cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement and Modeling of Short and Medium Range Order in Amorphous Ta2O5 Thin Films.

Amorphous films and coatings are rapidly growing in importance. Yet, there is a dearth of high-quality structural data on sub-micron films. Not understanding how these materials assemble at atomic scale limits fundamental insights needed to improve their performance. Here, we use grazing-incidence x-ray total scattering measurements to examine the atomic structure of the top 50–100 nm of Ta2O5 films; mirror coatings that show high promise to significantly improve the sensitivity of the next generation of gravitational-wave detectors. Our measurements show noticeable changes well into medium range, not only between crystalline and amorphous, but also between as-deposited, annealed and doped amorphous films. It is a further challenge to quickly translate the structural information into insights into mechanisms of packing and disorder. Here, we illustrate a modeling approach that allows translation of observed structural features to a physically intuitive packing of a primary structural unit based on a kinked Ta-O-Ta backbone. Our modeling illustrates how Ta-O-Ta units link to form longer 1D chains and even 2D ribbons and how doping and annealing influences formation of 2D order. We also find that all the amorphousTa2O5 films studied in here are not just poorly crystalline but appear to lack true 3D order.
Annotation, Storage, Retrieval and Analysis of Digital Video

The volume of multimedia data that is generated everyday motivates a growing need for efficient and effective methods to index, organize, retrieve, and analyze video data. This chapter investigates techniques that are needed to access video data effectively. These techniques can be classified into three categories: frame-grouping, semantic association, and story/structure construction. To demonstrate our method of grouping we introduce a video query system based on similarity measures of low-level video features. We then demonstrate how predictive models can be built on the low-level video features in order to predict mid-level semantic characteristics associated with individual video units. Finally, by adopting syntactic pattern analysis, we show how high-level complex video patterns can be analyzed and syntactic models can be built to represent high-level video events that capture the structure of the video. We argue that all levels of video information-video meta-data-needs to be organized so that it is convenient for subsequent data storage, exchange, transmission, and analysis. As in the case with MPEG-7, we describe the use of an XML-based video meta-data for these purposes.
The Career Consequences of Being a Dissident Director

This paper explores the career consequences of the decision to ally oneself with an activist investor/hedge fund in a proxy contest. Using 102 observations where an existing director reveals themselves to be a ‘dissident director’ (i.e. agrees to help an activist in a proxy contest against an unrelated firm), I find weak evidence over the 2011-2015 time period that such a decision results in a loss of board seats or lower director compensation. Yet, over the earlier time period of 2006-2010, evidence persists of negative career consequences to the dissident director. The directors who suffer a loss in board seats over this period come from firms with high CEO ownership, more entrenched directors, and fewer women on the board. Similar results persist for CEOs/officers who reveal themselves to be dissident directors. In total the results highlight the changing cultural attitudes within the board to activist interventions and yield strong implications for the costs associated with firm-level governance reform.
Salicylic Acid-Mediated Signal Transduction in Plant Disease Resistance

During the past decade, extensive efforts have been made to unveil the molecular mechanisms of recognition, perception, and signal transduction in plant-pathogen interactions. The recent cloning of plant disease resistance genes, in particular, has greatly advanced our understanding of the signal recognition and perception mechanisms involved in race-specific disease resistance.1–4 However, at present, still relatively little is known about the downstream signal transduction pathway(s) that leads to the activation of plant defense genes and disease resistance.
Design and operation of a molecular oscillator

Theoretical implications of the design of a two-level maser of the molecular-beam type are presented. The design and operation of a microwave maser that employs a beam of ammonia molecules are described.
Admissible Location of Sample Points of Interpolation by Bivariate C1 Quadratic Splines

In this paper, we will discuss the admissible location of sample points of C 1 quadratic spline interpolation in \(S\frac{1}{2}\left( {\Delta _{MN}^{\left( 2 \right)}} \right).\). General and simple poisedness conditions have been obtained by using smooth and conformality conditions expressed in terms of Bezier coefficients, the techniques of univariate spline interpolation, and theory of multivariate polynomial interpolations. First, we construct poised sets on an arbitrary rectangular cell \({R_{ij}} = \left[ {{x_i}{x_i} + 1} \right] \otimes \left[ {{y_j}{y_j} + 1} \right],\), that is, to find the location of sample points which admits unique Lagrange interpolation in \(S\frac{1}{2}\left( {\Delta _{11}^{\left( 2 \right)},{R_{ij}}} \right).\). Then, by means of the so-called flows from a source cell \(\mathop R\nolimits_{io,jo} \) in which the poised set of sample points has been obtained, we can arrange the location of remaining sample points in other cells R ij along the flows.
Prediction of Discharge Destination following Laryngectomy

ObjectiveTo identify factors that may predict discharge to intermediate-care facilities following total laryngectomy and may promote earlier discharge planning and optimize resource utilization.Stu...
Patient-Specific 3-Dimensional Modeling and Its Use for Preoperative Counseling of Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy.

Background:Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) represents complex alterations in the bony morphology of the proximal femur and acetabulum. Imaging studies have become crucial in diagnosis and treatm...
Putative Inflammatory Sensitive Mechanisms Underlying Risk or Resilience to Social Stress

It has been well recognized that exposure to stress can lead to the onset of psychosocial disorders such as depression. While there are a number of antidepressant therapies currently available and despite producing immediate neurochemical alterations, they require weeks of continuous use in order to exhibit antidepressant efficacy. Moreover, up to 30% of patients do not respond to typical antidepressants, suggesting that our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying stress-induced depression is still limited. In recent years inflammation has become a major focus in the study of depression as several clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated that peripheral and central inflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-1β, are elevated in depressed patients. Moreover, it has been suggested that inflammation and particularly neuroinflammation may be a direct and immediate link in the emergence of stress-induced depression due to the broad neural and glial effects that are elicited by proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, individual differences in inflammatory reactivity may further explain why certain individuals exhibit differing susceptibility to the consequences of stress. In this review article, we discuss sources of individual differences such as age, sex and coping mechanisms that are likely sources of distinct changes in stress-induced neuroimmune factors and highlight putative sources of exaggerated neuroinflammation in susceptible individuals. Furthermore, we review the current literature of specific neural and glial mechanisms that are regulated by stress and inflammation including mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and mechanisms of glutamate excitotoxicity. Taken together, the impetus for this review is to move towards a better understanding of mechanisms regulated by inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that are capable of contributing to the emergence of depressive-like behaviors in susceptible individuals.
Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration With Optional Core Needle Biopsy of Head and Neck Lymph Nodes and Masses: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance in Treated Squamous Cell Cancer Versus All Other Lesions.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration with optional core needle biopsy of head and neck lymph nodes and masses, with attention to differences between biopsy of treated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and biopsy of other lesions. METHODS Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and the need for consent was waived for this retrospective study. All 861 US-guided biopsies of head and neck lymph nodes and masses performed between March 1, 2012, and May 16, 2016, were reviewed. RESULTS Of the 861 biopsies, 53 targeted SCC with residual masses after treatment. The biopsy procedures yielded benign or malignant pathologic results in 71.7% (38 of 53) of treated SCC and 90.7% (733 of 808) of all other lesions (P < .001). A reference standard based on subsequent pathologic results or clinical and imaging follow-up was established in 68.4% of procedures. In cases with benign or malignant biopsy results and a subsequent reference standard, the sensitivity values for malignancy were 87.5% (95% confidence interval, 64.0%-96.5%) in treated SCC and 98.3% (95% confidence interval, 96.0%-99.3%) in all other cases (P = .047), and the specificity values were 63.6% (95% confidence interval, 35.4%-84.8%) in treated SCC and 99.5% (95% confidence interval, 97.3%-99.9%) in all other cases (P < .001). There were no major complications related to the biopsy procedures. CONCLUSIONS Excluding treated SCC, US-guided fine-needle aspiration with optional core needle biopsy of head and neck lymph nodes and masses has excellent diagnostic performance. Needle biopsy of head and neck SCC with a residual mass after therapy has a high rate of nondiagnostic samples, suboptimal sensitivity, and poor specificity.
The Splicing Code Goes Deep

The importance of genomic sequence context in generating transcriptome diversity through RNA splicing is independently unmasked by two studies in this issue (Jaganathan et al., 2019; Baeza-Centurion et al., 2019).
Gopher tortoise herbivory increases plant species richness and diversity

Mammalian herbivores often alter plant species richness and diversity, but such impacts have not been much investigated in reptiles. This study examined the effects of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) herbivory on species richness, Gini-Simpson diversity, and dominance, plant abundance, and biomass. Tortoise herbivory was eliminated in five areas through the use of exclosure plots for a period of two years and was compared to five similar areas where tortoises were allowed to feed. Cafeteria feeding trials were also used to quantify dietary preference. Tortoise exclosure plots had lowered species richness, and significantly lowered diversity, but significantly higher dominance than in controls. Heliotropium polyphyllum, the most highly preferred local species by tortoises, was the most dominant plant in exclosure and control plots and became even more dominant in exclosure plots. The abundance and biomass of the next two most common plant species, Fimbristylis cymosa and Polypremum procumbens, which are not preferred by tortoises, were reduced in the exclosures, probably due to increased competition with Heliotropium. Several rare plant species were eliminated in the exclosure plots. We conclude that tortoise herbivory may directly influence plant community assembly by reducing preferred plant species and promoting the growth of non-preferred species.
An Examination of Social Science Literature Pertaining to Multiracial Identity: A Historical Perspective.

ABSTRACT This article traces the history of the construct, multiracial identity, within social science literature. This research evolves from an emphasis on demonstrating the inferiority of multiracial individuals to understanding their phenomenological experiences. Over time, the emphasis seems to shift from categorizing by race to a focus on ethnicity. The method of inquiring about racial identity appears to have shifted from behavioral observation to self-report. Empirical research examining this phenomenon also seems to become more methodologically rigorous over time. Historically, the struggle to understand multiracial individuals as either marginal or healthy may have been more the result of ethnocentric beliefs on the part of the researchers rather than the identification process of multiracial individuals. It is additionally urged that further research continue to explore this often overlooked and misrepresented subgroup.
Germline DNA Sequencing Reveals Novel Mutations Predictive of Overall Survival in a Cohort of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose: Family history of BRCA-related tumors may correlate with response to chemotherapy and overall survival (OS) in pancreatic cancer. The frequency of germline mutations has been reported in patients predominantly under the age of 60 or with strong family history. We examine the incidence of deleterious germline mutations and compare the chemotherapy responses and OS in an unselected group of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Experimental Design: Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, who were seen at a single cancer center between 2010 and 2016, were included. Germline DNA was sequenced using a 263-gene panel to identify novel mutations (N = 133 MD Anderson cohort, N = 127 TCGA cohort). Chemotherapy response and OS were determined by review of medical records. Results: Deleterious germline mutations were identified in 26 of 133 patients (19.5%). Patients with DNA damage repair (DDR) gene mutations (ATM, BRCA1/2, CDKN2A, CHEK2, ERCC4, PALB2, n = 15) had an improved OS as compared with patients without (16.8 vs. 9.1 months, P = 0.03). Conversely, patients with other deleterious mutations had a trend toward worse OS. However, survival in the latter group was longer (P = NS) in those mutants initially treated with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. A family history of multiple breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers was associated with DDR gene mutations and better survival. Conclusions: We have identified novel germline mutations that are prognostic for survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. We observe improved survival in patients with DDR gene mutations and worsened survival in patients with deleterious mutations in non-DDR genes.
Chapter 6 – Automatic Integration

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the automatic integration. The aim of an automatic integration scheme is to relieve the person who has to compute an integral of any need to think. By an automatic integrator, one mean a program for numerical integration Wherein the user inserts the limits of integration, a routine for computing f(x), a tolerance ɛ, and an upper bound N on the number of functional evaluations. An automatic integrator is a program intended to be used “blind,” that is, without any theoretical analysis of the situation either before the problem is placed on the machine or after it comes off the machine. The results of the automatic integration are often utilized or combined in further computation. The attractiveness of an automatic integrator should be plain to anyone who has ever been confronted with the job of carrying out much integration of complicated integrands. Automatic integration schemes can be classified as adaptive or nonadaptive and iterative or noniterative. In an adaptive integration, the points at which the integrand is evaluated are chosen in a way that depends on the nature of the integrand. In a nonadaptive integration, the sequence of integration points is chosen according to a fixed scheme independent of the nature of the integrand; however, the number of such points will usually depend on the integrand. In an iterative scheme, successive approximations to the integral are computed until there is agreement to within the given tolerance. In a noniterative scheme, information from a first approximation is used to generate a second approximation, which is then taken as the final answer.
First Isolation of a Novel Aquatic Flavivirus from Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Its In Vivo Replication in a Piscine Animal Model.

The first isolation of a flavivirus from fish was made from moribund Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Eel River, California, USA. Following the observation of cytopathic effect in a striped-snakehead fish cell line, 35-nm virions with flaviviral morphology were visualized using electron microcopy. Next-generation sequencing and rapid amplification of cDNA ends obtained the complete genome. Reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) confirmed the presence of viral RNA in formalin-fixed tissues from the wild salmon. For the first time, in vivo replication of an aquatic flavivirus was demonstrated following intracoelomic injection in a Chinook salmon model of infection. RT-qPCR demonstrated viral replication in salmon brains up to 15 days postinjection. Infectious virus was then reisolated in culture, fulfilling Rivers' postulates. Only limited replication occurred in the kidneys of Chinook salmon or in tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The proposed salmon flavivirus (SFV) has a 10.3-kb genome that encodes a rare dual open reading frame, a feature uncharacteristic of classical flaviviruses. Phylogenetic analysis places SFV in a basal position among a new subgroup of recently recognized aquatic and bat flaviviruses distinct from the established mosquito-borne, tick-borne, insect-only, and unknown-vector flavivirus groups. While the pathogenic potential of the virus remains to be fully elucidated, its basal phylogeny and the in vivo infection model will allow SFV to serve as a prototype for aquatic flaviviruses. Ongoing field and laboratory studies will facilitate better understanding of the potential impacts of SFV infection on ecologically and economically important salmonid species.IMPORTANCE Chinook salmon are a keystone fish species of great ecological and commercial significance in their native northern Pacific range and in regions to which they have been introduced. Threats to salmon populations include habitat degradation, climate change, and infectious agents, including viruses. While the first isolation of a flavivirus from wild migrating salmon may indicate an emerging disease threat, characterization of the genome provides insights into the ecology and long evolutionary history of this important group of viruses affecting humans and other animals and into an expanding group of recently discovered aquatic flaviviruses.
Food allergy as a biological food quality control system

Food is simultaneously a source of essential nutrients and a potential source of lethal toxins and pathogens. Consequently, multiple sensory mechanisms evolved to monitor the quality of food based on the presence and relative abundance of beneficial and harmful food substances. These include the olfactory, gustatory, and gut chemosensory systems. Here we argue that, in addition to these systems, allergic immunity plays a role in food quality control by mounting allergic defenses against food antigens associated with noxious substances. Exaggeration of these defenses can result in pathological food allergy.
Uncertainty and support-seeking in US-based online diabetes forums

Uncertainty is a prevalent and influential experience for people managing chronic illness. People living with diabetes experience individual, relational, and illness-related uncertainty across the ...
Does Texas’ compensatory education funding get to the intended students?

Two questions about Texas school expenditure patterns are examined. First, “How progressive are spending patterns among high and low poverty schools?” Second, “How unequal are expenditures per pupil between schools with at least 70% of their students classified as economically disadvantaged, in different districts?” The data, for school year 2017-2018, are restricted to 3,453 elementary and middle schools in 90 large Texas districts. The schools in each district were divided into high and low poverty groups. The differences in the average per pupil spending for operations between the two groups ranged from plus $1,382 in one district to a negative $802 in another. The average expenditures in schools with at least 70% economically disadvantaged students were 75% greater in one district than in another. It is demonstrated that districts with less extreme average levels of low-income students have more opportunity to act as good Samaritans, generally exhibiting substantially greater spending in their high poverty schools. This finding supports arguments for student funding weights that increase with increasing proportions of economically disadvantaged students. An incidental finding is that a commonly used measure of funding progressivity is a direct function of district and school level variances in poverty averages, and is therefore biased by them.
Reassessing the Magnitude of Housing Price Declines During the Depressions of the 1890s and 1930s

This paper presents the first repeat sales index for residential housing in any US city spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, covering Baltimore from 1880 to 1953. Compared to previous data, the index shows larger declines in housing prices during the Depressions of the 1890s and 1930s. I also find higher leverage entering into those periods than previously understood. I conclude that negative equity in the 1930s was a bigger problem than implied by existing data, rationalizing the extent of foreclosures that occurred.
Perspective on exchange-coupled quantum-dot spin chains

Electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots are a promising platform for quantum-information processing applications because their quantum phase coherence can persist for extremely long times. Nearest-neighbor electron spins naturally interact with each other via Heisenberg exchange coupling. Heisenberg exchange coupling results from the interplay of the electrostatic confinement potential together with the Pauli exclusion principle, which requires that no two electrons can have the same quantum number. Exchange coupling enables a host of useful capabilities, including the generation of different types of qubits, multi-qubit gates, ways to increase connectivity in systems of quantum-dot spin qubits, and routes to explore intriguing many-body phenomena.
Microfluidic applications on pancreatic islets and β-cells study for human islet transplant

Abstract This chapter discusses various microfluidic technologies that have been developed to study and encapsulate human islets for transplant. The chapter first introduces key issues in the field of pancreatic islet transplantation as a clinical therapy for Type I diabetes. It then reviews microfluidic technologies that have been developed for the study of pancreatic islet and β-cell physiology, disease pathophysiology, and human islets microencapsulation for transplant. Furthermore, the chapter describes the design, fabrication, and application of our current microfluidic systems for multimodal islet perifusion, imaging, and encapsulation with detailed protocols that are available at the end of the chapter.
Simultaneous Non-contact I-V (NCIV) Measurements of Photovoltaic Substrings and Modules in a String

This paper presents a non-contact approach to obtain simultaneous current-voltage (I-V) curves of photovoltaic (PV) substrings and modules in a string without the need of disconnecting the individual modules from the string. There are two types of I-V curve tracers currently available in the marketplace, capacitor-based and electronic load-based. The primary requirement of these conventional I-V tracers is the disconnection of individual modules in the string so that the individual modules can be connected through the connectors of the individual modules. These conventional contact-tracers have three major limitations in the utility scale power plants: safety during disconnecting and reconnecting field-aged module connectors, extensive time and hardship of test personnel and limited availability of clear sunny hours/days to obtain I-V curves of 1000s of modules in the field. To mitigate all these three limitations, we experimented with a non-contact I-V (NCIV) tracer approach. In this approach, we utilized an electrostatic voltmeter (ESV) in combination with a voltage probe and a hall sensor to obtain I-V curves. A major application of the NCIV tracer is that it can instantaneously identify the underperforming modules in a string without the need of disconnecting the individual modules and translating the measured I-V curves to standard reporting conditions such as STC (standard testing conditions) because all the modules in the string are simultaneously measured at a single prevailing weather condition of irradiance, temperature, wind speed and wind direction.
The built environment and perceived HIV risk among young women living in the peri-urban slum of Kibra, Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract This study reports on the lived experiences of young women living in a peri-urban slum in Kenya and its impact on perceived HIV risk and prevention needs. Guided by the theory of gender and power and postcolonial theory, 73 women 15–24 years of age participated in individual and focus group interviews. Results revealed that the built environment inside and outside the home such as inadequate physical space and lack of security impacted perceived HIV risk. To have meaningful and sustainable change, HIV prevention efforts must address social structures that impact daily lived experiences of young women.
The Logic of Women on Trial: Case Studies of Popular American Trials

Janice Schuetz investigates the felony trials of nine American women from colonial Salem to the present: Rebecca Nurse, tried for witchcraft in 1692; Mary E. Surratt, tried in 1865 for assisting John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln; Lizzie Andrew Borden, tried in 1892 for the ax murder of her father and stepmother; Margaret Sanger, tried in 1915, 1917, and 1929 for her actions in support of birth control; Ethel Rosenberg, tried in 1951 for aiding the disclosure of secrets of the atom bomb to the Soviets; Yvonne Wanrow, tried in 1974 for killing a man who molested her neighbor s daughter; Patricia Campbell Hearst, tried in 1975 for bank robbery as a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army; Jean Harris, tried in 1982 for killing Herman Tarnower, the Diet Doctor; and Darci Kayleen Pierce, tried in 1988 for kidnapping and brutally murdering a pregnant woman, then removing the baby from the woman s womb.In her analysis, Schuetz is careful to define these trials as popular trials. Characteristically, popular trials involve persons, issues, or crimes of social interest that attract extensive public interest and involvement. Such trials make a contribution to the ongoing historical dialogue about the meaning of justice and the legal system, while reflecting the values of the time and place in which they occur.Schuetz examines the kinds of communication that transpired and the importance of gender in the trials by applying a different current rhetorical theory to each trial text. In every chapter, she explains her chosen interpretive theory, compares that framework with the discourse of the trial, and makes judgments about the meaning of the trial texts based on the interpretive theory."
Morphologic and histochemical studies of bone cells from SL-3 rats.

Previous studies of rat bone following space flight indicate a significant reduction in new bone formation as a result of hypogravity. In the present study of animals from SL-3 flight, the cellular activity of the bone forming cells, the osteoblasts, was investigated. Measurements of alkaline and acid phosphatase, Golgi activity, secretory granule size, and lysosomal activity, all indicated very little difference between flight and flight-simulated controls. However, there was a tendency for osteoblasts in compact bone of flight animals to show a smaller cytoplasmic volume compared to non-flight controls. If, as in previous studies, a significant reduction in bone formation occurred, it could be due to a normal level of procollagen degradation within these smaller osteoblasts, resulting in less collagen secretion per cell.
Association between cell-mediated demyelination and astrocyte stimulation.

Publisher Summary Primary demyelinating diseases in the human nervous system include multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and acute leukoencephalopathy. In cell-mediated demyelination, a factor, perhaps a colony-stimulating factor is secreted by the astrocyte, which stimulates the phagocytic cell, either the invading peripheral macrophage or the microglial cell. These cells are further stimulated by phagocytosis of the myelin-antibody complex and in turn, produce a factor, perhaps IL-1, which promotes hypertrophy and some hyperplasia of the astrocytes. Such a mutually dependent unit is probably not self-sustaining, but the interaction are initiated and/or modulated by other factors both from immune cells, such as lymphocytes, and from other neural cells. At this time, this sequence of events is mostly speculative, but recent results in laboratory have shown the respiratory burst of macrophages phagocytizing myelin to be greatly enhanced by the presence of antibody-complexed myelin. It is possible that secretion of other factors, including cytokines, is also stimulated by antibody-mediated events. The promotion of astrogliosis by cytokines could be also a general mechanism for the astrocyte response in many kinds of central nervous system (CNS) injury where antibody is not present. The microglia as resident macrophages of the nervous system have the potential to be activated by internal mechanisms, which could then start a sequence of events leading to the astrocyte response.
Incidental Diagnosis of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma in Children

Children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) have a short onset, rapidly progressive neurologic decline before diagnosis. Therefore, incidental diagnosis of such an aggressive cancer is counterintuitive, yet our experience shows DIPG may occur as part of a spectrum of incidentally diagnosed pediatric brain cancers. Although children with incidentally diagnosed DIPG may experience a longer survival, it remains a potentially deadly cancer despite treatment with radiotherapy. Histologic confirmation is warranted when feasible in such patients to confirm diagnosis. Moreover, recent advances in genome-wide analyses may suggest incidentally diagnosed DIPGs are biologically distinct from the majority of these cancers.
Optical-optical double-resonance spectroscopy of BaO: The low-lying states

Abstract Optical-optical double-resonance (OODR) induced photoluminescence into the lowest excited electronic states of BaO—a3Σ+, A1Σ+, b3Π, and A′ 1 Π —from C1Σ+ is described. These low-lying states are deperturbed to obtain spectroscopic constants and potential energy curves: a 3 Σ + A 1 Σ + b 3 Π A′ 1 Π T e ( cm −1 ) 16 596(3) 16 807.345(10) 17 502.6(10) 17 619.7(2) ω e ( cm −1 ) 469.0(7) 499.620(19) 447.62(8) 447.95(22) ω e x e ( cm −1 ) 1.48(4) 1.716(8) 2.287(12) 2.139(8) ω e y e × 10 2 ( cm −1 ) 2.14(9) 1.02(3) B e ( cm −1 ) 0.2594(5) 0.2583908(26) 0.22426(16) 0.22385(16) α e × 10 3 ( cm −1 ) 1.44(5) 1.111(3) 1.18(4) 1.15(4) γ e × 10 6 ( cm −1 ) 7.0(7) −4.0(21) R e ( A ) 2.1294(20) 2.133512(11) 2.2901(8) 2.2922(8) where uncertainties of 1σ are given in parentheses. The results of this deperturbation suggest the presence of additional low-lying, Δ states which perturb b3Π and A′ 1 Π .
A beta-like DNA polymerase from the mitochondrion of the trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata

The mitochondrial DNA in Crithidia fasciculata, a trypanosomatid parasite, is known as kinetoplast DNA. Kinetoplast DNA has a very unusual structure, consisting of several thousand minicircles and a few dozen maxicircles, all topologically interlocked into a giant network. There is one network within each cell's single mitochondrion. We previously purified a 43-kDa DNA polymerase from C. fasciculata mitochondria (Torri, A. F., and Englund, P. T. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 4786-4792). This enzyme has properties very different from those of a DNA polymerase gamma, the conventional mitochondrial polymerase. In addition to its small size, it is nonprocessive, has no detectable exonuclease activity, and has very low fidelity. In all of these respects, the polymerase resembles a DNA polymerase beta, a gap-filling enzyme thought to function in DNA repair in the nucleus of other eukaryotes. We speculate that this enzyme may have been specially imported into the C. fasciculata mitochondrion to repair the many gaps found in minicircles following their replication. This is the first example of a beta-like polymerase from the mitochondrion of any eukaryote.
Desperation Postchemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors

Patients with persistently elevated serum tumor markers should be monitored for marker kinetics and evaluated for nonviable cancer causes of marker elevation. Desperation postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is performed in select patients following second-line chemotherapy. Adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy is not indicated in patients following second-line chemotherapy.
Single-market disequilibrium models : Estimating and testing

Abstract The present paper investigates several issues of estimation and hypothesis testing in the context of a single-market disequilibrium model. The paper attempts to shed light on the following four questions: (1) What are the small-sample properties of the maximum likelihood estimator in various disequilibrium models? (2) How can one test the hypothesis of equilibrium vs. disequilibrium? (3) Can one reasonably estimate the unobservable demand and supply quantities from observable data? and (4) What are the consequences of using an equilibrium model instead of a disequilibrium one, or of using a misspecified disequilibrium model? Each of these questions is examined with the aid of sampling experiments.
Abstract 19050: Inhibition of CaMKII blocks Inducible Ventricular Tachycardia/Fibrillation and Triggered Activity in a Canine Model of Myocardial Ischemia

Introduction: Ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation (VT/VF) of focal origin due to triggered activity (TA) from delayed afterdepolarizations is reproducibly inducible after anterior coronary artery occlusion in the dog. Calcium/Calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase II (CaMKII) has been implicated in arrhythmias in small animal models. Here, we investigated the effect of inhibition of CaMKII on inducible VT/VF in our model. Methods: 25 chloralose anesthetized dogs received either an inhibitor of CaMKII, KN-93 at 2 mcg/kg IV, or saline for time controls. Endocardium from ischemic sites (3-D mapping utilizing customized Matlab 7.11 software) was sampled for oxidized CaMKII or studied in vitro with standard microelectrode techniques. Results (mean ± SE, *=p Conclusion: In ischemic VT/VF, KN-93 specifically blocked all inducible focal VT/VF due to TA without evidence of conduction or refractory period change in our large animal model of ischemia.
Soft polymer-based cantilever probe for AFM nanoindentation of live mammalian cells in liquid

A soft Poly(Methyl-Meth-Acrylate)(PMMA)-polymerbased V-shaped cantilever probe is proposed for atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the first well-functioning, visually-flat prototype fabricated using a simple, but novel low-cost process and bio-compatible materials is demonstrated. With the prototype, for the first time, AFM nanoindentation was performed on live mammalian cells—human cervical adenocarcinoma cells in liquid. Results obtained using the prototype were compared to those obtained using a commercial Si 3 N 4 cantilever probe. Minimal or no versus severe deformation and/or distortion of the cell membrane was observed when using the prototype versus the Si 3 N 4 probe.
Problem and Solution

good. I'm Jewish. That doesn't matter. My parents sent me to this school. They said it was a great school for discipline. Sure. Sure. Christina has this habit. Every time she gets excited and she's going to do something wrong. You know what I mean. She does this thing with her hand. She says it's only "making the Sign of the Cross." I asked her about it. She doesn't know why she does it. Her mother used to do it. Christina showed me how to do it. And how to say the words. Christina is a straight A student and I think I'm in love with her. She does this thing, and she just mumbles. It's kind of to ward off evil or danger or something, she says. Where's the evil? Where's the danger? I have told her it turns me off. I'm not religious. My parents are Unitar ians. I wasn't brought up with religion. Christina wants to know why it turns me off. What's wrong with it? I don't now. It's just voodoo. I don't say this to her. I respect her, and if that's her thing, I got to go along with it.
Label-free optofluidic biosensing in microplate, microfluidic, and spot-based affinity capture assays

Photonic crystal reflectance filters are co-fabricated/integrated with microfluidic channels on plastic substrates. Using the kinetic reaction rate constants measured, sensitivity limits and kinetic signal acquisition for label-free biosensing within various assay formats are studied.
Applying Technology to Visually Support Language and Communication in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The burgeoning role of technology in society has provided opportunities for the development of new means of communication for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This paper offers an organizational framework for describing traditional and emerging augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology, and highlights how tools within this framework can support a visual approach to everyday communication and improve language instruction. The growing adoption of handheld media devices along with applications acquired via a consumer-oriented delivery model suggests a potential paradigm shift in AAC for people with ASD.
The proteins of Tulipa and their relation to morphogenesis.

Abstract The complement of soluble proteins in the different organs of the tulip plant at different stages in the growth cycle has been investigated. This has been accomplished by the application of acrylamide gel electrophoresis. A general protein stain (amido black) and others which are specific for given enzyme proteins have been used. By these methods it has been demonstrated that the organs present at any one time in the bulb exhibit organ specific protein complements; these change with time, and this is especially shown by the contrast between vegetative and floral organs. In particular the mature vegetative and floral organs showed marked contrasts with respect to the enzyme proteins for which tests were made, i.e., isozymes of malic acid dehydrogenase and esterase. Thus the question arises whether the floral stimulus, sensitively controlled by temperature, elicited the formation of the appropriate proteins before, or after, the organs were formed. Hence studies were made on shoot apices before and after floral induction. The evidence shows that marked changes in soluble proteins occur so soon after floral induction as to justify the view that they precede the morphogenetic responses. Thus, by taking advantage of the special features of the tulip bulb, of the extent to which its morphogenetic responses may be controlled, and of the fact that the entire development of the flower occurs within the bulb and, by applying to this system the technique of acrylamide gel electrophoresis, it has been possible to demonstrate intimate relationships between the proteins as synthesized and the organs as they develop. The significance of these results is discussed in terms of current views of protein synthesis and of morphogenesis.
Alterations in properties of samples during their preparation by grinding

Abstract Samples for the determination of the chemical composition and physical characteristics of materials are usually prepared in laboratories by prolonged dry or wet grinding. During such grinding the physical as well as the chemical characteristics of these materials can, however, undergo significant alterations. Our analysis of the past work in the literature shows that the exact nature of the alterations is dependent, among other things, by the conditions of grinding as well as the method of grinding that is adopted. In this work, samples of various minerals such as quartz and calcite and other materials such as massicot were ground in a pebble mill as a function of time for several hundred hours and the change in various properties studied by gravimetric, thermogravimetric and X-ray diffraction analyses. It was found that the density of the particles in the case of quartz decreased as a function of the grinding time (or particle size) apparently due to the creation of deep amorphous layers on the particles. In the case of massicot and calcite, polymorphic transitions were found to alter its structure to that of litharge and aragonite respectively. Even solid state reactions were found to take place during grinding as shown by the formation of galena during the grinding of massicot or litharge with sulfur. These changes suggest the importance of recognizing the fact that the properties of small samples prepared by grinding are not necessarily totally representative of the bulk materials. They also suggest the importance of establishing standard conditions of preparation of samples so that there is less discrepancy between results obtained from various studies at different laboratories.
A continuous recirculating culture system for planktonic copepods

The calanoid copepods, Acartia clausiGiesbrecht and Acartia tonsaDana, are maintained at high densities in continuous culture at 15°C. Synthetic sea-water medium is recirculated through filters and a foam tower which limits accumulation of dissolved wastes and various metabolites. The ciliate Euplotes vannusMuller is associated in culture with the copepods, and effectively controls bacterial population and accumulation of algal debris. The copepods graze upon the ciliates as well as upon the phytoflagellates Isochrysis galbanaParke and Rhodomonas balticaKorsten.
Stem cells for all seasons? Experimental and clinical issues.

Stem cells, by definition, are capable of total or partial differentiation as well as self-renewal. The most primitive stem cells, in many people's opinion, are those derived from the blastocyst inner cell mass1. Such embryonic germ cells can be maintained in culture for a long time if an appropriate cytokine, leukaemia inhibitory factor, is present in the culture medium. They remain pluripotent; but, if the cytokine is removed, they can be modulated to produce various cell lines, from blood islands to neurons and epithelia2. These cells therefore meet the criteria of being able to divide symmetrically to expand their number and to divide asymmetrically in order to self-renew and give rise to a differentiated progeny3. However, there is no evidence that blastocyst cells self-renew in vivo and obviously they are not working over the entire lifespan of the organism, as stem cells should. Therefore they cannot be regarded as true stem cells, while among so-called germ-line stem cells (oocytes and sperm-producing cells) only male spermatogonial cells are present in mammals over the lifetime: oocytes are produced in a finite number near the time of birth. I confine this review to cells that can self-renew for the entire lifespan of the organism.
Are educated workers really more productive

Abstract This paper presents a new method for examining the productive nature of education. It outlines an econometric model which simultaneously estimates an earnings function and a production function for workers and the firms where they are employed. This approach permits a direct comparison to be made between the relative wage and relative productivity of workers with different levels of education. Using a unique data set from Ghana, two primary questions are addressed: (1) Are educated workers more productive than workers with no formal education? and (2) Do earnings differentials between workers with different levels of education reflect genuine productivity differentials? The results suggest that education is positively correlated with productivity in Ghanaian manufacturing, and that firms pay workers according to their productivity.
Some Effects of the Wind on Rings

Abstract Some simple air-sea momentum transfer models, which include sea surface velocity and temperature, are considered for their effects on Gulf Stream rings. Perturbing the stress calculation with sea surface velocity results in a “top drag”, which causes interior motions to decay. Numerical experiments with equivalent barotropic quasi-geostrophic dynamics and reasonable estimates for the top drag suggest that this mechanism can amount for a significant fraction of observed isotherm subsidence rates in rings. Perturbing the stress calculation with a temperature sensitive drag coefficient produces a dipolar Ekman pumping field over a ring. For an eastward directed wind, the result is a tendency for the ring to self-propagate to the south. Integral constraints can be used to estimate the meridional propagation rate precisely, and for reasonable stress and thermal anomaly values, the estimate compares well with observations.
T4 endonuclease V protects the DNA strand opposite a thymine dimer from cleavage by the footprinting reagents DNase I and 1,10-phenanthroline-copper

The glycosylase/abasic lyase T4 endonuclease V initiates the repair of ultraviolet light-induced pyrimidine dimers. This enzyme forms an imino intermediate between its N-terminal α-NH2 group and C-1′ of the 5′-residue within the dimer. Sodium borohydride was used to covalently trap endonuclease V to a 49-base pair oligodeoxynucleotide containing a site-specific cyclobutane thymine dimer. The bound and free oligonucleotides were then subjected to nuclease protection assays using DNase I and a complex of 1,10-phenanthroline- copper. There was a large region of protection from both nucleases produced by endonuclease V evident on the strand opposite and asymmetrically opposed to the dimer. Little protection was seen on the dimer-containing strand. The existence of a footprint with the 1,10-phenanthroline-copper cleavage agent indicated that endonuclease V was interacting with the DNA predominantly via the minor groove. Methylation by dimethyl sulfate yielded no areas of protection when endonuclease V was covalently attached to the DNA, indicating that the protein may closely approach the DNA without direct contact with the bases near the thymine dimer. The Escherichia coli proteins Fpg and photolyase display a very different pattern of nuclease protection on their respective substrates, implying that endonuclease V recognizes pyrimidine dimers by a novel mechanism.
NLS peptide conjugated molecular beacons for visualizing nuclear RNA in living cells.

Imaging the expression and localization of RNAs in live-cell nucleus can provide important information on RNA synthesis, processing, and transport. Here, we report the development of a bifunctional molecular beacon (NLS-MB) composed of a single nuclear localization sequence (NLS) peptide conjugated to a molecular beacon for efficient delivery and imaging of endogenous RNAs in the nuclei of living cells. We characterized the NLS-MBs by comparing their signal-to-noise ratios with unmodified molecular beacons and determined their efficiency of nuclear import. We demonstrated the specificity and sensitivity of the method by observing in living cells the localization and colocalization of small nuclear RNAs (snRNA) U1 and U2 at discrete foci in the nucleoplasm, and the localization of small nucleolar RNA U3 in the nucleolus. These snRNAs were chosen because of their essential roles in RNA biogenesis. The results were validated using in situ hybridization as positive control and random beacons as negative contr...