cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoubiquitinated proteins decorate the Anaplasma phagocytophilum-occupied vacuolar membrane

An emerging theme among vacuole-adapted bacterial pathogens is the ability to hijack ubiquitin machinery to modulate host cellular processes and secure pathogen survival. Mono- and polyubiquitination differentially dictate the subcellular localization, activity, and fate of protein substrates. Monoubiquitination directs membrane traffic from the plasma membrane to the endosome and has been shown to promote autophagy. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium that replicates within a host cell-derived vacuole that co-opts membrane traffic and numerous other host cell processes. Here, we show that monoubiquitinated proteins decorate the A. phagocytophilum -occupied vacuolar membrane (AVM) during infection of promyelocytic HL-60 cell, endothelial RF/6A cells, and to a lesser extent, embryonic tick ISE6 cells. Monoubiquitinated proteins are present on the AVM upon its formation and continue to accumulate throughout infection. Tetracycline-mediated inhibition of de novo bacterial protein synthesis promotes the loss of ubiquitinated proteins from the AVM. This effect is reversible, as removal of tetracycline restores AVM ubiquitination to pretreatment levels. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism by which A. phagocytophilum remodels the composition of its host cell-derived vacuolar membrane and present the first example of a Rickettsiales pathogen co-opting ubiquitin during intracellular residence.
“To Booze or Not to Booze?” Newspaper Coverage of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

This article reports the results of a qualitative framing analysis of the coverage of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The findings indicate that media discourse about FASD is characterized by differing story types and competing frames. The study also documents the recent emergence of a new frame in opposition to the prevailing abstinence frame in health coverage. This frame has shown physicians to be conflicted in their advice about drinking during pregnancy.
A comparison of psychological and depressive symptoms among restricting anorexic, bulimic anorexic, and normal‐weight bulimic patients

Nineteen restricting anorexic, 23 bulimic anorexic, and 72 normal-weight bulimic inpatients were compared on eating disorder symptoms and related psychological and depressive symptomatology
Identifying the Spatial Structure in Error Terms with Spatial Covariance Models: A Case Study on Urbanization Influence in Chaparral Bird Species

Abstract This study uses various spatial statistical methods to examine and model large- and small-scale spatial structure in bird abundance and urbanization. A set of chaparral-vegetated points across an urbanizing landscape in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California was surveyed for birds in 1997 and mapped in a GIS. For each sample location, GIS landuse data were used to calculate surrounding urbanization proportion. We first used semivariograms and correlograms to detect large-scale trends, and Moran's I statistic to test for small-scale spatial autocorrelation in bird abundance. Relationships between bird abundance and surrounding urbanization levels were then analyzed using ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression. Upon detection of spatial autocorrelation in model residuals, spatial covariance models were constructed to incorporate this small-scale spatial dependence statistically and obtain non-biased estimates of urbanization influence. As a conservative comparison, we also removed the l...
Immunochemical studies on the carbohydrate specificity of Maclura pomifera lectin.

Abstract Maclura pomifera lectin was purified from crude extracts of seeds by adsorption onto soluble polyleucyl hog A + H blood group substance and elution with either melibiose or N -actyl- d -galactosamine. The purified lectin formed a single band in immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis against rabbit antiserum to the crude extract. It migrated as a broad band of five very closely packed fine bands on polyacrylamide electrophoresis at both acidic and alkaline pH. A broad band was seen on isoelectrofocusing of the purified lectin in acrylamide gels. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, three bands with molecular weights of 14,500, 13,500, and 12,000 were seen. The carbohydrate specificity of the M. pomifera lectin was studied by quantitative precipitin and precipitin inhibition assays. The lectin precipitated well with blood group substances which had been subjected to mild acid hydrolysis or to Smith degradation and with blood group precursor substances. The active and inactive antifreeze glycoproteins, composed of repreating units of d Galβ1 → 3 d GalNAcαl → OThrAlaAla, were the best, precipitating 90% of the lectin with less than 3.0 μg of glycoprotein being required for precipitation of 50% of 6.0 μg lectin N. Precipitability of this lectin with various native and blood group substances and glycoproteins is attributable to the terminal nonreducing DGalNAc and d Galβ1 → 3 d GalNAc on the carbohydrate moiety of those compounds. Among the monosaccharides and glycosides tested for inhibition of precipitation, the nitrophenyl α-glycosides of d GalNAc and d Gal were most active and were more than 130 times as active as d GalNAc and d Gal, respectively. d GalNAc was 3.3 times as active as d Gal. Nitrophenyl α- and methyl α-glycosides of d GalNAc and d Gal were much more active than the corresponding β-anomers. Nitrophenyl α-glycosides were substantially better than the corresponding methyl α-glycosides, indicating a hydrophobic contribution to the site subterminal to the sugar moiety as has been found for Wistaria floribunda and Sophora japonica lectins. d Galβ1 → 3 d GalNAc and its β-tosyl derivative were the best of the oligosaccharides tested. They were as active as methyl α d GalNAc, about 5.6 times less active than nitrophenyl α-glycosides of DGalNAc, and 5 and 18.5 times as active as d GalNAcα1 → 6 d Gal and melibiose, respectively. d Galβ1 → 3 d GlcNAc, lactose, lacto- N -tetraose, N -acetyllactosamine as well as blood-group-specific oligosaccharides gave no inhibition in amounts comparable to those used with d Galβ → 3 d GalNAc. From these results, it can be concluded that hydrophobic interaction is important for binding and that the combining size of the lectin is at least as large as a disaccharide, and of the compounds studied is most complementary to a mucintype disaccharide on a human erythrocyte membrane, DGalβ1 → 3 d GalNAc.
Cutoffs and shadows in classical scattering of atoms from surfaces

Abstract A commonly used model for the scattering of atoms from crystalline surfaces is that of a classical hard sphere interacting with a hard, corrugated surface. This model is simple enough to permit the study of the effect on the scattering of variation of parameters of the model. We examine here how changes in the amplitude and symmetry of the corrugations, the size of the sphere, and the depth of an attractive well near the surface modify the scattering. We show, in particular, how edge effects due to shadowing of parts of the surface and second hits by the sphere distort the classical rainbow structure. We show the results as topological and intensity plots for special cases. The edge effects give new information on the structure of the surface. For suitable real systems, experimental measurement of the angular and energy dependence of the fraction of the scattering that is elastic may show some of the features described.
Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard's Departure from the Medical College of Virginia: Incompatible Science or Incompatible Social Views in pre–Civil War Southern United States

Charles Edouard Brown-Sequard was one of the most colorful characters in modern physiology. His scientific methods of self-experimentation and animal vivisection led to many great observations, including the eponymous syndrome of hemisection of the spinal cord. Despite his renown, he stayed but one year in his first major academic post. Details of his sojourn at the Medical College of Virginia (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond were divined from perusal of archival material, letters, and from the available literature. His notoriety in the field of physiology landed him a post at the Medical College of Virginia in 1854 as the chair of physiology. During a brief time here, he was able to publish his landmark monograph of 1855 on the pathways of the spinal cord "Experimental and Clinical Researches on the Physiology and Pathology of the Spinal Cord." He had a near-death experience while experimenting on himself to determine the function of the skin. It was rumored that his English was poor, his lectures unintelligible, and his scientific methods disturbing to the neighbors and that for those reasons he was asked to vacate his post. Personal communications and other accounts indicate a different view: his mixed-blood heritage and his views on slavery were unpopular in the pre-Civil War southern United States. These disparate viewpoints lend an insight into the life and career of this pioneer in modern medicine and experimental design and to the clash of science and social views.
Mechanical hyperalgesia after an L5 spinal nerve lesion in the rat is not dependent on input from injured nerve fibers.

Abstract An injury to a peripheral nerve in animals often leads to signs of neuropathic pain including hyperalgesia to heat, cold and mechanical stimuli. The role of injured and intact nerve fibers in mechanical hyperalgesia was evaluated in rats subjected to an L5 spinal nerve ligation-and-cut (‘modified SNL lesion’). To assess the contribution of injured afferents, an L5 dorsal rhizotomy was performed immediately before, or 7 days after the modified SNL lesion. To study the role of adjacent intact spinal nerves, an L4 dorsal rhizotomy was performed 7 days after the modified SNL lesion. The up–down method of Dixon (Dixon WJ, Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 1980;20:441–462) was used to measure the paw withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli at three sites on the rat hindpaw corresponding to the L3, L4, and L5 dermatomes. We found that the modified SNL lesion produced a significant, lasting (>20 days) decrease of the mechanical withdrawal threshold. The severity and duration of mechanical hyperalgesia varied across testing sites. The L5 and L4 dermatome test sites developed the most severe and lasting mechanical hyperalgesia. In contrast, the L3 testing site developed significantly less severe and shorter lasting mechanical hyperalgesia. L5 dorsal rhizotomy, by itself, produced a transient decrease in mechanical withdrawal thresholds. L5 dorsal rhizotomy performed before, or 7 days after, the modified SNL lesion did not prevent or resolve the observed decrease in mechanical withdrawal thresholds. L4 dorsal rhizotomy performed 7 days after the modified SNL lesion resulted in an immediate reversal of mechanical withdrawal thresholds back to baseline values. These results suggest that, after L5 spinal nerve ligation-and-cut, mechanical hyperalgesia develops and persists independent of input from injured afferents. We propose that the Wallerian degeneration that develops after a nerve injury leads to interactions between the degenerating fibers of the injured spinal nerve and the intact fibers of adjacent spinal nerves. This leads to changes in the intact fibers that play a critical role for both initiation and maintenance of mechanical hyperalgesia.
Cavity enhanced on-chip spectrometer with sub-nm resolution

A novel on-chip spectrometer device using combined functionalities of a micro-ring resonator and a planar diffraction grating is proposed and demonstrated. The spectrometer has a 2 mm2 footprint and exhibits 100 channels each with 0.05 nm FWHM.
Assessing vulnerability exploitability risk using software properties

Attacks on computer systems are now attracting increased attention. While the current trends in software vulnerability discovery indicate that the number of newly discovered vulnerabilities continues to be significant, the time between the public disclosure of vulnerabilities and the release of an automated exploit is shrinking. Thus, assessing the vulnerability exploitability risk is critical because this allows decision-makers to prioritize among vulnerabilities, allocate resources to patch and protect systems from these vulnerabilities, and choose between alternatives. Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics have become the de facto standard for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities. However, the CVSS exploitability measures assign subjective values based on the views of experts. Two of the factors in CVSS, Access Vector and Authentication, are the same for almost all vulnerabilities. CVSS does not specify how the third factor, Access Complexity, is measured, and hence it is unknown whether it considers software properties as a factor. In this work, we introduce a novel measure, Structural Severity, which is based on software properties, namely attack entry points, vulnerability location, the presence of the dangerous system calls, and reachability analysis. These properties represent metrics that can be objectively derived from attack surface analysis, vulnerability analysis, and exploitation analysis. To illustrate the proposed approach, 25 reported vulnerabilities of Apache HTTP server and 86 reported vulnerabilities of Linux Kernel have been examined at the source code level. The results show that the proposed approach, which uses more detailed information, can objectively measure the risk of vulnerability exploitability and results can be different from the CVSS base scores.
What are theories for? Concept use throughout the continuum of dinosaur expertise

Although it is now well established that object concepts are situated within broader systems of theoretical knowledge, it is less clear how theories influence the use of object concepts at various points throughout the continuum of expertise. Two studies were conducted to investigate the impact of specific theories (concerning dinosaurs) and overarching framework theories (of biology) on children's and adults' performance on categorization tasks involving familiar and less familiar concepts. Although expertise increased the quantity of deep feature knowledge possessed by children and increased their understanding of biologically adaptive relations among features, few aspects of children's performance generalized beyond highly familiar dinosaurs. Children's specific theories related to dinosaurs were empirically constrained and relatively dissociated from other types of biological knowledge. The interaction of specific concept knowledge with broader framework theories of biology throughout the continuum of expertise is considered.
Anogenital distance predicts female choice and male potency in prairie voles.

Anogenital distance (AGD) in rodents is a useful indicator of masculinization or feminization due to prenatal hormonal effects. If such cues convey useful information about both ‘maleness’ and more importantly mate quality, then females may select males based on this cue or other cues related to it. We tested this hypothesis by asking if female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) preferred males with relatively longer AGDs and if AGD correlated with fitness enhancing characteristics such as sperm count, sperm size, and gonad size. Not only did preferred males have significantly longer AGD and larger testes than nonpreferred males, but AGD was directly related to the testes size, seminal vesicle size, and the number of sperm stored. We re-evaluated data collected in semi-natural field enclosures and discovered that males that were members of a pairbond had longer AGD than single males. This later result, taken under semi-natural conditions, was consistent with results we obtained in the laboratory. Taken together these data indicate that AGD serves as a useful cue of male potency and that females preferentially associate with males that demonstrate this masculinized phenotype. Moreover, these data imply that females may select mates based on their potential to effectively fertilize ova, a potentially important trait for a species that forms life-long pairbonds.
Discussing quality-of-life issues with a patient newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Background A 66-year-old man with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and benign prostatic hyperplasia presented for evaluation of an elevated PSA level of 6.2 ng/ml. Investigations Transrectal ultrasound-guided 12-core prostate needle biopsy. Diagnosis Clinically localized, clinical stage T1c adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Management Following a full discussion of the risks and benefits of his treatment options, including quality-of-life sequelae, the patient opted for radical prostatectomy.
Corticosteroids in the initial treatment of Kawasaki disease: report of a randomized trial.

Abstract Objective We conducted a prospective randomized trial to determine whether the addition of corticosteroids to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) might improve outcomes in Kawasaki disease (KD). Study design Subjects were randomized to receive IVIG, 2 gm/kg over 10 hours, with or without pulsed-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP), 30 mg/kg. All patients received standard doses of aspirin (ASA). Groups were similar in baseline demographic and laboratory data. Results Patients in the IVMP plus ASA/IVIG group, compared with those in the ASA/IVIG alone group, had a shorter mean duration of fever ≥38.3°C after initiation of therapy (1.0 ± 1.3 vs 2.4 ± 1.9 days, mean ± SD, P = .012), shorter hospital stays (1.9 ± 0.7 vs 3.3 ± 2.1 days, P = .010), and at six weeks, lower mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (11.1 ± 5.7 vs 19.4 ± 12.4, P = .027) and median c-reactive protein (0.03 vs 0.08, P = .011, Wilcoxon). No significant differences between treatment groups were noted in coronary dimensions, but statistical power was limited. IVMP was well tolerated; transient hypertension developed in one child, but it did not require treatment. Conclusions Treatment of acute KD with IVMP plus ASA/IVIG, compared with ASA/IVIG alone, resulted in faster resolution of fever, more rapid improvement in markers of inflammation, and shorter length of hospitalization. Adverse effects were infrequent. Steroid therapy should be further assessed in a multicenter, placebo-blind trial. (J Pediatr 2003;142:611-6)
Galileo support observations of Asteroid 951 Gaspra

Observations of 951 Gaspra in support of the Galileo spacecraft encounter are reported. Photometric observations of the asteroid yield a synodic rotational period of 7.042 46 and a slope parameter G of 0.285 + or - 0.005. It is inferred from data obtained on May 18, 1990, that the subearth latitude was higher at that time than it was earlier in the opposition. This places a limit on the possible pole orientation of the asteroid. A slope parameter of 0.25 is proposed on the basis of a comparison of the present result for the slope parameter with that of Barucci et al. (1990). A low-quality 0.8-2.5-micron spectrum of 951 Gaspra suggests a high olivine/pyroxene ratio, which is indicative of a source region in the lower mantle of a differentiated asteroid, and similarities to 8 Flora and particularly 15 Eunomia.
Hypoxic preconditioning protection is eliminated in HIF-1α knockout mice subjected to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia

Hypoxic preconditioning protection is eliminated in HIF-1α knockout mice subjected to neonatal hypoxia–ischemia
Dissolved organic matter in soils—future directions and unanswered questions

Abstract Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important constituent of soil solution that plays a role in many chemical and biological processes in soils. Tremendous strides have been made in the past 25 years to more fully describe the composition of DOM and its role in soil. The papers in this special issue contribute to this literature by both summarizing recent research and reporting on new projects. Based on the papers presented here and others in the literature, I suggest that the following three questions would prove fruitful for future research on DOM in soils: (1) How large are various sources and sinks and how are they controlled?; (2) What is the ecological significance of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in comparison to dissolved organic carbon (DOC)?; (3) How are fluxes altered in human-dominated environments? In support of answering these questions, I recommend that emphasis be placed on developing new analytical techniques (isotopic, or detailed characterization of DOM constituents), increasing interchanges between aquatic and terrestrial biogeochemists and developing an integrated conceptual approach to the study of DOM in soils that addresses interactions among solid soil organic matter, microorganisms including fungi and mycorrhizal fungi, and DOM.
Analyzing for critical resistance in narrative research

This paper details a narrative analysis strategy called critical resistance analysis (CRA). The aim of a CRA is to bring forward the kinds of subjects participants draw on when talking about themse...
Nanoporous membrane-sealed microfluidic devices for improved cell viability

Cell-laden microfluidic devices have broad potential in various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and drug discovery. However, multiple difficulties encountered while culturing cells within devices affecting cell viability, proliferation, and behavior has complicated their use. While active perfusion systems have been used to overcome the diffusive limitations associated with nutrient delivery into microchannels to support longer culture times, these systems can result in non-uniform oxygen and nutrient delivery and subject cells to shear stresses, which can affect cell behavior. Additionally, histological analysis of cell cultures within devices is generally laborious and yields inconsistent results due to difficulties in delivering labeling agents in microchannels. Herein, we describe a simple, cost-effective approach to preserve cell viability and simplify labeling within microfluidic networks without the need for active perfusion. Instead of bonding a microfluidic network to glass, PDMS, or other solid substrate, the network is bonded to a semi-permeable nanoporous membrane. The membrane-sealed devices allow free exchange of proteins, nutrients, buffers, and labeling reagents between the microfluidic channels and culture media in static culture plates under sterile conditions. The use of the semi-permeable membrane dramatically simplifies microniche cell culturing while avoiding many of the complications which arise from perfusion systems.
On stable laws for estimating functions and derived estimators

Stable laws forM-estimators, maximum likelihood and other estimators and obtained through parallel results for the estimating functions and relative compactness of some related estimating functional processes.
FPGA core PDN design optimization

This paper analyses and quantifies the impact of numbers of package power and ground balls and on-package decoupling capacitors (OPD) on an FPGA's on-chip core power distribution network (PDN) performance. Measurement methodologies are developed to study the PDN quality in both time domain and frequency domain. The PDN performance is evaluated from three aspects, the PDN noise amplitude, core logic maximum operation frequency, and system clock jitter. The findings help chip designers optimize the PDN design to achieve a cost and performance balance.
Recommendations for the Development of a New operational classification System For The Foodservice Industry

The foodservice industry is large and diverse, demanding an adequate system for classifying its many different types of operations. There are many different classification systems in use by industr...
Supporting concurrent engineering using an intranet approach

Design and engineering processes are complex and inherently parallel. There is a need for a framework which allows document management for all phases of complex engineering tasks. The first part of the paper presents an introduction into the most challenging issues of this field. In the second part of the paper a case study from the area of car manufacturing is presented in which intranet technology is used to support design and engineering processes.
A mixed-mode vector-based dataflow approach for modeling and simulating LTE physical layer

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is one of the emerging technologies toward 4th generation mobile wireless networks. For LTE physical layer development, electronic system level (ESL) tools are widely used to assist design and verification processes. Among various modeling technologies underlying ESL tools, synchronous dataflow (SDF) and its related models of computation have been successfully used to model and simulate many wireless standards. However, LTE physical layer involves dynamically varying data processing rates that make SDF insufficient due to its constant-rate constraint. In this paper, we present a novel approach, called Mixed-mode Vector-based Dataflow (MVDF), to efficiently model and simulate LTE physical layer by exploring the matched-rate nature of LTE and by combining static and dynamic dataflow technologies. We have implemented MVDF in an ESL tool, called SystemVue, along with a complete LTE physical layer library. With the implementation, we are able to create LTE reference designs for performance measurements. Our simulation results successfully match the standard requirements and justify the capability of MVDF.
Crystallization of a pentapeptide‐repeat protein by reductive cyclic pentylation of free amines with glutaraldehyde

The pentapeptide-repeat protein EfsQnr from Enterococcus faecalis protects DNA gyrase from inhibition by fluoroquinolones. EfsQnr was cloned and purified to homogeneity, but failed to produce diffraction-quality crystals in initial crystallization screens. Treatment of EfsQnr with glutaraldehyde and the strong reducing agent borane–dimethylamine resulted in a derivatized protein which produced crystals that diffracted to 1.6 A resolution; their structure was subsequently determined by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion. Analysis of the derivatized protein using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry indicated a mass increase of 68 Da per free amino group. Electron-density maps about a limited number of structurally ordered lysines indicated that the modification was a cyclic pentylation of free amines, producing piperidine groups.
A general method for reducing the complexity of relational inference and its application to MCMC

Many real-world problems are characterized by complex relational structure, which can be succinctly represented in first-order logic. However, many relational inference algorithms proceed by first fully instantiating the first-order theory and then working at the propositional level. The applicability of such approaches is severely limited by the exponential time and memory cost of propositionalization. Singla and Domingos (2006) addressed this by developing a "lazy" version of the WalkSAT algorithm, which grounds atoms and clauses only as needed. In this paper we generalize their ideas to a much broader class of algorithms, including other types of SAT solvers and probabilistic inference methods like MCMC. Lazy inference is potentially applicable whenever variables and functions have default values (i.e., a value that is much more frequent than the others). In relational domains, the default is false for atoms and true for clauses. We illustrate our framework by applying it to MC-SAT, a state-of-the-art MCMC algorithm. Experiments on a number of real-world domains show that lazy inference reduces both space and time by several orders of magnitude, making probabilistic relational inference applicable in previously infeasible domains.
Expression status of Tax protein in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-transformed MT4 cells: recall of MT4 cells distributed by the NIH AIDS Research and Reference Reagent Program.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) encodes a 40-kDa protein, Tax, that is a transcriptional activator of the viral long terminal repeat (reviewed in references 1 and 15). Tax has also been implicated in HTLV-1-mediated transformation of cells (2, 3, 14, 16) and in the pleiotropic activation of many cellular genes (reviewed in references 1 and 15). The study of Tax biology has been greatly aided by a series of transformed human T cells generated by investigators in Japan (10, 11, 18). Some of these cells, including the MT2 and MT4 cell lines, have been very important tissue culture tools for syncytium-forming assays of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections (8). Recently, many reports in the literature describing MT4 cells
An efficient detector production method for position-sensitive scintillation detector arrays with 98% detector packing fraction

Position-sensitive scintillation-detector arrays (PSSDAs) are used in nuclear-imaging methods such as PET. The kind of technique selected in producing the PSSDA determines the imaging resolution, sensitivity, labor/part cost, and reliability of the system. Production of PSSDA is especially challenging and costly for ultra-high-resolution systems that have large numbers of very small crystal needles, so we developed a new slab-sandwich-slice (SSS) production method. Instead of using individual crystal needles, the construction started with crystal slabs that are 15-crystal-needles wide and 1-needle thick. White-paint was deposited onto slab surfaces to form shaped optical windows. The painted slabs were grouped into two crystal-sandwich types. Each sandwich type consisted of a stack of seven slabs painted with a distinctive set of optical windows, held together with optical glue. For a 40 000-crystal system, only 192 type A and 144 type B sandwiches are needed. Sandwiches were crosscut into another slab formation ("slices"). Each slice was again 1-needle thick; each slice was basically a stack of needles glued together, optically coupled by the glue and the painted windows. After a second set of white-paint optical-windows was applied on the slices' surface, three slices of type B were grouped between four slices of type A to form a 7 /spl times/ 7 PSSDA. We used SSS production method to build 7 /spl times/ 7, 7 /spl times/ 8 and 8 /spl times/ 8 crystal blocks needed for a high-resolution 12-module prototype PET camera. The method reduced the more than 400 000 precision painting and gluing steps into 55 500 steps for a 40 000-BGO-crystal system, thus lowering the labor cost. The detectors fabricated with the method were of high quality: 2.66 mm /spl times/ 2.66 mm crystals were separated by only a 0.06-mm gap for a 98% linear detector packing fraction or 96% area packing fraction. Compared to 90% linear-packing (81% area) from conventional methods, the 20% increase in packing density translates into as much as a 1.2 to 1.4 coincidence sensitivity in PET. Crystal cost was halved, and production yield increased to 94%. It generated very small crystal-positioning errors (/spl sigma/=0.09mm), required for ultrahigh resolution detectors.
On the punchthrough phenomenon in submicron MOS transistors

As the channel length of MOS transistors reduces to the submicron dimension, the punchthrough becomes more of a surface-initiated and gate-controlled phenomenon. A surface diffusion current (I/sub sdif/) originates from the injection of minority carriers from the source junction due to the combined effect of drain-induced-barrier-lowering (DIBL) and surface-band-bending (/spl Delta//spl phi//sub so/). The DIBL effect increases rapidly with decreasing channel length. In addition, the extracted /spl Delta//spl phi//sub so/ from the punchthrough current indicates that surface space charges at the source edge shift from the accumulation/depletion mode for long submicron devices (/spl ap/0.62 /spl mu/m) to the strong-inversion mode for deep submicron devices (/spl ap/0.12 /spl mu/m). In general, I/sub sdif/ dominates over the low drain bias range and eventually converts to the bulk space-charge-limited current (I/sub scl/) as the drain bias increases and the source/drain depletion regions connect. The drain bias for this conversion to occur strongly depends on the channel dimension. Only intermediate submicron devices (/spl ap/0.37 /spl mu/m) in this study clearly show both the surface and bulk (space-charge-limited) punchthrough components. For long submicron devices, I/sub sdif/ essentially dominates, while for deep submicron devices, it converts rapidly to I/sub scl/ over the drain bias range investigated. A semi-empirical closed form equation is proposed to describe both I/sub sdif/ and I/sub scl/ and their merging over the entire range of drain bias.
Functional Endoscopic Analysis of Beatbox Performers

Summary Objectives Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion in which performers imitate drum sounds, interspersed with vocalization and other sounds, using their vocal tracts. Although similarities between beatboxing and singing are expected because of the anatomy involved, the medical literature has a wealth of information on singing and minimal studies on beatboxing. The objective of our study was to report on a case series of functional endoscopic evaluation of the anatomy involved in beatboxing and determine whether beatboxing may be a risk factor for phonotrauma or if this form of vocalization might be protective of the vocal folds. Methods We reviewed the flexible fiberoptic data collected from four beatbox artists who were evaluated at an outpatient Laryngology clinic. These records included videos of a standard flexible laryngoscopic evaluation during which the beatboxers performed beatbox sounds in isolation and in various combinations ("beats"), both standardized and improvised. Results All four participants were males aged 22–32 years. We found that voicing during beatboxing was not the same as full voice to have sustained phonation interlaced with percussive sounds. Performers overall demonstrated similarities in delivery of the same beatbox sounds, although subtle differences were noted between performers. Conclusions Beatboxing is a complex form of vocal percussion using the entire vocal tract. Although similarities with singing in the anatomical structures and positioning are noted in beatboxing, there are several unique and interesting anatomical processes occurring. Use of the entire vocal tract, including the pharyngeal constrictors, may actually protect against glottic injury.
Bacteria, Dissolved Organics and Oxygen Consumption in Salinity Stratified Chesapeake Bay, an Anoxia Paradigm

Chesapeake Bay is a bacterially dominated ecosystem driven, at least under summer conditions, by high levels of labile dissolved organics. Bacterioplankton are exceptionally abundant (20 × 109 cells liter−1) and productive (7 × 109 cells liter−1 d−1), and their biomass can equal or exceed 60% of phytoplankton biomass. In the salinity stratified Chesapeake Bay bacterioplankton account for 60–100% of planktonic oxygen consumption, potentially driving the Bay to anoxia in days to weeks. Sulfide, released from sediments by sulfate reducing bacteria, chemically consumes oxygen at rates up to 9 mg O2 liter−1 d−1 maintaining the oxygen deficit. The organic matter driving this oxygen demand in the summer season is functionally dissolved. Dissolved organics, measured as biochemical oxygen demand, account for about 60% of microbially labile organics throughout the water column and 80% (sometimes 100%) in the subpycnoclinal water. Field studies suggest that reduced oyster stocks in Chesapeake Bay may be a major factor in the shift to this bacterially dominated trophic structure
Analytical Analysis of a Stochastic Partial Differential Equation

This paper investigates the following stochastic partial differential equation $$d{X_t} = - A{X_t}dt + G\left( {{X_t}} \right)d{B_t}$$ (a1) where A is a self-adjoint, positive definite operator with eigensystem $$\left\{ {{\lambda _n};{\xi _n};n = 0,1,2, \ldots } \right\}$$ and G(·): H −α → σ2(H, H −α) (α≥0) is defined by $$\matrix{ {G\left( h \right){\xi _n} = {{\left( {h,{\eta _n}} \right)}_{ - \alpha }}{\eta _n}} & {n = 0,1,2, \cdots } & {h \in {H_{ - \alpha }}} \cr } $$ with \({\eta _n} = \lambda _n^\alpha {\xi _n},\,n = 0,1,2, \cdots \) and H β,−∞ 0 is a cylindrical Brownian motion on H = L 2 (D) where D is a domain in R d.
Synthesis of Minimal-State Machines

A technique is presented which yields a minimal-state machine satisfying a given set of behavioral specifications. The machine is constructed in the same manner as has commonly been done in the past in synthesizing a ``primitive flow table.'' This contribution consists, not in describing a new method of synthesizing machines, but in showing that a particular instance of an established method yields a minimal-state machine. It is shown that the basic synthesis technique may be slightly modified so as to be applicable to obtaining a minimal-state machine which has the stability condition desired when working with uncloked circuits.
Tumor-reactive human immunoglobulin G monoclonal antibody from a melanoma patient.

To study tumor-associated antigens that are immunogenic to humans, we have generated human monoclonal antibodies by fusing lymph node lymphocytes of a melanoma patient with a mouse myeloma cell line. We examined in detail the reactivity of one IgG antibody, termed 2-139-1. Immunostatining was performed with purified antibody conjugated to biotin. Binding was visualized by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex. With cultured cells, 2-139-1 stained 12 of 12 melanomas and 12 of 16 carcinomas. Reactivity was not detectable in seven neural crest tumors, six sarcomas, and 45 lymphomas and leukemias. This spectrum of reactivity was confirmed with sections of human tissues. The human monoclonal antibody 2-139-1 reacted against melanomas and not banal nevi. While the antibody reacted strongly to adenocarcinomas of the colon, prostate, rectum, and pancreas, it did not stain all the carcinomas tested. Furthermore, reactivity was not seen against sarcomas. Interestingly, 2-139-1 did not bind to the majority of the cells in normal tissues, including fetal tissues. The reactivity of 2-139-1 may be representative of the humoral immune response found in the regional lymph nodes of cancer patients. The distribution of this epitope in various tumors was fairly limited and appeared to be associated with malignant transformation.
Adsorption-Controlled Growth of Ferroelectric PbTiO, and Bi4Ti3O12 Films for Nonvolatile Memory Applications by MBE

Epitaxial PbTiO3 and Bi4Ti3O12 thin films have been grown on (100) SrTiO3 and (100) LaAlO3 substrates by reactive molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Titanium is supplied to the film in the form of shuttered bursts each containing a one monolayer dose of titanium atoms for the growth of PbTiO3 and three monolayers for the growth of Bi4Ti3O12. Lead, bismuth, and ozone are continuously supplied to the surface of the depositing film. Growth of phase pure, c-axis oriented epitaxial films with bulk lattice constants is achieved using an overpressure of these volatile species. With the proper choice of substrate temperature (600 - 650 °C) and ozone background pressure (PO3 = 2x10-5 Torr), the excess of the volatile metals and ozone desorb from the surface of the depositing film leaving a phase-pure stoichiometric crystal. The smooth PbTiO3 surface morphology revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) suggests that the PbTiO3 films grow in a layer-by-layer fashion. In contrast the Bi4Ti3O12 films contain islands which evolve either continuously or around screw dislocations via a spiral-type growth mechanism.
Diet and Reproduction of the Gray Redhorse (Moxostoma congestum) in a Texas Hill Country Stream and Reservoir

ABSTRACT Reproduction and diet of gray redhorse (Moxostoma congestum) were examined in a Texas Hill Country stream and a central Texas reservoir from September 2004 through August 2005. Temporal patterns in gonadosomatic index and oocyte diameter relative frequency indicated that M. congestum spawns over two distinct periods during spring and likely spawns multiple clutches in each period. Moxostoma congestum is an opportunistic benthic invertivore, with mollusks being the predominant food item in summer and aquatic insects the primary food item in other seasons. Additionally, diets differed between stream and reservoir habitats and among seasons. Though habitat degradation is of concern for M. congestum, our data suggest that it has persisted in habitats disturbed by low-head dam and mainstem reservoir construction due in part to its opportunistic feeding strategy that allows it to adapt to lentic systems.
Promoting Maternal Health in Developing Countries

Most maternal deaths are preventable, yet more than 500,000 women die annually worldwide. However, the risk of maternal mortality is unevenly distributed; 99 percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. This article examines the causes of this disparity and suggests several recommendations for social workers to promote maternal health in developing countries.
Optimized Node Selection Process for quality of service provisioning over wireless multimedia sensor networks

Several quality of service (QoS) routing strategies focus on the improvement of throughput and end-to-end delays in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). With emergence of wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), data traffic can be poised into reliability-demanding data packets and time-sensitive data packets. In such situations, node optimization and load balancing can improve QoS provisioning. Thus, the trade-off between network lifetime and ensuring the QoS provisioning has been of paramount importance. This paper introduces the Optimized Node Selection Process (ONSP) approach for robust multipath QoS routing for WMSNs. This approach is based on determining the optimized node that helps resilient route discovery for improving the QoS parameters. The selection of optimized nodes make the solid chain for route selection using residual energy and received signal strength indicator (RSSI). The second goal of this approach is to prolong the network lifetime by introducing the load-balancing algorithm, which determines the optimized and braided paths. These paths avoid bottlenecks and improves throughput, end-to-end delay, on-time packet delivery and prolongs the network lifetime.
A review of current anesthetic concerns and concepts for cesarean hysterectomy.

Purpose of review Peripartum hemorrhage still remains a significant source of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Abnormal placentation is one of the leading causes of peripartum hemorrhage. Recent findings The incidence of abnormal placentation is increasing secondary to the increased incidence of cesarean section. The main forms of abnormal placentation include placenta accreta, placenta previa and low-lying placenta. Historically placenta accreta was an incidental finding at the time of delivery and was associated with high maternal morbidity and mortality. The development of new imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and transvaginal color Doppler sonography has allowed antenatal diagnosis of this condition and elective preoperative planning of the obstetric and anesthetic management of these patients. Optimum management for most cases requires elective cesarean hysterectomy, performed ideally at about 34 weeks' gestation. Summary The present article is an update on the state-of-the art multidisciplinary management of parturients undergoing cesarean hysterectomy with special emphasis on anesthetic considerations. It summarizes the prevention, management and treatment of obstetric hemorrhages in parturients with abnormal placentation and highlights recent advances and developments. The obstetrician and the obstetric anesthesiologist must know, on the spot, how to deal with abnormal placentation-related peripartum bleeding. A multidisciplinary approach results in best outcomes.
Environmental effects on food hoarding in deermice (Peromyscus).

Five taxa of deermice, Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis, P. l. castaneus, P. maniculatus bairdii, P. m. blandus , and P. e. eremicus , were studied in the laboratory for the amount of food hoarded under various combinations of test temperature (7°C or 27°C) and photoperiod (9:15 LD or 15:9 LD). The two northern subspecies, P. l. noveboracensis and P. m. bairdii , hoarded more food under cold temperature and short day photoperiod (simulating autumn or early winter) than they did under warm temperature and long day photoperiod (simulating summer). In contrast, neither P. l. castaneus nor P. m. blandus nor P. e. eremicus showed any significant difference in the amount of food hoarded under these same two test conditions. It was also found that test temperature had a greater influence than photoperiod on hoarding by P. l. noveboracensis , whereas just the opposite was true in P. m. bairdii v These findings indicate a selection for hoarding in deermice from northern latitudes (above 35° North Latitude) in response to seasonally low temperatures or a shortened photoperiod. Test temperature also had a significant effect on the hoarding of P. m. blandus , which hoarded more at 27°C than at 7°C. Increased hoarding by this subspecies under the warm test temperature may have resulted either because it remained more active under the warm temperature than the cold, or because warm temperatures in its environment (southwestern deserts) act as a cue to the need to store food during the summer months. The high level of hoarding observed for P. e. eremicus under all test conditions was interpreted as resulting from summer torpor in this desert species and its reliance on stored food while restricted to its burrows during extremes in ambient temperature. In all groups studied except perhaps P. m. bairdii , no evidence was found to support a model of food hoarding in deermice based on long-term nutritional needs or deficits (that is, losses in body weight) as has been proposed for laboratory rats.
Methods for Determining Store Trade Areas, Market Penetration, and Potential Sales

➤ This article presents an improved method for determining trade areas and market penetration of existing stores, and an analog method for estimating potential store sales at a given location. The ...
Design and Implementation of Universal Category Management for Web

The category management is a common and basic part of web site development,this article presents a general category management design methods with the help of powerful server controls provides by ASP.NET 2.0.and gives explanation to key parts of the programming in detail.?Code portability with a clear structure,and quality to modificate,improve the site's development efficiency.
Aggressive surgical approach to renal cell carcinoma: review of 130 cases.

AbstractA retrospective analysis of 130 patients with renal cell carcinoma seen between 1957 and 1977 disclosed important diagnostic and pathologic factors relating to prognosis. Initial symptoms did not correlate with prognosis but a third of the patients had metastases when first seen by a physician. The classic triad of hematuria, flank pain and mass was present in only 4 per cent of the patients.Angiography demonstrated hypervascular tumors in 93 per cent of the patients. Hypovascularity on an angiogram correlated well with papillary renal cell carcinoma with improved prognosis. The renal vein was involved in 21 per cent of the patients and the inferior vena cava was involved in 4 per cent.Radical nephrectomy with or without lymph node dissection was the most common operation and heminephrectomy was performed in patients with a solitary kidney or hypoplastic contralateral kidney. Management of tumor thrombus in the renal vein or inferior vena cava required specialized operative techniques, including v...