cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engrams and biological regulation: What was “wrong” with organic memory?

The idea that offspring could inherit attributes or dispositions that their parents had acquired is associated with the thinking of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. But the early twentieth century saw several attempts to modernize the concept as a form of “organic” memory. I focus on one uncommonly comprehensive attempt, that of the German morphologist Richard Semon. Semon’s case is instructive because, despite an evidence-based approach that drew on cell biology, neurophysiology, and evolution, his idea was strongly resisted. Some critics failed even to address his central claim. I use criticisms of Semon’s attempt to explore some philosophical, social, and scientific barriers that combined to facilitate the decline of modernized notions of organic memory in the first half of the twentieth century, especially as applied to the science of heredity.
Catch-up growth does not associate with cognitive development in Indian school-age children.

Catch-up growth does not associate with cognitive development in Indian school-age children
Cardiac arrest in an adolescent with atrial fibrillation and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A 15 year old youth, who presented with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to documented ventricular fibrillation, was found to have nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Electrophysiologic study demonstrated inducible sustained atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response. This rhythm, associated with hypotension and evidence of myocardial ischemia, spontaneously degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. No ventricular arrhythmias were inducible by programmed ventricular stimulation. Therapy with metoprolol and verapamil slowed the ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation and maintained hemodynamic stability, both during followup electrophysiologic study and during a subsequent spontaneous episode.
The significance of degenerate processes to enantioselective olefin metathesis reactions promoted by stereogenic-at-Mo complexes.

The present study provides spectroscopic and experimental evidence demonstrating that degenerate metathesis is critical to the effectiveness of this emerging class of chiral catalysts. Isolation and X-ray characterization of both diastereomeric complexes, as well as an examination of the reactivity and enantioselectivity patterns exhibited by such initiating neophylidenes in promoting ring-closing metathesis processes, are disclosed. Only when sufficient amounts of ethylene are generated and inversion at Mo through degenerate processes occurs at a sufficiently rapid rate is high enantioselectivity achieved, irrespective of the stereochemical identity of the initiating alkylidene (Curtin−Hammett kinetics). With diastereomeric metal complexes that undergo rapid interconversion, stereomutation at the metal center becomes inconsequential, and stereoselective synthesis of a chiral catalyst is not required.
Phylogeography of the Brownback Salamander reveals patterns of local endemism in Southern Appalachian springs.

The Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America are characterized by high faunal diversity and many endemic species, especially in the unglaciated southern latitudes where lineages have been accumulating for tens of millions of years. The Brownback Salamander, Eurycea aquatica, is an enigmatic species that dwells in isolated springs in southeastern North America. Eurycea aquatica have often been dismissed as simply robust spring-adapted ecomorphs of the widespread and more gracile species Eurycea cirrigera. We sequenced the mitochondrial gene encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit-2 (ND2; 753 bp) and the nuclear recombination activating gene-1 (Rag1; 1201 bp) for E. aquatica (ND2 n = 72; Rag1 n = 17) from across their presumed distribution and compared them to E. cirrigera (ND2 n = 23; Rag1 n = 10) from nearby populations. Using phylogenetic and morphological analyses we explicitly test if E. aquatica in the Southern Appalachians is simply a local spring-adapted ecomorph of E. cirrigera or a single lineage that resulted from fragmentation of (or dispersal to) spring habitats. We found that E. aquatica from isolated springs form a well-supported monophyletic group that is nested among E. cirrigera, E. wilderae, and E. junaluska. Furthermore, we uncovered three very divergent lineages of E. aquatica that we estimate have been isolated from each another since the early Pliocene to late Miocene (2.5–6.1 Myr) and may each represent distinct species. The distribution of these lineages is coincident with the distribution of other endemic spring-dwelling vertebrates, and suggests that this region may be a relictual habitat for an unexpected diversity of unrecognized endemics.
R-LESS right colectomy with the single-site ® robotic platform

Use of robotics has exemplified single-site procedures by restoring the correct hand-instrument alignment and providing stable, stereoscopic visual field. Technique was initially introduced by the manufacturers for cholecystectomy, but experienced teams quickly extended the indications to more complex procedures. We hereby present a case of a patient that underwent robotic right colectomy and omentectomy through the single-site® platform. A single-site procedure was offered to our 58-year-old male patient with carcinoma of the ascending colon and he gave written consent for it. The VESPA® single-site platform was used according to the standards of the manufacturing company. The single-site port® was placed at the umbilicus. Rest of setup and procedure steps were based on the multiport technique. An extended omentectomy accompanying the right colectomy has not previously reported to our knowledge. After sufficient mobilization specimen was exteriorized through the umbilicus, excised and the anastomosis was performed using linear staplers. Console time was 164 min and total operation time was 221 min. Intraoperatively, there was no need for conversion, additional ports or blood transfusions. Total console time was 164 min. Lacking of wristed instruments and bipolar energy were regarded as serious limitations. No drains were used. Patient did not require ICU stay and had no postoperative complaints. He was given liquid diet on PO day #2 and he was discharged on PO day #4. Robotic single-site right colectomy is safe and feasible in selected cases. Experience from single-site robotic cholecystectomy is a useful basis to expand the indications to more complex procedures. Further development of the instruments and large number of cases may justify the indications for using this technique in the future.
Decay of 210At to levels in 210Po

Abstract The electron-capture decay of 210 At has been reinvestigated and present data define twenty-three levels in 210 Po. The multipolarity of thirty-six transitions have been measured and combined with data from recent reaction studies to assign spins and parities to these levels. Evidence is presented which locates the 3 − collective level in 210 Po at 2387 keV above the ground state. The electron-capture transition rates to odd-parity levels are discussed with reference to the particle-hole excitations in 208 Pb. Transition probabilities for γ-decay of members of the π( h 9 2 f 7 2 ) multiplet are compared to predictions from recent theoretical calculations.
Interaction between the bound Mg.ATP and the Walker A serine residue in NBD2 of multidrug resistance-associated protein MRP1 plays a crucial role for the ATP-dependent leukotriene C4 transport.

Structural analyses of human MRP1-NBD1 (1),1 mouse cystic fibrosis transmembrane-conductance regulator (CFTR)-NBD1 (2), and Escherichia coli HlyB-NBD (3) revealed that the Walker A serine residue forms a hydrogen bond with the Walker B aspartic acid and interacts with the β- and γ-phosphate groups of the bound Mg•ATP (1). In addition, the γ-oxygen of the Walker A serine residue and the δ-oxygen of the Walker B aspartate residue interact, together with other four oxygen atoms from β- and γ-phosphate of the bound ATP and water molecules, with Mg2+ cofactor to form the octahedral coordination geometry (1, 2, 4–7). These interactions play very important roles for ATP binding, hydrolysis, and ATP-dependent solute transport by these ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. We have found that substitution of the Walker A S685 or Walker B D792 in NBD1 with a residue that abolishes the hydrogen bond formation between them caused misfolding of the mutated MRP1 protein (8–10). In contrast, however, substitution of the corresponding Walker B D1454 in NBD2 with the hydrophobic residue leucine (D1454L/E1455L) did not cause misfolding of the mutated MRP1 protein (8), suggesting distinct structures in NBD1 and NBD2 of MRP1. Thus, we speculated that substitution of the Walker A S1334 in NBD2 with a residue that eliminates the hydroxyl group at this position will also not cause misfolding of the protein. However, since substitution of the Walker A S685 with a residue that eliminates the hydroxyl group at this position significantly affected the ATP binding/hydrolysis and ATP-dependent LTC4 transport (10), we speculated that substitution of the Walker A S1334 in NBD2 with a residue that eliminates the hydroxyl group at this position might have more severe effects on the ATP-dependent LTC4 transport than that of the corresponding mutations in NBD1. In order to test this hypothesis, we have substituted the Walker A S1334 with an A (S1334A), a C (S1334C), a D (S1334D), an H (S1334H), an N (S1334N), or a T (S1334T). Indeed, all of these mutants, except S1334T, almost completely abolished the ATP-dependent LTC4 transport, indicating that the interaction of the hydroxyl group at S1334 with Mg•ATP plays a crucial role for ATP binding/hydrolysis and ATP-dependent LTC4 transport.
Administrative "Interpretation" as Policy-Making

Because it is more difficult to get new statutes passed or to amend statutes that have been adopted, presidential administrations may resort to adopting new "interpretations" of statutes in order to further their policy agendas. In the literature, this strategy has often been among those included within "the administrative presidency." Since the Nixon administration, the administrative presidency approach has become an accepted and expected part of a president's strategy for furthering his administration's policy goals. This article reviews Supreme Court cases that illustrate how the two most recent presidential administrations have abused this approach to policy transformation and suggests that among the longer-term impacts of such abuse may be the undermining of the U.S. Constitution, the delegitimization of administrative law, and a loss of social trust.
Phenotypic mixing between reticuloendotheliosis virus and avian sarcoma viruses.

Abstract Coinfection of chicken embryo fibroblasts with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) and avian sarcoma virus leads to the formation of avian sarcoma viral pseudotypes which carry envelope determinants of REV. These pseudotypes can be neutralized by REV antiserum, have a host range which is different from that of any known avian sarcoma virus, and are unable to form foci in cells preinfected with REV. The REV stocks used in these experiments were plaque-purified. They were free of avian leukosis virus detectable in the COFAL tests, and their ability to form pseudotypes with avian sarcoma virus was neutralized with specific REV antiserum.
Abstract 3143: PKD as a downstream target for K-ras in pancreatic cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Growth factor and K-ras-induced generation of reactive oxygen species have important roles in mediating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic cancer cells also express high levels of active transcription factor Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB), which is responsible for cell survival and resistance to chemotherapeutics. The serine/threonine kinase Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) is a sensor for oxidative stress and protects cancer cells by inducing anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant genes. Here we provide evidence that PKD1 is the means of how high NF-κB activity levels are achieved in pancreatic cancer cells. We also show the contribution of K-ras, which is upregulated in its activity in over 90% of PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma). We found that K-ras in pancreatic ductal HPDE cells increases PKD1 activity and that the depletion of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell line Panc-1 from K-ras leads to decreased PKD1 activity and NF-κB activation. As a mechanism we found that K-ras mediates activation of PKD1 via Src and that these signaling events relay to high NF-κB levels. Our data reveal K-ras as an activator of PKD1 and show that both oncogenes, Src and K-ras cooperate to activate NF-κB in PDAC through PKD1. This suggests the K-ras/Src/PKD1/NF-κB pathway as a new potential drug target for pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3143.
New design for helium ionization detection

Abstract A voltage pulse generator with variable width and interval adjust has been designed and coupled to a helium ionization detector to examine the response characteristics of sampling the detector cell's output current in a discontinuous mode. The pulser is capable of operating from 0 to 500 V at less than 1 kHz up to 333 kHz at the highest voltage. The response of the modified detector to a standard gas mixture containing Ne, H 2 , Ar, O 2 , N 2 and CH 4 has been examined as a function of frequency, duty cycle, and voltage. An inversion in the signal polarity for some gases was observed at certain frequency and duty cycle combination. Noise and background current levels were significantly reduced in the pulsed mode as compared to d.c. operation. It has also been determined that the detector can be operated at higher voltages in the pulsed mode before the cell current breaks down.
Soft-tissue malignant fibrous histiocytoma (high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma) arising in a desmoid tumor in a patient with Milroy's disease.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma, now termed high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, is a term used to refer to a group of malignant soft-tissue tumors characterized by a storiform or cartwheel-like growth pattern [1–4]. This lesion is the most common malignant soft-tissue tumor of adult life, representing approximately 25% of all soft tissue sarcomas [5]. The undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma will demonstrate a wide range of histological appearances, and is often further subclassified, although in general large and deep lesions have a poorer prognosis [1]. Desmoid tumors are benign, locally aggressive, softtissue tumors that typically arise in association with fascia, aponeurosis and associated muscle. Often termed musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis, these non-metastasizing lesions show an infiltrative pattern of growth and a significant predilection for local recurrence [6, 7]. We report the extremely unusual association of an undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma arising within a desmoid tumor in a patient with Milroy’s disease (chronic hereditary lymphedema of unknown origin). To our knowledge, there have been no similar previous reports. Case report
An invariance property of the Slutsky symmetry test statistic

Abstract The test statistic for Slutsky symmetry of a demand system is usually computed after one equation of the system is deleted. A simple direct proof is given of the proposition that the value of the statistic is not affected when a different equation is deleted.
Exogenous testosterone modulates tumor necrosis factor-α and acute phase protein responses to repeated endotoxin challenge in steers☆

Abstract Clinical responses to some disease agents differ between sexes and this dimorphism has been attributed to the immunomodulating effects of steroid hormones. Our objective was to determine in steers the effect of testosterone on circulating concentrations of immune response mediators (tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α; serum amyloid-A, SAA; haptoglobin, HG; xanthine oxidase, XO; nitric oxide, NO) after two consecutive endotoxin challenges (LPS1 and LPS2, 5 days apart; 0.25 μg/kg BW). Sixteen crossbred steers (328 ± 6 kg) were assigned to control (CON, n = 8) or testosterone cypionate treatment (TES, n = 8; 100 mg/m2 body surface; i.m. injection 12 and 2 days before LPS1). The response to LPS was calculated as area under the time × concentration curve (AUC) for the parameter measured. After LPS1, TNF-α AUC was greater in TES than CON (P
Vegetative Propagation of Leucaena Hybrids by Cuttings

Many interspecific hybrids have been produced among Leucaena species, some with great potential for high-value wood and forage production. Superior hybrids are often highly sterile, and vegetative propagation would be essential for their exploitation. Four experiments were conducted to investigate factors affecting the rooting of cuttings of Leucaena hybrids. Nine hybrids were studied that represented different ploidy levels (2x, 3x, and 4x), different levels of seedlessness, different ages (5–16 years) and varying leaflet sizes. Rooting ability basically depended on genotype, with only a few hybrids failing to root. Cuttings required leaflets to root, and half or more of a leaf led to higher frequencies of better roots. One-node cuttings had the same rooting ability as two-node cuttings. Rooting ability decreased dramatically in the cooler, low-light winter seasons of lowland Hawaii. Etiolation treatments increased rooting ability significantly for two difficult-to-root hybrids.
Radar scatter from equatorial electrojet waves: An explanation for the constancy of the Type I Doppler shift with zenith angle

[1] The first results from the 430 MHz Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar Prototype (AMISR-P) at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory were reported by Hysell et al. (2007). We present additional data showing that the phase velocity of Type I echoes is independent of zenith angle, an unexplained property of these waves. We interpret the results using rocket data by predicting the total line-of-sight velocity at the four zenith angles used. We find that the radars preferentially detect waves within 10% of Cs in at least four range gates for all beams and up to eight range gates for the 51 JULIA beam. This result is consistent with recent auroral observations that Type I waves are only generated with k vectors near the electron flow velocity, where the latter is the vector sum of the zero-order drift and the perturbation drift due to large-scale waves in the equatorial case.
Habitats and Movements of Shovelnose Sturgeons in the Upper Mississippi River

Abstract Habitats and movements of shovelnose sturgeons Scaphirhynchus platorynchus in Pool 13 of the upper Mississippi River were ascertained during April-September 1982 by radio-telemetry, drifted trammel net, and mark-recapture methods. The fish were mostly sedentary, but sometimes they moved up to 11.7 km/d. Most movements occurred in May and July and the fewest in April and June. Long-range movements up to 17 km were noted between activity centers (areas occupied for 3–93 d). Among 22 radio-tagged shovelnose sturgeons, eight showed homing behavior. The fish were frequently located at water depths of 2–7 m, where currents were 20–40 cm/s at the bottom and 40–70 cm/s at the surface. During spring high-river stages, shovelnose sturgeons were located most frequently downstream from wing dams (rock and brush structures built perpendicular to river flow in the main channel), downstream from closing dams (rock and brush structures built across side channels), and at the border of the main channel within 50 ...
Generalized empirical likelihood methods for analyzing longitudinal data.

Efficient estimation of parameters is a major objective in analyzing longitudinal data. We propose two generalized empirical likelihood-based methods that take into consideration within-subject correlations. A nonparametric version of the Wilks theorem for the limiting distributions of the empirical likelihood ratios is derived. It is shown that one of the proposed methods is locally efficient among a class of within-subject variance-covariance matrices. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the finite sample properties of the proposed methods and compares them with the block empirical likelihood method by You et al. (2006) and the normal approximation with a correctly estimated variance-covariance. The results suggest that the proposed methods are generally more efficient than existing methods that ignore the correlation structure, and are better in coverage compared to the normal approximation with correctly specified within-subject correlation. An application illustrating our methods and supporting the simulation study results is presented.
The heterogeneity of bovine IgG2--III. The ion-exchange heterogeneity of IgG2a is the result of VH-region variation.

Abstract Bovine IgG2a from an animal homozygous at the A-locus could be fractionated on DEAE columns into subpopulations; studies using analytical size columns showed that the number of sub-populations was dependent on the ionic strength of equilibration buffer. Subpopulations of IgG2a could be purified by this method which did not differ in their carbohydrate content but had mean Ips consistent with their elution behavior. The spectrotype of their H-chains but not their L-chains, paralleled the spectrotype of the corresponding intact IgG2a subpopulations. When papain digests of each sub-population were fractionated by chromatofocusing, their Fc fragments eluted homogeneously with a p I ca 6.0 while their Fabs eluted heterogeneously with p I s ranging from 8 to 5. The distribution of carbohydrate among such fractions corresponded to the distribution of the Fcs. The behavior of the IgG2a Fabs on chromatofocusing paralleled the elution behavior of the parent IgG2a subpopulations from DEAE-Sephadex and the isoelectric behavior of their H-chains. The antibody activity of Fab fragments, separated by chromatofocusing, are consistent with the concept of idiotypic variation. The differential antibody activity of each intact IgG2a subpopulation for seven different antigens suggests that the ion-exchange behavior of IgG2a, in which the influence of allotypes and sub-isotypes has been excluded and for which charge-related L-chain heterogeneity is minimal, must reside in the V H -regions of the different IgG2a subpopulations. Investigators are cautioned against assigning ruminant subclass designations on the basis of subpopulations isolated by ion-exchange chromatography.
Hypoglycemic and uricosuric properties of acetohexamide and hydroxyhexamide

Abstract Acetohexamide has a moderate uricosuric as well as a pronounced hypoglycemic effect, which makes it a useful drug in subjects with coexisting diabetes and gout. The hypoglycemic property is mainly due to its metabolic effect on the β cells on the pancreas, whereas the uricosuric property depends upon an effect on the renal tubules, namely inhibition of tubular reabsorption of uric acid. Dissociation of the dual properties is evident in subjects with renal insufficiency, in whom the hypoglycemic response is not accompanied by uricosuria. The uricosuric property of acetohexamide is most likely due chiefly to its metabolic product, the L enantiomorph of 1-hydroxyhexamide. No difference in uricosuric activity was found between the levo and the racemic forms of 1-hydroxyhexamide.
#Gettinghealthy: The perceived influence of social media on young adult health behaviors

Abstract Young adults (18–25 years old) spend a majority of their waking hours with technology and young adulthood is an important developmental time period for establishing lasting health behaviors. Considering the relevance of technology and health during young adulthood the current study explored young adults (N = 34) perceptions of social media’s (e.g., social networking) influence on their health behaviors (i.e., diet and exercise) using a social ecological framework. Data was collected through eight focus groups and four individual interviews. Three themes were identified through phenomenological qualitative analysis. Young adults perceived that technology could be both a barrier and a motivator for exercise. Social media was also credited with expanding food choices through creating access to a variety of recipes, providing a venue for showcasing the food young adults eat or prepare, and distracting young adults from making positive food choices. Participants also reported that it is common to post statuses or pictures relating to exercise practices on social media during young adulthood. Young adults indicated that these posts could be inspirational or misused, depending on the context. Results are discussed in terms of theory and preliminary implications.
A Description of Dental Public Health Programs for the Elderly

The changing oral health status of older adults has focused attention on the need to broaden oral health promotion and prevention activities for this group. The Oral Health Working Group of the US Surgeon General's Workshop: Health Promotion and Aging recently reported that more activities are needed in education and service for older adults--areas that fall within the purview of state and local health agencies. Although dental public health programs for older adults have received more attention, the current breadth and variety of state dental health activities for older adults is unknown. This telephone survey of state dental health departments found that among the 10 states with the largest older adult populations, five were providing oral health programs for the elderly. The 30 states reporting the existence of oral health programs for the elderly account for 58 percent of the total US elderly population. Oral health activities were quite varied, with the majority of states focusing on institutionalized patients and their care givers. Respondents reported that access to dental consultants with gerontological training and information on model oral health programs for older adults would assist program development. Public health agencies play a significant role in improving the quality of life for the nation's elderly. Dental public health programs clearly have demonstrated the ability to improve health prevention and health promotion among younger populations. It is crucial to utilize these skills to begin to enhance the oral health and quality of life of older adults, as well.
Persistent Unconsciousness and the Use of Assisted Nutrition and Hydration: Medical and Moral Reflections

Abstract The subject of this article is the medical condition popularly known as the persistent vegetative state or PVS. Because, as many have noted, including Pope John Paul II in 2004, the term "vegetative" carries with it such pejorative connotations, I will try to avoid using it as much as possible and will substitute the term "persistent unconsciousness" in place of it. I have divided the subject into two main sections, the medical and the moral, with several smaller divisions in between. My intended purpose in this article is twofold. First, it will clarify several major lacunae in the popular knowledge of persistent unconsciousness itself, and second, it will examine some recent developments in the Church's moral teaching regarding the care of such patients. It is my hope that this approach will help to shed some light on the common misconceptions regarding persistent unconsciousness and to clearly present the Church's moral tradition as it serves to address the needs of these individuals.
Dry-matter partitioning and leaf area of winter wheat grown in a long-term fallow tillage comparisons in the US Central Great Plains

Abstract Crop management practices (tillage, residue management, fertilization, etc.) define the soil environment to which crops are exposed and through these environmental conditions control crop growth. The purpose of this paper is to report the response of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to long-term (10 years) application of fallow tillage practices (plow, sub-till, and no-till) and N fertilization in terms of above- and below-ground dry-matter partitioning. During 1978, less winter wheat root tissue was produced in the sub-till treatment compared to the average of the plow and no-till treatments. However, in 1979, all treatments produced the same amount of root tissue. Averaged over all treatments, root tissue was ca. 7% of the above-ground dry-matter production. During 1979, less above-ground dry matter was produced at late grain fill (27 June) with addition of N fertilizer (929 g m−2) than when N was not applied (957 g m−2). In contrast, during 1980 (at about the same stage of development), application of N resulted in more above-ground dry-matter production in the plow and no-till treatments, but addition of N reduced production in the sub-till treatment. Grain yield followed similar trends. Nitrogen application also increased tiller production and number of tillers surviving to maturity. Nitrate reductase activity was measured to determine if the reported lesser levels of nitrate-N in soils under reduced tillage management changed N metabolism of the plant. Nitrate reductase activity differed among N rates (when measured after N application), but did not differ among tillage treatments.
Advances toward bioapplications of carbon nanotubes

Bioapplications of carbon nanotubes have been predicted and explored ever since the discovery of these one-dimensional carbon allotropes. Indeed, carbon nanotubes have many interesting and unique properties potentially useful in a variety of biological and biomedical systems and devices. Significant progress has been made in the effort to overcome some of the fundamental and technical barriers toward bioapplications, especially on issues concerning the aqueous solubility and biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes and on the design and fabrication of prototype biosensors. In this article we take a comprehensive look at the advances in this fast-moving and exciting research field. We review the current status of available methodologies for the aqueous dispersion and solubilization of carbon nanotubes, discuss the results on modifications of carbon nanotubes with various biological and bioactive species, and highlight some of the recent achievements in the fabrication and evaluation of carbon nanotube-based bioanalytical devices.
Status of the National Ignition Facility Project

The ultimate goal of worldwide research in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is to develop fusion as an inexhaustible, economic, environmentally safe source of electric power. Following nearly 30 years of laboratory and underground fusion experiments, the next step toward this goal is to demonstrate ignition and propagating burn of fusion fuel in the laboratory. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project is being constructed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for just this purpose. NIF will use advanced Nd-glass laser technology to deliver 1.8 MJ of 0.35-μm laser light in a shaped pulse, several nanoseconds in duration, achieving a peak power of 500 TW. A national community of US laboratories is participating in this project, now in its final design phase. France and the UK are collaborating on development of required technology under bilateral agreements with the US. This paper presents the status of the laser design and development of its principal components and optical elements.
Examining Classroom Interventions to Reduce Procrastination

Procrastination is a common problem for students. Many believe procrastination may keep otherwise competent students from succeeding. However, the most effective interventions for procrastination are resource-intensive---providing supplemental training or courses in study skills and self-regulation. These techniques do not scale to large courses. This paper investigates three new classroom interventions designed to be low-cost and low-effort to implement. Reflective writing assignments ask students to reflect on how their time management choices affect their work. Project schedule sheets require students to plan out and schedule specific tasks on their projects. E-mail situational awareness alerts give students feedback on how their progress compares to others, and to expectations. 353 students over two semesters of a junior-level advanced data structures course participated in a study where these interventions were investigated. While neither reflective writing assignments nor schedule sheets produced any significant effect, e-mail alerts were associated with both significantly reduced rates of late program submissions, and increased rates of early program submissions. As a result, this intervention shows promise for further investigation as a potential strategy for reducing late submissions among students.
Disclinations: Their relation to the anisotropies of rare-earth hard magnets

Abstract In this communication we have observed that the major ligand lines, as seen at rare-earth sites, correlate with the experimental rare-earth anisotropies whereas, previously, we observed 1,2 that their presence at 3d sites in the hard magnets correlates with the occurrence of large 3d moments. The former arises from bonding and charge effects while the latter is, presumably, associated with interatomic exchange and the site volumes attending the presence of such ligand lines. These observations have allowed predictions to be made concerning the magnetic anisotropies which should arise in four crystal structures. These structures should provide environments appropriate to good hard magnets providing that they can be made to accomodate the necessary combinations of rare earth and 3d elements. More importantly, we have observed that there are different classes of major ligand lines with those involving only rare-earth ions tending to dominate, thus controlling the rare-earth site crystal field orientations. In those structures not having such lines, the major ligand lines involving mixes of rare earth and 3d atoms win by default and determine the orientations.
Magnetic-field-induced spin polarization of AlAs two-dimensional electrons

Two-dimensional (2D) electrons in an in-plane magnetic field become fully spin polarized above a field ${B}_{P},$ which we can determine from the in-plane magnetoresistance. We perform such measurements in modulation-doped AlAs electron systems, and find that the field ${B}_{P}$ increases approximately linearly with 2D electron density. These results imply that the product $|{g}^{*}|{m}^{*},$ where ${g}^{*}$ is the effective g factor and ${m}^{*}$ the effective mass, is a constant essentially independent of density. While the deduced $|{g}^{*}|{m}^{*}$ is enhanced relative to its band value by a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}4,$ we see no indication of its divergence as 2D density approaches zero. These observations are at odds with results obtained in Si, but qualitatively confirm spin-polarization studies of 2D GaAs carriers.
ERROR ANALYSIS IN ESTIMATING THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY FROM HEAT PENETRATION DATA1

The ability to predict thermal diffusivity from heat penetration data containing normally distributed errors in can dimensions, measurements in time, measurements of temperature, thermocouple probe location, and assumptions concerning surface heat transfer coefficients was investigated using a nonlinear least squares solution of Fourier's heat conduction equation. Thermal diffusivity calculated from heat penetration data is largely dependent on errors associated with temperature measurement and to a lesser extent dependent on errors in thermocouple probe location. Errors in can dimensions and time measurement had only a minor influence on the prediction of thermal diffusivity. Best prediction accuracy is obtained under the following conditions: (1) When a large can with a length over diameter ratio close to 0.8 is used; (2) when the difference between the initial and heating medium temperature is greater than 40°C; (3) when the data used for calculation of thermal diffusivity is limited to the temperature ratio range of 0.15 to 0.85; (4) when the Biot Numbers for the surfaces of the can are measured or known to be greater than 200; (5) when an accurate time clock is used, and when the position of the thermocouple probe is accurately known.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis with a rare long-term oral complication requiring surgical intervention.

Background Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare and potentially fatal adverse dermatologic reaction, often secondary to drug intake. Methods and results We report a case of an adult male who developed TEN that was complicated by a sepsis-induced coma lasting a period of 3 months. Although the patient eventually recovered, severe oral mucosal involvement during the course of disease resulted in frenum-like fibrotic bands that connected movable oral mucosa (tongue and lips) to attached oral mucosa (gingiva). This complication was painful and also affected his ability to speak and maintain adequate oral hygiene, requiring surgical intervention to restore structure and function. Conclusions This oral manifestation in relation to TEN is rarely reported in the literature and represents a preventable complication.
Effects of off-axis loading on the tensile behavior of a ceramic-matrix composite

A 0°/90° ceramic-matrix composite (CMC) comprised of Nicalon fibers in magnesium aluminosilicate (MAS) has been loaded in tension in three orientations relative to the fiber direction: 0°, 30°, and 45°. The off-axis loaded samples exhibit inelastic deformation at appreciably lower stresses than samples loaded at 0°. Matrix cracking governs the inelastic strains in all orientations. But, important differences in the morphologies and sequencing of the cracks account for the differences in the stress levels. Off-axis failure also occurs at substantially lower stresses than on-axis failure. On-axis composite failure is governed by fiber fracture, but off-axis failure involves matrix-crack coalescence. To facilitate interpretation and modeling of these behaviors, the interface friction and debond stresses have been determined from hysteresis measurements.
Aseptic meningitis: A rare side effect of cetuximab therapy

Cetuximab, a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, is indicated for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer and recurrent or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head and neck after failure of platinum-based therapy. The commonly reported side effects of cetuximab are infusion-related reactions, skin rash, fatigue, malaise and nausea. We report a case of aseptic meningitis developing as a rare side effect in a patient of stage IVB squamous maxillary cancer treated with cetuximab. To our knowledge, there have been very few cases of cetuximab-induced aseptic meningitis reported in literature. Clinicians should recognize that self-limiting aseptic meningitis can occur with administration of cetuximab. Our case report may serve as an additional reference for clinicians encountered with aseptic meningitis in the setting of using cetuximab.
Inhalational anthrax outbreak among postal workers, Washington, D.C., 2001.

In October 2001, four cases of inhalational anthrax occurred in workers in a Washington, D.C., mail facility that processed envelopes containing Bacillus anthracis spores. We reviewed the envelopes’ paths and obtained exposure histories and nasal swab cultures from postal workers. Environmental sampling was performed. A sample of employees was assessed for antibody concentrations to B. anthracis protective antigen. Case-patients worked on nonoverlapping shifts throughout the facility. Environmental sampling showed diffuse contamination of the facility, suggesting multiple aerosolization events. Potential workplace exposures were similar for the case-patients and the sample of workers. All nasal swab cultures and serum antibody tests were negative. Available tools could not identify subgroups of employees at higher risk for exposure or disease. Prophylaxis was necessary for all employees. To protect postal workers against bioterrorism, measures to reduce the risk of occupational exposure are necessary.
Application of Wiener-Hammerstein system identification in electrically stimulated paralyzed skeletal muscle modeling

Electrical muscle stimulation has demonstrated potential for restoring functional movement and for preventing muscle atrophy after spinal cord injury (SCI). Control systems used to optimize delivery of electrical stimulation protocols depend upon algorithms generated using computational models of paralyzed muscle force output. The existing skeletal muscle models are either not accurate or too complicated to implement for real-time control. In this paper, we propose a Wiener-Hammerstein system, Linear-Saturation-Linear (LSL) model, to model the skeletal muscle dynamics under electrical stimulus conditions. Experimental data from the soleus muscles of an individual with SCI was used to quantify the performance of the model. We demonstrate that the proposed Wiener-Hammerstein system is comparable to, in terms of model fitting, and outperforms, in terms of prediction, the Hill Huxley model, the most advanced and accurate model previously reported. On the other hand, the proposed LSL model is much simpler in terms of the structure and involves a much smaller number of unknown coefficients. This has substantial advantages in identification algorithm analysis and implementation including computational complexity, convergence and also in real time model implementation for control purposes.
Enhancing I/O throughput via efficient routing and placement for large-scale parallel file systems

As storage systems get larger to meet the demands of petascale systems, careful planning must be applied to avoid congestion points and extract the maximum performance. In addition, the large data sets generated by such systems makes it desirable for all compute resources to have common access to this data without needing to copy it to each machine. This paper describes a method of placing I/O close to the storage nodes to minimize contention on Cray's SeaStar2+ network, and extends it to a routed Lustre configuration to gain the same benefits when running against a center-wide file system. Our experiments using half of the resources of Spider — the center-wide file system at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility — show that I/O write bandwidth can be improved by up to 45% (from 71.9 to 104 GB/s) for a direct-attached configuration and by 137% (47.6 GB/s to 115 GB/s) for a routed configuration. We demonstrated up to 20.7% reduction in run-time for production scientific applications. With the full Spider system, we demonstrated over 240 GB/s of aggregate bandwidth using our techniques.
Genetic characterization of the human papillomavirus (HPV) 18 E2 gene in clinical specimens suggests the presence of a subtype with decreased oncogenic potential.

HPV 18 is associated with 2 divergent phenotypes: (i) aggressive cervical cancer and a preponderance of cancer relative to cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and (ii) benign warty lesions of the cervix. The E2 gene of HPV 18 encodes a regulatory protein that represses viral oncogene transcription and is involved in viral replication. Variation within the E2 gene of HPV 18 and its correlation with the morphologic grade of associated lesions were analyzed in a sample of 20 HPV 18-positive cervical specimens representing a spectrum of pathology from low-grade CIN to cervical cancer. An amplifiable HPV 18 E2 gene was present in 3 of 5 cancers, indicating that E2 disruption was not required for cancer development. Single-strand conformation polymorphism and PCR analyses revealed a high degree of polymorphism throughout the E2 gene. Direct DNA sequencing of both strands of a 154-bp fragment revealed a variability of 5.8%. Six intra-epithelial lesions contained alterations in common that account for 3.9% of the variation and appear to constitute a subtype. Within the 154-bp region, 2 of 3 cervical cancers and 0 of 12 intra-epithelial lesions were identical to the published HPV 18 sequence. DNA sequence analysis of a region extending into the E5 open reading frame revealed deletions in the E2/E5 intragenic region that were present in 50% of the members of the subtype. Our data demonstrate significant sequence variation within the E2 gene and suggest the presence of an HPV 18 subtype with decreased oncogenic potential. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Maskless fabrication of high aspect ratio structures by combination of micromolding and direct drawing

This paper presents a fabrication process combining micromolding and direct drawing, and its application to the development of high aspect ratio microneedles. Without using photolithography or etching, the proposed process creates microneedles with: 1) higher aspect ratios than that of the original mold, 2) controllable needle diameter for optimized mechanical strength, and 3) arrowhead-shaped tips for potentially increased capacity and effective payload delivery. The needles presented are formed with biocompatible, water-soluble polymers, but the fabrication process inherently allows many kinds of polymers to be exploited. Various high aspect ratio 3D structures were fabricated and characterized, and the fabrication result was compared with theoretical prediction. Water-soluble microneedle arrays have been fabricated and successfully penetrated into porcine skin, fully releasing the drug-surrogate into the dermis layer within a minute.
Biased voting: A method for simulating CMOS bridging faults in the presence of variable gate logic thresholds

In order to simulate the effects of bridging faults correctly it is necessary to take into account the fact that not all gate inputs have the same logic threshold. This paper presents a general technique which can be used to determine if a particular structure of transistors gives rise to a bridge voltage which is higher or lower than a given threshold, in most cases without requiring circuit simulation. If desired, the technique can also be used to predict actual voltages, which agree well with SPICE simulations. The approach is substantially faster than previous approaches for accurately simulating bridging faults. >
Noise suppression in low-light images through joint denoising and demosaicing

We address the effects of noise in low-light images in this paper. Color images are usually captured by a sensor with a color filter array (CFA). This requires a demosaicing process to generate a full color image. The captured images typically have low signal-to-noise ratio, and the demosaicing step further corrupts the image, which we show to be the leading cause of visually objectionable random noise patterns (splotches). To avoid this problem, we propose a combined framework of denoising and demosaicing, where we use information about the image inferred in the denoising step to perform demosaicing. Our experiments show that such a framework results in sharper low-light images that are devoid of splotches and other noise artifacts.
Nuclear PI3K signaling in cell growth and tumorigenesis

The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is a major driving force in a variety of cellular functions. Dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in many human diseases including cancer. While the activity of the cytoplasmic PI3K/Akt pathway has been extensively studied, the functions of these molecules and their effector proteins within the nucleus are poorly understood. Harboring key cellular processes such as DNA replication and repair as well as nascent messenger RNA transcription, the nucleus provides a unique compartmental environment for protein-protein and protein-DNA/RNA interactions required for cell survival, growth, and proliferation. Here we summarize recent advances made towards elucidating the nuclear PI3K/Akt signaling cascade and its key components within the nucleus as they pertain to cell growth and tumorigenesis. This review covers the spatial and temporal localization of the major nuclear kinases having PI3K activities and the counteracting phosphatases as well as the role of nuclear PI3K/Akt signaling in mRNA processing and exportation, DNA replication and repair, ribosome biogenesis, cell survival, and tumorigenesis.