cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence of a purely electronic two-dimensional lattice at the interface of TMD/Bi2Se3 heterostructures.

When 2D materials are vertically stacked, new physics emerges from interlayer orbital interactions and charge transfer modulated by the additional periodicity of interlayer atomic registry (moire superlattice). Surprisingly, relatively little is known regarding the real-space distribution of the transferred charges within this framework. Here we provide the first experimental indications of a real-space, non-atomic lattice formed by interlayer coupling induced charge redistribution in vertically stacked Bi2Se3/transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) 2D heterostructures. Robust enough to scatter 200 keV electron beams, this non-atomic lattice generates selected area diffraction patterns that correspond excellently with simulated patterns from moire superlattices of the parent crystals suggesting their location at sites of high interlayer atomic registry. Density functional theory (DFT) predicts concentrated charge pools reside in the interlayer region, located at sites of high nearest-neighbor atomic registry, suggesting the non-atomic lattices are standalone, reside in the interlayer region, and are purely electronic.
Simulation and Real-World Evaluation of Attack Detection Schemes

A variety of anomaly detection schemes have been proposed to detect malicious attacks to Cyber-Physical Systems. Among these schemes, Dynamic Watermarking methods have been proven highly effective at detecting a wide range of attacks. Unfortunately, in contrast to other anomaly detectors, no method has been presented to design a Dynamic Watermarking detector to achieve a user-specified false alarm rate, or subsequently evaluate the capabilities of an attacker under such a selection. This paper describes methods to measure the capability of an attacker, to numerically approximate this metric, and to design a Dynamic Watermarking detector that can achieve a user-specified rate of false alarms. The performance of the Dynamic Watermarking detector is compared to three classical anomaly detectors in simulation and on a real-world platform. These experiments illustrate that the attack capability under the Dynamic Watermarking detector is comparable to those of classic anomaly detectors. Importantly, these experiments also make clear that the Dynamic Watermarking detector is consistently able to detect attacks that the other class of detectors are unable to identify.
Nonbullous pemphigoid secondary to PD-1 inhibition.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease that classically presents with pruritic, tense bullae on an erythematous base. Approximately 20% of patients with BP never develop bullae.1 In nonbullous pemphigoid (NBP), patients often experience severe pruritus with eczematous patches or urticarial plaques. The diagnosis of NBP represents a diagnostic challenge given its morphologic ambiguity. Clinical, histopathologic, serologic, and immunologic studies are necessary to establish a diagnosis.2 Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors block inhibitory T-cell signals to stimulate an effective antitumor response. This medication class is commonly associated with cutaneous immune-related adverse events, including BP-like eruptions.3, 4 Although sporadic NBP is well described in the dermatologic literature, to our knowledge, NBP developing in the setting of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has not been described.5 We report 4 cases of NBP in patients receiving PD-1 inhibitors for advanced malignancy.
Automatic longitudinal montaging of adaptive optics retinal images using constellation matching.

Adaptive optics (AO) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy offers a non-invasive approach for observing the retina at a cellular level. Its high resolution capabilities have direct application for monitoring and treating retinal diseases by providing quantitative assessment of cone health and density across time. However, accurate longitudinal analysis of AO images requires that AO images from different sessions be aligned, such that cell-to-cell correspondences can be established between timepoints. Such alignment is currently done manually, a time intensive task that is restrictive for large longitudinal AO studies. Automated longitudinal montaging for AO images remains a challenge because the intensity pattern of imaged cone mosaics can vary significantly, even across short timespans. This limitation prevents existing intensity-based montaging approaches from being accurately applied to longitudinal AO images. In the present work, we address this problem by presenting a constellation-based method for performing longitudinal alignment of AO images. Rather than matching intensity similarities between images, our approach finds structural patterns in the cone mosaics and leverages these to calculate the correct alignment. These structural patterns are robust to intensity variations, allowing us to make accurate longitudinal alignments. We validate our algorithm using 8 longitudinal AO datasets, each with two timepoints separated 6–12 months apart. Our results show that the proposed method can produce longitudinal AO montages with cell-to-cell correspondences across the full extent of the montage. Quantitative assessment of the alignment accuracy shows that the algorithm is able to find longitudinal alignments whose accuracy is on par with manual alignments performed by a trained rater.
Accelerating Clinical Practice Guideline Implementation for Chronic Disease Management

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are valuable to improve the care quality and reduce inappropriate variability in practice. However, a structured implementation of CPG is still challenging, e.g., lack of the user-friendly editor for CPG knowledge exchange and confirmation with domain experts for localization purpose. This poster demonstrates a mindmap-style CPG editor, followed by an efficient CPG translator and an effective CPG executor, making CPG understandable and processable in an end-to-end implementation pipeline. By accelerating CPG implementation, we developed a prototype system for chronic disease management, to deliver high-quality health care services in community health care centers.
An Airway Protection Program Revealed by Sweeping Genetic Control of Vagal Afferents

Sensory neurons initiate defensive reflexes that ensure airway integrity. Dysfunction of laryngeal neurons is life-threatening, causing pulmonary aspiration, dysphagia, and choking, yet relevant sensory pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we discover rare throat-innervating neurons (∼100 neurons/mouse) that guard the airways against assault. We used genetic tools that broadly cover a vagal/glossopharyngeal sensory neuron atlas to map, ablate, and control specific afferent populations. Optogenetic activation of vagal P2RY1 neurons evokes a coordinated airway defense program-apnea, vocal fold adduction, swallowing, and expiratory reflexes. Ablation of vagal P2RY1 neurons eliminates protective responses to laryngeal water and acid challenge. Anatomical mapping revealed numerous laryngeal terminal types, with P2RY1 neurons forming corpuscular endings that appose laryngeal taste buds. Epithelial cells are primary airway sentinels that communicate with second-order P2RY1 neurons through ATP. These findings provide mechanistic insights into airway defense and a general molecular/genetic roadmap for internal organ sensation by the vagus nerve.
The Dynamic Constitution: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law and Practice

In this revised and updated second edition of The Dynamic Constitution, Richard H. Fallon, Jr provides an engaging, sophisticated introduction to American constitutional law. Suitable for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, this book discusses contemporary constitutional doctrine involving such issues as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, rights to privacy and sexual autonomy, the death penalty, and the powers of Congress. Through examples of Supreme Court cases and portraits of past and present Justices, this book dramatizes the historical and cultural factors that have shaped constitutional law. The Dynamic Constitution, 2nd edition, combines detailed explication of current doctrine with insightful analysis of the political culture and theoretical debates in which constitutional practice is situated. Professor Fallon uses insights from political science to explain some aspects of constitutional evolution and emphasizes features of the judicial process that distinguish constitutional law from ordinary politics.
France as author of world cinema: International co-production and the Fonds Sud, 1984–2012:

While the profound effect that metropolitan France has had on the contours of the global literary marketplace (or ‘litterature-monde’) has figured prominently in much recent scholarship, the simila...
Pearls & Oy-sters: Facial nerve palsy in COVID-19 infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with various neurologic manifestations, including anosmia, acute ischemic stroke, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and encephalopathy.
Physical, nutritional, and sensory properties of spray-dried and oven-roasted cricket (Acheta domesticus) powders

Processing crickets into a versatile dry powder ingredient may facilitate their utilisation in a variety of food products. Three dried cricket ingredients – oven-roasted cricket meal; the same ingr...
Effects of Dinner Timing on Sleep Stage Distribution and EEG Power Spectrum in Healthy Volunteers.

Purpose Eating time and sleep habits are important modifiable behaviors that affect metabolic health, but the relationship between food intake and sleep remains incompletely understood. Observational data suggest that late food intake is associated with impaired sleep quality. We examined the effect of routine dinner (RD, 5 hours before bedtime) vs late dinner (LD, 1 hour before bedtime) on sleep architecture in healthy volunteers. Participants and Methods This was a post hoc analysis of a randomized crossover study of RD vs LD with a fixed sleep opportunity in a laboratory setting. On each of the two visits, 20 healthy adult volunteers (10 women) received an isocaloric meal followed by overnight polysomnography. Sleep architecture over the course of the night was assessed using visual sleep staging and EEG spectral power analysis and was compared between RD and LD. We modeled the proportions of spectral power in alpha, beta, delta, and theta bands as functions of dinner timing, time of night, and their interaction with mixed-effect spline regression. Results Conventional sleep stages were similar between the 2 visits. LD caused a 2.5% initial increase in delta power and a reciprocal 2.7% decrease in combined alpha and beta power (p<0.0001). These effects diminished as sleep continued with a reversal of these patterns in the latter part of the night. Conclusion Contrary to the existing literature, shifting dinner timing from 5 hours before sleep to 1 hour before sleep in healthy volunteers did not result in significant adverse changes in overnight sleep architecture. In fact, LD was associated with deeper sleep in the beginning of the night and lighter sleep in the latter part of the night in healthy volunteers. This novel manifestation of postprandial hypersomnia may have therapeutic potential in patients with sleep disorders.
Melatect: A Machine Learning Model Approach For Identifying Malignant Melanoma in Skin Growths.

Malignant melanoma is a common skin cancer that is mostly curable before metastasis -when growths spawn in organs away from the original site. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer if left untreated due to the high risk of metastasis. This paper presents Melatect, a machine learning (ML) model embedded in an iOS app that identifies potential malignant melanoma. Melatect accurately classifies lesions as malignant or benign over 96.6% of the time with no apparent bias or overfitting. Using the Melatect app, users have the ability to take pictures of skin lesions (moles) and subsequently receive a mole classification. The Melatect app provides a convenient way to get free advice on lesions and track these lesions over time. A recursive computer image analysis algorithm and modified MLOps pipeline was developed to create a model that performs at a higher accuracy than existing models. Our training dataset included 18,400 images of benign and malignant lesions, including 18,000 from the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) archive, as well as 400 images gathered from local dermatologists; these images were augmented using DeepAugment, an AutoML tool, to 54,054 images.
Precise attitude control of the Stanford relativity satellite

A satellite being designed by the Stanford University to measure (with extremely high precision) the effect of General Relativity is described. Specifically, the satellite will measure two relativistic precessions predicted by the theory: the geodetic effect (6.9 arcsec/yr), due solely to motion about the earth, and the motional effect (0.05 arcsec/yr), due to rotation of the earth. The gyro design requirements, including the requirement for precise attitude control and a dynamic model for attitude control synthesis, are discussed. Closed loop simulation of the satellite's natural dynamics on an analog computer is described.
Small molecule agonists of CD11b/CD18 reduce leukocyte activation and recruitment to promote kidney allograft survival (TRAN3P.909)

Allograft rejection in kidney transplantation is associated with leukocyte infiltration, including myeloid cells expressing β2 integrin CD11b/CD18. We reported that activation of CD11b/CD18 by a small molecule compound, leukadherin-1 (LA1), increases leukocyte cell adhesion to the inflamed endothelium, prevents transmigration and inhibits leukocyte tissue recruitment resulting in improved kidney function in a murine nephritis model. Here we test whether LA1 mediated activation of CD11b/CD18 enhances kidney allograft survival in a mouse model of fully MHC-mismatched orthotopic kidney transplant, where C57BL/6J (H-2b) recipients received a kidney allograft from Balb/c mice (H-2d). Control recipients were treated daily with cyclosporine (CsA) for 2 weeks, while the test group received standard CsA therapy and daily LA1 injections during week 1 and alternate days during weeks 2-8. Renal allograft rejection was considered when mice displayed signs of ill health and high serum creatinine levels. Combination therapy reduced leukocyte infiltration and neointimal hyperplasia and increased graft survival from 48.5% (CsA only) to 100% (CsA and LA1) on day 60. At week 5, CsA treated controls had serum creatinine values of 0.6 mg/dl while LA1 and CsA treated mice had baseline values of 0.2 mg/dl. These findings indicate a crucial role for CD11b/CD18 in the control of leukocyte migration to the transplanted kidney and identify leukadherins as therapeutic agents for renal transplantation.
Regulating air traffic flow with coupled agents

The ability to provide flexible, automated management of air traffic is critical to meeting the ever increasing needs of the next generation air transportation systems. This problem is particularly complex as it requires the integration of many factors including, updated information (e.g., changing weather info), conflicting priorities (e.g., different airlines), limited resources (e.g., air traffic controllers) and very heavy traffic volume (e.g., over 40,000 daily flights over the US airspace). Furthermore, because the Federal Flight Administration will not accept black-box solutions, algorithmic improvements need to be consistent with current operating practices and provide explanations for each new decision. Unfortunately current methods provide neither flexibility for future upgrades, nor high enough performance in complex coupled air traffic flow problems.This paper extends agent-based methods for controlling air traffic flow to more realistic domains that have coupled flow patterns and need to be controlled through a variety of mechanisms. First, we explore an agent control structure that allows agents to control air traffic flow through one of three mechanisms (miles in trail, ground delays and rerouting). Second, we explore a new agent learning algorithm that can efficiently handle coupled flow patterns. We then test this agent solution on a series of congestion problems, showing that it is flexible enough to achieve high performance with different control mechanisms. In addition the results show that the new solution is able to achieve up to a 20% increase in performance over previous methods that did not account for the agent coupling.
TIME SERIES MODEL IDENTIFICATION BY ESTIMATING INFORMATION

Abstract : Statisticians, economists, and system engineers are becoming aware that to identify models for time series and dynamic systems, information theoretic ideas can plan a valuable (and unifying) role. This paper discusses how models for a univariate or multivariate time series Y(t) can be formulated as hypotheses about the information divergence between alternative models for the conditional probability density of Y(t) given various bases involving past, current, and future values of Y(.) and related time series x(.). To determine sets of variables that are sufficient to forecast Y(t), and thus to determine a model for Y(t), an approach is presented which estimates and compares various information increments. These information numbers play a central role in studies of causality and feedback. Approximating autoregressive schemes are used to form estimators of the many information numbers that one might compare to identify models for a time series.
IL-7-Induced Glycerol Transport and TAG Synthesis Promotes Memory CD8+ T Cell Longevity

Summary Memory T cells are critical for long-term immunity against reinfection and require interleukin-7 (IL-7), but the mechanisms by which IL-7 controls memory T cell survival, particularly metabolic fitness, remain elusive. We discover that IL-7 induces expression of the glycerol channel aquaporin 9 (AQP9) in virus-specific memory CD8+ T cells, but not naive cells, and that AQP9 is vitally required for their long-term survival. AQP9 deficiency impairs glycerol import into memory CD8+ T cells for fatty acid esterification and triglyceride (TAG) synthesis and storage. These defects can be rescued by ectopic expression of TAG synthases, which restores lipid stores and memory T cell survival. Finally, we find that TAG synthesis is a central component of IL-7-mediated survival of human and mouse memory CD8+T cells. This study uncovers the metabolic mechanisms by which IL-7 tailors the metabolism of memory T cells to promote their longevity and fast response to rechallenge. Video Abstract
Upper and lower bounds on quantum codes

This thesis provides bounds on the performance of quantum error correcting codes when used for quantum communication and quantum key distribution. The first two chapters provide a bare-bones introduction to classical and quantum error correcting codes, respectively. The next four chapters present achievable rates for quantum codes in various scenarios. The final chapter is dedicated to an upper bound on the quantum channel capacity. Chapter 3 studies coding for adversarial noise using quantum list codes, showing there exist quantum codes with high rates and short lists. These can be used, together with a very short secret key, to communicate with high fidelity at noise levels for which perfect fidelity is, impossible. Chapter 4 explores the performance of a family of degenerate codes when used to communicate over Pauli channels, showing they can be used to communicate over almost any Pauli channel at rates that are impossible for a nondegenerate code and that exceed those of previously known degenerate codes. By studying the scaling of the optimal block length as a function of the channel's parameters, we develop a heuristic for designing even better codes. Chapter 5 describes an equivalence between a family of noisy preprocessing protocols for quantum key distribution and entanglement distillation protocols whose target state belongs to a class of private states called "twisted states." In Chapter 6, the codes of Chapter 4 are combined with the protocols of Chapter 5 to provide higher key rates for one-way quantum key distribution than were previously thought possible. Finally, Chapter 7 presents a new upper bound on the quantum channel capacity that is both additive and convex, and which can be interpreted as the capacity of the channel for communication given access to side channels from a class of zero capacity "cloning" channels. This "clone assisted capacity" is equal to the unassisted capacity for channels that are degradable, which we use to find new upper bounds on the capacity of a depolarizing channel.
An Empirical Investigation of the Influence of Information on Reference Prices for Public Swimming Pools

The impact of supplying contextual information on the reference price for public swimming pools was investigated. Three randomly assigned groups received different information treatments and a cont...
Factor 4/3 approximations for minimum 2-connected subgraphs

We present factor 4/3 approximation algorithms for the problems of finding theminimum 2-edge connected and theminimum 2-vertex connected spanning subgraph of a given undirected graph.
Role of bacterial products in periodontitis. I. Endotoxin content and immunogenicity of human plaque.

Since the two major theories assume that either a hypersensitivity to plaque immunogens or a direct tissue damage caused by plaque constituents plays the dominant role in the etiology of periodontitis, we first investigated the nature of the immune response to and the endotoxin content of human plaque. It was found that pooled human plaque samples contained a very low but significant level of endotoxin, as determined by phenol-water extraction, by pyrogenicity in New Zealand white rabbits, by local Shwartzman skin test, and by the Limulus lysate assay. A measurable humoral immune response could be elicited by human plaque material if injected into guinea pigs intraperitoneally. Intragingival application of the same material was a less efficient route of immunization. This humoral immune response was measured by passive hemagglutination and immune counterelectrophoresis. Cell-mediated immune response, as measured by skin sensitivity, lymphoblast transformation and rosette formation assays in guinea pigs, sensitized either intragingivally or intraperitoneally, gave diverse results. No cell-mediated immune response could be detected by using the lymphoblast transformation assay. A weak but positive reaction could be elicited in one-third to one-half of the sensitized animals by injecting them intradermally or by testing rosette formation of their spleen cells with plaque-coated sheep erythrocytes. The weak and inconsistent results do not rule out the possibility that cell-mediated immune responses and their mediators cause human periodontitis, but they make us cautious in considering such events as the sole factors in the development of the disease. As of now, we have even less reason to exclude the possibility that certain types of immune responses to plaque protect the patient from periodontitis.
Isoquinolines as Antagonists of the P2X7 Nucleotide Receptor: High Selectivity for the Human versus Rat Receptor Homologues

1-[ N , O -Bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)- N -methyl-l-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine (KN-62) and N -[1-[ N -methyl- p -(5 isoquinolinesulfonyl)benzyl]-2-(4 phenylpiperazine)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (KN-04) potently inhibit the human lymphocyte P2Z receptor, an ATP-gated cation channel [ Br J Pharmacol 120 :1483–1490 (1997)]. Although the molecular identity of the lymphocyte P2Z receptor has not been established, it shares many functional characteristics with the cloned P2X7 nucleotide receptor. We have tested whether these isoquinolines inhibit P2X receptor function in human embryonic kidney 293 cells that stably express the human or rat recombinant P2X7 receptors. ATP activation of cation currents and uptake of the organic dye ethidium were potently inhibited by KN-62 and KN-04 in human embryonic kidney cells expressing the human P2X7R but not the rat P2X7R, even though these species homologues share 80% amino acid identity. Introduction of the first 335 amino acids of the human P2X7R sequence conferred KN-62 sensitivity to the rat P2X7R; this suggests that isoquinolines interact with residues in the amino-terminal half (containing the large extracellular loop) of the human P2X7R. KN-62 and KN-04 also potently inhibited ATP-gated Ca2+ influx and ethidium uptake in several leukocyte cell lines (THP-1, BAC1.2f5, and BW5147) that natively express the human or murine P2X7R mRNA. The ability of isoquinoline sulfonamides to potently inhibit human and murine P2X7R signaling will be a useful tool for identifying P2Z/P2X7 functional responses in other cell types. The substantial differences in pharmacological sensitivity between rat and human P2X7R may also indicate structural domains important in channel/pore activation.
Isolation of Brucella melitensis Phage of Broad Biotype and Species Specificity

A Brucella melitensis phage was isolated. Stocks of phage were established which produced early large plaques. The phage host range included all smooth Brucella species.
Clustering-based simultaneous task and voltage scheduling for NoC systems

Networks-on-chip (NoC) is emerging as a promising communication structure, which is scalable with respect to chip complexity. Meanwhile, latest chip designs are increasingly leveraging multiple voltage-frequency domains for energy-efficiency improvement. In this work, we propose a simultaneous task and voltage scheduling algorithm for energy minimization in NoC based designs. The energy-latency tradeoff is handled by Lagrangian relaxation. The core algorithm is a clustering based approach which not only assigns voltage levels and starting time to each task (or Processing Element) but also naturally finds voltage-frequency clusters. Compared to a recent previous work, which performs task scheduling and voltage assignment sequentially, our method leads to an average of 20% energy reduction.
Mouse autoreactive γ/δ T cells II. Molecular characterization of the T cell receptor

A panel of dendritic epidermal T cell (DETC) lines, and hybridomas derived from them, has been shown to spontaneously secrete lymphokines in the absence of added stimuli, which suggests that these cells are autoreactive. These cell lines are characterized by the expression of a V gamma 1.1C gamma 4/V delta 6 type T cell receptor (TcR), but several of the DETC lines also express a second TcR. Sequence analyses of these gamma/delta TcR revealed that the gamma chains were identical and that the delta chains, while not identical, were quite restricted in diversity, indicating that these receptors may recognize a common or closely related group of antigens. Analysis of hybridomas derived from newborn thymocytes identified six hybridomas that spontaneously secrete lymphokines. Five hybrids expressed a V gamma 1.1C gamma 4/V delta 6 receptor and one hybrid a V gamma 1.1C gamma 4/V delta 4 receptor that had a close structural relationship to the DETC gamma/delta TcR associated with spontaneous lymphokine secretion. gamma/delta TcR of the C gamma 4 type expressed by splenic hybridomas that did not spontaneously secrete lymphokines revealed no such relationship. Curiously, like the DETC, several of the thymocyte hybridomas that spontaneously secreted lymphokines expressed a second TcR, V gamma 2C gamma 1 or V gamma 3C gamma 1, apparently in association with the same delta chain that paired with the C gamma 4 chain. The presence of spontaneous lymphokine-secreting gamma/delta T cells with such highly homologous TcR in both the thymus and skin suggests a thymic origin for the autoreactive DETC and that these cells recognize a common or closely related group of self-antigens.
Reactive intermediate formation from the 2-(Fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene (compound A)-derived cysteine S-conjugate S-[2-(Fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl]-L-cysteine in pyridoxal model systems.

2-(Fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene (compound A) is a degradation product of the anesthetic sevoflurane and undergoes cysteine conjugate β-lyase-dependent bioactivation to nephrotoxic metabolites in rats. The present experiments were designed to identify reactive intermediates formed from S-[2-(fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl]-L-cysteine, a compound A-derived cysteine S-conjugate, in two pyridoxal model systems, namely Cu 2 + / pyridoxal and N-dodecylpyridoxalin cetyltrimethylammonium micelles. S-[2-(Fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl]-L-cysteine was incubated in the model systems with benzyl bromide, pentafluorobenzyl bromide, aniline, and o-phenylenediamine as trapping agents. The products were purified by TLC and identified by 1 9 F and 1 H NMR spectroscopy and by GC/MS. In the absence of trapping agents, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-3,3,3-trifluoropropanoic acid and 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid, which have been identified previously in biotransformation studies, were formed. With the chemical models, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanethiolate, the expected first intermediate, was not trapped with benzyl bromide. Rather, the dehydrofluorination product 2-(fluoromethoxy)-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propenylthiolate was trapped with benzyl bromide to give benzyl 2-(fluoromethoxy)-3,3,3-trifluoropropanethioate, which was formed in both chemical models. When pentafluorobenzyl bromide was used as a trapping agent, GC/ MS analysis showed that the expected thiolate was trapped to give pentafluorobenzyl 2-(fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl sulfide in the N-dodecylpyridoxal model. In both chemical models, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-3,3,3-trifluorothioacyl fluoride was trapped with aniline to give N-phenyl 2-(fluoromethoxyl)-3,3,3-trifluoropropanethioamide, which cyclized to give 3-phenyl-4-thiono-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-oxazolane. The results demonstrate that most of the reactive intermediates and products formed by the β-lyase-catalyzed biotransformation of compound A-derived cysteine S-conjugates are also formed in the two chemical systems studied. Some products were, however, formed in chemical systems that have not been observed in previous in vivo and in vitro studies; it is not known whether these products are formed in biological systems and whether they contribute to the observed nephrotoxicity of cysteine S-conjugates.
Perforated appendicitis: Prospective outcome analysis for 150 children

Abstract Background/Purpose: Controversy persists in the management of perforated appendicitis with regard to antibiotic choice and duration, operative timing, drain utilization, and wound closure. For 2 decades at the authors' institution, patients were treated with ampicillin, gentamicin, and clindamycin for 10 inpatient days, with drains in the abdomen, resulting in lower complication rates than most other published series. Managed care pressures have led to less aggressive medical management regimens with length of stay and financial factors viewed as principal outcome measures with little emphasis on clinical outcomes. In addition, there are little prospective data on clinical outcomes. The authors sought to determine whether our previously documented excellent quality outcomes could be maintained when modifications aimed at decreasing cost and length of stay in our protocol were instituted. Methods: The authors monitored prospectively clinical outcomes in patients with perforated appendicitis treated according to their clinical practice guidelines over a 43-month period. Patients received a single antibiotic, piperacillin-tazobactam, intravenously for 10 days. They were permitted to go home with a percutaneous intravenous catheter for the final 5 days if medical and social criteria were met. Other practices from our earlier protocol were continued, including immediate operation, placement of Penrose drains, and primary wound closure. Results: Of 150 patients treated on our protocol, major complications included intraabdominal abscess in 5 (3.3%), cecal fistula in 2 (1.3%), phlegmon in 3 (2.0%), wound infection in 4 (2.7%), and no small bowel obstructions requiring operation. None of these complications, nor their aggregate, were significantly more common than those reported in 373 patients treated over 11 years on the authors' prior protocol (χ 2 , P >.05). Conclusions: Prospective outcome analysis of our protocol shows that a single broad-spectrum antibiotic (allowing portions of therapy to be delivered less expensively on an outpatient basis) effectively can treat postoperative appendicitis with very few infectious complications. These outcome data provide baseline against which future protocols can be compared. All treatment modifications aimed at decreasing costs must be analyzed to ensure quality of care is not unduly compromised. J Pediatr Surg 35:923-926. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Cation requirements of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Summary The divalent metal ion requirement of the aminoacylation reaction catalyzed by isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli is satisfied to varying degrees by spermidine and the rare earth metal ions, La 3+ , Ce 3+ , Pr 3+ , Nd 3+ , Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ , Gd 3+ , Tb 3+ , Dy 3+ , and Yb 3+ . The unfractionated tRNA used in the experiments contained less than 0.4 gram-atom of Mg 2+ per tRNA molecule. No ATP-PP i exchange was observed when spermidine and Nd 3+ replaced Mg 2+ in the partial reaction. No tightly bound metal ions were detected in the enzyme.
Cytogenetic analysis in human bone marrow transplantation

Chromosome and sex chromatin studies have contributed significantly to the evaluation of human bone marrow transplants. In addition to their use in documenting bone marrow engraftment following transplantation, they have been used to (1) evaluate whether recurrent leukemia occurs in donor or recipient cells and whether recovery in aplastic anemia results from growth of host or donor cells, (2) demonstrate the bone marrow origin of pulmonary macrophages and hepatic Kupffer cells, (3) show that bone marrow fibroblasts have an origin different from that of the hematopoietic bone marrow cells, (4) evaluate twin zygosity in preparation for transplantation, and (5) show that the defect in Fanconi's anemia is intracellular.
Order, frustration, and defects in liquids and glasses

A defect description of liquids and metallic glasses is developed. In two dimensions, surfaces of constant negative curvature contain an irreducible density of point disclinations in a hexatic order parameter. Analogous defect lines in an icosahedral order parameter appear in three-dimensional flat space. Frustration in tetrahedral particle packings forces disclination lines into the medium in a way reminiscent of Abrikosov flux lines in a type-II superconductor and of uniformly frustrated spin-glasses. The defect density is determined by an isotropic curvature mismatch, and the resulting singular lines run in all directions. The Frank-Kasper phases of transition-metal alloys are ordered networks of these lines, which, when disordered, provide an appealing model for structure in metallic glasses.
Precursor Charge State Prediction for Electron Transfer Dissociation Tandem Mass Spectra

Electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) induces fragmentation along the peptide backbone by transferring an electron from a radical anion to a protonated peptide. In contrast with collision-induced dissociation, side chains and modifications such as phosphorylation are left intact through the ETD process. Because the precursor charge state is an important input to MS/MS sequence database search tools, the ability to accurately determine the precursor charge is helpful for the identification process. Furthermore, because ETD can be applied to large, highly charged peptides, the need for accurate precursor charge state determination is magnified. Otherwise, each spectrum must be searched repeatedly using a large range of possible precursor charge states. To address this problem, we have developed an ETD charge state prediction tool based on support vector machine classifiers that is demonstrated to exhibit superior classification accuracy while minimizing the overall number of predicted charge states. The tool...
A practical reliability allocation method considering modified criticality factors

Abstract Reliability allocation is a very critical step of product development process for setting achievable reliability goals. The majority of existing methods allocate system level failure rate target to subsystems or components instead of allocating failure rate reduction (improvement) targets. This approach of reliability allocation often allocates reliability goals lower than existing reliability levels. Further, the existing methods failed to effectively capture potential for improvement and impact of improvement efforts on failure effects while calculating reliability allocation weights. This paper investigates the limitations of existing approaches and proposes a modified criticality measure for allocating system level reliability improvement goal to subsystems. The modified criticality measure is developed considering non-linear phenomena for both severity rating and failure rate to capture potential for improvement. The failure rate reduction targets are assigned in proportion of improvement potential. A case example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Response to Dr. Pashby: Time operators and POVM observables in quantum mechanics☆

I argue against a general time observable in quantum mechanics except for quantum gravity theory. Then I argue in support of case specific arrival time and dwell time observables with a cautionary note concerning the broad approach to POVM observables because of the wild proliferation available.
Complications associated with extended wear of soft contact lenses.

Abstract The major complications with extended wear lenses are due to hypoxia and lens deposits. Certain patients tend to deposit proteins and lipids on the lens surface with daily wear and at a greater frequency during prolonged wear. A build-up of these deposits can be associated with decreased vision, conjunctival irritation, and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Frequent lens cleaning and the frequent use of concomitant topical artificial tears will hopefully reduce the incidence of lens deposits and their complications. Superficial circumlimbal vascularization occurs in a large percentage of patients who have worn lenses for weeks at a time. Corneal edema, ocular irritation, and decreased vision are also the hallmarks of a decreased oxygen supply to the cornea. A thin, loose-fitting lens will increase the percentage of patients who are able to successfully use extended wear lenses by increasing the amount of oxygen available to the cornea. Cessation or reduction in duration of lens wear will decrease the frequency and severity of this complication. Conjunctival and corneal infections are real risks; lens loss, breakage, deformation, or discoloration also occur during extended wear.
Enhancing overall system functionality and performance with the right packaging solutions

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the essential parts to assemble modern electronic circuits. The PCB design and development process has a direct impact on the system cost and time to market. On average, companies report that PCB represents 31% of the overall product cost. Today's electronic circuits and PCB designs are extremely complex. Multi-level mistakes are inevitable during the design and development stages. Cost reduction pressure is also limiting the designers in achieving their goals by reducing a few layers from their PCB stackup or adjusting and tweaking their designs. A paradigm shift in PCB design is underway through partitioning and modularizing the system and circuits to reduce PCB size and complexity, shortens design to market time, and simplifies the overall supply chain. In order to develop a superior product to fulfill a desired functions, good balance needs to be achieved among competing factors such as performance, cost, form factors, manufacturability, design, system flexibility, and supply chain management (Fig 1). A wireless system is usually comprised of several subsystems performing different functions. For example, a typical handset system includes baseband, transceivers, main and diversity FEM, memories, power management, power amplifiers, antenna switch, duplexer filter, etc. In this day and age, system integration is mandatory in order for end use products to offer superior and competitive products Compared to an SoC solution, system level integration at the packaging level may provide benefits such as cost effectiveness, flexibility, and a shorter development cycle. A concurrent development methodology between device and package design will definitely help the industry to understand the nature of system integration on a package.
Influence of bacterial type and density on population growth of bacterial-feeding nematodes

Abstract The contribution of bacterial-feeding nematodes to litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization depends, in part, on the abundance of particular nematode species. Population dynamics will be constrained by edaphic factors, food availability and food quality. We report the population growth rates for six nematode species as affected by different bacterial isolates and by changes in food supply. Populations of Caenorhabditis elegans grew faster than any other nematode-bacterium combination when Bacillus polymyxa was supplied as food ( λ =12.26 d −1 ). Caenorhabditis elegans also exhibited the greatest variation in population growth rate across the set of bacteria investigated. Acrobeloides bodenheimeri, A. buetschlii , Bursilla labiata , C. elegans , Cephalobus persegnis , and Rhabditis cucumeris did not develop or reproduce when fed Streptomyces halstedii scabies . Within the range of food concentrations considered, the six nematode species approached their respective maximal population growth rate between 10 4 and 10 5 colony-forming-units (CFUs) per nematode. Populations stopped growing when food concentrations declined to 10 3 –10 4 CFUs per nematode. Between 10 3 and 10 6 CFUs per nematode, variation in population growth rate due to changes in food supply was greatest for C. elegans and was least for A. buetschlii .
VIIRS reflective solar bands on-orbit calibration and performance: a three-year update

The on-orbit calibration of the reflective solar bands (RSBs) of VIIRS and the result from the analysis of the up-to-date 3 years of mission data are presented. The VIIRS solar diffuser (SD) and lunar calibration methodology are discussed, and the calibration coefficients, called F-factors, for the RSBs are given for the latest reincarnation. The coefficients derived from the two calibrations are compared and the uncertainties of the calibrations are discussed. Numerous improvements are made, with the major improvement to the calibration result come mainly from the improved bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) of the SD and the vignetting functions of both the SD screen and the sun-view screen. The very clean results, devoid of many previously known noises and artifacts, assures that VIIRS has performed well for the three years on orbit since launch, and in particular that the solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) is functioning essentially without flaws. The SD degradation, or H-factors, for most part shows the expected decline except for the surprising rise on day 830 lasting for 75 days signaling a new degradation phenomenon. Nevertheless the SDSM and the calibration methodology have successfully captured the SD degradation for RSB calibration. The overall improvement has the most significant and direct impact on the ocean color products which demands high accuracy from RSB observations.
Changes in DNA, RNA, and protein content of regions of explanted chicken embryos following insulin treatment.

Chick embryos of 11–13 somites, which were cultured 48 hours on insulin-containing medium, showed deformation of the brain and posterior trunk, and inhibited accumulation of DNA, RNA, and protein contents. These effects became more pronounced with increased insulin dose. Embryos transferred to insulin-free medium after 2 or 3 hours' exposure to 4 U/ml insulin showed a similar morphological response as embryos continuously exposed to the same dose. Quantitation of DNA, RNA, and protein contents indicated a more severe inhibition in embryos of the continuously exposed group than in those of the briefly exposed group, although embryos of both groups were significantly inhibited relative to their controls. Region-specific action of insulin was demonstrated in terms of the time at which each region of insulin-treated embryos first showed reduction in DNA, RNA, or protein content. The brain was the most susceptible region to insulin action; the trunk regions responded later; and the heart and extraembryonic membranes showed no significant effect of insulin treatment. At the molecular level nucleic acid content was most influenced by insulin treatment. Reduction in DNA content of whole embryos, or of specific regions, was the first effect of insulin treatment detected. However, on continuous exposure to a low dose of insulin (0.2 U/ml) the RNA content of the brain was reduced before the DNA content.
Effectiveness and tolerability of a once-daily amprenavir/ritonavir-containing highly active antiretroviral therapy regimen in antiretroviral-naïve patients at risk for nonadherence: 48-week results after 24 weeks of directly observed therapy.

Objectives To determine the safety and effectiveness of a once-daily highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen in patients at risk for poor adherence using directly observed therapy (DOT) for 24 weeks followed by weekly phone contact for another 24 weeks. Methods A prospective, open-label pilot study was carried out. Antiretroviral-naive patients with advanced HIV disease were treated with once-daily amprenavir 1200 mg, ritonavir 200 mg, didanosine 400 mg and lamivudine 300 mg. After 24 weeks, DOT was substituted by weekly phone contact. Measurements of viral load and CD4 cell count, and safety laboratory measurements, were taken regularly for 48 weeks. Results Twenty-two patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 19 completed at least 4 weeks of treatment. Seventeen patients completed 24 weeks and 13 completed 48 weeks. None discontinued treatment as a result of adverse events. The median baseline HIV viral load was 5.29 log10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL and the median CD4 cell count was 20 cells/μL. At weeks 24 and 48, 74% of the patients had viral loads <400 copies/mL. At 48 weeks, the median decrease in viral load from baseline was 3.06 log10 copies/mL, and the median increase in CD4 cell count was 118 cells/μL. The median trough plasma amprenavir concentrations at weeks 1 and 24 were 1.87 and 1.42 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions This study suggests that DOT followed by weekly patient contact results in good treatment outcome in this challenging population. The median trough plasma amprenavir concentrations were above the effective concentration of drug that resulted in 90% inhibition of viral load in vivo (EC90) for wild-type HIV.