cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of transducin-α with LGN, a G-protein modulator expressed in photoreceptor cells

LGN and activator of G-protein signaling 3 (AGS3) belong to the class of G-protein modulators containing G-protein regulatory motifs (GPR proteins). Evidence for the functions of these molecules has only started to emerge. Immunostaining of mouse retina cross-sections and serial tangential sectioning of the retina combined with immunoblot analysis revealed that LGN is expressed in the inner segments of photoreceptor cells. Double immunolabeling demonstrated that, following light-dependent translocation from the outer segments, the α-subunit of the visual G-protein transducin (Gtα) colocalizes with LGN in the basal part of the inner segments. LGN and Gtα coprecipitate from the retinal extracts, supporting the notion of the interaction between the proteins. Furthermore, the GPR domain of LGN potently inhibits receptor-mediated guanine nucleotide exchange and steady-state GTPase activity of transducin. The localization and interaction with Gtα suggest LGN roles in modulation of transducin translocation and other photoreceptor cell functions.
Simultaneous Quantitation of Prostaglandins F1α. (PGF1α) and PGF2aL by Selected Ion Recording with a Deuterated Internal Standard

Abstract A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous measurement of PGF1α, and PGF2α at the ng level is reported. The internal standard was [3, 3, 4, 4-D] PGF2α. The method involves conversion of the substrates to their methyl ester-trimethyl-silyl ether (ME-TMS) derivatives and selected ion recording. The standard curves were reproducible and linear between 0. 5 and 40 ng (1. 4 to 112 picomole). The regression characteristics of the standard curves for each PGF were virtually identical to those of the analogous curves from separate determinations.
Costochondritis in Adolescents A Follow-Up Study

One hundred adolescent clinic patients who complained of chest or upper abdominal pain were evaluated. Seventy-nine were found to have only tender costal cartilages. Costochondritis pain orginates in the anterior chest wall and may radiate into the chest, back, or abdomen. It is reproducible by palpating the affected costal cartilage. Costochondritis was more often unilateral than bilateral (P=0.001), and in unilaterally affected patients (P ~0.005), it involved the left side more than the right. The left fourth sternocostal cartilage was involved most frequently. A simple program of mild analgesics and reassurances was sufficient treatment in all cases. These findings suggest that chest pain and upper abdominal pain in adolescents rarely arise from serious problems. Adolescents are normally hypersensitive about physical symptoms, but they can be effectively reassured and an expensive diagnostic and treatment program can be avoided.
Fatigue performance of reinforced concrete beams with externally bonded CFRP reinforcement

The objective of this paper is to study the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics under fatigue loadings, including load, which will produce high stress levels in the materials. The crack development and the stress change in the steel and the CFRP were monitored by strain gauges and fibre optic sensors in the process of the fatigue tests, and the failure mechanisms were compared with that of statically loaded similar beams. The behaviour of the S–N (cyclic stress versus numbers of cycle to failure) data from the current tests and the available technical literature is analysed and compared with existing fatigue design rules for un-strengthened RC beams using ACI 215 guidelines and AASHTO specifications.
Finding all gravitationally stable orientations of assemblies

Previous work by Mattikalli et al. (1993) considered the stability of assemblies of frictionless contacting bodies with uniform gravity. A linear programming-based technique was described that would automatically determine a single stable orientation for an assembly (if such an orientation existed). In this paper, we give an exact characterization of the entire set of stable orientations of any assembly under uniform gravity. Our characterization reveals that the set of stable orientations maps out a convex region on the unit-sphere of directions. The region is bounded by a sequence of vertices adjoined with great arcs. Linear programming techniques are used to automatically find this set of vertices, yielding a precise description of the range of stable orientations for any frictionless assembly. >
Rho and Rac promote acinar morphological changes, actin reorganization, and amylase secretion.

Supramaximal stimulation of isolated pancreatic acini with specific agonists such as CCK induces the formation of large basolateral blebs, redistributes filamentous actin, and inhibits secretion. R...
HISTOLOGIC EFFECTS INDUCED IN THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY OF THE RAT BY PROLONGED INJECTION OF ESTRIN WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE PRODUCTION OF PITUITARY ADENOMATA1

The reaction of the anterior pituitary to injection of estr a dministered for relatively short periods of time, is fairly well known. Such injections induce an increase in the weight of the gland (1, 2, 3), which is more or less proportional to the amounts injected and the period of administration. Histologically (3, 4), injection of estrin for short periods induces degranulation of the basophiles and a decrease in the level of these cells in the gland. Many eosinophiles also present evidence of granular loss, resulting in a reduction in the number of these cells present. Degranulation of the chromophilic cells is accompanied by hypertrophy of the Golgi apparatus (3, 5). There is a marked increase in the level of the chromophobes; many of these cells become greatly enlarged and the Golgi apparatus is increased in size. Such histologic changes may be considered indicative of an active secretory process, since estrin injections induce the release of a luteinizing hormone from the anterior lobe (6,7,8,9). Mo...
Naproxl: a hash based collaborative proxy system for content adaptation

In this paper we present a content adaptation framework that addresses the problem of delivering Internet content to varying client devices. The Naproxl system makes it possible to develop and deploy the content adaptation framework without disturbing the Internet content server or the client side devices. The edge proxies in a peer-to-peer organization detect the client device capabilities and in turn drive the Naproxl system to process the requests depending upon the profile of the device which issued the request. The transcoding framework proposed is extendable and scalable, in terms of processing different types of content. We implement a prototype to prove the feasibility of such a system and to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Radar options for global earthquake monitoring

Fine temporal sampling is essential for disaster management, e.g. of flooding, fires, landslides, hurricanes, and earthquakes. A powerful technique for mapping such natural hazards is synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry, providing displacement measurements at the subwavelength scale and decorrelation estimates. Pre-seismic deformation, one of the most elusive aspects of earthquakes, will require much finer temporal sampling than present InSAR capabilities provide. Observations taken every few hours could provide time series data of rapidly evolving phenomena, such as pre-eruptive volcano dynamics, leading to major advances in predictive capability, improving the potential for modeling as well as for civil protection. Such radical performance improvements could be attained through large constellations of conventional low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites or small constellations of geosynchronous SARs. The unique capability of a geosynchronous SAR in terms of instantaneously accessible area is contrasted with the requirements for huge electronically steered array (ESA) antennas. The optimal approach is very much dependant on technological developments, in particular geosynchronous SAR depends on the development of affordable very large ESA antennas, but also other technological developments will be required.
Two types of mechanosensitive channels in the Escherichia coli cell envelope: solubilization and functional reconstitution.

Mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) which could provide for fast osmoregulatory responses in bacteria, remain unidentified as molecular entities. MSCs from Escherichia coli (strain AW740) were examined using the patch-clamp technique, either (a) in giant spheroplasts, (b) after reconstitution by fusing native membrane vesicles with asolectin liposomes, or (c) by reassembly of octylglucoside-solubilized membrane extract into asolectin liposomes. MSC activities were similar in all three preparations, consisting of a large nonselective MSC of 3-nS conductance (in 200 mM KCl) that was activated by high negative pressures, and a small weakly anion-selective MSC of 1 nS activated by lower negative pressures. Both channels appeared more sensitive to suction in liposomes than in spheroplasts. After gel filtration of the solubilized membrane extract and reconstituting the fractions, both large MSC and small MSC activities were retrieved in liposomes. The positions of the peaks of channel activity in the column eluate, assayed by patch sampling of individual fractions reconstituted in liposomes, showed an apparent molecular mass under nondenaturing conditions of about 60–80 kDa for the large and 200–400 kDa for the small MSC. We conclude that (a) the large MSC and the small MSC are distinct molecular entities, (b) the fact that both MSCs were functional in liposomes following chromatography strongly suggests that these channels are gated by tension transduced via lipid bilayer, and (c) chromatographic fractionation of detergent-solubilized membrane proteins with subsequent patch sampling of reconstituted fractions can be used to identify and isolate these MS channel proteins.
A classification approach to broadcasting in mobile ad hoc network

We present a new broadcast protocol using Bayesian probabilistic classifiers, and we demonstrate its use in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). Broadcasting functions as a foundation of MANET communication. Unicast, multicast, and geocast protocols utilize broadcasting as a building block, providing important control and route establishment functionality. Therefore, any improvements to the process of broadcasting can be immediately realized by MANET applications. While efficient broadcast protocols have been proposed, no single broadcasting protocol works well in all possible MANET conditions. Furthermore, every protocol fails catastrophically in severe network environments. We exhibit a new approach to the design of a broadcast protocol: the decision of whether to rebroadcast a packet is cast as a classification problem. Each mobile node (MN) builds a classifier and trains it on data collected from the network environment. Given an input vector describing a broadcast packet and current network conditions, the classifier returns an output label of "rebroadcast" or "drop". Because each MN adapts to changing network conditions, the result is a more robust communication protocol and more efficient use of network resources. We show that our protocol, compared to those tested, is the most efficient under a range of network conditions.
Analysis of Ribonucleotide Removal from DNA by Human Nucleotide Excision Repair

Ribonucleotides are incorporated into the genome during DNA replication. The enzyme RNase H2 plays a critical role in targeting the removal of these ribonucleotides from DNA, and defects in RNase H2 activity are associated with both genomic instability and the human autoimmune/inflammatory disorder Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome. Whether additional general DNA repair mechanisms contribute to ribonucleotide removal from DNA in human cells is not known. Because of its ability to act on a wide variety of substrates, we examined a potential role for canonical nucleotide excision repair in the removal of ribonucleotides from DNA. However, using highly sensitive dual incision/excision assays, we find that ribonucleotides are not efficiently targeted by the human nucleotide excision repair system in vitro or in cultured human cells. These results suggest that nucleotide excision repair is unlikely to play a major role in the cellular response to ribonucleotide incorporation in genomic DNA in human cells.
Economic Issues In Bankruptcy And Reorganization

This paper examines current issues in bankruptcy and reorganization. Bankruptcy is an area of high research interest because of its implications for corporate financial decisions and because of the increased occurrence of financial distress in the U.S. economy. The paper discusses the role of bankruptcy in the economy and examines the efficiency of current bankruptcy laws and practices.
Our critics might have valid concerns: Reducing our propensity to conflate.

As noted by Austin elsewhere, the field of eating disorders (ED) prevention has made remarkable scientific strides in the past two decades (see Austin, 2015). Over this same period, the field also ...
Prenatal Maternal-Fetal Imaging for Global Health Radiology

The state of maternal-fetal health in the developing world remains appalling despite growing global attention. Since the adoption of the Millennium Development goals, there has been increased deployment of resources towards this issue with little improvement. Examination of the published epidemiologic data from around the world reveals unique characteristics and dissimilarities of these countries with high maternal mortality. In this chapter, we carefully examine some of the causes of morbidity and mortality in the mother, fetus or both, with special attention to those that can be diagnosed by imaging, specifically, by ultrasonography. We discuss how regional, legal and sociopolitical customs in target communities may impact the practice of prenatal ultrasonography and how obstetric imaging may play a crucial role in potentially reducing maternal and perinatal mortality. With increasing availability of ultrasonography, careful use of prenatal imaging, coupled with other social and educational changes, could lead to improved maternal-fetal outcomes and achievement of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.
Wall Mechanical Properties and Hemodynamics of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aneurysm progression and rupture is thought to be governed by progressive degradation and weakening of the wall in response to abnormal hemodynamics. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between the intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic conditions and wall mechanical properties in human aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 8 unruptured aneurysms were analyzed. Computational fluid dynamics models were constructed from preoperative 3D rotational angiography images. The aneurysms were clipped, and the domes were resected and mechanically tested to failure with a uniaxial testing system under multiphoton microscopy. Linear regression analysis was performed to explore possible correlations between hemodynamic quantities and the failure characteristics and stiffness of the wall. RESULTS: The ultimate strain was correlated negatively to aneurysm inflow rate ( P = .021), mean velocity ( P = .025), and mean wall shear stress ( P = .039). It was also correlated negatively to inflow concentration, oscillatory shear index, and measures of the complexity and instability of the flow; however, these trends did not reach statistical significance. The wall stiffness at high strains was correlated positively to inflow rate ( P = .014), mean velocity ( P = .008), inflow concentration ( P = .04), flow instability ( P = .006), flow complexity ( P = .019), wall shear stress ( P = .002), and oscillatory shear index ( P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: In a study of 8 unruptured intracranial aneurysms, ultimate strain was correlated negatively with aneurysm inflow rate, mean velocity, and mean wall shear stress. Wall stiffness was correlated positively with aneurysm inflow rate, mean velocity, wall shear stress, flow complexity and stability, and oscillatory shear index. These trends and the impact of hemodynamics on wall structure and mechanical properties should be investigated further in larger studies.
Korean Media Often Allied With Ruling Political Parties

A framing analysis of South Korea’s three major newspapers and two television networks reveals that coverage of presidential election polls was heavily biased toward the ruling party and its candidate. The Korean mainstream media stories more often focused on the race between candidates than on political issues of the campaign.
Mitochondria in lung disease

Mitochondria are a distinguishing feature of eukaryotic cells. Best known for their critical function in energy production via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), mitochondria are essential for nutrient and oxygen sensing and for the regulation of critical cellular processes, including cell death and inflammation. Such diverse functional roles for organelles that were once thought to be simple may be attributed to their distinct heteroplasmic genome, exclusive maternal lineage of inheritance, and ability to generate signals to communicate with other cellular organelles. Mitochondria are now thought of as one of the cell's most sophisticated and dynamic responsive sensing systems. Specific signatures of mitochondrial dysfunction that are associated with disease pathogenesis and/or progression are becoming increasingly important. In particular, the centrality of mitochondria in the pathological processes and clinical phenotypes associated with a range of lung diseases is emerging. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the mitochondrial processes of lung cells will help to better define phenotypes and clinical manifestations associated with respiratory disease and to identify potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Modeling and simulation of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) used in power system

For reflecting grid connected operation control strategies, modeling of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was studied. The BESS models include two parts according to the infection to control results of State of Charge (SOC) of batteries. One is the electromechanical transient model, and the other is the long-term dynamic model. The convertor section of the models consider power control segment in normal operating mode, and fault crossing and protection segment reflecting output external characteristics in abnormal operating mode. In the capacity limit aspect, the actual voltage-SOC curve of battery is introduced in the models. Meanwhile, the charging and discharging characteristics can be simulated accurately. The validity of the proposed models is proved according to calculation results after taking BESS models into single generator system for simulation. In this paper, BESS models are established from the perspective of power grid and to realize the target of grid connected control, the models have generality, and they are suitable for electromechanical transient and long-term dynamic simulation. Therefore, the problems of present BESS models, that is being complex, reflecting charging / discharging characteristics of different batteries but no grid connected characteristics, and being not suitable for engineering application, can be solved.
USING A GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR STRUCTURAL TOPOLOGY DESIGN OF HELICOPTER ROTOR BLADES

Topology design methods are useful tools for conceptual design of structural components because they can be used to represent nearly any shape and connectivity. The Genetic Algorithm (GA) is well suited to this class of problems because of its binary chromosome storage and global search capabilities. Previous research has demonstrated that a GA can be coupled with a structural analysis to perform discrete topology design. The current research focuses on beam cross-section design for which the shear center location is critical. The bending behavior of a beam can be modified by changing the location of the shear center relative to the location of applied loads. An application of this would be to decouple the bending and torsion modes of a helicopter rotor blade by locating the shear center at the aerodynamic center of the blade crosssection. A sample shear center design problem is demonstrated, followed by a more complex example of how a rotor cross-section design could be performed. The topology GA shows promise for helicopter rotor design problems, but the computational cost may be prohibitive for many practical problems.
A study of SNR and BER in Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR)

Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a promising approach to increase the areal density of hard disk drives. The purpose of this paper is to provide a computational framework for optimizing the HAMR system. In order to do that, an integrated HAMR simulation system was built. We then studied several factors that could affect the playback signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), such as the switching time of the writing field, the peak temperature of the heat spot, the standard deviation of anisotropy field and exchange parameters, and the size of the reader element. We found that bit length (BL) becomes the key factor for the value of SNR for small, e.g., 10 nm, BLs. We established a relationship between the SNR and the bit error rate so that it will be easy to predict the storage capacity based on the playback SNR. This curve is used to predict the possible storage capacity for different BLs.
Movement of biotin across the rat intestinal basolateral membrane. Studies with membrane vesicles.

The characteristics of the transport process of the water-soluble vitamin biotin across the basolateral membrane (BLM) of rat intestine, i.e. the exit of biotin from rat enterocyte, were examined using established BLM vesicles (BLMV) techniques. Results of osmolarity and temperature studies have indicated that the majority of biotin taken up by these vesicles is the result of transport of the vitamin into the intravesicular spaces, with little membrane binding. Transport of biotin in these vesicles was found to be: (1) higher in BLMV of the jejunum than those isolated simultaneously from the ileum, (2) Na(+)-independent in nature, (3) saturable as a function of concentration, with an apparent Km of 3.51 microM and a Vmax. of 16.49 pmol/10 s per mg of protein, (4) inhibited by high concentrations of unlabelled biotin and its related compounds, but not by the unrelated taurocholate, (5) sensitive to the anion transport inhibitors 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid (DIDS) and 4-acetamido-4-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid (SITS), and (6) not affected by imposing a positive or a negative intravesicular space with the use of a valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion potential. Based on these findings, it is concluded that biotin transport across the rat intestinal BLM is mediated via a specialized carrier system which is Na(+)-independent, transports the vitamin by a process which is sensitive to the effects of anion transport inhibitors, and is electroneutral in nature.
Compatibility Stability of Ramosetron Hydrochloride Injection with Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the stability of Ramosetron hydrochloride injection mixed with Dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection. METHODS:HPLC method was adopted to determine the content of ramosetron hydrochloride in mixture(in0.9% Sodium chloride injection)at 4 ℃,25 ℃,37 ℃ under dark and light. pH value,insoluble particles and visual inspection were detected. RESULTS:After Ramosetron hydrochloride injection mixed with Dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection,the pH and the relative percentages of the main drug didn't changed significantly under dark conditions within 48 h,compared with 0h. Visual inspection were satisfactory under all conditions,insoluble particles were in line with Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2010 edition). In the light conditions,as the temperature raised,the extension of storage time,the pH and the content of main drug had declined,while insoluble particles did not change. CONCLUSIONS:Ramosetron hydrochloride injection and Dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection in 0.9% Sodium chloride injection are stable under dark conditions. The light is the main influential factor of the stability.
Orbital lymphoma masquerading as thyroid ophthalmopathy.

BACKGROUND Lymphoid tumors are known to originate within the lacrimal gland and orbital fat. Ocular findings commonly seen are a palpable mass with proptosis and downward displacement of the globe. Graves' ophthalmopathy is the most common orbital pathology occurring in the general population. Signs and symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy, such as unilateral or bilateral proptosis, double vision, limitation of movement of the extraocular muscles, are not specific for this condition. CASE REPORT A 57-year-old man came to us with a chief symptom of "eye swelling" for the last 3 years. He had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and had received three surgical procedures for orbital decompression. Clinical findings included limitation of upward and downward gaze, exophthalmometry readings of 30 1/2 mm O.D. and 31 mm O.S. (with a base of 112), and profound proptosis with fatty tissue prolapse. Subsequent thyroid testing revealed euthyroid status and computed tomography scan revealed orbital lymphoma. Orbital involvement from a malignant nodular histiocytic lymphoma resulted in a proptosis similar to that observed in Graves' ophthalmopathy. CONCLUSIONS This very unusual presentation of orbital lymphoma mimicked Graves' disease so closely that the true cause was overlooked. This case emphasizes the need to include space-occupying lesions in the differential diagnosis of proptosis and gaze restrictions. The disease process and controversial management strategies are discussed.
Abstract 2890: ERCC5 variant rs2296147 T-allele creates a predicted TP53 binding site and up-regulates transcript abundance in normal bronchial epithelial cells, while rs17655 C-allele is linked to miRNA binding site variant and down regulates

Background: Excision repair cross-complementation group 5 (ERCC5) gene plays an important role in nucleotide excision repair (NER) and dysregulation of ERCC5 is associated with increased lung cancer risk. This study was conducted to characterize cis-acting genetic variants responsible for inter-individual variation in ERCC5 transcript regulation in normal bronchial epithelial cells (NBEC). Methods: We determined genotypes at putative ERCC5 cis-regulatory single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNP) rs751402 and rs2296147, and marker SNPs rs1047768 and rs17655. Using a recently developed targeted sequencing method, ERCC5 allele-specific transcript abundance was assessed in NBEC RNA from 55 individuals heterozygous for rs1047768 and 21 subjects heterozygous for rs17655. Syntenic relationships among alleles at rs751402, rs2296147 and rs1047768 were assessed by allele-specific PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. We assessed association of NBEC ERCC5 allele-specific expression at rs1047768 with haplotype and diplotype structure at putative ERCC5 promoter cis-regulatory SNPs rs751402 and rs2296147. Results: Genotype analysis revealed higher inter-individual variation in allelic ratios in cDNA samples relative to matched gDNA samples at both rs1047768 and rs17655 (p Conclusions: These data support the conclusion that T allele at SNP rs2296147 creates a TP53 binding site and up-regulates ERCC5 while C allele at SNP rs873601 creates a miRNA binding site and down-regulates ERCC5. Variation in ERCC5 transcript abundance associated with allelic variation at these SNPs is likely associated with variation in NER function in NBEC and lung cancer risk. Citation Format: Xiaolu Zhang, Erin L. Crawford, Thomas M. Blomquist, Sadik A. Khuder, Jiyoun Yeo, Albert M. Levin, James C. Willey. ERCC5 variant rs2296147 T-allele creates a predicted TP53 binding site and up-regulates transcript abundance in normal bronchial epithelial cells, while rs17655 C-allele is linked to miRNA binding site variant and down regulates. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2890.
A problem about sets

An objection In the last section, we put aside the question whether sets should simply be an exception to a general structuralism about pure mathematical objects. Structuralism about sets is not immediately implied by what has been argued up to now, even the argument against eliminative structuralism in §17. Indeed we would save eliminative structuralism in application to other kinds of objects (such as those of pure geometry) by denying it here, although, to be sure, we would not thereby save eliminative structuralism as a program for eliminating all mathematical objects or even all pure mathematical objects. We still have to consider whether the universe of sets consists of more than a domain of “objects” related by relation called “membership” satisfying conditions that can then be stated in the language of set theory. We can see the difficulty from our examination of how attempts to use the structuralist idea to eliminate reference to mathematical objects of various kinds founder when applied to higher set theory. Such attempts still require that one make out that a structure of the kind required is in some way possible . I argued in §17 that in the present state of knowledge, this possibility can be made out for higher set theory only by domains of pure abstract objects, of which pure mathematical objects are a paradigmatic instance. That this possibility be made out is, however, still required by the noneliminative structuralism of §18.
GaInN/GaN Multi-Quantum Well Laser Diodes Grown by Low-Pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

We report the growth, fabrication and characterization of GaInN/GaN multi-quantum well lasers grown on (00.1) sapphire substrates by low pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The threshold current density of a 1800 µm long cavity length laser was 1.4 kA/cm2 with a threshold voltage of 25 V. These lasers exhibited series resistances of 13 and 14 Ω at 300 and 79 K, respectively.
Novel spatial query processing techniques for scaling location based services

Location based services (LBS) are gaining widespread user acceptance and increased daily usage. GPS based mobile navigation systems (Garmin), location-related social network updates and check-ins (Facebook), location-based games (Nokia), friend queries (Foursquare) and ads (Google) are some of the popular LBSs available to mobile users today. Despite these successes, current user services fall short of a vision where mobile users could ask for continuous location-based services with always-up-to-date information around them, such as the list of friends or favorite restaurants within 15 minutes of driving. Providing such a location based service in real time faces a number of technical challenges. In this dissertation research, we propose a suite of novel techniques and system architectures to address some known technical challenges of continuous location queries and updates. Our solution approaches enable the creation of new, practical and scalable location based services with better energy efficiency on mobile clients and higher throughput at the location servers. Our first contribution is the development of RoadTrack, a road network aware and query-aware location update framework and a suite of algorithms. A unique characteristic of RoadTrack is the innovative design of encounter points and system-defined precincts to manage the desired spatial resolution of location updates for different mobile clients while reducing the complexity and energy consumption of location update strategies. The second novelty of this dissertation research is the technical development of Dandelion data structures and algorithms that can deliver superior performance for the periodic re-evaluation of continuous road-network distance based location queries, when compared with the alternative of repeatedly performing a network expansion along a mobile users trajectory. The third contribution of this dissertation research is the FastExpand algorithm that can speed up the computation of single-issue shortest-distance road network queries. Finally, we have developed the open source GT MobiSim mobility simulator, a discrete event simulation platform to generate realistic driving trajectories for real road maps. It has been downloaded and utilized by many to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the location query and location update algorithms, including the research efforts in this dissertation.
Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding: A Case Study ￼

The present case report describes an intensive treatment approach combining aggressive pharmacotherapy with daily cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) directed at helping “Dee,” a 63-year-old female suffering from compulsive hoarding. The successful intervention consisted of individualized exposure and response prevention (ERP), in addition to cognitive restructuring to improve insight, decrease depressive and general anxiety symptoms, and address distorted beliefs. Pretreatment evaluation included assessment of clutter for all living spaces, including rooms in the house in addition to the car. After the six-week intensive treatment program, clutter decreased substantially in each of the rooms targeted for intervention. In addition, Dee’s scores on self-reported measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and anxiety steadily decreased during the intervention. Compulsive hoarding, when present in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), has been associated with poor response to both antianxiety medications and typical CBT. This case report illustrates that specific CBT strategies targeting the characteristic features of compulsive hoarding may provide better results for patients suffering from compulsive hoarding syndrome.
Miniaturized planar RTIL-based eletrochemical gas sensor for real-time point-of-exposure monitoring

The growing impact of airborne pollutants and explosive gases on human health and occupational safety has escalated the demand for sensors to monitor hazardous gases. Existing gas sensors lack the miniaturization and real-time measurement capability necessary to quantify point-of-care exposure to gaseous hazards. To overcome these challenges and enable cost-effective monitoring of personal exposure in local environments, this paper presents a robust microfabricated planar electrochemical gas sensor featuring room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as the electrolyte. Together with carefully selected electrochemical methods, the miniaturized gas sensor is capable of measuring multiple gases important to human health and safety. Compared to its larger predecessor, our manually-assembled Clark-cell sensor, this microsensor provides better sensitivity, linearity and repeatability, as validated for oxygen and methane monitoring. The microfabricated planar RTIL electrochemical gas sensor is well suited for personal point-of-exposure monitoring of hazardous gases in a real world environment.
Determination of eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and interdiffusion coefficients in ternary diffusion from diffusional constraints at the Matano plane

Abstract New diffusional constraints interlinking interdiffusion fluxes, concentration gradients and concentrations of the components at the Matano plane are derived for an isothermal, solid-solid ternary diffusion couple. The derivations are based on the diagonalization of the interdiffusion coefficient matrices employed for the description of selected regions of the diffusion zone and on the integration of the decoupled concentration gradients and interdiffusion fluxes over those regions. By selecting two diffusion regions, one on either side of the Matano plane, the diffusional constraints are employed for the direct determination of eigenvalues, eigenvector parameters and a matched pair of interdiffusion coefficient matrices for the generation of concentration profiles over the two regions. For a diffusion couple assembly, the input data needed for the calculations are the concentration gradients, interdiffusion fluxes and composition developed at the Matano plane at a given time. The diffusion parameters determined by the new analysis help ensure that the calculated concentration profiles, interdiffusion fluxes and concentration gradients of the components are continuous everywhere including the Matano plane. The application of the analysis is illustrated and discussed with selected experimental diffusion couples investigated in the Cu-Ni-Zn ternary system.
Psychodynamic Aspects in Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

The paper by Rabin et al.[l] of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine (Nashville) in which he relates his own experience as an ALS patient is more effective than any review of the literature in understanding the psychological impact of this disease. Before introducing our psychodynamic approach to the psychological problems of this ‘incurable’ illness, we will review some data from the few psychiatric studies that have been published on this topic. We shall focus on four aspects which have been dealt with by different authors: the personality of the patients, the defense mechanisms, the locus of control and the problem of depression.
Carbon Nanotubes and Safety

This chapter reviews geometry of different classes of carbon nanotubes and examines similarities between carbon nanotubes and asbestos fibers. Geometric parameters of carbon nanotubes are characterized by the aspect ratios and other critical scaling parameters related to the inhalability of carbon nanotubes and their engulfment by macrophages in phagocytosis. Geometric and scaling parameters are used to present a conceptual framework and a parametric map for the extrapolation of potential toxic effects resulting from the inhalation of carbon nanotubes. Similarities between carbon nanotubes and asbestos fibers are also examined by using the Cook’s criteria for the asbestos-like pathologies that can be also caused by microscopic fibers. Scaling parameters for the size effects associated with carbon nanotubes and a new parametric map for the efficiency of phagocytosis are used to evaluate the potential toxicological effects of the inhaled carbon nanotubes from the point of view of the Cook’s criteria for asbestos fibers and other research.
RAN translation at C9orf72-associated repeat expansions is selectively enhanced by the integrated stress response

Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation allows for unconventional initiation at disease-causing repeat expansions. As RAN translation contributes to pathogenesis in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, determining its mechanistic underpinnings may inform therapeutic development. Here we analyze RAN translation at G4C2 repeat expansions that cause C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9RAN) and at CGG repeats that cause fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. We find that C9RAN translation initiates through a cap- and eIF4A-dependent mechanism that utilizes a CUG start codon. C9RAN and CGG RAN are both selectively enhanced by integrated stress response (ISR) activation. ISR-enhanced RAN translation requires an eIF2α phosphorylation-dependent alteration in start codon fidelity. In parallel, both CGG and G4C2 repeats trigger phosphorylated-eIF2α-dependent stress granule formation and global translational suppression. These findings support a model whereby repeat expansions elicit cellular stress conditions that favor RAN translation of toxic proteins, creating a potential feed-forward loop that contributes to neurodegeneration.
Identification and Characterization of a Novel Spontaneously Active Bursty GABAergic Interneuron in the Mouse Striatum

The recent availability of different transgenic mouse lines coupled with other modern molecular techniques has led to the discovery of an unexpectedly large cellular diversity and synaptic specificity in striatal interneuronal circuitry. Prior research has described three spontaneously active interneuron types in mouse striatal slices; the cholinergic interneuron, the neuropeptide Y-low threshold spike interneuron, and the tyrosine hydroxylase interneurons (THINs). Using transgenic Htr3a-Cre mice we now characterize a fourth population of spontaneously active striatal GABAergic interneurons termed spontaneously active bursty interneurons (SABI) because of their unique burst-firing pattern in cell-attached recordings. Though they bear some qualitative similarity in intrinsic electrophysiological properties with THINs in whole cell recordings, detailed analysis revealed significant differences in many intrinsic properties and in their morphology. Furthermore, all previously identified striatal GABAergic interneurons have been shown to innervate striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). This contributed to the suggestion that the principal function of striatal GABAergic interneurons is to provide feed-forward inhibition to SPNs. Here, very surprisingly, paired recordings show that SABIs do not significantly innervate SPNs. Further, optogenetic inhibition of striatal Htr3a-Cre interneurons triggers barrages of IPSCs in SPNs. We hypothesize that these IPSCs result from disinhibition of a population of GABAergic interneurons whose activity is constitutively suppressed by the SABIs. We suggest that the SABIs represent the first example of a striatal interneuron-selective interneuron and further, that their existence, along with previously defined interneuronal networks, may participate in the formation of SPNs ensembles observed by others. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prior to about 2010, the main function of the 3 known subtypes of striatal GABAergic interneurons was assumed to mediate feed-forward inhibition of the spiny neurons (SPN). During the past decade, we and others have described several novel populations of striatal GABAergic interneurons and their synaptic connections and have shown that striatal interneurons and SPNs interact through extensive and highly cell-type specific connections that form specialized networks. Here we describe a novel population of striatal GABAergic interneuron and provide several lines of evidence suggesting that it represents the first interneuron-selective interneuron in striatum. Striatal interneurons and their synaptic connections are suggested to play an important role in the formation of ensembles of striatal SPNs interconnected by inhibitory axon collaterals.
Places of Public Memory: The Rhetoric of Museums and Memorials

Though we live in a time when memory seems to be losing its hold on communities, memory remains central to personal, communal, and national identities. And although popular and public discourses from speeches to films invite a shared sense of the past, official sites of memory such as memorials, museums, and battlefields embody unique rhetorical principles. "Places of Public Memory: The Rhetoric of Museums and Memorials" is a sustained and rigorous consideration of the intersections of memory, place, and rhetoric. From the mnemonic systems inscribed upon ancient architecture to the roadside accident memorials that line America's highways, memory and place have always been deeply interconnected. This book investigates the intersections of memory and place through nine original essays written by leading memory studies scholars from the fields of rhetoric, media studies, organizational communication, history, performance studies, and English. The essays address, among other subjects, the rhetorical strategies of those vying for competing visions of a 9/11 memorial at New York City's Ground Zero; rhetorics of resistance embedded in the plans for an expansion of the National Civil Rights Museum; representations of nuclear energy--both as power source and weapon--in Cold War and post-Cold War museums; and tours and tourism as acts of performance. By focusing on "official" places of memory, the collection causes readers to reflect on how nations and local communities remember history and on how some voices and views are legitimated and others are minimized or erased.
Potentiation of the Bystander Effect by Immunization Combined With Suicide Gene Therapy

The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene is the most commonly used suicide gene for the treatment of cancer. The therapeutic value of the HSV-tk suicide gene therapy is based on the ability of the HSV-tk gene modified tumor cells to kill nearby unmodified tumor cells which has been termed the “bystander effect” [1–3]. The effectiveness of the “bystander effect” to kill tumor cells has been shown both in vitro and in vivo using syngeneic or xenogeneic HSV-tk gene modified tumor cells, indicating that irrespective of cell type, the gene modified cells need to be in close proximity to the unmodified tumor cells for the antitumor effect [3–4].
Variations on a protective theme: Hamiltonella defensa infections in aphids variably impact parasitoid success

Protective mutualisms are common in nature and include insect infections with cryptic symbionts that defend against pathogens and parasites. An archetypal defensive symbiont, Hamiltonella defensa protects aphids against parasitoids by disabling wasp development. Successful defense requires H. defensa infection with bacteriophages (APSEs), which play other key roles in mutualism maintenance. Genomes of H. defensa strains are highly similar in gene inventories, varying primarily in mobile element content. Protective phenotypes are highly variable across aphid models depending on H. defensa/APSE, aphid and wasp genotypes. Infection frequencies of H. defensa are highly dynamic in field populations, influenced by a variety of selective and non-selective factors confounding biological control implications. Overall, H. defensa infections likely represent a global aphid protection network with effects radiating outward from focal interactions.
Covariance Based Estimation for Reduced Order Models of Microgrid Power Flow Dynamics

Abstract Identification using system data becomes a great tool for modeling a system when model derivation using physical laws is complex or impossible. Covariance Based Realization Algorithm (CoBRA), one kind of subspace methods for system identification, allows the use of finite size covariance data matrices to reduce storage requirement. In addition, the covariance pre-processing reduces noise effect and allows CoBRA to concentrate on the identification of possibly low order deterministic dynamics. This paper aims at providing practical analysis of CoBRA in the area of power systems. This includes persistent excitation, identification from arbitrary data segments, the effect of sample approximation and imperfect data. Finally, an application of CoBRA to the identification of microgrid power flow dynamics is demonstrated using available synchrophasor measurements.
TIGER: topology-aware task assignment approach using ising machines

Optimal mapping of a parallel code's communication graph is increasingly important as both system size and heterogeneity increase. However, the topology-aware task assignment problem is an NP-complete graph isomorphism problem. Existing task scheduling approaches are either heuristic or based on physical optimization algorithms, providing different speed and solution quality tradeoffs. Ising machines such as quantum and digital annealers have recently become available offering an alternative hardware solution to solve certain types of optimization problems. We propose an algorithm that allows expressing the problem for such machines and a domain specific partition strategy that enables to solve larger scale problems. TIGER - topology-aware task assignment mapper tool - implements the proposed algorithm and automatically integrates task - communication graph and an architecture graph into the quantum software environment. We use D-Wave's quantum annealer to demonstrate the solving algorithm and evaluate the proposed tool flow in terms of performance, partition efficiency and solution quality. Results show significant speed-up of the tool flow and reliable solution quality while using TIGER together with the proposed partition.