cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and mannosidase inhibitory activity of 6- and 7-substituted analogs of swainsonine

Abstract Swainsonine ( 1 ), an inhibitor of the important glycoprotein-processing enzyme Golgi α-mannosidase II, is a clinical candidate for cancer treatment. Analogs bearing substituents at C-6 and C-7 have been prepared and evaluated as inhibitors of α-mannosidase (jack bean), a closely related enzyme.
Multi Authority Access Control in a Cloud EHR System with MA-ABE

With the rapid adoption of Cloud-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, health providers are particularly concerned about managing data privacy on the cloud. Existing approaches have either a scalability bottleneck by requiring that patients approve each sharing of their medical data or a trust bottleneck by having a single authority control every access thereby creating the problem of a single point of attack. To address both these bottlenecks, we have developed a novel framework that enables policy based multi-authority access authorization to EHR systems accessed by multiple care providers from different locations or organizations. This framework, which resides on the Edge, has been built using the Multi-Authority Attribute Based Encryption (MA-ABE) and Semantic Web technologies to provide a secure, semantically rich approach to facilitate secure data sharing among organizations who manage different attributes of end users using a shared dataset. In this paper, we describe our novel approach along with the proof of concept prototype that we created to evaluate our framework.
Reducing The Incidence Of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) In A 7-Year Period Using A Bundle of Strategies: A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Quality Improvement Project

ABSTRACT; BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), defined as oxygen-dependency at 36 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA), evolves from multifactorial causes. BPD remains to be a leading cause of early death, a strong predictor of consequent neurologic impairment, and a key reason for resource expenditures and rehospitalizations during the first year of life. The incidence of BPD in infants with a birth weight of 500-1500 grams ranges from 3% to 43% in different centers of the National Institute …
Synthesis of Tridentate [1,2,4] Triazinyl-Pyridin-2-yl Indole Lewis Basic Complexants via Pd-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling.

Full closure of the nuclear fuel cycle is predicated, in part, on defining efficient separations processes for the effective speciation of the neutron-absorbing lanthanides from the minor actinides...
Fluid carving: intelligent resizing for fluid simulation data

We present a method for intelligently resizing fluid simulation data using seam carving methods. While advances in post-processing techniques have allowed artists greater control over content late in the production process, this technology has largely remained confined to image processing. Our fluid carving system allows fluid simulation post-processing by performing content-aware non-uniform scaling on baked-out fluid simulation data. Specifically, we extend video seam carving techniques to 4-dimensional animated fluid volume data with a graph cut energy function based on mean curvature and kinetic energy. To reduce the complexity of performing graph cuts on 4D data, we provide a new graph construction formulation that greatly reduces the run-time and memory consumption, which are otherwise prohibitively expensive. We demonstrate that our system is useful for post-production fluid simulation changes and editable fluid FX libraries.
Causal Proof in the Pandemic

In COVID-19 exposure cases, injured plaintiffs seeking compensation face a nearly insurmountable burden of proving causation given the highly contagious nature of the virus, the multiple sources of exposure plaintiffs may experience, and the developing state of the art on effective mitigation measures to prevent viral spread. This essay explores these issues. It examines the difficulty, in COVID-19 cases, of proving causation in different business settings, and compares those difficulties with other tort cases involving clusters of injury, such as toxic exposure and food poisoning cases. It concludes by examining whether the need to compensate COVID-19 victims, especially essential workers, would be better served by enactment of alternative federal compensation schemes, with lower causal proof requirements.
The predictive value of absolute lymphocyte counts on tumor progression and pseudoprogression in patients with glioblastoma

Differentiating true glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from pseudoprogression (PsP) remains a challenge with current standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The objective of this study was to explore whether patients’ absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) levels can be utilized to predict true tumor progression and PsP. Patients were considered eligible for the study if they had 1) GBM diagnosis, 2) a series of blood cell counts and clinical follow-ups, and 3) tumor progression documented by both MRI and pathology. Data analysis results include descriptive statistics, median (IQR) for continuous variables and count (%) for categorical variables, p values from Wilcoxon rank sum test or Fisher’s exact test for comparison, respectively, and Kaplan-Meier analysis for overall survival (OS). OS was defined as the time from patients’ second surgery to their time of death or last follow up if patients were still alive. 78 patients were included in this study. The median age was 56 years. Median ALC dropped 34.5% from baseline 1400 cells/mm3 to 917 cells/mm3 after completion of radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ). All study patients had undergone surgical biopsy upon MRI-documented progression. 37 had true tumor progression (47.44%) and 41 had pseudoprogression (52.56%). ALC before RT/TMZ, post RT/TMZ and at the time of MRI-documented progression did not show significant difference between patients with true progression and PsP. Although not statistically significant, this study found that patients with true progression had worse OS compared to those with PsP (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.44, 95% CI 0.86–2.43, P = 0.178). This study also found that patients with high ALC (dichotomized by median) post-radiation had longer OS. Our results indicate that ALC level in GBM patients before or after treatment does not have predictive value for true disease progression or pseudoprogression. Patients with true progression had worse OS compared to those who had pseudoprogression. A larger sample size that includes CD4 cell counts may be needed to evaluate the PsP predictive value of peripheral blood biomarkers.
Localization and shock waves in curved manifolds

The investigation of the interplay between geometry and nonlinearity may open the road to the control of extreme waves. We study three-dimensional localization and dispersive shocks in a bent cigar shaped potential by the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. At high bending and high nonlinearity, topological trapping is frustrated by the generation of curved wave-breaking. Four-dimensional parallel simulations confirm the theoretical model. This work may contribute to novel devices based on geometrically constrained highly nonlinear dynamics and tests and analogs of fundamental physical theories in curved space.
Performance and Cost Analysis of Sia, a Blockchain-Based Storage Platform

Cloud storage has become a prevalent choice for data storage for both business and personal use due to increasing data use. While cloud storage services, such as Google Drive, provide customers with high levels of data integrity and security, customers however lose privacy and require trust in the service provider to not act maliciously with their data. We explore an alternative to centralized, traditional cloud storage (TCS) using blockchain technology. In this paper, we tested and evaluated the performance and cost of Sia, a decentralized blockchain-based storage platform (BBS) that ensures users' privacy. The platform allows users to rent storage space from other users in exchange for Siacoin, Sia's native currency. Metrics were evaluated through various storage tests and results were compared to Google Drive. Performance tests showed Sia's available time, how long it takes for a file to upload and be download ready, to be 8–12 times slower than Google Drive. In contrast, Sia downloads were 2–3 times faster. Cost test revealed Sia's overall storage spending to be comparable to Google Drive and other popular TCS; however, results raised questions about spending details. Further testing is needed to fully understand the complexities of a BBS platform like Sia.
Capital Investment and Non-Constant Marginal Cost of Capital

Business practice and prior research in capital budgeting both establish that a firm’s marginal cost of capital (MCC) is not constant across the scope of its investments. Capital budgeting decision methodology in textbooks and in practice, however, does not address the full implications of capital budgeting decisions made under a non-constant MCC paradigm. An endogeneity problem arises naturally due to the presence of a non-constant MCC. In order to value a project, it is necessary to determine the appropriate cost of capital. However, in order to determine the appropriate cost of capital, a project must be ranked in order to determine where the project is found on the MCC schedule. We establish a net present value (NPV) maximizing methodology that fully resolves this problem. We demonstrate, using a Monte Carlo simulation, the potential magnitude of investment errors and the extent of shareholder wealth destruction that occurs when commonly used methods or simplifying assumptions are employed in place of using this optimizing approach.
Political Power and Women's Representation in Latin America by Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer

Since the widespread transition to democracy swept Latin America in the 1980s, women have acquired a new political status in most countries of the region. The number of women elected to political o...
Gauge invariance of relativistic two-particle bound-state energies: (II). Invariant subsets in perturbation theory☆

The gauge invariance, in quantum electrodynamics, of the bound-state energies is proven, order by order in perturbation theory, in the case of solutions of the Beth-Selpeter equation for the spin-12 fermion-antifermion system. A simple algebraic, and corresponding diagrammatic, procedure is developed to deal with the problem. It is shown that subsets of energy contributions are gauge invariant, a property which can provide a useful flexibility in calculations.
Binding of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) to carboxyl-terminal-binding protein (CtBP) changes the localization of CtBP from the nucleus to the cytosol: a novel function for targeting by the PDZ domain of nNOS.

Recent work suggests a role for PDZ domains in the targeting of binding partners to specific sites in the cell. To identify whether the PDZ domain of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) can play such a role, we performed affinity chromatography of brain extract with the nNOS PDZ domain. We identified the carboxyl-terminal-binding protein (CtBP), a phosphoprotein first identified as a binding partner to adenovirus E1A, as a nNOS binding partner. CtBP interacts with the PDZ domain of nNOS, and this interaction can be competed with peptide that binds to the PDZ peptide-binding site. In addition, binding of CtBP to nNOS is dependent on its carboxyl-terminal sequence -DX L, residues conserved between species that fit the canonical sequence for nNOS PDZ binding. Immunoprecipitation studies show that CtBP and nNOS associate in the brain. When CtBP is expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, its distribution is primarily nuclear; however, when CtBP is co-expressed with nNOS, its localization becomes more cytosolic. This change in CtBP localization does not occur when its carboxyl-terminal nNOS PDZ binding motif is mutated or when CtBP is co-expressed with postsynaptic density 95, another PDZ domain-containing protein. Taken together, our data suggest a new function for nNOS as a regulator of CtBP nuclear localization.
History-based tools for navigation

I present a research framework and some tools developed as part of an ongoing effort into defining and using interaction history as part of a user interface for social navigation, which is the process of using traces left by past users to help current users find and understand information.
Can Policing Disorder Reduce Crime? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis:

Objective:Crime policy scholars and practitioners have argued for years that when police address social and physical disorder in neighborhoods they can prevent serious crime, yet evaluations of the crime control effectiveness of disorder policing strategies yield conflicting results. This article reports on the results of the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of disorder policing on crime.Methods:Systematic review protocols and conventions of the Campbell Collaboration were followed, and meta-analytic techniques were used to assess the impact of disorder policing on crime and investigate the influence of moderating variables.Results:We identified 30 randomized experimental and quasi-experimental tests of disorder policing. Our meta-analysis suggests that policing disorder strategies are associated with an overall statistically significant, modest crime reduction effect. The strongest program effect sizes were generated by community and problem-solving interventions designed to chang...
Implications of historical eruptive-vent migration on the northeast rift zone of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

Five times within the past 138 yr (1852, 1855-1856, 1880-1881, 1942, and 1984), lava flows from vents on the northeast rift zone of Mauna Loa Volcano have reached within a few kilometres of Hilo (the largest city on the Island of Hawaii). Most lavas erupted on this right zone in historical time have traveled northeastward (toward Hilo), because their eruptive vents have been concentrated north of the rift zone's broad topographic axis. However, with few exceptions each successive historical eruption on the northeast rift zone has occurred farther southeast than the preceding one. Had the 1984 eruptive vents (the most southeasterly yet) opened less than 200 m farther southeast, the bulk of the 1984 lavas would have flowed away from Hilo. If this historical vent-migration pattern continues, the next eruption on the northeast rift zone could send lavas to the southeast, toward less populated areas. The historical Mauna Loa vent-migration patterns mimic southeastern younging of the Hawaiian-Emperor volcanic chain and may be cryptically related to northwestward movement of the Pacific plate. Systematic temporal-spatial vent-migration patterns may characterize eruptive activity at other volcanoes with flank activity and should be considered as an aid to long-term prediction of eruption sites.
Species-specific TNF induction of thymocyte proliferation

Recombinant murine (rMu) tumor necrosis factor (TNF), in a standard comitogenic assay with phytohemagglutinin, induced murine thymocyte proliferation, while up to 10,000-fold higher concentrations of recombinant human TNF did not. The induction of thymocyte proliferation was dependent upon TNF concentration in a biphasic manner. Thus, 100 to 1000 units/ml TNF were near optimal while concentrations ≥1,000 units/ml caused apparent down regulation. The effect was abrogated by neutralizing antibody to rMu-TNF but not by neutralizing antibody to rMu-interleukin 1α or β. The rMu-TNF did not induce proliferation of the mature murine T-helper cell line, D10.G4.1, in the presence of mitogen. Taken together the results indicate that TNF, in a strictly species-specific manner, can regulate thymocyte proliferation independently of interleukin 1.
Electron Nano-Tweezers as a Tool for Trapping and Manipulation of Nanoobjects

We have demonstrated that electron beams are able to trap and manipulate solid Al nanoparticles inside molten submicron-sized Al-Si eutectic alloy droplets. Real-time plasmon imaging enabled to visualize the nanoparticles trapped in a liquid alloy.
Weights of carotid endarterectomy specimens in patients undergoing unilateral procedures

Analysis of 273 unilateral carotid endarterectomy specimens showed those in the men to be larger than those in the women (1.4 vs 0.96 g). A large weight variation was found. The smallest specimen weighed 0.38 g, and the largest weighed 4.2 g, a 10-fold difference; the mean weight was 1.25 g.
On constructing T 2 control charts for retrospective examination

In this paper we consider the issue of constructing retrospective T 2 control chart limits so as to control the overall probability of a false alarm at a specified value. We describe an exact method for constructing the control limits for retrospective examination. We then consider Bonferroni-adjustments to Alt's control limit and to the standard x 2 control limit as alternatives to the exact limit since it is computationally cumbersome to find the exact limit. We present the results of some simulation experiments that are carried out to compare the performance of these control limits. The results indicate that the Bonferroni-adjusted Alt's control limit performs better that the Bonferroni-adjusted x 2 control limit. Furthermore, it appears that the Bonferroni-adjusted Alt's control limit is more than adequate for controlling the overall false alarm probability at a specified value.
Digital rate conversion with a non-rational ratio for high speed echo-cancellation modem

The application of digital rate conversion in high-speed echo cancellation modems is discussed. The requirement of rate conversion in echo cancellation modems is first described. The author then introduces the concept of digital rate conversion with a nonrational ratio and considers two types of approximations for implementation of such a rate converter. Special considerations for the application of rate conversion to echo cancellation modems are discussed in detail. The design requirements and optimization criterion of interpolation filters for this application are discussed. The special problem of sampling clock jitter occurring in this application, its impact on modem performance, and its compensation techniques are discussed. >
The Effects of Group Counselling on Classroom Behaviour and Self‐concept among Elementary School Learning Disabled Children

Abstract This study investigated the effects of participation in group counselling sessions on the classroom behaviour and self‐concept of learning disabled (LD) children in elementary school. Sixty LD children were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 30) and control (n= 30) conditions. Participants in the treatment group were divided into three groups and participated in group counselling sessions which met for approximately one hour per week for 10 weeks. Dependent measures included Acting Out and Distractibility from the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklistand Personal Self, Social Self, and Intellectual Self from the Primary Self‐Concept Inventory.Results indicated that participation in group counselling sessions improved behaviour in the classroom and enhanced some positive self‐evaluations (Social Self). The intervention appears to be beneficial in improving acting out and distractibility behaviours and one area of self‐concept.
Scaling, machine learning, and genetic neural nets

We consider neural nets whose connections are defined by growth rules taking the form of recursion relations. These are called genetic neural nets. Learning in these nets is achieved by simulated annealing optimization of the net over the space of recursion relation parameters. The method is tested on a previously defined continuous coding problem. Results of control experiments are presented so that the success of the method can be judged. Genetic neural nets implement the ideas of scaling and parsimony, features which allow generalization in machine learning.
Hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury (HIBI) after cardiopulmonary arrest

Summary Hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury (HIBI) is unfortunately a common complication after cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) with devastating neurologic complications. Intensive care unit (ICU) management is initially aimed at cardiovascular stabilization and correction of the underlying cause of arrest such as ventricular fibrillation (VF), myocardial infarction from symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD), or respiratory arrest. Once the patient is stabilized from a cardiac standpoint, growing evidence suggests that therapeutic hypothermia may provide cerebral neuroprotective benefit for VF-related CPA. Practical ICU evaluation and implementation of therapeutic hypothermia is discussed. Evaluation and management of HIBI-related autonomic disturbances or paroxysmal autonomic instability with dystonia (PAID) is discussed. Finally, we review the literature regarding neurological prognostication after cardiac arrest and the tests with highest specificity that can aid in the decision-making process.
CLONIDINE IN TOURETTE'S SYNDROME

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterised by changing motor and phonic tics, compulsive actions, and other behavioural symptoms. Small doses of clonidine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, improves the condition in some children unresponsive to haloperidol. Clonidine presumably acts by inhibiting central noradrenergic function. Metabolic and clinical findings suggest the involvement of monoamines, including noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin, in TS.
Effect of Severe Plastic Deformation on the Mechanical Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V

The present work focuses on the microstructural evolution and resulting room temperature mechanical properties of P/M Ti-6Al-4V severely deformed at different temperatures (550°C to 800°C) using Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE). The bulk materials are extruded through two channels of equal cross section intersecting an angle of 90 degree. Microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded billets are reported through electron microsopy observations and tension, compression and hardness experiments. Results are compared for different extrusion conditions including variations in temperature and processing route. Higher hardness values are obtained after ECAE compared to as-received values. These improvements are correlated with the grain refinement, phase refinement and texture produced during ECAE. The most favorable microstructure in terms of refined grains was two passes at 600°C. The ultimate goal is to develop ECAE thermomechanical-processing maps for the selection of processing schedules to obtain desired end microstructures and improved fatigue life in Ti-Al-V based materials. The investigations revealed that: 1. ECAE shear deformation leads to refinement in β plates and elimination of piror β boundaries. Decreasing extrusion temperature and increasing number of passes decreases α plate size and grain size. Refined α grain size leads to a significant increase in tensile and compressive flow stresses at room temperature. 2. The second extrusion pass at 800°C increased both the yield strength and ductility. This was attributed to the observed α plate refinement. 3. Cavitation at the interface between β strips and α plates at 550°C was thought to be the reason for low ductility and relatively low strain hardening at room temperature. 4. Texture has a pronounced effect on mechanical properties. Tension/compression asymmetry in flow strengths and strain hardening coefficients may be described by the activation of differing slip systems under tension and compression loading because of texture.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Modulation of proto-oncogene expression by colony stimulating factors

Summary Bone marrow stem cells are dependent upon Colony Stimulating Factors for proliferation in vitro . Using murine myeloid cell lines, which are able to proliferate in culture in the presence of three different murine Colony Stimulating Factors, we have investigated the effect of Colony Stimulating Factors on c- fos and c- myc mRNA induction. Cells were blocked in G1 phase by Colony Stimulating Factor and serum deprivation and allowed to proceed into the cell cycle by addition of Colony Stimulating Factor. Northern analysis of RNA showed that c- fos and c- myc message were induced by the three different Colony Stimulating Factors tested, Interleukin 3, Granulocyte Monocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor and Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor, with similar kinetics and levels of induction. Induction of c- fos mRNA was rapid, transient (with a peak 30 min after induction) and very faint. Accumulation of c- myc (15- to 30 fold) was more stable and quantitatively more important. These results suggests that c- fos and c- myc gene activation is a “consensus” and obligatory event in cell proliferation induction.
Relating brain anatomy and cognitive ability using a multivariate multimodal framework

Linking structural neuroimaging data from multiple modalities to cognitive performance is an important challenge for cognitive neuroscience. In this study we examined the relationship between verbal fluency performance and neuroanatomy in 54 patients with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and 15 age-matched controls, all of whom had T1- and diffusion-weighted imaging. Our goal was to incorporate measures of both gray matter (voxel-based cortical thickness) and white matter (fractional anisotropy) into a single statistical model that relates to behavioral performance. We first used eigenanatomy to define data-driven regions of interest (DD-ROIs) for both gray matter and white matter. Eigenanatomy is a multivariate dimensionality reduction approach that identifies spatially smooth, unsigned principal components that explain the maximal amount of variance across subjects. We then used a statistical model selection procedure to see which of these DD-ROIs best modeled performance on verbal fluency tasks hypothesized to rely on distinct components of a large-scale neural network that support language: category fluency requires a semantic-guided search and is hypothesized to rely primarily on temporal cortices that support lexical-semantic representations; letter-guided fluency requires a strategic mental search and is hypothesized to require executive resources to support a more demanding search process, which depends on prefrontal cortex in addition to temporal network components that support lexical representations. We observed that both types of verbal fluency performance are best described by a network that includes a combination of gray matter and white matter. For category fluency, the identified regions included bilateral temporal cortex and a white matter region including left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and frontal–occipital fasciculus. For letter fluency, a left temporal lobe region was also selected, and also regions of frontal cortex. These results are consistent with our hypothesized neuroanatomical models of language processing and its breakdown in FTD. We conclude that clustering the data with eigenanatomy before performing linear regression is a promising tool for multimodal data analysis.
Reducing variance in soil organic carbon estimates: soil classification and geostatistical approaches

Abstract Concern for groundwater purity is increasing. Computer modeling of processes that can contribute to groundwater contamination is growing, yet the supporting data base is meager and the available data were usually not collected for such uses. Often one is left to estimate soil properties from data on analogous soils. Soil organic carbon, a major input in pesticide leaching assessments, can be extrapolated to unsampled sites by two approaches: by analogous reasoning using Soil Taxonomy and by regionalized varible methods (geostatistics). The 23×32 km Pearl Harbor recharge area was used to compare these two methods of estimating soil organic carbon in unsampled areas. Soil organic carbon varied from 0.013 to about 0.060 g C/g soil. The general variance for 53 samples in the area was 1.04×10 −4 and, according to gestatistical estimates from semivariograms, could be reduced to 1.08×10 −5 at a sampling distance of 1.2 km. Based on a transect sampling study within the area, increases in sampling frequency from 4600 to 7.36 million samples would not further reduce estimated variance and thus would not be advisable. Extrapolation on the basis of Soil Taxonomy, i.e. to similar soil series, and geostatistical extrapolation provided similar estimates of uncertainty in soil organic carbon in unsampled areas. Data from the Pearl Harbor recharge area suggest that extrapolation by Soil Taxonomy may underestimate regional varibility due to sampling assumptions. Extrapolation by geostatistics ignores some important qualitative information. A method of combining these two approaches is needed. Our results emphasize the effect of the purpose and assumptions of a sampling plan on the data obtained. Large scale modeling of soil properties of a region, typical of many geographical information systems (GIS) analyses, requires a representative sample of the variation in the region. A three-phase sampling plan that includes a qualitative phase as well as a quantitative phase may ensure that the data obtained are appropriate.
Multiresolution FOPEN SAR image formation

This paper presents a new technique for FOPEN SAR (foliage penetration synthetic aperture radar) image formation of Ultra Wideband UHF radar data. Planar Subarray Processing (PSAP) has successfully demonstrated the capability of forming multi- resolution images for X and Ka band radar systems under MITRE IR&D and the DARPA IBC program. We have extended the PSAP algorithm to provide the capability to form strip map, multi- resolution images for Ultra Wideband UHF radar systems. The PSAP processing can accommodate very large SAR integration angles and the resulting very large range migration. It can also accommodate long coherent integration times and wide swath coverage. Major PSAP algorithm features include: multiple SAR sub-arrays providing different look angles at the same image area that can enable man-made target responses to be distinguished from other targets and clutter by their angle dependent specular characteristics, the capability to provide a full resolution image in these and other selected areas without the processing penalty of full resolution in non required areas, and the capability to include angle-dependent motion compensation within the image formation process.
Vibrational circular dichroism shows unusual sensitivity to protein fibril formation and development in solution.

Similar, unusually large vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra in the amide I and II region for aqueous solutions of the proteins lysozyme and insulin are presented under conditions of heating at low pH that are known to induce fibril formation. Centrifugation allows separation of a fibril gel phase from a proto-filament supernatant phase where VCD indicative of the presence of proto-filaments, compared to the VCD of native protein, is observed. Development of even larger VCD over longer time periods, growing in magnitude and changing in relative intensities, is followed with in situ solution-state VCD measurements of a single sample of insulin. These spectra demonstrate that VCD possesses unusual sensitivity to fibril growth and development in solution. Correlation of these VCD spectra to AFM or SEM images of corresponding fibril samples will be carried out in the future.
Suppressor mutations in chlamydomonas reveal a regulatory mechanism for flagellar function

Reversion analysis of flagellar-motility mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii yields an unusual class of intergenic suppressor mutations that restore flagellar activity to paralyzed radial-spoke or central-pair mutants without altering the structural or molecular defects associated with the original mutations. Four suppressors representing independent genetic loci were studied in detail. Two of the mutations, suppf1 and suppf2, restore flagellar motility to either radial-spoke or central-pair mutants of different genes. The mutants suppf3 and suppf 4 suppress flagellar paralysis associated only with mutants defective for the radial spokes. Analyses of the axonemal polypeptides of suppf1, suppf3 and suppf4 mutants indicate that the mutations restore flagellar activity to paralyzed radial-spoke or central-pair mutants by altering other components of the flagellar axoneme. suppf1 shows an altered electrophoretic migration for a 325,000 molecular weight polypeptide known to be a subunit of an outer-arm dynein. suppf3 and suppf4 are missing different axonemal polypeptides with molecular weights of 60,000 (in the case of suppf3), and 40,000 and 29,000 (in the case of suppf4). Genetic evidence has been obtained indicating that the polypeptides affected in suppf3 and suppf4 are components of a newly identified functional and/or structural compartment of the flagellar axoneme. The suppressor mutations described here reveal the operation of a control mechanism that inhibits the operations of flagellar movements in the presence of radial-spoke or central-pair defects. Suppressor mutations release the inhibition. The molecular defects of suppf1, suppf3 and suppf4 provide evidence that the inhibitory mechanism can be interrupted at two different levels of axonemal function.
Surgical results of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the surgical success of patients with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) and to identify preoperative indicators of visual outcome. Design Noncomparative case series. Methods The diagnosis of PHPV was made in 35 eyes of 27 patients from 1982 to 1994. In each case, anterior and/or posterior PHPV findings, preoperative testing, surgical procedures, and visual outcomes were documented. Twenty-nine of 35 eyes were managed surgically. Follow-up ranged from 2 months to 12 years. Results Of the 35 eyes, 2 (5.7%) had strictly anterior PHPV, 8 (22.9%) had strictly posterior PHPV, and 25 (71.4%) had components of both anterior and posterior disease. Initial lensectomy and vitrectomy was performed in 24 eyes (68.6%). Surgery was withheld in four eyes secondary to severity of disease with an unrecordable visual-evoked potential (VEP). Reoperation rate was 32.3% for membrane reproliferation, glaucoma, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, or strabismus. Best-corrected final visual acuity ranged from 20/60 to no light perception. Six eyes (17%) maintained Snellen visual acuity despite posterior PHPV with some degree of retinal dysplasia. Conclusions Surgical treatment of PHPV can result in functional visual outcome despite posterior segment involvement. The degree of ocular malformation, however, will ultimately limit the amount of visual improvement. Preoperative testing, including VEP, may aid in determining surgical candidates.
Phase retrieval using boundary conditions

It is shown that a priori knowledge of the edges of an object is not sufficient to ensure that it can be uniquely reconstructed from the modulus of its Fourier transform (or from its autocorrelation function). Furthermore, even in those cases for which the ultimate solution is unique, in intermediate steps in the solution by the recursive Hayes–Quatieri algorithm there can be ambiguities. An extension of the recursive algorithm that finds the solution (or solutions) is suggested, and it is shown that the recursive method can be applied to complex-valued objects.
Determining the drift time of charge carriers in p-type point-contact HPGe detectors

Abstract An algorithm to determine the drift time of charge carriers in p-type point contact (PPC) high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors from the signals processed with a charge-sensitive preamplifier is introduced. It is demonstrated that the drift times can be used to estimate the distance of charge depositions from the point contact and to characterize losses due to charge trapping. A correction for charge trapping effects over a wide range of energies is implemented using the measured drift times and is shown to improve the energy resolution by up to 30%.
Mitigating the Risk of Cyber Attack on Smart Grid Systems

Abstract Smart Grid technologies are being developed to upgrade the power grid with networked metrology and controls that can improve efficiency and provide new methods to manage the system. While these technologies offer great benefits, they also introduce new classes of risk, most notably creating new attack vectors that can be exploited by cyber attack. To assess and address risks in cyber-physical systems like these, the system designer's toolset needs to include concepts drawn from cyber security, reliability, and fault tolerance design, integrated into a common methodology. In this paper, we discuss the fragmented landscape of studies into the risk of cyber attack on smart metering systems, and then draw on concepts from systems engineering and fault tolerance design to organize and unify the pieces.
The microbiology of necrotizing soft tissue infections.

Objective: A large number of necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) treated at a single institution over an 8-year period were analyzed with respect to microbial pathogens recovered, treatment administered, and outcome. Based on this analysis, optimal empiric antibiotic coverage is proposed. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients with documented NSTI was conducted. Microbiologic variables were tested for impact on outcome using Fisher’s exact test and multivariate analysis by logistic regression. Results: Review of the charts of 198 patients with documented NSTI revealed 182 patients with sufficient microbiologic information for analysis. These 182 patients grew an average of 4.4 microbes from original wound cultures, although a single pathogen was responsible in 28 patients. Eighty-five patients had combined aerobic and anaerobic growth, the most common organisms being, in order, Bacteroides species, aerobic streptococci, staphylococci, enterococci, Escherichia coli, and other gram-negative rods. Clostridial growth was common but did not affect mortality unless associated with pure clostridial myonecrosis. Mortality was affected by the presence of bacteremia, delayed or inadequate surgery, and degree of organ system dysfunction on admission. Conclusions: NSTI are frequently polymicrobial and initial antibiotic coverage with a broad-spectrum regimen is warranted. The initial regimen should include agents effective against aerobic gram-positive cocci, gram-negative rods, and a variety of anaerobes. The most common organisms not covered by initial therapy were enterococci. All wounds should be cultured at initial debridement, as changes in antibiotic coverage are frequent once isolates are recovered.
Towards Single-Cell Systems Biology through Super-Resolution Imaging and Molecular Barcoding

Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful quantitative tool for exploring regulatory networks in single cells. However, the number of molecular species that can be measured simultaneously is limited by the spectral overlap between fluorophores. We have demonstrated a simple but general strategy to dramatically increase the capacity for multiplex detection in single cells by labeling with unique combinations of fluorophores using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and resolving these barcodes using optical super-resolution microscopy (SRM). We have used this technique to measure mRNA levels of 32 genes simultaneously in single Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Ongoing work to scale this methodology up for the high-throughput analysis of gene regulatory networks in single cells will be presented.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides in Great Lakes Precipitation

Abstract Snow samples from the winter of 1975-6 and rain samples (seven locations) from the period May-November, 1976, were collected from around the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. All were examined for polychlorinated biphenyls and a range of organochlorine pesticides. The snow samples were time-integrated, being collected in February 1976. The rain samples were collected on an event basis, using stainless steel samplers with several complete events and the intervening dry-fall frequently being included in one sample. PCBs, lindane, α-BHC, DDT residues, α- and β-endosulfan, dieldrin, and methoxychlor were frequently found with mean rain levels of 21, 5, 12, 3, 2, 5, 1 and 8 ng/L, respectively. Concentrations in snowmelt were generally reduced from the rain values, except for PCBs.
Optimal random non-adaptive algorithm for global optimization of Brownian motion

In this paper we study random non-adaptive algorithms for finding the maximum of a continuous function on the unit interval. We compare the average performance of different algorithms under the assumption of Wiener measure on the space of continuous functions. Placing the observations independently according to a Beta(2/3,2/3) density function is shown to be the optimal random non-adaptive algorithm. The performance is compared with other random and deterministic non-adaptive algorithms.
Mist/Air Cooling in a Two-Pass Rectangular Rotating Channel With 45-deg Angled Rib Turbulators

Increasing the turbine inlet temperature can increase the gas turbine cycle efficiency. In order to increase the turbine inlet temperature significantly, an advanced cooling system has to be essentially developed. Injection of mist to the coolant fluid is considered a promising technique to protect the hot components such as combustor liners, combustor transition pieces, and turbine vanes and blades. A series of experiments conducted in the past proved the success of mist cooling technology in the laboratory environment. Favorable results from the numerical simulation further encourage continuous exploration of employing mist-cooling technology in the actual gas turbine working environment in various applications. The present study focuses on applying mist cooling to the rotating mist/air internal cooling passage with rib turbulators using numerical simulation. In the first part, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of smooth and ribbed channels without mist and rotation are validated with the experimental results available in literature. The agreement between the predicted and experimental values in the lower Reynolds number (Re) range is within 3% deviation, and, at higher Re range, the deviation is about 10%. For the smooth channel, the agreement with experimental result is good for the entire range of Re values. In the second part, the rotational effect on the smooth and ribbed channels is predicted and analyzed. In the last part, the mist cooling enhancement on the ribbed channel with rotation is simulated. The secondary flows created due to channel bend and rotation are specifically analyzed. The results show that the mist cooling enhancement is about 30% at the trailing surface and about 20% at the leading surface of the first passage with 2% mist injection. In the second passage, 20% enhancement is predicted for both the surfaces.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Intense FDG uptake in a benign Hurthle cell adenoma

A 74-year-old man had an 8-mm pulmonary nodule detected as part of a chest computed tomography (CT) screening trial and was referred for positron emission tomography using 2-[F-18]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG-PET). Imaging wasperformed on a PET/CT scanner (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI). Although the patient's pulmonary nodule was only minimally FDG-avid, there was a focus of intense FDG activity at the base of the neck anteriorly. PET/CT fusion images localized this uptake to the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Because of concern for an occult thyroid carcinoma, a thyroid ultrasound was performed, confirming a solid and vascular thyroid nodule. A fine-needle aspirate performed at the time of ultrasound revealed Hurthle cell neoplasm. Subsequent right thyroid lobectomy revealed a Hurthle cell adenoma.
Vibronic coupling as a major cause of the anharmonicity of antisymmetric stretching in the ground state of NO2

Abstract Approximate experimental and theoretical information about vibronic coupling of the X 2 A 1 (ground) and A 2 B 2 electronic states of NO2—by its antisymmetric vibration ν3(b2)—is tested in model calculations of the accurately known ground-state levels ν3 = 0, 1, 2, 3. The test is positive and it is estimated that 64% of the very large observed anharmonic constant χ33 has its origin in vibronic coupling. In this model, ν3 in the A state is predicted at about 1200 cm−1.
Identification of hydrocarbons that protect ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) against fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), but not lizards (Squamata: Polychrotidae), in an allomonal defense secretion

Abstract To explore allomonal (= defensive) function, select hydrocarbons identified in a tick defense secretion (Dermacentor variabilis) were topically applied onto mealworm larvae and offered to fire ants and anoles. In particular, n-C20, n-C24 and methyl branched n-C25 alkane treatments protected mealworm larvae against ants, and were as effective as squalene (C30 alkene), the secretion's principle component, for preventing attack. Given that the tick allomone is not an obnoxious repellent, it is suspected that hydrocarbons probably blunt antennal chemosensory receptors, which block aggressive responses by the ants. This protective secretion ‘hides’ the tick, which along with mobility permits escape. There was no adverse reaction to natural tick secretion by anoles, allomone-depleted (secretion-exhausted) ticks were not eaten and topically applied natural secretion and its components failed to rescue treated mealworms from predation. Of interest is that the efficacy of the tick allomone compares favora...
Energy consumption and output: Evidence from a panel of 14 oil-exporting countries

Abstract We examine the long-run relation and short-run dynamics between energy consumption and output in a panel of 14 oil-exporting countries over 1980–2007. Panel unit root tests, which account for common cross-sectional factors, fail to reject non-stationarity in both variables. Thus, we explore their long-run relation and short-run dynamics using three alternative panel estimation techniques — dynamic fixed effect, pooled and mean-group estimators before and after accounting for common cross-sectional factors. These estimators allow for various degrees of heterogeneity in long-run parameters and short-run dynamics. The results based on the mean group estimator with common correlated effects suggest (a) a stable relation between energy consumption and output; (b) bi-directional causality in both long- and short-run; and (c) the robustness of the long-run causality results to the inclusion of additional variables. As such, environmental policies designed to curtail energy may have significant long-run ramifications for economic growth, and policies designed to promote economic growth may have adverse environmental consequences.
Fast, high fidelity, single-shot quantum non-demolition measurement of a quantum dot electron spin using cavity exciton-polariton resonance

We propose a novel scheme for a single-shot, fast (10’s of nanoseconds), high fidelity (99.95%) quantum non-demolition (QND) readout of quantum dot (QD) electron spins based on their spin-dependent Coulomb exchange interaction with optically-excited quantum well (QW) microcavity exciton-polaritons.
Stapled Peptides as Anti-Apoptotic Drugs

A major problem with many cancer chemotherapeutic drugs is their lack of selectivity. They attack and kill not only the cancer target of interest, but in many cases also normal cells in tissues that are vital for cancer patient survival. Drugs that target cellular functions that are essential specifically for cancer cell survival should thus be of benefit to the cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.Cancer cells have adapted numerous strategies to avoid apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The BCL-2 family contains anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins. The anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins have been linked to the survival of pathogenic cells that include cancer cells. RNA inhibition has been one approach to blocking anti-apoptotic BCL-2 and hence cancer cell survival. However, there is a question about the effectiveness of siRNA in long-term gene silencing.