cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of TIF1gamma Conditional Knockout Establishes a Requirement for the Differentiation of Multiple Hematopoietic Lineages

Abstract 744 Vertebrate hematopoiesis is regulated by cell-specific transcription factors that couple to RNA polymerase-associated basal machinery. Mutation of the chromatin factor TIF1gamma (TIF1g) gene in the zebrafish moonshine mutant causes a profound decrease in expression of most erythroid genes. Our previous work in the zebrafish system established an essential role of TIF1g in transcription elongation by coupling the SCL transcription factor complex to the transcription elongation machinery, and erythroid-specific transcription is paused in moonshine mutant (Bai et al., Cell 2010). Here we examined the role of TIF1g in murine hematopoiesis by studying conditional knockout (KO) models. Deletion of TIF1g was either induced in adult mice by Mx-Cre or during mouse development by vav-Cre. Both Cre systems induce excision at the HSC level and in all hematopoietic lineages. We observed the same trend of multi-lineage defects in both Cre lines, including decreased erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, loss of mature B cells and expansion of granulocytes. Bone marrow analysis of TIF1g-deleted mice revealed a block in erythroid differentiation starting as early as the BFU-E stage, consistent with the erythroid defect in the zebrafish moonshine mutant, confirming an evolutionarily conserved role for TIF1g in vertebrate erythropoiesis. A subset of the vav-Cre induced KO mice developed a MPD (myeloproliferative disease)-like phenotype at 1–3 months after birth, including a dramatic increase of dysplastic granulocytes in the peripheral blood and massive extramedullary hematopoiesis in spleen and liver, suggesting a requirement for TIF1g in myeloid differentiation and proliferation. Consistent with the KO mouse phenotype, we observed an increase of definitive myelopoiesis in the zebrafish TIF1g mutant. In addition, mature B cells were absent in KO mice, and this loss was observed as early as the pre-B stage, suggesting a defect occurring at the pro-B to pre-B transition. At the progenitor level, we observed an increase of GMP, MPP, and HSCs in bone marrow, suggesting that TIF1g may be required to control proliferation at the stem/progenitor cell stage or in the committed myeloid lineage. Our study reveals an essential function of TIF1g in regulating the differentiation and proliferation of multiple hematopoietic lineages. Reference Bai X, Kim J, Yang Z, Jurynec M, Akie T, et al. (2010) TIF1gamma controls erythroid cell fate by regulating transcription elongation. Cell . 142:133-43. Disclosures: Zon: FATE, Inc.: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents & Royalties; Stemgent: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Kinase Profiling as a Tool in Molecular Dissection of Imatinib Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).

Abstract Imatinib (Gleevec) resistance (IR) in CML is a multifactorial phenomenon related to ineffective blockage of the bcr-abl kinase through point mutation and/or gene amplification, or alternatively kinase bypass through clonal evolution or presently unknown mechanisms. The newer generation of bcr-abl small molecule inhibitors (dasatinib, nilotinib) may be useful in overcoming ineffective bcr-abl blockage in IR-CML but may not be effective in other mechanisms of resistance. As a tool in classifying the pattern of disease resistance, we profiled kinase levels in IR-CML following switch to new kinase inhibitors or with imatinib dose escalation. In Ficoll-purified blood and bone marrow samples, we examined levels of BCR-ABL autophosphorylation (Tyr245), and phosphorylation of two bcr-abl targets STAT5 (Tyr694/699) and CRKL (Tyr207) by Western blot. Kinase profiling was compared to hematologic responses, cytogenetic analysis, FISH for the bcr-abl locus using dual fusion probes and quantitative(q)PCR for bcr-abl transcript. We profiled 26 patients with IR-CML undergoing therapy shifts as well as serial samples from 10 patients receiving frontline dasatinib therapy for newly diagnosed CML. In all but 1 of 68 analyzed samples, detection of phospho(p)-CRKL in unsorted white blood cells was associated with bcr-abl/abl qPCR ratios above 1%. Among all 68 samples, pSTAT5 and pBCR-ABL levels declined in parallel to pCRKL but were absent in more samples than pCRKL. Persistence of detectable pCRKL despite switch to nilotinib, dasatinib or high dose imatinib was seen in 5 patients with bcr-abl kinase domain (KD) mutations including 2 with G250E and 1 each with L248V, F311L and T315I, 2 patients with bcr-abl gene amplification and 3 patients without KD mutations including 2 with cytogenetic clonal evolution. Among these 10 patients with IR-CML and persistent pCRKL, complete hematologic responses were noted in 4 and complete cytogenetic response in 3. Response to therapy switch and absence of pCRKL was seen in tumors with E355G, L387M and E459K KD mutations and in 12 patients with no mutation or genomic amplification. Among the patients receiving frontline therapy with dasatinib, effective hematologic responses correlated well with loss of detectable pCRKL and pSTAT5. However, detectable pCRKL did not disappear until at least 8 weeks following initiation of therapy, and lagged hematologic response. The 2 patients treated with frontline dasatinib therapy who had persistent pCRKL after 20 weeks of treatment also showed amplification of the bcr-abl locus in tumor cells by FISH. Kinase profiling, particularly for pCRKL, is useful for monitoring molecular response in the therapy switch period in IR-CML and correlates well with the predicted pattern of response in tumors with KD mutations. The value of monitoring kinase levels frequently following initiation of frontline kinase inhibitor therapy in newly diagnosed CML remains to be established.
Everything is Relative: The Disposition Effect and Households' Stock Trades

We present novel empirical evidence regarding the nature and extent of the disposition effect and tax motivations in stock sales. An issue that arises in empirical study of the disposition effect is that the theory does not specify the appropriate benchmark against which gains and losses should be measured. Using a large data set of stock investments made by individual investors, we find that both returns relative to the market and absolute performance matter in determining stock sales, but in different ways. We find strong evidence for a disposition effect related to returns relative to the market, consistent with our survey evidence indicating that many investors consider relative returns when deciding whether to sell stock. Individual investors appear to shift their reference point when deciding whether to sell a stock, with their benchmark set to an expectation of the stock performing as well as the market. Further, once we control for performance relative to the market, the relation between absolute returns and the sale propensity becomes negative in taxable accounts and disappears in tax-deferred accounts. Thus, tax-motivated trading is much stronger than previous studies suggest.
Herbivory enhances the diversity of primary producers in pond ecosystems.

Diversity of primary producer is often surprisingly high, despite few limiting factors such as nutrients and light to facilitate species coexistence. In theory, the presence of herbivores could increase the diversity of primary producers, resolving this "paradox of the plankton." Little experimental evidence supports this natural enemies hypothesis, but previous tests suffer from several deficiencies. Previous experiments often did not allow for multigeneration effects; utilized low diversity assemblages of herbivores; and limited opportunities for new primary producer and herbivore species to colonize and undergo species sorting that favors some species over others. Using pond plankton, we designed a mesocosm experiment that overcame these problems by allowing more time for interactions over multiple generations, openness to allow new colonists, and manipulated higher diversity of primary producers and grazers than have previous studies. With this design, the presence of zooplankton grazers doubled phytoplankton richness. The additional phytoplankton species in grazed mesocosms were larger, and therefore likely more grazer resistant. Furthermore, phytoplankton richness in grazed mesocosms was similar to that observed in natural ponds whereas it was much lower in mesocosms without grazers. However, stoichiometric imbalance caused by variation in nitrogen : phosphorus ratios and light supply did not alter phytoplankton richness. Therefore, grazers enhanced primary producer richness more strongly than ratios of nutrient supply (even though both grazing and ratios of resource supply altered composition of primary producer assemblages). Taken together, these experimental and field data show that grazing from a diverse assemblage of herbivores greatly elevated richness of phytoplankton producers in pond ecosystems.
Do Investors Chase Performance or Skill? Evidence from Mutual Fund Flows

When evaluating a manager, investors should attempt to separate luck from skill. We find a mutual fund manager’s demonstrated skill better predicts future performance than past fund performance. Despite that fact, investors tend to buy the funds with the best past performance, not the funds whose managers have demonstrated the most skill. Further, investors react strongly to fund performance even when it contains no information about manager skill. By failing to separate luck from skill, investors make inferior capital allocations.
Multifunctional monomers based on vinyl sulfonates and vinyl sulfonamides for crosslinking thiol-Michael polymerizations: monomer reactivity and mechanical behavior.

Multifunctional vinyl sulfonates and vinyl sulfonamides were conveniently synthesized and assessed in thiol-Michael crosslinking polymerizations. The monomer reactivities, mechanical behavior and hydrolytic properties were analyzed and compared with those of analogous thiol–acrylate polymerizations. Materials with a broad range of mechanical properties and diverse hydrolytic stabilities were obtained.
The Amnesiac Lookback Option: Selectively Monitored Lookback Options and Cryptocurrencies

This study proposes a strategy to make the lookback option cheaper and more practical, and suggests the use of its properties to reduce risk exposure in cryptocurrency markets through blockchain enforced smart contracts and correct for informational inefficiencies surrounding prices and volatility. This paper generalizes partial, discretely-monitored lookback options that dilute premiums by selecting a subset of specified periods to determine payoff, which we call amnesiac lookback options. Prior literature on discretely-monitored lookback options considers the number of periods and assumes equidistant lookback periods in pricing partial lookback options. This study by contrast considers random sampling of lookback periods and compares resulting payoff of the call, put and spread options under floating and fixed strikes. Amnesiac lookbacks were priced with Monte Carlo simulations of Gaussian random walks under equidistant and random periods. Results were compared to analytic and binomial pricing models for the same derivatives. Simulations show diminishing marginal increases to the fair price as the number of selected periods is increased. The returns correspond to a Hill curve whose parameters are set by interest rate and volatility. We demonstrate over-pricing under equidistant monitoring assumptions with error increasing as the lookback periods decrease. An example of a direct implication for event trading is when shock is forecasted but its timing uncertain, equidistant sampling produces a lower error on the true maximum than random choice. We conclude that the instrument provides an ideal space for investors to balance their risk, and as a prime candidate to hedge extreme volatility. We discuss the application of the amnesiac lookback option and path-dependent options to cryptocurrencies and blockchain commodities in the context of smart contracts.
A Novel Approach to Control Source/Drain Cavity Profile for Device Performance Improvement

We present a novel method to form the source/ drain (S/D) cavity for pFET performance improvement—we named this cavity as doping-assisted cavity as its profile is controlled by the lightly doped drain implantation. By utilizing the enhanced etch rate in chlorine-based dry etch process, the cavity profile is aligned to the arsenic dopant contour, enabling a lower tip height that mitigates short-channel effects. In this paper, doping-assisted S/D pFET cavity demonstrates 7% device performance improvement with matched tip CD. In addition, this new cavity enables a smaller tip CD that offers the opportunity for further device performance improvement.
miR-92 Suppresses Robo1 Translation to Modulate Slit Sensitivity in Commissural Axon Guidance.

Summary Temporospatial regulation of guidance signaling is essential for axon outgrowth and pathfinding in the developing nervous system. Regulation of Robo1 levels in commissural neurons modulates Slit sensitivity facilitating proper axon guidance. The mechanisms underlying this regulation in the vertebrate nervous system are not well understood. Here, we report that miR-92, a highly conserved microRNA (miRNA), regulates chicken Robo1 expression in commissural neurons by binding to the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of Robo1 mRNA. miR-92 and Robo1 are differentially expressed in the developing spinal cord. miR-92 interacts with the Robo1 3′UTR to cause translational repression, but not mRNA degradation. Disruption of the miR-92/Robo1 3′ UTR interaction induces premature responsiveness to Slit2 repulsion of precrossing commissural axons (CAs) in vitro and causes CA projection defects in vivo. These results indicate that miR-92 represses Robo1 expression thereby regulating Slit sensitivity to control CA projection and midline crossing.
Regulation of C5a on Neutrophil Apoptosis During Sepsis

Delayed neutrophil apoptosis is characteristic of sepsis and may accentuate organ injury. It has been shown that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) and MAPK pathways provide survival signaling in neutrophils. In this study, we demonstrate that neutrophils isolated from septic rats are resistant to apoptosis in comparison to the cells from normal animals. In contrast to normal serum, septic sera induced strong phosphorylation of AKT and p44/42 in neutrophils obtained from normal rats, resulting in marked resistance of these cells to apoptosis. Protection from apoptosis by septic sera was completely abrogated by inhibition of PI3-K and partially diminished by MAP kinase (MEK) inhibition. Increased neutrophil survival in septic rats was associated with increased levels of Bcl-xL in neutrophils and decreased levels of Bim expression. In vivo blockade of C5a in CLP rats by anti-C5a antibody markedly restored the susceptibility of neutrophils to undergo apoptosis. C5a activated AKT and p44/42, and also enhan...
Characterization of Modules and Arrays with Suns Voc

Suns-VOC is currently used as a characterization technique for cell level testing. The idea of Suns-VOC can be applied using natural light to modules and arrays to characterize the performance, degradation, and diagnose failures. Modeling simulations are show as evidence that Suns-VOC can be applied as a characterization technique. Experimental results begin to show how the technique is applied in field application. The characterization technique has proven evidence that more in depth analysis can be performed to provide as an affordable characterization technique for modules and arrays.
Generalized Hartree-Fock with Nonperturbative Treatment of Strong Magnetic Fields: Application to Molecular Spin Phase Transitions.

In this work, we present a framework of an ab initio variational approach to effectively explore electronic spin phase transitions in molecular systems inside of a homogeneous magnetic field. In order to capture this phenomenon, the complex generalized Hartree–Fock (C‐GHF) method is used in the spinor formalism with London orbitals. Recursive algorithms for computing the one- and two-electron integrals of London orbitals are also provided. A Pauli matrix representation of the C‐GHF method is introduced to separate spin contributions from the scalar part of the Fock matrix. Next, spin phase transitions in two different molecular systems are investigated in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Noncollinear spin configurations are observed during the spin phase transitions in H2 and a dichromium complex, [(H3N)4Cr(OH)2Cr(NH3)4]4+, with an increase in magnetic field strength. The competing driving forces of exchange coupling and the spin Zeeman effect have been shown to govern the spin phase transition an...
Programmable Automated System for Songbird Ecobehavioral Research (PASSER): Using flexible computer-integrated feeders to conduct high resolution studies of environment-behavior dynamics in songbirds

Field studies seeking to identify interactions between the environment and behaviors of wild songbirds are often restricted by time, labor, and accessibility of the site; hampering the collection of long-term, high-resolution data. Here, we describe the development, utilization, and initial results of a long-term field study of wild songbird feeding patterns using data collected through an inexpensive microcomputer-controlled automated feeder. Our studies indicate the "smart feeder" is capable of reliable and accurate data collection on feeding and behavioral metrics over long durations with relation to a wide range of environmental conditions. This enables detailed analysis of songbird's environment-behavior interactions. Our results have identified trends in environment-behavior interactions, microhabitat variations, species-specific feeding profiles, and differences in the frequency and involvement of displacement events. Computerized feeders enabled us to address environment-behavior interactions, resulting in more detailed data than traditional observational methods. This reinforces conclusions from previous work regarding the potential for automated data collection to be adapted for a wide variety of research studies across the field of ethology.
Electoral Reform in Mauritius: Evaluating the Choices

The Republic of Mauritius is, not for the first time, considering the reform of its electoral system. Since independence, the country's elections have been held according to a plurality system with multi-member districts. While this has usually led to clear winners with comfortable parliamentary majorities and stable government, the lack of correspondence between vote share in the election and seat share in Parliament, as well as problems such as the lack of representation of women and minorities, has brought the topic of reform to the forefront of public debate once again. The current government has promised to have a proposal for Parliament to consider and debate soon. This paper proposes to examine the different available options for electoral reform, their advantages and disadvantages, and their potential effects on the Mauritian political landscape.
Inertial Confinement Fusion Annual Report 1999

The ICF Program has undergone a significant change in 1999 with the decommissioning of the Nova laser and the transfer of much of the experimental program to the OMEGA laser at the University of Rochester. The Nova laser ended operations with the final experiment conducted on May 27, 1999. This marked the end to one of DOE's most successful experimental facilities. Since its commissioning in 1985, Nova performed 13,424 experiments supporting ICF, Defense Sciences, high-power laser research, and basic science research. At the time of its commissioning, Nova was the world's most powerful laser. Its early experiments demonstrated that 3{omega} light could produce high-drive, low-preheat environment required for indirect-drive ICE. In the early 1990s, the technical program on Nova for indirect drive ignition was defined by the Nova technical contract established by National Academy Review of ICF in 1990. Successful completion of this research program contributed significantly to the recommendation by the ICF Advisory Committee in 1995 to proceed with the construction of the National Ignition Facility? Nova experiments also demonstrated the utility of high-powered lasers for studying the physics of interest to Defense Sciences. Now, high-powered lasers along with pulsed-power machines are the principal facilities for studying high energymore » density science in DOE's Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP). In 1997, one beam of Nova was converted to a short pulsed beam producing a petawatt of power in subpicosecond pulses. The petawatt beam was used for pioneering research in short-pulse laser-matter interactions relevant to fast ignitor ICF and short pulsed x-ray, electron, and particle production for use as probes. Nova is being disassembled and the space is being used to support NIF construction. Nova components are being distributed to a number of other laser laboratories around the world for reuse as determined by DOE. This report summarizes the research performed by the ICF Program in FY1999. The report is divided into five sections corresponding to the major areas of program activities. These are sections on (1) ignition target physics experiments theory and modeling, (2) high energy density experimental science, (3) target development, fabrication, and handling, (4) NIF laser development, and (5) optics technology development.« less
Antibiotic resistance and molecular characterization of bacteremia Escherichia coli isolates from newborns in the United States.

Background Escherichia coli is a major cause of neonatal sepsis. Contemporary antibiotic resistance data and molecular characterization of neonatal E. coli bacteremia isolates in the US are limited. Methods E. coli blood isolates, antibiotic susceptibility data, and clinical characteristics were obtained from prospectively identified newborns from 2006 to 2016. The E. coli isolates were classified using an updated phylogrouping method and multi-locus sequence typing. The presence of several virulence traits was also determined. Results Forty-three newborns with E. coli bacteremia were identified. Mean gestational age was 32.3 (SD±5.4) weeks. Median age was 7 days (interquartile range 0–10). Mortality (28%) occurred exclusively in preterm newborns. Resistance to ampicillin was 67%, to gentamicin was 14%, and to ceftriaxone was 2%; one isolate produced extended-spectrum beta lactamases. Phylogroup B2 predominated. Sequence type (ST) 95 and ST131 prevailed; ST1193 emerged recently. All isolates carried fimH, nlpI, and ompA, and 46% carried the K1 capsule. E. coli from newborns with bacteremia diagnosed at <72 hours old had more virulence genes compared to E. coli from newborns ≥ 72 hours old. The hek/hra gene was more frequent in isolates from newborns who died than in isolates from survivors. Conclusion Antibiotic resistance in E. coli was prevalent in this large collection of bacteremia isolates from US newborns. Most strains belonged to distinctive extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coil phylogroups and STs. Further characterization of virulence genes in neonatal E. coli bacteremia strains is needed in larger numbers and in more geographically diverse areas.
Women in Scientific Discovery or Medicine (WISDOM): Engaging K-12 and Undergraduate Students in the Basic and Health Sciences

Women in Scientific Discovery or Medicine (WISDOM) is a science outreach organization which promotes the advancement and retention of women and underrepresented groups in science, technology, engin...
Multiple-objective Reinforcement Learning for Inverse Design and Identification.

The aim of the inverse chemical design is to develop new molecules with given optimized molecular properties or objectives. Recently, generative deep learning (DL) networks are considered as the state-of-the-art in inverse chemical design and have achieved early success in generating molecular structures with desired properties in the pharmaceutical and material chemistry fields. However, satisfying a large number (larger than 10 objectives) of molecular objectives is a limitation of current generative models. To improve the model's ability to handle a large number of molecule design objectives, we developed a Reinforcement Learning (RL) based generative framework to optimize chemical molecule generation. Our use of Curriculum Learning (CL) to fine-tune the pre-trained generative network allowed the model to satisfy up to 21 objectives and increase the generative network's robustness. The experiments show that the proposed multiple-objective RL-based generative model can correctly identify unknown molecules with an 83 to 100 percent success rate, compared to the baseline approach of 0 percent. Additionally, this proposed generative model is not limited to just chemistry research challenges; we anticipate that problems that utilize RL with multiple-objectives will benefit from this framework.
Modulation of sulfur assimilation metabolic toxicity overcomes anemia and hemochromatosis in mice

Abstract Sulfur assimilation is an essential metabolic pathway that regulates sulfation, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide hydrolysis, and organismal homeostasis. We recently reported that mice lacking bisphosphate 3′-nucleotidase (BPNT1), a key regulator of sulfur assimilation, develop iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and anasarca. Here we demonstrate two approaches that successfully reduce metabolic toxicity caused by loss of BPNT1: 1) dietary methionine restriction and 2) overproduction of a key transcriptional regulator hypoxia inducible factor 2α (Hif-2a). Reduction of methionine in the diet reverses IDA in mice lacking BPNT1, through a mechanism of downregulation of sulfur assimilation metabolic toxicity. Gaining Hif-2a acts through a different mechanism by restoring iron homeostatic gene expression in BPNT1 deficient mouse intestinal organoids. Finally, as loss of BPNT1 impairs expression of known genetic modifiers of iron-overload, we demonstrate that intestinal-epithelium specific loss of BPNT1 attenuates hepatic iron accumulation in mice with homozygous C282Y mutations in homeostatic iron regulator (HFEC282Y), the most common cause of hemochromatosis in humans. Overall, our study uncovers genetic and dietary strategies to overcome anemia caused by defects in sulfur assimilation and identifies BPNT1 as a potential target for the treatment of hemochromatosis.
111 The impact urbanization has on law enforcement stress during traumatic calls for service

Statement of Purpose To evaluate how place (i.e. urban and rural) impacts stressors for law enforcement officers (LEOs) during traumatic calls for service. Methods/Approach LEOs were recruited for six focus groups across one urban and one rural police department from April to November 2019. A semi-structured format was used to gain insight into how officers respond to consecutive high-stress calls for service, including the mechanistic effects of decompression techniques and mental health care utilization. Transcripts were thematically analyzed in an iterative deductive and inductive coding scheme to identify anticipated and emergent findings. Results A total of 22 LEOs participated, with mean ages of urban and rural officers of 37.9 and 40.8, respectively. Several similarities between urban and rural LEOs emerged related to consecutive stress: 1) Lack of officers to meet high volume of calls; 2) Stringent and fluid management; 3) Environmental stressors leading to a cyclical nature of calls. Rural officers reported unique stress due to: 1) Distance to calls 2) Lack of partners; 3) Lengthy backup response times; 4) Limited or no access to mental health care. Urban officers uniquely reported: 1) Large volume of civilian-police interactions; and 2) Negative perceptions from media and the public. Conclusions While all LEOs experience consecutive stress, the nature of the stress differs by rural vs. urban employment location. Additional research and interventions for these two, unique populations are needed to combat consecutive stress and reduce LEO injuries. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Consecutive and continuous exposure to high-stress calls may influence police officers’ immediate risk for morbidity and mortality and inhibit their decision-making ability. Past literature has only focused on single police departments making it difficult to evaluate how context, like urban and rural environments, influence LEO stress.
Chapter 5 – Virtual Machines

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the different components of the virtual machine and how to create them. The creation of virtual machines and the loading of both Microsoft and alternate operating systems were covered along with the use of the Virtual Machine Additions. There are four different kinds of virtual disks. The four types of virtual hard disk are: Dynamically expanding, Fixed-size, Differencing, and Linked. Each has its own function and by combining the different types is possible to create a basic operating system disk. Adjusting the memory, disk, CD/DVD, floppy disk drive, and network adapters all combine to create the virtual server. One important thing is that all virtual machines are dependant on the physical resources of the Virtual Server 2005 server. The host server must have enough physical resources for memory, disk, CPU, and network bandwidth to handle the number of virtual machines and the allocated resources of each. Adding hardware to the server can add additional capacity and performance to the host computer. Adding faster processors or additional processors, memory, and NIC cards, and disk subsystems are the primary resources that will increase the capacity of the Virtual Server host computer. All the virtual machines are single-processor machines but a multiprocessor host computer can run many more virtual machines than a single-processor host. Using a host operating system that can support larger memory capacities and multiple processors are good choices for production host computers. Virtual Server 2005 supports the major Linux distributions and provides Virtual Machine Additions for Linux to help improve their performance and operation on the host computer.
Adaptive noise canceling for transient absorption microscopy.

Significance Ultrafast fiber lasers are an attractive alternative to bulk lasers for nonlinear optical microscopy for their compactness and low cost. The high relative intensity noise (RIN) of these lasers poses a challenge for pump-probe measurements such as transient absorption and stimulated Raman scattering, along with modalities that provide label-free contrast from the vibrational and electronic structure of molecules. Aim Digital adaptive filtering was applied to determine the applicability for canceling laser RIN in a transient absorption microscope with an ultrafast fiber laser source. Approach Digitized signals from the transmitted probe and reference photodetectors were fed to an adaptive filter in MATLAB, running in a noise canceling configuration. This result was then fed to a software lock-in algorithm to demodulate the pump-probe signal. Images were built up one line scan at a time with a 3.5-kHz resonant scanner, with 100 × averaging. The imaging target was Bi4Ge3O12, which exhibits nondegenerate two-photon absorption at the pump/probe wavelengths used (530-nm pump and 490-nm probe). Results Without adaptive noise cancellation, the lock-in output primarily passes the laser RIN within its detection bandwidth, resulting in images that closely follow the linear transmissivity and lack sensitivity to pump-probe time delay. With adaptive noise cancellation in front of the lock-in, the RIN rejection is enough to restore the z-sectioning and sensitivity to pump-probe delay, as expected for transient absorption. Results were limited primarily by noise from the photodetector and analog-to-digital converter. Conclusions Digital adaptive noise cancellation, even when limited by electronics noise, can recover pump-probe signals by removal of laser RIN, under conditions where averaging alone fails.
Hippocampal Involvement in Rabbit Eyeblink Conditioning

A conditioning-specific reduction in the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) response has previously been demonstrated in CA1 pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices from well conditioned rabbits. The present studies compare slices taken from groups of rabbits which had received the same number of eyeblink training trials. Since the AHP was reduced only in the rabbits which learned, these data show definitively that the AHP reduction is dependent upon behavioral acquisition. In another set of lesion-behavior studies, we have begun exploring the contribution hippocampus makes even in short-delay blink conditioning. We have found that extinction occurs considerably faster in hippocampectomized rabbits.
"Countersinking" of reservoir in an irradiated patients can decrease tension on scalp closure.

BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous reservoirs are used to provide therapy by establishing access to cerebrospinal fluid. However, it is associated with complications such as hemorrhage, infection, malfunction, and malpositioning. In an irradiated field with thin skin, use of reservoir can result in wound dehiscence, wound infection, and device extrusion. CASE DESCRIPTION: We introduced a "countersinking" technique for the reservoir placement which involves the creation of bony recess in the skull to effectively accommodate the reservoir and decrease the protrusion. "Countersinking" of the reservoir can result in tension-free closure of the scalp and allow durable coverage of the reservoir. In the representative case, the incisional wound healed completely without any concern for wound dehiscence and the countersink technique may have contributed to effective healing of the radiated scalp. CONCLUSION: Countersinking of the reservoir can be a strategy to prevent complications such as wound dehiscence, and device extrusion in any patient, but in irradiated patients with very thin skin it also enables tension-free closure of the wound.
2,3;5,6-Di-O-isopropyl­idene-1-O-(2-phenyl­acet­yl)-α-d-mannofuran­ose

The title compound, C20H26O7, was prepared by esterification of 2,3;5,6-di-O-isopropyl­idene-α-d-mannofuran­ose with phenyl­acetic acid under standard DCC/DMAP (DCC = dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and DMAP = 4-dimethylaminopyridine) con­ditions. The solid-state structure confirms the retention of the α-configuration at the anomeric C atom. The compound is characterized by a relatively rigid framework with only a few degrees of freedom. Comparison with other di-O-isopropyl­idenemannofuran­ose derivatives shows the main differences to be associated with the flexible dimethyl­dioxolane ring, and that there are only small differences for the 2,3-O-isopropyl­idene-α-d-manno­furan­ose backbone. The packing is marked by a large number of weak C—H⋯O inter­actions.
Hysteresis in sorption

The effect of variation of the temperature of precipitation of gels of hydrous oxides of silica, titania and alumina on the hysteresis effect in the sorption of water vapour has been studied at 30°C. Gels have been obtained by precipitating the hydrous oxides at 25°C. and 100°C. with previous boiling of the silicate solution.
SEBACEOUS-CELL CARCINOMA ARISING IN MIXED TUMOR OF PAROTID SALIVARY GLAND. REPORT OF A CASE.

Abstract A case of parotid tumor consisting mostly of sebaceous gland with small areas showing characteristics of mixed tumor is reported. We believe that the tumor is a malignant variant of mixed tumor, showing latent potentiality of differentiation.
Nutrition and claw health.

The health and function of the bovine claw is dependent upon sound nutrition and feeding practices. In this context, the avoidance of rumen acidosis, which is considered to be the predominant predisposing cause of laminitis, is believed to be of paramount importance. Acidosis in its acute form is a life threatening disease. In its subclinical form, acidosis contributes to decreased performance, poor body condition, and lameness most often due to laminitis and related claw disorders. In addition to being the single largest component of the dairy cow’s diet, the one most often incriminated in rumen acidosis and laminitis is carbohydrate. The rapid fermentation rates of certain non-structural carbohydrates place desirable rumen microbes in jeopardy. Therefore, rations must be carefully formulated and fed to avoid potential problems. Not all studies reported in the literature have been able to demonstrate an association between rumen acidosis and laminitis. These inconsistencies substantiate the view of most people that laminitis is multi-factorial and likely complicated by many other factors. Rumen pH is a balance between the acid produced by carbohydrate fermentation and rumen buffering from saliva. Heat stress contributes to rumen acidosis by altering feeding behavior (encouraging slug feeding) and reducing salivary buffering. Although occasionally questioned as a cause of laminitis, the effect of elevated levels of dietary protein in dairy cattle diets has not shown conclusive evidence of contributing to laminitis. Research into the role of vitamins, particularly biotin, suggests significant benefits to claw health. Similar information exists on the role of minerals and trace minerals in dairy cattle diets. A claw healthy diet should include appropriate supplementation of both vitamins and minerals to support the proper growth and development of claw horn. Laminitis results from disrupted blood flow in the corium that leads to damage of the dermal-epidermal junction and the underlying connective tissue matrix of the corium. Inflammation predisposes to the activation of matrix metalloproteinases which break down the strong collagen fiber bundles of the suspensory apparatus of 3 rd phalanx (P3). This permits sinking and rotation of P3 and predisposes it to the ulcers of the toe, sole, and heel. There are, however, alternate theories that suggest hormonal changes associated with calving may be major contributors to weakening of the suspensory apparatus. If these observations are correct, it may help to explain those inconsistencies in the literature and those observed clinically that do not show a clear relationship between laminitis and nutrition.
Which Algorithms are Feasible? Maxent Approach

It is well known that not all algorithms are feasible; whether an algorithm is feasible or not depends on how many computational steps this algorithm requires. The problem with the existing definitions of feasibility is that they are rather ad hoc. Our goal is to use the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approach and get more motivated definitions.
Applications of nanoimprinting technique in photonic devices

Nanoimprinting is an emerging nanolithography technique, which not only has the ability to pattern nanoscale features, but also is compatible with polymer material processing. Based on these characteristics, we have extended nanoimprinting to two new applications in polymer based photonic and optoelectronic devices, namely polymer microring waveguide device and pixelated polymer light emitting diodes. Fabrication details for both types of devices are described.
A Quantitative Study of the Effect of Foreign Investment on Nonresident Patenting in Developing Countries, 1980-2010

This study examines whether foreign investment is a significant predictor of nonresident patent counts in developing countries over time. Unbalanced panel data are observed for 64 developing countries over a 31 year time period from 1980 to 2010 to test a hypothesis stating that countries with higher levels of inward accumulated foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks have higher nonresident patent counts, controlling for other explanatory factors such as population size, level of economic development, education rates, government expenditures, levels of domestic investment, and resident patent counts. Predicted counts of nonresident patents are estimated with Random Effects Negative Binomial (RENB) regression to model the effects of different independent variables on nonresident patenting in each country. Results confirm this study’s hypothesis by showing a significant and robust positive effect for accumulated FDI stocks on nonresident patent counts, while controlling for the effects of other variables over time in the sample of 64 developing countries included in this analysis. This study advances a sociological approach to theories of intellectual property and posits the accumulation of FDI stock as critical to predicting patterns of ownership of intangible capital wealth in developing countries over time. It remains to be seen if developed country FDI influences nonresident patent activities in similar or different ways to developing countries. Future studies may compare between groups of developed and developing countries to determine if nonresident and resident patent activities evolve in the same fashion. Finally, future research may also focus on the nuances between different types of intellectual property (patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc.) in order to more accurately predict each class of intangible capital wealth.
The Long-Run Performance of REIT IPOs

Real estate and real estate investment trust performance has been examined in a number of papers. In general, there has been little evidence that real estate investment trusts (REITs) have earned significant positive abnormal returns based on REIT indices such as NAREIT and Wilshire. There is, however, empirical evidence that REITs exhibit positive abnormal returns in the case of initial public offerings (IPOs). While short-run REIT IPO behavior has been examined, the long-run behavior of REIT IPOs has not been examined within the context of a factor-based asset pricing model. We find that REIT IPOs generate long-run positive abnormal returns based on a sample of REIT IPOs. This sample period coincides with a period of two initial public offering waves for the REIT industry. We find that (using a Fama and French (1993) type four factor model for long-run IPO behavior) REIT IPOs generated significant and positive abnormal returns in the 1990s but not the 1980s. In comparison, the NAREIT and Wilshire Indices did not generate positive and significant abnormal returns over the same period.
Ambiguities in results obtained with 2D gel replicon mapping techniques

Recently, two 2-dimensional (2D) gel techniques, termed neutral/neutral and neutral/alkaline, have been developed and employed to map replication origins in eukaryotic plasmids and chromosomal DNA (1-11). The neutral/neutral technique, which requires less DNA for analysis, has been preferentially used in recent studies. We show here that the signal predicted for an origin is not detected using the neutral/neutral technique if the origin is located near the end of the analyzed restriction fragment. We also demonstrate that analysis of the same batch of DNA by the two different mapping techniques can generate apparently contradictory results: in some situations where neutral/alkaline 2D analysis indicates that a certain origin is always used, neutral/neutral 2D analysis suggests that the origin is not always used. Several possible explanations for this type of disagreement between the two techniques are discussed, and we conclude that it is important to use both techniques in combination in order to minimize possible misinterpretations.
Maturation of Eupneic Respiration in the Neonatal Monkey

Summary: Comparison between 21 2-day-old infant monkeys and 17 21-day-old infants during non-rapid eye movement sleep demonstrated that minute ventilation (V1) increased from 141 ± 30 to 257 ± 65 ml/min secondary to elevations in tidal volume (VT) and mean inspiratory flow (VT/Ti) with little change in respiratory timing. These volumetric parameters of ventilation as well as functional residual capacity remained significantly augmented when standardized for gain in body weight. Dynamic lung compliance increased from 0.69 ± 0.19 to 0.89 ± 0.39 ml/cm H2O with age while inspiratory pulmonary resistance did not change. Effective elastance fell significantly with maturation (5.27 ± 1.51 cm H2O/ml on day 2 versus 4.15 ± 1.35 cm H2O/ml on day 21) while effective impedance was elevated postnatally. The postnatal ventilatory gain (80% increase in V1) was attributable to increases both in dynamic lung compliance (30%) and inspiratory effort (50%) as determined by esophageal pressure changes. Isometric occlusion pressures (P0.1, P0.2 … Pmax) also significantly increased during this time span, suggesting that the increased ventilation resulted from an elevated respiratory drive.
Limitations and factors affecting the lactam reduction approach to the synthesis of anthramycin analogs

Abstract The limitations and factors affecting the hydride reduction of pyrrolo [1,4]benzodiazepine-5,10-diones to anthramycin-type analogs have been explored.
Analysis Of Teladoc Use Seems To Indicate Expanded Access To Care For Patients Without Prior Connection To A Provider

Despite the potential benefits of telehealth applications, little is known about their overall impact on care. This is critical because rising health care costs and a shortage of primary care providers make it likely that telehealth services will play an increasingly important role in health care delivery. To help fill this gap in knowledge, we describe early experiences with Teladoc, one of the largest telemedicine providers in the United States, which provides care directly to patients over the telephone or via the Internet. We analyzed claims data for a large California agency serving public employees that recently offered Teladoc as a covered service. The 3,701 Teladoc “visits” we studied were for a broad range of diagnostic categories, the most common of which were acute respiratory conditions, urinary tract infections, and skin problems. Compared to patients who visited a physician’s office for a similar condition, adult Teladoc users were younger and less likely to have used health care before the ...
Elemental abundance of high energy cosmic rays

Very high energy spectra of cosmic ray nuclei from the JACEE balloon experiments are presented. From a total of 12 balloon flights with an exposure factor of about 580 m2 hour the energy spectra of nuclei have been obtained in the energy range from several TeV to 1,000 TeV. Proton energy spectrum, extending to several hundred TeV, can be a single-power law. Helium shows a single power law spectrum in the energy range from 2 TeV/n to 200 TeV/n. Other nuclei up to Fe indicated harder spectral indices compared with those of protons and helium. The composition at around 500 TeV is 16 ± 5%: 29 ± 5%: 35 ± 5%: 9 ± 3%: 11 ± 4%, for the abundance of p : He : C ∼ O : Ne ∼ S : Z ≥ 18.
GLAD4U: deriving and prioritizing gene lists from PubMed literature

Background Answering questions such as "Which genes are related to breast cancer?" usually requires retrieving relevant publications through the PubMed search engine, reading these publications, and creating gene lists. This process is not only time-consuming, but also prone to errors.