplasia and cardiac dysfunction. In patients with CDH, hypoplastic pulmonary vasculature and alterations in multiple molecular pathways lead to pathophysiologic pulmonary vasculopathy and, for severe CDH, sustained, elevated pulmonary arterial pressures. This review addresses the multiple anatomic and physiologic changes that underlie CDH-associated PH (CDH-PH), along with the multimodal treatment strategies that exist currently and future therapies currently under investigation.
On the Time-Varying Distributions of Online Stochastic Optimization

This paper studies online stochastic optimization where the random parameters follow time-varying distributions. In each time slot, after a control variable is determined, a sample drawn from the current distribution is revealed as feedback information. This form of stochastic optimization has broad applications in online learning and signal processing, where the underlying ground-truth is inherently time-varying, e.g., tracking a moving target. Dynamic optimal points are adopted as the performance benchmark to define the regret, as opposed to the static optimal point used in stochastic optimization with fixed distributions. Stochastic optimization with time-varying distributions is examined and a projected stochastic gradient descent algorithm is presented. An upper bound on its regret is established with respect to the drift of the dynamic optima, which measures the variations of the optimal solutions due to the varying distributions. In particular, the algorithm possesses sublinear regret as long as the drift of the optima is sublinear, i.e., the distributions do not vary too drastically. Finally, numerical results are presented to corroborate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm and the derived analytical results.
Buddhism, politics, and the limits of law: The Pyrrhic constitutionalism of Sri Lanka

In this volume, Benjamin Schonthal examines the way that Sri Lanka’s Constitution, and the practices of interpretation, application, litigation, and revision that surround it, have formed and refor...
Cytopenias in the Early Post-Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (aHCT) Period Predict for Subsequent Development of Therapy-Related Myelodysplasia/ Acute Myeloid Leukemia (t-MDS/AML) Among Patients with Lymphoma

Abstract t-MDS/AML is the most common cause of non-relapse mortality in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (aHCT) for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Cytopenias are a common occurrence in the early post-aHCT period. To better understand the significance of cytopenias with respect to the risk of t-MDS/AML, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study in patients undergoing aHCT for HL or NHL between 1999 and 2009 at City of Hope, with serial collection of peripheral blood samples from pre-aHCT to 10y. Patients with post-aHCT persistent disease (n=55) or solid second malignancies (n=9) or refusal to participate (n=18) were excluded from the analysis, leaving 292 study participants (HL: n=81; NHL: n=211). The median length of follow-up was 4.5y from aHCT. The cumulative incidence of t-MDS/AML approached 9% at 7y (Figure). Older age at aHCT (50+y: RR=3.6, 95%CI, 1.3-9.8, p=0.01) and exposure to total body irradiation (TBI: RR=2.5, 95%CI, 1.0-5.9, p=0.04) were associated with an increased risk of t-MDS/AML. Serial evaluation of peripheral blood parameters (hematocrit [Hct], mean corpuscular volume [MCV], red blood cell [RBC] count, hemoglobin [Hgb], red cell distribution width [RDW], white blood cell [WBC] count, and platelet [Plt] count) were abstracted from medical records at pre-aHCT, and after aHCT at d100, 6m, 1y, and annually thereafter for up to 10y (a total of 1,919 time points). This report focuses on alterations in peripheral blood parameters from pre-aHCT to several years post-aHCT among patients who developed t-MDS/AML (n=21; cases) and those who did not (n=271; controls). Values of peripheral blood parameters associated with post-aHCT relapse or development of t-MDS/AML were censored at 3m prior to the development of these events. As shown in the Figure, comparison of the peripheral blood parameters between cases and controls revealed that Hct, Hgb, Plt, and RBC values were significantly lower for cases compared to controls at d100, 6m, 1y, and 2y (p Abstract 2507. Table . Peripheral blood parameters Day 100 (HR, 95%CI) p-value 6 month (HR, 95%CI) p-value 1 year (HR, 95%CI) p-value All normal Hgb≥12 and Plt ≥100 and RBC ≥3 1.00 0.004 1.00 0.007 1.00 0.02 All low Hgb 10.5 (2.1-53.1) 9.9 (1.9-53.1) 10.7 (1.5-74.0) Download : Download high-res image (230KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Sixteen Years of San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science: A Retrospective

Author(s): Luoma, Samuel N.; Muscatine, Lauren D. | Abstract: Sixteen years ago, in October 2003, San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (SFEWS) published its first article. An anniversary like this is a good time to remind ourselves of our history, and to ask if the journal is living up to the goals we set in 2003. And if so, are those goals consistent with today’s needs? In 2004, CDL’s eScholarship Publishing Group counted an average of 254 requests per month for SFEWS online articles. In 2010, that increased to 1,232 requests per month, and in 2014 to 1,764 per month. In the first 10 months of 2019, 4,420 articles were requested per month. Downloads have been consistently 35% to 40% of requests. Taking data from 2014 through 2017, the search engine Scopus’ CiteScore for SFEWS increased from 0.32 to 1.64; its rank is 82nd of 203 journals in the Water Science and Technology category for 2018, a remarkable climb from being ranked 120 of 179 in 2014. SFEWS is ranked fifth among 53 open access journals in the aquatic sciences, according to the Science Journal Ranking index; and in the top 25% among all 218 aquatic science journals ranked by that index. Thus, SFEWS has grown from an outlet designed to expand access to regional science to a well-respected scientific journal in its own right. Our look back shows that SFEWS has probably grown beyond our original expectations in size, influence, and stature.
Effect of margin status and pathological grade in treatment of sinonasal mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of demographic factors, grade, margin status, and treatment modalities for overall survival in patients with sinonasal mucoepidermoid carcinoma (SNMEC). Study design Retrospective database review. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for patients of all ages with SNMEC between 2004 and 2015. Univariate Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of suspected prognostic factors with overall survival. Subgroup analysis by margin status and grade was performed. Results A total of 239 patients with SNMEC were included in the analysis. The 5-year overall survival was 63.6%. Prognostic factors associated with decreased survival include age over 70 years (P = .027), sphenoid primary site (P = .002), and advanced-stage malignancy (P = .024). Improved survival was associated with surgery achieving negative margins (P = .001). Adjuvant radiation was associated with improved survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.25, P = .015) in the negative-margin group but was not found to be a statistically significant factor in the positive-margin group (HR = 0.66, P = .509). Conclusions This investigation is the largest to date to analyze the association of treatment modalities with overall survival in SNMEC and subgroup analysis by histopathologic grade and surgical margin status of treatment outcomes. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment in patients with SNMEC. However, administration of radiation may confer survival benefit to patients with negative margins. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2020.
Conversion Total Knee Arthroplasty: Prior Fracture or Osteotomy Around the Knee Leads to Increased Resource Utilization.

BACKGROUND Prior knee surgery before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) puts patients at higher risk of inferior outcomes and increased care cost. This study compares intraoperative and postoperative variables including procedure duration, components, length of stay, readmission, complications, and reoperations among patients undergoing conversion TKA. METHODS Primary TKA from a single-surgeon database identified 130 patients with prior knee surgery to form a "conversion" cohort. One-to-one matching identified 130 patients of similar age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, body mass index, and gender without prior knee surgery for comparison. Perioperative and 90-day postoperative variables were compared between patients with and without prior surgery, within the conversion group based on the type of prior surgery, and whether the prior surgery was bony or soft tissue. RESULTS The conversion group had longer mean operative time (96.1 vs 90.0 minutes, P = .01), higher revision component utilization (8.5% vs 0.8%, P = .005), and higher calculated blood loss (1440 vs 1249 mL, P = .004). Thirty-eight patients with prior fracture or osteotomy were compared to the remaining 92 patients in the conversion group and showed longer operative time (107.1 vs 91.3 minutes, P < .001), higher 90-day readmissions (18.4% vs 3.3%, P = .003), more complications (23.7% vs 8.7%, P = .021), and greater utilization of revision components (26.3% vs 1.1%, P < .001). CONCLUSION Patients undergoing conversion TKA required increased resource utilization, particularly patients with a prior osteotomy or fracture. Policymakers should consider these variables, as they did in conversion THA, in adding a code to account for increased case complexity and resource utilization.
Exploring the Effects of Node Topology, Connectivity, and Metal Identity on the Binding of Nerve Agents and Their Hydrolysis Products in Metal-Organic Frameworks

Recent studies have shown that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) built from hexanuclear M(IV) oxide cluster nodes are effective catalysts for nerve agent hydrolysis, where the properties of the active sites on the nodes can strongly influence the reaction energetics. The connectivity and metal identity of these M6 nodes can be easily tuned, offering extensive opportunities for computational screening to predict promising new materials. Thus, we used density functional theory (DFT) to examine the effects of node topology, connectivity, and metal identity on the binding energies of multiple nerve agents and their corresponding hydrolysis products. By computing an optimization metric based on the relative binding strengths of key hydrolysis reaction species (water, agent, and bidentate-bound products), we predicted optimal M6 nodes for hydrolyzing specific nerve agent and simulant molecules, where our results are in qualitative agreement with observed experimental trends. This analysis highlighted the notion that no single metal or node topology is optimal for all possible organophosphates, suggesting that MOFs should be selected based on the agent of interest. Using the large amount of data generated from our DFT calculations, we then derived quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models to help explain the complex trends observed in the binding energies. Through linear regression, we identified the most important descriptors for describing the binding of nerve agents and their hydrolysis products to M6 nodes. These results suggested that both molecular and node properties, including both structural and chemical features, collectively contribute to the binding energetics. By performing a thorough statistical analysis, we showed that our QSAR models are capable of making quantitatively accurate binding energy predictions for nerve agents and their hydrolysis products in a wide variety of M(IV)-MOFs. The insights gained herein can be used to guide future experiments for the synthesis of MOFs with enhanced catalytic activity for organophosphate hydrolysis.
Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

An axillary lymph node dissection requires removal of levels I and II as defined by the pectoralis minor muscle. A comprehensive knowledge of the anatomy of the axilla is required to avoid injury to major structures. The present chapter discusses an axillary lymph node dissection.
The Accessory Helix of Complexin Stabilizes a Partially Unzippered State of the SNARE Complex and Mediates the Complexin Clamping Function In Vivo.

Spontaneous synaptic transmission is regulated by the protein complexin (Cpx). Cpx binds the SNARE complex, a coil-coiled four-helical bundle that mediates the attachment of a synaptic vesicle (SV) to the presynaptic membrane (PM). Cpx is thought to clamp spontaneous fusion events by stabilizing a partially unraveled state of the SNARE bundle; however, the molecular detail of this mechanism is still debated. We combined electrophysiology, molecular modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis in Drosophila to develop and validate the atomic model of the Cpx-mediated clamped state of the SNARE complex. We took advantage of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) B and G, which cleave the SNARE protein synaptobrevin (Syb) at different sites. Monitoring synaptic depression upon BoNT loading revealed that the clamped state of the SNARE complex has two or three unraveled helical turns of Syb. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the Cpx clamping function is predominantly maintained by its accessory helix (AH), while molecular modeling suggested that the Cpx AH interacts with the unraveled C-terminus of Syb and the SV lipid bilayer. The developed molecular model was employed to design new Cpx poor-clamp and super-clamp mutations and to tested the predictions in silico employing molecular dynamics simulations. Subsequently, we generated Drosophila lines harboring these mutations and confirmed the poor-clamp and super-clamp phenotypes in vivo. Altogether, these results validate the atomic model of the Cpx-mediated fusion clamp, wherein the Cpx AH inserts between the SNARE bundle and the SV lipid bilayer, simultaneously binding the unraveled C-terminus of Syb and preventing full SNARE assembly. Significance Statement Spontaneous release of neuronal transmitters is an important component of synaptic transmission, which controls neuronal development, homeostasis, and synaptic plasticity. The synaptic protein complexin (Cpx) regulates synaptic transmission by clamping spontaneous release. We developed and validated an atomic model of the Cpx-mediated clamping mechanism, which can be employed as a tool for generating predictions for site-directed mutagenesis and selectively manipulating spontaneous synaptic transmission.
Imaging Androgen Receptors in Breast Cancer with 18 F-fluoro-5α-dihydrotestosterone-PET: A Pilot Study.

Most breast cancers express androgen receptors (AR). This prospective imaging sub-study explored imaging AR with 18F-fluoro-5α-dihydrotestosterone (FDHT)-PET in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) receiving selective AR modulation (SARM) therapy (GTx-024, GTx, Inc). Methods: 11 post-menopausal women with estrogen receptor positive MBC underwent FDHT-PET/CT at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks after starting SARM therapy. Abnormal tumor FDHT uptake was quantified using maximum SUV (SUVmax). AR status was determined from tumor biopsy specimens. FDHT-SUVmax percent change between scans was calculated. Best overall response was categorized as clinical benefit (CB: non-progressive disease [PD]), or PD using RECIST 1.1. Results: Median baseline FDHT-SUVmax was 4.1 (range 1.4-5.9) for AR+ tumors versus 2.3 (range 1.5-3.2) for AR- tumors (p=0.22). Quantitative AR expression and baseline FDHT uptake were weakly correlated (Pearson rho=0.39, p=0.30). Seven participants with CB at 12 weeks tended to have larger declines in FDHT uptake compared to those with PD at both 6 (median decline, range: -26.8%, -42.9 to -14.1% vs. -3.7%, -31% to +29%, respectively, p=0.11) and 12 weeks (median decline, range: -35.7%, -69.5 to -7.7% vs. -20.1%, -26.6% to +56.5%, respectively, p=0.17) after starting GTx-024. Conclusion: This hypothesis-generating data suggests that FDHT-PET/CT is worth further study as an imaging biomarker for evaluating response of MBC to SARM therapy and reiterates the feasibility of including molecular imaging in multidisciplinary therapeutic trials.
The Axonal Glycolytic Pathway Contributes to Sensory Axon Extension and Growth Cone Dynamics.

Understanding the bioenergetics of axon extension and maintenance has wide ranging implications for neurodevelopment and disease states. Glycolysis is a pathway consisting of 10 enzymes and separated into preparatory and payoff phases, the latter producing ATP. Using embryonic chicken sensory neurons, we report that glycolytic enzymes are found through the axon and the growth cone. Pharmacological inhibition of glycolysis in the presence of NGF impairs axon extension and growth cone dynamics within minutes without affecting axon maintenance. Experiments using microfluidic chambers show that the effect of inhibiting glycolysis on axon extension is local along distal axons and can be reversed by promoting mitochondrial respiration. Knockdown of GAPDH simplifies growth cone morphology and is rescued by shRNA-resistant GAPDH expression. Rescue of GAPDH using KillerRed fused to GAPDH followed by localized chromophore-assisted light inactivation of KillerRed-GAPDH in distal axons halts growth cone dynamics. Considering filament polymerization requires ATP, inhibition of glycolysis results in a paradoxical increase in axonal actin filament levels. The effect on actin filaments is because of enzymes before GAPDH, the first enzyme in the payoff phase. In the absence of NGF, inhibition of glycolysis along distal axons results in axon degeneration independent of cell death. These data indicate that the glycolytic pathway is operative in distal axons and contributes to the rate of axon extension and growth cone dynamics in the presence of NGF and that, in the absence of NGF, the axonal glycolytic pathway is required for axon maintenance. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Elucidation of the sources of ATP required for axon extension and maintenance has implications for understanding the mechanism of neuronal development and diseases of the nervous system. While recent work has emphasized the importance of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, the role of the glycolytic pathway in axon morphogenesis and maintenance remains minimally understood. The data reveal that the glycolytic pathway is required for normal sensory axon extension in the presence of NGF, while in the absence of NGF the glycolytic pathway is required for axon maintenance. The results have implications for the understanding of the bioenergetics of axon morphogenesis and plasticity and indicate that NGF has protective effects on sensory axon maintenance in hypoglycemic states.
MPFL Length Change Patterns in Asymptomatic Knees of Patients with Contralateral Patellar Instability

Objectives:Recreating the isometry of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is critical during patellar stabilization surgery to restore patellar kinematics. The native MPFL is reported to rema...
A Machine Abstraction

This chapter studies the design of a machine abstraction for systolic arrays with high-performance cells. While the study is based on the Warp architecture, the design is applicable to any programmable array for which a high-level language is used to specify fine-grained parallel computation on the cells. In this chapter, we also discuss the hardware and software necessary to support the proposed machine abstraction.
Temperature Measurement Using Infrared Spectral Band Emissions From H2O

Temperature Measurement Using Infrared Spectral Band Emissions From H2O Daniel Jared Ellis Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Currently there is no known method for accurately measuring the temperature of the gas phase of combustion products within a solid fuel flame. The industry standard is a suction pyrometer and thermocouple which is intrusive, both spatially and temporally averaging, and difficult to use. In this work a new method utilizing the spectral emission from water vapor is investigated through modeling and experimental measurements. This method was demonstrated along a 0.75m line of sight, averaged over 1 minute in the products of a natural gas flame but has the potential to produce a spatial resolution on the order of 5 cm and a temporal resolution of less than 1 millisecond. The method employs the collection of infrared emission from water vapor over discrete wavelength bands and then uses the ratio of those emissions to infer temperature. A 12.5 mm lens has been positioned within a water cooled probe to focus flame product gas emission into an optical fiber where the light is transmitted to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR). The same optical setup was also used to collect light from a black body cavity at a known temperature in order to calibrate the spectral sensitivity of the optical system and FTIR detector. Experiments were conducted in the product gas of a 150 kWth methane flame comparing the optical emission results to a suction pyrometer with type K thermocouple. The optical measurement produced gas temperatures approximately 1 4% higher than the suction pyrometer. Broadband background emission was also seen by the optical measurement and was removed assuming grey body radiation. This background emission can be used to determine particle emission temperature and intensity. Additional work will be needed to demonstrate the method under conditions with significant particle emission. Additional work is also needed to demonstrate the work over a smaller path length and shorter time scale.
Protein-protein interactions between adenovirus DNA polymerase and nuclear factor I mediate formation of the DNA replication preinitiation complex.

The in vitro adenovirus (Ad) DNA replication system provides an assay to study the interaction of viral and host replication proteins with the DNA template in the formation of the preinitiation complex. This initiation system requires in addition to the origin DNA sequences 1) Ad DNA polymerase (Pol), 2) Ad preterminal protein (pTP), the covalent acceptor for protein-primed DNA replication, and 3) nuclear factor I (NFI), a host cell protein identical to the CCAAT box-binding transcription factor. The interactions of these proteins were studied by coimmunoprecipitation and Ad origin DNA binding assays. The Ad Pol can bind to origin sequences only in the presence of another protein which can be either pTP or NFI. While NFI alone can bind to its origin recognition sequence, pTP does not specifically recognize DNA unless Ad Pol is present. Thus, protein-protein interactions are necessary for the targetting of either Ad Pol or pTP to the preinitiation complex. DNA footprinting demonstrated that the Ad DNA site recognized by the pTP.Pol complex was within the first 18 bases at the end of the template which constitutes the minimal origin of replication. Mutagenesis studies have defined the Ad Pol interaction site on NFI between amino acids 68-150, which overlaps the DNA binding and replication activation domain of this factor. A putative zinc finger on the Ad Pol has been mutated to a product that fails to bind the Ad origin sequences but still interacts with pTP. These results indicate that both protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions mediate specific recognition of the replication origin by Ad DNA polymerase.
Nonparametric statistical methods for image segmentation and shape analysis

Image segmentation, the process of decomposing an image into meaningful regions, is a fundamental problem in image processing and computer vision. Recently, image segmentation techniques based on active contour models with level set implementation have received considerable attention. The objective of this thesis is in the development of advanced active contour-based image segmentation methods that incorporate complex statistical information into the segmentation process, either about the image intensities or about the shapes of the objects to be segmented. To this end, we use nonparametric statistical methods for modeling both the intensity distributions and the shape distributions. Previous work on active contour-based segmentation considered the class of images in which each region can be distinguished from others by second order statistical features such as the mean or variance of image intensities of that region. This thesis addresses the problem of segmenting a more general class of images in which each region has a distinct arbitrary intensity distribution. To this end, we develop a nonparametric information-theoretic method for image segmentation. In particular, we cast the segmentation problem as the maximization of the mutual information between the region labels and the image pixel intensities. The resulting curve evolution equation is given in terms of nonparametric density estimates of intensity distributions, and the segmentation method can deal with a variety of intensity distributions in an unsupervised fashion. The second component of this thesis addresses the problem of estimating shape densities from training shapes and incorporating such shape prior densities into the image segmentation process. To this end, we propose nonparametric density estimation methods in the space of curves and the space of signed distance functions. We then derive a corresponding curve evolution equation for shape-based image segmentation. Finally, we consider the case in which the shape density is estimated from training shapes that form multiple clusters. This case leads to the construction of complex, potentially multi-modal prior densities for shapes. As compared to existing methods, our shape priors can: (a) model more complex shape distributions; (b) deal with shape variability in a more principled way; and (c) represent more complex shapes. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
What Is the Set of Images of an Object Under All Possible Illumination Conditions

The appearance of an object depends on both the viewpoint from which it is observed and the light sources by which it is illuminated. If the appearance of two objects is never identical for any pose or lighting conditions, then–in theory–the objects can always be distinguished or recognized. The question arises: What is the set of images of an object under all lighting conditions and pose? In this paper, we consider only the set of images of an object under variable illumination, including multiple, extended light sources and shadows. We prove that the set of n-pixel images of a convex object with a Lambertian reflectance function, illuminated by an arbitrary number of point light sources at infinity, forms a convex polyhedral cone in R^n and that the dimension of this illumination cone equals the number of distinct surface normals. Furthermore, the illumination cone can be constructed from as few as three images. In addition, the set of n-pixel images of an object of any shape and with a more general reflectance function, seen under all possible illumination conditions, still forms a convex cone in R^n. Extensions of these results to color images are presented. These results immediately suggest certain approaches to object recognition. Throughout, we present results demonstrating the illumination cone representation.
Interface and Controller Design for Hybrid Control Systems

The hybrid control systems considered here consist of a continuous-time plant under the control of a discrete event system. Communication between the plant and controller is provided by an interface which can convert signals from the continuous domain of the plant to the discrete, symbolic domain of the controller, and vise-versa. When designing a controller for a hybrid system, the designer may or may not be free to design the interface as well. This paper examines these two cases. First, a methodology is presented for designing a controller when the interface and plant are given. This approach is based on the methodology for controller design in logical discrete event systems. Second, a method is presented to design both the interface and controller. This approach is based on the natural invariants of the system.
Studies on carbohydrate metabolism in rat kidney slices. II. Effect of alloxan diabetes and insulin administration on glucose uptake and glucose formation.

Abstract The kidney glycogen concentration and the glucose output by kidney slices from normal and diabetic rats with or without prior insulin treatment have been studied. It was found that both were increased in diabetes and that insulin administration reduced both to normal or subnormal levels. A close direct corrrelation between these values and the blood glucose levels at the time of death was demonstrated The large output of glucose from diabetic kidney slices interfered with accurate measurements of the uptake of added glucose and the formation of new glucose from added pyruvate. This difficulty was obviated by carrying out a preliminary incubation in the absence of added substrate, which effectively removed all of the glucose output from the slices. Then the slices were used for metabolic measurements in a subsequent incubation in the presence of the desired substrate. From the data obtained it was concluded that the metabolic defects in diabetes were both decreased utilization and increased production of glucose. The extent of these defects varied directly with the intensity of the diabetes. Insulin administration to the rats before the removal of the kidneys led to opposite results.
Adding Human-Provided Emotional Scaffolding to an Automated Reading Tutor That Listens Increases Student Persistence

Everyone agrees emotions are important, and some have even built supportive language into their ITSs, such as praise. But what is the effect of such emotional scaffolding, and is it worth including in a system that is already providing cognitive scaffolding? This poster presents the first statistically reliable empirical evidence from a controlled study for the effect of human-provided emotional scaffolding on student persistence in an intelligent tutoring system. We conducted an experiment that added human-provided emotional scaffolding to an automated Reading Tutor that listens.
Biological, Adoptive, and Mixed Families

ABSTRACT An abundance of research has focused on the many challenges faced by families that have children with special needs. While special needs has been defined and operationalized in a number of ways, virtually all measures are linked to additional familial challenges. Few, if any, studies to date have examined the topic of the special needs child from the perspective of differing family types (biological, adoptive or mixed). Considering the increasing number of parents choosing to adopt internationally, the existing literature also lacks a systematic examination of the differences prevalent between families who have chosen to adopt internationally. The present study was based on two central predictions: (1) parental and marital satisfaction would be adversely impacted by the presence of a special needs child, and (2) the impact of the special needs child would differ depending on what family type was examined. Participants included 91 mothers who provided data on 231 children. A family questionnaire w...
NIUGAP: low latency network interface architecture with Gray code for networks-on-chip

The implementation of a high-performance network-on-chip (NoC) requires an efficient design for the network interface unit (NIU) that connects the switched network to the IP cores. In this paper, we present a novel NIU architecture that utilizes a Gray code based packet reordering methodology to achieve low latency packet processing. The proposed architecture has been implemented with VHDL and synthesized using a 0.25 /spl mu/m ASIC technology. Simulation results verify the functionality of the architecture and show that it can save a substantial amount of packet processing time compared to the conventional reordering scheme.
Networks of Adjacent Action Situations in Polycentric Governance

Within the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework, the concept of an action situation generalizes a game to allow for endogenous changes in its rules. This article re-visits this core concept to explore its potential for serving as the foundation for a systematic approach to the construction of more elaborate models of complex policy networks in which overlapping sets of actors have the ability to influence the rules under which their strategic interactions take place. Networks of adjacent action situations can be built on the basis of the seven distinct types of rules that define an action situation or by representing generic governance tasks identified in related research on local public economies. The potential of this extension of the IAD framework is demonstrated with simplified network representations of three diverse policy areas (Maine lobster fisheries, international development assistance, and the contribution of faith-based organizations to U.S. welfare policy).
Very Compact FPGA Implementation of the AES Algorithm

In this paper a compact FPGA architecture for the AES algorithm with 128-bitkey targeted for low-costembedded applications is presented. Encryption, decryption and key schedule are all implemented using small resources of only 222 Slices and 3 Block RAMs. This implementation easily fits in a low-costXilinx Spartan II XC2S30 FPGA. This implementation can encrypt and decrypt data streams of 150 Mbps, which satisfies the needs of most embedded applications, including wireless communication. Specific features of Spartan II FPGAs enabling compact logic implementation are explored, and a new way of implementing MixColumnsand InvMixColumnstransformations using shared logic resources is presented.
HBsAg-associated albumin receptors and antialbumin antibodies in sera of patients with liver disease

Abstract Several investigators reported that sera from patients with liver disease react with polymerized human serum albumin. This reactivity may be mediated by antibodies to polymerized albumin or polymerized albumin receptor sites on HB s Ag. We tested sera from 114 patients with a variety of liver diseases by techniques which differentiate polymerized albumin binding activity mediated by HB s Ag-associated receptors from that due to immunoglobulins. Total polymerized albumin binding activity was detected by passive hemagglutination of polymerized albumin-coated red blood cells, in 62.3% of patients with liver disease. The specificity for polymerized albumin was proven by hemagglutination inhibition of 18 sera using polymeric, monomeric, and native albumin as inhibiting antigens. Indirect immunofluorescence of polymerized albumin coated red blood cells after incubation with serum revealed that antibodies, HB s Ag or both mediated polymerized albumin binding. The predominant immunoglobulin class with polymerized albumin binding activity was IgG in sera from patients with chronic active hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease, and IgM in acute viral hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis, and primary biliary cirrhosis. HB s Ag-mediated polymerized albumin binding activity was frequently associated with antibodies to polymerized albumin. The attachment of hepatitis B virus to hepatocytes may be facilitated by polymerized albumin via polymerized albumin receptors. Antibodies to polymerized albumin may interfere with this binding and may result in reduced infectivity.
Codifying Cultural Heritage: Why United States Criminal Law Suddenly Treats Our Rare Materials with Respect

“The Cultural Heritage Guideline will, in my opinion, prove to be one of the most important of all the sentencing guidelines for the long-term benefit of our nation,” said United States Attorney (now federal magistrate judge) Paul Warner. He was testifying before the United States Sentencing Commission, which was about to get serious with cultural crimes. He was also echoing what he had written in a letter to the Commission a mere three months earlier. In that letter, which fully addressed the harm caused to the American people by crimes against cultural resources, he explained that “[f]ew undertakings by the . . .
Aedes aegypti pharate 1st instar quiescence: A case for anticipatory reproductive plasticity

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes use pharate 1st instar quiescence to cope with fluctuations in water availability hosting a fully developed 1st instar larvae within the chorion. The duration of this quiescence has been shown to affect larval fitness. This study sought to determine if an extended egg quiescence can elicit a plastic response resulting in an adult phenotype distinct from adults reared from short quiescence eggs. Our findings indicate that extended pharate 1st instar quiescence affects the performance and reproductive fitness of the adult female mosquito as well as the nutritional status of its progeny via maternal effects in an adaptive manner. This study demonstrates that phenotypic plasticity results as a consequence of the duration of pharate 1st instar quiescence and alternative phenotypes may exist for this mosquito with quiescence serving as a cue possibly signaling the environmental conditions that follow a dry period. These findings have implications for A. aegypti's success as a vector, geographic distribution, vector capacity and control.