cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Dispersed Solutions of Copper, Silver, Bismuth and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Growth and Catalase Activity of Penicillium Funiculosum

It was shown that water dispersed solutions of silver at concentrations of 10-9 mol/l, 10-7 mol/l, 10-5 mol/l and bismuth at concentrations of 10-7 mol/l, 10-5 mol/l, 10-1 mol/l stimulate growth of biomass and catalase activity at Penicillium funiculosum CNMN FD 11 strain. The maximum effect for the two parameters was obtained with the dispersed solution of silver at a concentration of 10-5 mol/l, bismuth at a concentration of 10-7 mg/l and zinc oxide at a concentration of 10-7 mg/l. The use of water dispersed solutions of copper at concentrations of 10-7 mg/l, 10-5 mg/l, 10-1 mg/l showed the inhibiting effect or the absence of physiological effects on growth and catalase biosynthetic processes of Penicillium funiculosum. The inhibiting effect was produced by the solution of copper at a concentration of 10-7 mg/l. The method can be used for optimising conditions for the submerse cultivation of non-pathogenic microorganisms.
Long-Term Results of Transpubic Prostatomembranous Urethroplasty in Children

AbstractFrom 1970 to 1985, 30 children between 9 and 13 years old underwent transpubic urethroplasty for traumatic prostatomembranous urethral strictures. Of these patients 5 were followed into adulthood 7 to 10 years postoperatively and were reassessed as to potency, ejaculation, semen quality, psychosexual development, and ability to work and to participate in sports. All of the patients were potent, sexually active and free of any significant impediment to ordinary activity.
Some Ethical Considerations of Cerebellar Stimulation as an Innovative Therapy in Humans

Since words like “ethics” and “morals” are heir to many variant interpretations and meanings, I want to begin with a kind of apologia pro vita sua which will at least indicate what I understand myself to be doing in this paper.
Bilateral language representation demonstrated by language-activated SPECT and Wada test

AbstractLanguage activated SPECT may offer a valuable additional means of localizing language function in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. In this case, the language activated SPECT confirmed bilateral language representation which was confirmed by Wada testing. [Neurol Res 1996; 18: 209–211]
Policy choices in tough times: The case of democratization and currency defense

Do policymakers under financial and political distress make undesirable policy choices? This paper attempts to answer this question by studying the relationship between democratization and currency devaluation under speculative pressures. The central argument is that young democracies exhibit relatively high probabilities of succumbing to speculative attacks, as the political cost of economic adjustment needed for defense is relatively high for these nascent regimes. The paper further contends that this relationship is stronger when the regime can mobilize fewer resources to defend their currencies. To test these arguments, this paper uses monthly data for 117 countries from 1975 to 2008. The results from statistical analysis provide corroborative evidence for these arguments.
Instructional supports for students with disabilities in K-5 computing

As computer programming and computational thinking (CT) become more integrated into K-12 instruction, content teachers and special educators need to understand how to provide instructional supports to a wide range of learners, including students with disabilities. This cross-case analysis study examined the supports that two students with disabilities, who were initially disengaged during computing activities, received during computing instruction. Data revealed that students' support needs during computing activities were not CT-specific. Rather, supports specific to these students' needs that were successful in other educational areas were also successful and sufficient in CT. Although additional studies would need to be conducted to ascertain the transferability of these findings to other contexts and students, our results contribute evidence that students with disabilities can and should participate in CT and be provided with the supports they need, just as in all other areas of the curriculum. We present a framework for evaluating student engagement to identify student-specific supports and, when needed, refine the emerging K-12 CT pedagogy to facilitate full participation of all students. We then offer a list of four implications for practice based on the findings. Study of two elementary students with disabilities during computing instruction.Students with disabilities participated in computing instruction with supports.Effective student-specific supports from other subjects can be applied in computing.Refining emerging K-12 computing pedagogy may be needed for participation of all.
Rodent Models of Conditioned Fear: Behavioral Measures of Fear and Memory

Pavlovian fear conditioning is a robust technique for examining behavioral and cellular components of fear learning and memory. In fear conditioning, the subject learns to associate a previously neutral stimulus with an inherently noxious co-stimulus. The learned association is reflected in the subjects' behavior upon subsequent re-exposure to the previously neutral stimulus or the training environment. Using fear conditioning, investigators can obtain a large amount of data that describe multiple aspects of learning and memory. In a single test, researchers can evaluate functional integrity in fear circuitry, which is both well characterized and highly conserved across species. Additionally, the availability of sensitive and reliable automated scoring software makes fear conditioning amenable to high-throughput experimentation in the rodent model; thus, this model of learning and memory is particularly useful for pharmacological and toxicological screening. Due to the conserved nature of fear circuitry across species, data from Pavlovian fear conditioning are highly translatable to human models. We describe equipment and techniques needed to perform and analyze conditioned fear data. We provide two examples of fear conditioning experiments, one in rats and one in mice, and the types of data that can be collected in a single experiment. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Leaf removal reduces scion adventitious root formation and plant growth of grafted tomato

Although grafting tomato with vigorous rootstocks provides the potential for higher yield, grower adoption of this technology has been relatively slow in the United States. One way to help facilitate this transition is to develop simple propagation techniques that yield high quality grafted transplants for small-batch propagators to graft their own plants. Formation of adventitious roots (AR) from the scion can result in poor quality plants and loss of rootstock function/benefit. In this study, a series of greenhouse experiments was performed to investigate how leaf removal (LR) during the grafting procedure affects AR formation and plant growth post-grafting. We applied three treatments, 0% LR, 50% LR, and 90% LR, to the ‘BHN 589’ scion and then grafted them onto ‘Maxifort’ rootstock. The experiment included 4 replicated blocks and was conducted in three different healing chambers. Our results indicate that both 50% and 90% LR significantly decreased AR formation in the low (68% RH) humidity chamber, but only 90% LR reduced AR formation in the chambers with high (95% RH) humidity (P < 0.05). Using a second experimental design, we measured plant growth (height, leaf area, shoot and root biomass, stem diameter, and incidence of flowers) 24 to 52 days post-grafting to understand how leaf removal affects transplant quality (as defined by Vu et al., 2013), growth, and development. Plants with 90% LR had significantly lower leaf area and shoot biomass at day 24, but by day 52, only had reduced stem diameter and height compared to 0% LR. Leaf removal during grafting may be a viable method for propagating high quality, grafted transplants and our report indicates that the desired product (plant for sale vs. plant for use) could dictate the use of 50% vs. 90% LR as the higher leaf removal level reduced transplant quality at the estimated time of sale, but did not affect subsequent plant growth.
First Records of the Fish Assemblage on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Spokane County, Washington, 2013

We present the first documentation of the fish assemblage on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in Spokane County, Washington. Using various methods, we collected fishes inhabiting the wetlands of TNWR in 2013. A total of 15,921 fish was collected, and included, recorded by relative abundance (RA); brook stickleback (RA = 81%), pumpkinseed (RA = 18%), speckled dace (RA = <1%), redside shiner (RA = <1%), and brown bullhead (RA = <1%). This paper describes the 2013 fish assemblage at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.
Statistically certified approximate logic synthesis

Approximate logic synthesis generates inexact implementations of logic functions in exchange for better design qualities such as area, timing and power consumption. However, the error behavior of the approximate circuits (e.g., error rate or error magnitude) depends heavily on the specific synthesis technique as well as the input vectors, hindering end users from confidently adopting approximate designs. In this paper, we propose a statistically certified approximate logic synthesis framework using techniques from stochastic optimization, and integrate it into a state-of-the-art parallelized technology mapper. During the synthesis process, our framework continuously monitors the quality of the generated designs using statistical testing, leading to approximate designs that adhere to user-specified error constraints with a high confidence level. Experimental results demonstrate up to 10x area and timing improvements over the exact counterparts with an average of 0.2% deviation from the exact outputs.
Endometrial cancer in an increasingly obese population: Exploring alternative options when surgery may not cut it.

Abstract Objectives The study objectives were to describe outcomes of obese patients with early endometrial cancer following primary non-surgical treatment, assess predictors of response, and estimate the increased surgical risk for these women. Methods Retrospective chart review identified women with early stage endometrial cancer at a single institution with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 who did not undergo surgery as primary treatment modality due to obesity and medical co-morbidities. Clinicopathologic factors were abstracted, characteristics of responders vs. non-responders compared and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) surgical risk calculator utilized to quantify surgical risks. Results Fifty-one patients were identified, with a mean BMI of 49.0 kg/m2. The NSQIP calculator predicted a significantly higher complication rate for our cohort compared to the expected average risk for hysterectomy (18.8% vs 7.2%, p Conclusions Hormone and radiation therapy are both viable options for obese patients deemed to have too significant risk of surgical complications. Pursuing surgical intervention in this population may do more harm than good.
Ageism Affects the Future Time Perspective of Older Adults

Abstract. These studies tested whether ageism affects the future time perspective (FTP) of older adults. Ageism occurs when someone is classified as “old” and is judged or treated differently as a ...
Cultural Heritage and Human Rights

Cultural Heritage and Human Rights.- Connotations, Conflicts, Conundrums, Communities.- Closing Pandora's Box: Human Rights Conundrums in Cultural Heritage Protection.- The Indo-Islamic Garden: Conflict, Conservation, and Conciliation in Gujarat, India.- Tourism, Cultural Heritage, and Human Rights in Indonesia: The Challenges of an Emerging Democratic Society.- Transnational Diaspora and Rights of Heritage.- Performing Slave Descent: Cultural Heritage and the Right to Land in Brazil.- Historical Disruptions in Ecuador: Reproducing an Indian Past in Latin America.- Plains Indians and Resistance to "Public" Heritage Commemoration of Their Pasts.- Empty Gestures? Heritage and the Politics of Recognition.- Archeology as Activism.- Genes and Burkas: Predicaments of Human Rights and Cultural Property.
FERMILAB R&D TEST FACILITY FOR SSC MAGNETS

The test facility used for R&D testing of full scale development dipole magnets for the SSC is described. The Fermilab Magnet Test Facility, originally built for production testing of Tevatron magnets, has been substantially modified to allow testing also of SSC magnets. Two of the original six test stands have been rebuilt to accommodate testing of SSC magnets at pressures between 1.3 Atm and 4 Atm and at temperatures between 1.8 K and 4.8 K and the power system has been modified to allow operation to at least 8 kA. Recent magnets have been heavily instrumented with voltage taps to allow detailed study of quench location and propagation and with strain gage based stress, force and motion transducers. A data acquisition system has been built with a capacity to read from each SSC test stand up to 220 electrical quench signals, 32 dynamic pressure, temperature and mechanical transducer signals during quench and up to 200 high precision, low time resolution, pressure, temperature and mechanical transducer signals. The quench detection and protection systems is also described.
Development of the Larval Somatic Musculature

The larval somatic musculature of Drosophila is arranged in a highly stereotyped pattern of 30 muscle fibers per hemisegment. Each muscle possesses a distinctive set of properties: size, shape, orientation, attachments to the epidermis and specific innervation. These qualities make each myofiber a unique element within the pattern. In this chapter we review what is known to date about how a muscle acquires its particular identity. We discuss the mechanisms that underlie the specification of muscle founder cells and fusion-competent myoblasts and how both types of myoblasts contribute to the final pattern of each larval muscle. While a body of evidence supports a crucial role for founder cells in conferring particular muscle identities, the function of fusion-competent myoblasts during muscle morphogenesis remains an open question for future investigation in the field.
Management of Paravalvular Leak After Rapid Deployment Edwards Intuity Elite Valve

A 74-year-old man with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, severe aortic stenosis, coronary artery disease status post-coronary artery bypass surgery with left internal mammary artery, vein graft, and aortic valve replacement with a Rapid Deployment Edwards 23-mm Intuity Elite
Inter-Modular Linkers play a crucial role in governing the biosynthesis of non-ribosomal peptides

Motivation Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are modular enzymatic machines that catalyze the ribosome-independent production of structurally complex small peptides, many of which have important clinical applications as antibiotics, antifungals and anti-cancer agents. Several groups have tried to expand natural product diversity by intermixing different NRPS modules to create synthetic peptides. This approach has not been as successful as anticipated, suggesting that these modules are not fully interchangeable. Results We explored whether Inter-Modular Linkers (IMLs) impact the ability of NRPS modules to communicate during the synthesis of NRPs. We developed a parser to extract 39 804 IMLs from both well annotated and putative NRPS biosynthetic gene clusters from 39 232 bacterial genomes and established the first IMLs database. We analyzed these IMLs and identified a striking relationship between IMLs and the amino acid substrates of their adjacent modules. More than 92% of the identified IMLs connect modules that activate a particular pair of substrates, suggesting that significant specificity is embedded within these sequences. We therefore propose that incorporating the correct IML is critical when attempting combinatorial biosynthesis of novel NRPS. Availability and implementation The IMLs database as well as the NRPS-Parser have been made available on the web at https://nrps-linker.unc.edu. The entire source code of the project is hosted in GitHub repository (https://github.com/SWFarag/nrps-linker). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto

As its subtitle indicates, Bryan Van Norden’s book is a manifesto. This means that, while not being simply a statement of beliefs or demands, it is somewhat vociferous (although it is also sometime...
A Reliable, Low-Cost, Low-Energy Physically Unclonable Function Circuit Through Effective Filtering

A physically unclonable function (PUF) targeting internet of things is implemented in 28nm CMOS. By filtering, the reliability of a PUF is improved leading to lower overhead. Measured results show that the proposed design can operate correctly at temperatures ranging from −40°C to 125°C and supply from 0.81V to 0.99V. The raw PUF cell is 1.19µm2 in area and operates at 1.54fJ of energy per bit. Counting all the overhead, the effective bit area is 170µm2and consumes 13pJ of energy per bit to operate. It is the most energy efficient design published so far.
Abstract 2996: Systemic depletion of L-methionine with an engineered human enzyme for the treatment of melanoma

Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer responsible for the majority of skin cancer related deaths. While treatment for metastatic melanoma has improved in recent years with the introduction of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, the five-year survival rate for stage IV melanoma remains only 15-20%. To address the need for alternative options for melanoma treatment, we have begun exploring use of an engineered human enzyme called methionine-gamma-lyase (hMGL). Many cancers, including melanoma, have a high requirement for methionine in comparison with non-cancerous cells. The hMGL enzyme works to exploit this difference by degrading extracellular L-methionine resulting in cancer cell starvation. The hypothesis tested in this research is that the systemic depletion of L-methionine using hMGL will provide significant benefits for melanoma treatment alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents. Treatment of several melanoma cell lines (A375, Hs294T, Skmel28, and B16F10) with various concentrations of hMGL demonstrated that L-methionine depletion reduced survival and led to a G2 cell cycle arrest. To investigate the mechanism of action, analyses of melanoma cells treated with hMGL have shown that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) tyrosine phosphorylation is significantly reduced. Additionally, hMGL treatment leads to activation of the uncharged tRNA amino acid sensing pathway as shown by an increase in p-eIF2α and Sestrin 2 and an increase in autophagy shown by a decrease in p-ULKSer757 and an increase in cleaved LC3B. Because L-methionine depletion affects levels of glutathione through reduction of cysteine synthesis, preliminary experiments were conducted to evaluate hMGL treatment combined with a thioredoxin reductase inhibitor. This combination, targeting two different intracellular antioxidant pathways, resulted in synergistic inhibition of survival in multiple melanoma cell lines. The current data support the hypothesis that L-methionine depletion using hMGL may have therapeutic efficacy either alone or in combinations for melanoma treatment. Research funded by CPRIT grant RP180590. Citation Format: Carly S. Wilder, Achinto Saha, George Georgiou, Everett Stone, John DiGiovanni. Systemic depletion of L-methionine with an engineered human enzyme for the treatment of melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2996.
Pseudodiverticulosis: a rare presentation of eosinophilic esophagitis

Esophageal pseudodiverticulosis is a rare endoscopic finding in eosinophilic esophagitis. We report a case of a 32-year-old male who presented with dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux disease and was found to have esophageal pseudodiveritcula along with esophageal rings. The patient was subsequently treated with endoscopic balloon dilation and a diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) with pseudodiverticulosis was made based upon the endoscopic and biopsy findings. This case provides evidence of the unusual finding of pseudodiverticulosis associated with EoE and further understanding of its pathogenesis is required.
Introduction: Too Close for Comfort

Overview of the book with an introduction to the incest motif used as a metaphor to describe social anxiety in response to changes in institutions such as marriage, both in the Middle Ages and in the twenty-first century. Use of literary narratives about incest as a means of understanding cultural mentalities, using La Manekine as a point of reference.
A generalized fractional-order elastodynamic theory for non-local attenuating media.

This study presents a generalized elastodynamic theory, based on fractional-order operators, capable of modelling the propagation of elastic waves in non-local attenuating solids and across complex...
Intimate knowledge and the making of witnesses in Lima’s seventeenth-century divorce court

El juez de los divorcios (1615) by Miguel de Cervantes provides one of the few glimpses of ecclesiastical divorce proceedings within early modern literature. The humorous interlude draws attention ...
An Analysis of Waitlist Inactivity Among Patients With Ventricular Assist Devices.

Abstract Background Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are commonly used mechanical circulatory support for bridge to transplant therapy in end-stage heart failure; however, it is not understood how VADs influence incidence of waitlist inactive status. We sought to characterize and compare waitlist inactivity among patients with and without VADs. Methods Using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database, we investigated the VAD's impact on incidence and length of inactive periods for heart transplant candidates from 2005 through 2018. We compared median length of inactivity between patients with and without VADs and investigated inactivity risk with time-to-event regression models. Results Among 46,441 heart transplant candidates, 32% (n = 14,636) had a VAD. Thirty-eight percent (n = 17,873) of all patients experienced inactivity, of which 42% (7538/17,873) had a VAD. Median inactivity length was 31 d for patients without VADs and 62 d for VAD patients (P Conclusions Although VAD patients were inactive longer and had an overall increased risk of any-cause inactivity, their risk of inactivity for deteriorating condition was not significantly different from patients without VADs. Furthermore, VAD patients had a smaller proportion of inactivity periods due to deteriorating conditions. Thus, VADs are protective from morbidity for waitlist patients.
Transitions in /sup 27/Al excited by 180/sup 0/ electron scattering

A survey of electromagnetic transitions excited in /sup 27/Al by 180/sup 0/ inelastic electron scattering has been made at incident energies of 37, 51, and 61 MeV. Transitions to levels at 2.23, 2.98, 4.42, 8.74, and 11.69 MeV are dominantly M1 with some possible E2 contributions. Tentative M1 assignments are given transitions at 7.57 and 8.05 MeV, but the possibility of their being E1 cannot be excluded. Transitions to levels at 10.68 and 12.30 MeV are probably M1 but with considerable E2 admixture. A transition at 6.50 MeV is also probably M1, but both E1 and E2 are possible alternative assignments. Model-dependent radiative widths GAMMA/sub 0/(M1) for the M1 transitions are given based on an analysis of the data using simple but representative harmonic-oscillator wave functions to calculate cross sections.
Leveraging big data to understand the interaction of task and language during monologic spoken discourse in speakers with and without aphasia

Monologic spoken discourse allows us to evaluate every day speech while retaining some experimental constraint. It also has clinical relevance, providing cognitive-linguistic information not measur...
Eyeing ambiguity: Pupillary reactivity during early automatic interpretations in major depressive disorder.

Abstract Automatic interpretation biases (AIB) are theorized to be a risk factor for depression. However, documenting AIB in depressed persons has been challenging and the source (affective vs cognitive) of AIB remains unclear. We conducted a psychophysiological investigation of AIB in a sample of 25 clinical interview assessed individuals experiencing a current major depressive episode and 28 never-depressed control individuals. Participants completed the Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Depression while their pupil size was recorded. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine behavioral response data and multilevel modeling was used to examine pupillary reactivity (change from trial baseline). Compared to controls, the depressed group was both more likely to endorse negative AIB (p = .001, d = 1.01) and less likely to endorse benign AIB (p = .011, d = 0.72). Further, the depressed group exhibited significantly increased pupil size while processing negative words when they endorsed a negative interpretation compared with controls (ps = .010–.037, ds = 0.69–0.87), but did not differ during other AIB trial types. Within group comparisons revealed greater differentiation between interpretations in the healthy control group in both reaction time and pupillary reactivity AIB measures. This depression-related pupillary reactivity pattern fits with an emotional salience-based explanation better than a cognitive effort-based hypothesis of negative AIB, while pupillary reactivity pattern within the control group is consistent with a benign bias. People with depression lack benign AIB and may be more emotionally engaged during negative AIB than healthy controls.
What Is the Impact of Nonrandomness on Random Choice Models

Problem definition: This paper examines the impact of nonrandomness on random choice models and studies various operations problems under the new discrete choice models. Academic/practical relevanc...
The impact of imitation on engagement in minimally verbal children with autism during improvisational music therapy

Introduction: Previous evidence suggests that improvisational music therapy (IMT) can be effective at improving social skills of children on the autism spectrum (CoS). To date, no published researc...
Statistical Analysis of Longitudinal Data

The objective of the Study Module is to formulate a statistical model of a hypothesis using medical and statistical knowledge derived from the knowledge base. The hypothesis may have been obtained either manually from a researcher or automatically from the Discovery Module. Once the statistical model has been formulated, a statistical package is automatically invoked, and the model is tested on the appropriate set of data from the database.
Kidney: polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a life-threatening genetic disorder characterized by the presence of fluid-filled cysts primarily in the kidneys. PKD can be inherited as autosomal recessive (ARPKD) or autosomal dominant (ADPKD) traits. Mutations in either the PKD1 or PKD2 genes, which encode polycystin 1 and polycystin 2, are the underlying cause of ADPKD. Progressive cyst formation and renal enlargement lead to renal insufficiency in these patients, which need to be managed by lifelong dialysis or renal transplantation. While characteristic features of PKD are abnormalities in epithelial cell proliferation, fluid secretion, extracellular matrix and differentiation, the molecular mechanisms underlying these events are not understood. Here we review the progress that has been made in defining the function of the polycystins, and how disruption of these functions may be involved in cystogenesis.
Reducing High Anxiety: Responsive Library Services to Off-Campus Nontraditional Students

Abstract Recentry, adult, and nontraditional students attending classes at off-campus sites have special needs and situations that require responsive programming. The average student attending classes at Mercer University's Extended Education Centers is female and 33 years-old. Many students have full-time jobs and child care responsibilities. Fear of failure, lack of confidence, commitments to family and job, lack of technological knowledge and geographical barriers all contribute to the high anxiety level of many off-campus adult students. This paper presents demographic data on adult students, describes the andragogy model of adult education, summarizes library literature on serving adult students, and outlines responsive library programs for off-campus adult and nontraditional students.
A distribution-matching method for parameter estimation and model selection in computational biology

SUMMARY The determination of the model parameters is a central challenge in computational modeling of biological systems. Typically, only a fraction of the parameters (such as kinetic rate constants) is experimentally measured, whereas the rest is fitted. The fitting process is usually based on experimental time course measurements of observables, which are used to assign parameter values that minimize some measure of the error between these measurements and the corresponding model prediction. The data, which can come from real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzymatic reactions, flow cytometry, etc., tend to be very noisy, but the statistics of the noise can often be inferred by performing calibration procedures. In this paper, we show how the knowledge of the properties of the noise, expressed in terms of its cumulative distribution function, can be used to validate or invalidate the estimates provided by an upstream state observer (a particle filter) and to refine them in case they turn out not to be satisfactory. Furthermore, we show how the same tools can be used to discriminate among alternative models of the same biological process. We demonstrate these ideas on a simple gene expression model, and we show how the proposed method is able to handle estimation problems that cannot be effectively solved by classical techniques such as least-squares estimation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VLSI Array Design Under Constraint of Limited I/O Bandwidth

VLSI computing arrays for matrix multiplication and covariance matrix inversion have applications in many fields. Under the constraint of limited I/O bandwidth of the host system or the computing array, three configurations for the interfacing and controlling of a multiplication array to achieve optimal performance under different adverse situations are examined. The three configurations are multiplexing loading, processor row loading, and processor column group loading. A properly chosen configuration can significantly reduce the computing time of the multiplication array.
Evolution of Resistance in Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) Selected With a Recombinant Bacillus thuringiensis Strain-Producing Cyt1Aa and Cry11Ba, and the Binary Toxin, Bin, From Lysinibacillus sphaericus

Fourth instars of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) were selected with a recombinant bacterial strain synthesizing the mosquitocidal proteins from Lysinibacillus sphaericus (Bin) and Cry11Ba and Cyt1Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis. Selection was initiated in Generation 1 with a concentration of 0.04 μg/ml, which rose to a maximum selection concentration of 8.0 μg/ml in Generation 14, followed by an unexpected, rapid increase in mortality in Generation 15. Subsequently, a selection concentration of 0.8 μg/ml was determined to be survivable. During this same period, resistance rose to nearly 1,000-fold (by Generation 12) and declined to 18.8-fold in Generation 19. Resistance remained low and fluctuated between 5.3 and 7.3 up to Generation 66. The cross-resistance patterns and interactions among the component proteins were analyzed to identify possible causes of this unusual pattern of evolution. Poor activity in the mid-range concentrations and lower-than-expected synergistic interactions were identified as potential sources of the early resistance. These findings should be considered in the development of genetically engineered strains intended to control nuisance and vector mosquitoes.
Career accomplishments of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences medical graduates: classes 1980-2001.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To report accomplishments of graduates of the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine who have left, retired, or are near the end of their uniformed career in several professional domains: military career milestones, medical professional education, academic landmarks, and leadership. Methods: This study utilized an earlier questionnaire that was modified to capture additional career landmarks and improve the clarity of several items. The modified survey was sent electronically to alumni who graduated from 1980–2001 in March, 2012. Results: The questionnaire was sent to 2,825 alumni for whom we had e-mail addresses. We estimate that we reached 2,400 alumni. A total of 1,189 alumni returned the questionnaire, yielding an estimated response rate of 50%. For this cohort, the board certification was 95%, over 20% obtained additional degrees, 92.8% had worked as a full-time physician, nearly two-thirds had deployed for combat, 13.9% had received the Legion of Merit, and 68.6% had published at leas...
A qualitative inquiry of Malawian radio listeners' attitudes and perceived outcomes of alcohol use using a mobile data collection platform.

Introduction and Aims Alcohol use has been associated with an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this association, there are little data on drinking behaviours in Malawi, a country located in southern Africa. Utilising alternative techniques of data collection, such as mobile technology, may be necessary to eliminate this dearth of information. We use listeners' text messages (SMS) in response to a Malawian radio show to assess listeners' attitudes and perceived outcomes of drinking. Design and Methods Mobile phones provide a novel, low-cost platform from which to gather qualitative data directly from target audiences. To demonstrate the utility of a mobile data collection approach, we analysed listener feedback in the form of SMS in response to a Malawian radio show. Results As emergent themes indicate that the perceived outcomes of consumption affect different levels within a social system, results are stratified within a socioecological framework to identify perceived individual, household and community level outcomes. Discussion and Conclusions As the perceived effects of consumption are numerous and impact a wide swath of communities, alcohol consumption must be addressed through multiple levels. The utilisation of anonymous text responses as a data collection methodology may provide an innovative way to understand contributing factors, such as alcohol consumption, to HIV risk exposure. [Rooney M, Limaye RJ. A qualitative inquiry of Malawian radio listeners' attitudes and perceived outcomes of alcohol use using a mobile data collection platform. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;34:477–82]
First shell substitution effects: Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A cured with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane

Abstract First shell substitution effects were incorporated into a kinetic reaction model descriptive of the polymerization of an epoxy resin formulated from diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane. Analysis of population density distribution dynamics for the hardener and several oligomers in the sol fraction showed that the reactivity of secondary amino hydrogens is less than the reactivity of primary amino hydrogens.
Silver Cluster Formation, Dynamics, and Chemistry in Metal−Organic Frameworks

Synthetic methods used to produce metal nanoparticles typically lead to a distribution of particle sizes. In addition, creation of the smallest clusters, with sizes of a few to tens of atoms, remains very challenging. Nanoporous metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising solution to these problems, since their long-range crystalline order creates completely uniform pore sizes with the potential for both steric and chemical stabilization. We report a systematic investigation of silver nanocluster formation within MOFs using three representative MOF templates. The as-synthesized clusters are spectroscopically consistent with dimensions ≤1 nm, with a significant fraction existing as Ag3 clusters, as shown by electron paramagnetic resonance. Importantly, we show conclusively that very rapid TEM-induced MOF degradation leads to agglomeration and stable, easily imaged particles, explaining prior reports of particles larger than MOF pores. These results solve an important riddle concerning MOF-based templat...
Automorphisms of the symplectic group over a local ring

Abstract Let R denote a commutative local ring with maximal ideal m and residue field K = R m . Let V be a symplectic space over R . In this paper we determine the group automorphisms of the symplectic group Sp n ( V ) when n ⩾ 6, the characteristic of k is not 2, and k is not the finite field of three elements.
In the Eye of the Storm? Societal Aging and the Future of Public Service Reform

The reinvention of many central governments over the last decade has been largely motivated by the need to deal with severe budget deficits. As budget surpluses reappear, the pressure for reform may seem likely to dissipate. However, some observers suggest that relief is only temporary and that aging populations will soon put larger stresses on government budgets, creating a need for further retrenchment. This paper assesses the vulnerability of three central governments - those of the United States, Britain, and Canada - to aging-related fiscal stress. Because of institutional differences, the U.S. government is likely to be hit hardest by this demographic change. This may imply that public sector reform will take a different path in the United States than in Britain or Canada.
Mechanical machining and metrology at micro/nano scale

Micro-scale machining performed in a mechanical manner is an ultra-precision material removal process to achieve micron form accuracy and a few nanometer finish. It has gained increasing importance in the manufacture of optical, mechanical, biomedical, and electronic components with intricate details in many industry and consumer products, both as a means to produce final products and to create dies and molds for further mass production. The backbone of science and technology for the success of machining at such fine length scales hinges on the understanding of microstructual machining mechanics, precision control of machine tool motions, miniaturization of cutters, miniaturization of machine tools, and the availability of high resolution metrology. This paper examines a number of recent research developments at Georgia Tech in these areas. On microstructual mechanics, cutting at submicron depth to control brittle-ductile transition of material will be discussed. On precision machine control, compensation of micrometer multitooth runout error through the chip load servo will be illustrated. On cutter miniaturization, the concept of magnetic single-grit abrasive as a micro cutting tool for submicron dimensional accuracy will be presented. On machine tool miniaturization, the downsizing of machining center and its associated benefits on precision will be elaborated. On metrology, a micro laser-based system and acoustic emission systems are presented for the measurement of micro cutting tool locations. The presentation of these topics will focus on the underlying fundamentals of fine scale machining and their implications toward ultra-precision engineering and micro/nano manufacturing.
Active corrosion protection and corrosion sensing in chromate-free organic coatings

Abstract In this study it is shown that anion-exchanging hydrotalcite compounds dispersed as a particulate additive in organic resins leads to potent corrosion inhibition of an underlying aluminum alloy substrate. The use of this additive also imparts the ability to detect environmental changes in the coating that are a prelude to substrate corrosion. Corrosion inhibition is derived from release of a decavanadate from crystalline Al–Zn hydroxide-based hydrotalcite particles into electrolyte that has permeated the pore space of the coating. Decavanadate release is accompanied by uptake of chloride ion in an exchange reaction. The exchange of the large decavanadate anion for the smaller chloride ion in the hydrotalcite structure results in a predictable change in crystal structure, which can be detected by X-ray diffraction. The occurrence of the decavanadate-chloride exchange reaction indicates that aggressive electrolyte has invaded the coating and that corrosion may be imminent. In this paper, methods for synthesizing an Al–Zn-decavanadate hydrotalcite particulate suitable for dispersion in an epoxy resin are described. Results from exposure and electrochemical tests illustrating corrosion protection by the hydrotalcite pigmented coatings are presented. Additionally, the characteristic changes in the X-ray diffraction pattern of hydrotalcite associated with the decavanadate-chloride exchange are presented. Diffraction patterns collected from coated Al substrates are also presented, indicating that diffraction-based interrogation of coatings is possible.
Landscape and the mask of self in George Orwell's ‘Shooting an elephant’

Recent work in geography has focused attention on the imbrication of landscape and literature. A dominant thread of these ‘fictive geographies’ has been a concern with how imagined landscapes contribute to the constitution of self. Informed especially by post-structuralism and post-colonialism, geographers have recently provided critical readings of novels, short stories and essays. In this paper I provide a reading of George Orwell's essay ‘Shooting an elephant’. The writings of Orwell reveal a long-standing engagement with issues of humanity and subjectivity, and I contend that this essay, rather than a straightforward polemic against British imperialism, reveals a concern primarily with the constitution of self within a colonial landscape. Orwell's essay thus provides insight into the processes whereby human subjectivities interact with space and structures.
Ways of knowledge

Logical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence. By Michael R. Genesereth and Nils J. Nilsson. Morgan Kaufmann: 1987. Pp.405. Distributed by W.H. Freeman, $36.95, £29.95.
Afferent and efferent subcortical projections of behaviorally defined sectors of prefrontal granular cortex.

Abstract Although the functional significance of the midprincipalis region is well known, the afferent and efferent connections of this zone, in comparison to the anterior and posterior portions of the cortex lining the principal sulcus, are poorly understood. In 3 animals the retrograde tracer HRP and the anterograde tracers, tritiated proline, lysine and leucine, were injected into the sulcal cortex lining the principal sulcus. The cortex forming the banks of the principal sulcus was divided into anterior, middle and posterior sectors with one animal used for each zone. As expected from previous studies, the heaviest afferents to the cortex forming the principal sulcus were from the parvocellular portions of the medial dorsal nucleus. The medial pulvinar nucleus and the nucleus limitans projected to only the anterior and posterior portions of the cortex lining the principal sulcus. Projections were seen to all 3 sectors from the anterior, midline, intralaminar and lateral thalamic nuclei. Although cells were seen in the hypothalamus following injections in all 3 sectors of the cortex lining the principal sulcus, the heaviest hypothalamic projections were noted after injections into the mid-sector of the cortex. These HRP-positive cells were in the dorsal and lateral hypothalamic area, dorsal medial nucleus and in the lateral mammillary nucleus. These findings link the midprincipalis region with the prefrontolimbic circuit, and suggest that the midprincipalis region, n. medialis dorsalis, the mammillary bodies and perhaps the cingulate gyrus constitute part of an anatomical circuit concerned with memory processes.
Solar Ultraviolet Irradiation Reduces Collagen in Photoaged Human Skin by Blocking Transforming Growth Factor-β Type II Receptor/Smad Signaling

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation from the sun reduces production of type I procollagen (COLI), the major structural protein in human skin. This reduction is a key feature of the pathophysiology of premature skin aging (photoaging). Photoaging is the most common form of skin damage and is associated with skin carcinoma. TGF-β/Smad pathway is the major regulator of type I procollagen synthesis in human skin. We have previously reported that UV irradiation impairs transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling in mink lung epithelial cells. We have investigated the mechanism of UV irradiation impairment of the TGF-β/Smad pathway and the impact of this impairment on type I procollagen production in human skin fibroblasts, the major collagen-producing cells in skin. We report here that UV irradiation impairs TGF-β/Smad pathway in human skin by down-regulation of TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII). This loss of TβRII occurs within 8 hours after UV irradiation and precedes down-regulation of type I procollagen expression in human skin in vivo. In human skin fibroblasts, UV-induced TβRII down-regulation is mediated by transcriptional repression and results in 90% reduction of specific, cell-surface binding of TGF-β. This loss of TβRII prevents downstream activation of Smad2/3 by TGF-β, thereby reducing expression of type I procollagen. Preventing loss of TβRII by overexpression protects against UV inhibition of type I procollagen gene expression in human skin fibroblasts. UV-induced down-regulation of TβRII, with attendant reduction of type I procollagen production, is a critical molecular mechanism in the pathophysiology of photoaging.
High-energy structures of azafullerene C48N12

Abstract We report optimized geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies of new N–N linked, fullerene-analog structures of C 48 N 12 with 6N 2 , 4N 3 , and 2N 6 subunits, using B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. These are high-energy structures with relative energy of 112, 195, and 269 kcal/mol, respectively. The N–N bonds in these isomers are in the range of 1.48–1.56 A, indicative of weak, van der Waals type interactions rather than the N–N covalent bonds usually found in polynitrogen.
Initial evaluation of a Direct Detection Device detector for single particle cryo-electron microscopy

We report on initial results of using a new direct detection device (DDD) for single particle reconstruction of vitreous ice embedded specimens. Images were acquired on a Tecnai F20 at 200keV and a nominal magnification of 29,000×. This camera has a significantly improved signal to noise ratio and modulation transfer function (MTF) at 200keV compared to a standard CCD camera installed on the same microscope. Control of the DDD has been integrated into Leginon, an automated data collection system. Using GroEL as a test specimen, we obtained images of ∼30K particles with the CCD and the DDD from the same specimen sample using essentially identical imaging conditions. Comparison of the maps reconstructed from the CCD images and the DDD images demonstrates the improved performance of the DDD. We also obtained a 3D reconstruction from ∼70K GroEL particles acquired using the DDD; the quality of the density map demonstrates the potential of this new recording device for cryoEM data acquisition.