cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intensity studies of inelastic electron tunneling spectra

Abstract Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) using metal–insulator–metal (MIM) tunnel junctions is an established technique for studying the vibrational modes of molecules adsorbed on metal surfaces. We are examining a new geometry for IETS in which the oxide layer of the MIM junction is replaced by an atomically thin gas film. “Clean” junctions in which the barrier is composed of pure neon exhibit Ohmic behavior except in the region near zero bias. When the neon barrier is doped with acetylene molecules, we observe peaks corresponding to the vibrational modes of these molecules. An analysis of the inelastic peak intensities indicates that dipole scattering is not the principle mechanism of the electron–molecule interaction in this geometry.
Electric utility operational cost and emissions management with grid-scale energy storage

In the United States, installation of emission-free sources of power generation, such as wind and solar photovoltaics, has increased recently. Unfortunately, these generation technologies present unique challenges to utilities and grid operators because they are variable and not dispatchable. While energy storage can provide capacitance to the system and thereby make renewable power more dispatchable, storage implementation at the municipal scale is poorly understood. This paper examines future applications of energy storage to reduce costs and improve system reliability for electric utilities at the local level. The city of Austin, Texas was selected as the study area because the city has set aggressive targets of 30–35% of total electricity generation from renewable sources, primarily wind and solar photovoltaics, by 2020. For this analysis, generation assets currently used and those planned for future development by the local utility, Austin Energy, are treated in a unit commitment model using a mixed integer programming (MIP) approach. The model has been developed such that it can be provided any objective function and generation portfolio, and the results can be used by whatever stakeholder has generated those particular inputs. To best simulate operational dispatch conditions, the model includes ramp rate constraints, generator turn-on penalties, and minimum operation levels. Energy storage is included by allowing the model to assign an unconstrained asset throughout the study period, 24 hours, to whatever values will minimize the objective function. For this initial analysis, storage system efficiency, capital and marginal costs were not included, though they may significantly affect total allocated storage. Modeling results indicate that storage availability yields a reduction of as much as $600,000/day in marginal costs for the study area, based primarily on improved utilization of more efficient generating units. This result does not consider savings associated with NOx reductions. Such reductions were studied with a second objective function. While NOx reductions of approximately 9–23% were observed, these emission reductions were accompanied by significant increases in operating costs. Energy storage requirements and potential cost savings under the scenarios examined might be beneficial to researchers interested in grid-scale storage. These results can also be used to determine appropriate cost targets for storage researchers and manufacturers.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Relationship of &#947;-Fe 2 O 3 audio tape properties to particle size

A series of γ-Fe 2 O 3 samples has been prepared and the relationship between particle size and magnetic and audio recording properties studied. The particles ranged in length and width from 0.4 and 0.06 μm, to 0.6 and 0.1 μm, respectively. This corresponds to a variation in calculated volume from 4 to 16 × 10-4μm3. The magnetic and audio recording properties varied significantly with variation in particle size. Tape coercivity decreased from 319 to 241 Oe. Bias noise varied nearly linearly from -68 to -64 dB. Additional correlation of tape properties to particle size is also reported.
Morphological evolution through complex domains of fitness

Computer simulated phenotypic walks through multi-dimensional fitness-landscapes indicate that (i) the number of phenotypes capable of reconciling conflicting morphological requirements increases in proportion to the number of manifold functional obligations an organism must perform to grow, survive, and reproduce, and (ii) walks over multi-task fitness-landscapes require fewer but larger phenotypic transformations than those through single-task landscapes. These results were determined by (i) simulating a "morphospace" containing 200,000 phenotypes reminiscent of early Paleozoic vascular sporophytes, (ii) evaluating the capacity of each morphology to perform each of three tasks (light interception, mechanical support, and reproduction) as well as the ability to reconcile the conflicting morphological requirements for the four combinatorial permutations of these tasks, (iii) simulating the walks obtaining all phenotypic maxima or optima within the seven "fitness-landscapes," and (iv) computing the mean morphological variation attending these walks. The results of these simulations, whose credibility is discussed in the context of early vascular land-plant evolution, suggest that both the number and the accessibility of phenotypic optima increase as the number of functional obligations contributing to total fitness increases (i.e., as the complexity of optimal phenotypes increases, the fitnesses of optima fall closer to the mean fitness of all the phenotypes under selection).
Genetic and Biochemical Interactions Among Yar1, Ltv1 and RpS3 Define Novel Links Between Environmental Stress and Ribosome Biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In the yeast S. cerevisiae, ribosome assembly is linked to environmental conditions by the coordinate transcriptional regulation of genes required for ribosome biogenesis. In this study we show that two nonessential stress-responsive genes, YAR1 and LTV1, function in 40S subunit production. We provide genetic and biochemical evidence that Yar1, a small ankyrin-repeat protein, physically interacts with RpS3, a component of the 40S subunit, and with Ltv1, a protein recently identified as a substoichiometric component of a 43S preribosomal particle. We demonstrate that cells lacking YAR1 or LTV1 are hypersensitive to particular protein synthesis inhibitors and exhibit aberrant polysome profiles, with a reduced absolute number of 40S subunits and an excess of free 60S subunits. Surprisingly, both mutants are also hypersensitive to a variety of environmental stress conditions. Overexpression of RPS3 suppresses both the stress sensitivity and the ribosome biogenesis defect of Δyar1 mutants, but does not suppress either defect in Δltv1 mutants. We propose that YAR1 and LTV1 play distinct, nonessential roles in 40S subunit production. The stress-sensitive phenotypes of strains lacking these genes reveal a hitherto unknown link between ribosome biogenesis factors and environmental stress sensitivity.
Biocontrol of selected soilborne diseases of tomato and pepper plants

Biocontrol of soilborne diseases of tomato caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum alone or in combination with Sclerotium rolfsii and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici were studied in the greenhouse and field. Soilborne diseases of pepper caused by the first three pathogens were also studied alone or in combination with Phytophthora capsici. Tomato and pepper seeds were treated with biomass of Gliocladium virens (Gl-3) and Burkholderia cepacia (Bc-F), individually and in combination, and planted in pathogen-infested soilless mix. Seedling stands for tomato from treated seeds were comparable to that in non-infested soilless mix. Although seed treatments with individual biocontrol agents reduced damping-off in peppers, only the Gl-3 + Bc-F treatment resulted in stands similar to the non-infested control. When healthy seedlings of both crops were transplanted into pathogen-infested soil/soilless mix in the greenhouse, and supplementary root drenches of suspensions of Gl-3, Bc-F, and Gl-3 + Bc-F were applied, the plant fresh weight was significantly greater and the disease severity (DSI) significantly less than for infested controls. When transplants were set out into infested field plots, the combined Gl-3 + Bc-F application resulted in greater fresh weight and lower DSI for pepper, and greater fruit yield for tomato than those obtained with either Gl-3 or Bc-F alone.
Purification and characterization of galanin from the phylogenetically ancient fish, the bowfin (Amia calva) and dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Galanin was purified to near homogeneity from an extract of the stomachs of the holostean fish, the bowfin and the elasmobranch fish, the European common dogfish. Bowfin galanin contains an alpha'-amidated C-terminal residue and the primary structure of the peptide (GWTNL SAGYL LGPHA VDNHR SLNDK HGLA) shows only four amino acid substitutions (Val16-->Ile, Leu22-->Phe, Asn23-->His, and His26-->Tyr) compared with pig galanin. Dogfish galanin was isolated in a truncated form for which amino acid sequence was identical to residues (1-20) of bowfin galanin. The isolation of this fragment is indicative of processing at the site of a single arginyl residue, and an analogous peptide has been previously isolated from human intestine. The data demonstrate that peptides with close structural similarity to mammalian galanins are present in the gastrointestinal tracts of phylogenetically ancient fish.
Anomalies in Regeneration of Paramecium

Using two different stocks of P. caudatum and four of P. multimicronucleatum it was observed (total of 25 cases) that starved fragments do not regenerate either end of the cell up to the time of death though they survived long past the time required by feeding fragments to regenerate. Fragments which were prevented from regenerating by an initial period of starvation later regenerated when supplied with nourishment (69 cases). Only three fragments failed to recover normal form when fed, two showing conspicuous abnormality instead and one remaining unable to feed. Short anterior fragments (32 cases) and posterior fragments (four cases) which are nucleate but do not include the feeding organelles can neither feed nor regenerate either normal body shape or the oral structures. In seven cases it was found that when the oral region of whole animals was injured they could no longer feed and in six of these cases no mouth or gullet could be found. It is therefore suggested that organelles of ingestion cannot be regenerated when excised or damaged even though the normal site be present. These observations are considered to demonstrate that regeneration in Paramecium is entirely different in type from that of most protozoa in that it occurs only through feeding and subsequent growth if ingestive organs are already present in part at least. It does not occur by the remodeling of body shape, with the formation of oral primordia derived from more general cytoplasmic differentiations, as is the case in most ciliates. The original surprise of Balbiani in finding that his fragments of Paramecium did not regenerate like other ciliates is now explained.
Two-Photon Three-Dimensional Microfabrication of Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Elastomers

Three-dimensional microfabrication by two-photon-initiated polymerization is used to prepare poly(dimethylsiloxane) microstructures. Both radical and hydrosilylation photocuring chemistries were studied. These elastomeric structures may prove useful for modifying microfluidic channels to add a higher level of functionality or building complex microfluidic networks.
Differentiation of retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro uncovers silencer activity in the FGF-5 gene promoter.

Differentiated retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vivo express basal levels of FGF-5, a secreted member of the FGF gene family. RPE cells proliferate in response to pathological events, resulting in a transient increase in FGF-5 gene expression. The goal of this study is to identify cis-acting sequences in the FGF-5 gene promoter which upregulate FGF-5 gene expression when differentiated RPE cells enter the cell cycle and proliferate. In vitro cultures of RPE cells were transfected with various FGF-5 promoter/luciferase deletion constructs, using methods specifically optimized for proliferating and differentiated RPE cells. A proximal promoter/enhancer whose activity is not cell-context dependent was identified between FGF-5 sequences -314 and +48. In addition, a silencer element (-1256/-883) was identified in the distal region which is active only in differentiated RPE cells. When tested in a heterologous system, the same element had silencer activity in differentiated cells. Two small regions in the distal FGF-5 gene promoter, -1195/-1173 and -984/-967 were able to specifically bind to nuclear proteins from differentiated RPE cells but not from proliferating RPE cells as evidenced by gel mobility shift assays. Therefore, FGF-5 gene expression in the RPE may be regulated by the formation of differentiation-specific complexes.
A survey of Unbalanced Flow Diagnostics and Their Application

This paper presents an extensive survey of the most commonly used tools for diagnosing unbalanced flow in the atmosphere, namely the Lagrangian Rossby number, Psi vector, divergence equation, nonlinear balance equation, generalized omega-equation, and departure from fields obtained by potential vorticity (PV) inversion. The basic thoery, assumptions as well as implementation and limitations for each of the tools are all discussed. These tools are applied to high—resolution mesoscale model data to assess the role of unbalanced dynamics in the generation of a mesoscale gravity wave event over the East Coast of the United States. Comparison of these tools in this case study shows that these various methods agree to a large extent with each other though they differ in details.
Utility of GnRH-agonists for Fertility Preservation in Women With Operable Breast Cancer: Is It Protective?

Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in reproductive-age women. Breast cancer chemotherapy is associated with premature ovarian failure, infertility, and negative psychosocial effects related to these reproductive changes. As a result of this, fertility preservation becomes highly critical in this group of women. Besides the fertility preservation methods that utilize assisted reproductive technologies such as embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, another suggested strategy for fertility preservation is suppression of ovarian ovulatory function by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) administration before and during chemotherapy. However, both the efficacy and safety of GnRH agonists for prevention of ovarian damage are unproven and the preponderance of evidence indicates that this is an ineffective strategy. This review details the most recent information and studies on this controversial topic.
Modeling of biomass-plug development and propagation in porous media

Microbial biomass (cells and their metabolic byproducts) accumulation and evolution in porous media were simulated using a combination of biofilm evolution model and a biofilm removal model. Theses models describe biomass-plug development, removal, and propagation in biological applications such as microbial enhanced oil recovery, in situ bioremediation, and bio-barrier techniques. The biofilm evolution model includes the cell growth rate and exopolymer production kinetics. The biofilm removal model was used for describing the biomass-plug propagation and channel breakthrough using Bingham yield stress of biofilm, which represents the stability of biofilm against shear stress. Network model was used to describe a porous medium. The network model consists of pore body and pore bond of which the sizes were determined based on the pore size distribution of ceramic cores. The simulation results showed that the biofilm models based on Bingham yield stress predicted the biomass accumulation and channel breakthrough reasonably well. The pressure oscillation (or, permeability oscillation) was also well demonstrated indicating the process of biomass accumulation and breakthrough-channel formation. In addition, the effects of cell and biofilm sucrose concentration were significant on the biomass-plug development and permeability reduction rates. The modeling elucidated some deficiencies in our knowledge of the biomass yield stress that enables us to predict the stability of biomass plug against shear stress.
Capacitor Evaluation for Compact Pulsed Power

An evaluation of the energy density and efficiency of high-voltage capacitors, from various manufacturers, at voltages above their rated level is presented. Characteristics such as decreasing capacitance, decreasing efficiency, and increasing energy density are described. Data are taken from eight capacitors; six of which are composed of varying nonlinear ceramic materials as a dielectric, and the remaining two are wound capacitors, which were chosen to exhibit their linear characteristics. Rapid (1-100 ms) charging and discharging, similar to that of a generator operation at a repetition rate of more than 10 Hz with an ~100-ns pulse, were the conditions simulated in this particular test setup.
Activation of the p38 Map kinase pathway is essential for the antileukemic effects of dasatinib

Dasatinib, a dual Src/Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has significant antileukemic effects against various imatinib mesylate-resistant BCR/ABL mutants. Despite well-documented inhibitory effects of dasatinib on BCR/ABL kinase, the exact downstream cellular events leading to generation of its potent antileukemic effects remain to be defined. We provide evidence that p38 Map kinase (MAPK) pathway is activated leading to increased upregulation of mixed lineage kinase 3, MKK3/6, MSK1, and Mapkapk2, upon treatment of BCR/ABL expressing cells with dasatinib, including cells expressing various imatinib-resistant mutants, except for T315I. Our data demonstrate that such dasatinib-dependent activation of p38 MAPK and its effectors plays a critical role in the generation of antileukemic responses, since pharmacological inhibition of p38 or siRNA-mediated knockdown of its expression reverse dasatinib-mediated apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and anti-proliferative effects. p38 MAPK inhibition also reversed dasatinib-induced suppression of CML patient-derived leukemic colony-forming units progenitor growth in vitro, as well as BCR/ABL expressing KT-1 cell-derived leukemic progenitor growth. Altogether, our findings suggest a critical role for p38 MAPK pathway in the generation of antileukemic effects of dasatinib, and raise the possibility that development of novel means to enhance p38 MAPK activation in BCR/ABL expressing cells may be an approach to promote antileukemic responses and, possibly, reverse T315I mutation-mediated resistance.
Occurrence of airborne bacteria and pathogen indicators during land application of sewage sludge

Glass impingers (AGI-30) were used at a commercial sludge application site to determine the levels of airborne bacteria and pathogen indicators. Even though heterotrophic bacteria averaged 10(5) CFU/m3, none of the sites showed the presence of Salmonella spp. or indicators such as fecal coliforms or coliphages. Indicators such as H2S producers and pathogenic clostridia were present in locations having significant physical agitation of the sludge material. PCR-based ribotyping using the 16S-23S interspacer region is a promising method to identify the genetic relatedness and origins of airborne clostridia.
Politics, Religion, Attribution Theory, and Attitudes Toward Same‐Sex Unions

Objective The relationship between beliefs about the cause of homosexuality, political and religious ideology, and attitudes toward same-sex unions in the United States is unclear. This study aims to examine the mediating influence and socially embedded nature of attribution beliefs at a time when attitudes toward same-sex unions are undergoing substantial changes in the American public. Method This study employs simultaneous equation path models and a recent national, random sample of American adults (Baylor Religion Survey 2010) to test each hypothesis. Results Results reveal that constructed opinions about the origin and controllability of homosexuality significantly influence support for same-sex unions. However, these opinions are socially embedded, especially within particular political and religious ideologies. Conclusion These findings highlight that while widespread changes in beliefs about the cause of homosexuality may presage shifts in support for same-sex unions, many will be able to resist those shifts toward support, possibly leading to their further marginalization within society.
Contact Transformations in Classical Mechanics

Abstract Transformations of coordinates of points in an infinite-dimensional graded vector space, the so-called contact transformations, are examined. An infinite jet prolongation of the extended configuration space of N spinless particles is the subspace of this vector space. The dynamical equivalence among Lagrangian N-body systems connected by an invertible jet transformation is established. As an example of the invertible jet transformations, a class of gauge transformations of Lagrangian variables is investigated. The method of contact transformations is applied to the Wheeler-Feynman electrodynamics for two point charges.
Transaction level statistical analysis for efficient micro-architectural power and performance studies

In general, we lack in EDA industry tools and automated solutions in μArchitectural domain. In this paper, we elaborate on our attempt to advance performance simulation based statistical analysis techniques. On one hand, we utilize the content knowledge of μArchitectural specification (e.g., explicit specification of the major transactions), and on the other hand, the statistical compact representation of the simulation trace. We name the compact statistical modeling of transaction level performance simulation traces, Magenta (Modeling Agent for Transactional Analysis). As demonstrated by industrial case studies, Magenta can effectively capture all the sample flows that are represented in the simulation trace that exhibit the transaction of interest in terms of μArchitectural events in a statistical event dependency graph. Our industrial experience shows that Magenta is an effective statistical model for μArchitectural performance verification and power/performance trade-off.
“Blues is easy to play but hard to feel” (Jimi Hendrix)

In the final chapter, the author reflects on some of the insights gained by the editors over these past months as they discussed the struggle for democracy and shared governance in the many spaces they refer to as adult education.
Depression: A Failure to Suppress the Self-Conscious ‘Monitoring’ of Dismal Cognitions

In the current research, when normal subjects briefly perceived a word that was death-related, they were less likely to express any self-awareness that they were perceiving a meaningful word. Moreover, when they subsequently remembered such a death word, they were more likely to confuse it with a mentally imaged word. In contrast, when mildly depressed subjects briefly perceived a death-related word, they failed to attentuate their self-awareness that they were perceiving, and subsequently, they failed to mistake the death-related word for a previously imaged word. These results suggest that normal people successfully ‘repress’ the grim realities of death, whereas depressed people fail to suppress the self-conscious ‘monitoring’ of such dismal realities.
Oriented assembly of protein on surfaces

Several approaches that facilitate the oriented assembly of proteins on a variety of surfaces, including membranes, is described. Biotinylation reactions performed under controlled conditions were used to immobilize enzymes in a layer-by-layer fashion onto surfaces modified with avidin or streptavidin. For other enzymes, a specific attachment site was introduced by gene fusion or site-directed mutagenesis. These strategies were applied to achieve site-specific immobilization of several enzymes including alkaline phosphatase, organophosphorus hydrolase, horseradish peroxidase, and subtilisin. The site-specific immobilization led to orientation of the enzyme molecules on the surface of materials and to a higher activity compared to conventional immobilization methods.
Noise tolerance of attractor and feedforward memory models

In short-term memory networks, transient stimuli are represented by patterns of neural activity that persist long after stimulus offset. Here, we compare the performance of two prominent classes of memory networks, feedback-based attractor networks and feedforward networks, in conveying information about the amplitude of a briefly presented stimulus in the presence of gaussian noise. Using Fisher information as a metric of memory performance, we find that the optimal form of network architecture depends strongly on assumptions about the forms of nonlinearities in the network. For purely linear networks, we find that feedforward networks outperform attractor networks because noise is continually removed from feedforward networks when signals exit the network; as a result, feedforward networks can amplify signals they receive faster than noise accumulates over time. By contrast, attractor networks must operate in a signal-attenuating regime to avoid the buildup of noise. However, if the amplification of signals is limited by a finite dynamic range of neuronal responses or if noise is reset at the time of signal arrival, as suggested by recent experiments, we find that attractor networks can outperform feedforward ones. Under a simple model in which neurons have a finite dynamic range, we find that the optimal attractor networks are forgetful if there is no mechanism for noise reduction with signal arrival but nonforgetful (perfect integrators) in the presence of a strong reset mechanism. Furthermore, we find that the maximal Fisher information for the feedforward and attractor networks exhibits power law decay as a function of time and scales linearly with the number of neurons. These results highlight prominent factors that lead to trade-offs in the memory performance of networks with different architectures and constraints, and suggest conditions under which attractor or feedforward networks may be best suited to storing information about previous stimuli.
A Novel O(1) Deadlock Detection Methodology for Multiunit Resource Systems and Its Hardware Implementation for System-on-Chip

This article describes a novel parallel multi-unit resource deadlock detection algorithm (MDDA) and its hardware implementation (MDDU). The contributions are (i) the first O(1) hardware deadlock detection, (ii) reduced O(min(m, n)) preparation, where m and n are the number of processes and resources, respectively, and (iii) support for multi-unit resources. O(min(m, n)), previously O(mtimesn), is achieved by performing all the searches for sink nodes for each and every resource in parallel in hardware over two matrices representing resource allocations as well as other auxiliary matrices. MDDU provides a fast and deterministic deadlock detection mechanism for multiprocessor system-on-chips (MPSoCs), which we predict will become prevalent in the near future in system designs. Our experiments demonstrate that MDDU always takes two clock cycles to detect deadlock regardless the size of the system. Lastly, the MPSoC area overhead due to MDDU is small, approximately 0.024 percent for MDDU16 x 16 on our example MPSoC.
Dynamic assembly of learning objects

This paper describes one solution to the problem of how to select sequence, and link Web resources into a coherent, focused organization for instruction that addresses a user's immediate and focused learning need. A system is described that automatically generates individualized learning paths from a repository of XML Web resources. Each Web resource has an XML Learning Object Metadata (LOM) description consisting of General, Educational, and Classification metadata. Dynamic assembly of these learning objects is based on the relative match of the learning object content and metadata to the learner's needs, preferences, context, and constraints. Learning objects are connected into coherent paths based on their LOM topic classifications and the proximity of these topics in a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph. An instructional sequencing policy specifies how to arrange the objects on the path into a particular learning sequence. The system has been deployed and evaluated within a corporate setting.
WILDE'S RENAISSANCE: POISON, PASSION, AND PERSONALITY

IN 1877, AS AN OXFORD UNDERGRADUATE, Oscar Wilde was invited to fill out two pages of a “Confession Album,” an informal survey of his likes, dislikes, ambitions, and fears. Wilde's answers testify to his deep appreciation for all things Greek: his favorite authors include Plato, Sappho, and Theocritus; he would hate to part with his Euripides; he admires Alexander the Great. But when faced with a question regarding the place he would most like to live, Wilde chooses not Athens or Argos but “Florence and Rome”; and when asked about the historical period in which he would most liked to have lived, Wilde opts for “the Italian Renaissance” (Holland 44–45). As there was no room on the form for Wilde to expand on this statement, we can only speculate as to why he saw Renaissance Italy as a time and a place in which he would have felt at home. But what the response tells us for certain is that while he was at Oxford, Wilde found the culture of Quattro- and Cinquecento Italy particularly appealing, was comfortable imagining himself as part of that period, and was prepared to acknowledge his enthusiasm for the period to his friends. Moreover, it shows that while Wilde may have treasured the cultural artifacts of ancient Greece as a young man, he was more eager to experience the whole way of life captured in the idea of the Italian Renaissance.
Clinical utility of proPSA and "benign" PSA when percent free PSA is less than 15%.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the clinical utility of the subforms of free prostate-specific antigen (PSA), namely proPSA and “benign” PSA (BPSA), to improve cancer detection when the percent free PSA level is less than 15%. Percent free PSA, while maintaining sensitivity, has greatly improved the specificity of PSA for the early detection of prostate cancer. A low percent free PSA value indicates a greater risk of cancer, but only 30% to 50% of men with percent free PSA levels of less than 15% actually have cancer at biopsy. Methods Archived sera from 161 consecutive men who were prospectively enrolled in our Early Detection Research Network prostate cancer early detection biomarker program with a percent free PSA value of less than 15% were included in the study. Total PSA, free PSA, proPSA, and BPSA were measured for each sample. Results The mean total PSA was 6.1 ng/mL (range 1.8 to 24.0). The mean age of the study group was 62 ± 7 years. Prostate cancer was detected in 66 (41%) of 161 men. The area under the curve-receiver operating characteristic for total and percent free PSA was 0.51 and 0.54, respectively. BPSA and proPSA/BPSA both improved cancer detection compared with percent free PSA alone; the improvement was statistically significant ( P Conclusions The results of our preliminary studies have suggested that the ratio of proPSA and BPSA can distinguish cancer with greater accuracy when the percent free PSA value is very low (less than 15%), and may, therefore, provide better clinical utility in this lower range of percent free PSA.
Credit Ratings and the BIS Reform Agenda

This is an updated and revised paper from the authorsâ¬" report on â¬SAn Analysis and Critique of the BIS Proposal on Capital Adequacy and Ratingsâ¬? [S-CDM-00-02] (submitted to the BIS and published in the Journal of Banking & Finance 25:1 January, 2001). This paper was first prepared for the NYU Salomon Center/University of Maryland research project on â¬SThe Role of Credit Reporting Systems in the International Economy,â¬? sponsored by the Center for International Political Economy. It was prepared for the projectâ¬"s conference in Washington D.C. on March 1-2, 2001 at the headquarters of the World Bank.
Developmental Changes in Self‐Perceptions of Intelligence and Self‐Confidence

Sex differences in self-perceptions of intelligence and self-confidence were examined among third through eighth graders. In third grade, differences between the sexes were small and, in the case of perceptions of intelligence, favored the females. By fifth grade, males were more likely to describe themselves as smart and self-confident than were females. These differences persisted into the eighth grade. Further analyses indicated that the sex differences could not be adequately explained by the process of internalizing sex-stereotypes.
Isotopic identification of soil and permafrost nitrate sources in an Arctic tundra ecosystem

The nitrate (NO3−) dual isotope approach was applied to snowmelt, tundra active layer pore waters, and underlying permafrost in Barrow, Alaska, USA, to distinguish between NO3− derived from atmospheric deposition versus that derived from microbial nitrification. Snowmelt had an atmospheric NO3− signal with δ15N averaging −4.8 ± 1.0‰ (standard error of the mean) and δ18O averaging 70.2 ± 1.7‰. In active layer pore waters, NO3− primarily occurred at concentrations suitable for isotopic analysis in the relatively dry and oxic centers of high-centered polygons. The average δ15N and δ18O of NO3− from high-centered polygons were 0.5 ± 1.1‰ and −4.1 ± 0.6‰, respectively. When compared to the δ15N of reduced nitrogen (N) sources, and the δ18O of soil pore waters, it was evident that NO3− in high-centered polygons was primarily from microbial nitrification. Permafrost NO3− had δ15N ranging from approximately −6‰ to 10‰, similar to atmospheric and microbial NO3−, and highly variable δ18O ranging from approximately −2‰ to 38‰. Permafrost ice wedges contained a significant atmospheric component of NO3−, while permafrost textural ice contained a greater proportion of microbially derived NO3−. Large-scale permafrost thaw in this environment would release NO3− with a δ18O signature intermediate to that of atmospheric and microbial NO3. Consequently, while atmospheric and microbial sources can be readily distinguished by the NO3− dual isotope technique in tundra environments, attribution of NO3− from thawing permafrost will not be straightforward. The NO3− isotopic signature, however, appears useful in identifying NO3− sources in extant permafrost ice.
Qualitative analysis of seized synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones by gas chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

Designer drugs are analogues or derivatives of illicit drugs with a modification of their chemical structure in order to circumvent current legislation for controlled substances. Designer drugs of abuse have increased dramatically in popularity all over the world for the past couple of years. Currently, the qualitative seized-drug analysis is mainly performed by gas chromatography-electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) in which most of these emerging designer drug derivatives are extensively fragmented not presenting a molecular ion in their mass spectra. The absence of molecular ion and/or similar fragmentation pattern among these derivatives may cause the equivocal identification of unknown seized-substances. In this study, the qualitative identification of 34 designer drugs, mainly synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones, were performed by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques, including electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) only focusing on qualitative seized-drug analysis, not from the toxicological point of view. The implementation of CI source facilitates the determination of molecular mass and the identification of seized designer drugs. Developed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode may increase sensitivity and selectivity in the analysis of seized designer drugs. In addition, CI mass spectra and MRM mass spectra of these designer drug derivatives can be used as a potential supplemental database along with EI mass spectral database.
Toward a Taxonomy of Corporate Reporting Strategies

Studies of corporate reporting that focus on information disclosure do so primarily from a mandatory, financial perspective owing the decision to the rationality of corporate actors. Yet, social an...
Recent progress in transition metal doped II-VI mid-IR lasers

Recent progress in transition metal doped II-VI semiconductor materials (mainly Cr2+:ZnSe) makes them the laser sources of choice when one needs a compact system with continuous tunability over 2-3.1 mm, output powers up to 2.7 W, and high (up to 70%) conversion efficiency. The unique combination of technological (low-cost ceramic material) and spectroscopic characteristics make these materials ideal candidates for "non-traditional" regimes of operation such as microchip and multi-line lasing. This article reviews these non-traditional Cr-doped mid-IR lasers as well as describes emerging Fe2+:ZnSe lasers having potential to operate at room temperature over the spectral range extended to 3.7-5.1 mm. In addition to effective RT mid-IR lasing transition metal doped II-VI media, being wide band semiconductors, hold potential for direct electrical excitation. This work shows the initial steps towards achieving this goal by studying Cr2+, Co2+, and Fe2+ doped quantum dots. We have demonstrated a novel method of TM doped II-VI quantum dots fabrication based on laser ablation in liquid environment. TM doped II-VI quantum dots demonstrated strong mid-IR luminescence. It opens a new pathway for future optically and electrically pumped mid-IR lasers based on TM doped quantum confined structures.
Retail Beamed Power for a Micro Renewable Energy Architecture: Survey

Retail delivery of electric power through millimeter waves is relevant in developing areas where the market for micro devices outpaces the power grid infrastructure. It is also a critical component of an evolutionary path towards terrestrial and space-based renewable power generation. Narrow-band power can be delivered as focused beams to receivers near end-users, from central power plants, rural distribution points, UAVs, stratospheric airship platforms or space satellites. The paper surveys the available knowledge base on millimeter wave beamed power delivery. It then considers design requirements for a retail beamed power architecture, in the context of rural India where power delivery is lagging behind the rapid rise in demand for micro-drives and connectivity.
Configurable routing in mesh networks

Wireless mesh networks are increasingly used as multipurpose networks, i.e., they serve multiple objectives and different applications simultaneously. As a consequence, a one-size-fits-all routing solution is difficult to achieve, particularly when the performance and QoS expectations of these applications differ. This work proposes CMR (Configurable Mesh Routing), a toolkit that supports the discovery of routes based on any combination of a number of supported QoS metrics. This enables network users to use customized routes that meet their unique needs. Our experiments illustrate how CMR can be used to (a) implement novel routing protocols on-the-fly and (b) emulate an existing reactive routing protocol.
Executive functioning in older adults with hoarding disorder

Author(s): Ayers, Catherine R; Wetherell, Julie Loebach; Schiehser, Dawn; Almklov, Erin; Golshan, Shahrokh; Saxena, Sanjaya | Abstract: BackgroundHoarding disorder (HD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric condition. Midlife HD patients have been found to have neurocognitive impairment, particularly in areas of executive functioning, but the extent to which this is due to comorbid psychiatric disorders has not been clear.Aims/methodThe purpose of the present investigation was to examine executive functioning in geriatric HD patients without any comorbid Axis I disorders (n = 42) compared with a healthy older adult comparison group (n = 25). We hypothesized that older adults with HD would perform significantly worse on measures of executive functioning (Wisconsin Card Sort Task [Psychological Assessment Resources, Lutz, Florida, USA] ( Psychological Assessment Resources, 2003) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV digit span and letter-number sequencing tests [Pearson, San Antonio, TX, USA]).ResultsOlder adults with HD showed significant differences from healthy older controls in multiple aspects of executive functioning. Compared with healthy controls, older adults with HD committed significantly more total, non-perseverative errors and conceptual level responses on the Wisconsin Card Sort Task and had significantly worse performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV digit span and letter-number sequencing tests. Hoarding symptom severity was strongly correlated with executive dysfunction in the HD group.ConclusionsCompared with demographically-matched controls, older adults with HD have dysfunction in several domains of executive functioning including mental control, working memory, inhibition, and set shifting. Executive dysfunction is strongly correlated with hoarding severity and is not because of comorbid psychiatric disorders in HD patients. These results have broad clinical implications suggesting that executive functioning should be assessed and taken into consideration when developing intervention strategies for older adults with HD.
Tumor Volume for Glioblastoma as Defined by Tryptophan PET Offers Superior Coverage of Recurrence Site Than Standard MRI-based GTV

Purpose/Objective(s): Glioblastoma is an infiltrative malignancy, for which the role of positron emission tomography (PET) in radiation therapy volume definition remains largely unexplored. In order to develop a reliable method for delineation of a high risk gross tumor volume (GTV) for glioblastoma we examined the utility of the PET radiotracer alpha[C-11]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) which can detect tumor mass and tumor-infiltrated brain by increased tumoral tryptophan transport and metabolism via the immunosuppressive kynurenine pathway. Materials/Methods: We reviewed all patients with histologically proven glioblastoma who underwent preoperative AMT-PET scan and had evidence of tumor recurrence following surgery and chemoradiation. All treated radiation therapy volumes were derived from the simulation CT with MRI fusion. High risk GTVMRI was defined as the postoperative cavity plus any residual area of enhancement on T1-weighted images. We retrospectively fused the AMT-PET to the simulation CT via manual registration, and a high risk GTVAMT was defined as the volume of AMT uptake greater than 136% of the control contralateral cortex; a threshold that had previously been established to distinguish tumor tissue from peritumoral edema. Quantitative volumetric analysis of each region was performed. The follow-up MRI demonstrating initial recurrence was likewise fused, and a tumor recurrence volume was contoured. The coverage of the recurrence volume by GTVMRI, GTVAMT, and GTVMRI+AMT was determined, and a paired t-test was used to determine statistical differences. Results: A total of six patients with glioblastoma who completed presurgical AMT-PET scan and had progressive disease after initial therapy were identified. Volume of GTVs as defined by MRI (mean: 22.3 cc; range: 6.652.3 cc) and AMT-PET (mean: 32.7 cc; range: 7.7-73.2 cc) were not significantly different (p Z 0.098). Mean concordance index of the volumes was 0.36 +/0.11 (range: 0.17-0.49). Coverage of the initial recurrence volume by GTVMRI (mean: 61%; range 7-88%) was inferior to both GTVAMT (mean 75%; range 10-98%; p Z 0.027) and GTVMRI+AMT (mean 79%; range: 12-98%; p Z 0.007). There was no significant difference in recurrence coverage between GTVAMT and GTVMRI+AMT (p Z 0.14). Conclusion: Our analysis demonstrates that a GTV defined by AMT-PET would have covered the volume of initial radiographic recurrence better than the treated standard MRI determined volume. Although the two target volumes showed no major difference in size, there was a considerable spatial discordance between them. These data are hypothesis generating and need to be examined prospectively to fully identify the usefulness of AMT-PET for volume definition in radiation therapy planning for glioblastoma. Author Disclosure: M.E. Christensen: None. D. Kamson: None. M. Snyder: None. A. Hallock: None. H. Kim: None. S. Mittal: None. C. Juhasz: None.
Modulation of Amygdalar Activity by the Conscious Regulation of Negative Emotion

Lesion and neuroimaging studies suggest the amygdala is important in the perception and production of negative emotion; however, the effects of emotion regulation on the amygdalar response to negative stimuli remain unknown. Using event-related fMRI, we tested the hypothesis that voluntary modulation of negative emotion is associated with changes in neural activity within the amygdala. Negative and neutral pictures were presented with instructions to either "maintain" the emotional response or "passively view" the picture without regulating the emotion. Each picture presentation was followed by a delay, after which subjects indicated how they currently felt via a response keypad. Consistent with previous reports, greater signal change was observed in the amygdala during the presentation of negative compared to neutral pictures. No significant effect of instruction was found during the picture presentation component of the trial. However, a prolonged increase in signal change was observed in the amygdala when subjects maintained the negative emotional response during the delay following negative picture offset. This increase in amygdalar signal due to the active maintenance of negative emotion was significantly correlated with subjects' self-reported dispositional levels of negative affect. These results suggest that consciously evoked cognitive mechanisms that alter the emotional response of the subject operate, at least in part, by altering the degree of neural activity within the amygdala.
Relationship of microglial activation measured by [11C]PBR28 PET, atrophy on MRI and plasma biomarkers in individuals with and at risk for Alzheimer's disease

Score Name Description T-MSBL-FP Mixed L2/L1 RIDGE ADAS ADAS total score 0.683 6 0.076 0.663 6 0.068 0.681 6 0.063 MMSE MMSE score 0.678 6 0.030 0.671 6 0.037 0.681 6 0.042 RAVLT-Total Total score of the first 5 trials 0.592 6 0.070 0.554 6 0.062 0.561 6 0.057 RAVLT-T30 30 minute delay # of words recalled 0.534 6 0.079 0.480 6 0.073 0.492 6 0.071 RAVLT-Recog 30 minute delay recognition score 0.512 6 0.089 0.451 6 0.054 0.470 6 0.055 TRAILSA Trail making A score 0.471 6 0.070 0.446 6 0.069 0.466 6 0.068 TRAILSB Trail making B score 0.584 6 0.104 0.561 6 0.111 0.566 6 0.108 TRAILS(B-A) TRAILSB TRAILSA 0.511 6 0.126 0.467 6 0.126 0.477 6 0.123 Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium Poster Presentations: IC-P P63
On One Result of F. Berezin

We discuss Berezin’s observation about the extension of holomorphic discrete series of representations. We also include a few personal reminiscences.
Synthesis and recognition studies with a ditopic, photoswitchable deep cavitand.

We describe the synthesis and photochemical behavior of open-ended container modules connected by a 4,4′-azobiphenyl spacer. Both trans and cis azo configurations of the host can be accessed and their binding of guest molecules was characterized by NMR methods.