cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optics vs copper: from the perspective of "Thunderbolt" interconnect technology

Interconnect technology has been progressed at a very fast pace for the past decade. The signaling rates have steadily increased from 100:Mb/s to 25Gb/s. In every generation of interconnect technology evolution, optics always seems to take over at first, however, at the end, the cost advantage of copper wins over. Because of this, optical interconnects are limited to longer distance links where the attenuation in copper cable is too large for the integrated circuits to compensate. Optical interconnect has long been viewed as the premier solution in compared with copper interconnect. With the release of Thunderbolt technology, we are entering a new era in consumer electronics that runs at 10Gb/s line rate (20Gb/s throughput per connector interface). Thunderbolt interconnect technology includes both active copper cables and active optical cables as the transmission media which have very different physical characteristics. In order for optics to succeed in consumer electronics, several technology hurdles need to be cleared. For example, the optical cable needs to handle the consumer abuses such as pinch and bend. Also, the optical engine used in the active optical cable needs to be physically very small so that we don't change the looks and feels of the cable/connector. Most importantly, the cost of optics needs to come down significantly to effectively compete with the copper solution. Two interconnect technologies are compared and discussed on the relative cost, power consumption, form factor, density, and future scalability.
A pH-regulated promoter for the expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli

A series of plasmid vectors have been developed which allows control of recombinant gene expression by altering the pH of the growth medium. Expression is controlled by the regulatory region of thecadA gene ofE. coli. Experiments using β-galactosidase as the expressed gene have resulted in an induced expression of up to 60-fold when the pH of the growth medium is lowered from pH 7 to 5.5. Expression can also be induced by switching from aerobic to anaerobic growth environment. The pH and anaerobic effects are additive boosting the expression level of β-galactosidase to a dramatic value of 200 fold. Finally, the pH-induction effect is fully reversible, a unique property which allows continuous control of gene expression using exiting pH monitoring and control equipment.
Brain metastases from colorectal cancer

PURPOSE: We wished to determine the time interval before diagnosis of brain metastases from a colorectal origin, typical neurologic presentation, overall survival, and impact of type of treatment and metastatic growth patterns (solitary, location,etc.)on prognosis. METHODS: Between 1980 and 1994 we retrospectively identified 19 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the brain. Data were collected with regard to patient characteristics, location and stage of primary tumor, and extent and location of metastatic disease. Statistical analyses were performed with STATISTICA™for Windows™.RESULTS: Mean patient age was 66 (43–87) years. Primary tumor location was distributed throughout the colon; 58 percent had disseminated disease when first diagnosed. All patients were symptomatic. Lesions were solitary in 63 percent, unilateral in 89 percent, and cerebral in 53 percent. Overall median survival was 2.8 months; 1-year survival was 0 percent. Survival was longer following craniotomy (4.1 months) compared with radiation (2.8 months); however, survival was not affected by number or location of metastatic lesions or whether the brain was the sole site of metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Brain metastases from colorectal cancer are infrequently the sole site of metastatic disease, and because survival is dismal regardless of form of therapy chosen, craniotomy is rarely indicated. Exception is the rare patient who has minimum neurologic impairment, a long diseasefree interval, a solitary metastasis, and no extracranial disease.
Free-Carrier Drift-Velocity Studies in Rare-Gas Liquids and Solids

Free-carrier drift-velocity studies were made in liquid and solid Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe samples, using a crystal counter technique. Electron-ion or electron-hole pairs were generated in the samples by means of a ${\mathrm{Po}}^{210}$ $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle source which was electrochemically deposited on one electrode of the parallel electrode arrangement. Transit times of carriers drifting across the electrode spacing were determined from pulses displayed on an oscilloscope and recorded photographically. The number of ion pairs escaping from each $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle track was found to be electric-field-dependent, and the values obtained were less than half the corresponding number observed using $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle excitation in the gaseous phase of the same materials. In fields greater than about 10 kV/cm, saturated electron drift velocities were observed. Values of the saturated electron drift velocities in solid Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe are 1.8, 1.36, 0.95, and 0.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ cm/sec, respectively, while in liquid Ar and Kr, the respective values were 0.6 and 0.35\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{6}$ cm/sec. Charge transport by holes as well as electrons were observed only in solid Xe. An argument is given which suggests that the results observed can be qualitatively explained in terms of a hot-electron model, with inelastic scattering by molecular impurities proposed as the velocity-limiting interaction.
What happens to translocated game birds that ‘disappear’?

The ultimate goal of most translocation efforts is to create a self-sustaining wild population of a species deliberately moved from one part of their range to another. As follow-up of a translocation attempt is often difficult, causes for failure are relatively unknown. Dispersal away from the release site is one potential source of failure because it decreases the likelihood of the released population establishing itself post-translocation. In this study, we used chukar Alectoris chukar as a surrogate for translocated game birds in order to conduct a large-scale experimental study. We observed that these desert-adapted birds demonstrate a strong fidelity for specific water sources. We also report the propensity for the translocated individuals to either disperse and return to their original water source site or remain at the release site. During two field seasons, we observed opposing behaviors such that the proportion of individuals returning to the capture site, versus those remaining at the release site, shifted between years. We analyzed this change between the years as well as within the years to assess the potential underlying causes such as translocated distance, differences in rainfall between seasons and water source type. We concluded that homing behavior was strong in this non-migratory bird species and that strength of this homing behavior varied, potentially due to conditions surrounding the limiting resource, water availability. The large-scale, original data presented here may help to explain why some releases result in a successfully established population while other releases result in widely dispersed individuals.
Development and characteristics of the rim region in high burnup UO2 fuel pellets

Abstract Research to define the behavior of Zircaloy-clad light-water reactor fuel irradiated to high burnup levels was conducted as part of the High Burnup Effects Program. One observed microstructural change related to irradiation to high burnup levels (up to 83 MWd/kgM pellet-average) is the development of a well-defined, unique microstructural region at the fuel pellet edge (rim). This rim region is characterized by the loss of optically-definable grain structure, increased porosity, and the depletion of matrix fission gas. The rim region holds the potential for significant localized increases in the athermal release of fission gases at high burnup levels, but the contribution of the rim release to the fractional release of the total fission gas produced in the rod is small.
Phospholipase A(2) activity, heat shock protein, and superoxide dismutase in rat remnant kidney.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (150–200 g) were randomly assigned to sham operation (n=6) or 5/6 nephrectomy (n=12) procedures. Two weeks after the completion of the 5/6 nephrectomy, these animals were again randomly assigned to two groups: non-treatment or treatment with vitamin E supplementation at 200 IU/kg chow. Two weeks later, all animals were sacrificed and the kidneys harvested. The secretory phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity was elevated (150%) in the untreated remnant kidney but returned to sham values in the vitamin E-treated kidneys. The cytoprotective heat shock protein (HSP70) and the intracellular antioxidant superoxide dismutase (MnSOD, Cu/ZnSOD) were similar in sham, remnant, and vitamin E-treated remnant kidneys. We conclude that the sudden reduction of renal mass secondary to the 5/6 nephrectomy procedure stimulates PLA2 activity but not HSP70, MnSOD, or Cu/ZnSOD. This increased activity of PLA2 in the remnant kidney returned to sham values after vitamin E treatment. The intrinsic cellular antioxidant enzymes, MnSOD, Cu/ZnSOD, as well as the cytoprotective heat shock protein HSP70, showed no significant changes in either vitamin E-treated or untreated kidneys compared with sham. These data are suggestive that the elevation of PLA2 is a specific and localized response to the sudden reduction of renal mass.
Detection of Rapalog-Mediated Therapeutic Response in Renal Cancer Xenografts Using 64Cu-bevacizumab ImmunoPET

The importance of neovascularization for primary and metastatic tumor growth fostered numerous clinical trials of angiogenesis inhibitors either alone or in combination with conventional antineoplastic therapies. One challenge with the use of molecularly targeted agents has been the disconnection between size reduction and tumor biologic behavior, either when the drug is efficacious or when tumor resistance emerges. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of (64)Cu-NOTA-bevacizumab as a PET imaging agent for imaging intratumoral VEGF content in vivo. (64)Cu-NOTA-bevacizumab avidly accumulated in 786-O renal carcinoma xenografts with lower levels in host organs. RAD001 (everolimus) markedly attenuated (64)Cu-NOTA-bevacizumab accumulation within 786-O renal carcinoma xenografts. Tumor tissue and cellular molecular analysis validated PET imaging, demonstrating decreases in total and secreted VEGF content and VEGFR2 activation. Notably, (64)Cu-NOTA-bevacizumab PET imaging was concordant with the growth arrest of RAD001 tumors. These data suggest that immunoPET targeting of angiogenic factors such as VEGF could be a new class of surrogate markers complementing the RECIST criteria in patients receiving molecularly targeted therapies.
Mean-field theory of entropy-driven structural phase transitions.

Models for lattice dynamical systems possessing first-order structural phase transitions have recently been constructed, and extensive molecular-dynamics calculations have been carried out for them. The mechanism producing the transition is that there are lower vibrational frequencies in the hightemperature structure than in the low-temperature structure, thereby increasing the entropy of the high-temperature phase. These structure-dependent frequencies are produced by anharmonicity in the interparticle interaction. This paper describes a mean-field theory for such entropy-driven transitions. It is based on making a Gaussian ansatz for the single-particle probability density function
Daughter and mother report of individual symptoms on the children's depression inventory

Purpose: To examine differences between early adolescent girls' and their mothers' perceptions of girls' depressive symptoms. Methods: 313 daughter-mother dyads completed the Children's Depression Inventory. Results: Low to modest agreement was found for most symptoms, although higher agreement was found for symptoms relating to school performance. The hypothesis that girls would report more ideational symptoms and mothers more behavioral symptoms of depression was tested; girls generally reported more ideational and behavioral symptoms when differences occurred. However, several specific ideational symptoms (feeling like crying; feeling sad; guilt; worrying) tended to be more frequently endorsed by girls and had particularly poor daughter-mother agreement. Examining third variables associated with daughter-mother agreement, girls scoring high on social desirability tended to have smaller daughter-minus-mother difference scores for ideational, but not for behavioral items; therefore, social desirability may be associated with girls underreporting ideational symptoms. Conclusion: Mothers appear to be reliable raters of symptoms related to school functioning, but may be less aware of certain covert depressive symptoms in their early adolescent daughters.
Arteriovenous Malformations of the Tongue: A Spectrum of Disease

Objectives: To examine our vascular anomalies team's experience with tongue arteriovenous malformations (AVM) with specific emphasis on the spectrum on disease and surgical management. Methods: Retrospective chart review of 11 patients (10 female, 1 male), discovered from 1997 to 2005 with histological, radiographic, and clinical characteristics consistent with tongue AVM. Results: Four patients displayed advanced disease with malformations involving the tongue, floor of mouth, and neck. Contributions from multiple feeding arteries were identified by angiography as each patient reported a prior history of surgical or embolic procedures. These lesions required preoperative embolization and extensive resection with complex reconstruction (mean operating time, 10.9 hr). One patient had evidence of recurrent disease (mean follow-up, 24.6 mo). In contrast, seven patients presented with discreet tongue malformations with a single feeding lingual artery. These patients reported no prior intervention, required only one resection (mean operating time, 2.8 hr), and have shown no evidence of recurrence (mean follow-up, 11 mo). Slight histologic differences between advanced versus focal tongue AVM were identified. Conclusions: This study suggests that tongue AVM can occur within a spectrum of disease with different clinical presentations, radiographic findings, and histology among patients with focal versus advanced lesions. Inadequate treatment is thought to contribute to collateral flow and disease progression in advanced AVM, making further management difficult. However, focal tongue AVM may represent early lesions that are more amenable to surgical management.
Impaired protein binding of Chinese medicine DanShen in uremic sera and sera with hyperbilirubinemia: rapid assessment of total and free DanShen concentrations using the fluorescence polarization immunoassay for digoxin.

DanShen is a Chinese medicine that is used to treat cardiovascular disorders. DanShen is moderately to strongly protein bound, mainly to albumin. Because impaired protein binding of albumin-bound drugs in uremia has been reported, we studied protein binding of DanShen by measuring the digoxin-like immunoreactive component of this Chinese medicine. We observed a significantly higher percentage of free fraction of DanShen in uremic sera in vitro. Impaired protein binding of DanShen was also observed in sera from patients with liver disease, who had elevated concentrations of bilirubin. Treating uremic sera with activated charcoal significantly improved the protein binding of DanShen, indicating that uremic compounds are responsible for the impaired protein binding of DanShen. On the other hand, when various amounts of bilirubin were added to aliquots of the normal pool supplemented with DanShen, we observed only a modest displacement of DanShen from the protein-binding sites by bilirubin, indicating that hypoalbuminemia may play a major role in impaired protein binding of DanShen in sera with elevated bilirubin concentrations. We conclude that protein binding of DanShen is lower in uremic sera and in sera with elevated bilirubin concentrations.
A qualitative enquiry of caregivers of adolescents with severe disabilities in Guatemala City.

Purpose: This study explores the experiences of lower middle class Ladino and Indigena parents and caregivers of adolescents with severe physical disabilities as they negotiate Guatemala's urban health care and education systems.Method: Interviews with parents and guardians regarding the diagnostic period, current functioning in several domains and resources were analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory with 15 families in Guatemala City.Results: Juxtaposing economic resources with preparation for adult roles along two dimensions in an axial grid, individual differences were identified. When families experience financial urgency, finding it difficult to meet even basic needs, securing employment immediately is most salient in the transition to adulthood (Low Resources, High Preparation); when families have greater resources, they are less pressed for economic input and, instead, describe a longer-term concern for the educational and professional development of their child (High Resources, High Prepar...
Quantitative analysis of procarbazine, procarbazine metabolites and chemical degradation products with application to pharmacokinetic studies.

Abstract Quantitative analytical methods are described for the analysis of the anticancer drug procarbazine and eight known metabolites including those known to have cytotoxic activity. A direct sample insertion mass spectrometric assay for procarbazine and the urinary excretion product, N-isopropyl-terephthalamic acid, has been developed. This method employs stable isotope labeled variants in a procedure that minimizes analytical errors that may be encountered in the quantitation of the chemically unstable parent drug. A liquid chromatographic method is described for the analysis of seven known procarbazine metabolites. Use of these methods is demonstrated by the analysis of procarbazine metabolism during incubation in a 9000-g rat liver homogenate preparation. Procarbazine disappearance and metabolite appearance are also monitored in rat plasma following intraperitoneal administration of a 150 mg/kg bolus dose. Applications to patient pharmacokinetics is demonstrated using the liquid chromatographic assay to follow the appearance of active procarbazine metabolites on the first and fourteenth day of an oral 250 mg/kg/day course of therapy of a patient being treated for cancer.
A randomized comparison of laparoscopic, magnetically anchored, and flexible endoscopic cameras in performance and workload between laparoscopic and single-incision surgery

Background This study aimed to evaluate the surgeon performance and workload of a next-generation magnetically anchored camera compared with laparoscopic and flexible endoscopic imaging systems for laparoscopic and single-site laparoscopy (SSL) settings.
Low-Dimensional Architectures of Silver Coordination Compounds Assembled via Amide-Amide Hydrogen Bonds

The syntheses and crystal structures of di(6-methylnicotinamide)silver(I) triflate (1), di(6-methylnicotinamide)silver(I) nitrate (2), and di(isonicotinamide)silver(I) triflate dihydrate (3) are described. Despite the structural differences in their counter-anions, both 1 and 2 exhibit very similar hydrogen-bonded networks, where a ladder motif is formed through amide-amide hydrogen bonding interactions. The para position of the amide moiety in 3 promotes chain formation through amide-amide hydrogen bonds. These structures illustrate the robust hydrogen-bonding ability of the amide functionality, even in a potentially disruptive environment of metal ions, anions and water molecules. The influence of substituents on the nicotinamide ligand and the effect of varying anions in this system are discussed.
Milieu Improvement in Psychiatry Using Evidence-Based Practices: The Long and Winding Road of Culture Change

Background Shorter inpatient stays have resulted in greater patient acuity, making it difficult for patients to heal and challenging for staff to manage. Objective To improve the milieu for psychiatric inpatients using evidence-based practices. Design A thorough literature review suggested 18 basic principles to improve patient outcomes while reducing violence, seclusion, restraint, and 1:1 observation. Interventions were multiple, including intensive multi-modal staff education based on the literature review and starting in orientation, introduction of comfort rooms, changes in debriefing practices, careful review of all seclusion and restraint episodes, introduction of integrative modalities, and careful review of all 1:1 observation and review of unit structure. Results Multiple interventions resulted in favorable outcomes in the following: rates of seclusion and restraints; time devoted to 1:1 observation, patient and staff satisfaction; violent incidents; and staff and patient injury. Conclusions Long-term culture change toward a more therapeutic milieu can occur as a result implementing evidence-based practices.
Weak decays of Λ 4 He

We measured the lifetime and the mesonic and nonmesonic decay rates of the {sub {lambda}}{sup 4}He hypernucleus. The hypernuclei were created using a 750 MeV/c momentum K{sup -} beam on a liquid {sup 4}He target by the reaction {sup 4}He (K{sup -},{pi}{sup -}){sub {lambda}}{sup 4}He. The {sub {lambda}}{sup 4}He lifetime was directly measured using protons from {lambda}p{yields}np nonmesonic decay (also referred to as proton-stimulated decay) and was found to have a value of {tau}=245{+-}24 ps. The mesonic decay rates were determined from the observed numbers of {pi}{sup -}'s and {pi}{sup circle}'s as {gamma}{sub {pi}{sup -}}/{gamma}{sub tot}=0.270{+-}0.024 and {gamma}{sub {pi}}/{gamma}{sub tot}=0.564{+-}0.036, respectively, and the values of the proton- and neutron-stimulated decay rates were extracted as {gamma}{sub p}/{gamma}{sub tot}=0.169{+-}0.019 and {gamma}{sub n}/{gamma}{sub tot}{<=}0.032 (95% CL), respectively. The effects of final-state interactions and possible three-body {lambda}NN decay contributions were studied in the context of a simple model of nucleon-stimulated decay. Nucleon-nucleon coincidence events were observed and were used in the determination of the nonmesonic branching fractions. The implications of the results of this analysis were considered for the empirical {delta}I=(1/2) rule and the decay rates of the {sub {lambda}}{sup 4}H hypernucleus.
Theoretical Investigation of Hydrogen Adsorption and Dissociation on Iron and Iron Carbide Surfaces Using the ReaxFF Reactive Force Field Method

We have developed a ReaxFF reactive force field to describe hydrogen adsorption and dissociation on iron and iron carbide surfaces relevant for simulation of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis on iron catalysts. This force field enables large system (>>1000 atoms) simulations of hydrogen related reactions with iron. The ReaxFF force field parameters are trained against a substantial amount of structural and energetic data including the equations of state and heats of formation of iron and iron carbide related materials, as well as hydrogen interaction with iron surfaces and different phases of bulk iron. We have validated the accuracy and applicability of ReaxFF force field by carrying out molecular dynamics simulations of hydrogen adsorption, dissociation and recombination on iron and iron carbide surfaces. The barriers and reaction energies for molecular dissociation on these two types of surfaces have been compared and the effect of subsurface carbon on hydrogen interaction with iron surface is evaluated. We found that existence of carbon atoms at subsurface iron sites tends to increase the hydrogen dissociation energy barrier on the surface, and also makes the corresponding hydrogen dissociative state relatively more stable compared to that on bare iron. These properties of iron carbide will affect the dissociation rate of H2 and will retain more surface hydride species, thus influencing the dynamics of the FT synthesis process.
CONSISTENT DEFINITIONS FOR, AND RELATIONSHIPS AMONG, CROSS SECTIONS FOR ELASTIC SCATTERING OF HYDROGEN IONS, ATOMS, AND MOLECULES

Owing to the crucial role played by elastic scattering in various gas/plasma environments and to its fundamental nature, we consider in the present work low-energy collisions among isotopic variants of ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}+\mathrm{H}, \mathrm{H}+\mathrm{H},$ and ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}+{\mathrm{H}}_{2}.$ In particular, we present consistent definitions of the elastic-scattering cross section and its common transport relevant moments regarding the quantum indistinguishability or classical distinguishability of particles, correcting some inappropriate definitions found in the literature. Further, we utilize a large collection of fully quantal calculated results for these systems to display the scaling relationships that exist among them.
Wave energy: a Pacific perspective

This paper illustrates the status of wave energy development in Pacific rim countries by characterizing the available resource and introducing the region's current and potential future leaders in wave energy converter development. It also describes the existing licensing and permitting process as well as potential environmental concerns. Capabilities of Pacific Ocean testing facilities are described in addition to the region's vision of the future of wave energy.
Unusual Absorption Profile of Phenytoin in a Massive Overdose Case

The pharmacokinetics of phenytoin was evaluated in a nonepileptic adult man after the ingestion of an undetermined amount of the drug following an apparent suicide attempt. A serum phenytoin concentration of 45 micrograms/mL was observed on admission 12 hours after ingestion. Phenytoin concentrations steadily increased, reached a maximum of 114 micrograms/mL four days later, then fluctuated at about 100 micrograms/mL for a week, and slowly declined to undetectable levels within the following week. At 96.5 micrograms/mL, the unbound serum concentration was 2.5 times that observed in therapeutic drug concentrations. Computer fitting of the data indicated that the Michaelis-Menten constants, apparent volume of distribution, and renal clearance of phenytoin were consistent with those parameters reported after therapeutic doses. However, phenytoin absorption was best described by parallel first- and zero-order rate processes, with the latter proceeding for as long as two weeks following drug ingestion. This protracted absorption appears to be a result of the presence of a large concretion of phenytoin in the gastrointestinal tract, having a slow disintegration and dissolution attributable to the limited solubility of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract and to the patient's diminished intestinal motility. Language: en
Occurrence of nerve entrapment lesion in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Abstract Objective : To evaluate the occurrence of nerve entrapment syndrome in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Methods : We retrospectively evaluated neurophysiologic results of 41 (25 male and 16 female, mean age 49.8, range 11–87) patients with CIDP. We evaluated the frequency of focal neurophysiologic lesion at entrapment site distinguishing two kinds of lesion: (a) true entrapment; and (b) false entrapment on the basis of nerve conduction results. Results : Occurrence of focal aggression within the entrapment site is similar to that out of the entrapment site in all examined nerves. Conclusions : The entrapment sites are not an elective zone of focal autoimmune aggression in CIDP. Therefore, in CIDP patients a true entrapment, neurophysiologically demonstrated, could be a concomitant pathology and if a severe and persistent entrapment worsens functional deficit and symptoms, a surgical decompression could be useful.
Cost and logistics for implementing the American College of Surgeons objective structured clinical examination.

Abstract Background The American College of Surgeons has developed a reliable and valid OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) to assess the clinical skills of incoming postgraduate year 1 surgery residents, but the cost and logistics of implementation have not been described. Methods Fixed costs included staff time, medical supplies, facility fee, standardized patient (SP) training time, and one OSCE session. Variable costs were incurred for additional OSCE sessions. Costs per resident were calculated and modeled for increasing the number of test takers. Results American College of Surgeons OSCE materials and examination facilities were free. Fixed costs included training 11 SPs for 4 hours ($1,540), moulage and simulation material ($469), and administrative effort for 44 hours ($2,200). Variable cost for each session was $1,540 (SP time). Total cost for the first session was $6,649 ($664/resident), decreased to $324/resident for 3 sessions, and projected to further decline to $239/resident for 6 sessions. Conclusions The cost decreased as the number of residents tested increased. To manage costs, testing more trainees by regional collaboration is recommended.
Hope for Humpty-Dumpty: Systems Biology of Cellular Signaling

Humpty Dumpty, a traditional English nursery rhyme:Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king's horses,And all the king's men,Couldn't put Humpty together again. One definition of systems biology is the modeling of the relationships, or networks, within and/or between
A brief review of formaldehyde carcinogenesis in relation to rat nasal pathology and human health risk assessment.

The 1980 report that inhaled formaldehyde induced nasal squamous cell carcinomas in rats had a significant societal impact and resulted in extensive research in the fields of rodent nasal pathology and human cancer risk assessment. This article presents an overview of the evolution of these events. It is concluded that the nasal passages of humans and rats are fundamentally identical biological target organs. Nevertheless, in the case of human health risk assessment, minor differences between these species may be critically important. Special attention should be paid to interspecies differences in nasal dosimetry and local metabolism; thus, chemical toxicity data derived from rats require careful interpretation when used for human risk assessments. In the case of formaldehyde, it is recommended that low-concentration (≤2 ppm airborne exposure) extrapolation, where no tissue damage is observed, be uncoupled from the responses at high concentrations (≥6 ppm), where epithelial degeneration, regenerative cell...
The design of multi-layer perceptrons using building blocks

A building-block approach for constructing large backpropagation (BP) neural networks is described. This results in considerably less training time than conventional BP, which starts from random initial weights. Unlike previous approaches, this approach involves the mapping of conventional algorithms onto neural network structures. This has several benefits. First, it produces alternative parallel structures for implementation of conventional signal processing algorithms. Second, it produces a good set of initial weights for BP training. An example is given in which a randomized initial weight network fails to learn, but the assembled network succeeds. >
An Integration of Research Findings of Effects of Firm Size and Market Competition on Product and Process Innovations

Product and process innovations have been studied as distinct phenomena whose introduction is influenced differently by firm and market conditions. This study reviews and quantitatively integrates the findings of the empirical studies of the associations of firm size and market competition with product and process innovations. The accumulation of research results and subgroup analyses of construct measurement do not provide evidence of substantial differences in the strength of the influence of size or competition on the two innovation types. Implications of the results for future research on innovation types as distinct or integrative phenomena are discussed.
Quantum Kinetic Analysis of Mesoscopic Systems: Linear Response

Abstract Numerical results are presented for R xx and R xy in a rectangular Hall geometry from B = 0 − 10T. At low fields we find the usual semiclassical results while at high fields both Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and the quantum Hall effect are evident. Electrochemical potential profiles and current flow patterns are also discussed. The analysis is based on a linear response equation derived earlier from the Keldysh formalism. This equation assumes low temperatures and point-like phase-breaking scatterers. We also discuss how this equation is generalized to high temperatures and extended scatterers.
GI262570, a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Agonist, Changes Electrolytes and Water Reabsorption from the Distal Nephron in Rats

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonists have been shown to have significant therapeutic benefits such as desirable glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients; however, these agents may cause fluid retention in susceptible individuals. Since PPARγ is expressed selectively in distal nephron epithelium, we studied the mechanism of PPARγ agonist-induced fluid retention using male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with either vehicle or GI262570 (farglitazar), a potent PPARγ agonist. GI262570 (20 mg/kg/day) induced a plasma volume expansion. The plasma volume expansion was accompanied by a small but significant decrease in plasma potassium concentration. Small but significant increases in plasma sodium and chloride concentrations were also observed. These changes in serum electrolytes suggested an activation of the renal mineralocorticoid response system; however, GI262570-treated rats had lower plasma levels of aldosterone compared with vehicle-treated controls. mRNA levels for a group of genes involved in distal nephron sodium and water absorption are changed in the kidney medulla with GI262570 treatment. In addition, due to a possible rebound effect on epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity, a low dose of amiloride did not prevent GI262570-induced fluid retention. On the contrary, the rebound effect after amiloride treatment potentiated GI262570-induced plasma volume expansion. This is at least partially due to a synergistic effect of GI262570 and the rebound from amiloride treatment on ENaCα expression. In summary, our current data suggest that GI262570 can increase water and sodium reabsorption in distal nephron by stimulating the ENaC and Na,K-ATPase system. This may be an important mechanism for PPARγ agonist-induced fluid retention.
Database Driven Computational Investigation of Aerothermodynamics And Automatic Grid Generation of Atmospheric Entry Vehicles

The kinetic energy of a space vehicle as it enters the atmosphere is converted into heat. How much of the heat goes into the vehicle depends on the trajectory flown, size and shape of the vehicle. The choice of the trajectory is actually limited by the realities of vehicle dimensions - lift, drag and the mass. The purpose of this research was to investigate the aerothermodynamics of atmospheric vehicles and to provide a computational database framework for trajectory information for such vehicle. Grids can be generated automatically for reentry vehicles given the geometry of the vehicles and a CFD tool can be employed to demonstrate the automatic capability of predicting the flow field around the vehicle. A platform independent GUI based tool HyperSphere has been developed and integrated to a planetary probe database to study aerodynamic heating and to do trajectory analysis. A comprehensive database of different atmospheric entry vehicles has been developed from the Planetary Mission Entry Vehicles Manual and also from other web sources. The database comprises vehicle dimensions, trajectory data, and aero-thermal data for many different ballistic entry vehicles. Comparative data analysis capability is achieved through a Relational Database Management System. HyperSphere GUI provides capabilities to choose from a list of flight vehicles or enter trajectory and geometry information of a vehicle in design such that Geometry centered grids can be generated automatically. An empirical model of the standard atmosphere GAME: General Atmospheric Model for Earth to calculate pressure, density, temperature, Reynolds number and speed of sound as a function of altitude has been developed. GRAM models have been used for MARS, Venus, Titan and Neptune atmospheres. The vehicular Flight path angle as a function of velocity and altitude to compute the trajectory of the vehicle as it traverses through the atmosphere has been modeled. A fourth order Runge-Kutta integration is employed for trajectory calculations. Transport properties such as coefficient of viscosity, thermal conductivity have been modeled using the Sutherland’s law. Empirical correlations for stagnation point heat transfer have been modeled using Fay-Riddell and Sutton-Grave correlations.
H ∞ sensitivity minimization using decentralized feedback: 2-input 2-output systems

H∞ norm minimization of the sensitivity and complementary sensitivity functions of 2-input 2-output linear time-invariant finite-dimensional systems using decentralized feedback is considered. It is shown that a set of fixed zeros and a set of fixed poles play a central role in the related minimization problems, and lead to various performance limitations. A comparison between decentralized and centralized controllers in these minimization problems also yields a rigorous characterization of a class of 2-input 2-output plants for which centralized controllers bring no extra benefits compared to decentralized controllers in some special performance objectives.
Cerebral blood flow alterations in pain-processing regions of patients with fibromyalgia using perfusion MR imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Widespread pain sensitivity in patients with FM suggests a CNS processing problem. The purpose of this study was to assess alterations in perfusion as measured by DSC in a number of brain regions implicated in pain processing between patients with FM and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with FM and 27 healthy controls underwent conventional MR imaging and DSC. For DSC, 12 regions of interest were placed in brain regions previously implicated in pain processing. rCBF values were calculated for each region of interest. Subjects answered mood/pain coping questionnaires and underwent clinical/experimental pain assessment. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between the thalamic rCBF values and the pain-control beliefs of FM subjects. The strength of the relationship between clinical pain measures and thalamic rCBF values increased after adjusting for pain-control beliefs. There was a significantly different distribution pattern of rCBF values across various brain regions between the FM group and the healthy controls. There was a lower degree of correlation in the FM group between the thalamic rCBF values and the other brain regions relative to the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Significant correlations were found between thalamic rCBF values and pain belief values. These data suggest that there are baseline alterations of brain perfusion in patients with FM. rCBF values of the thalami exhibited lower correlations with respect to other brain regions thought to be involved in pain processing compared with those in healthy controls.
The Postcranial Osteology of Rapetosaurus krausei (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar

ABSTRACT Rapetosaurus krausei is a titanosaur sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous Maevarano Formation of northwestern Madagascar and is among the most complete titanosaurs ever discovered. To date, over 15 localities in a 10 km2 field area have yielded hundreds of titanosaur bones, including associated and articulated specimens of Rapetosaurus. A juvenile skeleton is of particular significance because it was found directly associated with a well-preserved partial skull. The juvenile postcranial skeleton only lacks only the axis, atlas, representative elements from the proximal caudal series, carpals, and tarsals. The Rapetosaurus axial column consists of at least 17 cervical, 10 dorsal, six sacral, and 17 caudal vertebrae. Appendicular skeletal anatomy documents unique aspects of the titanosaur skeleton, and the association of large osteoderms with other, adult specimens confirms the lithostrotian status of Rapetosaurus. These new skeletal data have proven significant for phylogenetic resolution within Tit...
Golgi-to-Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Retrograde Traffic in Yeast Requires Dsl1p, a Component of the ER Target Site that Interacts with a COPI Coat Subunit

DSL1 was identified through its genetic interaction with SLY1, which encodes a t-SNARE-interacting protein that functions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi traffic. Conditional dsl1 mutants ex...
Data reduction of isotope-resolved LC-MS spectra

Motivation: Data reduction of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) spectra can be a challenge due to the inherent complexity of biological samples, noise and non-flat baseline. We present a new algorithm, LCMS-2D, for reliable data reduction of LC-MS proteomics data. Results: LCMS-2D can reliably reduce LC-MS spectra with multiple scans to a list of elution peaks, and subsequently to a list of peptide masses. It is capable of noise removal, and deconvoluting peaks that overlap in m/z, in retention time, or both, by using a novel iterative peak-picking step, a ‘rescue’ step, and a modified variable selection method. LCMS-2D performs well with three sets of annotated LC-MS spectra, yielding results that are better than those from PepList, msInspect and the vendor software BioAnalyst. Availability: The software LCMS-2D is available under the GNU general public license from http://www.bioc.aecom.yu.edu/labs/angellab/as a standalone C program running on LINUX. Contact: pdu@us.ibm.com
Microscopic basis for kinetic gating in cytochrome c oxidase: insights from QM/MM analysis

Understanding the mechanism of vectorial proton pumping in biomolecules requires establishing the microscopic basis for the regulation of both thermodynamic and kinetic features of the relevant proton transfer steps. For the proton pump cytochrome c oxidase, while the regulation of thermodynamic driving force for key proton transfers has been discussed in great detail, the microscopic basis for the control of proton transfer kinetics has been poorly understood. Here we carry out extensive QM/MM free energy simulations to probe the kinetics of relevant proton transfer steps and analyze the effects of local structure and hydration level. We show that protonation of the proton loading site (PLS, taken to be a propionate of heme a3) requires a concerted process in which a key glutamic acid (Glu286H) delivers the proton to the PLS while being reprotonated by an excess proton coming from the D-channel. The concerted nature of the mechanism is a crucial feature that enables the loading of the PLS before the cavity containing Glu286 is better hydrated to lower its pKa to experimentally measured range; the charged rather than dipolar nature of the process also ensures a tight coupling with heme a reduction, as emphasized by Siegbahn and Blomberg. In addition, we find that rotational flexibility of the PLS allows its protonation before that of the binuclear center (the site where oxygen gets reduced to water). Together with our recent study (P. Goyal, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2013, 110, 18886–18891) that focused on the modulation of Glu286 pKa, the current work suggests a mechanism that builds in a natural sequence for the protonation of the PLS prior to that of the binuclear center. This provides microscopic support to the kinetic constraints revealed by kinetic network analysis as essential elements that ensure an efficient vectorial proton transport in cytochrome c oxidase.
Lack of an effect of high dose isoflavones in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.

Purpose: The profound hypogonadism due to androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer results in complications such as sexual dysfunction, poor quality of life, vasomotor symptoms and altered cognition. Since estrogen is associated with cardiovascular risks, phytoestrogens are being increasingly evaluated as a potential treatment for these adverse effects. We evaluated the effects of high dose isoflavones, equivalent to that consumed by Asian populations, on the aforementioned consequences of androgen deprivation therapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 33 men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, 12-week pilot trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 gm soy protein containing 160 mg total isoflavones (17) vs taste matched placebo, that is 20 gm whole milk protein (16). The study was performed at a tertiary care center in the United States.Results: At baseline the groups were well matched in dem...
Overhauling and Revitalizing Federal Economic Development Programs

Although federal economic development has fallen on hard times in the past decade, it remains important, especially in rural areas. In addition, the federal government can play key regulatory roles. We review the still powerful case for place-based approaches but argue that a number of program and policy reforms are pressing. Programs should place greater emphasis on human capital than they have and should explore the potential for consumption base strategies. Incentive competition should be regulated nationally. Greater coordination of economic development strategies across federal agencies is badly needed, and Congress should explore blocking up federal funding regionally. Better targeting and performance standards should be implemented and changes in crude place-based eligibility explored. Finally, rigorous and relevant evaluation research should be methodically undertaken, the results disseminated, and programs subsequently redesigned. We believe that these reforms can revitalize the practice of feder...
Developing Computational Science Curricula: The EarthVision Experience

Technology is used to empower students to go beyond traditional limitations. EarthVision provides the opportunity to participate in an authentic research environment enables the students to develop a sense of self worth and esteem established in the context of a phased curriculum, bringing together experts in a variety of disciplines. New techniques such as modeling and scientific visualization are employed to expand the types of phenomena which are possible to examine at a high school level. The use of concept strands going from simple elements to complicated representations helps to move the teacher/student teams from a highly structured learning environment to one that is highly independent. The scientific method, which employs validation throughout the computational science process, brings rigor and integrity which stimulates skill development needed for the development of autonomy. The result is significant cognitive development coupled with a positive affective orientation.